From the People Who Brought You Elf on a Shelf......Savior on a Shelf?

Okay, so maybe the product name needs some work, but stay with me, I'm on to something here.

I was talking with my three year old nephew this Sunday for the first time since Christmas and the "Elf on the Shelf" came up.  I'm either top lazy or too apathetic to do any research on said Elf, but to the best of my understanding he's a elf who is placed in different places through out the house, dictated by where the accompanying story book says, who is kind of a look out for Santa Clause to make sure that your youngin' isn't acting up.  The only whole in this to me, is as far as my Santa theology is concerned, Santa is omnipotent, in other words who knows everything.  He knows when you've been sleeping, he's knows when you're awake, he's knows if you've been bad or good, at least that's what the song says.  So why does he need an elf to report back to him?

Anyway, me and Brayden where discussing whether or not he ever caught the elf passing gas, how the elf magically moved and other logistics of this elf when I asked the most important question.  "Did the elf ever catch you being bad?"  When he said "no", I understood the genius of this product.  My nephew's not a bad kid, but I can't believe a little elf sitting on a shelf could keep him in check.  Which leads me to my new product....

The SAVIOR on a Shelf!!!

I know it sounds crazy, but think about half the work is already done for me.  I mean "Elf on a Shelf" has a book that comes with it, we already have the book that our Savior wants us to have, it's called the Bible.  It's written in may different languages (the Savior on a Shelf is for all every nation and tongue).  There are even different versions of the book.  If there are to many thees and thous for you, you can try the Message.  If the Message is to watered down for you can get a NIV version, which is pretty much the King James, it just doesn't sound like a character from Robin Hood is reading it.  There is a Bible for everyone, come to thing of it, you probably already have one.  It is the all time best selling book after all.

So since you already have your Bible, you are probably wondering why you need the Savior to sit where ever, to be a reminder.  Well that's simple, how much of what we know do we actually do.  You can sit Savior on a Shelf in your fridge.  Don't worry he won't get cold, but he may stop you from putting that six pack or bottle of wine in there.  I mean you wouldn't want Jesus in your fridge needing some refreshing and have to turn to alcohol would you?  True he may have changed water to wine (I'm not even getting into that theological discussion right now), but I bet there are a lot of people who's choice of beverage He would love to turn to water.

Okay, so you're fridge is sanctified, you can always put your Savior on a Shelf on the dashboard of your car.  Don't worry he doesn't need a seat belt, and I'm sure we all would agree we want him with us when we travel, but do we really?  For example when that car cuts you off and that curse word slips out of your mouth or that one particular finger goes up in the air, you may wish Jesus was driving up ahead of your instead of right there to witness your actions.  Or when you turn on the radio, when you have on the Christian station I'm sure you don't mind singing with Jesus riding shot gun, but when you have the radio on some of the pop songs of today you may be a bit more hesitant.  I'm not trying to judge here, but I don't think Jesus wants to sing along to "I've got passion in my pants and not afraid to show it."  I could be wrong on that but I think it's a safe assumption.

So say you're car is on the straight and narrow, the Savior on a Shelf is still for you.  Take him to your place of work or school.  You're a good person, but what about those times when a friend or co worker is telling a dirty joke or using language you know you shouldn't use, and it's just easier to say it than look like an outsider?  With Savior on a Shelf you're not alone, he's right there with you.  In fact since he's there with you, why not introduce some of your friends who aren't familiar with the Savior to him.  I bet that's something he'd want you to do (okay I'm actually positive about that one, he says so).

Okay so if everything is as it should be in your personal life, the Savior on a Shelf can also be used in your personal life.  Savior on a Shelf also works great with your home computer, laptop and cell phones.  Think about guys, maybe having Jesus sitting there by your computer could keep you from viewing sites you have no business being on in the first place.  Or he could stop married folks from sending inappropriate messages by text of Facebook.  He could stop us from gossiping about others in social media, bullying, or letter our fingers type words that our lips would never imagine saying.

If you haven't figured out I'm being sarcastic yet, I will sell you a couple of cases of the Savior on a Shelf.  But in all seriousness, our youth group is about to beginning a Bible study called "Not a Fan", I recommend the book to everyone it's honestly life changing.  One of the main themes in the book is not just believing, but also carrying your cross daily.  The Savior on a Shelf may not be a physical product you can actually buy, but he is real, unlike the elf, and he's not just there to watch you he's there to help you, heal you, and to be shared.  Also unlike the elf who probably retails for around twenty bucks, the Savior actually paid the price for you.

Happy Birthday Eight Pound, Six Ounce, Newborn Baby Jesus

In just a few seconds I'll get to the Talladega Nights, quote, but let me set the table first.  Wednesday night I had the pleasure of hearing missionary Mike Havlin speak.  I also love hearing missionaries speak, as they offer a different perspective on scripture as they live a very different life from the rest of us.  I consider myself a person of missions, but a full time missionary, they get my total respect, that's a life I can only begin to imagine.  Anyway the point he made was that when the wise men of the east went in search of Jesus, they weren't looking for a baby , they where looking for a king.  Matthew 2:2 says, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."

Well there goes Ricky Bobby's prayer.  While hilarious there is a quite a bit of truth to his prayer and discussions with his father in law Chip.

Ricky Bobby: ... dear tiny Jesus, with your golden, fleece diapers, with your tiny little fat balled up fist

Chip: ... he was a man, he had a beard ...

Ricky Bobby:  ... look, I like the baby version the best, do you hear me?

I think at times a lot of us fall into that category.  We like Jesus better as the baby.  A baby in his manger majestic enough for us to say we worship, but still small enough that we don't give him total control of our lives.  I've seen people posting various things this Christmas season that blew my mind.  It was a call for people to abounded the now politically correct "Happy Holidays" and instead want "Merry Christmas".  The mind blowing part though, was the foul language accompanying it.  Sorry, but when you wish someone a Merry Christmas and follow it up with a "m.f." you are not going to convince me the change in language is about honoring Christ Jesus.  Then how many other times in the year to you even acknowledge him?  I'm not trying to offend, but I take my Jesus seriously, after all this is the same man that died on the cross for me.

Speaking of dying on the cross, that is the other time of year when people seem to care about Jesus more than usual, Easter.  That's also the Jesus people seem to like almost as much as the "baby" Jesus.  He's beaten and bloody and nailed to a cross.  Yes he loved us, loved us to the point he was crucified, and now he's stuck on that cross.  With what he just did we have to love him, but since he's nailed up there and can't come down we don't have to obey him.  The thing is he did come down.  Not only did he come down, but while he was at it he conquered hell, death, and the grave.  Not a bad three days work.

So as you go to church in the morning to honor the day the Christ child was born, remember he grew up, like Chip said, "he was a man, he had a beard", but not only did he grow up, he grew up sinless, died for us, and rose again so that we can join him in Heaven someday.  The wise men didn't search for a baby, they went looking for a king.  Today wise men still do the same.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the....Tim Tebow?

I had to write it, after weeks of insane media coverage, my twitter and facebook time lines being over flooded with it, and even Saturday Night Live taking their jabs, if I'm going to try, and with the lack of post lately try is the key word here, to write a blog that deals with Christianity and pop culture, there is no way I could avoid the phenomenon that is Tim Tebow.  Of course I wanted to wait until he finally took a lose, because if the Broncos ran the table and won a Super Bowl, you might have to chalk it up to divine intervention.

It's more than the fact that Tebow is a Christian and more than the fact that he has no problem publicly expressing his faith, but for what ever reason at least for this time and season, he seems to be the most polarizing man in American sports.  With opinions varying from a mediocre quarterback who's gotten lucky to a man who wins games because he has favor with God, Tebow has ran the garment.  I've seen girls post status updates lusting over him and talking about what they would do to him, sorry ladies but if Tim lives the life he professes that is not going to work on him.  I've also seen him being blasted for being a white running QB.  That who race issue on how a guy plays I've never understood.  Why is the black guy called athletic, and the white guy called a hard worker?  When these guys play on this level most every time they are both hard working and athletic.  Post are simply opinions, so I don't let them get to me one way or another, but the attacks on Tebow's faith and those who say all the credit for his success should be attributed to his faith have just left be annoyed.

First off the whole "Tebowing" thing is ridiculous.  I don't  mean the pose, I mean the name.  For the uninitiated that thing his doing when he takes a knee and bows his head is called praying, and he's not the first to do it.  While some of my fellow Christians attribute these prayers to what was the Broncos winning streak, I'm going to disagree.  I thinks it's obvious God blessed Tim Tebow with talent, I belive the Lord has let Tebow keep focus under pressure, which would be cause for his fourth quarter heroics, and I even believe God has let Tebow play up to the fullness of his abilities, but I don't think he's handing him wins.  If a blocker misses an assignment Tebow his going to get laid out like Debo in the "Friday" movie, prayer isn't a magic trick.  The Bible instructs us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23).  If Tim Tebow is the Christians he claims to be, then this is how he goes about his work.  He trains, studies film and practices as if he was doing so for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Does this mean he is working harder than the next guy?  Possibly, money is the motivator of many, but when the Lord is the one you are working for, you find ways to work harder than you knew you were capable of.  Hard work in sporta almost always pays off.

The other thing that kills me is the whole Bronco's winning/losing has to do with Tebow having favor with God.  If that was the case I know alot of people who are struggling who wouldn't be, and many who are living the high life who wouldn't.  Again I go to the Bible where it says, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45).  That's a verse I've never understood, and I guess I'm not supposed to.  For the purpose of this blog though I'm saying because the Patriots beat the Broncos tonight it doesn't mean God loves Tom Brady more than Tim Tebow.  It just means Tom Brady is a better quarterback, that actually pained me to type, but it's true.

The last thing that concerns me is the way some Christians are talking about Tebow like he is some kind of deity.  I think some of it stems from the negative media attention the man has received.  However we have to be careful not to overcompensate.  I think it's great that a man who is as bold with his faith as Tim Tebow is having a successful year, but at the end of the day I'd still rather have Cam Newton as my starter.  That's not a knock on Tebow, I'm just saying that sports is not always about religion.  We have to be careful not to set him on too high of a pedestal.  Any man can fall, no one is perfect.  In the rush to defend Tebow I hope we aren't giving our young people the wrong impression that he can do no wrong, because if he ever slips, and I pray he doesn't, that could have many who have jumped on the Tebow express stumbling with their own walk with Christ.

The blog probably isn't my most informative and mostly rants, but it's good that Jesus is being talked about in the media.  Whether they are representing him wrong or not the name is out there, and it's our job as Christians to use that opportunity that Jim Rome, Dan Patrick and all the other talking heads at ESPN have given to start a dialogue with our unsaved friends.  Even if they wouldn't usually talk Jesus, most any American will talk football.

Passive or Progressive?

Have you ever heard some one say that they "wish people would cheer in church the same way they do at a ball game?"  It's a good question, but wouldn't a better question be why don't we foster that same atmosphere that is at a ball game in church?  I don't mean the Pastor stepping up to the pulpit with a tshirt gun, or the piano player, you know the organ players are becoming extinct, playing charge, or even the selling of peanuts and cracker jacks, but maybe we need to change the mood.

So often we shuffle into church out of a sense of duty instead of a desire to be there.  Often times already still tired from a late nights or long weekends and we come in and often get lulled to sleep by the music that starts playing.  I don't want to make it sound as if I am against the music that is played in our churches.  It all has it's place and time.  I love to hear some Chris Tomlin and others who have the slow moving worship music, but I don't believe that's all we need.  It's good to find a place in God's presence and be still, but like the disciple I think our spirits can be willing and our flesh weak, and as they did go to sleep.  A lot of this music seems passive to me, and like I said nothing is wrong with that, when letting God lead us into his presence we need to be passive and let him direct us.  But what do we do after we've received our marching orders from the Lord?

In my humble opinion we should move from passive to progressive.  I've recently discovered an online radio station, TheBlastFM.com, where their motto is "Always Aggressive, Always Progressive", that may sound a bit extreme, but I believe it's what we are called to be.  In Matthew 10:34 Jesus says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."  So if we want a "ball game" type response, we should head his words and worship accordingly.  By that I'm not saying we should have rock bands in the sanctuary, all though personally I think that would be cool, but we do need to sing songs with some of the messages I have heard from these bands that are often ignored.  I will do a follow up blog on this and why I support Christian rock later in the week, I know, I know I'm over a year late on posting that one, but today in church I had a small revelation.

At Faith Community Church where I attend, for the past month or so we have been talking about getting back in touch with the Holy Spirit and being who we were called to be and not watered down versions Christians.  The messages have all hit me in the heart, but instead of "This is the Air I Breathe" something like House of Heroes "Burn Me Down" would have hit home with me more.  Give it a listen if you're not a huge rock music fan you'll probably like this one.

I didn't get that this morning but I did hear a melody of  "Enemies Camp" and "Look What the Lord Has Done".  This moved me more than any other song has in a long time.  It's funny how I tear up more at the fast aggressive songs.  It wasn't the beat, but the words, and what they were saying.  It was a call to action.  It was saying take something back.  We have been equipped, now we need to do something with it.  When the Pastor is lifting his legs high enough to put the devil "under his feet" and senior saints are dancing at the altar, it's starting to feel more like a ball game.  Or is it that the ball game feel like what the New Testament church felt like?

Mariano and Marianna

Yesterday afternoon Mariano Rivera put out the side one, two, three to become MLB's all time save leader.  I wrote a blog last week about when "God winks at you", basically talking about coincidences that may actually be God speaking to you.  I had one of these such moments in the summer of 2010 when I met a little girl at Grant's Basic School in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Her name was Marianna, and instantly it made me think of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera.  It was the way I initially remember her name, however she would do something later that made her name stand alone.

But for now I want to talk about Mariano, or for the remainder of this blog I will refer to him by his nick name Mo.  Mo is the greatest closer of all time, but what is amazing about what he does, at least to me, is not the fact that he has a killer pitch that is almost unhittable, but the way he preforms under pressure.  The only time Mo enters the game is at the very end to finish it off.  His most memorable performances have been in the World Series, the most pressure packed few games you could ever play in.  He enters the ball game with all eyes on him and is basically told "don't screw this up, go finish the game".  Most pitchers don't want the pressure of having to get the last three outs and would crumble, but Mo thrives in these situations.

Part of the reason he has been so dominate, again in my humble opinion is his faith in Jesus Christ.  Mo has publicly stated that when he retires he wants to be a minister.  In interviews he has credited his success to God, even correcting a reporter who ask him how his career has improved since "accidentally discovered the cutter".  He went on to tell her that pitch was a gift from God.  He said once God spoke to him during a game, telling him not to worry about pressure I brought you here, and I will bring you through it.  He has scripture, Philippians 4:13 sewn into his glove.

You can say so what, but I like a guy who practices what he preaches.  He doesn't blame God on Twitter when the Yankees lose a game.  He doesn't point to the sky and shout when he strikes someone out.  He doesn't try to shove his faith down any one's throat, he just lives out his faith.  While so many athletes and entertainers use supposed faith as a way to gain fame, Mo uses his fame to help spread his faith.

Which brings me to Marianna.  The first time time I ever met here was during a VBS day during a Jamaica mission trip.  Her teachers talked her into singing for our group.  She stepped up in front her entire class and and ten Americans, and if you know anything about Flankers you know they don't see Americans everyday.  So with the pressure of singing in front of international strangers, her entire class, and her teachers this young lady stepped up and belted out the most beautiful version of "Jesus Loves Me", I've ever heard.

Just as Mo used his God given baseball talents to escape poverty, I hope Marianna can use her God give talent in singing to make a better life for herself.  If you've never heard Jamaican music you have no idea what you are missing.  The accent and the soul just makes for an amazing sound, and Christian music can certainly use another great voice.  So here's to two people who can handle pressure, mainly because they have the peace that only comes from serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you have a daughter that listen to the radio, please read....

I'm going to start this blog off with a quote from my Pastor's sermon last week.  "I'd rather be biblicaly correct than politically correct."  With that being said if you are sensitive this post will probably offend you, and if it does at least it gets you thinking.  I hate to go in this direction, because I wanted this blog to be about how we as Christians can use pop culture to influence a lost world.  Over the years the church has gone after rock bands over things like back masking, or deals with the devil, or any number of things that normally turn out to be just another false urban legend, while something is officially sinful and stares us in the face we refuse to confront it.

That being said, I was riding to work this morning listening to a repeat of local talk radio program "Bob and the Showgram", in between replays of clips from last weeks show they play some music.  I don't care for today's pop music for one thing, and the other I am working outside this week so to beat the heat I left the house an hour and half early so maybe that contributed to why this song rubbed me the wrong way.  I came home and gave it a listen again and came to the realization that I was right to be angry, or as Mr. Jim Munden likes to say, I had some righteous indignation.

The song in question is Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).  If you haven't heard this song go google the lyrics, I'll wait here while you check that out.  Got it?  Not yet?  Okay, I'll hold.

Alrighty then, shocked?  I was.  If this song was intended for an adult audience it would still be bad, but adults can make their own decisions.  The problem with this song is it's targeted to middle and high school girls.  I have two daughters in middle school and it burns me up that a song that is marketed to their age group is talking about waking up to a stranger in your bed, reeking of alcohol, drinking yourself so stupid you black out, not knowing if you have a hickey or a bruise, running and swimming naked, and having ménage a trios, or since I put the rest of the lyrics in my words why hold back on that, having sex with two people at the same time.  Just what our young women need right?

I'm a Christian so I believe sex should be reserved for a man and woman who are married, but let's even throw that out and let those who believe in "free love" try to defend the fact that Katy Perry is not just singing about pre material sex, she's more than likely singing about unprotected sex, and with the teen pregnancy rate and disease rate what it is, who can defend that?  True she never said go and have unprotected sex, but if you "blacked out" and have "a stranger in your bed", I'm guessing you didn't make a run to the seven eleven rest room's family planning center either.

Living with a wife and two middle school aged girls I often have the experience of the car sing along.  If you don't know what I'm talking about you should experience it at least once in your life.  It's where the females of the species find the lamest possible song, which they call "catchy" and sing it at the top of their lungs.  I may be saying this in a sarcastic manner, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.  Except when you have this young girls sing about having a ménage a trios not even knowing what it means.  These kids are so dulled to this type of language they will sing about be so drunk that they black out not even realizing the gravity of what they just sung.  Before the Lord delivered me I have been so drunk I blacked out, and trust me, it's not something I want to have a sing along about.

Maybe I should cut Katy some slack, but I see her as a role model and some one who markets themselves to kids.  Don't agree?  Why does she sing about being a teenage dream?  Why does she make her cds come out with scratch and sniff cotton candy scents?  Has she not seen teen and pre teen girls singing along with every lyric on her "Good Morning America" appearances (to "I Kissed a Girl" no less, and I will save talking about that now so you can call me a homophobic bigot later.)  Finlay did she not go to Sesame Street to try to temp Elmo by showing way to much cleavage?  Yea when you go on Sesame Street you can't say you're not trying to get kids to buy your music.  Charles Barkley once made a great argument for celebs not being role models, but still he was wrong, when you're in the public eye like it or not you're a role model.

I'm not going to call for a boycott of the radio stations playing this song, that's just not my style, but I will ask if any radio exec. sees this will you please thing about what you're playing, or think about next week's episode of Sesame Street.

This week show is brought to you by the letters S, T, and D.  Prairie Dawn wakes up with one of the unnamed (stranger?) puppets in her bed.  Bert and Ernie try move off the street to some where that they can form a civil union, and Big Bird drops in Mr. Hooper's store to try to buy some condoms.

Don't laugh, our kids may not be getting that message on Sesame Street, but their radios and tvs are sending it, loud and clear.  It's our job to help them rise above what is now the norm.

What does Derek Jeter getting 3,000 hits have to do with your walk with Christ?

Captain Clutch, Mr. November, the Yankee's Captain Derek Jeter has added another nick name, Mr. 3000. Only the twenty eighth player in the history of major league baseball, and the first Yankee to accomplish this feat, Jeter has further cemented his legacy as one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

So what does this have to do with your walk with Christ?  Well the actual record itself nothing, but how he got there, everything.  When you look at any player reaching 3,000 hits, to me it comes down to one thing, consistency.  A number to reach as high as 3,000 requires consistency over a long period time.  Our walk with the Jesus Christ requires the same.

So often we say we do one thing but do another.  We may want to do one thing, yet we still do another.  As the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7 ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.   Yet while we wage war against the flesh we need to be consistent with the things we can control.

Instead of forming bad habits when we consistently stay in God's word and prayer we form good disciplines that help lead a life that is holy.  We also reduce our risk or hampering another from coming to Christ.  Nothing bothers me more than seeing a person in a Christian tshirt, or talking about their church and then going an ruing that witness by their behavior. 

1 Corinthians 8:9 says "But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."  We are free, but when you profess you are a child of God someone is always watching you.  That's why consistency is so important.  If we back up our talk with a righteous walk we can reach more people than screaming at the top of our lungs about how we should live and not doing what we say.

This kind of consistency may not place us in the hall of fame, but it will put our name in the Lamb's Book of Life. St. Francis of Assis once said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."  This is a great quote to live by and totally possible to do if we live a consistent life.