Is Your Heart Giving You Eye Problems?

I have lost track of how many artists and celebrities have made reference to the Biblical story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. When they do reference it, it isn't in a very positive manner; it is as if the destruction of those two infamous cities is at once the ultimate example of the injustice of the God of the Bible, and an excuse from personal moral responsibility because said God is so unjust.

For a long while, whenever I heard or read such references, I found myself almost writhing in frustration to see God so misrepresented and misunderstood, and more than a bit exasperated with such juvenile reasoning on the part of those artists and celebrities. (Yes, I said juvenile.) I still find myself frustrated and exasperated, but it has taught me a couple things that I am profoundly grateful to have learned.

First of all, I have learned that the old adage, "Those who criticize the Bible most, often know the least about it," is astonishingly true. Reflecting on such statements, I am convinced that a lot of those artists and celebrities really don't know the whole story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and that comforts me because there is hope that, if they really did come to know the true facts about the Bible, including the whole story surrounding Sodom and Gomorrah, maybe they would have a change of heart toward the God they frequently seem to reject out of hand. Secondly, it has also taught me that much, if not all, of peoples' rejection/disbelief of God stems from an attitude of self-will - in other words, they have a heart problem that is affecting their vision: they cannot, or do not, or will not see God aright because of a basic attitude of rebellion. Understanding this fact has made me less shy about standing up for what I believe: why should I run like a scared rabbit from a bad attitude?

There are several things I'd like to point out to those who think such stories as Sodom and Gomorrah are proof positive that the Christian faith is invalid and its God is self-contradictory.

1: God did not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah merely because of what He classified as sexual deviancy. Read Genesis 18 & 19, and you will see that God did not destroy those cities because of the presence of evil, but because of the absence of good. For ten righteous persons, Sodom would have been spared.

2: Doesn't God have the right to get "fed up" with human depravity? As humans, we get upset all the time at each other for our cruel and thoughtless behavior, and we aren't even holy as He is holy. At some point, in order for God to be truly a holy God of love, He's going to have say, "Enough!"

3: Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason the story of Sodom and Gomorrah upsets you is because you know down deep in your heart that, if God judged Sodom and Gomorrah, He's going to have to judge you someday?

4: If you are not repulsed by what occurred that night so long ago in ancient Sodom on Lot's doorstep, you have a "heart problem." It's like the analogy of those who suffer from malnutrition: give them straight liquid iron, and they won't taste a thing, give a properly nourished person the same thing, and they will nearly puke. If you find yourself attracted to or excusing what should disturb and repulse you, you have a problem. Don't make that problem worse by rejecting the counsel of truth. Let your conscience prick for once - it will do you good.

5: Last of all, I want to give God a fair shake. The same God that has been so vilified as an unjust monster, has said and done some wonderful things - things that make me sure He only shows His wrathful side when He has no other choice. Listen to these beautiful verses from the Old Testament (the portion of the Bible that people love to hate the most):

"The eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27 "

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10

"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee." Isaiah 44:22


"With everlasting kindness I will have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." Isaiah 54:8

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.... And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11,13

The list could go on and on.
(I use the King James Bible because of the beauty of the old English.)

So, I ask you, how's your heart? Is it causing problems with your vision?

Blessings,
Pastor Chelle

The Quest

The first interview of Mick Jagger that I ever heard left an indelible impression on my mind. It was a phone-in show, and one fan asked Mick, since he had already achieved and attained so much, what else did he want out of life? Mick fumbled for a response before replying a bit cynically, "The moon?"

Now, I am not about to speculate on Mick Jagger's state of mind, whether he be jaded, self-satisfied, or otherwise, but his answer is cause to pause and reflect. How must the great icons and celebrities really feel in the unknown, inner recesses of their heart? When you reach the top, when you have so much money the subject bores you, when you have accumulated all the toys, when you are pop icon, when you have people hanging on breathlessly to your every word, when you can have all the sex you want with anybody you want, when you can have more booze and dope than your body can stand, what else is left? Where are you going to get your next big high? What do you do for thrills and chills? And most importantly, where do you find daily satisfaction and contentment?

Reading People Weekly, and other stargazers, I am left to ponder just how many of those people reported upon are completely jaded. How many of them have reached the top and found out that it is horribly dissatisfying? How many of them are mashing and crashing from one thing to the next hoping to find something, anything, to fill their inner void? Or, worse, how many have accepted their inner emptiness as chronic and incurable?

Well, there is a cure for the incurable. It is God. Himself. No one or nothing else will suffice.

(I know, I know, you just knew that was coming.)

God, the Infinite, the Eternal, the Transcendent, is the One Who puts the joy in living and keeps it there. By His very nature, He is the Perpetual Novelty when you have experienced everything life has to offer. He is the source, the fountainhead of joy. That is why we are told to make Him the ultimate quest in life, and not pleasure itself. Chasing the tributaries of a river usually only leads to a quagmire. Just so with life: make life, or any one facet of life, your pursuit, and you will most certainly end up in a stinking, miserable bog. But if you make it your goal to possess the source of life and pleasure, you'll find that your joy will never fade nor will the supply run dry.

That's all well and good, you say, but just how does one go about possessing God? The answer to that is found in verse 11 of Psalm 16, "Thou wilt show me the path of life, "said King David, "In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forever more." That phrase "at thy right hand" refers to being in right standing or right relationship, in a place of favor. Therefore we conclude that we come into possession of perpetual novelty when we stand in right relationship with God - when our sins are forgiven and when we are living the way He has prescribed for His creation. (Hey, after all, He is God - He does have the right to make the rules, doesn't He?) It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. How could we possibly think to disregard the blueprint of the Master Architect and still have a sound building? You may as well cut a river off from it's source and expect it to keep running.

Oh, you reply, perhaps with a condescending smile, that is just so typically Christian..., and you haven't even proved that God exists or that He is the Master Architect of life. Point taken; I plan to discuss that in the future, but for now, let me leave you with this thought about the above formula for joy:

It works.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." Do you always have to prove the pudding exists, or that it's a good pudding before you taste it?

If you haven't already, I hope you'll make God your quest.
Pastor Chelle

To Whom It May Concern

Writing this first entry feels remarkably like stepping off a cliff. I have no idea if this blog will "go" anywhere, and I strongly suspect that many people will see me as precious more than a crack-pot. Yet for all that, I must try - I must try to reach out to the people for whom I have been concerned about for so many years.

I'm talking about those people whom our culture honors as stars and celebrities.

There is hardly a day goes by but what I pray for those of you who make up the world of stardom. It's a little weird praying for people you don't know, but I can't help it. I read about your lives in books and slick magazines - magazines that I can't be sure if a 1/4 of what is printed in them is true - and my heart breaks. Your lives seem so chaotic and empty, in spite of all the wealth and fame that you have attained. With great interest I follow you through your chaotic, empty, glamorous lives, and then so often I read the news of your untimely deaths, and my heart breaks again.

So, this blog is my attempt to reach you before I read of any more untimely deaths...,or any deaths timely or otherwise. Chances are that you folk, whom I hope will read this blog , never will read it or know that it exists. If you do read it, chances are you will roll your eyes at it, and dismiss me as another star-obsessed nut job. I assure you I am not crazy or star-obsessed. I am doing what I'm doing because of something I have learned: there is no one in this life without a need. Some people's needs are greater than other's, and some people are more aware of their needs more than other's, but everyone I have ever met has a fundamental neediness. And that fundamental neediness does not fade with material success - if anything, material success only exacerbates the problem.

I just finished reading Nikki Sixx's The Heroine Diaries, and it confirmed everything I've been thinking. It also convinced me that it isn't enough to talk with my friends about my concern for you, or to merely pray (though I am a strong believer in the power of prayer). I must give action to my care and concern for you. Writing seems to be the only action I can take, and so here I am.
In the days ahead, I will be pouring out my heart-felt thoughts on various theological and philosophical issues, along with a good dose of hope and comfort to those who are hurting and lonely behind their haute couture and the doors of their beautiful mansions.

But for now, I just want you to know someone cares and someone is praying for you. And if you are unknown to me, you are not unknown to God. As cliched as it may sound in your ears: Jesus loves you. All the hypocrites in the world and all the bad publicity and poor representation He has received down through the years cannot change that one fact. To those who have been wounded or neglected by those professing to be Christians, please accept my humblest and sincerest apologies.

A couple more items before I sign off. I am disabling/hiding the comment panel for my blog entries. I am not afraid of being questioned or starting a discussion, but, if this blog becomes what I hope, I don't want the distraction of people pretending to be Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Aniston, Ozzy Osbourne, Nikki Sixx, Courtney Love, Angelina Jolie, Rhianna, and who knows who else. I also debated putting my picture to this blog or filling out my profile to any extent, because this blog isn't about me. In the end, I decided, somewhat reluctantly, that I want to be as open as I can - I don't want people saying I'm afraid to own what I write.

Last of all, if you believe in this blog, please subscribe and forward it to your friends, asking them to forward it to their friends. Maybe, just maybe, it will wind up where I am praying and wishing it will. If not, perhaps it will touch the heart of one of us "regular joes." If I can help somebody, anybody, in this life, then my life will have been worthwhile.
God be with you until the next blog.
Pastor Chelle