Don't Have A Drink On Me

Similar to the motivation for my last blog I can comfortably say that the fight was brought to me. As I have a natural predilection to “spout off” on any number of subjects, I’ve considered my ability to resist (in person or in blog form) as a bit of “evidence” of my sanctification. Or maybe more accurately; evidence that water dripping on a granite mountainside actually can make a difference over time.

But the 800 pound Gorilla issue of Christians drinking alcohol has romped into my room and plopped right down on top of me...arrrh! My personal decision to stop drinking alcohol in 2010 was primarily driven by how I thought I could best represent Christ. But it was my personal decision. I didn’t expect every Believer to be a teetotaler, nor relegate those who aren’t to some lesser degree of salvation. Although I would identify with the Billy Sunday view of drinking (bad; don’t do it), I understand scripturally abstenism can’t be supported. And that’s where I want to start: what Scripture communicates, not what Billy Sunday, Chrysostom, or Dan Veith says.

Speaking of Chrysostom, ironically he was brought up in a piece presented by a pastor of the church we attend. You could say the logic of the article was borrowed from  “...guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. And while I actually ascribe to that as it applies to weapons (to a point), I recognize it’s flaws. Sure, people pick up the weapons or the alcohol, but if it wasn’t there in the first place; they wouldn’t have access. Yes, they might find other methods to achieve their ends, but then again; they might not. We could ride that merry-go-round till the cows come home (hows that for a couple of gratuitous cliches?). The article went on to represent casual, recreational (my words based on the tone) drinking as fine. Certainly nothing to be worried (or Heaven forbid) dogmatic about.

The piece starts with a flawed premise or perhaps it’s a designed straw-man argument: If there were no alcohol; there would be no sin. Or at least bad things would not happen. In fact, the author is clearly taking aim at those who don’t agree with a liberal attitude toward alcohol by painting them as simple-minded or extremist (or, worst of all: fundamentalist!). You can’t arrive at any other conclusion when examples such as “...if there were no steel, there’d be no murder; “...if there was no night, there’d be no thieves; and (my personal favorite) “...if there were no women, there’d be no adultery”. I’ll give Chrysostom the benefit of doubt and assume he’s just dropping some hyperbole or sarcasm on us; otherwise I just have to scratch my head in wonder and knead my hands in worry (this is coming from one of the great church fathers?). Not that I want to get into a back and forth with one of the brilliant men of Christendom, but a brilliant man is still an imperfect man and isn’t always right. So, what does the Bible say?

The only Scripture reference Chrysostom offers in support of drinking is 1 Tim 5 (the “go to” chapter for everyone of like mind). However, you don’t have to be a scholar to realize Paul is encouraging the use of alcohol in a purely medicinal sense for a specific situation back when medical science couldn’t offer any alternatives. To extrapolate that out to it being a “merry” blessing for all to enjoy is silly. God is not a God of confusion, so how do you juxtapose Prov. 20:1 and 23:19-35  against this “blessing”? Apart from Scripture; science, statistics, and the personal testimony of many (this writer included) provide enough evidence of the evils of alcohol. Alcohol is a poison. Cursory research of the effects it has on the human body will tell you that. Look up the number of alcohol related deaths from traffic accidents and homicides. Listen to alcoholics or their loved ones tell you of the “simple pleasure” of drinking. I have been involved in and personally witnessed ugly incidents (often involving family) that were fueled by alcohol.

I can hear it now: “...well, that’s alcohol abuse; people who can’t handle it.” I get it. As long as you drink “responsibly” right? That’s what the alcohol peddlers tell us. Well, what’s responsible? As long as you can drive safe, can talk coherently, can stand, don’t insult people, can make it to work the next day; blah, blah, blah, blah. I wonder if the untold number of people with ruined lives because of alcohol really wanted to be responsible; it just didn’t work out.

This brings me to the point I want to make clear. I understand the Bible condemns drunkenness, not drinking. But as far as I figure; if you have any alcohol ever, there’s a chance you may become drunk. If you never have any; well, you can see the conclusion. Every alcohol ruined life, started with the first sip (sounds responsible to me). So, every Believer can decide whether that’s worth the risk for themselves. Is it worth the risk to another Believer (or non-believer) that may see you having your “responsible” drink and decide they’ll give it a try too. Do you want to be the trigger for their lifetime of misery? Do you want to explain that decision to Jesus?

Like so many issues of Christian liberty, it should not be how much of the world's enjoyments can I partake in and not risk my rewards (or possibly salvation if you’re not of the Reformed camp). It should be an attitude of how does my conduct reflect one who is holy and separated unto Christ and his teachings. With the undeniable connection between alcohol consumption and sinful behavior, one who wants to walk as close to Christ as possible, should keep drinking as far away as the east is from the west.

I would reference a more contemporary source to further represent my thoughts on this matter.  David Cloud of Way of Life Ministries has written an article entitled: Christian Drinking is a Bell Weather Issue. He is a fundamentalist and admittedly errs a bit on the strict (or legalistic, as my wife says) side. But you can’t deny his zeal for the truth and his labor for the advancement of the Kingdom. And when it comes to this issue which has left such a legacy of destruction over the centuries, a strict stance is the only one any responsible person should take. And no one should be more responsible than a follower of Jesus.

"Badly Done Emma"

Always striving to walk more as Jesus would want, I was trying to stay out of the Serena Williams fray that ensued after her meltdown at the 2018 U.S. Open of Tennis. As I am a huge tennis fan, love to watch the major events, and have never been a big fan of Serena; it was really hard for me to stay out of this one (especially since I witnessed the live coverage). But as the weeks have passed the ACLU types have (predictably) blown this way out of proportion.

For those of you not in the loop on this one, here’s what happened:

Serena Williams was issued a violation for her coach communicating to her from the stands during the finals match (clear violation, her coach even admitted to later). After a point later in the match, Williams smashed her racquet on the court (clear violation #2, results in loss of a point). Subsequently, Williams started a running verbal tirade against the umpire, eventually calling him a thief for taking a point away from her (yeah, you’re right, she did it to herself, but stick with me). Her continued verbal haranguing earned her violation #3, and a loss of game (all very clearly spelled out in the rules that a reasonably intelligent 5 year old would probably understand.

Well, that just opened the floodgates with Serena claiming how victimized she is/was on so many levels it was hard to keep up. She was blubbering that she would never cheat;  she’s a mother now (so somehow no matter how outrageous her behavior, it really can’t be that bad; she’s a mom!), yeah I don’t get it either, heck, the jails are full of mothers; she’s always picked on because she’s a woman, black, successful, bold, or all of the above. Of course, she’s somehow managed to acquire a couple hundred million dollars during her “persecution”. We should all be so persecuted.

The whole thing was too ludicrous to comment on (even by my standards), but it just won’t go away. So after hearing the femi-natzis,  racial fire-starters, and other liberal talking-heads running their gobs;  I either was going to vomit, or write on my blog to purge my system. The latter seemed the more hygenic approach.

Actually, factually, Serena Williams is a narcissistic, self-centered, crude, disingenuine person (can you perceive that I’m not a fan?). You may fairly ask, how would I know. Being a tennis fan for long before she was even born, I’ve always followed the game and the big names of the game. Make no mistake, there have not been many bigger names than Serena Williams in the world of tennis. She has posed nearly nude in magazines, has worn suggestive t-shirts in public that draw attention to her chest, dresses on the court with jewelry and outrageous outfits, has threatened to shove a tennis ball down the “bleeping” throat of a lineswoman (how ironic), has graced the cover of a magazine trumpeting her as a “badass woman” (a mantle she obviously revels in), and generally behaves as the diva she envisions herself to be. All of the aforementioned can be verified with a few clicks of a mouse; draw your own conclusions. I already have, and they are well represented by the cartoon caricature of her having a tantrum and looking like a buffoon (which actually better represents her threatening the lineswomen years ago, but I digress). So when the “badass woman” actually reveals her stripes in public, how is it that everyone that celebrates that image gets enraged when the discerning public says the emperor has no clothes? It wasn’t a woman oppressed, or a racial incident, or any other kind of Sharpton/Hillary alchemy. She received what she deserved for letting her guard down and displaying her true colors.

The irony is heightened by her victimizing the young Japanese tennis player who is half Haitian. Her juvenile behavior detracted from what should have been nothing less than a glorious moment for Naomi Osaka; the poor girl was in tears because of Serena’s shenanigans. Pure and simple, and oh so common. Serena Williams is glad to act the engaging, humble super-star when things are going her way. When they don’t, the mask falls and you get the ego-centric hypocrite that she is.

Biblically (and I realize that Williams has never claimed to be a Christian; Jehovah Witness at one time), her behavior is antithetical to how a person should act (let alone, a woman). Starting with the fruits of the Spirit, and just moving through the Text, will demonstrate how far off the mark she is. She is just a microcosm of how women have been “masculinized” in our society. Probably culminating with female UFC fighters. Oh, how Katherine Marshall would cringe.

Throughout this public ordeal, Williams has claimed she was treated differently than others (particularly male tennis players). She would claim that others did worse than her, and suffered lesser, or no, reprisals. This is such a ridiculous approach as many situations are subjective. Some umpires have thicker skins than others and every situation has to be viewed in its entire context. It’s akin to telling the policeman who pulls you over for speeding: “well a lot of other people are speeding, and you didn’t pull them over.” That doesn’t change the fact that you were, and you got caught. She acted a fool, and thankfully, the referee had the guts to call her on it.

In the same way, we as Believers can’t run around comparing our behavior relative to others. We are responsible to God’s standards. We know what is expected of us and any failure here is on us.

As the face of tennis for thousands of fans, Serena Williams is responsible for acting accordingly. To whom much is given, much is expected. And there haven’t been many who have been given more than her in this temporal world. Shame on her.

Hopefully she will respond to the drawing of the Holy Spirit and accept what Jesus did on the Cross for her. Then she can give credit publicly to the One who bestowed so many blessings on her. As noted in Chariots of Fire, it’s good to have a “muscular Christian”. I, for one, would love to have her on our team.

A Believer Looks At 60

Having gone through some pretty significant life changes since the first of the year, has provided me with an excuse for neglecting my readers (neglecting might not be the best word considering my three faithful readers are my wife and two kids, and they have certainly NOT been neglected. Actually, I probably come closest to neglecting them when I am attending to my blog - oh, never mind, I'm getting way to into the weeds).

We've moved (again!), I've resigned from two jobs, left and found a church, both kids have started their first jobs, and I turned 60. With a deferential nod to Jimmy Buffet's song title "A Pirate Looks at 40", let me pen my own retrospective.

This leads me to the piece written by Albert Barnes on the occasion of his turning 60 years old. I found it on Grace Gems where there are so many inspirational writings. The humbling part was how a man such as Barnes, who clearly was brilliant, and God-fearing, felt unsure that he had anything worth saying. That is, his perspective on life was no more valuable or accurate than the next man's. In a way I get what he is saying, but I am glad he thought it over and decided his views had inherent worth. As a Believer (specifically a man) his insights are incredibly uplifting. In my experience, most people wouldn't be able to understand the depth of his insights, let alone derive any benefit from them. It's not due to his complicated "high theology" approach; as he writes in an easily understandable style. It's because so many people are essentially shallow and don't want to think of anything "deeper" than their vacation plans.

So, back to me and my post. Like Barnes, I feel that 60 is a good age for someone (assuming they have garnered some wisdom during their lifetime. Of course this starts with "the fear of the Lord...") to "pay it forward".This stage of life allows reflection, but still offers opportunity. Old enough to "talk the talk", but young enough to "walk the walk". Without trying to offend (who me?), let me elaborate: much younger, likely not enough life experience; much older, you may be ignored (wrongly, but in our society, often the case).

Many of us can identify with living too much in the moment, never giving any thought with "getting old". I know I didn't; until recently (like since March 8th :) Thankfully, as a Christian, I have thought much about eternity; as it should be. Of course this helps my perspective on everything (when applied). That is when I realize Jesus has "hooked us up" regarding eternity, I can truly recite the saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff, ...and it's all small stuff". Of course I don't always remember this when I let the "burrs" of daily living put me in a foul mood. We Believers always balance this state of tension between Gods promises and our weaknesses.

It's funny how all the other "milestone" birthdays didn't faze me.Turning 30,40,50; no big deal. For some reason though, turning 60 has grabbed my attention. Maybe being a late bloomer explains much of this. At 30 I was still eight years away from getting married, so I was pretty much living as I had the last ten years. At 40 I was a new father, so my attention was not focused inward. At 50 I was in the middle of a full-time career and busy being the father to two young children. But now things are quite different as I am semi-retired and the kids are young adults, starting to pursue their own futures. As I have recently stopped working full-time (forever?), I have more time to pursue my interests, but also more time for introspection. You have to be careful though, because although it's good to take stock of things, it can be easy to become too self-critical, or "Monday Morning Quarterback" your life. I would always say that I couldn't wait to retire and do what I want to do, when I want to do it; and I am enjoying that reality to a certain extent. But as a Believer, there is a great deal of responsibility that comes with this latitude, as we have to guard against idleness and selfishness (or silliness as I like to label it).

As a follower of Christ I can't take the attitude that now that I'm done "punching the clock" for a living, the rest of my life (time) is all mine. None of my life has ever been "mine". You might argue that especially now with more of the sand at the bottom of the glass, than at the top, I need to be extra diligent in using God's gift of time properly. And how do you use it properly: by spending even more time with God (prayer/Bible), and sharing the Gospel. Make no mistake, I believe in a healthy balance of Christian service and recreation. I would not be at my best as an ambassador for Christ if I was not keeping myself fit and healthy; physically and mentally. Some guys need to fish, some to work on cars or woodcraft, some fly planes or sail boats; I need my running, lifting, and court sports to offset the demands of our modern society. Of course a loving wife and children form the bedrock that supports all of this.

So a new phase has begun and Lord willing it will be one that approaches 30 years. The Bible tells us that anyone living to 80 has pretty much had a full life (at least in the sense of allotted time on this planet). What we do with it is, of course, up to us. If He lets me live that long, than, on the balance, more of my years on earth will have been walking with Him, than not. I like the sound of that. I never could understand how unsaved people can deal with life's tragedies. Similarly, how do they deal with getting old. If you're old and physically starting to slow down and generally feel the relentless passage of time; no wonder so many say "...it's no fun getting old." As I'm starting to see myself "getting older" I can agree that some things about getting old are not fun; but that's not the same as no fun. I still have lots of fun, and I know men 20 years older than me who find much joy in life. And yes, there are Believers who fret about getting old, and there are unbelievers who still have fun into their golden years. But that's a matter of perception and attitude, whereas I'm talking about reality. The reality is if you haven't accepted Jesus and you're getting closer to the end of your life, you have nothing to look forward to except (at best) uncertainty; at worst, the realization that you are going to spend eternity suffering in Hell. Conversely, we as Believers know that the relatively short time we spend as an "old person", if we are granted the opportunity, pales next to our glorious eternity in Heaven with the Creator of the Universe.

My opinion is that nothing is much more pathetic or sad than a depressed or bitter old person. We all have our moments and of course the older you are, the greater the chance that loss of friends and family make things more difficult. And I get it that the Lord could call any one of us, young or old, home anytime, but when you see younger people displaying bitterness, you like to think they have time to amend their attitudes as perhaps they haven't been ingrained for such a long time. But an elderly person obviously does not have time on their side, and to think they would die in such a state is unsettling. On the other hand, I've always found happy older people, such an inspiration; such a great testimony if they are Believers. Whether it's an elderly couple who still hold hands taking a walk, or the 80 something guy in the 10k, it's a reminder that God's Blessings abound all of our lives.

I guess I'm a "young old guy", chronologically and emotionally. Age hasn't mellowed me that much. Some, but not a lot. What has mellowed me, maybe more accurately, "meekened" me (hah, I made up a word I think!) more than the clock, has been Christ. I truly  believe and enjoy that I have become humble and meek. Not perfectly so, but much improved. It's too bad that so many contemporary people (mostly men, but not all) equate these traits with weakness. That only displays their ignorance of language (and Scripture). To be humble is to recognize you are nothing without God. You can claim no ownership over your talents, accomplishments, fortunes, anything; God gave them to you. To be meek is to have your strength under control. As a Christian man, you are just as tough and dynamic as any reckless lawbreaker, but it is tempered by self-control. Any idiot can be a boisterous brawler, but if you want to be on God's Special Forces; you have to be able to harness your power.

All I can hope for as I look toward the third installment in my personal trilogy is that I have learned a few useful things that I can impart to those still in their first or second installments. Maybe even show some that even though life may not begin at 40, it sure doesn’t end at 60.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season - 'Nuff Said'

Well, we’ve just finished another Christmas Season. And as I derive much pleasure, insight, and sometimes (as in this case) angst from Grace Gems, allow me to address the view expressed on this site that Christians should abstain from celebrating the holiday.

I had previously fought this mental battle and arrived at the contrary position. However, as Gems advanced the views of such eminent (and admired by myself) Christians as Spurgeon, Pink, and others, I thought it time for further reflection.

They pretty much advance a zero tolerance approach to Christmas as we know it. Their objections seem to hinge on points such as:

·       No Biblical mandate or suggestion to celebrate Christ’s birth

·       The pagan and/or Catholic roots of the holiday

·       The observance and virtual “takeover” of the holiday by the world

Let me take these points one at a time.

The first point is the easiest to refute on the grounds that the Bible’s lack of specificity on a topic doesn’t necessarily lead one to conclude it’s prohibited (or endorsed). For example: the Bible doesn’t tell us to celebrate our own births, so are birthday parties to be avoided by believers? I understand the difference between our Savior’s birth and ours, and the consideration of the proper reverence for anything relating to God, but you have to be consistent. Those who want to proceed or not based on direct, specific Biblical direction are going to find themselves unsure much of the time. We are given God-given intelligence and sense that we are to apply in areas where the Bible is silent or at least open to interpretation. One cannot just apply an approach that goes something like this: if something is not promoted specifically, it must be prohibited. Because this leads to the conclusion that naturally follows: if something is not specifically prohibited, it’s allowable. Any thinking person can see the farce that follows. Besides, as my wife pointed out, the birth of Jesus sure seemed to be celebrated by the shepherds and Magi (gifts and all!). But please don’t think me obtuse. The “celebration” then and now look like very different events. It has morphed into a gross caricature of consumerism with barely a nod to the Savior’s birth.

Regarding pagan/Catholic roots, we have to consider which historical account is most accurate. Also, Christians are involved in all manner of things with “pagan” roots. What does that exactly mean anyway – “pagan” roots? Everything from the invention of the wheel to computers have pagan roots if you define pagan as anything not commanded by His Word or created by God (like The Ten Commandments, Aardvarks, or Josh Turner). So yes, I’m saying pretty much everything in our fallen world has pagan roots; after all, this isn’t Heaven. I don’t know much about Arthur Pink, but I do understand that Spurgeon enjoyed his cigars, which I’m pretty sure have “pagan” roots. You can see the slippery slope of ridiculousness this creates. In addition, pagan roots or not, if the end game is exalting (or even just getting His name out there) Jesus Christ; that works for me. Yes, the world may be indifferent, or even hostile to Jesus, but isn’t the joke on them when they celebrate Christmas (ipso facto, the birth of Jesus)? Let’s put the shoe on the other foot and let the pagans sweat over celebrating a tradition with Christian roots – ha ha!

This morphs into the last reason given by those objecting to participating: the virtual takeover of the celebration by the world. But a lot of what I just said applies here also. Anyway, the takeover is mostly a matter of perspective or attitude. As a Believer, this is our lot in life: functioning in a world that has been taken over by (more accurately, given to) the Enemy and his minions (pagans). As a Christian Soldier, I will put on the whole armor of God and go out and fight the Good Fight every day; not giving an inch to the enemy. Why should my family and I not enjoy outings to theme parks, the beach, or any number of places because often they are crawling with uncouth, profane people? I want my children, as much as possible, to enjoy the fun, wholesome things I did as a child, even though many of these things are a whole lot less wholesome due to the degradation of society. So, we pick our punches and for the most part have been able to accomplish this by different tactics; all of the time honoring God and not being taken down to their level, but being the salt and light in whatever small measure we can.

Pagans will fulfill their job description, but I refuse to let them taint all the blessings God still bestows on his people. Ecclesiastes tells us to eat, drink, and be merry. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, and we will also celebrate his birth. As much as the world doesn’t get it, in my book it still is “the most wonderful time of the year”.

Here’s to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!