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Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Does the church even recognize "redemption" anymore?
Shame on you, Christian Children's Fund!
Christianity is a story of redemption, isn't it? Throughout the Bible, the stories are about the people of God failing, disobeying, and suffering, only to meet with God's grace...His unmeritied favor...and be redeemed.
Paul, a servant of the Lord, is one of the most famous redemption stories. Saul, a persecutor of Christians, meets Jesus on the road to Damascus, is miraculously blinded, taken to a house, healed miraculously, name changed to Paul. He then runs to the Christian community and says, "Hey, I'm one of you, now! I want to evangelize the Gospel! I have been sent out by our Christ to bring the message of the Kingdom!!!"
What did the community do? First, they were scared spitless. Second, they discussed amongst themselves if this was a trick. Finally, after letting Paul sit for NINE YEARS, they accepted him and he started his missionary journeys as discussed in the book of Acts in the New Testament.
Christian, have you been redeemed? Are you being redeemed? Are you being blessed by God? Awesome, thought, huh?
Now, is it possible to have lived against the will of God and be redeemed? Oh, careful, now. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Guess who said that? Hee-hee.....Paul.
How should we as Christians manage our relationships with people who have lived, by their own words, outside the will of God, but have turned their lives around? Why is it often hard for us to see redemption in our midst?
So, I got really upset this week by a story I read onilne. Gary Gygax, the creator (co) of the Dungeons and Dragons game, had accepted Christ late in life, had regularly given to the Christian Children's Fund, and then passed away earlier this year. At Gen-Con, the largest gaming convention in the U.S., there was a fundraiser in honor of Mr. Gygax. The money was sent to CCF, and the donation was REJECTED because it was from the gaming community. REJECTED!!! By a community that should be all about redemption! By a community that "sells" redemption for children in poor situations.
I understand their concerns about the values of the people who gave the money, etc. BUT, it was given in honor of a man who believed as they do. A man who had felt the redemptive power of our own CHRIST!!!
By rejecting the money, Christian Children's Fund ostracized, and possibly permanently damaged an opportunity to be Christ to those to whom they would not normally come in contact.
Want to know why people like Jesus, but don't like the church? Yeah, that's why.
TAKE THE MONEY, CONSECRATE IT TO GOD'S WORK, AND WATCH THE BLESSINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN.
Christianity is a story of redemption, isn't it? Throughout the Bible, the stories are about the people of God failing, disobeying, and suffering, only to meet with God's grace...His unmeritied favor...and be redeemed.
Paul, a servant of the Lord, is one of the most famous redemption stories. Saul, a persecutor of Christians, meets Jesus on the road to Damascus, is miraculously blinded, taken to a house, healed miraculously, name changed to Paul. He then runs to the Christian community and says, "Hey, I'm one of you, now! I want to evangelize the Gospel! I have been sent out by our Christ to bring the message of the Kingdom!!!"
What did the community do? First, they were scared spitless. Second, they discussed amongst themselves if this was a trick. Finally, after letting Paul sit for NINE YEARS, they accepted him and he started his missionary journeys as discussed in the book of Acts in the New Testament.
Christian, have you been redeemed? Are you being redeemed? Are you being blessed by God? Awesome, thought, huh?
Now, is it possible to have lived against the will of God and be redeemed? Oh, careful, now. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Guess who said that? Hee-hee.....Paul.
How should we as Christians manage our relationships with people who have lived, by their own words, outside the will of God, but have turned their lives around? Why is it often hard for us to see redemption in our midst?
So, I got really upset this week by a story I read onilne. Gary Gygax, the creator (co) of the Dungeons and Dragons game, had accepted Christ late in life, had regularly given to the Christian Children's Fund, and then passed away earlier this year. At Gen-Con, the largest gaming convention in the U.S., there was a fundraiser in honor of Mr. Gygax. The money was sent to CCF, and the donation was REJECTED because it was from the gaming community. REJECTED!!! By a community that should be all about redemption! By a community that "sells" redemption for children in poor situations.
I understand their concerns about the values of the people who gave the money, etc. BUT, it was given in honor of a man who believed as they do. A man who had felt the redemptive power of our own CHRIST!!!
By rejecting the money, Christian Children's Fund ostracized, and possibly permanently damaged an opportunity to be Christ to those to whom they would not normally come in contact.
Want to know why people like Jesus, but don't like the church? Yeah, that's why.
TAKE THE MONEY, CONSECRATE IT TO GOD'S WORK, AND WATCH THE BLESSINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN.
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