God In Effigy

Who do you respect? You may be surprised to learn, if you haven’t taken note of it already, that the Bible instructs us to respect everyone.

“Show proper respect to everyone”   1Peter 2:17

I love it when the Bible makes such absolute inclusive statements. Does it really mean everyone?! Really? That’s what it says. But, how can that be? It is a clear indication of the basis for respect. For we certainly can’t respect everyone for what they do, what they can do or what they have done. So, how can we respect everyone? What is the basis for this respect that leaves not even the most base of us out? The kind of respect that recognizes the dignity of all human life is based on our being created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26,27) So the respect of which the Bible speaks is not about our doing but about our being. This is profoundly important and is something that is not part of  a secular or naturalist (read evolutionary) world view. It is distinctly biblical.

One of the strongest examples of this principle in Scripture also comes early in the biblical record. When God speaks to Noah after the global flood, His message to him includes this statement:

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”  Genesis 9:6

The clear implication of this passage is that our actions (and I would argue for attitudes as well … see the Sermon on the Mount for example) towards our fellow human beings is ultimately considered by God to be either for or against God Himself. That is to say, He takes it personally. God’s own words to Noah make it clear that to kill another human being is to kill God in effigy. Further, we can extrapolate from that, with biblical warrant, that to show disrespect for another human being; any human being, is ultimately to disrespect God. And, conversely, when we show respect for human life we are in fact honouring God.  

Here is the simple truth – every human being deserves a measure of respect. We don’t have to respect their choices. We don’t have to hang out with them or include them in our circle of friends. We don’t even have to like them. But we do need to remember to show a basic respect for human dignity and worth. And it doesn't stop there. It goes on, and on, and on... you can't love God and hate people.

Despicable

I have watched the media over the past few weeks as they have tried to remain objective in the conflict that has escalated between Hamas and Israel. I say ‘tried’ because there is always a tendency for popular opinion to be influenced by the grossly unreasonable Antisemitism that is so prevalent in our world.

Yes, many more innocent Palestinians are dying than Israelis, but as the militant leaders of Hamas continuously spew out their hatred for the Jewish people and their desire to eradicate the entire nation of Israel; while they continuously build up arms, firing bigger and bigger rockets into populated Jewish areas targeting civilians; while they do all this and then hide themselves among the civilian population within Gaza, who is really to blame for these Palestinian deaths?

These are the leaders that ‘celebrated’ the bombing of the bus today in Tel Aviv. They celebrate the targeting of innocents including children. And this is the same sentiment that saw people celebrating when the world trade towers fell killing thousands upon thousands of innocent people. So, on the one hand you have people trying to defend themselves against those who actively seek to annihilate them. On the other you have people who celebrate the targeting and killing of innocent people.  

So who is really responsible for the deaths of the Palestinian civilians? It is their own leaders who use them as shields. I have nothing but pity in my heart for the Palestinian people. I only wish that they could come to see that it is their own leaders who are betraying them and who sacrifice them for the cause of their own personal ideology, one that consists of nothing but hatred. 

I just have to add this quote that Cathy shared as a comment:

“We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.”  Golda Meir (1898-1978), Former Prime of Israel

I Can Only Imagine

Doug did a great job Sunday morning as he preached on war and peace. It is unfortunate that we had a major technical problem which prevented us from recording the message. So, if you missed it, you really missed a good one. You might want to fire off an email to Doug to see if he’ll share his notes with you.

I saw a poster a while back that said, “Can you imagine a world where there is complete peace and harmony?” It’s a really nice thought and something we all long for of course but one of Doug’s points Sunday as he closed was that there will not be enduring peace on the earth until the Prince of Peace returns.

When I saw the poster, I was reminded of John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’:

Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try;
No hell below us, above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today.

Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do;
Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too.
Imagine all the people living life in peace.

You, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one

If everyone could only just get along?! Yeah, it’s a really nice thought and the melody is captivating. But there are few really big problems with the lyrics. Think about it. If everyone were to actually start living completely for today with no thought whatsoever of a heaven above or a hell below, let’s face it, there would be a whole lot more ‘to kill and die for’ because when you do away with all possibility of future judgment you have effectively removed completely any sense of accountability for what we do in this life. I just can’t imagine that.

But there is an even bigger problem with the sentimentality of the song, because even if we could completely eradicate war and bring peace to the earth, people would continue to die! We would get to enjoy a few years of peace here and then what? Death! What’s easy about that? Try and imagine a life completely void of any meaning or purpose; no significance whatsoever.

That to is something that I just can’t imagine. But I can imagine the alternative. The Bible says that the last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1Corinthians 15:26) Can you imagine that?!

I Can Only Imagine
Bart Millard

I can only imagine, what it will be like, when I walk by Your side.
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your face is before me.
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine, when that day comes, and I find myself standing in the Son.
I can only imagine, when all I will do, is forever, forever worship You.
I can only imagine. I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel,
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still,
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall,
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.

Here. Why not close your eyes and have a listen: I Can Only Imagine

7 Facts You May Not Be Aware Of

1. Black liquorish is the only real liquorish

2. You can’t spend the same dollar twice

3. There is no such word as irregardless

4. Time doesn’t heal all wounds, but God can

5. The only cure for sin is forgiveness

6. God is crazy in love with you

7. There is always hope

My Own Personal God

Did you hear about the guy who found a genie in a bottle. The genie told him that he could have any wish he wanted but the one thing he couldn’t ask for was more wishes. He asked for more genies!

Sometimes we treat God as if He were a ‘genie in a bottle’. He is there when we need Him and otherwise He can just sit on the shelf like an idol. God becomes very convenient when we make him out to be a genie or an idol and we are in fact tempted to think of God in these terms.

In the Bible it is quite interesting how idols have a way of just ‘popping up’ in unexpected places; like in the lives of believers. Like when Jacob was fleeing from his father in law Laban. Rachael stole her father’s ‘household gods’ and hid them in her tent!? (You can read about it in Genesis 31) Or early on in David’s life how his wife Michal helped him to flee the wrath of her father, king Saul. She ‘took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment’ so David could make good his escape (See 1Sam 19). 

There are different ways that we can fall into idolatry as believers. The New Testament tells us that greed is idolatry (Col 3:5). We also commit idolatry when our view of God is anything other than who He really is. And perhaps one of the most common ways we commit idolatry as believers is when we make Him all about us. Too convenient!

Several years ago I heard someone share about a person who had been a believer but had thrown in the towel on their faith as a Christian. Someone close to them was stricken with a horrible disease and God didn’t heal them. They died. And so the person concluded from the experience that they just couldn’t have faith in God anymore because God hadn’t come through for them.

I remember hearing this and thinking of all the people that die every day. Here is a reality check for us. If God allowing us, or our loved ones, to suffer, or to get sick, or even to die, somehow negates our faith in Him, then don’t wait to walk away. Walk away right now because there are people suffering and dying all around us every day. The ability to maintain some kind of faith in God just because it isn’t happening to us or to someone we love and care about is to think of God in a way that is idolatrous. It is like having our own personal God who is there for us when we need Him but we don’t need to share Him with anyone else. It doesn’t matter if He is there for anyone else as long as He is there for me!!!

Is that our view of God? And if so, then what are we really saying? What kind of a faith do we have? Is it really about God at all or is it all in the end only about us? Just something to think about.