RANDY CHRISTIAN

Minister. Leader. Writer.

Why I talk Funny

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Words have meaning, and I suspect we choose them because of that meaning—or sometimes lack thereof.

Here’s an example: Recently I have become convinced that the word “Lord” is almost meaningless to most Americans. To people in the world, it is synonymous with “God”. So, when they hear the word, they simply substitute whatever picture they have in their mind for God and assume that is what is being said. Unfortunately, for many in the church, the meaning of the word isn’t much clearer. For example, I am struck at how many times recently someone has told me “Jesus is my Lord”–at the same time they are intentionally practicing a lifestyle Jesus explicitly condemned. I don’t know what they think “Lord” means, but they clearly don’t know the real definition.

So, I have decided to use different words. Sometimes people don’t understand these words either—but at least they are strange enough to their ear that they stop and think.

For example, I frequently find myself choosing not to use the word “Lord” (Of course it is a good Biblical word—it just isn’t understood). Instead, I speak of The King.

When someone asks what I do, I may say “I’m a minister” (which again, isn’t a word most really understand). But increasingly I find myself saying “I serve the King” (Yes, “minister” means servant). When I talk to someone about the Lord, more and more I find myself saying things like, “Have you spoken to the King about that?” or “What has the King said?” or “Is that what the King wants?”

Most of the time people just look at me like I’m crazy. But often they also ask “What do you mean?” Which gives me the chance to tell them—and emphasize who Jesus really is. The King of the Universe. This has led to a number of other conversations with both Christian and non-Christian alike, giving me the chance to share my faith and why it is so important that these words be understood.

And why is it so important? You see another benefit of using these more accurate and understandable words is that I UNDERSTAND MORE as well. When I speak of my King, I realize and remember who he is. I don’t see a picture of Jesus, the blond haired, blue eyed Bo-Peep guy in the popular pictures. I see Majesty. I see Power. I see Justice and Love and Faithfulness. I see the One who is above all things and all people—and all circumstances I may encounter. I see MY KING. I mentally (and sometimes physically) bow down before him and enjoy being in his presence FULLY KNOWING WHO HE IS!

And knowing this, I am able to handle life. I am able to keep my focus on the King.

I don’t try to hide from him. I don’t fear him. I don’t dread what he might say or want me to do. I stand in awe of him and I’m literally thrilled to belong to him. I rely on him, reverence him—trust him—because he is the King—my King.  I want nothing in life so much as to please him.

I am convinced we need to choose and use words that not only communicate accurately to those we are speaking to—but also bring us back to the fundamental truths we tend to forget. And the most important of those relate to who God is. We have an unfortunate tendency to mentally define God “as we understand him” (which is about as close to idolatry as we can get). Instead, we need to let him define himself. When we do, we then relate to the REAL God, not the one we made up.

He is the King. And I belong to him. If this is true, nothing else can matter except living faithfully to Him.

Know Jesus, the King! And be Faithful.

God and coincidences.

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My daughter encouraged me to share this part of my journey, and this seemed to be a good time. A number of people have commented on the fact that I have an extraordinarily rare disease—one almost never diagnosed until it has seriously compromised vital organs. Yet my disease was discovered when only my kidneys were affected—and even they actually show “normal” functioning on tests. So, how is it this disease was discovered?

Answer: In December of 2014 I shattered my leg in a motorcycle accident. I underwent surgery five days later to rebuild it. With the added fluid of the IVs, I experienced systemic edema (swelling) which has never disappeared. Finally, almost a year later, a doctor determined I should be tested for the cause of the edema—and the cancer was found.

In other words, had I not shattered my leg, it is very likely I would still not know about my disease. It is most likely that the disease would have progressed until such time as it compromised my organs so much that my prognosis would have been grim. If I am able to achieve remission through treatment, my life may well have been saved by my injury and suffering over the last year.

There is another connection between my accident and my current Adventure. Since starting to walk again, I have worked very hard to get into better physical condition. My goal: the removal of the steel plate and screws still in my leg. If I were able to be strong enough—active enough—the surgeon was willing to remove the steel. I designed and followed my own physical therapy, working within the limits provided by my doctor. I pushed myself. I hurt. I worked very hard for months. I gained strength. I gained stamina. I lost over 40 pounds. And I was scheduled for surgery.

Of course, that surgery had to be postponed (I have been told I can have it done if I achieve remission). But the strength and stamina showing up in all the tests I have undergone—the strength that my doctors believe will give me the chance of achieving remission—is a direct result of my injury. Had I not been injured, I would not have been so motivated, and I would not be in the condition I am in today.

So what?

Romans 8:28 tells us that God causes all things to work together for good for those called according to his purpose.

He didn’t cause my accident—that was caused by carelessness and an unwarranted desire for Jack-in-the-Box. What he did is use it. Not just for my physical safety, but for spiritual strength and the ability to serve Him.   Because of this experience:

I am ready for life or death.

I have no fear of meeting my King physically—only anticipation.

I have a renewed awareness of how God can use me—and have had many opportunities to share my faith.

I have an extraordinary appreciation for the love and partnership I have with others—most particularly with the amazing woman with whom God has allowed me to share life.

I have been able to encourage and strengthen others.

I have peace (though still not jazzed about sharp tools).

I don’t know what you will face—because of your sin, or simply because we live in a fallen world. I do know who faces these things with you. He didn’t cause them, but he will use them for your good. If you—we—are willing to let him!

For updates on my Adventure go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/theadventure

Adventures are such bothersome things!

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This morning I slept in, and enjoyed watching grandchildren as I leisurely prepared for my day. My day will include flying home, and re-entering my “normal”. Normal is important to many of us—and while my normal has always been a bit unpredictable, I find I am not at all certain about my new normal. It includes an interesting blend of the familiar (Donna and I together, a return to Nutrisystem after a “slight” diversion:-), sermon prep and worship with the body of NOCC) and the unfamiliar (saying good-bye to my kids and grandkids in Texas with the awareness it is possible I won’t see them again, picking up a new Rx from the pharmacy related to my adventure, and making the last minute preparations to enter my new adventure).

Yes, I am going on an Adventure. Adventures can be exciting and new. Adventures stretch us and cause us to see things—and people—differently. Adventures make things that are important, not important—and things that are not so important to some very important indeed. Adventures are the unknown, and they force us to actually have the faith we often speak of, but don’t need to practice (it is easy to trust God for your daily bread with a freezer full). Adventures rev up the adrenaline—either from excitement or fear—and cause us to experience life in a way we haven’t been experiencing it.

And to quote a sage philosopher (Bilbo Baggins), “Adventures are such bothersome things”.

As I begin my adventure I only know part of what I will encounter—and I don’t know how I will react. I find that I am curious, even a bit anxious, about some of the less savory things I have been told to expect. But more importantly, I find myself wondering, “Will I be faithful to the King” in that situation?

According to Hebrews 12, while I certainly can’t blame God for the circumstances leading to my adventure, I know he allows it—and uses it for a purpose. Knowing this, I can enter my adventure with these certainties:

  1. I will not be alone. Whether the people I find comforting are there or not, I am always with the King.
  2. I will not encounter a situation in which I am unable to be faithful to the King (though I may or may not actually be—that’s on me).
  3. God will use this adventure to strengthen me—and ultimately to bring what we all hope for: Righteousness and Peace.
  4. If I allow him to do it (odd that he gives me that choice), he will use this adventure to help others—sometimes in ways I don’t even know about.

So the “bother” is worth it.

What adventure are you entering today? Are you willing to step out and embrace the adventure—to willingly accept that God is using it in you—even if it is bothersome? You have a choice. Be careful. Making the wrong choice can bring about an entirely other type of adventure.

I hope we encounter each other on our adventurous paths! Know Jesus, and Be Faithful!

All That Matters To Me Now

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When I’m gone, will you remember me?
Will my thoughts or my finest hour be in your memory?
Will you sing the praises of my life?
Say I was honored to call him my father, what a joy to be his wife.
That’s all that matters to me now. That’s all that matters to me now.
That’s all I hope for now.

Will you follow the footsteps of my path?
Will the impressions that I made be your guide at last?
Will you sing the praises of my life?
Say I was honored to call him my father, what a joy to be his wife.
That’s all that matters to me now. That’s all that matters to me now.
That’s all I hope for now.

From “All That Matters” by Josh Weathers.

I don’t remember becoming a “memories” guy. I’ve always believed the impact we have on others’ lives—the faith footprint—being the most important aspect of our lives. If I can be useful to someone in an important part of their life, I am honored to be part of that time. And I have the chance to impact them for the Lord. I leave a footprint that might help them understand faith—and the One who deserves our faith.

The lyrics above have become very important to me. I got to spend time with all my kids, kids-in-law, and grandkids for a few days over New Year’s. And I found myself wondering. How will my grandkids remember me? Will it be for my love of ketchup? My claim to be the best tickler? For the stories I tell or the pictures I show them of their parents in younger days? The hugs?

Or will it be for faith? Will I leave a legacy that will point them to the King?

Will my kids remember me for my flaws? My failures as a father? Or will they be influenced by my faith in the King and my devotion to him? And will my wife remember the amazingly stupid things I have pulled in our decades together—even the beginning of that relationship when I stood her up and didn’t call her for months? Or will she see a flawed man practicing faith and trying to be as faithful to the King—even in marriage—as he can be?

And how will the people of the churches I have served remember me? Will my “Faith footprint” be major influence on them from my life?

My adventure has caused me to ponder such things even more than I normally do. And I don’t think I am alone in this. Most of us wonder about such things. And as we get older—or face life threatening circumstances—we wonder more.

Please understand—I’m not looking for anyone to answer the question here. I’m just sharing some thoughts.

In the end, I suspect the only healthy response is to entrust this, like everything else, to the King. If my faith is real, my life can’t be about how I am remembered—even by those most important to me. It has to be about how I am seen by the King himself. And what he desires is clear. Today, he has given us life. To live that life faithfully is to maintain our focus on him, and to point others to him whenever we have the chance. Lord willing, the longer we live, the more effective we will be in this task entrusted to us. Because everyone we love—everyone we encounter—will eventually face the same circumstances. May the King let me be part of their turning to him at that time.

In the end, I come back to my old “life slogan”. Our faithfulness boils down to this. Know Jesus, and Be Faithful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever wondered what you will do when you stand before Jesus?

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Recently I have been thinking about what it will be like when I am finally standing before the Lord in the flesh.  One of my favorite songs ponders how we will react:  “I Can Only Imagine”.

Many people speculate about this.  Some talk about the questions they’ll ask him (whether out of curiosity or the belief they are owed an answer).  Others believe the joy they feel will overwhelm them, and they’ll jump on him and cling to him.  Some believe they’ll find themselves dumbstruck, standing before him and not able to say a word.

I have felt each of these at one time or another.  But the more I consider this as a real possibility in the near future, the more I realize there is only one answer to “how will I react to Jesus?”:  I’ll hit the dirt.

Peter experienced the same thing.  When it sunk in to Peter that Jesus was more than a rabbi–or even their idea of the Messiah–he did what I believe I–and everyone else–will do.  He fell on the ground and begged Jesus to turn away from him because he was unworthy (Luke 5:8).  And he was right.

I have thought about it a lot, and I see it clearly.  I stand before the King of the Universe, and I am immediately aware of who I am before him–unworthy, a sinner, an imperfect and bent version of the image of God I was created to be.  And I know I will hit the dirt.  Not because I don’t believe in the loving Jesus.  Not because I fear his anger.  Not even because I wonder if he could actually love and forgive someone like me.  But because he is God who became flesh–the creator of all things, the author of authority and the final judge.  Perfection–even Existence itself.  And I will be so overwhelmed, so awed, so amazed, so obliterated with his majesty there will be only one rightful place for me.  Face down at his feet.

Don’t misunderstand me.  I know and trust our King.  I know I will bask in his love and forgiveness and glory.  But that will be because of his action.  I can see him reaching down and picking me up.  Holding me–because I would not be able to stand in front of him otherwise.  I can hear his voice telling me I have finally found a home, and that all along it is he to whom I have belonged.  I can almost feel the freedom and refreshment of my spirit as he assures me of my forgiveness.  And I dream of him adding one more thing:  “Randy, you did good”.   I can’t wait to stare into his face, knowing I am seeing something I have never seen before–total and utter innocence, power, love and righteousness–joined together in limitless quantity.

But first, I will hit the dirt.  Not to show him I understand, or express my worship, but because that’s where I belong.

I can only imagine–and the more I do, the more overwhelmed I am at the very anticipation of that moment.  Jesus is King!  Today, I do not get to see him with my eyes, or stand in his physical presence.  But today, he has given me life, and I live it joyfully–my greatest hope that I will bring a smile to the face of my King.

Christians and American Politics–Get off the plane and represent the King!

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Anyone who is paying attention has noticed the rise in the rhetoric of politicians–all of them trying to capitalize on tragedy to push their agenda and/or candidacy.  I understand and accept that.  That’s what they do.  They are part of a worldly system and they are acting like it.

But Christians aren’t.    We have a different–and not entirely compatible–allegiance.  We belong to the King, and we represent him (Paul calls us his ambassadors) to the world.  Notice–we represent HIM–not ourselves.  We do not represent a political party, an ideology of the world, a worldly cause, “rights” we fear we are losing, or even the cause of our own safety.  If representing him calls for saying and doing things that anger the world, so be it.  We speak the truth in love, but we speak the truth.  We do not ally ourselves with worldly movements.  Which means, if you belong to the King and are on the left wing or the right wing of American politics–you are on the wrong plane!

The truth is, the American political scene today is not compatible with the values our King has called us to.  We do not hate, we love.  We do not oppress, we strive for true justice.  We do not retaliate, we turn the other cheek.  We do not bend the truth, we speak honestly.  And we do not disobey the King because something that is destined to be lost and destroyed is in jeopardy.

With all that said, may I humbly suggest a few things ambassadors of the King should be saying and doing now:

  1.  Focus on the Gospel.  Our priority is the reconciliation of those who are separated from God (meaning anyone who has not accepted the Lordship of Jesus) to God.  Each of us should ask ourselves who we have shared the gospel with this week–and most of us will be disappointed in our own answers.  We need to ask ourselves if anything else we say or do is detracting from the gospel.   Before opening our mouths (or typing a word) we need to ask:  “Is this going to further the gospel, or detract from it?”
  2.  Love all men and women.  The verb is “agape”, which means to do whatever is best for the other.  So, when we talk about our rights, our values, our country (and why would a subject of the King refer to America as their country?) we have shifted the focus from God’s agenda to ours.  Our life isn’t about us, our families or our country.  It is about sharing the love of Jesus with those who do not know him.
  3.  Repay evil with good.  Our King, and those he commissioned to teach us how to live, universally condemned retaliation.  Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek.  He meant it, and he lived it–as did his followers for centuries–until they began to believe they could be BOTH citizens of a worldly country (Rome) and of Heaven.  Paul told us not to return evil for evil.  SUPPORT OF ANY CANDIDATE OR AGENDA WHICH IGNORES THE TEACHING OF THE KING AND HIS REPRESENTATIVES IS, BY DEFINITION, REJECTION OF THE KING.  So, we need to call people to peace, and focus them NOT on worldly conflicts, but on the one conflict which could result in their eternal destruction–the conflict between the unforgiven sinner and God.  Believe me, when you face the possibility of your own death, you realize how little the rest mean.
  4.  Reach out to the people the world rejects.  Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick.  The fact that someone is of another faith–or no faith, or is practicing sin in the world, does not earn our enmity.  It means they are the ones who need the Lord the most.  Ask the Lord to give you practical ways to show his love to these people.
  5.  Speak the truth (literally live “truthing”) in love (agape).  That means calling sin (terrorism) sin, and admitting reality without trying to bend it to our purpose.

There are also some things followers of the King should reject.

  1.  Reject bigotry.  All Muslims are sinners–just like Christians.  All Muslims need Jesus–just like everyone else.  Some Muslims are terrorists–and many Muslim extremists are.  But not all Muslims are terrorists, or even support terrorism.  Rather than supporting the bigotry of fearful jingoists, we should be a voice of reason–and if necessary, a shield to protect these people for whom Jesus died.
  2.  Reject retaliation and war-mongering.  The sword is given to the government to protect–not dominate.  I don’t claim to be a military strategist, but I know evil people hide behind innocent people.  There is a legitimate government objective in removing a military or paramilitary threat.  But to do what many politicians are now suggesting would require an amazing cost in “collateral damage” (which translates to murdering large numbers of people).  We would not think it reasonable for a police department to shoot everyone in an apartment building to be sure they stopped a murderer.  It is no more reasonable when applied to people in another country and of another faith.  This also means Christians must reject the idea that we have freedom of speech.  I may feel like killing someone, but telling everyone that–and encouraging it–is unfaithful to the King.  When I feel such things I need forgiveness and cleansing–not a platform to infect others with my sin.
  3.  Reject lying, and stop ignoring lying.  President Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Bush, Donald Trump and many others are lying.  Do not believe lies.  It is not hard to fact check and identify those lies.  Stop repeating lies–even if the person saying them agrees with you on other positions.  And stop supporting liars–anyone willing to lie to you and the world about something now is going to be willing to lie to you about other things later.  
  4.  Reject fear.  I can’t afford to respond to you–or anyone else–based on my fear of what you might do.  I can be watchful, and I don’t have to hand you a gun and say “shoot me”.  But I’m not going to point a gun at you either.  No one said representing the King would be safe.  But we can’t be faithful to him while focused on our own safety.

A lot of people claim to belong to Jesus–and according to Jesus himself, many of them don’t.  It is possible the same can be said of followers of Islam–but that isn’t my problem.  I belong to Jesus, and I am talking to my fellow subjects of the King.  If we allow ourselves to be co-opted by the world–especially at a time of such significance–we lose our ability to represent the King.  We have to get off the plane, and represent Jesus.