One Hundred and Oneth

Picture thanks to the Starbuck's wall.



It's my 101st post here on Entertaining Angels. That's not a lot, I know (my family blog has over 350, but I've had it a lot longer), but still, it seems there should be some sort of fanfare! Soooo..... Yay for 101. It's a big number. In fact, the highest building in the world right now is 101 floors. Taipei 101. So it seems fitting.

On to other stuff.

I've been listening to Ravi Zacharias lately, (It's one of the things I do during my morning quiet times) and he and his itinerant minister Stewart McCalister were answering questions at Oxford University. I like them, because they don't shy away from the hard questions. There are some tough questions that we as Christians may be called upon to answer, and legitimately so, because sometimes we explain and claim a simplified version of Christianity that gives us a feeling of superiority and makes the world go, "Yeah, I don't think I want that." The world at times has the capability to be much more humble than the rest of us.

The situation that was discussed on this program was one of what Stewart McCalister called "Simplified Theology" and it goes something like this: "Things are going good for me, my ministry is being blessed, therefore I must have God's blessings." What makes this thinking dangerous is the opposite of that statement: "If things are going bad for you, you must not have God's blessings. You must have done something wrong." He said it's funny to see those same people claiming God's hand on them when going through trials, much like Job. They tend to twist their thinking to fit their circumstance. The thing is, any of those claims can be true, but they can be wrong as well. Mr. McCalister pointed out a time in his own ministry when this particular brand of theology slapped him right in the face, and humbled him. He preached a message, and people came to the alter in droves. However, he said he knew with everything in him that his own heart was terrible at the time, and knew this movement of God's Spirit had nothing to do with him or his words or ministry. He was being used by God, despite his heart.

We have to be careful how we interpret things that happen in our lives. We can't let our egos or our need to feel superior or even important guide how we interpret events that happen in our lives. If we insist upon that type of theology, then let's get real. There are those who are more faithful and more devoted but are less "blessed". In the end, God does bless. He shows that in scriptures over and over. But he also has the hearts of kings in his hands. And what about that donkey? It is not this theology that will bring the lost to Christ. The thing that brings others to Christ is truth, whether we like to face it or not.