The Great Debate

What makes for a great debate?  Is it the topic?  Is it the moderators?  Is the participants?  Is it the hype?

One of history’s all-time greatest debater’s was the Apostle Paul.  He was so good that he was able to convince multitudes of something that seemed impossible, that is, that God raised Jesus from the dead.  That’s right! 

So what was it that made him so successful?  Was it his extensive education and training as a teacher of the law and as a debater?  Was it his privileged upbringing as a Roman citizen and being such a respected member of that society?  Maybe it was simply his ability to relate well to the people in his culture.  Paul’s challenge and topic of debate was to try and persuade unbelieving people to believe in a real-life resurrection.  Good Luck!

In this season of elections, the principles of effective debating have been overrun by personality, money, boisterous language, personal attacks, bias media, and most importantly hardened hearts.

Hear and listen to the Scripture:

² And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."  Acts 17:2, 3

Certainly the Apostle’s credentials matter, his status, his personality, his education, and his love for God’s law, but Paul’s dependence on truth is what ultimately made the difference in persuading others concerning the resurrection.  Let’s face it, Paul had the facts on his side and simply “explained” (to open up completely) and gave “evidence” (to set beside) to the truth.  He laid out all the facts, like a person laying out the pieces of a puzzle, each piece laying side by side, different shapes with different tones and colors to tip off the placement of each piece into one giant, complete, cohesive picture.  And the finished picture doesn’t lie.  Truth never lies. 

Get past the personalities, the hype, the language, the attacks, the bias, and develop a soft and playable heart that sees and hears the truth of God.  A great debate is when truth is seen and understood, not simply with the mind, but with the passion of the heart, a passion that receives it, lives it, and shares it with others.

and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you...  Ephesians 1:18

“Words Mean Things”

Because words have meaning, words ultimately change opinions.  Words are positively powerful in the mouths of the wise, but to the foolish, words are an opportunity to deceive, trick, manipulate, and destroy. 

Words are the avenue by which people honestly communicate their values, desires, likes and dislikes, passions and pains, victories and triumphs.  But what if the one communicating wishes to change opinions by hiding the truth, manipulating the data, bending the facts, or twisting the reality?

Case in point:  we should be disgusted with the poacher who broke the rules to kill a big game lion in Zimbabwe.  Our moral compass tells us so, but should we sympathize with the killing of Cecil the Lion because the media humanizes his lion cubs by calling them his children?  And that his children are now fatherless?  Does the media intend to communicate the truth of the story by turning Cecil the Lion into a sympathetic human figure instead of presenting him as the animal he is? Cecil, the animal, rules his large harem of lioness’ with brutal selfishness, kills rivals with grotesque force, and would pounce on any human being crossing his path by going straight for the jugular.  That’s hardly humane, probably pure animal.   Beware of the Lions, who are the media.

Case in point:  When a doctor, in his own words, talks about harvesting aborted babies body parts and selling them, the alarm on our moral compass goes off.  When a doctor, in his own words, talks about removing the fetus in such a way that it stays intact so that the worth of the parts are more valuable to sell, our moral and human sensitivities are awakened.  Describing a growing life inside the womb as a fetus and its tissue as fetal matter only disguises the truth and facts of what’s really happening.  Doesn’t science and technology in the 21^st century now give us a clear picture into what’s happening in the womb?  Are the pictures from an expectant mother’s sonogram not clear enough?  Do mini-cameras inside the womb not tell the story accurately?  Doesn’t the value of the body parts being sold speak to the value of the life itself?  When a doctor delivers the “aborted fetus” so that it stays intact don’t we call that intact fetus outside the womb “a baby”?  Words mean things.  They change opinions.  Don’t be fooled by those wishing to deceive you. 

Shame on the media for taking an animal and portraying him as a human while taking a human baby and portraying him as mere fetal tissue.  Words are powerful.  Be on guard.  Choose your words purposefully.  Listen carefully to others.  Be wise with your words if you want to positively change the world.

So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!   James 3:5

Like

I hear people say all the time, “I don’t care what anyone thinks.” But the research and science would beg to differ.  In the book, entitled, “Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives,” the authors make the suggestion that everything we think, feel, and do are connected to that of our friends three levels removed; in other words, your happiness depends in part on your friends’ friends’ friends.

Here are the facts of one study:  if someone becomes overweight, their friends were 57% more likely to become obese, and the friend of the friend of that obese person was about 20% more likely to become overweight.  The same kind of influence happens in the case of a friends’ friends’ friend who smokes.  So how do your friends influence your language?  Your relationships?   Your sexual behavior?   Your spending habits?

Is it possible that maybe we do really care what are friends say and think?  The evidence is strong.  If our friends “like” it, it changes our behavior.  We love the “Like” button or a favorable comment on a post.  But sometimes being a real friend means disliking, rejecting, or standing against something that contradicts your own values and beliefs. 

I get it, it’s easy to get caught up with the crowd, go with the flow, and not want to make waves.  But if we want to promote positive change in our social circles, whether personally or online, maybe a little more discretion is necessary before we hit the “like” button? 

“Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God." 3 John 11

                                                                                                                                                                              

“Medical Christianity”

So I was having trouble with my sinuses.  The pain and discomfort was unbearable.  I was soon referred to a specialist every few months to get shots deep inside my nose cavity near my sinus passages.  I was less than thrilled as you could imagine; however, before administering the shots, the doctor numbed my nose by packing it with gauze coated with cocaine.  Knowing that as a pastor I might be concerned, the doctor simply told me; if anyone questioned my use of cocaine, just tell them, “I’m a user, not an abuser.”

In a day where everything has a “medical” solution, one might want to stop and consider what that means.  As it relates to drug use, it’s not the use of an effective drug we should question, but whether it’s the right drug.  If marijuana has a medical benefit, by all means, put it in the doctor’s bag for possible and appropriate use.  What we should question, however, is whether such drugs are being used effectively or simply being abused.

As a Christian, I wish I could just take a pill that would make me the perfect follower of Jesus.  A medical solution to my constant struggle with sin would be great.  Pop a pill and the pain and discomfort of my bad choices would be gone.  How perfect!  I’m the proud owner of a “Medical Christianity Card.”  

Thank God for medication, like cocaine, that can numb your body, and when used, not abused, contributes to the quality of our lives.  If marijuana has medical rewards, let’s use it, but be careful not abuse it.  Recreational use of drugs is harmful to you and everyone around you. 

If you need a drug to deal with real physical pain, a medical doctor can prescribe a solution, but if your pain is coming from a deeper place of emotional hurt or distress, masking it with a pain killer, recreational drug use or a trip to the bar downtown, is only a temporary fix.  What you need is the Great Physician.  He can heal every pain, physical and spiritual, emotional and mental.  The best drug in the world today is Jesus Christ!  Before the pain and discomfort of everyday life becomes unbearable, let me refer you to Dr. Jesus.  He’s the specialist you need!

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 

Matthew 11:28 (NLT)

“No Justice, No Peace”

Justice is all about “rightness.”  One who is just, lives rightly and makes right decisions.  Justice involves the law, a standard, a moral code of right and wrong.  We often call it the justice system, because there’s a set of rules and regulations which govern its proper execution.  Falsely, people equate “fairness” with “justice.”  Fairness implies equality like justice, but fairness leaves itself open for disagreement.  What you thought was fair, I didn’t.  Justice is rightness.  Justice is about making things right, equally, for all people.  Without justice, it is true, there is no peace!  And though some may disagree with what’s right, God has established the moral laws of right and wrong.  In fact, Moses would say that their set in stone, literally.

That’s the real irony isn’t it?  When people in our culture feel, believe, or know there’s been an injustice, the cry is always the same:  “No Justice, No Peace.”  If there’s no justice, then let’s make sure there’s no peace, through riots, protests, civil disobedience and even outright crime.  We’ve seen it all too often in recent days.  One injustice incites another injustice.  How does one cry out for justice and then act unjustly to try and bring about justice?  What is right or just in that?

The solution for mankind and society:  we must first make peace “with” God, and His law, if we ever hope to experience the peace “of” God in our lives, and in community with one another.   We overcome injustice, by doing what’s just.  By doing what’s right, or better yet, by being made right by God through Jesus Christ, we overcome the evils of our own broken lives, our misguided culture, and a lost world! 

Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.   Romans 5:1 (NLT)

Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.  Romans 12:21 (NLT)

“Is Life a Riddle?”

A riddle: a question or statement so framed as to exercise one’s ingenuity in answering it or discovering its meaning.  It’s also been described as a conundrum or a puzzling question.   OK, riddle me this:

  

Who makes it, has no need of it.
Who buys it, has no use for it.
Who uses it, can neither see nor feel it.
What is it?  Got it?

Life’s no riddle.  Real life is found in Jesus Christ!  Period.  God speaks openly and honestly.  The Bible’s straight forward.  Stuff like: “If you have the Son, you have the Life,”  “You’re either for Me or against Me,” “Follow Me,” “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Is there any ambiguity?  How about uncertainty?  Is there a lack of clarity?  Beating around the bush? 

Life is NO riddle.  Jesus said clearly and confidently, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Well I hope so…and by the way, if you didn’t get the answer to the earlier riddle, it’s a coffin. 

Make every moment count in this life, and for the life to come.  Be high on Jesus and live coffin-free! 

“What Did You Say?”

When words lose their meaning, at best, life becomes confusing, and at worst, everything starts to fall apart. 

Have you ever tried to be friends with someone that seemed less than honest, mildly confusing or downright deceptive?  Can a marriage survive if the relationship fails to communicate clearly, openly, and honestly?  How difficult is it to learn the material and pass a test if the teacher can’t impart the information in a language or methodology you can understand?

“Say what you mean and mean what you say.”

Chaos and Confusion are the first names on the Christian’s enemy list.  Distort the truth.  Change the truth. Belittle the truth.  Manipulate the truth.  Disguise the truth.  These are all communication killers, and effective tricks used by our enemy to trip us up.  The Apostle Paul said, “we are not ignorant of his schemes.” 

So…“Say what you mean and mean what you say.”

Remember, words mean things.  Communicate wisely, clearly, honestly and do it all in love.  According to a 2002 study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of adults can’t have a ten minute conversation without lying at least once. 

“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH…”                                                                    Ephesians 4:25