The Weirdos

Rich Mullins once said: "The thing I like about the Bible are all the weirdos in it." After going through the Old Testament again I am finding that to be really true. What's really mesmerizing, and what most Christians would call weird, is the gutsy attitude that these Old Testament people had when praying/talking to God. Take Abraham for instance. When God is sending his angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham says: "Far it be from you to destroy the righteous with the wicked. Far be it from you!" He yells at God who is standing right there! And Moses. When God wants to wipe the Israelites out Moses tells God he will have to take him out first. Are you nuts!!! On and on these prophets and people had this crazy relationship with God. They spoke with him like they actually knew him. They spoke with him like they actually believed him.

So, what is going on with Christians today? There are those who have an amazing and powerful relationship with God. However, for the most part most Christians have either no or little interaction with God. Why? I don't understand it. They don't read the Bible. They don't pray. They don't witness to the lost about their need for Jesus.

After a lot of life experience the only conclusion I come to is that people are either ashamed of what they say they believe or they don't really believe the Gospel.

Are you going to whither away? Or, are you going to overcome the world by the power of the Gospel? "He that winneth souls is wise."

Obedience vs. Application

How many times do we go to church, hear a preacher read a verse of scripture, and then want to tell us how to "apply" it to our lives? There is a lot to be said for wanting people to apply the Bible to their daily lives.

What if, instead of application, preachers and teachers started telling people what the Bible really says? The Bible teaches obedience and obedience alone. Because the Bible is of the nature that it is it does not allow for anything such as application. It allows, and demands, either obedience or disobedience. There are no other options. "This is love for God: to obey his commands" says 1 John. When a person obeys what the Bible teaches then that person is pushing far beyond application. It's all about obedience. It's all about reading the teachings of Jesus and simply acting upon them.

When a person wants to apply the Bible to one's life it becomes less about the command of God, which is where life comes from, and more about that individual. Application takes the focus off of God. Obedience to the commands of God keeps the individual in the right relation to Jesus and His cross.

Application of the teachings of God bring about a form of superficial religion. Obedience to the teachings of God brings forth life and more life. Obedience is the standard. We human beings will either obey or disobey. In being obedient to the Bible people grow in knowing God. Often times, when people try to teach others to apply the Bible, they are reduced to a religious formula. It is easy to apply a Hail Mary. It is far more difficult to obey the commands of a rigtheous Creator.