In the New Testament Book of Hebrews, chapter 11, we read of the faith of several prophets of God who accomplished feats of victory despite incredible odds. In the Old Testament, we read the whole truth--their bouts of despair, their faithlessness, their lack of humility, their anger, and their fears. They were ordinary human beings who did the impossible because they relied on God.
For example, the Book of Jeremiah details his call to ministry. In Jeremiah 18 we learn that he was an ordinary person whose message differed from what the learned priests had been teaching. Thus, he not only was ignored, but there were numerous plots against his life. He persevered despite all odds and survived every attack on his life. In fact, there are no records of his death. That we, in the twenty-first century, now revere Jeremiah is an indication that the times have changed, but unfortunately, human nature has not changed. We are still offended when someone challenges our way of being, we still make plots against them, we still assume that only priests and pastors can hear from God, and we still ignore them at our peril. The times have changed but our human nature has not changed, and if Jeremiah were alive today, he would experience the same issues and conflicts. He also would have the same threats made against his life. In the larger scheme of things, we always will ignore prophecy if we disbelieve God's existence as a living, breathing being. It is only when we receive his indwelling Holy Spirit that we become privy to his true nature, and begin to experience him as he is. We awaken to his power and to the depths of his unfathomable love.
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Games are known to be a popular form of entertainment. They enable us to fill idle time with interesting but inconsequential activity. They also keep us from being engaged in actions and activities that might be deemed dangerous. Games exist for virtually every age group from infancy through adulthood.
The Waiting Game is just as much as game as any other and is played for the same reasons. It consists in thinking of a future event, then choosing to wait to see whether or not it will become manifest on its own accord, without our having to devote time or effort. When it is played by a child, we tell them that nothing worth having materializes without effort. When it is played by another adult, we tell them to "put some skin in the game." When we choose to play it, we tell ourselves that we are being careful. The Waiting Game is the most dangerous game that has ever been played. It enables a person to stand still while a moving platform is under his or her feet. Inevitably, the platform will end and the person will discover that they have nothing on which to stand. That is the likely outcome for much of Christianity and their wait for a Messiah. Many people are wondering why they have never seen God. An invisible God seems contrary to what one might expect is necessary for the smooth functioning of a society. They compare our eternal God to the hand-made but visible gods of other nations and conclude that our God also should be visible. They want to be able to question and challenge him.
When God is visible, we believe that he is real and when he is invisible we assume that he is not real. We make the same mistake that the Israelites made when they assumed that not being able to see God meant that he no longer was real. When we begin to assume that God no longer is real, we are tempted to create replicas such as the golden calf that the Israelites created. Also, we are prone to disobey his commands. God is as real today as he was in the time of Moses, Abraham and Jeremiah, and as he was when he walked the earth in the body of Jesus in the first century. The idea of being excellent is one that some people aspire to in their daily lives. They want to be the best at something and to have a degree of peer recognition. When asked why they desire to be the best, the general response is an innate desire to excel. Excellence is wired into our DNA. No one craves mediocrity. In fact, when excellence is pursued as a goal, individuals have been found to be much happier than when they accept mediocrity. The flow of adrenaline that accompanies the pursuit of excellence elevates the mood.
Excellence is a principle pursuit in Christianity. Throughout the Bible, God speaks of perfection and of running in such a way as to win the highest award. Mediocrity and lukewarmness are perceived as anathema to life. The lifeblood of a lukewarm or complacent person has a tendency to stagnate, which causes them to become susceptible to blood related ailments such as mononucleosis. God desires that we aim for perfection not because he is a taskmaster, but rather, because we are wired for perfection. Time is that element of space that enables us to create a reference point for various events and circumstances, and thereby be fooled into thinking that space and time are separate. If space and time are not separate, we know that all that exists is now.
Wading pools are generally used for young children who do not yet know how to swim. The pools enable them to become acclimated to being in the water in a relatively safe environment. However, an adult who does not yet know how to swim would look silly, perhaps even a bit ridiculous, playing in a wading pool as a means of becoming acclimated to being in the water. A teenager or an adult who does not yet know how to swim must learn to do so in an adult swimming pool. A similar analogy can be used for theologians who have not been accustomed to putting the Bible into practice. They cannot take a "wading pool" approach to practical Christianity. They must bravely take a deep breath, close their eyes, say a prayer, and dive in.
For some people, winning is all that matters. Regardless of what obstacles or impediments they face, their overriding passion is winning. They care very little about the route or the process, as long as they emerge victorious. For other people, they too want to be victorious, but they will go only so far to overcome obstacles or impediments; they will compromise only on a limited basis. For still others, compromise is never an option. They want to win and they know that winning is virtually guaranteed with God's help, so they rely on God.
For those who refuse to compromise, the journey may be unusually difficult. They may face unique and seemingly impossible circumstances, but they persevere. To them, winning at all costs means that they will never give in and they will never give up, irrespective of the obstacles they face. But it also means that they will never ever compromise their values. They will win pursuant to God's standards and God's agenda. |
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