Galatians 1:6-9
I can’t believe your fickleness—how
easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of
Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you
know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie
about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning
the Message of Christ on its head. Let me be blunt: If one of us—even if
an angel from heaven!—were to preach something other than what we
preached originally, let him be cursed. I said it once; I’ll say it
again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches
something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I read an amazing story in
the newspaper about a man in Ogden, Utah, who brought home some
oversized cardboard boxes from his work at a florist and created an
elaborate castle-like “fort” in the front yard for his two toddler
children to enjoy. The fort had molded walls - and two towers tall
enough for adults to stand up in them…and Jeremy Trentelman added a
slide to one side. This was not your childhood “refrigerator-box house”
project…this was an architectural marvel!
Impressive structure
or not, this cardboard playhouse violated city code for “waste material
or junk” in the yard, and Trentelman was presented with a notice to
remove it within a set number of days – or pay a $125 fine to the city!
This father took his story to Facebook and pled his case, questioning
why a “totally awesome fun zone” was deemed such an affront to the city.
What
resulted was anything but what Trentelman expected. His post was
shared more than 1,000 times in 24 hours and went viral. BUT…along the
way, it got distorted…and soon, the “story” was that police showed up at
the house with guns blazing, the city tore down the fort, and a judge
ordered the structure to be demolished. This was the whole
“what-is-this-world-coming-to?” mentality with a hefty dose of
“let’s-blame-the-government” thrown in for good measure.
Trentelman
was contacted – and interviewed - by all of the major media outlets,
and his home city of Ogden and its officials were made out to be a hot
spot for “yahoos”. This was not at all what Trentelman intended, and
try as he might to stop this “crazy train”, the story steamrolled into a
larger-than-life saga of civil obedience and mistreatment of the common
man.
Ultimately, Trentelman and his wife and children accepted
the invitation of Fox News to travel to New York City to construct
another “fort” on the streets of Manhattan. HIS hope was to be able to
tell the REAL story and squelch all of the rumors and hysteria. While
the family was in New York, a torrential rain reduced their Utah
“castle” to pulp, and it was hauled away by friends.
As soon as I
read today’s scripture passage, I was reminded of this story. We do
this almost every single day with the message of Jesus Christ. From
blaming God for natural disasters and epidemic outbreaks…to claiming
that the government is taking prayer out of school... to a virtual
firestorm over Pepsi® removing the words “under God” from the printing
of America’s Pledge of Allegiance on their beverage cans…we have
collectively provoked agitation and totally turned the message of Jesus
Christ on its head!
We have made “Christian faith” completely
about US and OUR agenda…and totally taken Jesus out of it. The Savior
who taught us how to pray never said we had to make this a public
spectacle in order to be His children and gain entrance into Heaven. I
seriously doubt God cares one whit about being mentioned in our pledge
of allegiance to a country…much less whether He gets a “plug” on a soft
drink can. I have to think that God hangs His head in shame at the
suggestion that He would cause innocent people to suffer horrendous
tragedies because the sin of a single person. If this is the case, why
did Jesus die on the cross for us?
Again, we have made this all
about our agenda…and God can’t possibly be pleased – much less honored
and glorified. It’s time to take a unified breath and chill out! We’ve
put so many “city ordinances” and restrictions on our faith and Jesus’
message that we cannot find the pure joy of a “corrugated cardboard
castle” suitable for toddlers of all ages! We must get back in God’s
word and figure out what He wants us to say and do as Jesus’ disciples.
It’s really pretty simple…love God with all our heart, mind and
soul…and love one another. Minister to each other in the name of Jesus –
and with His unconditional love…and leave room for Him to do the heavy
lifting and the complicated work of miracles, healing, and salvation.
It’s
time for us to run like the wind from those who would dare to suggest
that WE need to say and do more…that in some way WE have any real power
or control in matters of faith. Someone IS out to get us…but it’s not
the government! If we stay in the word and will of Jesus and follow HIS
message, we have nothing to fear. He is building us the ultimate
“castle” in Heaven. Our job is to make sure we - and others - get
there!
©2015 Debbie Robus
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