Sanitizing the Sacred

Thanks to my friend and guest blogger today.  Great post!

Sanitizing the Sacred

By Gary Zelesky

Matt, 15:33 After Jesus had taken him aside from the crowd; he stuck his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spit and put it on the man's tongue.

Matt. 16:23Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man's eyes

John 9:6 After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground. He made some mud and smeared it on the man's eyes.

The Jesus I have come to know over the past 42 years was a man’s man; He was never predictable, seldom on time, hanging out with the wrong kind of people, didn’t always tell his parents where he was going and apparently liked to spit.

He was a carpenter most of his life and knew the touch of wood and what it was like to feel the pain of the hammer and the nail. He worked in a dirty carpenters shop making stuff out of wood with his father Joseph. He lived at home until he was 30 years of age and yet took on the full responsibility of a man when he turned 13.

When he went to church he hung out with the old guys having no problem talking to them about the things that mattered and they listened to him.

When he decided to start his church he chooses 12 dudes many who never went to church and put a thief in charge of the money. Apparently he lacked insight! Most of the time his guys didn’t have a clue what Jesus was even talking about but his only requirement of them was to follow! I guess he knew guys liked it simple.

What if Jesus were to plant a church today?

He better have a non-spitting leadership team.  He better know the right target audience he will be reaching out to and never spit. He must know what acceptable behavior is and never spit. And he must never hang around those who do spit or he could become a spitter too.

I find it a bit ironic that what we find as gross and disgusting Jesus used as a healing anointing oil. I fear that men have lost the power of the Holy Spirit and the adventure of living the Christian life because they are no longer allowed just to be men. We can no longer spit! Many Christian men are bored with their lives because it has become ruled by a feminist approach to being a man!

I not saying that men become the chauvinistic pigs that ruled the church years ago but what I am saying is that we have so sanitized the sacred that we have replaced the power of the Holy Spirit for the sophistication of acceptability. My heart is broken!

A Presidential Attitude

Attitude

And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you (Ephesians 4:23-24)

In light of presidents day, this is a good one.

Attitude is almost everything and a good attitude often means a great smile.  Anyone can smile on a good day.  An old adage but true.  Its way more difficult to smile on a day when you got too little sleep, woke up late for a meeting, forgot to iron your clothes, rush to the office late and then realize its Saturday, yep, much more difficult.  We all have bad days and will have some in the future but the good news is, a bad day doesnt have to mean a bad attitude.  Attitude is so important and because its indirectly affected, probably overlooked way more than it should be.  Attitude is our best friend or worst enemy.

Since presidents day is approaching I think of one of Americas greatest presidents, Honest Abe.  This guy had justifiable reason for having a bad attitude but history doesnt record that.  It does record his trials and triumphs and we all celebrate his ultimate triumph of freedom and equality. Below is a tough track record, but untimatly, we remember him as one or the best leaders in history and certainly one of the best presidents of the US.

Lincoln's Attitude
Your attitude is communicated to others in three ways,—7 percent by words, 38 percent by tone of voice and 55 percent in non-verbal ways, such as posture. 

Those who have the most to overcome in life are often the ones who make the most of it. People usually consider Abraham Lincoln one of the top 5 of the best presidents of all time. Look at some of his many obstacles. 

If anyone had a "reason" to have a bad attitude, it was Lincoln.

* He had to work to support his family after they were forced out of their home. 1816 
* His mother died. 1818 
* Failed in business. 1831 
* Was defeated for legislature. 1832 
* Lost his job and couldn't get into law school. 1832 
* Declared bankruptcy, and spent the next 17 years of his life paying off the money 
he borrowed from friends to start his business. 1833 
* Was defeated for legislature again. 1834 
* Was engaged to be married, but his sweetheart died and his heart was broken. 1835 
* Had a nervous breakdown and spent the next six months in bed. 1836 
* Was defeated in becoming the speaker of the state legislature. 1838 
* Was defeated in becoming elector. 1840 
* Was defeated for Congress 1843 
* Was defeated for Congress. 1846 
* Was defeated for Congress again. 1848 
* Was rejected for the job of Land Officer in his home state. 1849 
* Was defeated for Senate. 1854 
* Was defeated for Vice-President -- got less than 100 votes. 1856 
* Was defeated for Senate for the third time. 1858 
* Was elected President of the United States. 1860

Next time you feel like you have more reason to frown than smile just remember, its easier to act your self into feeling than feel your way into acting. 

Make it a great day!