Scriptures That Bother Me — 1 Cor. 6:19-20

Posted by Jim Thornber on June 28, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Scripture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

I’m Still Calling The Shots

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. 1 Cor. 6:19-20.

Every Tuesday morning, I get together at a local coffee shop with a group of men from First Baptist Church. We spend about an hour and a half studying, praying for needs, challenging each other in our relationship with Christ and generally drinking too much coffee. It is one of the highlights of my week.

The other morning as we were studying Crazy Love by Francis Chan, someone asked if we knew anyone who was totally in love with God. You know, a completely sold-out, every fiber of their being doing little more than living, breathing, talking, thinking about and obeying Christ type of person.

We all got silent for a few moments as we racked our brains trying to think of someone we knew who was totally and completely sold out and in love with God. As the silence lingered, I thought it rather humorous that none of us at the meeting thought anyone at the table fit that description. Even the two pastors who were there, yours truly being one of them, weren’t named by anyone else in the group as being totally in love with Christ. Well, that was humbling!

The first person who came to my mind was Mark Buntain, who visited my Bible college in the early 80’s. A missionary to India, Mark founded Calcutta Mercy Ministries, which reaches the poorest in India through schools, a homeless shelter, massive feeding programs, orphanages and a large church. I remember hearing him teach in the chapel at college, and I was struck with his sincerity, complete humility, and absolute dedication to the work Christ called him to.

When he finished speaking, he didn’t come down front and meet the students like most every other every other speaker did, listening to their compliments and signing autographs. Instead, Mark turned around and dropped to his knees at the choir pew and engaged in prayer. That image is still burned in my mind.

I remember watching him walk alone through campus, oblivious to all the students and the beautiful scenery as he talked out loud to God, praying and praising the Lord as walked. He had one thing on his mind as he walked, and it wasn’t how he appeared to the students; it was how he appeared before the Lord God his Savior. And, if you stopped him and engaged him in conversation, he didn’t make you feel like you were interrupting him. However, you knew you were in the presence of one who spent his every waking hour walking with God.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). If that is true, that we are not our own, then why can I only think of a few people who actually live that way? I know I don’t. Sure, I claim Jesus is my Lord, but too often I live with myself calling the shots. How often have I prayed for guidance in ministry, only to edit where I’ll go based on the geography or size of the church without even consulting God?

This idea that I am not my own, that I was purchased by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, has been haunting me for a week, if only because I know the price that was paid and how I repay that price by leading my own life at my own convenience.

It is time I seriously consider making God the True Lord of my entire life. Maybe then, the next time someone asks if they know anyone completely and truly in love with and sold out to God, I might just come to someone’s mind.

Don’t Just Buy The Shirt — Join the Team!

Posted by Jim Thornber on June 16, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Church, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 7 Comments

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 13:14

A few days ago, a man asked me a question about God and our fight against the forces of darkness. I’m always ready to quote the usual Bible verse about this, that we don’t struggle against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:14), but what I knew about the man made me stop.

He wasn’t a bad person; he just wasn’t committed to obeying the teachings of Christ. I’m not judging him, just stating a fact. When a man isn’t interested in work, lives with his girlfriend at his parent’s home and doesn’t attend a church, it’s not hard to conclude that the teachings of Christ are not central to his life. So, answering a question about spiritual warfare seemed to be a bit off topic. Instead, I took a different approach.

I noticed he was wearing the jersey of a professional sports team, so I said, “Good and evil are truly at war. But being a Christian doesn’t mean you’ve left the war; it simply means you’ve changed sides.”

He nodded his head at that, so I continued. “The trouble is that many people say they’ve changed sides, but in reality they’re only saying the right words without changing their lives. Sometimes people take a few steps toward Christ but end up in the middle of the road.”

That met with his approval, so I pressed a little further. “For instance,” I said, “you’re wearing the jersey of a professional sports team, but you aren’t really on that team. You don’t have any relationship with the coach or owner, you receive no benefits from the team and can’t claim you’re a team member. All you do is admire the team without joining the club.”

Now I had him hooked, so I continued. “Many people are like that in their walk with Christ. They own the t-shirt but they’ve never joined the team. They claim they’re a contributing member of the Kingdom of God, but in reality they’re just mouthing the words that others like to hear. They’ve not made a commitment to Jesus; they just like to play the part and ask religious questions.”

Finally, I said to him,

“So, the question isn’t really about spiritual warfare, it’s about being fully committed to Christ. For unless you’re committed to Him, you don’t really know which side you’re fighting for or fighting against.”

Too many people who claim to be Christians haven’t clothed themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14). Instead, they’ve just put on the t-shirt and like to hang out with other fans and quote some interesting stats. But when you put them in a room of real players, it’s not hard to tell the difference between those who simply bought the shirt and those who know they’ve been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20).

I want to live my life so everyone I encounter can look at my clothes and know I’m a member of the team. I don’t want to look the part, play the part or just pretend to be a part. I want to be a team player. I want the coach to know He can count on me when He puts me in the game.

So, have you joined the team or did you just buy the t-shirt?

Caught in the Good ‘Ol Days

Posted by Jim Thornber on June 13, 2011
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 “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. . . .because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.” Hebrews 10:32-34

When I was in high school I played soccer, which was a strange sport for a guy who didn’t like to run long distances. Being vertically challenged (I’m 5’3″ in two pair of thick socks), I was constantly falling behind the taller guys in the long runs. Because my legs were (well, still are) short, I was quick and usually the first one to the ten-yard line but most always last in the mile. My coach would yell at me for not running fast enough, and I would yell back, “I’m running twice as far as anybody else ‘cause I’m taking twice as many steps!” For some reason, he never bought that excuse.

We had to be in excellent shape because in the average soccer game, a player could run up to six miles, and soccer continues to be among the world’s most physically enduring sports. I’m sad to report that I have not maintained that level of conditioning since I left high school. But it was great while it lasted.

Christians also need to be in shape to stay in the “contest” (vs. 32). The Greek word for contest in this verse is athlesis. It refers to an athletic competition and is the source of our English word “athlete.” As Christians, we must not just remember when we were at our best, but we must keep at it and stay that way.

We are not to be like the athlete I turned out to be – one who keeps in shape and maintains a peak performance for only a few years, only to grow old and spend time reminiscing about the good ‘ol days when we were on top of our game and the best in the league. Rather, we are commissioned not only to stay in the race, but to run it better and win it grander as our years mature and our love for God and His people expands.

We should be the only athletic team in the universe who grows stronger in mind and spirit as the years mature us, so that the enemy knows without a doubt that the toughest players in the game are the “seniors.”

Perseverance is of great necessity here. I had soccer practice five days a week, three hours a day when I was in school. What bothers me is I spent more time conditioning my body for a game than I did conditioning my spirit for life and eternity. Unfortunately, that remains true for most Christians, who tend to spend more time in the shower and in front of the T.V. than they do in the Word and on their knees. It is by our actions that we prove where our priorities are.

I wonder why the author of Hebrews found it necessary to warn his readers against throwing away their faith and confidence in God, and in so doing lose their reward. Were they tired of the constant battle? Were they growing weary in the fight? This would certainly be true of some. Others had probably become complacent in their faith. Rich, fat, lazy, and lacking challenges in their life, perhaps they no longer perceived Christianity as a need in their lives. Like many of us today, they turned to God only when life was beyond their control. But what about now? Have we stopped exercising our faith muscles because we don’t like the direction the contest had taken? Is our faith a fine thing when everyone can see it, but a cumbersome bother if it means being loyal to God on a daily basis when nobody was watching?

So what is my point? I don’t want to be an old Christian athlete who is caught up in the good ‘ol days with nothing more to offer than fond memories of the way I used to be. I want everyone to know that the best of my spiritual life is still yet to come.

The Faith To Love

Posted by Jim Thornber on June 8, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Scripture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

I’ve been around Christians and Christianity for thirty-five years now. I’ve been associated with Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic and non-denominational organizations and churches. I’ve seen mysterious, authentic movements of God’s Spirit that have transformed people’s lives, and had conversations with pseudo-religious nuts who proclaimed they were the only ones who held true to “The One True Faith.” It’s been a wild ride.

Since I was saved in the 70’s, I’m quite familiar with the Faith movement. You know, those who liked to “name” their blessing and “claim” it in Jesus’ name. However, Galatians 5:6 sets that idea on its head, for Paul says, “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” It seem that the ultimate expression of faith is not for the accumulation of things, but to express itself through love.

Scripture does not encourage us to have faith for prosperity, ministry, jobs, success, popularity, houses, the newest cell phone or a huge 401k. True, we are to have faith for our “daily bread,” but mostly we need to have a faith that expresses itself through love.

 

Jesus only gave us one “new” commandment: “Love one another” (John 13:34). Of course, this is not really a new commandment, but a remembrance of an old one (Lev. 19:18). After all the religious pomp and circumstances had been swept away, living in love was a new way of thinking for the first disciples of Christ. This was not a new commandment; it was simply new to the disciples. They were looking for a Messiah that would establish the Kingdom and annihilate their enemies, of which there were many. But Jesus reminded them, and us, to love one another; and not only those who already love us, but even our enemies and those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14).

I’ll admit this is a hard thing to wrap my mind around. Is Paul telling me that if I ground my faith in anything but love then it doesn’t count?  I think so. I wonder if this is why some people’s faith regarding healing goes unanswered. If a person wouldn’t use their healing as an avenue to love other people, then perhaps God will continue to work on healing their spirit before He heals their body (Mark 2:1-11). The same goes for money. I think God keeps some people in financial limbo because if they had an abundance of money they’d spend it selfishly on themselves.

A former pastor of mine was fond of saying, “You are blessed to be a blessing.” Every aspect of my life is intended to be a blessing to others. If I am healthy, wealthy and wise, then God intends those blessings to be freely given to those who need it most. Perhaps Paul is reminding all of us that it is time to have the faith to love with all our resources – heart, soul, mind and strength – for in the end that will be the only type of love, and faith, that will count.

 

Clothesline Theology

Posted by Jim Thornber on June 1, 2011
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The following is an excerpt from my book Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes, which is available now.  The book recounts my thoughts during the four years I was an Assemblies of God minister and a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. 

A few years ago, my wife and I visited a church to determine if I wanted to become their new pastor. We drove to the church early on that warm, October morning, full of hope and expectation. When we walked into the small fellowship hall, it was obvious we were the visiting pastors, for new, younger faces are easy to spot in this small, elderly congregation. As we passed through the fellowship hall on our way to the sanctuary, one lady gave us a short glance, quickly scanned Barbara up and down, and walked by us without saying a word. Little did we know we had just committed a cardinal sin in this small church: we were not appropriately attired.

We didn’t mean to be under dressed; it just happened. Yes, we were fully covered, but not in their eyes. You see, my wife made the horrible mistake of wearing a pretty black dress that did not fully cover her knees. That didn’t bother me — I kinda like her knees. But it obviously bothered this woman. A lot. Furthermore, I chose to wear a suit and a silk pullover shirt but no tie. Strike two. The odds were stacked against us and we hadn’t even introduced ourselves. It was going to be a long day.

When I look back on it, I see that Barbara and I had a different definition of holiness than the saints of this small congregation. Without knowing our hearts, some pre-judged us as Christians based on nothing more than what we were wearing.

Continue Reading

“Jim, go ring the bell.”

Posted by Jim Thornber on May 24, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Service. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

For four years I was an Assemblies of God minister and a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity at the Little Portion Hermitage. This is an excerpt from my book Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes: Removing Religion to Find Relationship.

We had just entered the chapel for the noontime prayer called the Angelus when John Michael said, “Jim, go ring the Angelus bell.” Great, I thought, another chance to be obedient in a tradition I disagreed with. But John Michael asked me to do it, and when you’ve taken a three-year vow of obedience, it is a little difficult to say “No.”

The Angelus is a short devotion at noon honoring the Incarnation. It involves three repetitions of the Hail Mary and is prayed in conjunction with the ringing of a bell. So, even though I was sure I was that didn’t want to do it, but at the same time not quite sure how to get out of it, I walked out of the chapel and down the little path that led to the bell.

Having arrived at the bell, the full impact of the quandary I was in began to take hold. The Angelus is a prayer followed by one bell, followed by another prayer and another bell, a third prayer and a final bell. Now, since I couldn’t hear the prayer in the chapel, I had to recite the prayer with the community in order to ring the bell at the proper time. After the first ringing of the bell, the prayer goes like this:

“The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.”

BONG!

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary….”

BONG!

“And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary. . . .”

BONG!

Now, the tricky part was saying the prayer along with the community so that I didn’t ring the bell while they were still reciting the prayer, nor wait too long so that they sat in silence waiting for me to ring the bell before they started the next phrase. Having sat through many an Angelus, I knew this was a tricky thing to do. Continue Reading

The Opportunities I Don’t See

Posted by Jim Thornber on May 21, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

“Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain . . . a funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son. . . When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion” – Luke 7:11-17 (NLT)

I like this story because it shows how Jesus sees opportunities when others don’t even know He is there. It also shows Jesus is prepared to meet the needs of those around Him, and is even looking for people He can touch. And that’s where this story starts to bother me.

I sometimes think I took too many psychology classes in college. One of the primary teachings among counselors is you cannot help a person unless they want to be helped. And for the most part, this is true. Some people do not want help, and trying to help them anyway ignores Jesus’ teaching about throwing our pearls towards pigs and our sacred advice to dogs who will only bite us back for our efforts (Matthew 7:6).

Still, Jesus saw the opportunities to minister when they presented themselves. Even though the widow may not have known who He was, and may have thought He was just another face in the crowd, Jesus knew this was a divine moment. The widow never begged and groveled and tore at the hem of Jesus’ garment, pleading with Him to raise her one and only son from the dead. Nevertheless, Jesus stopped the procession and ministered to them both.

When you read the Gospels, you’ll see numerous times Jesus seemed to be on the lookout for opportunities to show His love for people by His actions. Continue Reading

Hey! Watch Me Beat Up This Rock!

Posted by Jim Thornber on May 19, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Scripture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

“Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff” — Numbers 20:11

I was walking out of Lowe’s a few years back when I saw a man who had left our church some months earlier. Not long after he left I merged our fellowship with another church in town and we were in the midst of remodeling our joint facility. As I happily explained to this former member all the good things that were taking place, I was also thinking, “Aren’t you just a bit jealous that your leaving didn’t cause our church to fold? Aren’t you envious that we’re doing better since you left? Don’t you want to come see our progress and tell me just how fine a pastor I am?”

I wasn’t in my truck two seconds when the Lord told me what a selfish fool I’d just been, and I was reminded of the story of Moses and the rock.

Moses, by the direction of God, guided the grumbling Israelites into the Desert of Zin, where they camped at Kadesh. In other words, they were exactly where God wanted them. Upon finding themselves without water, they did the natural thing – they yelled at Moses. Continue Reading

Scriptures That Bother Me — Deuteronomy 8:10

Posted by Jim Thornber on May 17, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion, Scripture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 3 Comments

Giving Thanks

“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.” Deuteronomy 8:10

If you’ve been involved in Christianity for more that two weeks, you’ve probably sat around the dinner table with other Christians and prayed before you ate. This is a good practice, for reminds us that God is the source of all the good things in our life. However, I think our practice of praying before a meal can become nothing more than a religious habit, especially when we are in the presence of other Christians. To be honest, the only time I ever pray over a meal is when I’m with someone else. Otherwise, I just jump right in and eat.

Although I believe that gratitude for the gifts of God needs to be a 24/7 attitude, I find I’m usually grateful on a ½ /1 basis. That is, about a half hour one day a week. Then I go and stumble upon Deuteronomy 8:10 and I feel like a worm.

Deuteronomy is the farewell address of Moses to the Israelites. Deuteronomy means “repetition of the law,” since God gave all the commandments to Moses at Mt. Sinai in the first year of the Exodus. Since most parents get really serious when they repeat something to their children, I figure God was very intentional about helping us learn the lessons found in this book.

Deuteronomy 8 is God’s reminder that we are to remain in an attitude of gratitude, and He encourages us not to forget that He brought us out of our desperate situation and into a place of abundance. God commands us to give thanks after we have eaten, Continue Reading

The Weed Eater Made Me Do It!

Posted by Jim Thornber on May 11, 2011
Posted in: Christian Spirituality, Religion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

For four years I was an Assemblies of God minister and a monk with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity at the Little Portion Hermitage. This is an excerpt from my book Taking Off My Comfortable Clothes: Removing Religion to Find Relationship.

One fine summer day at the monastery, I went to the garage and got the weed eater. But try as I might, I could not get the weed eater to start. Does it have gas? Check. Is the spark plug okay? Check. Well, that’s as far as my small engine talents can take me. So, let’s pull on the rope some more. Once more. One more time. Pull again. Pull. Pull pull pull pull pull pull pull pull. About the time I started to feel the blister come up on my finger from jerking on the rope, I’d had enough. I laid hands upon it (in the name of Jesus, of course) and removed the offending member from my presence.

I didn’t really believe that a long flight out the garage door would help the obstinate weed eater start. But for that brief, wonderful moment, the sight of the obnoxious, obviously UNSAVED weed eater flying helplessly (if unrepentantly) across the driveway and into the shrubs by the common center made me feel better. Walking out into the bright sun to retrieve the varmint, I bought it back into the garage and tried it once again. I was right. It still didn’t start.

Fast-forward to the next available Friday. Friday morning is the time when, during morning prayers, we all had the opportunity to confess any sins that needed to be, well, confessed. Continue Reading