When I finished my last post -Signs And Symptoms- I did so hurriedly because I was trying to get ready for Church. In my haste I was unable to express what I believe is the most important aspect of the message. When I reviewed it, it sat to close to pride. I may have left a subtle impression that their was an element of pride in overcoming the things that had for so long seperated me from Christ. This is false. Their is no pride because it is not about me. It is and always has been and shall always be about Christ and His Grace born of the Cross. The Grace from Christ and how we wear it, use it, exude it and share it is the outward sign and symptom of being a Christ follower. I wanted to leave this message with a couple of mental pictures. Ones that will forever be in my head and my heart. Most importantly they are the things that I can express in words as ideas to help witness to others.
In the Bible their is a mental picture that is the timeless expression of a Christ follower. The time is the end of Jesus' life as a man. The location is a hill called Calvary. Jesus is crucified between two criminals who, too, are moments away from eternity. With one statement of faith one criminal secures his place in Glory with Christ. One moment of humility, of guilt erased by the Creator. Jesus told this man he would be in Paradise with Christ that day. This is because that criminal spoke aloud for any to hear his beliefthat Jesus is the Christ, Son of God. The criminal spoke it with his mouth and believed it in his heart.
The other sign and symptom comes from an experience related to me by my best friend who is also a Pastor at my Church. The other day he was telling me he had to preach a funeral for a fellow that mosy likley did not know Christ as his Savior. He stated the family was sure this dying man did not have a relationship with Jesus. My Pastor friend told me he went to the hospital to see the dying man. He was unable to talk and could only squeeze his hand as a form of communication. Pastor leaned down to the man's ear and quietly told the dying man that he didn't know if this man knew Jesus as Savior. Pastor told the man that he was as close to being in eternity as anyone he'd ever seen. If the man wanted now to confess Jesus as his Savior and ask to be forgiven as a sinner, then, in his mind repeat the name of Jesus over and over. That he that calls upon the name of Jesus will be saved. The man , Pastor told me, squeezed his hand strongly and quickly, over and over as a tear fell down his face. Many will scoff at this moment and find reason to conclude the dying man did not accept Jesus. I have already heard this perspective. I am encouraged that my Jesus, the Jesus that knows our hearts and thoughts, the Jesus that desires that none fall short of His gift of Salvation. The Jesus who heals the blind and speaks the universe into existence can and did witness the dying mans squeezing hand and shortly after welcomed him into Glory.
So whats your sign and symptoms of Christianity? What is it that makes others easily identify you as a Christ follower? Do we really need to be nailed to the cross of life before we cry out? Are you betting on the death bed experience? Do we act like a neighbor lover? Are we consistant in the way we are in Church as well as when we are in the picture shows? Think about it.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Signs And Symptoms
In the past weeks we have had a series of horrific incidents come to light on the news media.There has been a young girl kidnapped who spent eighteen years as a hostage until being found. Another child taken and murdered and found in a dump.Yet another infant lost and five days later found alive and well in a box under the perpetrators bed. This past week a massacre at Ft. Hood. I can rationalize the cause of these events as a sociological manifestation of the presence and pervasiveness of sin and evil in our world. These events leave no doubt that they are from Satan and a direct product of his influence upon the world and the inhabitants therein. In short, these are signs and symptoms of evil. Why does it take this escalation of action to diagnose what evil is? And more importantly why do we as a society feel compelled to excuse and often dismiss the precursor actions and events that lead to these undeniable outcomes. Little Johnny beats little Bobby at school and it is examined and the conclusion is that the lack of structure and oppressive nature of little Johnny's home life has caused him to act out. The behavior that out society has adopted is to find blame in the environment of the individual that can excuse their behavior. There is an "all or nothing" attitude that permanently excludes the possibility that the presence of sin, ie... The exclusion of relationship with Christ is the ultimate causative factor for the presence of evil that leads to the manifestation of evil acts whether they be petty crime of mass murder. In short it no task to identify the signs and symptoms of evil. We know where it comes from. We see it as it escalates and the end result is unmistakable.
What about righteousness? Holiness? Christ followers? My question is how do we identify a Christian? What are the signs and symptoms of a Christian?
Conversion, the change from before to after. All Christians have a moment or period of conversion. Alot of times there are folks around to witness this event of conversion. Either you've seen someone change or you yourself have been observed changing. Sometimes the conversion is unseen and only after the period of change is it observed by others that knew the converted one prior to their change. Either way there is always a "OMG" moment. The family, friends, classmates, co-workers, pastors, whoever is privy to this witness of before and after has universal reaction. Something has happened. Then....What happened? Depending on your or their perspective you start with ....The Lottery? You got a girlfriend/boyfriend? You got a new job? Usually towards the end of the list is the remote possibility that you have had an experience with Christ. This experience has changed you and now you are "a new creature". Why is it easier and more comfortable to exclude a "Jesus" moment that to include it? Context. You have to be witness to the context which the change is made. That in and of itself excludes a lot of people from knowing where the change in a person from one day to the next comes from. In my personal instance my conversion took place in an ICU bed in which I had regained consciousness after being in an overdose induced coma following an attempted suicide. I had given my best effort to end my life and when I woke on the ventilator I was hopping mad. I railed at God. Why couldn't I die? Why did I remained tortured with Grief, Guilt, Addiction, Despair, Anger, Powerlessness. The moment I realized that the only thing that could rescue me and relieve my torment was Christ I cried out to Him to take these things off me. I begged Him to do what it is that the Bible and the Promise says. Then and there I confessed my sins, I acknowledged that He sacrificed Himself for me, for my sin. I believe that He died so I might live. I understood that I could not die earlier cause He would not allow it and I could not live my life without Him. I had to choose. I chose because I knew the truth and I understood the love that was presented to me. That was my conversion and no one was present for it. Later in the weeks and months to come there were no family or friends present to see this change. I was changed none the less. I was still changed and measurably so when my ex wife discovered where I was after a year of looking for me. I was still a new creation in Christ another year later when we were remarried. I was still that changed Christ follower a year after that when asked to lead the Mens Discipleship Class at The Union Rescue Mission Rehab (where I graduated following my escape from the ICU after my conversion). Today as I get ready for Church and type this blog I am still a new creation in Jesus. It has been 3 1/2 years now. My Signs and Symptoms are the conversion and the steady and increasing service to Christ and my fellow man as my life goes on. Jesus said to love God and Love your Neighbor as yourself. This is what I am led to do because Jesus instructs it and it feels so good. For me as well as many others that I know these are a few of many clear signs and symptoms of a Christ follower.
What about righteousness? Holiness? Christ followers? My question is how do we identify a Christian? What are the signs and symptoms of a Christian?
Conversion, the change from before to after. All Christians have a moment or period of conversion. Alot of times there are folks around to witness this event of conversion. Either you've seen someone change or you yourself have been observed changing. Sometimes the conversion is unseen and only after the period of change is it observed by others that knew the converted one prior to their change. Either way there is always a "OMG" moment. The family, friends, classmates, co-workers, pastors, whoever is privy to this witness of before and after has universal reaction. Something has happened. Then....What happened? Depending on your or their perspective you start with ....The Lottery? You got a girlfriend/boyfriend? You got a new job? Usually towards the end of the list is the remote possibility that you have had an experience with Christ. This experience has changed you and now you are "a new creature". Why is it easier and more comfortable to exclude a "Jesus" moment that to include it? Context. You have to be witness to the context which the change is made. That in and of itself excludes a lot of people from knowing where the change in a person from one day to the next comes from. In my personal instance my conversion took place in an ICU bed in which I had regained consciousness after being in an overdose induced coma following an attempted suicide. I had given my best effort to end my life and when I woke on the ventilator I was hopping mad. I railed at God. Why couldn't I die? Why did I remained tortured with Grief, Guilt, Addiction, Despair, Anger, Powerlessness. The moment I realized that the only thing that could rescue me and relieve my torment was Christ I cried out to Him to take these things off me. I begged Him to do what it is that the Bible and the Promise says. Then and there I confessed my sins, I acknowledged that He sacrificed Himself for me, for my sin. I believe that He died so I might live. I understood that I could not die earlier cause He would not allow it and I could not live my life without Him. I had to choose. I chose because I knew the truth and I understood the love that was presented to me. That was my conversion and no one was present for it. Later in the weeks and months to come there were no family or friends present to see this change. I was changed none the less. I was still changed and measurably so when my ex wife discovered where I was after a year of looking for me. I was still a new creation in Christ another year later when we were remarried. I was still that changed Christ follower a year after that when asked to lead the Mens Discipleship Class at The Union Rescue Mission Rehab (where I graduated following my escape from the ICU after my conversion). Today as I get ready for Church and type this blog I am still a new creation in Jesus. It has been 3 1/2 years now. My Signs and Symptoms are the conversion and the steady and increasing service to Christ and my fellow man as my life goes on. Jesus said to love God and Love your Neighbor as yourself. This is what I am led to do because Jesus instructs it and it feels so good. For me as well as many others that I know these are a few of many clear signs and symptoms of a Christ follower.
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