Sweet Dreams!
Just couldn’t help posting this picture of Julian, it’s my favorite so far.
May 26, 2008
Spiritual Rabies
Ever wonder why the doctor always looks in your eyes, ears, nose, and throat every time you have an appointment? You can see the doctor for a painful ingrown toenail and what does the doctor do before he or she ever looks at your foot? Looks in your eyes, ears, nose, and throat. The doc will feel your neck, listen to you breath, and thump your chest and back. Hey doc, I’m here about my foot!
The doctor is looking for signs; signs of other ailments and diseases that often manifest themselves by signs. The color of your skin, lumps, and strange sounds in your chest may point to a serious problem - possibly life threatening.
Pastors should also look for signs in people, signs that may indicate that a person is not just dying, but already dead in his/her sins and trespasses. Some may think of this as being judgmental, but I don’t. As pastors we have many jobs, some of which include caring for the spiritual health of the people in our churches and sharing the gospel with the lost.
If a tree is known by its fruit, do you call a tree bearing thorns an apple tree? If a person does not like to hear the gospel, avoids worship and other Christians, and generally lives a life of absolute disobedience to God’s word, do you call that person a Christian? If that person claims to be a Christian, do shrug our spiritual shoulders and ignore them?
As a pastor I often meet with family members for various reasons. Depending upon the situation, there are varied amounts and types of “spiritual” lingo thrown about by family members. This is done either to impress the preacher or to further some other agenda.
What should a Pastor think when someone claiming to be a Christian does NOT want to hear any discussion about salvation or being saved? What should a Pastor conclude when a person claiming to be a Christian is more than willing to talk about ills, pills, and high bills, but is adamant that Christian salvation is off-topic? Perhaps this is spiritual rabies where the person has an extreme aversion to the Water of Life. Physical rabies is incurable once the signs have begun. I wonder what the prognosis is for a person who has spiritual rabies?
