Keeping an Open Mind

Christians are really closed-minded about things, aren't we? For instance, only a closed-minded person would entertain the possibility of a supernatural Creator bigger than themselves. Only a closed-minded person would think that same Creator could or would heal and work beyond our imaginations in some of the most hopeless situations. Only a closed-minded person would think that same Creator had infinite opportunities for their life and the lives of those who were touched by them. Only a closed-mi-- Hey! Wait a minute! That doesn't sound closed-minded at all!

The truth is, those who do not follow God, who refused to believe He exists are the most closed-minded of us. Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'” That's it. There is no. Period. End of discussion. That way of thinking is what closes doors, what eliminates opportunities, what negates possibility. Not the converse. As a matter of fact, Christians are called believers for a reason. Because we believe! We don't deny things we do not comprehend; we seek truth. We don't say can't; we say, "God can." We believe in a power greater than anything mankind has harnessed, a mode of operation greater than anything mankind has devised, a Being outside of time or any other constraint to which mankind is subject. That, to me, sounds very open-minded.

Do we live our lives in a different and deliberate manner because we have discovered that for which we have searched? Absolutely. Do we cease to believe lies because we have discovered truth? Who wouldn't? Do we want others to know the truth? Of course we do! The truth is a wonderful gift! The truth sets people free! And watching others live the same lie we lived before we found the truth is troubling to us! But closed-minded? Not at all!

Let me just drop this little slice of heaven on ya: The tiny, tiny body of believers with whom I worship each Sunday (35 or 40 people on a good week) provides our community with a Thanksgiving dinner and a Memorial Day picnic each year. We help people pay their mortgages and have paid the mortgage on our building in full and early. We have partnered with a church in Liberia to assist their community and hosted a men's conference for years. We offer two weekly Bible studies and operate a thrift shop in our community twenty Saturdays out of the year. As individuals, we are involved in foster grandparent programs, programs to feed and clothe children in impoverished areas, adoption, and international ministries. There is more than one author among us, one member is regularly involved in helping police during crisis situations, a couple is mentoring children in their neighborhood and holding prayer meetings in their home, and another sister is currently using her domestic skills to raise money for a church project. I say all of this because it is our belief in the supernatural that causes us to step out in areas a truly closed-minded person might say are impossible; it is our belief in infinite possibilities that propels us forward in the quest to bring heaven to earth! The Church universal is, or should be, people who have looked at the world with the eyes of a loving Creator, seen others with His compassion, and responded in ways a closed-minded person would never dream or be remotely comfortable with! Being a Christian does not make one closed-minded, it makes one Christ-minded, opening the door to possibilities that are out of this world and the supernatural power to serve in those possibilities.

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" No infinite possibility. No infinite love. No infinite power. No supernatural. Just all this world has to offer --Have you seen it? --and then death. That sounds like a pretty limited view to life, if you ask me. You might even call it closed-minded.

Review: RSV Personal Size Bible (Sovereign Collection)

Thomas Nelson Bibles recently provided me with a complimentary copy of its new Personal Size Reference Bible, Sovereign Collection to review. Printed in the Revised Standard Version and bound in black genuine leather, this would be a beautiful gift or addition to your own library. It is available in black, brown, or purple Leathersoft, genuine leather, and some editions do have thumb indexed pages. All are printed in HarperCollins Christians Publishing's exclusive Comfort Print which makes Bible reading easy in any size font. This Bible, packaged in a sturdy elegant box, comes ready to present to your favorite college student and will be available August 13. Amazon's pre-order price for the edition I received is guaranteed at $109.99; the Leathersoft editions are priced at $49.99. ChristianBook.com is currently offering pre-order pricing at 34% off the regular price! 

The details that make this Bible so beautiful include two satin ribbon bookmarks, gilded edges, and simply illustrated drop caps at the start of each chapter. The gold print on the front and spine gives this edition a classic and sophisticated look. Its personal size, flexible binding, and soft cover make it suitable for daily use. 

In this world of smart phones and internet information at our fingertips, I find the addition of things like commentaries and concordances add to the bulk of a good Bible, making it cumbersome and less user friendly. This Bible is simple at its best. After the presentation page are the Table of Contents, the Preface, a list of the books of the Bible in alphabetical order and abbreviations; then it's time to dive right into the Word of God. The back of the Bible features lists of the parables and miracles of Jesus, a one-year Bible reading plan, a topical index, note pages, and full-color maps. The body of the text includes introductions to each book of the Bible, headings, and end-of-page cross-references. Pages are printed in two-column format, with the exception of the Books of Poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). 

If you are looking for a beautiful daily-driver or an elegant gift for someone to cherish, this is an excellent choice offered by Thomas Nelson Bibles, available for pre-order now and released August 13, 2024.

A Kingdom Foundation

Crash! Rumble, rumble, rumble. Those were the sounds coming from my kitchen the other morning. I'd been pressing some tofu and, for those not familiar, pressing removes most of the liquid so the tofu can be fried or grilled to a crisp on the outside. It's sort of a fun process for me --I know it's weird, but bear with me. I dice the tofu, line it all up on a cutting board covered with clean dishtowels and paper towels, and then reverse the paper towel, dishtowel layers, topping that off with a second cutting board and a wooden serving tray. I want as much weight evenly distributed across the tofu as possible, so I fill the tray with onions and potatoes and maybe a bag of dog treats. I warned you it was weird! The "fun" part is getting the distribution just right so any inconsistencies in the size of my tofu cubes doesn't cause the whole tofu tower to come sliding off the kitchen counter. That's what I heard that morning --tofu tumbling and onions rumbling. Naturally, the best way to avoid structural failure is to ensure the tofu is diced evenly, and I know that, but sometimes I foolishly do otherwise. Welcome to the point of all this: Laying a faulty foundation --in haste, out of laziness or ignorance or stubbornness, or for any other reason --can precipitate the need for extra work later on or can cause complete undoing.

In Matthew 7, Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven. Now, I know I said we'd be looking at the Kingdom of God, and depending on your doctrinal point of view, the kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of God are one in the same or completely different; but if they are indeed the same, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God, and if they are different, one must be part of the Kingdom of God to one day enter the kingdom of heaven. So, we begin with the same premise: only those who have a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ (v. 23) and because of that relationship then obey Him (v.21), will enter the kingdom of heaven. He goes on to illustrate the "building" of one's life: those who hear what Jesus says (gain knowledge) and apply that teaching (wisdom) are building on a rock, a solid foundation; those who hear (gain knowledge) but do not apply teaching (wisdom) are building on unevenly diced tofu (v. 24, 26). Well, Jesus says sand, but I've sort of paraphrased. 

Jesus says there are consequences to building a foundation. We, in the States don't really like to talk about consequences. We like to speak of benefits or results; consequences have a negative connotation. But consequences are really neither bad nor good: consequences are simply the event or condition that follows foolish or wise actions. The house built on rock (applied teaching or wisdom), for instance, withstands the floods and winds; the house built on sand (knowledge without application) crumbles to the ground in the presence of rain and wind (v. 25, 27). The tower built on unevenly cut tofu teeters and falls to the floor. The life built on something other than the applied teachings of Jesus, will fall when troubles come. 

The Kingdom of God is eternal. Imagine what that foundation must be like! Made of the best materials for all eternity, the strongest materials of the utmost integrity, the purest elements! There's not a human being on earth of whom that can be said. And yet, God builds His kingdom using people like you and me --so long as we hear the teachings of Jesus, apply them to our lives, and share them with others. Christ lives in us and the things we say, think, and do reflect His presence; His strength and power are within His people, and we are made righteous. He works in us, and we are to work for Him; not in a quid pro quo sort of arrangement, but out of gratitude, in relationship with our King, and as heirs to an eternal kingdom. A kingdom built on a rock, The Rock. If you are building your life, your house, your family, your future on any other foundation but that of Jesus Christ's authority and work, you are cutting corners, using shoddy materials, building on tofu. And the best you can hope for is to keep the mess to a minimum when everything comes tumbling down.