NowTHINK!AboutIt

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Everyone Needs Repentance, Even Christians

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Changing your mind changes everything.

To Encourage Repentance
You Must Be
Intellectually Clear
And
Emotionally Disarming

I recently made the comment that America needs to repent.

It was a very familiar setting. I and several family members were sitting around the dinner table enjoying a shared meal and the conversation gravitated toward philosophical ideas and that’s when I made my comment.

I don’t remember the entire conversation leading up to my comment but, no, we weren’t discussing any specific political issues or personalities. We’ve had those discussions but find it best these days to stick to peripheral ideas. It creates less friction, and that’s where we were at that moment.

And, instead of challenging my comment, one person at the table asked, “What do we need to repent of?”

It was a fair question, asked in the spirit of genuine enquiry.

My comment, of course, wasn’t original. Others have made similar remarks, but the reasons one person believes we need to repent don’t always agree with another’s.

In fact, when someone makes that remark, what they usually mean is America needs to think like me.

So, again, it’s a fair question.

It’s also true that what is meant by repentance, how it’s defined and how it works, can vary widely from one person to another so the question got my gears turning.

Repentance Is Not Coercion

We usually think of repentance as changing our ways, getting rid of bad traits. We repent of things like smoking or drugs or foul language or lying or stealing or drunkenness or any one of a number of other bad habits. It’s usually a corrective response to something you do addictively, and those who wish others to repent make statements that are aimed directly at those habits and are designed to shame more than enlighten.

Why do you talk like that? Why do you eat so much? Why don’t you wear something different? How can that music be good for you?

That’s not a great strategy, but we want people to repent so badly that we resort to anything we think might do the trick, even shaming. [Read more…] about Everyone Needs Repentance, Even Christians

What Is The Meaning Of Baptism

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Baptism expresses the commitment to becoming a better, more capable, more informed Christian.

Baptism Is Symbolic and Ceremonial
Not Mystical

Baptism is usually thought of as a Christian rite but many different non-Christian religions have initiatory practices that resemble baptism: Mandaeism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Shintoism and even Judaism offer rites involving water that are similar to Christian baptism.

This post, however is focused on Christian baptism and in it we’ll answer questions like:

  • Is baptism necessary for salvation? In other words, will I only go to heaven if I have been baptized?
  • If so, which baptism is the right one?
  • If baptism isn’t necessary to get to heaven, why bother getting baptized?

The last question is the primary point of this post.

Popular Christian Meanings For Baptism

As the above questions indicate, Christian baptism is understood in very different ways:

  • Some Christian denominations do believe baptism is essential for salvation. In other words, if you’re not baptized, you’re not saved. Catholics, Church of Christ, and even Mormons are known for this belief (although Mormons aren’t Christian). And they are proprietary about it. Each religion refuses to accept baptisms from other religious groups.
  • Others believe baptism is only a public statement of commitment to Christian living. In infant baptism, the parents are committing to raising their child according to Christian principles. Adults who get baptized are committing to living by those principles. In both cases, baptism is looking forward to life yet to come.
  • Some will baptized only believers, meaning any person of any age who is capable of confessing their faith in Christ is a candidate and the event looks backward and forward. It celebrates the rebirth that occurred at salvation and anticipates the new life in the future. Believers know they have been changed and expect to be different. Baptism expresses a commitment to that expectation. It is a celebration expressing praise for the experience of salvation and hope for the future.

Why We Talk About Baptism

The importance of baptism is proven by two significant observations.

One, it featured so prominently at the beginning of the New Testament that it became a nickname for the first preacher, John the Baptist (a phrase used no less than fifteen times in the Gospels).

John baptized hundreds and he preached what became known as the baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4). What that means is baptism came after repentance, not before.

Although Jesus baptized no one personally, under His leadership, the disciples continued this tradition (John 4:2).

Second, and most importantly, after Jesus rose from the dead and before He ascended into heaven, He clearly commanded His disciples to evangelize everywhere and baptize those who believed. Jesus’ instructions clearly state:

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19)

All of that is to say we can’t be dismissive about this important issue. We need to understand it as best we can and apply to our ministries. [Read more…] about What Is The Meaning Of Baptism

7 Thoughts Explaining Repentance

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The first step of repentance leads to salvation. Every other step leads to right thinking.

If Your Mind Doesn’t Change
Your Life Never Will

At one point in the early stages of American history, repentance was a word often heard in sermons, usually accompanied with lengthy arguments but also offered threateningly or with a demanding tone.

The arguments were essential. If the arguments were sound, the threats weren’t always needed. But, as you can imagine, if you can’t make a sound argument and no one seems to listen, demands make it possible to get results anyway.

That isn’t a well respected approach but it is true, threats can be effective in a pinch.

Tent revivals of the past, also called brush arbor or camp meetings, were known for this. These revivals were p;\opular in the early stages of US history. George Whitefield and John Wesley were remarkable for their ability to preach in open air settings to thousands, and be heard clearly by all.

There was a great deal of emotion in Whitefield’s preaching but his sermons also included arguments woven together convincingly.

I’m not saying that you would agree with Whitefield on every point but his arguments, right or wrong, were clearly articulated and he did what Calvinists of his time were loathe to do; he ended his sermons with an invitation to get saved.

His inaccuracies can be forgiven. Only God is known to be without error (and Christians are known more for what they disagree on) but his ability to project and to make sensible arguments, if not always absolutely correct, were well known and respected by everyone during his time and ever since.

People were known to go far out of their way just to witness Whitefield’s speaking ability. There’s no surprise there. Whitefield studied and performed in theatre at a time in history when vocal projection was the most important skill in theatrics and no one was better than Whitefield. It was in itself an attraction.

Attending one of his services in the 1700’s was like going to the movies today. It just so happened that his extraordinary abilities, that drew people in, were also used to preach the Gospel and repentance featured dominantly.

Whitefield understood that repentance is essential to any person’s coming to faith.

What Is Repentance

But what is repentance. We speak about it a lot without defining what we mean.

Repentance is nothing more and nothing less than a change of mind. A real, life effecting, lasting change of mind. Once this change occurs, it can’t be undone. There may be doubts, fears, and questions but there’s no going back. [Read more…] about 7 Thoughts Explaining Repentance

The Difference Between Clever and Smart

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Clever is inborn. Smart is the result of hard work.

Clever Becomes Smart
When It Develops Character

What is the real secret to long-term success? It isn’t just about how fast your brain works; it’s about how well you use it. This article discusses:

  • The Clever Trap: Why being born with a high “processing speed” can actually hinder your character development.
  • The Difference Between Smart And Clever: Clever is inborn. Smart is deverloped through discipline.
  • Nature vs Nurture: How smart can often outpace clever by developing learning skills.
  • The Accountability Factor: Why high inborn mental capacity makes you more — not less — accountable for your choices.

We’ve all come across people who impress us with their cleverness.

These people never lack for words and often sound quite sophisticated.

They read quickly and have instant recall.

They can be a whiz when it comes to math.

They always have an answer. Not just a response, but an intelligent sounding answer to open questions and they say what they think with confidence.

They are so good at this that they walk into every room mouth first. This may well be the motivation behind so many podcasts.

These are the people who easily made high grades in school and this apparent brilliance gave them a confidence, and occasional charm, that others find appealing.

This person is both easy not to like and difficult to resist at the same time. [Read more…] about The Difference Between Clever and Smart

6 Truths About Thinking, 3 Ways To Think

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A brain should never be used as a sponge.

Auto-Think Will Never Keep You Safe

Everyone thinks.

I do. You do. Bright people do and even the less bright do.

No groups or individuals hold exclusive rights to thinking.

We all entertain ideas, consider possibilities, and we do this constantly.

The only people who don’t process thoughts are either comatose or dead.

But those observations raise many questions. If we’re all thinking, why don’t we all come to the same conclusion? Why don’t we all arrive at the correct answer? Why do we readily, with eyes wide open make bad decisions?

The Brain Is A Tool

Simply put, the brain is a tool. A very important tool. We couldn’t live without it and it does many things automatically. The brain controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and more without our involvement even when we sleep.

The brain also has a manual setting. We can engage it deliberately to make it work for us. Like items in a toolbox, we can pick the brain up and apply it to specific problems as they arise.

When we do that it’s called thinking.

The problem is, though universal and necessary, thinking doesn’t always lead to solutions.

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We employ the brain to help us solve problems but nothing’s guaranteed. Use your brain the wrong way or incorrectly or haphazardly and you’re likely to get into trouble.

Can you imagine using a drill as a hammer or a shovel as a screwdriver? We don’t typically use rakes to paint walls?

By the same token, a brain should never be left on autopilot and should never be used as a sponge. [Read more…] about 6 Truths About Thinking, 3 Ways To Think