Let me just say up front that I did not watch the MTV Movie Awards, and I am going to continue to be culturally irrelevant and say that I did not know they existed, much less that it was on last night.  I think movie awards shows are pointless anyway.  However, by the multitude of tweets, Facebook posts, and radio talk show comments I have seen or heard I feel as if I actually did watch some of it, unfortunately.

So here is what I am not going to do.  I am not going to Google image search this fiasco to see all the “outrageous” outfits everyone is talking about.  I am not going to YouTube footage of it to see what all the “fuss” is about. And after I get done typing this blog, I am not going to give a second thought to what movie awards were given out by MTV as if that would influence what I might view myself.

Here is the reason why.  I don’t need to see it or hear it to know what I already know.  Can fresh water and salt water come out of the same spring? (James 3:10-12)  I am sure there were lewd outfits, unabashed profanity, and blatant disrespect for women and sexuality.  Why is everyone so shocked?   MTV (More Trashy Viewing) is what it is.  It is like me going to see a pornographic movie, exiting the theater and sending a tweet to all my friends saying “can you believe they just showed people having sex in that movie?”  I mean seriously, who goes to a zoo and is astonished to see animals there? It would be the same people who watch MTV and expect to see something redeeming or even at the very least entertaining.

I know some will feign they were doing “research” as a “cultural watchdog trying to stay relevant to the world around us.”  And everyone has to strike a balance on how to stay “in touch” with the audience you are trying to reach, being all things to all people so as to win some (and I am primarily speaking to those who are leading others to Christ). But the end result and the motivation for whatever we do must be the same as the Apostle Paul’s, “for the sake of the Gospel.” So if we want to be relevant remember this simple thought, Truth is relevant.

Anyone can state the obvious, the darkness is getting darker.  I would rather spend less time commenting on the culture around me and more time influencing the culture.  Though there is nothing wrong with social commentary, we all do it and it has it place, there is far more benefit to social justice. So in essence we get to choose whether we want to react after the fact or whether we prefer being on the offensive while exerting our God given influence.

The Bible is clear that we are to be in the world, but not of it.  I am trying my best to live that way, though at times I know I fail miserably.  However, because of this truth I know I’ll have to take a bath in the toilet enough as it is, living in a world that has lost its moral compass.  And although some things are unavoidable, I don’t have to dunk my head in the toilet by my own choice,  and if I do, then there is no need to act like I am surprised to have smelled something less than “fresh” while down there.

It could just be me, but there seems to be a lot of discussions (blogs, tweets, posts, emails, etc…) concerning holiness in the Body of Christ. That word may not be used all that much because I think many people have an aversion to it for various reasons, some because of a complete misrepresentation of holiness and others because we just don’t want it to cramp our lifestyles. God called us to be holy as He is holy and that is our definitive purpose for living.  We should not shy away from the word “holy” or the life that pursuing holiness should bring.  It is not about a hairstyle or a legalistic moral code, it is about being wholly satisfied with Christ and the subsequent reflection of Him shining out of our everyday lives.  If we are not becoming more like Him then we are not going to be ready to be with Him forever in heaven, because He is holy.  Furthermore, heaven is a holy place, with holy beings, with the only song being sung reiterating that God is “holy, holy, holy” (heaven’s words, not mine).

With that in mind the word consecration comes to mind.  Maybe there is a time of consecration taking place in the Body of Christ, where those that love Him are being set apart for His purposes.  Holy is being “set apart by God and for God (His purposes).”  Consecration then is to devote, declare and dedicate ourselves to be those that are holy as He is holy.

One of the ways we do that is by confession.  Confession of what you may ask?  Sin.  And here is where we can all go astray.  I have a tendency to call sin in my life anything other than sin.  Christians usually use words like “mistake” or even better “a liberty.”  The non-believer typically would say, “it’s none of your business,” ‘its my life,” and/or “you cannot force your morality on me.”  God would call all things that do not measure up to His divine standard the same thing, sin.

Let me just address the “mistake” or “liberty.”  In most cases, when juxtaposed with the holiness of God, there are not too many legitimate mistakes or liberties.  I did not say there were not any, just not many.  It has become an overused excuse.  A mistake is something I did not intend to do, don’t want to do again and am truly grieved about what happened, not just sad I got caught.  A true liberty should lead to freedom, not deeper darker “liberties.” So let’s get honest with ourselves and God and not try to weasel out of our desperate need to confess, repent and fall on our face before God because He is holy and we are supposed to want to be holy like Him.

This is not directed at anyone in particular other than myself.  I know there are things that God is working out of me, and there are areas of my life that He wants to change so that I can bring glory to His holy name.  Until we all recognize our desperate need for a Savior and our ongoing need of the help of the Holy Spirit to live holy lives, we will continue to make “mistakes” and exercise our “liberties.”  The great news is that Jesus welcomes sinners, which like Paul said, I am one of the biggest.  But in His arms, through the power of the cross, salvation and the help of the Holy Spirit I can now live a life that reflects God’s true character.  Make no mistake about that, He is not just the standard for our holiness, He is our source.

People pay a lot of money these days for a good public relations adviser.  The old saying, “image is everything” must be true.  Is there any other plausible explanation why politicians, sports stars, Hollywood actors and even companies have teams of people making sure their public image is sparkling?  However, one need not look very far to see that a sparkling public image does not necessarily equal the truth of what goes on behind closed doors.  Does the name Tiger Woods come to mind?  So never mind the fact that their public image and private life could be worlds apart, as long as the voice of the people is positive, all is well.

The problem with this approach is that the voice of the people is fickle.  One day you are a hero and the next a pariah to society which should be warning enough that image is not everything.  Ironically enough Jesus had a public relations problem.  His problem was the people had an image of the Messiah that Jesus didn’t quite fulfill.  The way He approached life was a public relations nightmare for ascending the throne of power and becoming a conquering King.

A bad public image plagued His entire ministry. A carpenter from Nazareth? A wanderer?  A friend of sinners?  “This is not the makings of a political powerhouse,” most people thought.  “To top it all off He claims to be able to forgive sins and that He is in fact the Son of God,” and literally all hell breaks loose because of these audacious claims.  No PR guy could stop the chain of events that would follow.  The end of His ministry is a microcosm of His image problems with the people.  In less than a week’s time Jesus goes from parades, praises, and Hosannas, to crucify Him!  This would be the most poignant example of the fickle nature of the “voice of the people.”

The truth about Jesus was that no conflicts between His public and private images existed.  He was the same no matter where he was, God in the flesh, full of love and compassion.  There were some other characteristics that raised eyebrows as well, like brokenness, surrender and holiness. All of these played a major role in making a way for Him to secure the ultimate victory for our eternity through His death, burial and resurrection.  It also made a way for us to experience these characteristics in our own lives as true marks of our faith in Jesus Christ.  In fact, we must have brokenness, surrender and holiness present in our own lives if we are to truly reflect the image of God to others.

The Latin term for Image of God, is “Imago Dei” and was the title of our sermon series during the month of April.  All too often we say we want God in our lives, but we want to make Him in our own image.  When He does not line up with our pre-conceived ideas of how things should be, we become “fickle” and turn away.  However, we were made in the image of God and Jesus made a way for us to bear His image like never before, we just have to follow in His footsteps.  It may not be exactly what we thought, but it is exactly what we need.

When my oldest son, Caleb, turned 10 this week I was really stunned.  Caleb said it best, “dad I am in double digits now!”  What?!  Is this even possible?  I can’t have a ten year old… And yet time goes by so fast no matter how much I wish I could slow it down.  I constantly joke with all of my children how I am not going to let them celebrate another birthday, and I refuse to let them grow up, but of course we do celebrate birthdays and they are obviously growing up.

It just makes me stop and think about how precious every moment is with my children.  I thank God for them everyday and love how God teaches me so many things through their lives.  I am also challenged by the incredible responsibility that God has given me and Karla to raise them, and we lean on God to do so every single day.

I try and stop by my kid’s rooms every night on my way to bed and kiss them again, stare at their peaceful faces, pray for them, and hug them, while in my mind thinking this will be gone before I know it.  Now I don’t mean to be a “downer” but I am just voicing my thoughts as a reminder to us all to cherish every moment of life that God has blessed us with, especially when it comes to the ever so brief time we have with our children.

It seems like just yesterday I was asking my own mom to stop back by my room, time goes by so fast.

As we prepare for a corporate fast at In Focus I thought that I would encourage anyone who reads my blog by posting a blog from our Every Nation President, Pastor Steve Murrell.  I know his post will encourage you as you spend this upcoming week fasting, praying and seeking God for 2010.  Below is from Pastor Steve:

Like thousands of others around the world, I’m starting 2010 with a season of prayer, fasting and consecration. Fortunately for me, our whole office (Every Nation Nashville) is doing this fast together. Left to myself, I’d start the year sleeping, feasting and watching TV. I’m pretty unmotivated and lazy by myself. Like most of us, I’m a much better Christian in community than alone.

During the fast, I’m re-reading Joey Bonifacio’s little book, “The Mystery of the Empty Stomach” for the 100th time. I think it’s one of the best fasting books ever – not because Joey is one of my best friends ever, but because he writes about fasting in a way no one else does. Joey actually makes me want to fast.

Here are some of my favorite “Empty Stomach” chapters:
-From Duty to Delight
-From Deprivation to Desire
-From Desperation to Devotion
-From Diet to Deposit

Here are a few Joey quotes from Mystery:
“Fasting is associated with desperate situations. Through the centuries, people fasted mostly when they found themselves in tight spots. Jesus, on the other hand, was espousing a new and higher motivation to fast – not one borne of desperation, but out of devotion.”

“We fast not to twist God’s arm so he will pay attention to us. We already have his undivided attention.”

“We don’t fast in order to make ourselves worthy of his acceptance. We already have his unconditional love.”

“We fast not so he will hear us, but for us to hear him.”

“The Pharisees’ idea of fasting was to deprive the flesh in order to strengthen the spirit. They were focusing on the wrong thing. Jesus was telling them that fasting was not about depriving yourself. Rather, its about desiring the Bridegroom.”
Hope that encourages you to seek God like never before. 2010 could be your best year ever!