Author Archives: sblumer

Christian Fashion

Have you ever noticed that when those award shows are on television, people are very interested in “who” they are wearing? Clothing has a lot to say about what kind of person you are. Clothes carry a price tag which says how wealthy you are or how wealthy you are not. Clothes have a style that gives voice to your personality. Certain clothes are worn to show the work you’re involved in like that of a nurse or an athlete. Clothes can also carry a sense of pride like that of a fire fighter, police officer, or military personnel. If we really think about it, clothes puts us into a community to which we want to belong. Clothes give us identity and we identify certain clothing with certain types of people. Many people will spend lots of time and resources building the identity they desire to have.

Clothing is also a commonly used illustration in the New Testament about our spiritual identity. Paul writes to the church in Colossae about this concept of “putting off” our old sinful identity and “putting on” our new redeemed identity (Colossians 3). Putting on means “to be clothed in, to dress ourselves with, to wear.” Paul says in Romans that we must “put on,” or clothe ourselves with, Jesus Christ and “put off,” or lay aside, our deeds of darkness (Romans 13:12-14). This is not a description of how to get salvation, but how to live out that salvation.

The tendency for us as Christians is to continue dressing ourselves as though we haven’t accepted Jesus as the Savior of our sins and the Master of our lives. The attitudes that we wear on our face and the actions we involve ourselves in, they are our clothing. So we have to ask ourselves: what are our attitudes and actions saying about us to those who are watching? It’s why Paul encourages us to “clothe” ourselves with compassion, kindness, goodness, generosity, mercy, gentleness, love and patience (Colossians 3:12). These things are fruits or evidences of a life filled with the Holy Spirit. I heard someone once say “if you’re happy and you know it, tell your face.”

One of the problems is that we often don’t think much about what we are wearing spirituality. James likens it to wearing dirty and soiled clothing in James 1:21. Many of us would be embarrassed to be caught wearing filthy clothes day after day, yet why do we do this day after day spiritually? We need to spend some considerable time and resources on wearing this identity of being with Jesus. The challenge for us as we leave the house tomorrow and walk down the red carpet of life, would be to ask ourselves: “Who are we wearing?”

Does He Like Me? Circle ‘Yes’ or ‘No’

For about a year now I’ve really hung onto and preached, when I can, this statement:

“Always believing that God is doing something in you, through you, with you, and for you.”

I really believe that we can get down about life when we stop believing in these truths.   Remember getting notes from a friend of that cute boy or girl that simply said “______ likes you. Do you like him/her? Circle ‘Yes’ or ‘No’”? Like early teenagers, we get excited when we find out that someone likes us. But when it comes to our relationship with God, we have lost the wonder of that note, or don’t really know how to answer it anymore. It’s something that I have to tell myself over and over as well. Since my wife and I left my previous church employment, church family, and place to live, we can get down and “lost in the fog” since we have yet to see God’s “next” destination for my employment. God has still shown us much ministry though.

We visit with people who get lost and can’t see what God is up to in their lives. We visit with people who believe God just doesn’t seem to be interested in their hurt. We visit with people, like ourselves, that often lead others with a limp. If I can confess, there are times that I’ve stop believing God is doing something in me, through me, with me, and especially for me.

To get over this dangerous road or rut creation, I’ve clung to God and His Word. I cling to the truth of God’s statements, to the truth’s of His love note. I cling to words like hope, living hope, love, and joy. I cling to descriptions of His plan and salvation. I cling to the reality that little on this earth matters in the scope of knowing Him and knowing the exceeding great power of God that raised Jesus from the dead. I cling to the promises that He will abide in me and love me, that He will never forsake me, that He who began a good work in me will complete it, and that it is He who provides a hope which does not disappoint. I cling to the reality that there are many others who need such encouragement.

I wanted to pass on these two messages that I recently watched because I know there are countless others who need a little nudge in believing God is up to something good in their lives. Make sure you watch both messages by pastor Steven Furtick.

http://www.lifechurch.tv/watch/found-favor/1

Review: Paws & Tales: Biblical Wisdom for Kids

Chuck Swindoll has been a household name among Christian communicators since the late 1970′s. Chuck has pastored for over 40 years, authored numerous books, and through Insight for Living, his biblical teachings are broadcast in every major Christian radio market in all fifty states and through more than 2,100 outlets worldwide in numerous foreign languages.

Paws and Tales is a radio program from Insight for Living that is now in animation. Paws and Tales‘ aim is to communicate biblical truth through meaningful stories and music and to show kids how they can apply these truth to their real life.

Having never heard this radio program nor seen the animated DVDs, I chose to review their latest installment called “Being Kind and Caring.” It was number 8 in the series. However, the actual lessons on this DVD were on forgiveness and working together based upon Matthew 18:21-22 and Matthew 6:14. The DVD included two episodes, approximately 25 minutes each and includes audio in Spanish. The DVD also includes bonus features such as additional activities and some helpful teaching resources for parents to continue the discussion about the lessons they just watched.

Having a 4 yr old and a 9 yr old, I was quite surprised as they were captivated by both episodes and wanted to watch them again. The animation is well done and the story was well crafted. I expected the story to be cheesy Christianity in which the characters always acted godly and righteously. The characters were not flat, but quite dynamic. They expressed their frustrations, their anger, their thought processes, and their weaknesses to not quite be willing to always do the right thing. The characters bust out in song to carry the lesson across. The video for the music is a retelling of the story. It has a way of repeating the lesson so that the children comprehend the point of the story, rather than just knowing what happened. I’m actually quite interested in getting the rest of the series.

According to FCC regulations, I received this DVD free from Tyndale Publishers for this review. However, the review are of my own thoughts and opinions.