Buzz Words

     Be not conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind... Romans 12:2 tells us.  As Christians, we live in this world, and have to contend with it.  As humans, we pick up things in our culture.  Many of them are normal and accepted things.  Jesus lived on this earth, and He adopted the Jewish culture of his day.  As God, though, there were aspects of that culture in which He went against the grain.  The same should be true for us.  That's the idea of being in the world but not of it.  (John 15:19; John 17:14).

     Certain phraseology has has become very popular and widely-used, and some of it is completely contrary to biblical truth, and yet I hear Christian people I highly respect using it.  When we hear expressions so frequently, we pick them up without realizing.  Here are some phrases Christians should stop using immediately, and the biblical basis as to why.

SENDING GOOD THOUGHTS/VIBES
     This has been popularized by Facebook.  When one of your friends has a birthday, Facebook will notify you: "It's so-and-so's birthday.  Send him good vibes!"  What it really means is "Wish him happy birthday!" and I wish they would stick to that.  I hear a lot of people on social media say things like, "I have a doctor's appointment today.  Send good thoughts my way!"  Now, here is my question: If my thoughts are in my head, how can they affect the outcome of this person's doctor's appointment?  My thoughts have no power over someone's medical situation.  No matter how positive my thoughts are, they can't do any good.  I'm not God.  Prayer, on the other hand, can have a real impact.  God is all-powerful.  Isaiah 55:8 tells us, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.  Our thoughts have no power!  On the other hand, James 5:16 tells us, The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Our prayers, not our thoughts, have power, and the power is in the One to whom we pray!  If you want to help someone, pray for them!  If you want to do something additionally, send them an encouraging letter, or call them.  If you can help in a practical way, offer to do so.  But your thoughts aren't going to help them.  Neither are your "vibes" (which are defined as emotional signals a person gives off).  Saying that you're sending good thoughts or good vibes is like saying you're praying for them and taking God out of the equation.  I challenge all Christians to stop saying this.  (NOTE: if a non-Christians says this to me, I don't take offense or correct them for it.  They truly mean well, and I accept it as that.  My challenge is to Christians).

OMG
     OMG is the abbreviation for "Oh my God."  It's an exclamation of surprise.  It could be argued that OMG means "Oh my gosh."  Still, most interpret it as "Oh my God."  Unless it is meant as a prayer, this is taking the Lord's name in vain.  Exodus 20:7 says, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.  I hear more and more Christians causally throwing around "Oh my God" or the cutely shortened "OMG."  I have heard people saying that taking God's name in vain is more a matter of claiming to be a Christian but having a terrible testimony, and that saying "Oh my God" has nothing to do with it.  I've heard still others say that the English word God isn't really the issue, but the more serious names for God in the Bible (such as Adonai, Elihim, Yahweh, etc.) are the ones we shouldn't say in vain. I've even heard people refer to it as taking God's name in vain when people sing praises to the Lord, but their hearts are really far away from Him and they don't mean what they're singing.  All of these explanations have truth and application.  We certainly need to have a testimony that matches our claim to be Christians.  We shouldn't misuse the Hebrew names for God.  They were often descriptions of His character (that's a whole study!).  When we worship the Lord, we need to be right with him, not just honoring him verbally.  Violating any of these ideas are a way of taking God's name in vain, perhaps even in a more real way than simply saying OMG.  But does that mean it's okay to throw around "Oh my God" constantly?  I don't think it is.  In the English-speaking world, the word God is understood as the deity we pray to.  As people who claim to be Christians, we are throwing around the name of the One we claim to worship to those who understand it to be that way.  It is a bad testimony, and dishonoring to the Lord.  Deuteronomy 6:13 says Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only, take your oaths in His name.  God's name is to be honored to the degree that we can make promises in His name.  When I was growing up, my parents weren't overly strict with words we said, but they would not tolerate using the Lord's name in vain.  Doing so resulted in getting our mouths washed out with soap.  They made us turn off television shows that persisted in using God's name in vain (which became very common around when I hit puberty in the early 90's) . Even today, it sort of shocks my senses when I hear it being done repeatedly.  I had a pastor at one point who believed even saying "Oh my gosh" was a bad idea.  I'll let you decide what you think about that, but I challenge you to use God's name in respect.

YOUR TRUTH

     A positive thing I have noticed today is that people are more apt to talk about their troubles, whereas in the past, they tended to bottle them up.  I believe social media has played a part in that.  One phrase I hear people saying now, though, is a little bit dangerous.  They say things like, "Share your truth."  or "Tell them your truth."  I get where they're coming from in saying it.  They're saying to tell your side of the story.  We should be sharing.  Revelation 12:11 says, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  We need to be speaking our testimonies.  The truth we have seen and experienced.  But saying "share your truth," makes truth sound relative, and it isn't.  Think about how that impacts things.  People can accuse each other falsely under the guise of "my truth."  The accused then turns around to share their truth (the real truth) and they are either disbelieved, or ignored.  The discrepancy between both parties' "truths" is just accepted.  That's terrible.  Jesus said in John 8:32 that the truth sets us free.  There is one truth.  Relative truth would be like going to my bank and telling the teller, "I want to withdraw a million dollars from my account."  The teller checks and says, "I'm sorry, you don't have a million dollars in your account," and I reply, "That's your truth.  My truth is that I'm a millionaire, so let's have it."  That doesn't work.  Don't speak "your" truth.  Speak the truth.  Be as honest and accurate as you can.  Of course we all tell things from our perspective, and that's understood, but be truthful in your recounting.  In referring to it, call it "my side" or "my testimony".  Don't call it "your truth."  You don't own the truth, God does.  

     As Christians, we sometimes get sucked into our culture's way of speaking and being.  To a point, its understandable, but we need to watch it, and be biblical in our response to these things.

What Defines You?

    It has been a tough time for everyone on the planet.  We are facing a worldwide pandemic, such as none of us has seen.  Some people are largely unaffected, and I am happy for them.  The rest of us have had to adjust things in our lives in some way.  My husband has lost his job because of it (the company closed down permanently).  Getting unemployment has proven just about impossible, and we are still awaiting our stimulus check.  We have no idea what the future will hold, or how God is going to make this all come together for us--or for anyone. The only thing I can cling to is First Peter 1:7, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  God is working in all of us, even if we don't know the reason.  

     In the midst of all of this, a very good friend and ministry co-worker of mine was murdered almost two weeks ago. Her death was the first homicide to take place in Sioux City, Iowa this year.  Lisa Belk served with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Iowa.  I was blessed to get to work with her in ministry when we lived up that way.  I didn't get to know or work with her as many years as some, but the time we shared was priceless.  She was pleasant, fun, and very quick to move on from difficulties with a good attitude.  I always felt we were on the same page when we'd talk about ministry, or just Christian life in general.  Lisa was willing to bend over backwards to get the gospel to children.  She wasn't afraid to be silly, or speak out in difficult situations, if it meant the truth would go out.  

Summer Ministry team, 2018,   I'm standing second from the left.  Lisa is seated in front and slightly to the side of me.

On our way back from camp, we stopped at Subway in the middle of Iowa.  Lisa is seated with one of our teens.

     I was able to watch her funeral online today, and what struck me more than anything was the way her life was defined by the gospel.  Sometimes, I feel insecure and hide behind things like accomplishments, what others think of me, or what I consider to be my strengths.  But those things shouldn't define me.  They can't.  God planned so much more than that for us.  Lisa saw that.

     The Apostle Paul said it well when he said in Acts 20:24, But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.  His whole life was to share the gospel.  He said in Galatians 6:14, But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. He saw nothing to boast of--in other words, nothing to define him--except the cross of Christ.  That was his identity.  As Christians, we aren't who we used to be.  God has given us a new identity.  Second Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  In our lives, we should be seen (and see ourselves) as God's children, people who preach the gospel of Christ, and look for every opportunity to represent Him to others.  

     I feel Lisa exemplified these truths.  In recent weeks, in the midst of everyone's faith being tested, I have felt the Lord leading me to write a book.  Since Lisa passed away as I was finishing it, I have dedicated this new book to Lisa.  It is entitled, Reckless Surrender.  It is currently available from Amazon on kindle (click here) or paperback (click here) .  Watch for upcoming giveaways!