The Drive-Thru Diference?

You may have heard about the drive-thru difference. This is being promoted by different radio stations but in particular the one in the Washington DC area is where I first heard it. The concept is this, when you go to pay for your order pay for the one behind you as well. Sounds like a nice thing to do, right? After all Christ said it’s better to give than receive. However, I was bothered by this. At first I didn't know why but after some study and thought I found why I take issue with how this is being promoted. To illustrate the problem let’s look at what is posted on the radio station’s website. Here we find a flyer they suggest you leave for the person behind you to read explaining what just happened. This is what it says:

Hi! I just wanted you to know someone cares. You don’t know me, but I’ve just paid for your order. Just something I felt like doing. I heard about people doing things for others on the radio on WGTS 91.9. They call it the Drive-Thru Difference. Maybe you’ll feel like doing it for someone else and sharing. I hope this encourages you today! (Emphasis added)

Did you catch that last part? The reason they suggest you are doing this is to encourage others. Encourage them to what? Die in their sins? What is missing from this message? It’s the Gospel. Being this is a Christian radio station you would presume that Christians are the ones asked to do this. Instead what happens is another wasted opportunity to share the good news of the saving grace of God. So what if some lost person gets a free Big Mac. All that does is allow a person to go to hell with a full stomach and wallet. We need to proclaim the Word of God. As Jesus said, there will always be poor among you (John 1:28) but what we will not always have is time itself. If you want to pay for the person behind you great, I have done this many times. But instead of leaving a radio promotion behind leave a gospel tract. The fruits of repentance cannot grow if the seed is not first planted. Go serve and obey.

"Jesus Was Perfect But So Am I"

Photo by Leo Reynolds'

The Bible says that man will usually declare his own righteousness if given the chance. 

 "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness" - Proverbs 20:6

 I was reminded of this when discussing the commandments with a gentleman at the local county fair. After looking at a few of them in detail like lying, stealing and lust we discovered he had not broken a single one. (1 John 1:10) I told him that was remarkable because I only knew one perfect person and that is Jesus Christ. In his audacity he calmly declared that he knew Jesus was perfect but that he was also.

I asked him to look at himself very carefully in the light of God's word because if he had told just one lie in his entire life he was destine to hell according to the scriptures. (Rev 21:8) I then bid him fair well. 

No matter how good of a person you think you are the One who made you knows your heart. And the truth is just as the prophet Jeremiah said, your heart is deceitful above all things. (Jeremiah 17:9) Examine yourself while you still have time. Repent and put your trust in the Savior.

"But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelations 21:8

Tolerance Intolerance

Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day in Westminster, MD

If the battle against Chick-Fil-A illustrates more than anything else it’s the fallacy of tolerance. Christians are often criticized as being intolerant when we uphold biblical values and teachings. But this creates a logical error in our opponents. By refusing to tolerate our position on things such as marriage they are in fact committing the very act they charge us with. The reality is that they are being intolerant of Christianity. But should this be any surprise? The world system is completely opposed to Christ. Every thought and action perpetrated by the unbeliever is anti-christ. This is what John is speaking of in his first epistle.

“…even now many anti-christ have come, by this we know it is the last hour.” – 1 John 2:18

Before we are drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit to become “children of God” (1 John 3:1) we were enemies of God. James illustrates this quite forcefully in James 4:4 when he said, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?”

It should be noted that the term world in these verse refers to the world system, not the created world or people in general. The creation reflects the glory of God and we should have a compassion for people. But as Christians we oppose that which defies God and we know the world system stands against Christ; “therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19)

So next time you hear such hateful words being uttered against Christian virtues don’t be shocked. Instead remember that this is a symptom of the disease called the sinful nature and be spurred on to bring the cure of the gospel.