Hot Potato

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Hot Potato

You’re aware we don’t have to take the bait, right?

So, last week the political process threw out another hot potato. Guessing it won’t be the last by November.

There is a world of difference between giving a “defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” and “a knee-jerk response to anything we want to correct the world on.”

Its like many of us believe if the subject gets brought up, we have a moral obligation to give our particular take and denounce those who don’t agree with us … in the name of defending Jesus.

He probably doesn’t need such defense.

Has anyone else noticed?
-Most anymore don’t even bother to engage in conversations with most of the religious community, except for television news hosts looking for an odd angle.
-Most of our battles and sniping usually ends up against each other.
-Every time we play into this scenario, non-believers are given increased reason to mistrust that our faith would make any difference to their lives.
-Every time we play into this scenario-we ourselves lose some measure of hope that this life in Christ makes much difference in how we treat each other.
-Nobody feels better afterward, and everyone feels less safe to share their wondering or doubts.

Even a half-baked theory of learning and the learner reveals the futility in such shadow boxing.

*Most heart convictions are not swayed appreciably by those we do not appreciably trust
*Most aren’t waiting for us to share our particular nuance of conviction on the subject
*Most convictions are not formed only by well-formed argumentations
*Most shouldn’t be expected to carry positions bearing the heart of God without the nature of God within them.

You know we’re not a theocracy, right? You know non-believers are not only not able to, but are not held to whatever you or I might think is a Biblical position, right? About the only thing they’ll be eternally accountable to is what they do with the offer of Jesus. The only sufficient basis for any morality we want them to produce follows that choice.

It is much less important that we get it right on whatever position this presidential campaign throws at us, than that we display real love to those diametrically opposing our position.
And when tables were to be turned over, Peter didn’t do it. The Messiah did it. He still does and He still can.

Yes, there are times where you will either be required or needed to give your take.
Its fine that you have a position on every conceivable issue there is.

But usually such opportunities come with permission and trust. Without those two our takes won’t usually really matter much to anyone but ourselves.

Permission and trust. That’s the currency of real lovers, of real game-changers. They get in close enough through permission and the ability to be trusted, and from there they get to influence. Sometimes they get to influence the entire course of history. We’ve got several chapters, (six and seven) about this process in “The Cure”.

You want to defend Jesus?…then love. And don’t feel the need to feed controversy just because it shows up freshly again in the headlines.

When such Love showed up on earth:

It drove the Pharisees crazy.
It convinced the humbly needy they had found the right Messiah.
It revealed the damage the evil one had done on this planet.
It revealed how much damage sin had done to us.
It revealed who we would become if we trusted our new life in Him.
It formed a movement that nothing in the world has been able or will be able to topple.

If any political system could have produced a new nature to enact and live out the lofty aspirations of its platform, there would’ve been no need for a Savior, a Gospel and a Third Way.

It might be good for us to take a deep breath, relax and remember that Jesus comes back on a really cool horse. Oh, and the Olympics, they happen this summer. We’ve got that going for us.

John-one of the three amigos, part of the ever-growing tribe of grace…

Posted on Tue, May 15, 2012 by John Lynch

14 comments (Add your own)

1. Dan P. wrote:
I think when we have been gifted with the ability to see with the "Single Eye" we get to stop a lot of proclaiming about our personal stance on any issue. We get to lay down our pre-printed labels where go around sticking them on things; "This is Good" or "This is evil." Of course we have passionate leanings this way or that, and we understand that it is Christ in us leading us in a particular direction, and if we believers differ on any issue we trust Him to work it out. When we see God only in every event and situation or circumstance we get to rest in the fact that He works all things together for His purpose, seeking no counsel but his own. And His purpose is to reclaim all of us.

Mon, May 14, 2012 @ 11:28 PM

2. renee baskin wrote:
I made a comment last week implying that winning this particular point might NOT be our biggest priority or responsibility. That loving the homosexual couples He encountered might've been Jesus' approach. Oh boy. You'd have thought I blasphemed the Holy Spirit. This was on facebook, where I have quite a few homosexual friends the Lord has put into my life to build the trust and permission you spoke of. I have several years invested into this process, and I had to just delete the whole conversation out of embarrassment for my Christian brothers and sisters. They were not making Jesus look very approachable. Not representing the gospel, and getting way off subject. This Hot Potato article was a breath of fresh air!! I wish I had verbalized the thought this well, it might've actually done some good. Oh wait, we are a stubborn croud.........nevermind. ha

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 4:31 AM

3. Colleen Schumer wrote:
Thank you John for yet another point of grace to live from in these days ahead. Sometimes us Believers can get confused about what 'hills to die on' these days, in a 'Christian' culture that isn't very Christian, not tolerating sound doctrine, wanting their ears tickled. We have to remember that we can't have 'saved' expectations of lost ppl. Jesus died on the only hill that matters ultimately, and that is the only message that is the of the utmost priority. Everything else will follow..... Thank you for loving encouragement in this.

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 5:46 AM

4. Rebekah Grace wrote:
First off, Renee, your comment: "They were not making Jesus look very approachable." Yeah, yeah, YEAH....that's so sad. It happens far too often. Jesus was nothing BUT approachable - even to the religious community! They may have had hidden agendas and alterier motives, but they approached Him. AND HE LET THEM. He had no reason to protect and hide Himself. Wow, wow, WOW!

Secondly, John, hi brother, how the heck are ya?? I've often wondered why people feel the need to defend Jesus or God, we suck at most of what we do outside of His Spirit....and He never defended Himself - "as a lamb being brought to slaughter, he opened his mouth not"...in my old nature, I don't know how to 'open my mouth not' :/

"And when tables were to be turned over, Peter didn’t do it. The Messiah did it. He still does and He still can"

He still does and He still can.

*sigh*

Maybe we don't trust Him? Maybe we think since He's 'opening his mouth not' that we have to? Maybe we should just follow Him and the rest would fall into place?

Good words here! Have a rockin' day!

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 5:49 AM

5. Jeff P. wrote:
That's all good when the loving thing to do is to keep your mouth shut. But, let's not mistake cowardice for love.

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 6:54 AM

6. Steve B wrote:
I used to be the school board for a Christian boarding school. Before meetings, I would write the following on a black board: Biblical Principles, Traditions or Personal Preferences. Than when we would get into intense debates, I would point to that and ask where this particular subject fell. If it was a biblical principle, there would be much debate, if it was a tradition, that carried a little more weight than personal preferences. The problem, I soon learned, was that too many of us escalate our own personal preferences to the level of irrefutable biblical principles.

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 7:59 AM

7. Kerri B. wrote:
Are we sure He comes back on a horse? Cuz a t-Rex would be SO cool...

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 9:33 AM

8. Mo wrote:
When Love becomes the reason... and love becomes the goal... then I am amazed at how many non-issues there are in this world. I would far rather err on the side of cowardice than on the side of Love.

Such a wonderful heart-full writing, and I love the reminder that it was Jesus, not Peter, who turned over the tables. Thanks, John.

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 9:50 AM

9. Patricia Conley wrote:
You had me at "You're aware we don't have to take the bait, right?"

Gosh that was epic, dude.

Tue, May 15, 2012 @ 2:08 PM

10. Bob Ford wrote:
My calling into ministry came post salvation. The exact scripture God used was Ezek. 3:17-21. It was clear that for me in the contemporary that these instructions were for the whole world, in my case, and not just limited to Israel.

Your article is well taken; however, in accountability, I must be about the task I've been assigned. I don't go about like a bounty hunter; rather, I sieze the opportunities to do what that scripture gave me. It's a warning not a condemnation. Notice, it's to the righteous and the wicked. Ecclesiastes 3, "there is a time for every purpose under heaven..." If only we christians will encounter the culture with the preaching of the gosple, catylst being love, we'll get it right.

thnx 4 the response page...son of boangernes (uhhh, "son of thunder")

Wed, May 16, 2012 @ 5:18 AM

11. Alex wrote:
John, Thanks for the reality check.

Wed, May 16, 2012 @ 9:02 AM

12. Russ wrote:
fortunately there is grace for cowardess... Love is the bond of perfection....everything else is just jingle bells. Our bait to the world should be love. His love working out and through us...

Wed, May 16, 2012 @ 5:05 PM

13. Dollie wrote:
Posts like this make the itnerent such a treasure trove

Wed, June 20, 2012 @ 9:16 AM

14. ttbmaddn wrote:
52ERMO liuvlzxklvmj

Fri, June 22, 2012 @ 4:07 AM

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