I probably should have made this post part 2 of a post I published a few
months ago, but chose not to. It may also be one of my least well written
(English wise). Now, let me ask you a question. Have you ever seen the play or the movie, Rent? I have always wanted to see it, not having a clue about the storyline.
A few months ago my youngest son said, "Mom, I am auditioning for the musical Rent at our local playhouse in the park." I was thrilled. He came to me one evening about a week later and said, "Sit down. I am going to show you the play." And that he did. We had several interruptions and I didn't actually watch it all, but was left with a terribly uneasy feeling after watching it. I just couldn't quite figure out why.
I have since watched the movie and things which might have been unclear were better understood, but knew by then why the uneasiness. My knot in the stomach was due to the seemingly hopeless feeling the characters seem to portray.
As I write this post, the play only has three days left to view for our community. Last week, just before opening night, my son asked me to come by and see a little of their run-through. I was greatly impressed with the talent found in a small town!
Now, why would I talk about this musical in a Christian blog post? If you have seen the musical and read most of my previous posts.....you probably understand. The musical puts Christianity to shame. Now, at first glance, many Christians would proclaim the musical to be absolutely sacrilegious, BUT WAIT!
The main characters of the musical are: a gay couple, a lesbian couple, a stripper, drug abusers, homeless and oh yeah, almost all of the characters have HIV. The musical also has a priest (or liturgical pastor) and multiple people who are doing well financially, but those people turn their nose up at the main characters. (After an HIV death the priest won't allow the funeral in the church, because they can't pay for it.)
For me, the really bad part of this situation is that these events surround.....Christmas! The time of year when Christians are celebrating the birth of our savior, Jesus,.....you know the man who LOVED all men? He loved so much that He died for everyone.
Christmas. A time for gift giving and loving our fellow man. So how can we, as God's children, just cast the homeless, the hungry, the disease ridden, hurting people of our society away? Shouldn't Christians be THE VERY FIRST people to reach out to all people, especially the ones who need it the most? We, as Christians, should be the ones who see everyone through the eyes of God!
If you live in Calloway county and have the time, please check out this musical tomorrow, Friday or Saturday, (April 23-25, 2015) at the Playhouse in the Park, 8 p.m. each evening. I URGE Christians to attend and let God speak to your heart about how YOU can make a difference in the lives of ALL people around you daily. Do not look at the outward appearance of a person, but get to know their heart. Do not let your fellow human beings go through another day without hope and feeling unloved. We are the hands and feet of our God.....so GO and DO! Shalom!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Timing Is Everything (Part 2)
Sorry that I have been so long in the continuation of this topic, but before I continue I want to remind you of one very important tidbit. If we say we are followers of Jesus, shouldn't we know what He taught in it's fullness? In order to know what He taught, we should start by going back to the 1st century and look at what the Rabbis of that day were teaching and how Jesus responded. Just a little something to keep in mind.
Now, have you taken the time to think about the things I said in Part 1? Timing is so important to most of our lives, is it not? What about giving birth? When a child either arrives long before the proper time or wants to wait way too long, complications arise. When we arrive at a doctor's appointment and we have confused the days, complications can arise.
What about timing and preparation on our part? Have you ever attended an event dressed improperly? Perhaps it was a black tie affair, but you didn't read that part on the invitation only to arrive in shorts and a t-shirt. Or have you ever attended an event where it seemed everyone else knew the proper protocol, but you were as lost as an Easter egg?
In life, major events require practice, practice, practice. Most weddings have rehearsals, as do plays or music performances. We would never think of sitting down with an orchestra, taking our high school band instrument and proceed to join in on a piece we had never laid eyes on while the others had practiced for weeks or months. There we are with our clarinet and a broken reed. A beautiful masterpiece is being performed while our squeaking and improperly timed notes are heard above it all. I can just see the look on the conductors face....not good.
You all know what I am talking about. You have probably seen those people, on videos or in person, who think they can dance like Michael Jackson or Rudolf Nureyev, yet to all those watching they look like a flailing fish out of water.....oh my! "I'll just wing it. How hard can those dances be?" Right.....
I have a feeling that as Christians, this will be us during the Messianic era. If those festivals will be held during that time, how will we know what to do? "Well, the Holy Spirit will give us that information!" Really? Can you give me a chapter and verse on that????
What about those festivals? "We, as Christians, don't have to observe them!" While it is true that we aren't required to observe them here on earth, do you really want to look like a fish flopping around on the floor during a highly choreographed dance? Every year as the festivals come around, the Jews are practicing and rehearsing for the GREAT FESTIVALS that will take place in the Messianic kingdom. Wouldn't it be great if we knew what to do at that time also? Just asking.
More than rehearsals, these festivals along with the Sabbath are special in another way. They are called moedim in Hebrew. Moed is an appointment with God! Did you know that God has a day planner? Read the book of Exodus and Leviticus.....you will find all the important appointment dates. Did you have a clue that God, before the foundations of the world, had set up appointments just to meet with you? (See how special you are!)
"Well, we can celebrate these at any time we choose, can't we?" Sure, but just like that doctor's appointment, it would be nice to meet with him/her on the correctly scheduled time. More importantly than that is something so amazing!!!! As we stick to God's calendar we find out how special these days truly are, because we are unified with millions of others at the same time!
Think about this; you have sent out invitations to your children and grandchildren and other family about celebrating Christmas at your house on December 25th. A few show up, but the majority aren't there. Kind of lets the air out of your balloon, doesn't it. Then the rest of your family straggles in days or weeks later for a quick meal and shove a gift under your nose, ask where their gift is and out the door they go. As a mom I can tell you that I absolutely LOVE to see my children and grandchildren any time. I will never turn them away, but how special it is when the entire family is together at the same time in one place! Unity! It causes one to wonder just how much those children care about their parents, doesn't it?
God says, "I have set appointments for you to meet with me. Not just you, but all of my children both Jew and Gentile. You have your invitation and it is a standing one for that same occasion at the same time every year," and only a few show up. Among His adopted children, almost none show up. Do you suppose God thinks, "I gave my Son's life in order for them to become my children, my heirs with my children by birth and this is how grateful you are?"
One more perspective and I will let this subject rest. If you are a Christian you know that every time you pray God hears and answers you, but what is it like to pray at Church with a body of believers all beseeching God and praising Him at the same time?
In my home town we have a July 4th celebration every year. The only problem is that, for convenience sake, the city now celebrates it on the closest day to the weekend. That is like saying that we are moving Christmas Day to the last Saturday in December. Yes we celebrate Independence Day, but not necessarily on the same day as the rest of the nation.
There is just something about unity that makes all the difference in the world. As citizens of the USA, we know what day is Christmas Day, Independence Day, New Year's Day and Valentines Day. We may celebrate them on different days from time to time, but when we celebrate them all on their appointed day they are even more special.
Now imagine how much more God could and would do if ALL His children were reading the same scripture on the same day, every day, and were celebrating His Sabbath and appointments on the same day. Just as the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho and shouted in unison, what would happen if we did the same? What walls might fall if we realized how important timing really is?
Shalom!
Now, have you taken the time to think about the things I said in Part 1? Timing is so important to most of our lives, is it not? What about giving birth? When a child either arrives long before the proper time or wants to wait way too long, complications arise. When we arrive at a doctor's appointment and we have confused the days, complications can arise.
What about timing and preparation on our part? Have you ever attended an event dressed improperly? Perhaps it was a black tie affair, but you didn't read that part on the invitation only to arrive in shorts and a t-shirt. Or have you ever attended an event where it seemed everyone else knew the proper protocol, but you were as lost as an Easter egg?
In life, major events require practice, practice, practice. Most weddings have rehearsals, as do plays or music performances. We would never think of sitting down with an orchestra, taking our high school band instrument and proceed to join in on a piece we had never laid eyes on while the others had practiced for weeks or months. There we are with our clarinet and a broken reed. A beautiful masterpiece is being performed while our squeaking and improperly timed notes are heard above it all. I can just see the look on the conductors face....not good.
You all know what I am talking about. You have probably seen those people, on videos or in person, who think they can dance like Michael Jackson or Rudolf Nureyev, yet to all those watching they look like a flailing fish out of water.....oh my! "I'll just wing it. How hard can those dances be?" Right.....
I have a feeling that as Christians, this will be us during the Messianic era. If those festivals will be held during that time, how will we know what to do? "Well, the Holy Spirit will give us that information!" Really? Can you give me a chapter and verse on that????
What about those festivals? "We, as Christians, don't have to observe them!" While it is true that we aren't required to observe them here on earth, do you really want to look like a fish flopping around on the floor during a highly choreographed dance? Every year as the festivals come around, the Jews are practicing and rehearsing for the GREAT FESTIVALS that will take place in the Messianic kingdom. Wouldn't it be great if we knew what to do at that time also? Just asking.
More than rehearsals, these festivals along with the Sabbath are special in another way. They are called moedim in Hebrew. Moed is an appointment with God! Did you know that God has a day planner? Read the book of Exodus and Leviticus.....you will find all the important appointment dates. Did you have a clue that God, before the foundations of the world, had set up appointments just to meet with you? (See how special you are!)
"Well, we can celebrate these at any time we choose, can't we?" Sure, but just like that doctor's appointment, it would be nice to meet with him/her on the correctly scheduled time. More importantly than that is something so amazing!!!! As we stick to God's calendar we find out how special these days truly are, because we are unified with millions of others at the same time!
Think about this; you have sent out invitations to your children and grandchildren and other family about celebrating Christmas at your house on December 25th. A few show up, but the majority aren't there. Kind of lets the air out of your balloon, doesn't it. Then the rest of your family straggles in days or weeks later for a quick meal and shove a gift under your nose, ask where their gift is and out the door they go. As a mom I can tell you that I absolutely LOVE to see my children and grandchildren any time. I will never turn them away, but how special it is when the entire family is together at the same time in one place! Unity! It causes one to wonder just how much those children care about their parents, doesn't it?
God says, "I have set appointments for you to meet with me. Not just you, but all of my children both Jew and Gentile. You have your invitation and it is a standing one for that same occasion at the same time every year," and only a few show up. Among His adopted children, almost none show up. Do you suppose God thinks, "I gave my Son's life in order for them to become my children, my heirs with my children by birth and this is how grateful you are?"
One more perspective and I will let this subject rest. If you are a Christian you know that every time you pray God hears and answers you, but what is it like to pray at Church with a body of believers all beseeching God and praising Him at the same time?
In my home town we have a July 4th celebration every year. The only problem is that, for convenience sake, the city now celebrates it on the closest day to the weekend. That is like saying that we are moving Christmas Day to the last Saturday in December. Yes we celebrate Independence Day, but not necessarily on the same day as the rest of the nation.
There is just something about unity that makes all the difference in the world. As citizens of the USA, we know what day is Christmas Day, Independence Day, New Year's Day and Valentines Day. We may celebrate them on different days from time to time, but when we celebrate them all on their appointed day they are even more special.
Now imagine how much more God could and would do if ALL His children were reading the same scripture on the same day, every day, and were celebrating His Sabbath and appointments on the same day. Just as the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho and shouted in unison, what would happen if we did the same? What walls might fall if we realized how important timing really is?
Shalom!
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