Nick Poindexter

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Tag: Jesus (Page 4 of 9)

Help My Unbelief

December 14, 2010 / / 0 Comments

And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
-Mark 9:21-24 (ESV)

Chapter 9 of Mark’s gospel contains the account of a man who brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus. The father asks him to help, if he can. Jesus rebukes the man and says that anything is possible to those who believe. The father replies, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

I’ve always loved the brutal honesty of the father. It’s almost as if he’s saying, “I am sure that you are who you say you are, and you can do what you say you can do. Now, help me take that one step further and be certain of the things I can’t see… The things I don’t understand… The things I doubt.”

If I’m being honest, that often sounds like my thoughts.

Unfortunately, there’s this twisted idea out there in Christian circles that says in order to have authentic faith, you must have an answer to every question. And I think that’s dangerous. Where does God fit in with that? Life can be tough, and the truth of the matter is that we’re not supposed to simply deflect any bad things or doubts of the world as if they don’t matter. That’s not only unrealistic, it’s also unhealthy. Our questions do matter, especially to God, and that’s the point.

Notice the words of the father again…  He believes, but needs God to help. The man doesn’t have it all figured out. His unbelief allows God room to maneuver.

Faith isn’t simply the absence of doubt. And faith and doubt aren’t contradictory. We can be unsure of how God is going to work it out, but still have faith in his goodness. What’s important is to trust God now, and cling to the assurance that one day we will have a chance to have all our questions answered.

In the meantime, we must be like the father in Mark 9 and go directly to God with our doubts. The choice to believe is ours.

God, help us with our unbelief.

Upside Down

December 9, 2010 / / 0 Comments

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
-Acts 17:6-7 (ESV)

The story as we know it of Jason, a somewhat obscure, yet important New Testament character, is encapsulated in Acts 17. He was a believer who housed Paul and Silas while they were on their missionary journey in the city of Thessalonica. But the success of the two men ruffled some feathers, so Jason was drug from his home and accused before the local authorities. And he was given a very telling charge: Jason had given shelter to “men who have turned the world upside down.”

But in realty, Paul and Silas were simply restoring the world to the way it was supposed to be. They weren’t turning the world upside down… They were turning it right-side up once again. That’s a reputation to be proud of!

If you are faithful to your mission to spread the news of Christ, whether it is as the evangelist (Paul/Silas) or the aide (Jason), you can expect opposition as well. Count on it. You might be told that you are out of your mind… Someone may critize you of thinking backwards… They may even say you have it all upside down.

But that’s a price worth paying, because you will also be in the company of Jesus. As someone who advocated for the weak over the strong, the servant over the powerful, and the poor over the rich, he was accused of the exact same thing.

Paul and Silas were just getting it started. Thousands of years later, the mission remains the same. The world is still desperately in need of the radical ideas and life-changing power of our Savior.

So don’t hesitate any longer. Either start sharing the message of Christ or support those who are already are.

It’s our turn to flip the upside down world right-side up.

Naked And Free

December 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments

A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
-Mark 14:51-52 (NIV)

Mark 14 records the story of Jesus with his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is praying, the disciples are sleeping, and in walks Judas with his gang. A skirmish breaks out, an ear gets cut off, and Jesus is arrested and lead away.

Mark’s version of the story however contains an extra part not included in the other gospels. Seemingly out of nowhere, he adds that another guy was there watching it all go down. This man was almost apprehended, but narrowly escaped by slipping out of his clothes and running away naked.

Most assume the young man was Mark himself, and this inclusion was simply his way of saying, “I was there.” Out of modesty and embarrassment, I think it’s easy to understand why he would want to remain anonymous.

Now, I know I’m looking far too into it than is necessary. But truth is truth.

The young man had two choices. He could stay clothed and be captured. Or, he could be naked and be free.

And the choice is really the same for us. God wants us to find our value and security in him and him alone. But we don’t do that, do we? Instead we turn to everything but our Father to make us feel worthwhile. Whether it’s your career, significant other, pride, social status, friends or money you cover yourself with, none will lead to freedom. Instead, like the young man, trying to stay covered up will ultimately lead to your downfall.

You see, the young man was said to be “following Jesus.” If you want to be a follower of Christ, then hiding isn’t an option. If you want to truly live, then you better be prepared to be exposed.

Be naked and be free.

It Does A Body Good

November 9, 2010 / / 0 Comments

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
-Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

I recently saw some statistics on stress that baffled me. According to the American Medical Association, 75% of all illnesses and diseases are stress-related. On top of that, the American Institute of Stress says that up to 90% of all doctor visits are for problems connected to stress.

But this really shouldn’t come as a surprise. Solomon made the same point clear thousands of years ago when he penned this proverb. This simple yet applicable advice rings true today… Having a positive outlook on life can do wonders health-wise. Alternatively, having a negative view withers you up.

This attitude carries over to the people we are in contact with as well. Ever been around someone who is invariably unenthusiastic, discouraging, and pessimistic? Solomon is right. It really does such the life right out of you. But cheerful, joyful people? They change everything for good like medicine.

And don’t just take modern doctors and medical organizations’ words for it. The Great Physician himself agrees. One of the major themes of Jesus’ first sermon was simply “Do not worry.” Specifically, in Matthew 6:27 he says, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” You think Jesus was getting at something?

As a child I remember the ad campaign to promote the consumption of milk based on its health benefits. The slogan was “Milk: It Does A Body Good.” While that may be true, it’s not the only thing…

A cheerful heart. A positive outlook. A Christ-like perspective.

Whatever you want to call it, it does a body good.

Religious Fashion Shows

October 27, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
-Deuteronomy 6:8 (NIV)

In the Jewish culture, statements like these in scripture were often taken literally. Very literally. Jewish men would sometimes wear what’s called a phylactery, a small box containing scrolls of scripture that were attached to their hands and foreheads. The purpose behind this verse in Deuteronomy was to symbolically keep their faith in God close to their hands and minds, but many Pharisees and scribes acted it out for notoriety. That’s why Jesus calls them out on this practice in Matthew 23:5. The Message describes them as “religious fashion shows.” Ouch.

Whether we admit it or not, just like the hypocritical Pharisees and scribes, we ultimately want it to appear that we’ve got it all together in the religion department as well. If I’m honest with myself, I wonder how many “symbols” of my faith are really just there for show…

Do I really use that enormous, 8-inch thick Bible on the coffee table, or do I just want others who enter my home to think I’m a consistent Bible reader? Do I really wear that cross necklace as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice, or do I just want others to think I’m a “good guy”? Do I really listen to Christian music as a way to worship my God, or do I just not want others to think I listen to the “bad” stuff? Do I really bring my Bible to church every Sunday morning because I desperately want to dig into the Word, or do I just want others to be impressed? Do I really want to show thankfulness to my Father for taking care of my every need, or do I just not want the booth next to me at the restaurant to think I’m an unbeliever?

When things that are supposed to remind us of God instead become things to draw attention to ourselves, then the original purpose is completely disgraced. Whether its a phylactery or a coffee table Bible, the intent has to be about remembrance, not reputation.

Otherwise, it’s just a religious fashion show.

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About Nick

// Disciple of Jesus

// Husband of Twinkle

// Daddy of Blaise, Justice & Trinity

// Teaching Pastor of Collide Church (Yadkinville, NC)

// Lover of 90s music/television, useless trivia, Cheerwine, Krispy Kreme & Chick-fil-A

// Fan of the Tar Heels, Panthers, Hornets & Braves

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