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Why I say "God bless you"

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A Seinfeld episode once centered around, or at least focused on the expression, “God bless you.” George said, “God bless you” to a sneezing women without giving the proper time for her husband to say it. With the relationship severely strained, the discussion then turned to the expression itself and whether or not it was necessary at all. In fact Jerry argued we should replace it with, “You’re sooooo good looking!”
In all seriousness though, is this expression important for today? Should we replace it with something else like ‘you’re so good-looking?’
In regards to the “God bless you” of sneezing, there are several different legends as to how it originated. But the consensus seems to be that this expression served to protect the sneezer against a surprise soul attack from Satan and his goons. 
I don’t believe a sneeze is anything more than a sneeze, and I just say “God bless you,” because it shows a little bit of love to the sneezer. It shows that I acknowledge their sneeze, and I guess it could serve as a prayer to get better (though I’ve given this less thought).
But I have begun to give some more thought of my prevalent use of the phrase “God bless you” when concluding a phone conversation or finishing up with a cashier at Walmart. If someone asks me what I mean by that, I ought to know what I mean, or else I probably should stop saying it.
So while I can answer for no one other than myself, here is what I mean (at least what I think I mean) when I say the expression “God bless you.”
To non-Christians: I pray briefly in that moment that God would grant or bless them with a good day. I want it to “rain on his/her crops” (remember while rain is a curse today, it was the quintessential blessing in the O.T.) But ultimately, whether a good day or bad day (often God uses bad days), I’m hoping that God would reveal Himself as Savior and Lord for the first time. That they would see past the blessing to the Bless-or.
To Christians: I basically am praying for the same thing. A good and enjoyable day, and a deeper knowledge/fear/love of God than yesterday.
So why do it? I’m not advocating you do it, but want to explain why I do it. In the book of Ruth, particularly in chapter 2, we see several very short “God bless you” type prayers. 
4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
12 The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 
 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”
Do these little prayers “make a difference?” In the book of Ruth, each time a blessing is experienced, it is experienced in direct connection with these short spoken prayers. The blessing is a result of the prayer or a derivative of the prayer “God bless you.” Now we should also realize that in the book of Ruth, often times the one praying “God bless you,” actually becomes the answer to his/her own prayer. 
In another words, when Boaz says “the Lord repay you,” he becomes the repayment: he marries and takes care of Ruth. So if we’re saying, “God bless you,” we need to be mindful and willing to enter into someone’s story of redemption. We may be the bringer of God’s blessing  to them.
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Some takes on C.J.

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A week or so ago I received Don’t Waste Your Sports by C.J. Meheney. This little booklet, expands on his sermon “Don’t Waste Your Sports,” he delivered several years ago, challenging folks to consider how to truly honor God with sports. I’ve already discussed and linked to this sermon here.
Then sometime last week, I noticed C.J. Meheney was taking a leave of absence from his position on the board of Sovereign Grace Ministries. He writes on his blog:
Over the last few years some former pastors and leaders in Sovereign Grace have made charges against me and informed me about offenses they have with me as well as other leaders in Sovereign Grace. These charges are serious and they have been very grieving to read. These charges are not related to any immorality or financial impropriety, but this doesn’t minimize their serious nature, which include various expressions of pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy.
Here are a few of my takes on C.J.’s leave of absence:
1.) Most of my appreciation of C.J.’s ministry began upon reading The Cross Centered life. This book reminds the Christian that we never outgrow and always need the cross for our justification as well as our sanctification. If you read his entire blog entry, you’ll gain a sense (at least from what he’s written) that he is owning his sin and seeking reconciliation. If this is true and genuine-and he’s given no reason for me to doubt that it is-this is the result of a cross centered life. If the cross has indeed taken away all condemnation of all our sins, we need not be ashamed of our struggles. We can even fearlessly let people in on them. 
John Piper took a leave of absence from Bethlehem Baptist Church. You can read about that here.  I personally connected with Meheney’s freedom in Christ to be a little more specific than Piper (though I don’t question him for lack of specifics, I’m just noting the differences and which one I more connected with-I respect both men immensely). Freedom to confess your sins to others is evidence of God’s grace at work.
2.) As I understand the polity and leadership of Sovereign Grace Ministries, it seems a bit weighted to the side of one individual: C.J. Meheney. I cannot escape my Presbyterian bias here. But I must say this. While presbytery often causes much frustration to me at times, it does seem to me the best system of accountability in leadership (not just most biblical) because it limits the power of ONE individual. If Tim Keller stepped out of ministry in the PCA I would be bummed. But since he is but an influential member in our denomination, not the leader on a board, the show would go on more smoothly.
3.) Regardless of what happens with CJ, and even if he didn’t repent but went apostate instead, his past work shouldn’t be thrown away but upheld and read. I think Paul would have agreed with this. He reminds the Galatians that even if an angel or he or his fellow ministers preached a different gospel, then let them be accursed. So in other words, if Paul or some other Christian evangelist changed the message, don’t throw out what he has already preached to them. If Paul or another pastor proved to be a charlatan, still hold on to the gospel. The gospel message is centered on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, not the character or even the perseverance of the messenger. Messengers may come and go. They may persevere or walk away from the faith. But the message they preached, provided it is grounded in the gospel and applied to life, shouldn’t be ignored because of their personal sin or failure to apply what they wrote. 

All of above paragraph is simply didactic, and not prognostication. C.J. may have been running the race in “clean air,” ahead of everyone else. But now he’ll be back with the pack, and I think this time will be good for him. I’m looking forward to hear what God teaches him during this leave of absence.

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Don’t get back on the mower: Letting youth lead

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The other day I saw a 5th grader trying to help out with some yard work by hopping on the riding lawn mower (of which I have extreme lawn mower envy, still….). My wife and I thought, or maybe spoke out loud, “Wow, this is a big step for his great grandmother.” She runs a tight ship when it comes to her yard. It always looks great, and what would you expect for someone who has a lawn service, spends hours each week tending to it, and mows or has it mowed twice a week?
But after about 5 minutes, the young lad lost his spot on the riding mower. She was back up on the rider, re-mowing the same exact area he had been mowing. 
I felt a little sad for this 5th grader, because she completely de-legitimated him. Without saying a word she said, “Your help isn’t good enough.” Instead of letting this lad mow, and then afterwards thanking him, but also pointing out a spot or two which he missed, she just removed him. She took away from him the opportunity to serve. To serve imperfectly. She couldn’t let him fail and have a few blades of grass be longer than their neighboring blades for a few days. Excellence. It had to be done with excellence.
My sadness for this 5th grader soon evaporated like a small puddle in August. But what hit me is that this kind of behavior so often happens to youth in the church. For instance, I think we can often demand perfection (a perfection or excellence that we’re unable to attain anyway), and so we rarely give youth opportunities to lead and serve. To lead/serve and fail. To lead, fail, and learn, and then lead or serve better the next time. 
Sometimes the church as a whole is reticent to offer youth leadership opportunities and quick to take them away when things don’t run as smoothly as we’d like. 
Yet recently I’ve been encouraged with Redeemer as folks have begun to get off the riding mowers and letting others take the reins. I’ve heard folks say, “I’m happy to continue or to step aside and let someone new take over.” This is happening with adults as well as with youth.
The most recent opportunity I’m excited about is our Bible Club outreach to a local apartment complex. Unfortunately management changed LAST week, causing some consternation, confusion, and a little bit of panic, so the event is now called “Kids Club.” Yet its slated to go on as scheduled and the youth are going to be leading it, with only parents facilitating it. Now it could possibly run smoother (only possibly though) with adults running it, but it would de-legitimate them and stunt their growth in leadership if this opportunity were taken away. 
Youth often do want to serve, but I wonder how many leadership opportunities we adults afford them. While its easier to get on the riding mower and do it ourselves, who will mow when we get too old or die? Youth are now growing up and not coming back to the church in the same way they used to. It’s not a get married, have kids, and THEN come back to the church thing de facto. Many don’t come back now.

Giving them experience in leadership now prepares them for greater levels of leadership in the future. But such leadership opportunities might also stop them from leaving in the first place. In the end, we might even find out they can do a better job.

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The Bad Samaritan

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One regularly sees on the news a story of a “Good Samaritan,” a innocent bystander who risks harm to himself/herself to rescue a person in need. The parable of the Good Samaritan comprises more theology and application than this, but certainly not less than less. 
Here is a story of some “Bad Samaritans.” A man decides to kill himself by jumping into San Francisco Bay. His mother, who for some reason was near, calls 911 and fire fighters show up immediately. But the problem is that they don’t do anything. For an hour. And then the lad drowns. 
If you watch the video you’ll see that policy and funding purportedly prevented firefighters and policemen from jumping in to help him. 
This is truly a bizarre and sad story where God’s image bearers display scars as well as small cracks where God’s image the light of his image breaks through.
1.) Policy and rules trumped life. Regardless of whether or not such men were allowed to jump in the water to save this drowning man, life always trumps policy. When two commands bump up against each other, the weightier one prevails. Saving life is more important than policy. The Pharisees blasted Jesus for breaking the Sabbath when he healed folks, but Jesus emphasized that life was more important. Even the life of an animal took precedent (Lk 14:5).
2.) The outrage. The anchor man asks the reporter, “Isn’t this a human being?” He has a right to life. You don’t have to be a Christian to believe this. In fact, most non-Christian Atheists believe this as well. They just have no real reason to believe it. In fact they have a reason not to believe it, as it goes against everything Darwinian. Regardless, the image of God shines through the cracks even when people suppress the truth. 
3.) Do we get to choose who has the right to be saved and who doesn’t? If you watch the video, one of the excuses is, “This man was trying to kill himself.” That issue is irrelevant. He is still worth saving. In addition, people sing different songs when they are gargling water and vying for their last breaths. He could have had a different outlook on life as he witnessed people risking their lives to save someone who actually tried to end his. All people are worth saving not because of what they contribute but because of their bearing God’s image.
4.) Excuses. Supposedly this won’t happen again because there will be new funding and new policy. In the end though, it might have been more self-preservation than policy. Statements like “he could have been armed” and “he was so big, that we could have drowned as well” started bobbing to the surface.
 
5.) Judgment. People are rightly angered by this incident, since you can argue that public servants like fire fighters and police officers have a higher civic responsibility. With such authority (guns, sirens, freedom to speed and go through lights), comes a responsibility to sacrifice. But on the other end, none of us know exactly what we would have done put in their shoes. We can certainly pronounce an action (or in-action in this case) to be wrong without pridefully saying “that could never happen to me.” Many times we are spared falling into sin simply because we’ve not had the opportunity.
In the end, this tragic incident serves as a good reminder that this kind of thing happens spiritually in the church all the time. It is always safer and easier to let someone drown in their own sin, even when they are clearly content in doing so. To go in after them can cost pain and time. I personally hate doing it. But perhaps if we considered the mess Jesus took on for us, we’d more regularly enter into the mess of others. Ultimately neither their mess nor ours can hold us under water for long.
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Oprah, Clout, and Us

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Oprah will finally vacate the daily afternoon TV landscape but her presence will certainly not be lost. Her goal of success was never JUST about  money; it was about much more than that. It was  about clout. Clout, clout, let it all out in a Tears for Fears sort of way. That’s what she did. 
Clout can be used for good. And in a common grace (she’s made in the image of God and will do some culturally good things because of that) sort of way, she did. She had wells dug in Africa, she gave away cars to people in her audience. She did some nice things.
Clout can be used to make others’ famous. Oprah brought us Dr. Phil, and I can’t imagine where our world would be without Dr. Phil. Or Rachel Ray. Or Dr. Oz. Although I think we would be just fine without their celebrity.
Clout can also be used for personal gain (the aforementioned probably had some of this mixed in as well) in promoting propaganda. Oprah could arguably-and I don’t even know it is arguable-be the most influential person in America, and perhaps that may be one of her goals. She describes herself as “messenger” with a “message.” And that she is indeed. Below is an article snippet where she discusses her spiritual quest.
What I believe is that Jesus came to show us Christ consciousness. That Jesus came to show us the way of the heart and that what Jesus was saying that to show us the higher consciousness that we’re all talking about here…”
The content of her spirituality remains largely gnostic (though she has obviously spruced it up with other bits and pieces of existential philosophy, religions, opinions), a heresy which popped in the church not too long after Jesus folded his own crucifixion clothing. If general history doesn’t repeat itself, church history sure does.
Some folks want to rule the world with nuclear power. Some folks want to rule the world with their false spirituality. Regardless, the motive is still the same. Oprah and Kim Jong Il aren’t all that different. And honestly, sometimes Christians need to recognize that the same tendencies “freely” dwelling in these folks also dwell in us. They are not our masters, but they often do become counselors.
When we have been given clout or any kind of social influence, we need to take pains that in the end, our goal is that Christ rule in our hearts (Col 3:15) and rule in the world. It would be foolish to think that just because you are a Christian and want to teach, or have any sort of influence in the church, that your motives are pure. Mine definitely aren’t. Here are some questions which might prove helpful in your areas of influence, particularly within the local church setting.
Is your desire to rule or control (Col 3:15)? Is your goal that everyone would have the same convictions you do (Rom 14)? Is your ultimate goal that folks would follow you or follow Jesus (I Cor 1). How angry do you get when someone doesn’t believe something you teach or take the advice you’ve given them? The amount of anger can sometimes indicate you’re mad because you “lost” more so than righteously frustrated over someone else seeking a beverage from a broken well.
Like all idols, power is fleeting and is ultimately an allusion. Looking to Jesus and pointing them to Jesus and His gospel is not only freeing, but it is effectual. If you look to Him, you’ll change. If you point people to Him, and they look, they will change. They may look different than you expected, but ultimately Jesus is molding them in HIS image, not ours. And that’s good thing.

Never forget that you’re more like Oprah than you think, but Jesus loves us more than Oprah thinks. And that too is a comforting thought.

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A "vested" ignorance?

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Like most college football fans-and that may be the only football we’ll be able to follow on TV this year-I received the shocking news that Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel resigned. You can read some more of why he “resigned” here if interested.
Tressel was/is believed by many to epitomize class, ethics, and faith. In fact he has written such books called The Winner’s Manual: For the game of life, and Life Promises for Success: promises from God on achieving your best.
I can’t comment about such books, whether or not they are rooted in the gospel, heath-and-wealth, or Oprah theology. They might be great reads. No clue or no care.
But for the man known affectionately, or not so affectionately by others, as “the Vest” (he always donned the sweater vest), being forced to resign amidst players selling memorabilia for tatoo’s and other things is not the way he would have drawn it up.
Here are a few of my takes. 
1.) Many of these violations seem minor in comparison to players or player’s families receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars like the Reggie Bush scandal at USC. And the NCAA rules about players getting jobs sounds archaic and unfair. But regardless, such rules are very clear and if you’re a college coach, you’ve got to play by the rules.
2.) The article seemed to highlight Tressel’s ignorance. Sometimes I like being ignorant. Ignorance is always easier at the beginning, but almost always more costly in the end. The more we know about ourselves and others is often more than we want to know about ourselves and others. Ignorance can keep us from entering into the mess of people’s lives (and our own issues/motivations as well). While we won’t need to often report it to the NCAA or even the church, we might be forced to call others to repentance and assist them in carrying their burdens. Neither are fun.
Exploring your own and others lives seems costly on the front end, but its far less costly to do it now than to do it later. How many relationships, marriages, friendships would have benefited from knowing more of the person (even their sins) and then repenting alongside of them, allowing both parties to experience and show grace to one another as a pattern of life from the beginning? In the end, it is far more costly to be ignorant. Tressel is but one of a plethora (that’s the 2nd Three Amigos reference by the way) of examples.
Love, both for God and others, includes both knowing and moving more toward Him and others, because He has first known and moved toward us in Christ.

3.) Tressel is not the first faith professing coach to have violations and won’t be the last. I don’t assume any coach in college, regardless of their “class,” ethics, or faith profession, knowingly runs a completely clean program. Where are the Tony Dungy type coaches in college today?

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Journalist turned pastor: Part II

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This is a continuation of my last post, regarding the sports reporter turned pastor. Excited about his new transition, he describes it as such:
I will no longer be spreading the bad news on Sundays (the Raiders and 49ers went 21-59 under my beat-writing watch at The Chronicle. You find a nice way to put it).

Instead, I’ll be spreading the good news of the Gospels on my Sunday mornings. I get to tell how Jesus loves you more than Al Davis loves low 40-yard dash times, how God gives more second chances than the Giants give Aaron Rowand and Barry Zito, and how the Lord answers prayer even from faulty headsets in Seattle. 
Seventeen years in sports journalism has given me plenty of sermon material to work with. Jesus used parables about the partying son who went astray, and the obedient son who never left. I present to you former No. 1 draft picks JaMarcus Russell and Alex Smith.
If this guy puts up his sermons on-line, I think it would be worth a listen to see how he integrates sports illustrations into his preaching the Word. Provided he has a congregation filled with folks who “speak that language,” such illustrations can serve as what I like to call “coat-hangers” upon which to hang  truth and applications. 
I can imagine reporting on the 49ers and Al Davis’ Oakland Raiders would become quite cumbersome with all of their recent losing seasons. I can imagine it would be nice to tell people the good news of the gospel instead of reporting about the crazy coaching carousel in California. Still, since I like to write, and I love sports, it does seem like quite a good gig to leave behind. Yet, if that is the direction God is leading him, then I obviously understand. I even applaud him for entering into a rewarding but very challenging, potentially blood-pressure-raising vocation.
But I also applaud the many people who don’t leave their “jobs” to pursue vocational ministry. Such jobs are equally as important as mine as a pastor. I believe that and I think you must too.  This is actually not a point of disagreement with the journalist turned pastor, but just an error I think many folks embrace.
Has this lad not been doing the “Lord’s work” for 17 years, and only now has just begun to do the “Lord’s work?” Would it have necessarily been a bad, or a less God honoring thing for him to stay? Or in other words, are there vocations which honor Jesus less or more than others?
Neither the bible, nor my Reformed tradition has ever made a distinction between “spiritual” work and “secular” work. The world has, perhaps going back as far as Descartes, or even Greek Platonic philosophy, and unfortunately the church has often followed suit. But the Reformers emphasized the biblical truth that there is no distinction. In fact, Colossians 3:23-24 gives instruction to even slaves by explaining: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
So whether you are serving in slave labor (or what feels like slave labor), or as a sports writer, businessman, in the assembly line, or manager, your works is still the Lord’s work. There are not levels of “holiness” in work. Provided your job isn’t distinctly sinful, let us all realize we are doing the “Lord’s work.” If you feel led to full time ministry, and have been affirmed in this area, then go. But if not, remember who the real Undercover Boss is: Jesus.
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Every Mother’s or (Rather Pastor’s) Nightmare?

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Mother’s Day is coming early this year. I guess you could say it is as early as it could possibly be: the 8th.

I’m thankful for my mother. Very thankful for her prayers, her teaching, her love, her wisdom, her patience. I’m thankful for my mother-in-law as well. I’m thankful for my grandmother, who has been a grandmother to both me and my wife. And I’m thankful for those who served as surrogate mothers to me while I served as a single youth director.

While Fathers are supposed to lead at home, mothers have admirably led when the father has abdicated spiritual leadership. Timothy is the product of godly women, of a godly mom and grandmom: 
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” – II Timothy 1:5
So how do we honor them on Mother’s Day? How do we honor them in worship? Can we honor them in worship and keep the focus on Jesus? That’s the hard part. It can be a nightmare trying to discern the best way to honor them without cultural capitulation.
In regards to honoring them on Mother’s Day, I’ve canceled Sr. High youth group because some would rather have their children home. But I’m also having Jr. High youth group at our house, because some mothers would rather get a break: that’s how Amy and I think.
But in worship, should we do anything special? Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill in Seattle, gives 10 tips for things to do IN and after the worship service. Here are a few of those and my takes.
“1. Have a woman lead worship or help lead worship”-I don’t have a problem with women helping lead worship, but how much of what we do in worship should be done so that a certain group feels special?
“6. Dedicate lots of babies. Everyone likes to see babies on Mother’s Day.” Besides the theological differences in baptists and presbyterians, again, I just think this borders on worship as entertainment.  That’s not the point of worship-though I obviously believe it to be a joyous time and my favorite time of the week.
“8. For some women, infertility makes Mother’s Day a tough time. Invite them up after the service to be prayed for, that God would open their wombs.” On the front end this sounds good. I mean who doesn’t want prayer? But I don’t think any women who have tried tirelessly to get pregnant would appreciate being singled out on THIS hard day for them. Perhaps God’s design is for them to adopt? If a mother who was trying to get pregnant thought this were a good idea, I’d be OK. But I doubt-and of course this is speculation- it arose from such a person. Driscoll, who has been influential to me as far as big picture stuff goes, may not be doing the best job of putting himself in the shoes of those desiring to be mothers. I could be wrong-but that’s my take.
You can read the rest of the list here even though I probably wouldn’t recommend any of them.
I’m generally disappointed in evangelicalism’s Mother’s Day service in two major areas.
1.) Sensitivity to those desiring to be mothers, those mothers who’ve lost children, who have no mother, etc…I’m not the most sensitive person in the world. I’m growing in sensitivity, as I think we all must grow in this area. I was not aware how hard Mother’s Day was for some of the aforementioned until a class in seminary. The professor’s wife left town every mother’s day, largely in fact that there was such an in-your-face-emphasis at church that Sunday. I don’t mind offending people with the gospel, but not this.
2.) Worship is God-centered. When we give rewards for the youngest mother, oldest mother, newest mother, we take the focus off of Jesus. We lift up the created rather than the Creator. I’m not out on a crusade to call other churches out. I just want to explain why some churches refuse to do a blatanly specific “Mother’s day” service. It’s is NOT because we don’t treasure and value mothers. It is because we want all focus to be on Jesus. That’s why I won’t ever create a Veteran’s Day, Father’s Day, or Graduation day service.
What should we do? I don’t know what we should do, but here are some ideas that we’ll do at Redeemer.
1.) Children’s Church Mother’s day lesson
2.) Toddler Nursery craft for mothers.
3.) Pastoral prayer thanking mothers and spiritual mothers. Several women at Redeemer have no children, but have been a spiritual mother to Connar and Cade, and I’m SO thankful for them. They are a gift from our Heavenly Father.
Just my thoughts on how to apply Mother’s Day at church. 
The real question is can we honor, thank, recognize a group of people before God IN worship without drawing attention away from Him. That’s a hard one to answer, and I realize I may not be as consistent as I’d like to be with my vision. Honoring them after the service is much easier.
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Jesus: the actor who played him, and the actor who directed him

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I watched the Passion of the Christ for the 2nd time during the Passion Week. I never thought I’d watch it a 2nd time, but I’m certainly glad I did. 
I wonder now, about 7 years removed from the completion of it, if old Gibby considers it his magnum opus or if he has any regrets in making it? Devoutly defending it with his words, Gibson has not done quite as good a job defending it with his lifestyle. Threatening phone calls, divorce, sexual activity outside marriage, alleged abuse….
How could this be? Here’s one possibility (another possibility is he might not be a true believer-but that’s too easy)
A Bull’s-Eye
No doubt Mel had a bulls-eye on his back. Promoting Jesus will get you a bulls-eye on your back. Promoting Jesus and abstinence before marriage on the basketball court, like Dwight Howard claimed such a desire to do, landed him with a kid out of wedlock and leading the league in technical fouls.
I for one am happy I’m not in the NBA. I would hate for cameras to focus on me after I made a bad shot, or complained to the ref’s. I would probably lead the league in technical fouls; it takes everything in me not to argue with church softball refs! And I don’t know what its like to have cheerleaders throwing themselves at me while I’m a single guy in my early 20’s. I don’t excuse Howard’s or Gibson’s behavior in the least. Both have hurt their witness because they chose to do so.
But I don’t know the same level of the public bull’s eye-ness as those guys know. With fame comes the bulls-eye.
In this article, Jim Caviezel explains how Gibson warned him that “You’ll never work in this town again.”
I think Gibson understood that there would be a bulls-eye, but he obviously didn’t understand the spiritual depth of such a bulls-eye. He understood the professional attack, but he didn’t realize how prone he was to real spiritual attack. The man who stood up for Jesus probably didn’t consider himself capable of such things (I imagine), just like Peter thought Jesus was loony when He predicted his denial. 
“It could never happen to me.” Famous last words, particularly for our witness.
Little did Mel know Satan cares far more about destroying your character than your destroying your career. If he can get two birds with one stone, then great. But when your witness and credibility is destroyed, as you could clearly say is the case with Mel, Satan can say, “It’s been a good year.”
But there is hope. In this article, Caviezel admits his career hasn’t recovered, but his witness, as far as I can remember from lack of “bad press,” wasn’t destroyed. He can still speak at a Mega-Baptist church and have some credibility.

How? For us who aren’t as famous, there is still a bulls-eye on our marriages, our families, our workplaces, where we live and play. But if you recognize that you could and would walk down Mel’s path if you pridefully forget you need Jesus every hour, then I think you will walk with the real Jesus. Alongside the actor who played Jesus in the Passion of the Christ.

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Mixed emotions

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I got the news Osama Bin Ladin had been killed while watching SportsCenter as it flashed across the bottom ticker. Amy and I were thankful. Not really glad that he was dead, but more so that they had found that joker. I would have been just as glad had he been captured and not killed. 
 
 The next morning there were a zillion blog posts, facebook comments, and tweets. Jonathon Dodson gives a response to the various responses, cautioning people to digest, listen, and think through the various issues (and I think there really are a multitude of them) first.
Should I feel conviction about feeling some sense of satisfaction about justice, although only partial, being served? I’m not advocating throwing a party, but should I, or should we, only feel sadness at his death? We should probably feel a bit of sadness that someone chose to look at Jesus and say, “You aren’t God, and I will not submit to and trust you.” That doesn’t bode well for him, nor for billions like him. This gospel coalition post shaped and directed some of my thoughts the next day.
But should Christians simply mourn the death of a such an evil person and not thank God for justice? Should the soldiers who killed him in war, not thank God for such a deliverance? Should we not thank God for our soldiers doing their jobs well? I think our world and our emotions are far too complex for a simple answer. But I don’t think we should feel guilty for being thankful.
I’m also thankful for the boldness of people to post their reflections, which go against popular sentiment. My sense of justice, as I suspect with many, can sometimes-or rather often-border on a desire for personal retribution. And I did have to repent from being glad that Osama was now in hell. But I still think there is more to it.

Kevin DeYoung is definitely starting to grow on me. He writes:

In the end, though there are mixed emotions from last night’s announcement, at least one of the attitudes should be thankfulness for the bravery of the men who, with proper authority in a just cause, killed a man who deserved to die. I thought President Obama’s remarks last night struck the right tone. There was a sense of gratitude without gloating. The dominant theme was justice. In our every day lives in this squishy pomo world, we have a hard time with justice. As a nation we feel sorry for people better than we feel joy over justice. But sometimes we need to be reminded that we live in a moral universe where actions have consequences. And when deathly consequences are merited by despicable actions, we should be glad the world is working as God designed.
You can read more here
While I understand that I’m condemned for my sins and only have Jesus to look to, I don’t think it honors Jesus to not admit there could be no difference between your sins, those of your non-believing grandmother, and those of Osama. 
De Young writes in a more recent post

Like many popular adages, this one about all sins being equal before God is not entirely wrong. Every sin is a breach of God’s holy law. And whoever fails to keep the law in one point is guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). So any sin committed against an infinite God deserves punishment. We’re all born sinners. We all sin. Every sin deserves death. That’s why the truism is half-true.

But it’s also a lot not true. Over and over the Bible teaches, either explicitly or implicitly, that some sins are worse than others.
You can check out several of his scriptural references. This is a great post on moral equivalence.
Doug Wilson, who I rarely ever agree with, has a solid post, questioning the “well, we’re all sinners and deserve death” mentality, saying it actually hurts your evangelism. You can read more here.
In the end, I think we should have mixed emotions. Not celebrating in the streets, but not simple mourning either, nor self-righteously boasting that you are in the minority for your convictions (not calling out anyone but I do know that we’re prone to works-righteousness). I’m thankful for living within a community, albeit sometimes cyber-community where we can graciously disagree with one another. And I’m thankful for some of the pertinent questions which have been raised, as well as others like this one which has recently popped into my mind: what or how should we pray for when we pray for our enemies, particularly terrorists?