by
Mike Kovach
It isn’t easy to change the way we think, live, and enjoy life. We become comfortable and set our ideas along the lines of that comfort. Our thoughts and dreams are centered on how easy we can make our life; how nice we can have it when we retire. Problem is we seldom think of eternal life, and as a result, our doctrines are forced into human wisdom and understanding while reducing God’s wisdom and understanding to a finite set of rules and beliefs–in essence, we re-create God in our image and likeness, the very concept that pagans accuse Christians of practicing. I have had several questions come to mind when considering this over the years. I must admit, I still haven’t produced any definitive answers to satisfy my quandary. I thought I would share some of these gut-wrenching questions and sermonize them in a flow of text that is convicting for me, and I hope for all who read and consider them.
How can a Christian kill another Christian and call it God’s will or their duty or even elude this type of action to be God’s story?
If God is Love, does He approve of His children killing each other? How about Cain and Able, what was the reward for this atrocity?
Can we as Christians hate other Christians because of where they are born, or simply based on a cultural/ethnic difference and consider our dislike and hate correct? Doesn’t this prevent Christian community from developing? Doesn’t this indicate that something in us may not be in line with Scripture?
How can two boxers get into a ring, pray to the same god that they knock the other one out? And if God granted the boxers request, would they both be knocked out at the same time?
How can a Christian work in a nuclear weapons facility, or a Biotech facility making explosives and chemical/biological weapons that can annihilate mankind and call it employment, and have peace about it?
How can someone calling them self a Christian hate another person because they are different, or they don’t believe in the same God, or in the same way, but use products and services that these same individuals provide daily?
I realize we cannot live in a vacuum, and I also realize that I have a choice of employment or professions, regardless country or national origin. Even if I am oppressed and restricted, I can choose not to do what is contrary to the will of the God of Israel; my life is His, and if needed He can take this life back because I am His!
America the arrogant is about to be chastised and if the world laughs at this, and pats them self on the back saying: they got what they deserved, those high-minded arrogant people, I hope they have learned their lessons; that nation, or that individual will suffer far worse; because God’s chastisement is meant to correct not destroy, to reprove not wound, to strengthen, not weaken. America is a nation of kingdoms. In other words, every nation, kindred, and tong on earth, makes up America. If anything, America should be proof that diverse cultures can co-exist and do so peaceably.
These are only a few questions that I ponder and have difficulty answering. What about you! Can you answer these questions and be satisfied with your answers? If you are satisfied, when reading the Bible, you discover that your decision is not in line with God’s will are you willing to change your mind, your profession, your life?
We all talk a lot about God, how many of us listen to what He has to say?
All of us hope for a better world with a peaceful coexistence, while most of us are the reason this hasn’t happened.
Many of us want to play church; we simply don’t want to be the church!
We want change without changing. We want peace but only on our terms. We want to be heard but don’t care to listen. We wish for God’s love and tender touch, but only to horde it and keep it for ourselves. We keep trying to do for God instead of doing for others what God has done for us.
Over the years I can only produce this answer: What is taking place in heaven takes place on earth; what we set free here we set free in heaven. A battle for man’s soul is being waged here and in heaven, and WE are the WAR MAKERS instead of the PEACEMAKERS.
Change is great if you are willing to be a part of that change. Peace is what we all wish for and as Jesus gave us His peace, we should give ours to others so we can truly be at peace.
Most of everything we hear today as well as yesterday has been from some other human’s commentary. Could it be that God in His infinite wisdom has sought out men and women with the ability to write down what His word says with clarity? And at the same time, some who only use their own heart and mind to understand God’s word can and have led many people into error with commentaries not based on language, culture and custom but on assumption, conjecture, and pure fancy. We talk about “A Transforming Church” and I must ask, do we really know what that means and implies? To me it means to re-capture the heart of faith that early believers had. Not those who were of the 14 – 1500 period; rather, those who were from the 33 – 100 A.D period because they had a far different understanding of Scripture than we do, and Paul fought with all the strength he had to sway people away from their persuasions. So, when we read a commentary, we must look at where the person is coming from. We cannot add impression or interpretation to verses of Scripture other than how it was intended. To do this, we need a little knowledge of the culture, history, and language of the time of its writing. Otherwise, we risk adding error to its message and understanding. Lord knows that I do not know with any accuracy the breadth, height and width of His love, knowledge, and wisdom, I do know that we are to be different. And if we are “A Transforming Church,” then we need to understand our rights are to be surrendered to Him—and that we do not have a permanent home here, that we are His representation not ours, or our ideas and ideals His. This I know and these like many others have great difficulty separating from!
So, I will error. I will make mistakes. I will pass judgment. I will lack understanding. I will be heard hearted. I will be arrogant. I will be proud and boastful. I am human. Now these are to be put to death, controlled and not to be part of our life. Nevertheless, they are, and they do not make me less of a man, just less of a godly man. If we are a “Transforming Church” then we need to put these things aside. We need to put our understanding aside. We need to put prejudice aside. We need to put our nationality aside. We need to give up our rights and accept His over us.
We need to put on the armor of God and understand His message, no matter how much it hurts or indicates we may be in error.
History, Theology, Commentaries, Sermons are here for a purpose, and we should use them from time to time to see how others have formed their practice and organized their thoughts. Many people’s faith is not in the faith given to us by God, in the doctrines and lessons they have learned. If we are to be “A Transforming Church,” then there is much too un-learn; there is much to give up, even our life.
Michael A. Kovach
March 6, 1999
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