Attack of the 50 Foot Chicken Sandwich

I sit quietly at my table, preparing to eat my tasty dinner.  I have been ready to eat for some time, and my stomach reminds me that I have allowed too much time between meals.  I open the wrapper and inhale the delicous scent of the chicken sandwich.  My mouth waters. But then, much to my surprise, the chicken patty comes to life and begins screaming hateful slurs at me.  It picks up a sign that clearly states "I hate gays!" in bold print, waving it defiently in my face.  To top it all off, the chicken then grabs a pickle from the now barren bun and flings it in my face.  I sit back astonished, stunned, horrified.  All I can think is- I should have known.  I should have known!  Eating here, at Chik-Fil-A, was a huge mistake.  After all, the owner is nothing but a hateful bigot.  I heard it myself!  The news told me all about his "comments", and I use that term loosely.  They were nothing but pure hate...

Or were they?

While it is true that the chicken sandwich did not really attack me, what is true is this:  My exageration of my lunchtime adventure was as ridiculous as the exageration of what the Chik-Fil-A controversy is.  Let us examine what the company president Dan Cathy actually said: "We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."  It is that quote, that statement and that statement ALONE, that has erupted into a national firestorm controversy.  It is those words that has caused celebrities to publicly decry the chicken specialists, and has spurred mayors to refuse business licenses to the popular franchise.  But look carefully- there are no hate filled slurs.  There is no bigotry.  Just a comment that Chik-Fil-A supports the traditional Biblical definition of marriage.  Not once did he say, "I hate gays".  No where in there are the words "gays aren't human" or "kill the gays".  Not even a word against homosexuality.  In fact, notice what he DIDN'T say- he didn't say homosexuality was wrong.  He didn't say homosexuals were evil.  He didn't say anything against them- just that, as a company, they support traditional family marriage.

 So the question, then, is not- why did he make hateful comments; rather, why is there such a reaction to it?  Millions of Americans feel the same way that Mr. Cathy feel.  The truth is, there is such strong support for traditional, heterosexual marriage that whenever the legalization of homosexual marriage is put on a ballot the American people ALWAYS vote to keep it between one man and one woman.  So if Mr. Cathy is, in fact, on the same level of thinking as most Americans- we must ask again, what is the real issue here?

I think that we need to come to an understanding.  We need to realize this very basic point: it is not, and never has been, about marriage.  Oh sure there are a few homosexuals here and there that really believe the debate is all about whether or not they can marry someone that has all the same body parts that they do.  But reality speaks when we listen, and the movement as a whole has nothing to do with wedlock.  What it does deal with is acceptance.  The real agenda is making sure that everyone- and I mean, everyone- accepts them, coddles them, condones their every choice.  It is not who can marry who, but who will accept their choice as normal.  The idea that some members of society still believe that their choice is a sin and not to be condoned or accepted as "o.k." is a very loathsome idea indeed, and those ideas of sin must be stomped out. 

No, my friend- it is not about whether or not Steve can wear a wedding dress or Mary a tux on their wedding day.  It is all about whether or not the good reverend can stand in a pulpit and declare homosexuality a sin.  It makes them uncomfortable to think that some believe God will not accept them into heaven unless they repent!  And at the end of the day we must realize that we will all eventually be required to take a side on this issue.  If we stay back now, cowering under a banner of false love, we are only prolonging the inevitable; for the fight will eventually come to us.  They will make sure to bring it.  And for the record, I say false love because true love speaks truth; even when it is unpopular.

Of course, Chik-Fil-A wandered in to this controversy like a chicken to the slaughter.  But not like any chicken, mind you.  No, more like a brave chicken, willing to challenge the farmer's axe.  For that, they deserve much credit.  They not only believe in traditional marriage, they hold strong to their convictions, despite the protests, despite the slander, despite every evil word that has been uttered against them- they have not bowed down to the idol of tolerance.  They have issued no apology, no hasty press release saying "we didn't mean that".  Despite the attack on their first ammendment right of free speech, they have not wavered in what they said.

It is with this, these final words I must relate to you- that I gladly stand in support of Chik-Fil-A.  I am proud to call Mr. Cathy my brother in Christ.  It is with their example, that I can look and say there is still courage in the American church, still strength to be willing to do what is right.  Thank you Chik-Fil-A for being an inspiration, a hope, a reflection of truth- and the love of God- in this dark society.

Love Your Brother, Hate Your Brother

So yesterday evening I was walking with my wife in downtown Nampa, having a nice stroll when we came across the Blue Eye tavern...  now there are two realities here; first, the blue eye is a creepy place.  Not a place we visit, just one we hope would close down.  Second, we have a tendancy to attract strange people...  It is almost like they flock to us...  Case in point- a strange lady came up to us, this older asian woman with long black hair- and a white stripe dyed down the center of said hair, giving the illusion that she was wearing the scalp of a skunk on her head. 

So she comes up to us and whispers, "come here" and motions us about 2 feet away from the door of the blue eye.  Then looking around, in a hushed voice, says- "I just want to ask you if the blue eye is open..."  She then continues talking all about how great the club is...  Keep in mind she has to be in her late 50's, so that adds to the bizarness of the situation...

While she was a little strange, the thing is, when we are out we encounter a lot of strange people.  But sometimes they are strange people- in the Body.  People who are fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who just seem a little on the odd side.  Yes, I know that I am odd, but I am talking a different kind of odd. 

Then there is the other type of odd... the type that drives you crazy...  the type that even make you mad...  Have you ever experienced that?  I know I have.  Now understand, it takes a lot to make me mad.  But sometimes you meet those people that are like a thorn in your side.  There is just something about them that grates on your nerves...  Like fingernails across a chalkboard... (shudders)

I think that we need to come to an understanding.  Sometimes people make us mad; and that is ok.  It is ok to not always get along.  It is ok to have differences of opinion.  It is ok even to get in arguements sometimes.  But what is NOT ok is letting those differences breed hate.  The apostle John  writes in 1 John 2 that if we hate our brother, we do not walk in the light of Christ but rather are blinded by darkness.  This is a very serious warning he issues us...  And we must be careful to guard our heart against hate.

"But I don't hate, I wouldn't hate anyone!" you say.  Maybe so- but then, often times hate sneaks in unexpected.  Like an unseen enemy it grips our heart, and often we do not see it until it has consumed us.  How do we stop such an enemy before it takes hold?  How do we combat such a powerful foe?

The first and most important step is communication.  When our brothers and sisters anger us, we must communicate it with God.  We must take it to Him in prayer, with a humble heart.  Then we must do the hard thing- we must be willing to take it to our brother or sister.  We must not hold on to it!  If we do not let it go then we will only end up giving in- to hate.

The question becomes then, why do we insist on holding on to our anger when our focus should be on the real enemy?  We must take every effort to put our differences aside, taking down walls of difference- even walls of anger- and allow wounds to heal.  We must join together as the Body, working as the Body in order to reach the world around us. 

Do you have anger or hate in your heart for a brother or sister?  It is time to put it down.  It is time we fight to win- and fight we must, by waging war against angry division.  End the hate. Pray to god. Love your brother.

Rising From The Ashes of A Dark Night

As a woman lies in the hospital in critical condition, begging for her 6 year old little girl that was killed, I must be honest- I had been looking forward to this weekend for well over a year.  Even as the man learns his son is one of the dead, bringing forth that age old saying that a parent should never have to bury their own child, I must confess that I was filled with excitement leading up to this past weekend.  And as a father lay dead on a theater floor, his 2 sons alive but heartbroken, I had been thrilled at the idea of taking my own son to The Dark Knight Rises- what I believed would be the best movie of this year..

I don't know about the best movie...  I haven't the heart to go see it yet.  But I guess you could say it is the most tragic movie of the year.  What human with a heart is not moved to tears at the horror that unfolded early Friday morning at the movies in Aurora Colorado?   One man- one evil man- shooting and injuring up to 71 people, killing 12 of them.  12 people dead, from 6 to almost 60.  A man dressed, ironically, like the main villain of this last Batman movie. 

Those who left the theater among the living must be thinking, why am I still alive...  While those that were killed have families asking, why were they killed.  And those of us who were outsiders to this story are left asking- why did it happen in the first place?

As I ponder this thought, I am reminded of a scene from the previous Batman movie: The Dark Knight.  If you will, recall with me, when Bruce Wayne and his loyal butler Alfred were discussing the possible motives of the madman known as the joker.  Wayne was having difficulty wrapping his mind around the joker's actions, which appeared to be for anything but money, power or fame...  In wisdom, Alfred commented that sometimes the wicked do what they do for no other reason other than, they are just evil.  I think it would be fair to say, that the writers unknowingly gave us insight into this man's actions Friday morning...  Perhaps his motivation, his driving force was nothing more than- he is evil.  The truth is the easiest explanation- we are all born sinners; but some embrace the darkness much more than others...

I will not take the step, as some have, to use this time of great sadness to push a political point or theory.  There are discussions to be had, to ask what could have been done differently, to ask what can we as citizens do to try and avert such crime from happening again.  We must investigate further, pursuing truth in this case, willing to explore the possibility he was not working alone, and we must turn over the rock and see if there is more danger lurking.  Those discussions are fair and should be held.  But what must not be done, on either side of the political aisle, is to use this as a weapon or tool to push an agenda.  This man has already unleashed enough firepower on us; let us not take up his torment and fire it upon ourselves or our neighbor.  No; the time of playing off the pain of victims is something we must elevate ourselves above- lest we become as much a monster as the man responsible.  It is sick and wrong to take advantage of such loss of life...

What must be done instead, is to look at the frailty of life.  To accept the truth that we are not immortal.  To understand that we have such a short time on this planet.  Whether it be 1 or 100 years we are given, the reality is we just don't know when we take that last breath.  The words of one victim should ring ever true in our hearts and minds- "I was shown how fragile life was... I saw the terror on bystanders' faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don't know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath," said  Jessica Ghawi, after surviving a mass shooting at a Toronto shopping mall- before she was killed, this time in the Colorado shootings. 

We must take advantage of the time given us.  We must make the most of our lives.  We must not waste it.  There is one message, one recurring theme portrayed in the character of Batman; that tragedy can turn into triumph.  We can overcome the evil that drives men like Mr. Holmes. We can learn that if we can endure the pain and accept God's healing hand upon our heart, we can become better, stronger, wiser.  If we will hold on to it, we can rest assured that when it seems we are in the darkest night of our lives, hope is not lost; for we can turn to the One who is Hope incarnate.

My dear friends, as the weekend now turns into the week, as we move forward in our lives, I ask this one simple request.  Do not go unchanged, unmoved by the tragedy of this past weekend.  I know that most who read this will not have been personnally affected by this- but I pray you will be mentally and spiritually affected.  I pray that you will move forward, never taking life or your loved ones for granted.  Hold your loved ones closer than you ever have before.  Make each moment of your life count.  Do not waste it but use it for the purpose that God has given to you.  Most importantly, remember- when the darkness closes in and is suffocating to your soul- remember that hope is not lost, if you would just reach out for it.  Seek hope always, my friends.  It can only be truly found at the foot of the cross, at the empty tomb, in the mercy of Christ the Messiah- but if we hold to that hope, then we WILL overcome the night- and we shall rise from the ashes, rise from the tragedies, rise from whatever comes our way to destroy us.  We will rise!

The Salt of the Earth

I hate it.  I absolutely despise it.  Blech.  It tastes nasty, it is grainy, it dries out my mouth...  Nope, salt is not for me.  I don't add salt to anything I eat; I avoid it at all cost.  But there is something about it that, despite my feelings, is necessary.  The very nature of our body was created to be in need of a certain amount of the nasty stuff.  On top of that it has for thousands of years been a flavor enhancer, but more importantly, a preservative.  Not one that I would have personally picked, but- I digress.

Preservative...  salt...  It reminds me of something Jesus once said: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."  Matthew 5:13

 Have you ever wondered what that means?  What was Jesus referring to when He said that we are the salt of the earth?  And why would He choose salt? Blech...  But then, realize that when He spoke every Word had meaning, and a much deeper one than what we see on the surface.  We are the salt of the earth...  But if the salt has lost his savour...

Going back to my original thought, the idea that salt not only gives flavor but is a preservative...  What is a preservative? It is something that we add to a food item in order to make the said food last longer.  Food without it will spoil faster.  So we add the stuff in an effort to make it last as long as humanly possible.  Add that concept into the idea that we are the salt- or preservative- of the world.  What do you think that means?  How does salt get used?  It has to actually be applied, right?  And when it is applied it is done liberally, and with hope- hope that it will have some lasting effect, that it will make a difference. 

As Christians, we must ask ourselves this question- are we fulfilling our role?  Are we allowing ourselves to be used in hope to preserve the earth as best we can until He returns?  Now before you think I have gone on some enviro-friendly trip, let me assure you that is not what I am talking about.  Let me explain:  We all know this earth is a rotten place to live.  Everything seems to be falling apart right before our eyes; and each generation things get worse and worse.  We also know from Scripture that it won't be too long before the final prophecies are fulfilled- the end times are, indeed, just around the corner...  But what are we to do in the meantime?  Are we to just sit on our couches at home?  Are we to go on with our lives, steadily plodding towards the finish line without a care in the world?  Is that what a preservative does?  God forbid it!  We are the salt of the earth!  We are to go out in hope that God will use our talents, that He will use us to preserve the earth as best we can until His return!  That means preaching the Word, the good news of the Gospel which is our flavor; it means standing for what is right; it means hoping for a move of God that will shake foundations and bring people to their knees in repentance!!! To do anything less is to be fulfilling the exact opposite of our role! 

But we must also understand something else.  A single grain of salt will not do much to preserve or flavor.  When we separate ourselves apart, when we build walls that divide us, we are not very effective.  Listen carefully to this: YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY GRAIN OF SALT!!!  We have bought into this idea that we must have these walls built up around us, around our churches, around our denominations.  We have bought into a philosophy that says that we cannot work with someone who goes to the church down the road.  We have walled around our ground, staked our claim, raised our flag and sounded the alarm- against each other!    And while we sit in our bunkers, hiding our face from other believers who don't look, talk, walk or sound like us, the world rots around us, a lack of preservative whithering it away...

Now understand, the salt must remain pure- false teachers and false prophets will arise in attempt to deceive.  But I am not talking about that here.  I am talking about brothers and sisters in the faith, members of the same Body of Christ who would rather cut each other from the Body than work in effort to make a true difference in this land.  But what would happen if we took down these walls?  What if instead of refusing to work together, we instead stood side by side, building each other up, praying for each other, supporting each other?  What would happen?  If differences became a matter of simple discussion instead of angry debate?  If our attacks focused on the enemy instead of each other?

Here is the reality of the situation- we are in a desperate hour.  The lost, the broken, the hopeless surround us.  The harvest, my friends, is ready- but the workers are few, and too busy building walls of division to make a difference.  Will we see in time?  Will we decide in time that some things are not worth fighting over?  Will we wake up, tear down the walls we have built, move forward together with the Gospel, and be the salt of the earth? Or have we all together lost our savor?

To Hope Or not To Hope; That Is The Question

I am sure that you know by now that I was as surprised as you that Obamacare was not overturned last week.  I think that we all were expecting to see the Supreme Court rule differently than it did.  How could 9 people, sworn to uphold the Constitution, charged with ensuring that Congress never strayed from her, the people’s supposed last defense against overreaching government, look socialism in all it’s wickedness dead in the face and turn aside to allow it to devour the American people?  Without a doubt it will impact America more than any other decision that we have seen perhaps since Roe V. Wade.  And to think that the one justice that we all believed would be on our side, that would surely rule with wisdom and cast this monstrosity aside, the one sure man we could count on-  cast his lot with the liberal justices, leaving his name and reputation to be compared to the likes of Judas Iscariot in the mind of many conservatives.

Upon initially hearing of this I was at first distraught, angry, and heartbroken all at the same time.  My emotions were raging, a swirl of thoughts going through my brain like a hurricane.  How could this be, I thought?  Anyone with a mild understanding of the Constitution could see that this law stood for everything the founders of our Country did not!  When the patriots began the Revolutionary War, it was to overthrow the yoke of tyranny placed around their necks by Britain.  The government that had become a slavemaster, mandating what could and could not be bought, taxing without relief, ruling with an iron fist- THAT government had to go.  So they fought, they spent their gold until there was none left to spend, they sacrificed, they shed their blood, and many even died for the belief that government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.  They gave their all to overcome.  And now we find ourselves 236 years later, our Supreme Court upholding law that represents the very nature of the beast that they had slain…  Despite the will of the people.

After all our prayers…  After all our rallies…  After all our letters and phone calls, all our pleading, all our raised voices in anger, all for naught.

 Upon first glance, it is easy to feel defeated.  It is easy to hang our heads and go home.  It is easy to surrender.  It is easy to lose all hope.  The demon of socialism, it seems, has finally wrestled liberty from our grip; we have lost too much ground; there is no coming back from this abyss that our foot has slipped into.  The Government has the power now, and there is no returning back from this grave.

Yes, it is easy to give in to those feelings.  It is easy to talk about no hope; to talk about no chance. But the reality is that we have NOT yet sacrificed for this cause of righteousness.  Rather, we have been seeking after our own gain.  We have been seeking our own treasure.  We have given lip service to the ideals we profess, but we have not yet issued one drop of blood- or even sweat- for that which we claim to hold so dear.  And while we have been busy seeking after the American dream, the enemy has enclosed around us a socialized nightmare!  Because of this, we are left in shatters, with so many of us talking about giving in to the nightmare- for there is no light left…

 But brothers and sisters, I implore you to listen!  Listen to what the enemy will NOT tell you; that despite them, despite what they have done, despite what they will no doubt continue to attempt, there is ONE GLARING FACT that CANNOT be ignored:  LIBERTY WILL NOT DIE UNTIL THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HER GIVE UP!!!

We can be downcast, but I ask what will that gain us?  We can be downtrodden, but what will that gain us?  We can buy the lie that all hope is lost, BUT WHAT WILL THAT GAIN US?  I say, NO!  NOW is NOT the time to hang our heads in defeat!  Now is NOT the time to accept loss!!  Now is NOT the time to surrender hope, but rather to cling to it!  We must clench our fist tightly, grit our teeth, and renew our resolve!  If we fold now, then we are no better than the tyrannists that wish to rule over us!  They may have won this battle, but we must remember that they will NOT win this war!

But there is only one way.  There is only one path to victory.  There is only one hope.  We MUST put our personal desires aside.  We must put our pride down.  We must put our differences aside and unite together in this fight.  And we must repent.  Repent for being more concerned with personal achievement than defending liberty.  Repent for allowing ourselves to be comfortable with the socialist demons that have crept in amongst us.  Repent for turning our backs on the ideals that founded this Country.  Repent for the murders of the innocent, the greed, the debauchery, the self-worship that have offended the very God who inspired our forefathers to form this great nation known as the United States!

We have a decision to make, my friends.  Now is the time that we must decide whether or not we will lay down and give up in defeat, or if we will stand on our convictions, stand for what is right, stand our ground and never give up hope.  What will you choose?  As for me and my house, we will choose the Lord… And we will choose hope!