Is Jesus Bad for Business?

I actually thought of this while having my quite time and reading the Bible, but I want to start with something I saw on Facebook.

SAY IT, OR ELSE!


The American Family Association (http://www.afa.net/) has published a "Naughty or Nice" list of retailers that will, or will not acknowledge "Christmas", instead of Holidays, Seasons Greetings, etc.  I am not against boycotts, per se.  If a retailer openly mocked Christians, or God, etc., by all means I would avoid spending money to support their retail efforts; however, I have a number of concerns about this type of boycott.

1. What do we accomplish by holding secular companies hostage financially, because they refuse to use the word "Christmas"?  Do they all of a sudden repent of their sins and believe in the Christ, because they were forced to say certain words?  I do not want to be overly dramatic, but how does this differ from what the Catholic church has done throughout history?  When people who read the Gospels for themselves, understood who Jesus is differently that what the Catholics taught, they were subject to physical torture, until they recanted or died.  "Confess!  Confess!".  Many people have "confessed" what the torturer required of them, just to make the torture stop.  Rather than a true confession, coming from the heart, people may, and do say whatever the torturer requires to relent.
2. Does forcing a company to say "Merry Christmas" convey that they now how some sort of peace with God?  I mean, the Christians are now happy with what I'm doing, so I must be okay!  Is that all that is required for peace with God?
3. Does it help Christians in any real way, when a retailer uses the word "Christmas", in order to sell you more stuff?  

What is wrong with a lost world acting like a lost world (1 Cor. 5:12 )?  Why do we expect anything different?  Is forcing a secular retailer to say "Merry Christmas" a form or function of the Great Commission?   I think by forcing retailers to acknowledge Christmas, we force them to be false prophets, because it makes us feel better about commercializing Jesus.   As the Apostle Peter warns us that false prophets will tell people what they want to hear, so they can "make merchandise" of them, as the KJV says.

^{(2 Peter 2:2-3  NASB)} Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; ....

"Merry Christmas" Christians are saying "Lie to us!  Lie to us!", so they feel better about what they are doing. In this situation, Jesus is "Good for business", because it externally placates Christians to spend their money.

This battle becomes more about us and less about Jesus.  Saying "Merry Christmas" makes us feel better, but it does little to exalt the King of Kings.


JESUS IS HURTING MY BUSINESS!

There are examples in the Bible, where the real Jesus and business' have come in contact.  These have resulted in a detriment to the business.

When Jesus heals the  man who was possessed by many demons near the tombs at Gadarenes, He made them go into swine.  The swine ran down off a cliff and drowned.  ( Mark 5:1-17 ).  The people who were responsible to feed those swine ran to tell people in the city and country what Jesus had done (v.14).  After they came and saw the result of His miracle, they did not ask Jesus how He did it.  They did not stop to consider His Creative power to perform this act that revealed His Sovereignty.  Instead, they asked Him to leave (v.15).  Why?  He was bad for business.  Who's pigs are they going to feed now??!?  They're out of a job!

Another example is in Acts 19:23-41   Demetrius was a silversmith who made silver shrines for a goddess they worshiped in Ephesus.  He gathered other craftsmen together and began to plot against the Apostle Paul.  Why?  Because Paul's preaching was hurting their business (vv.24-25, 27).  Paul was preaching that there was no such thing as a god made with man's hands.  You can see how that would be bad business who made a great deal of money by making statues and shrines for such a god.


CONCLUSION:


We cannot accomplish a spiritual renewal, by forcing a person to say something, whether that is "Merry Christmas", or repeating a "sinner's prayer".  This can only be accomplished by God renewing a heart.  Only God can save. It is not our responsibility to dress up this world, so it is more in line with what we think it should be.  It is our responsibility to teach who Jesus is and to humbly follow Him.  By that, others will gain a better understanding and see the effect of what it means that Jesus was born in the flesh.

Second, we (self-included) must be mindful of how we use our faith in business.  We must examine our motives for saying "I'm a Christian!".  Even in telling some of my customers I will be out of town for a week, because I'm going on a mission trip.  What is my motive for that?  What about thanking God for the weather, before a race that we put on?  What is my motive for that?  Am I seeking to "make merchandise" of my customers?  Every thought and motive must be held captive to His Lordship.  He should be exalted by everything we claim to do in His name (2 Cor. 10:5 ).

 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.  (1 Cor. 10:31-33)

When is "anti" a good thing?

In English the word “anti” used as a preposition, means “against”, or “opposed to”. This is the way the Merriam-Webster dictionary actually lists the definition. For example, if someone said they were anti-running, you would think they were against, or opposed to running.

There actually is a Greek preposition used in the New Testament writings that is pronounced and looks like our word “anti”. (If this blog shows Greek font, here is what it looks like avvvvvnti, )

What does “anti” mean in the Bible?

As I was researching another topic this morning, I was led to read John 1:16.  In very short verse that follows a lot of deep Theology, it simply says, 

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

The last three words in the sentence are “grace for grace” in the King James Version. In the New American Standard Version, those words are interpreted as “grace upon grace”. I am not a brilliant Greek Scholar, but from what I have learned, both of these interpretations are legitimate; however, in today's use of the English language, to me, they do not seem to convey what is really being said.

In the Greek language, this phrase is

ca,rin avvvvvv,nti. ca,ritoj (Visible, if the blog, or your browser, allows)

The first and last words in this phrase are pronounced “charin” and “charitos”. Both of these words mean “Grace”. In short, we all have heard the definition of Grace many times as “unmerited favor”, so I will not dwell on that.

The difference in the spelling of the word ( ca,rij ) is due to the use, or function in the sentence. The first “grace” is used in the accusative case. The second use of the “grace” is in the genitive case. Both have the same meaning, “Grace”.

Example of “anti” in the negative sense

The word “anti” in Greek is a preposition that means “instead of”, or “in the place of”. There is a compound word, with which we are familiar, that uses this preposition -- “antichrist”, or in Greek, a'nti,cristoj.. We usually think of this as being “against Christ”; however, that word is actually best translated as “instead of Christ”, or “in the place of Christ”.

The Apostle John is the only one who uses that word and in the context, he is warning his readers about the “deceivers” . There is a subtlety when you think about “in the place of Christ”, instead of the way we might think of it in our language “against Christ”. It is much easier to spot something, or someone that is opposed to the truth; however, it is much more difficult when that thing is “in the place of” the truth. This is why John was telling his readers to test the spirits, whether they be of God. He also explains to measure the antichrist(s) against the doctrine, or teachings of Christ (2 John 1:7). If the person is teaching ideas that are contrary to the doctrine of Jesus, then that person is described as a “deceiver” and an “antichrist”. Another way to think of it is he is deceiving people, by putting his teachings in the place of Christ's teachings. They might sound good and truthful, but they are not Christ's teachings. See the subtlety?

This opens up a whole different topic, so I'll digress and try to stay focused on the reason for bringing this up. In Greek, the preposition “anti” means “instead of”, or “in the place of”.

But when is “anti” good?

So, back to our original phrase. ca,rin avvvvvv,nti. ca,ritoj Given what we now know, this phrase is best translated as “grace in the place of grace”. The idea is that we have been given grace by God in a constant flow. Let's look at something Paul said, that is often taken out of context, or at least in partial context.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  (Philippians 4:11-13)

Verse 13 is often quoted when someone feels like they need a boost to accomplish something; however, notice the context of this statement. Paul just described his contentment in a variety of circumstances: humble means and prosperity, full and hungry, abundance and suffering. It is in all of these different circumstances, good and bad, that Paul says he has learned to be content. Why? Because he can go through all of those things, because of the strength provided by Christ. I believe this is the idea of Grace. Before you shut me down as having a baseless opinion, hear me out! 

Remember when he wrote that he prayed to God three times to remove a “thorn in his flesh”? We're not going to speculate on what that was, at this point, but God did not remove the problem that Paul was asking about. Instead, look at what Paul said was God's reply:

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

(2 Cor. 12:9)

[BRIEF ASIDE:   I contend that this is still grace, but it is a different grace than Paul mentioned in Galatians 1:15, regarding his salvation.
A second point, you might ask, “Why would we need grace, if times are good?” 
 My original topic that spawned this “brief” blog is “What Does Grace Do?” I'm still working on that, but it rounds out, or provides a framework for this blog.]

I'll stop there, but take a look at this video:

Notice how the water in the river keeps flowing? All analogies are flawed, but bear with me. Think of the water as God's grace. If you were standing in the middle of the water, you will be wet. At different times, various objects might float by you. If you had a friend with you, he or she could be upstream and float items you needed as the day went on. What if you got hungry? How about having your friend float a sandwich by? What if your head started to sunburn? How about having you friend float a cap to you?

The idea behind the “grace in the place of grace” is that a believer, standing in the middle of God's grace, will always be “wet”, if you will. This is evidence of God's saving grace. We are always bathed in His grace; however, at different times during our journey on this earth, we have different needs. Just as Paul had times of being filled and being hungry, we will go through times like that. During both good and bad times, God provides His grace, for our needs. As we are in the river of His Grace, in addition to salvation, He provides what we need, in a constant flow from Him to His followers. His grace is the source of our spiritual (and physical) life in Him. His grace is constantly flowing to we who believe that He is the Christ.

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, (Revelation 22:1)

Thank God for His constant-flowing Grace!

Rodney Skyles

Kicking Against the Goads

This week, Katrina and I went to her OB appointment to make sure everything is progressing as it should with our soon-to-be born child.  Something kind of shocking to me was how the doctor mashed around on Katrina's stomach.  The doctor was mashing around to feel the baby and I'm sure other doctor stuff.  The sonogram tech did a similar thing a few weeks ago to get the baby to turn, so she could get a good picture.  They kind of push and prod little Henry Ryder to get him to go where they want.  This week, Katrina said after the doctor finished pushing around, Ryder kicked very hard.  Apparently, he had had enough of all that!


As I was reading in Acts 26 this morning, Paul was telling King Agrippa the story of his conversion as a believer in Jesus as the Christ.  Paul quoted Jesus,

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads. 

(Acts 26:14)

I started thinking about this in a different way than I had before.  What is a "goad"? 


According to Merriam-Webster:

1 a : something that pains as if by pricking : thorn

b : something that urges or stimulates into action : spur

2  : a pointed rod used to urge on an animal

Think about that.  Before Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, Jesus indicates that Paul was being "goaded".  I mean, you can't kick against the goads, if there are no goads.  So, by Whom was Paul being Goaded and for what purpose?  Jesus gave the purpose.  It was to be a light to the Gentiles.  Who was doing the goading?  According to Paul, it was God Himself who had been goading him (Ephesians 1:14-16).


I tend to focus on the miraculous salvation example we have in Paul's conversion.  Jesus appeared to him and his total direction, physical, spiritual and mental changed.   We know from his own testimony in Ephesians, that he did not think this happened out of the blue.  He said God "set him apart in his mother's womb".  NOW, we also know from Acts, that this was not just an "all of a sudden" appearance by Jesus to Paul.  God had been "goading" Paul, prior to the road to Damascus.  Does it appear that way to us?  No way!  Look at how many Christians Paul was persecuting and killing!  If you were a Christian back then, you would be caught way off guard by Paul's salvation.  No one saw that coming.  


This is a reminder to me that even though it might not appear so, God "goads" whom He will, for His purpose.  Many of us can see how God goaded us, before he saved us, but we rarely see how He goads others.  We are called to share our faith with everyone.  Not just people we THINK God might be "goading".  We must remember that God will save all of His sheep.  To get them where He wants them, he often must "goad" them (John 6:37)

Honduras and Honesty

Recently I was made aware of a need to help with some mission work in Honduras this December.  In theory, I already wanted to go on more mission trips, so I told XMA that I would talk with Katrina and pray about it.  I don't mean to "spiritualize" it, but seriously!  I thought, if God wants me to go, He will open the doors that need to be opened and show us where and how I could be used for that trip.

Well, Katrina and I did pray about the trip.  The trip costs $1,500.  I do not have $1,500.  I am sure God does have it, but He had not given it to me at this point, so that was one of the doors that we were looking for God to open.


MY FINANCIAL PLAN!

Around the same time, I was in class and had a thought.  Maybe I could get course credit for some class I'm going to have to take by going on this mission trip.  I emailed the Dean and sure enough, he said it may be possible, so we need to meet.  Well, this seems to be falling into place.  Each class costs about $350 + book expenses, so that would save me around $400 in earning course credit.  Apply that toward the mission trip and BOOM!, I would really only have to pay $1,100.  See?!  This is all making financial sense.


GOD'S PROVISION

After three days of trying to get in touch with the Dean again to discuss course credit, it was looking like I was not going to make the deadline for purchasing plane tickets.  Randy with XMA called, so I told him not to hold the group up for me.  He said, "So, is money the only thing holding you back?"

I said, "Well, yes...."

He said, "The trip won't interfere with school, or anything?"

I said, "No sir, I'm in between semesters at that time."

Randy asked "How much money do you have saved for the trip, so far?"

I told him only about $60 and whatever I can allocate from our SteelSports event we have this weekend.  I even told him about my financial plan for possibly getting course credit and applying some of my money toward the trip.

Randy then said that a lady called him that morning and wanted to donate to someone's mission trip for Christmas.  She asked if anyone had an unfunded trip.  He told me he did not know what she was going to donate, but we could use it for my trip, so he was going to call her back and ask how much she was offering.

A few minutes later, I received a text from Randy that my entire Honduras trip was paid in full!  My first thought was "Wow!", then it was "Uh oh!"

MY RELUCTANCE

Okay, here is where the rubber meets the road.  I have been saying I will be obedient to whatever God has for me; however, I have a real, full-time job. I've been swamped every weekend with event production from my "fake" job.  I have tons of school work to complete and it sure would be nice to just relax and enjoy time off between semesters.  Oh, and don't forget we are expecting a baby in February!  Where we are going in Honduras does not have mobile phone service.  I'll be gone a whole week with no contact with my wife!  ZOIKS!

I have said all of that to say this.  Uprooting my life to go serve in Honduras for a week DOES kind of scare me.  I have a tendency to be a control freak.  I know that is contrary to being a follower, but I am just being honest.  Even in my half-hearted attempt to work out my own financial ability, there was still an "out" for me to avoid going to Honduras.  It seems to me that God has called my bluff!

HIS GRACE

As God moves people to carry out His will, whether it be in donating money, or time, I believe it is my responsibility to be obedient to follow where He leads.

The primary purpose of this trip is not my comfort and not because it is convenient for me and Katrina.  As the Apostle Paul said,

Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  (2 Timothy 2:10)

God has given grace to me that I did not deserve.  Because of His Holiness, He would be just (or correct) in condemning me for my disobedience and pride.  In spite of my sinfulness, He chose to forgive me.  That makes absolutely no sense, other than to reveal His Graciousness.  As I go on this mission trip, may this action say nothing about me and everything about Him.  He, Who works contrary to human wisdom.  I hope it causes people to say, "Why in the world would Rodney do that?!?"  It is because HE is worthy.

In Honduras, we will be giving food and shoes to the local population.  In addition to that, we will have solar powered voice recorders with the gospel message.  We will also have interpreters with us, as we work with the local missionary to share the Gospel.  Please pray for our safety and usefulness.