Captain Kapp Meats Captain Janeway

Heh, looks like they're out of uniform on shore leave at Risa!

Christina, a friend of mine, went to a Trek convention on November 11 in the Jersey Meadowlands and got her picture taken with one of her "heroes." Apparently, Christina stood out enough to get Mulgrew's attention and she pulled her aside to chat personally. "There's more to you than just Star Trek- let's chat later."

Nice. And all this while I'm working my way through my Voyager DVD series.

Real Beauty?

As a certified computer geek, I subscribe to ALL of Kim Komando's newsletters. Kim Komando, for all you non-geeks, is the "digital goddess" (her phrase) of all things digital- computers, digital cameras, etc. She has a weekly radio show and website (www.komando.com) that helps people keep up to date with- well, you guessed it- all things digital.

Anyway, today I received her "Cool Site of the Day" Newsletter and it included the following video on the Dove website. It is very interesting what happens on the "documentary." I won't spoil it for you, but make sure you catch the "photoshopping" (digital photo enhancement) of the final picture, before it hits the advertising billboard.

Is there any way we normal humans can compete with this?

http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

I say, we don't need to compete. While I'm not necessarily pushing Dove's advertising campaign, I do agree with the message. It is not the outward appearance that makes a person beautiful.

(And let's not forget it's not just about the girls)

A Favorite Picture of Army Worship

Here is one of my all-time favorite pictures of Salvation Army worship. I know personally that this person can "worship up a storm!"

We use this picture every SonDay as a PowerPoint slide during our season of prayer.

Here's a fun little quiz:

1) Who is this person?

2) When was it taken (rough date)?

3) Where was it taken (be specific, not just the city)?

4) What was the film speed set at (just kidding!)?

5) What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow (Bwahahaha!)?

Holiness- Round 3 {ding}

In an attempt to pull things from my last 2 blog entries into one place, I offer the following to all who are involved in the discussion:

In some ways those of us in the thick of this holiness discussion are saying similar things. In other ways we're not at all. Without going point by point through everything I want you all to know that I totally understand what the dissenting views are saying. I also totally understand what TSA teaches on holiness. In fact I have been teaching it for years.

The problem is, even after many years I don't see it in my experience (or others' for that matter). I'm beginning to think we've somehow mixed something up in our understanding of what scripture teaches about holiness. Or are we so entrenched in what our TSA holiness teachers have said that we aren't looking for anything else that fits the pattern of truth? If holiness as we teach it is "right" then why are these beliefs such a small part of the Christian church? Why aren't more Christians living holy without a sin nature? Are we really the "only ones" to get it? The "rest of the church" teaches we need to be filled with the Spirit- sorta what I'm saying, but that's not all of it.

I've experienced the witness of the Spirit telling me I was holy (much like Andrew mentions). But after a time, I find the sin nature (that was supposed to be crucified) alive again and fighting much more insidiously. If the sin nature is supposed to be dead, how does it come back to life again? I've defeated it again and again (what a wretched man!). I know that temptation will always be there until heaven, but it's more than that- it's me. Temptation comes from without; my self comes from within. And that junk I fight against regularly, is from within.

I am totally bummed that people don't understand what holiness is! I have been trying for years to make it simple, but it doesn't seem to change anything. TSA's people are further away from actually living out holiness than ever before. People don't get it so they forget it. You might notice that of all the people who read my blog, very few have responded in my comments because they just don't understand what we're talking about. There are always a few who dig deep and try to understand it all, but if holiness is for everyone (and I believe it is), it should be for everyone and not just those studious ones. It shouldn't be rocket science.

I believe we can live without sinning. I believe that is what holiness is. I experience it, because I stay close to Jesus and listen to his Spirit- not because my sin nature is gone. I wish it was, but I cannot discount my experience based on what I want my theology to be. No matter how much I read that some think it is supposed to be that way.

I suppose some might be seeing this as defeatist, but I can live quite victoriously over sin (and do, often- with the ever-present possibility of never sinning again). God is always there to keep me from sinning even though my nature tends otherwise. I can and do live without sinning, but I see it as because of Jesus' blood and not that my sin nature is gone. In the center of sIn is "I." Same for prIde.

Do you experience a dead sin nature? Is it really gone for good? It's never come back at you again? Any sin is only from outside temptation (which is another can of worms, isn't it)? If the sin nature is gone, then we have been made just like Adam/Eve- that sounds too much like Sinless Perfection and TSA has fought against that as long as we have taught about holiness. We won't be made like Adam/Eve until heaven.

I wish we were all able to just sit down and chat. This blog stuff is very hard to do a long deep conversation effectively. Much like we're "looking though a glass darkly!"

I really want to understand AND experience holiness (I believe I do). But more than that, I want to see my people (and all Christians) experiencing it.

An Answer to Sin, if Not Our Depravity

After talking about what terrible sinners we are, I think it only right to give some equal time to what God has provided to help us with it. Besides his grace (which really is the keystone of our salvation), God has provided a way for us to live above sin. In The Salvation Army we call it holiness (sanctification, perfect love, Christian perfection [not Sinless Perfection], a subsequent blessing, fully saved, a clean heart, et al).

Before I go any further, I must reiterate that nothing good we do buys us anything toward our salvation. Our good works are basically filthy rags (I got that one from a guy named Paul). But once we see our depravity, we can come to God in repentance and he will freely offer his grace (Paul wrestles with our need to see our depravity in Romans 7). But when we're lifted up out of our sin, it doesn't change what we are- just how God sees us. We become justified (made right) by believing that Jesus' death paid the penalty of our infractions.

But what a terrible God Yahweh would be if he told us to be holy (live without sinning) and didn't provide a way for us to actually reach that lofty goal. And he does command us to be holy repeatedly throughout scripture (Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15, 16- not an exhaustive list).

However, in our discussion of holiness we are often confused with the untenable doctrine of "Sinless Perfection." Sinless Perfection is "Such a state as that of Adam before his fall, wherein, he being a perfect creature, was enabled to render a perfect obedience to the perfect law of God" (William Booth). We cannot reach that state because "An imperfect creature cannot perfectly obey a perfect law, and man, being imperfect both in body and in mind, is plainly unable to keep the perfect law of God" (Booth). We will always have a natural tendency to focus on ourselves, which is the core of the sin nature. In other words, we will never get back to that perfection and purity of nature until we reach heaven ("Finally Saved," again Booth).

Holiness also does not make it impossible to fall from grace: "Satan fell from heaven, and Adam from Paradise, and they both were perfect, in a sense in which we never can be in this life; and we do not see any state of grace revealed in the Bible as attainable in this life from which it is not possible to fall" (Booth).

What holiness does (as mentioned in my response to my previous blog) is attune us so closely with Holy Spirit, it becomes unlikely that we will sin- as long as we are in that constant communion with the him. In other words, if we are about to do something we shouldn't (or not do something we should- the sin of omission), Holy Spirit nudges us "back to our senses" (as it were) and we avoid that particular sin. Sin is an offense against God; something that hurts him. Therefore our close connection with Holy Spirit keeps us attuned so we know beforehand, what God wants or doesn't want from us. In that way, we can live without sinning on a regular basis- ie: be holy.

Again, I remind you, we MAY still sin, but we don't HAVE to. Holiness does not cause us to attain some kind of "higher" or better state of grace.

I remember a story told by Samuel Logan Brengle about a time in his life where he went 14 years without sinning. Then one day, he was heading to (I think it was) Old Orchard Beach to preach at a meeting and was running a bit late. His cab driver was being a bit poky and Brengle yelled at him for this. As he left the cab, he was smitten by the Spirit (in order to bring repentance), immediately repented and after the service, tried to find the driver to apologize (I'm not sure if he ever found him).

My point is, even after 14 years of living so close to God that you avoid sin (I believe it is possible), there is still that "something" in us that pulls at us. If we are ever less watchful; if we ever let our guard down, we will most likely sin. That's why we must stay ever so close to God's Holy Spirit.

In that closeness, we don't have to sin. We don't have to let sin get over on us like it used to, controlling us and causing us to "not do what we want to do, but what we don't want to do" (Romans 7).

I am grateful to God for providing his grace not only for our salvation, but also for our holiness. Salvation is all about his grace. Good thing, because there's nothing good in me without him.

Are You a Good Person?

Before reading on, answer my title's question . . .

Yes or no? Are you a good person? I bet you think you are, right? Now that you've decided, read on:

Most people today (especially Christians) believe they are good people. What a relief, huh? If you look around you at any time, you'll find you're surrounded by people who think they're good. Doesn't that make you feel . . . well, good?

But what does the Bible have to say about that?

There is no one righteous, not even one; Romans 3:10
All have sinned and fall (present tense) short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

What does Jesus say?

No one is good- except God alone. Matthew 10:18

What does Paul say?

I am the worst of sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15

So why do we think we're good? 1) Because we don't want our conscience to bother us. 2) It comes from a poor understanding of our salvation. 3) We think doing good things makes us good people. {bzzz! Wrong answer! Thanks for playing!}

You see, it's all about Good People versus Good Things. This is important today because hell will be FULL of people who think they are good. Heaven will be FULL of sinners saved ONLY by grace. Where will YOU be?

1) We think we’re good because we don’t want our conscience to bother us. But that’s why we HAVE a conscience! It’s SUPPOSED to bother us when we sin!

Romans 7:7-13 tells us that the Law shows us what sin is. When we sin, our conscience goes off like an alarm! Then we feel bad. "Like an alarm" nothing, our conscience IS an alarm! When it goes off, we’re supposed to repent, so God can release his grace to save us from that sin.

BUT we’ve convinced ourselves we're good people and ignore our conscience. We never think we sin, so we never have to feel bad! Great trick, huh? But then we never repent and never received God’s grace. We head straight to hell all the while thinking were good people!

When was the last time you went to the Army altar? We salvationists believe the altar is one of our most precious symbols of grace- but some are too proud to "lower" themselves. That’s eternally sad.

Listen! If you think you’re a good person, you're fooling yourself and your conscience will never do what it’s supposed to do- show you what a wretch you are.

Oh, have I offended you? Those aren't my words, but the words of a familiar hymn: "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me."

2) We think we’re good because of a poor understanding of our salvation. Fact: All humankind is Totally Depraved.

In the beginning God created two perfect human beings: Adam and Eve. They were pure and sinless, but they chose to sin. Ever since then, every single human is born a sinner (Except Jesus- and he’s the only exception). That means me. That means YOU! Disagree?

Answer truthfully: Do you gossip? That’s sin. Do you worry? That’s sin. Lie? Sin. Speed? Sin. Say mean things? Sin. Grumble and complain? Yep- sin. Get angry? Sin again. You think you’re better than others? Hate people? Sin. Are you jealous of anyone? Sin. Are you Selfish? Sin. I can go on here . . .

Salvation Army Doctrine #5 agrees that we are totally depraved. Sin is not just murder or BIG crimes. All sin is sin. Even "little" sins. God hates it; we do it. We ALL do it. We are NOT good. You know it. If you think different, you’re ignoring your conscience.

But Doug, I do all kinds of good things every day!

3) Doing good things does NOT make us good. Scripture says we were created to do good things (works), but it also says that we are not saved by our works.

Think Lucifer ever did any good things? You bet he did! You think he’s a good person? What about Judas? Hitler? Fidel Castro? Idi Amin? Doug Burr? If I collect all the good things I've ever done and stack them all in a big pile, I end up with a big pile of good stuff. I’m still a sinner and no closer to heaven. Same for you.

Paul saw the truth: he realized he was not a good person, rather the worst. Without this realization, we don’t think we need God and we never repent. You know what? ONLY God’s grace can save us.

What's my point? You are not a good person. Neither am I. No one is. When you think you are, you lift yourself above the need for repentance. That will send you to hell.

I’m writing to people who sin regularly; religiously even, yet how often do you go to your Army altar to deal with that? You have any idea how that breaks God's heart? We hold the altar as a special place where we can repent and receive God’s grace. We’re all going to need it. It’s the only way we reach heaven. In fact, it's ONLY by Grace we can enter.

Still think you're a good person? So what are you going to do about it?