Google Privacy Policies Forcing Biblical Ideals?

So I read through an article on Gizmodo that discussed Google's new privacy policy which basically force links all your accounts on Google (Google+, Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube).  What that means plainly is that if you look up a place on Google Maps that info may show up when you're on your Google+ account or an email you send or read in Gmail that contains a name or song or comedian, may show up the next time you log onto YouTube as a suggestion.  Google will essentially store all your activity from every method you access so they can further tailor your user experience to the things you like or are interested in.  It basically means it's harder for you and I to be anonymous when using Google.

Now, don't freak out.  If you're a Facebook user or really, do anything online, your activity is followed, stored and available to someone, somewhere at sometime.

The Bible teaches that what a person does in their private life and what they do in their public life should be the same.  There are some who want to hide their lives from others and so probably would not like this new privacy policy.  Honestly, I don't want everyone knowing the things I've viewed online.  But it is a reminder to us that if we wouldn't want anyone to know what we're looking at or saying or doing on any given sight then we probably shouldn't be there in the first place.

Christians are often called hypocrites for this very reason -  being one person out in the open and another person when the doors are closed.  While this is damaging and has damaged the reputation of Christ over the years it is not the reason we should strive to be the same in every situation.  We should seek to be the same because God is watching us and the Holy Spirit lives in us, so whether we are walking in the light or at home or the office in the darkness, we should seek to live the same life.

So, bring on the new Google policies, maybe they will actually help us to live by this Biblical ideal.

Pushing a Nice Paint Job.

I like cars.  I've had more than a few - don't get excited none of them were "good" cars.  I had a '71 VW Square-back once, I liked that one.  When I was younger I remember spending hours washing and waxing on a warm summer day.  I would clean the wheels and tires and carefully apply Armour All and make everything sparkle and look shiny and new.  Then I would push the car out of the grass and back into the driveway.

Do you treat areas of your life like I treated my car?  Have you spent time polishing and shining something that just didn't work?  I recall a not-too-old episode of Mythbusters where the co-hosts tried to polish dung.  And it worked! But guess what, it was still dung!  It had a nice shine to it but I wouldn't use it as a table decoration!

We can spend so much energy, both physically and mentally, trying to shine areas of our lives so we look like everything is okay.  My car looked really nice, but it was a fraud.  A fake.  And after awhile someone wanted to see under the hood.  And the outward show I had worked so hard to maintain was proven to be worthless.

And we don't just do this with our lives.  We do it in our churches as well.  There was a day when the goal of nearly every Christian (at least that I knew) was to make everyone "think" that their lives were perfect.  They pretended that God was providing for them and giving them the "desires of their hearts."  Somehow they thought no one would listen to their Gospel presentation unless they thought that slapping the name "Christian" on their lives would make all their dreams come true.  So they polished up their messed-up lives real good.  But they were still a mess.  And out of that culture we get statistics like 50% of all Christian marriages end in divorce.

Guess what.  Marriage isn't about what everyone sees; a clean home a well behaved child, a spouse who laughs at all your jokes, it IS about what happens when the door is shut.  Christianity isn't just about what people see "Christians" doing, it's about what happens when no one is looking.  It's about how treat our family.  Our children's teachers at school.  How we handle the person who cuts us off in traffic.  It's how we talk to our co-workers and what place Jesus Christ holds in our hearts.

Jesus tells the story of a gnat and a camel as it relates to the religion of his day (Matthew 23:23-25).  He says that there are religious people who work so hard to rid their lives of a sin or a problem that He represents as a gnat that they end up neglecting the sin/problem He represents as a camel.  And I think we do the same.  How we look on the outside (to others) is the gnat.  What is going on in our hearts and private lives is the camel.  Jesus tells us that our outside should match our inside.  He says it this way, you don't get good fruit from a bad tree. You can fake it for awhile, shiny and new looking, but eventually you're gonna have to turn the key.

A car with a fancy paint-job and tailored interior sitting in your driveway without an engine is not worth nearly as much as a piece of junk that gets you to work every day.  Don't spend your life polishing the paint when you need to rebuild the engine.

And Jesus wasn't just a carpenter, He's a mechanic as well, really a handyman, if it's broke, He can fix it.

Check out this post (Think Napoleon NOT Uncle Rico) if you want some help getting your life right with God or if you think you're beyond help!

Welcome readers from El Dorado Times!

Let me say Welcome to anyone who might be reading this blog through the El Dorado Times blog pages.  I am happy to be sharing, through this new expanded audience, what God is showing me in everyday life and through His Word.  I hope that you are blessed and encouraged by what you find here and that ultimately it either strengthens your relationship with Jesus Christ or that you begin a relationship with Jesus.  I believe that Real Life happens when enter into relationship with Jesus - not with a certain church or certain group or even belief structure - but when you encounter Jesus and begin to know Him as He knows you.
You won't find super-spiritual dogma here, I'm just another guy on the journey who has found the Light to help me along.  I hope that God uses me to share that Light with you!

Does God Owe Us Blessing?

As I was thinking through a verse in Exodus 15 a strange thought came to my mind.  I wondered why the Israelites had complained to Moses and God about the waters at Marah being bitter.  After all, the word Marah means bitter.  So why would the people of God get upset that the waters at Marah (bitter) were bitter?  They apparently knew that the place was called Marah.  Moses grazed his father-in-law's sheep in this area, surely he or some of those with him knew of this spot and that the water here was unsuitable to drink. I wondered why they would be upset.

At first it seemed to me that the Israelites had simply not yet learned to trust God completely.  Surely not too much time had passed since God turned the water in Egypt to blood.  The Israelites knew God could do that, no problem.  And it was just three days ago that He did the impossible and pushed back the waters on either side so the Israelites could walk on dry ground.  But this was a small body of water in the middle of the desert!  There was no need for God to part these waters.  The Israelites had experienced God doing some pretty amazing stuff with water, but not turning salty water fresh.  This would be a whole new miracle they hadn't seen and because they hadn't seen it they questioned whether or not He could do it.

But maybe there's even something more to this then just a new miracle.  If they knew the place was called Marah and that the water was bitter and they STILL complained that may mean that they were already beginning to think they were something special.  And because they were special they expected God to make the water sweet just because of who they were!  Because God had rescued them from Egypt and delivered them from Pharaoh's army through the water they assumed He was just going to do everything for them.  Make their lives a bed of roses.  So they didn't even ask Him to change the water, they just assumed He would!

Some believers today live like this.  They expect that just because they go to church, put a few dollars in the tray or "believe" that all their hopes and dreams will come true that God is just walking in front of them organizing the events and circumstances of their life to be just the way they want so they never have to suffer.  They expect that God owes them somehow.  And there are quite a few preachers who foster this belief, though maybe not intentionally, by telling us over and over how special we are to God and how His greatest desire is to show His love to us by meeting our needs and fulfilling our lives with all the wonderful things we can imagine.

But have ever heard or talked to a believer from a third-world country?  Hungry.  Persecuted.  Broke.  Without hope for a better tomorrow.  But with a hope in eternity that will not die and a thirst for more of God that can not be quenched.  We sometimes whine to God because we ONLY have 1/4 tank of gas in the car.  They walk for days just to share or to hear the Word of God.  We get upset if we have to chose which bill to pay the cable tv or the heating bill.  They sleep on the dirt floor with no heat or entertainment and read their bibles for hours at a time.

Paul had every terrible thing happen to him you could think of and he considered himself blessed.  So before I complain to God because He didn't do something I expected Him to do I think I'll remember the Israelites and the bitter water.  And I'll thank God for putting me in a position to see His glory.

Come to Know, So You Can Learn to Trust

Have you ever felt like God got it wrong?
You thought He was working things out (and you were excited)  but they fell apart and left you wondering what in the world He was up to.  Maybe you've asked God, "Wasn't I following/doing/saying what You wanted me to?  Why did this happen?"
Ever been there?

The Israelites were in that exact spot three days after they walked through the water on dry ground.  Exodus 15:22 says that for three days the Israelites followed the pillar of cloud/fire, that represented God's presence with them, into the desert without finding water.  When they finally saw water at a place called *Marah they thought they were saved, but the water was bitter/salty and they couldn't drink it.

I think one of the greatest challenges to faith is unmet expectations.  You think God is going to do something and He doesn't meet your expectation and leaves you questioning His presence or effectiveness or interest in your situation.

But let's take a deeper look.

For 430 years the Israelites had been a captive forced labor work-force for the Egyptians.  Then Moses shows up and they get a front-row-seat to God's power as He "motivates" the Egyptian government to let His people go.  The Israelites began to understand that God cared for them but they didn't really know Him first hand and their faith was only in it's infancy.  They watched God do things, but you don't develop faith from the safety of your living room or front porch.  So God sets them free and they leave Egypt.  Now they get to know God a little better, after all, He's personally leading them out of Egypt in a "pillar" of cloud during the day and fire at night - pretty impressive.  So they know that He is personally involved in their release.  But He leads them to the sea where they soon realize there is no escape from the approaching Egyptian army (um, they changed their minds about their free-labor friends).  They expected God to deliver them but it looked like they were going to be killed.  So they question God.  Then God parts the waters and the Israelites get away from the Egyptians!  They come to know God as a protector and they begin to trust Him more.

Every step of the way God had to help them know Him a little more so they could trust Him a little more.  Knowledge and trust are close friends.

So the Israelites are now passed the point of no return.  They will be held responsible for the death of hundreds or maybe thousands of Egyptian military personnel if they return to their forced labor duties.  And, they are three days out in the desert without enough water to make it home even if they wanted to go back.  And waters of Marah, which they thought would allow them to refill their jugs and water their animals is unsuitable for drink.  What to do now?

What would you do in a situation like that?  They complained.  They expected God to meet their impending water need.  But He didn't.  So they complained.  Then God tells Moses to take a stick and throw it in the water.  When Moses obeys (obedience is the part we play in coming to know God and trust Him) the water turns sweet.  A fresh water source from a salt-water pond.  That's called a miracle.  God did it (not the stick or Moses) and the people came to know Him a little better.

You can't learn faith from the comfort of your front porch or even from down the street.  You have got to be three days out with too little water and no hope.  That's a whole new level of trust.

The next time you think God has got it wrong, consider the alternative.  He knows exactly what He's doing getting you farther from home so that you come to know Him in a new way so that you can trust Him at a new level.

Pack your bags.

*Marah means bitter - fitting isn't it.

Is God's Will Revealed In Circumstances

I've been watching comments on Facebook and blogs and listening to conversations about how God works in our lives lately.  Many people talk about God opening doors or closing windows as a way for us to determine His will.  You've heard it, I'm sure.  I was going to do this or that but God closed the door.  Or perhaps it works out this way.  This must be God's will because it worked out.  I was talking to someone the other day who said that they were sure God wanted them to make a big move because He worked out all the circumstances.

I'm wondering if circumstances are a good way for us to determine what God's will is for us in any given situation.

Look at it this way.  If Noah would have considered his circumstances would he have followed through with the Ark?  Or what about Moses?  Or Joseph?  Surely had he considered his circumstances he would have determined God had abandoned him!  After being sold into slavery by his brothers.  Thrown in jail for doing nothing and then after accurately interpreting the dreams of two other prisoners he's forgotten about.  Or consider Paul.  Here's his list from 2 Corinthians 11:
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,  I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.  I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.


Do you think that after all this Paul would have concluded that He was doing what God wanted?  Would he have considered the doors in his life to be open or shut?  If you would have faced this same set of circumstances would you have given up?  


Here's what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  


Regardless of your circumstances if you are loving God and loving others you are accomplishing God's will.  Don't ever think that your circumstances determine whether or not you are on the right path with Christ.

Get A New Calendar - If You Want A New Life

Well it's the first few days of 2012 and that means it's time for many people to get started on their list of New Year's resolutions.  I hear the gym is more crowded than usual and people are showing up to work on time.  It seems like more people are reading their Bible, three days in to the New Year and I'm guessing that prayers are on the rise.  The New Year is always a time of hope, expectation and even excitement!  At least for the first few days.  Then it seems our schedules get the better of us.  Time gets tight and we get lazy.  By March the good parking spots at the gym will once again abound and Bibles will again become dust collectors.

But maybe that isn't our fault.  I mean, I would be much more willing to go to the gym if every time I finished another 5k on the treadmill the scale proved that I had actually done something!  And Bible reading would be much easier to accomplish if God did something incredible every day that I read.  But that's not reality is it.  Physical training and spiritual training both utilize delayed gratification.  If you really want your gym membership to pay off you need to reorganize your calendar to maximize your efforts.  You have to make your workout time a priority and plan your meals so they benefit your goals instead of your waistline.  And the same is true for your spiritual health.  You need a new calendar that puts God in control.  Instead heading out every day letting someone else, your boss, spouse, kids, bills, control your schedule you need to plan your days around God.  When you do, He begins to organize your daily events on His timeline.

Here's how it worked for the Israelites.  For 430 years Pharaoh kept their calendar full with his plans and desires.  So every day, 7x365, they got up and made bricks.  Now, they needed to make bricks to support their lifestyle.  If they didn't go to work they were not given food.  Worse yet, they might get punished, lose their job or even their life!  Making bricks provided them with lots of good things, food, shelter, clothing.  So when God called them to something new He knew He had to get a hold of their calendar first.  He needed to reorient their lives to His timing and schedule, instead of Pharaoh's or even their own.

In Exodus 12:1,2 God talks to Moses and does something that hadn't happened since the beginning of time and wouldn't happen again until the birth of Jesus, He gave them a brand new calendar.

Because of what God was preparing to do with the Israelites He needed them to be on His time and following His schedule instead of Pharaoh's.  So God gives them a new calendar to follow.  Nothing changed immediately, few things do, but God needed the people to be on His schedule so they could see that He not only knew what He was doing, but would Himself see that it was accomplished.

So for the first 10 days on God's schedule the Israelites got up and made bricks.  Everything seemed to be exactly the same, except that now they were told in advance what was coming and to be ready.  On the 10th day they were to pick out a perfect yearling lamb.  Then back to brick making.  On the 14th day they killed the lamb, made up some bread without yeast and painted their doorposts and lintels with some of the lamb's blood.  And on the morning of day 15 they walked out of Egypt - free.  Free to follow God on His schedule and in His time.  

The Israelites needed to have a new calendar because they were going to have a new life.  They needed to be following God's timeline and schedule because, let's face it, their old one just wasn't working for them.  And once they Got on God's time they were able to see His plan unfold and they were able to join Him because He had cleared their calendar, made room for Himself and created space for them to grow into their new life.

Maybe this year what you need, instead of a bunch of new items added to your old calendar, is a brand new calendar.  I'm not talking about a new 2012 kitten calendar.  I'm talking about a calendar that gives space and precedent to God.  A calendar that allows Him to organize and schedule your days around His perfect plan for your life.  You could continue to make bricks every day.  Or you could begin to see what a life lived on God's time for God's purpose really looks like.  Once the Israelites got on God's calendar He was able to use them to glorify Himself and prove to the Egyptians (and others) that He was the One True God.

If you want to change your life, start with your calendar.  God has to get you using His calendar BEFORE you get to see His plan.