Pointing Fingers and Personal Guilt

God’s voice was heard throughout the garden, “where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). This probing question was no doubt designed for Adam and Eve’s benefit; they needed to realize where they were spiritually. They had chosen to rebel against God’s commands and commit the first sin.
Because of their sin, Adam and Eve experienced guilt. The guilt of sin caused them to be ashamed to be in God’s presence, so they hid themselves (Gen. 3:8). There is something about feeling guilty that seems to make us want to divert the attention away from us and toward others. The guilty person usually is a blaming person. If I am constantly critical of others, pointing fingers at what others are (or are not) doing, it is likely that I am struggling with my own guilt.
When Adam and Eve were approached because of their sin, they refused to confess their own responsibility and transgression. Rather they both began to point fingers and blame others. Adam seems not only to blame Eve but also God (Gen. 3:12). Likewise, Eve blames the serpent for her misbehavior (Gen. 3:13).
It is very easy to point fingers at others and critically evaluate their behavior. But I must be careful to examine myself first (Matt. 7:1-5). Satan utilizes our feelings of guilt that we might point fingers at others and ignore our own sins. God’s voice cries out to us today and asks, “where are you?”

Indiana Jones is Back!

Growing up in the 80's, Indiana Jones has always been one of my favorite movie heroes. Today the first trailer for the newest installment, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" debued on Good Morning America and was subsequently posted on IndianaJones.com and "Yahoo! Movies." Check it out! It looks awesome! We've been waiting since 1989 to see the fedora back in action! Indiana Jones IV hits the theaters nationwide on May 22.

Praise God with a New Song

"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God" (Psalm 40:3). The Bible often speaks of us singing a "new song" in praise to our God (Psalm 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3). I often tire of singing the same old songs over and over. Certainly there are some older songs that I treasure and will always love. Songs like "Abide with Me," "Nearer, Still Nearer," "Night with Ebon Pinion," and "I am a Wayfairing Stranger" will always be some of my favorites. But there is definitely something to be said about praising God with new words and new melodies. New words stimulate our minds to really sing with the "spirit and

understanding" (1 Cor. 14:15) instead of simply reciting words with little thought as to their meaning. New melodies stimulate our emotions as our hearts give way to the greatness of God and his relevance in our lives today.

Many of the older songs that we sing (let's really be honest), few of us know what we are singing. For example really listen to the words of a song we often sing in worship, "Drop thy still dews of quiteness, till all our strivings cease, take from our souls the stain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess, the beauty of thy peace." What?! We might as well sing in Latin. I'm not sure I can sing these words in good conscience, not knowing what I'm saying. Well, no wonder the song was written in 1872. When our worship services are filled with songs like this, most Christians between the ages of 18-45 become very discouraged. I can't blame them. We all desire to praise our God and let a meaningful message flow from our hearts up to God in worship. But in order to do this, we must know what we are singing, and be emotionally moved by it.

There are two great a capella CDs out called "praise and harmony" that are designed to teach new songs to congregations. You can listen to some of these songs for free from their website and purchase the CDs. I bought both of these recently at the Freed-Hardeman Lectureship and they are fantastic!

Sound Doctrine & Relationships

The New Testament urges us to preach, teach and believe “sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:6). What makes a doctrine “sound?” The original word translated “sound” literally means “healthy.” Some doctrine is healthy to our spiritual growth and some doctrine is detrimental. The doctrines of God that were communicated by the apostles and prophets and passed on to us in Scripture are healthy; the doctrines of men often stunt our spiritual growth or can even kill it. Unfortunately, some today forsake the healthy doctrine of Scripture for the unhealthy creeds and doctrines of men, a mistake that can prove spiritually lethal (2 Tim. 4:3).

When I think of “sound doctrine” my mind often turns to believing all the correct instructions of Scripture as related to the practice of our faith. Things such as plurality of elders, a capella singing, and weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper come first to my mind. But inspiration says that having healthy relationships also qualifies as “sound doctrine.” Paul dedicates an entire chapter of Scripture to a discussion of having proper relationships with people, and he calls this “sound doctrine” (Read Titus 2:1-10).

I might have all the right answers about the way I worship God, but if I don’t have healthy relationships with my fellow man, I cannot claim to practice “sound doctrine.” Think about it.