A Glorious Confrontation at NRB! :) Part 1
Posted by James MacDonald on February 22, 2007 11:37 AM | Comments (9)Hey:
If you have been hanging out here you know I just got back from the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. It really is a gathering of what's right and wrong with western world Christianity. There are sincere, hard-working, humble Christians who are spending their lives in secret places to impact lives through Christian media. Sadly though, there are also weird, poofy-haired, overly made-uped, freaky, self-promoters, pulling out all the sketchy marketing stops to get their name in lights. I guess there is about everything in-between those two extremes too.
Anyway . . .
I always teach and try to live that when offended by a brother or sister you should just let it roll off your back, because "love is patient and kind; love does not . . . insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; love bears all things etc." I Cor. 13:4-7. Why carry around an offense--just 'let it go, man!' That's what I try to do, and have to do pretty often.
But when you can't . . .
I believe you need to roll it off to God in prayer. Agape love, that puts others before myself, is a fruit of God's Spirit (Gal 5:21) which I have no human capacity to create. That's why when offended we go to God in prayer and ask that the life of Jesus might love others through my surrendered will. (This is the essence of Christian living, "yet not I, but Christ lives in me." Gal.2:20)
But when you can't . . .
Sometimes you can't let it go because you're just lame like me and too filled with fleshly self interest
Sometimes you can't let it go because God wants to use you as an instrument of someone else's transformation.
In either instance you're going to need to go to the person and work it out. (Mt. 18) If the person is not handy i.e. living in your state or country, (I guess you could write a letter or call, but face-to-face is the most biblical method),
you need to pray for God to give you the opportunity to reconcile with this person . . .
That's what God gave me at NRB when this guy who had totally trashed me on his web site walked around the corner out of NO WHERE!!!!
But I have to get back to my sermon prep. I'll tell you what happened between me and a brother and how God gloriously, showed up in Part Two of "A Glorious Confrontation at NRB!!!! :) (Wow! Do I know how to keep you tuning in or what? LOL!)
Now back to sermon prep on Acts 10 for this weekend.
james
Comments
Posted by: Ryan | February 22, 2007 01:38 PM
Dear James,
At some point in the stupid near future could you post what your stupid routine is for stupid sermon prep. Like stupid step #1 thru whatever. What are some stupid resources you use? And any other thing you have for stupid preachers like me. I have many stupid friends here at stupid Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary who are stupidly interested, to include my stupid self. Back to my stupid sermon prep on Colossians 1.
Posted by: Jan | February 22, 2007 02:07 PM
James, your teaching on how to handle offenses has helped me this past year. I'm a pretty laid-back person anyway, but I've found that the closer the relationship with someone, the more hurtful an offense can be. Just letting things go or else rolling them onto God in prayer really takes the pressure off and just keeps things from getting out of proportion. God is so gracious to forgive--and don't we want to be just like Him? I know I do. And, yes, you know how to keep us tuned in . . . can't wait to hear part 2 of your story. Tomorrow, same place, same time.
Posted by: CHLOE | February 22, 2007 04:49 PM
One thing that really bugs me on the news is when they tell you a story that is coming up but don't really tell you the story at that time...I think they used to just give us the news...now half the news is what is coming up in the news....all that to say...please don't do that. :)
Posted by: Norman | February 22, 2007 05:15 PM
Thanks for the helpful tips on confrontations James. One time in the 80's, me and my ex-co-host Bob V. got in a spat over oak vs. cherry for some shelving. Needless to say, I voted for cherry (and I was clearly right), but Bob stood his ground for oak. We didn't apply your rules, as we had never heard them before. Instead, we carried around this crazy grudge which I'm sure cost us some PBS viewers. It was ooogly (that's how we spell "ugly" on the east coast). We compromised on maple after a poor response during the yearly pledge drive, which nearly tanked the show.
Friends in flannel - Norm
Posted by: Gloria | February 22, 2007 07:33 PM
Hi, Talked to my brother-in-law today in Lansing, Mi. and he told me about your blog and I attend HBC-RM. Anyway, he said your blog was good- he's into blogs and all and this is new to me. He's been listening to all your messages that we've been sending him and he's been greatly lifted up spiritually, especially today because something was wrong with his eye, double & blurred vision, had some surgery today to correct it. Also his pastor is starting treatment for cancer this week. I told him to give his pastor your messages from Psalm 23. Thanks for letting the Lord speak thru you. I pray for you weekly. Also remember Daniel 9, where God answered his prayer while he was still praying.
You are Loved, Gloria (3rd row- Sat)
Posted by: jason | February 22, 2007 10:37 PM
Dr. J
congrats on the reward. I hear a few podcasts every day and brother God has you in the palm of his hand. Have you ever met Ravi Z.(he always starts a fire in me too)? One more thing, are study though Acts has been awesome you have been bringin' stuff to the table that I was never aware about.
,Thank you brother
Posted by: Joe | February 24, 2007 03:29 PM
The suspense is killing me; what happened?
Posted by: Suz | February 25, 2007 09:11 PM
Hey, what happened to the Downpour seminar in Houston? =0( ....I was really looking foward to it.
Posted by: Sharon Sanborn | March 8, 2007 11:22 AM
James,
I find it so easy to listen to God's word...it's the application that sometimes gets me tumbling and stumbling. I recently had a situation with a brother in my church who counts the money who approached me about my tithe. I was floored by his doing this and so angry. I haven't been this angry in maybe never. I got home from church and after pacing back and forth and talking out loud to myself I finally called my pastor because I knew I needed some real counseling on this. I kept hearing God's word (Ephesians 4)but I just wasn't letting go. My pastor helped me but I STILL was not letting go of it. I kept praying and finally I prayed for my own forgiveness in this matter. God reminded me that my brother didn't do it on purpose, he didnt do it out of malice, he just simply did it. I also was reminded that as a daughter of God it was not fitting for me to act this way towards a son of God. THEN....after being reminded of this I prayed to have God remove these feelings because I know, from you, that feelings make a great caboose but not/never an engine and that's where my feelings were. They were leading me and it had to stop. I also asked for prayers from HBC's prayer group. The outcome? Tuesday night I was getting ready for my next day and I thought about this man. I didn't feel anything. I actually looked around and thought to myself, "where is it?" I got real quiet and searched my heart for the anger that was just there 24 hours before. It was gone. God has done this on 2 other occassions where unholy feelings were having their way and then, after prayer and talking it over with our Father, gone. I am not sure what is next. I feel in my heart that someone, my pastor or myself, needs to approach our brother and let him know that this was a wrong thing to do. I was really hurt because what he doesn't know is that I struggle with my tithes. I could so easily be the first person to pat myself on the back like "I" made this possible. I am always in prayer for God to see my heart and if my motivation isn't right to please make it right. It is too easy to steal God's glory....this man didn't halp me in this. I am currently praying for my next step. Maybe say something or maybe, just maybe God wants me to be quiet and let HIM do it or someone else do it. No panic....God is always right and ALWAYS on time.
In the mercy and grace of our Lord,
Sharon