I'm sure by now that most of the country and a lot of the world has seen Star Wars The Force Awakens. It was an amazing movie and definitely worth the wait after I first heard it was being made about two years ago. This post is not about the movie itself, but how this movie was about making memories with my boys.
When I was young, Star Wars was already out and making a lot of money for that time period. I vaguely remember seeing Return of the Jedi on the big screen. My mom took me because I was very much into Star Wars. I have shown my kids all of the movies (of course I showed them the original three first and then the prequels. What kind of a dad do you think I am?). I wanted to share Star Wars with them hoping they would enjoy it as much as I have throughout my entire life.
When the tickets to the new movie went on sale, I was tempted to get tickets opening night, but the time would not work for my kids to go because I wanted them to experience Star Wars on the big screen. So, I decided to wait a couple of days so that we could all go together. I am glad that I did.
They had so much fun watching the movie and as I am typing this, my two youngest are pretending to be characters from the movie. I love hearing them acting as though they belong in a galaxy far, far away. I love the fact that I could make memories with them that hopefully they won't forget.
Now, I know some people have not seen Star Wars nor do they like it. And, that's okay. What this post is about is not necessarily about Star Wars, but about making memories with my kids. We live in such a fast-paced world. We are always plugged in and I have a tendency to stare at my phone way too much. I feel like that my kids are going to forget what my face looks like and think that my face is the back of my phone. I challenge myself to spend less time with my phone and more time making memories.
Now, you may say, "How does watching a movie constitute making memories?" It's not about the movie; it's about sharing something together. It's about finding common ground and reliving it over and over. It's about talking about it after the movie is over and reminiscing about our favorite parts. Kids will love whatever their parents love because kids want their parents' approval and love. My kids don't have to like everything I do, but I always want them to know that no matter what, they have my love and approval. And, the only way they are going to do that is through time spent together making memories that will last.
I hope that this new year that is coming, we can all unplug a little more and spend more time with those we love and care about. Let's spend time making those memories together. We can share them through our social media tools, but let's make the memories first.
Thanks Star Wars for reminding me of this.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Prayer, What is it good for?
Recently I was visiting my parents in Arkansas. Every time I go to Arkansas, I always have to go see my brother from another mother, Ryan Johnson. We just hang out and talk. We also have to geek out on the latest trailers from movies and even watch a Seinfeld episode or two. We share a common love for Seinfeld. One of our favorite episodes is the Marine Biologist. If you have not seen that episode, you are missing out on one of the funniest television episodes in tv history. In that episode, Elaine is meeting a famous Russian writer with her publishing firm. She tells Jerry about it and they begin talking about Leo Tolstoy. Jerry tells Elaine that Tolstoy's original title for his book War and Peace was War, What is it Good For? Elaine thought he was joking, but he convinced her that he was telling the truth. Later, Elaine is upset with Jerry because she made a fool out of herself in front of this Russian writer because she insisted that what Jerry had told her was true.
Prayer has become like this Seinfeld episode, at least in the eyes of the world. After the incidents in San Bernadino yesterday, some public figures were criticized for tweeting prayers for the victims of the shootings. The headline from the New York Daily News said, "God Isn't Fixing This." It was critique of public officials who are perceived to do nothing but offer up prayers to a God that more and more people don't believe in. The growing consensus is becoming, "Prayer, what is it good for?"
This really made me stop and think this morning as I was reading through social media and reflecting on the changing culture around us. It made think about how I pray and how we are praying as Christians. I thought to myself, "Are we praying to safe?"
Take the refugee controversy for example. We pray for these refugees, but are we praying that God will use us as the Church to be a part of ministering to these refugees? We pray for horrors in our world, but are we praying that God would use us to be a voice of hope and peace?
I think one of the reasons that more and more people are viewing prayer as a negative and powerless thing is because we our prayers are powerless. We pray from a distance and ask God to keep us at a distance. We don't want to be part of the front lines because we like our safe lives. But, is that what we are called to be? Are we called to be safe?
I just finished a book about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The book also talked about their time in World War I and how those times shaped their great works The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Those stories inspire us because they tell of tales of courage in the face of hopelessness and despair. They tell tales of a lion named Aslan who is not safe, but good and tales of a hobbit who carried a great burden to save the world. What is also so great about these tales is that they are tales of the Christian faith. But, the faith they tell of is not a safe faith. It is a faith that is willing to take action. It is a faith that prays that the great God of the Scriptures will use us to bring hope and peace to a fallen and dark world.
I believe in that God. I believe in praying to that God. I believe in praying that God would use me to be part of His expanding kingdom even if it means that safety is left behind. If we don't start praying to that God with the attitude of "God use me no matter what," then people are going to keep asking the question, "Prayer, what is it good for?" and the answer will be "Absolutely nothing."
Prayer has become like this Seinfeld episode, at least in the eyes of the world. After the incidents in San Bernadino yesterday, some public figures were criticized for tweeting prayers for the victims of the shootings. The headline from the New York Daily News said, "God Isn't Fixing This." It was critique of public officials who are perceived to do nothing but offer up prayers to a God that more and more people don't believe in. The growing consensus is becoming, "Prayer, what is it good for?"
This really made me stop and think this morning as I was reading through social media and reflecting on the changing culture around us. It made think about how I pray and how we are praying as Christians. I thought to myself, "Are we praying to safe?"
Take the refugee controversy for example. We pray for these refugees, but are we praying that God will use us as the Church to be a part of ministering to these refugees? We pray for horrors in our world, but are we praying that God would use us to be a voice of hope and peace?
I think one of the reasons that more and more people are viewing prayer as a negative and powerless thing is because we our prayers are powerless. We pray from a distance and ask God to keep us at a distance. We don't want to be part of the front lines because we like our safe lives. But, is that what we are called to be? Are we called to be safe?
I just finished a book about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The book also talked about their time in World War I and how those times shaped their great works The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Those stories inspire us because they tell of tales of courage in the face of hopelessness and despair. They tell tales of a lion named Aslan who is not safe, but good and tales of a hobbit who carried a great burden to save the world. What is also so great about these tales is that they are tales of the Christian faith. But, the faith they tell of is not a safe faith. It is a faith that is willing to take action. It is a faith that prays that the great God of the Scriptures will use us to bring hope and peace to a fallen and dark world.
I believe in that God. I believe in praying to that God. I believe in praying that God would use me to be part of His expanding kingdom even if it means that safety is left behind. If we don't start praying to that God with the attitude of "God use me no matter what," then people are going to keep asking the question, "Prayer, what is it good for?" and the answer will be "Absolutely nothing."
Friday, November 20, 2015
From Cups to Refugees
It's funny how quickly things change, but still remain the same at the same time. It's one of life's great paradoxes. Two weeks ago, evangelical Christians thrust themselves into the spotlight once again. Maybe some would say they were forced into the spotlight and if you remember correctly, what forced them into the spotlight was a red cup sold by Starbucks. Those darn cups! How dare they not put the entire Gospel message on their cups so that everyone will know just how merry every Christmas should be! But, then again, they are a company that is about selling coffee not the Gospel.
Then we switched gears when Syrian refugees were trying to come into our country because the President said we should welcome at least 10,000 of them. Evangelicals reacted again with some saying that there is no way we should welcome Syrian refugees because of what happened in Paris. Then some said we should only let Christian refugees and exclude the Muslim refugees.
It seems more and more that evangelicals are being defined for what they are against rather than who they for. Also, we are becoming more and more dependent on the outside world to proclaim the message of Christ for us that we become upset when they don't (even though they were never meant to do it in the first place). The Starbucks cup incident was an incident that should never have happened. Who cares if Starbucks has a red, blue, orange, apricot, or yellow cup at Christmas time? We also like to make it a point to say Merry Christmas to any unsuspecting employee of a chain store who has to say, "Happy Holidays" to us. Have we ever stopped to think that there are some employees who don't want to say, "Happy Holidays," but are doing it because they need the job and they will be fired if they don't? Also, is saying Merry Christmas bringing someone closer to Christ? What I have observed through this incident is that we have become lazy followers of Jesus. We want others to do the work for us. If this is not true, then why do we get so upset when places like Starbucks don't put Merry Christmas on a cup? We are not called to be lazy, but to be ambassadors. Paul said in Acts 20:24, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Paul did not consider living life apart from Christ or doing anything other than testifying to the Gospel worth anything. Paul worked hard at testifying to the Gospel that had saved his life and changed his life. He did not rely on gimmicks, cups, or retail stores to testify; he testified himself through his life and words.
The refugee crisis is not as easy to deal with. There is a legitimate concern about letting refugees in because terrorists could pose as refugees to sneak into this country. But, on the other hand, these are people who need help. They are running for their lives while living in fear that they may never have a place to call home ever again. Imagine that. Imagine if you never had a place to call home ever again. Imagine if you had to live your life on the run with your children, hoping and praying that somebody would help you. I'm not saying that we should open our borders or close them. I am saying that we need to think long and hard about how we can help people who desperately need it. Also, how are Muslims going to know Christ if we say to them at our borders, "Christians only please. Muslims, you are on your own." That's what Jesus did right? Peter told the Gentiles to go home didn't he? Actually, Peter did not treat the Gentiles like he should have and Paul rebuked him for it.
We cannot live in fear and the way some Christians are responding to the refugee crisis is out of fear, understandable fear, but fear nonetheless. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Do you know who wrote that Psalm? King David. Did you know that King David spent his time as a refugee, running for his life from King Saul who wanted to kill him? David spent time among the Philistines, a people not his own. He sought refuge there because Saul and his army were trying to kill him.
The Sons of Korah wrote in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." Did you catch that? God is our refuge. Do you know what that means? We are refugees! God wants to be our place of refuge, and He wants to be the place of refuge for those Syrians who are running for their lives. He wants to be a place of refuge for Syrians Muslims that some Christians don't want to let in this country.
I am not trying to oversimplify the issue, but I am calling us to think a little bit deeper about it. We are called to be different. We are called to live lives of trust in the Almighty God who loves us and cares for us. And, guess what? He loves and cares for those refugees too.
Then we switched gears when Syrian refugees were trying to come into our country because the President said we should welcome at least 10,000 of them. Evangelicals reacted again with some saying that there is no way we should welcome Syrian refugees because of what happened in Paris. Then some said we should only let Christian refugees and exclude the Muslim refugees.
It seems more and more that evangelicals are being defined for what they are against rather than who they for. Also, we are becoming more and more dependent on the outside world to proclaim the message of Christ for us that we become upset when they don't (even though they were never meant to do it in the first place). The Starbucks cup incident was an incident that should never have happened. Who cares if Starbucks has a red, blue, orange, apricot, or yellow cup at Christmas time? We also like to make it a point to say Merry Christmas to any unsuspecting employee of a chain store who has to say, "Happy Holidays" to us. Have we ever stopped to think that there are some employees who don't want to say, "Happy Holidays," but are doing it because they need the job and they will be fired if they don't? Also, is saying Merry Christmas bringing someone closer to Christ? What I have observed through this incident is that we have become lazy followers of Jesus. We want others to do the work for us. If this is not true, then why do we get so upset when places like Starbucks don't put Merry Christmas on a cup? We are not called to be lazy, but to be ambassadors. Paul said in Acts 20:24, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Paul did not consider living life apart from Christ or doing anything other than testifying to the Gospel worth anything. Paul worked hard at testifying to the Gospel that had saved his life and changed his life. He did not rely on gimmicks, cups, or retail stores to testify; he testified himself through his life and words.
The refugee crisis is not as easy to deal with. There is a legitimate concern about letting refugees in because terrorists could pose as refugees to sneak into this country. But, on the other hand, these are people who need help. They are running for their lives while living in fear that they may never have a place to call home ever again. Imagine that. Imagine if you never had a place to call home ever again. Imagine if you had to live your life on the run with your children, hoping and praying that somebody would help you. I'm not saying that we should open our borders or close them. I am saying that we need to think long and hard about how we can help people who desperately need it. Also, how are Muslims going to know Christ if we say to them at our borders, "Christians only please. Muslims, you are on your own." That's what Jesus did right? Peter told the Gentiles to go home didn't he? Actually, Peter did not treat the Gentiles like he should have and Paul rebuked him for it.
We cannot live in fear and the way some Christians are responding to the refugee crisis is out of fear, understandable fear, but fear nonetheless. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" Do you know who wrote that Psalm? King David. Did you know that King David spent his time as a refugee, running for his life from King Saul who wanted to kill him? David spent time among the Philistines, a people not his own. He sought refuge there because Saul and his army were trying to kill him.
The Sons of Korah wrote in Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." Did you catch that? God is our refuge. Do you know what that means? We are refugees! God wants to be our place of refuge, and He wants to be the place of refuge for those Syrians who are running for their lives. He wants to be a place of refuge for Syrians Muslims that some Christians don't want to let in this country.
I am not trying to oversimplify the issue, but I am calling us to think a little bit deeper about it. We are called to be different. We are called to live lives of trust in the Almighty God who loves us and cares for us. And, guess what? He loves and cares for those refugees too.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Lessons from recycle day
This morning I volunteered to help out with my son's school fundraiser. The fundraiser was a recycle day when people could bring their old junk that has probably sat in their garages or their yards for years and get rid of it for a donation fee. I said I would volunteer from 8-12 today and it was quite a workout. It was amazing the stuff that people had to get rid of and what else was amazing was some of the things that people were getting rid of. The main thing that people got rid of today was television sets. There were a few flat screens, but most of the sets that were brought were the big, heavy tube sets. You know what sets I'm talking about, the ones that are covered in plastic that don't look heavy until you actually pick them up. Most of the sets that were dropped off had to be lifted by at least of two of us volunteers. It was quite the workout and I go to the gym three days a week.
What struck me about these televisions is that only a decade ago (or maybe a little more) these sets were considered state of the art. These were coveted possessions. One person dropped off one of the first HD tvs that was probably the heaviest one that we lifted today. What once was state of the art was now junk.
When I got home, I was folding some laundry and praying (I do that sometimes not because the laundry is that bad, but it is one of the few quiet moments that I have in the day) and the lesson of the day struck me. I was praying that God would continue to give me and my church wisdom on how to adapt the Gospel to the different people in our community. While I was praying this, I thought about the junk that people brought to get rid of today. I thought that why are we so wise to get rid of the junk that sits in our houses because it is obsolete or not functional, but in the church we hold on to things that clearly are obsolete and are no longer functional? Looking at these televisions, you could not pay someone to take them home and use them today. Why use a heavy, outdated tv when you could buy a new one that is lighter and state of the art? But, when it comes to church, we still like to hold onto our old "tvs" because somewhere in our brains we think they still work.
Discipleship has been on my mind a lot lately. I want to be a disciple who makes disciples. I pray for wisdom to share the Gospel in any way that I can. I pray for wisdom because I know that the presentation has to change depending on the person and circumstance. And, I pray for wisdom because some of the methods I employed in the past may not work anymore. Those methods might be ready for a recycle day or just straight to the junk pile. The message itself does not change, but the methods we employ have to.
I understand why we want to hold onto things. Some things are nostalgic, reminding us of the past. If we let them go, we think that we are letting go of the past. But, there are some things that we need to let go of because they belong in the past. They can't exist in the present or the future because they were meant for the time they existed in. This is why we need to pray for wisdom so that we can know what things belong in the past and what things are timeless. The Gospel is timeless, but some of the ways we have presented the Gospel are not. Some of those methods used to be state of the art, but time has passed them by and that is OK! There are methods we employ now that will be obsolete a few years down the road and that is OK!
Our culture and society is changing rapidly. Generations are changing rapidly. The church is not. We are struggling to catch up. We are trying to hold onto the programs that worked in the past, but maybe it's time to let them go because those programs may be bogging us down and holding us back, keeping us from experiencing what God wants to do through us. I want to be a disciple who makes disciples, no matter what they may look like with any given person or situation. I want to be like Paul and become all things to all men so that they may experience Jesus in a way they will understand.
What "tvs" are you holding onto? Is it time to junk them? Let us listen to the Holy Spirit and be all things to all men.
What struck me about these televisions is that only a decade ago (or maybe a little more) these sets were considered state of the art. These were coveted possessions. One person dropped off one of the first HD tvs that was probably the heaviest one that we lifted today. What once was state of the art was now junk.
When I got home, I was folding some laundry and praying (I do that sometimes not because the laundry is that bad, but it is one of the few quiet moments that I have in the day) and the lesson of the day struck me. I was praying that God would continue to give me and my church wisdom on how to adapt the Gospel to the different people in our community. While I was praying this, I thought about the junk that people brought to get rid of today. I thought that why are we so wise to get rid of the junk that sits in our houses because it is obsolete or not functional, but in the church we hold on to things that clearly are obsolete and are no longer functional? Looking at these televisions, you could not pay someone to take them home and use them today. Why use a heavy, outdated tv when you could buy a new one that is lighter and state of the art? But, when it comes to church, we still like to hold onto our old "tvs" because somewhere in our brains we think they still work.
Discipleship has been on my mind a lot lately. I want to be a disciple who makes disciples. I pray for wisdom to share the Gospel in any way that I can. I pray for wisdom because I know that the presentation has to change depending on the person and circumstance. And, I pray for wisdom because some of the methods I employed in the past may not work anymore. Those methods might be ready for a recycle day or just straight to the junk pile. The message itself does not change, but the methods we employ have to.
I understand why we want to hold onto things. Some things are nostalgic, reminding us of the past. If we let them go, we think that we are letting go of the past. But, there are some things that we need to let go of because they belong in the past. They can't exist in the present or the future because they were meant for the time they existed in. This is why we need to pray for wisdom so that we can know what things belong in the past and what things are timeless. The Gospel is timeless, but some of the ways we have presented the Gospel are not. Some of those methods used to be state of the art, but time has passed them by and that is OK! There are methods we employ now that will be obsolete a few years down the road and that is OK!
Our culture and society is changing rapidly. Generations are changing rapidly. The church is not. We are struggling to catch up. We are trying to hold onto the programs that worked in the past, but maybe it's time to let them go because those programs may be bogging us down and holding us back, keeping us from experiencing what God wants to do through us. I want to be a disciple who makes disciples, no matter what they may look like with any given person or situation. I want to be like Paul and become all things to all men so that they may experience Jesus in a way they will understand.
What "tvs" are you holding onto? Is it time to junk them? Let us listen to the Holy Spirit and be all things to all men.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
#ShoutyourAbortion Continued
When I was in seminary, I took a Christian Ethics class. It was probably one of the best classes in all of my years of seminary and I didn't expect it to be that way. I thought, "What do I need to take a class on Christian Ethics for? I already know what is ethical and what is not." I could not have been more wrong. What that class did was open my eyes to reality. Before that class, I saw things in black and white. Everything had a definite, uniform answer. However, that class showed me that mentality does not always work.
Like I mentioned yesterday, there are times when abortion is not such a black and white issue. In this ethics class, we discussed this idea. The professor posed the question, "Is abortion always wrong?" We began to discuss this and most people in the class said that it was wrong without question. Then the professor posed a scenario to consider, "What about a case where a mother of three is expecting her fourth child and the doctor told her that if she had the baby, her life would be severely threatened." That put a whole new spin on the discussion. Now, we had to consider the health of the mother and not just the health of the child. We also had to think about the health of the husband who could be left to care for his three young children by himself and those children had to grow up without a mother. An abortion would save the mother, but the baby would obviously die. So, what do we do with that?
There are definitely cases where the mother's health is compromised. The doctors run tests and know that if the mother goes through labor and delivery, the mother will likely die and so will the baby. Now, as a Christian, the mother could put her faith in God who can deliver her and the baby from this. But, that is not a guarantee. That may not happen because we do not know the will of God. We trust and put our hope in God, but that does not mean we will get what we want. As we discussed this scenario in my class, we came to the conclusion that if the mother's health was definitely at risk and she had a family to take care of already, then ethically it would be okay to abort the baby to protect the mother and her family. This would be a hard decision and I don't envy anyone who would be in that situation. I bring this up because those who are on the pro-life side have to consider a scenario like this occurring and not see every situation as black and white.
Now, let me address another reason for abortion: rape. That is the most popular answer to justify abortion used by those who support abortion. However, we have to look at the stats. The facts are that only 5% of abortions are due to rape. That is not a big percentage, but that does not mean that it does not happen. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world where people have perverted what God intended for pleasure and procreation. But, does rape justify abortion?
Rape is a horrible crime against someone. There is no excuse for it and should never be justified. Victims of rape are scarred for life and my heart breaks for those who have been raped. With that being said, if a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, I can totally understand why she would want to get rid of that baby. But, will getting rid of the baby get rid of the pain she experienced? Do two wrongs make a right?
I am a pastor who believes wholeheartedly in the God revealed in the Bible. The God of the Bible is all about redemption. Redemption is simply making what was broken new again. That is the whole reason Jesus Christ came to this earth. He came to make our broken relationship with God new again. That relationship was broken when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and they passed that broken relationship down to all of their ancestors. Therefore, we needed God to fix that broken relationship because there was nothing we could do to fix it ourselves. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel who constantly sinned against Him saying, "Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). God promised to take wrongs and make them right. God is the God of redemption.
Now, back to a woman pregnant by rape. Can't God redeem that situation? What the rapist did is horrible. But, is it the child's fault? No it's not. Now, I'm not saying that it would be an easy decision for a woman to go through this pregnancy because the pregnancy would be a constant reminder of what happened to her. But, what if she did endure it and either kept the baby or gave the baby up for adoption? What if that child had a chance at life and God used that child to redeem a horrible wrong that was done? Again, not trying to oversimplify the situation, but it is something that we have to think about. Rape is horrible, but aborting a baby due to rape does not make it better.
The other reasons for abortion are more black and white issues. The rest of the reasons (and the most common ones) are for reasons of convenience. Women want to end their pregnancies because they can't afford a baby, they are too young to be a mother, a baby will interfere with their lives (school, career), or because the baby is going to have some sort of defect (mental, physical). We can try to justify any of these reasons, but there really is no justification. We have to call these reasons for what they are: selfish. We can say that we can't afford to feed another mouth or our lives are not conducive to a baby or the mother is too young. But, is that the child's fault? Give the child up for adoption. Now, we can say, "But, a lot of children just become wards of the state and never have a chance at any kind of life. Isn't it more merciful to end their life?" Well, let's put it this way. Say you had an accident and were paralyzed from the neck down. You couldn't do anything yourself and had to be taken care of the rest of your life. Wouldn't it be more merciful to kill you than let you live? Not as easy to answer now is it?
How about aborting babies who are going to have deformities or retardation? Is that merciful? I used to work with handicapped people and let me tell you something about them, they were the most heart warming people you could ever be around. I loved being with them every day. I looked forward to hanging out with them. Who are we to say that they aren't "normal" and their lives should be ended before they begin?
What about those babies who are going to be born without arms or legs or both? Check out this website (http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/) to here the story of a man who was born without arms and legs. You'll find that he is thankful his parents gave him a chance and not only them, but thousands more whom he has inspired with his story.
This post is not meant to be political. It's not meant to be the definitive answer to abortion. This will be an ongoing issue in our society. This post is meant to challenge our thinking on both sides of the argument. I believe abortion is more wrong than right. But, I don't believe in demonizing people who go through it. I believe there is always redemption in Jesus Christ. He can redeem a horrible situation and make it good. He can redeem brokenness and make it whole. Instead of seeing #ShoutyourAbortion, I would rather see #ShoutyourRedemption. I want to read stories of things being made new. I want to read stories of life.
Like I mentioned yesterday, there are times when abortion is not such a black and white issue. In this ethics class, we discussed this idea. The professor posed the question, "Is abortion always wrong?" We began to discuss this and most people in the class said that it was wrong without question. Then the professor posed a scenario to consider, "What about a case where a mother of three is expecting her fourth child and the doctor told her that if she had the baby, her life would be severely threatened." That put a whole new spin on the discussion. Now, we had to consider the health of the mother and not just the health of the child. We also had to think about the health of the husband who could be left to care for his three young children by himself and those children had to grow up without a mother. An abortion would save the mother, but the baby would obviously die. So, what do we do with that?
There are definitely cases where the mother's health is compromised. The doctors run tests and know that if the mother goes through labor and delivery, the mother will likely die and so will the baby. Now, as a Christian, the mother could put her faith in God who can deliver her and the baby from this. But, that is not a guarantee. That may not happen because we do not know the will of God. We trust and put our hope in God, but that does not mean we will get what we want. As we discussed this scenario in my class, we came to the conclusion that if the mother's health was definitely at risk and she had a family to take care of already, then ethically it would be okay to abort the baby to protect the mother and her family. This would be a hard decision and I don't envy anyone who would be in that situation. I bring this up because those who are on the pro-life side have to consider a scenario like this occurring and not see every situation as black and white.
Now, let me address another reason for abortion: rape. That is the most popular answer to justify abortion used by those who support abortion. However, we have to look at the stats. The facts are that only 5% of abortions are due to rape. That is not a big percentage, but that does not mean that it does not happen. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world where people have perverted what God intended for pleasure and procreation. But, does rape justify abortion?
Rape is a horrible crime against someone. There is no excuse for it and should never be justified. Victims of rape are scarred for life and my heart breaks for those who have been raped. With that being said, if a woman is raped and becomes pregnant, I can totally understand why she would want to get rid of that baby. But, will getting rid of the baby get rid of the pain she experienced? Do two wrongs make a right?
I am a pastor who believes wholeheartedly in the God revealed in the Bible. The God of the Bible is all about redemption. Redemption is simply making what was broken new again. That is the whole reason Jesus Christ came to this earth. He came to make our broken relationship with God new again. That relationship was broken when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and they passed that broken relationship down to all of their ancestors. Therefore, we needed God to fix that broken relationship because there was nothing we could do to fix it ourselves. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to the people of Israel who constantly sinned against Him saying, "Come now, let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). God promised to take wrongs and make them right. God is the God of redemption.
Now, back to a woman pregnant by rape. Can't God redeem that situation? What the rapist did is horrible. But, is it the child's fault? No it's not. Now, I'm not saying that it would be an easy decision for a woman to go through this pregnancy because the pregnancy would be a constant reminder of what happened to her. But, what if she did endure it and either kept the baby or gave the baby up for adoption? What if that child had a chance at life and God used that child to redeem a horrible wrong that was done? Again, not trying to oversimplify the situation, but it is something that we have to think about. Rape is horrible, but aborting a baby due to rape does not make it better.
The other reasons for abortion are more black and white issues. The rest of the reasons (and the most common ones) are for reasons of convenience. Women want to end their pregnancies because they can't afford a baby, they are too young to be a mother, a baby will interfere with their lives (school, career), or because the baby is going to have some sort of defect (mental, physical). We can try to justify any of these reasons, but there really is no justification. We have to call these reasons for what they are: selfish. We can say that we can't afford to feed another mouth or our lives are not conducive to a baby or the mother is too young. But, is that the child's fault? Give the child up for adoption. Now, we can say, "But, a lot of children just become wards of the state and never have a chance at any kind of life. Isn't it more merciful to end their life?" Well, let's put it this way. Say you had an accident and were paralyzed from the neck down. You couldn't do anything yourself and had to be taken care of the rest of your life. Wouldn't it be more merciful to kill you than let you live? Not as easy to answer now is it?
How about aborting babies who are going to have deformities or retardation? Is that merciful? I used to work with handicapped people and let me tell you something about them, they were the most heart warming people you could ever be around. I loved being with them every day. I looked forward to hanging out with them. Who are we to say that they aren't "normal" and their lives should be ended before they begin?
What about those babies who are going to be born without arms or legs or both? Check out this website (http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/) to here the story of a man who was born without arms and legs. You'll find that he is thankful his parents gave him a chance and not only them, but thousands more whom he has inspired with his story.
This post is not meant to be political. It's not meant to be the definitive answer to abortion. This will be an ongoing issue in our society. This post is meant to challenge our thinking on both sides of the argument. I believe abortion is more wrong than right. But, I don't believe in demonizing people who go through it. I believe there is always redemption in Jesus Christ. He can redeem a horrible situation and make it good. He can redeem brokenness and make it whole. Instead of seeing #ShoutyourAbortion, I would rather see #ShoutyourRedemption. I want to read stories of things being made new. I want to read stories of life.
Monday, September 21, 2015
#ShoutyourAbortion
I discovered this hashtag today. Honestly, I was pretty heartbroken over it, especially after I followed it on Twitter and read a few tweets containing the hashtag. I felt the need to write a blog post about this issue. This post is not intended to be political. I am simply analyzing this issue and trying to figure out how we got to this point in our society.
Once I saw this hashtag and researched it briefly, my mind started turning. I started thinking about the fundamental issues involving abortion. Now, for those who know me know that I am very against abortion. But, there are some times when the abortion issue is not as black and white as some make it out to be. But, I will address that issue in a post tomorrow.
The fundamental issue with abortion is the question, "Who has the power to create?" According to society today, we have the power to create, which is true. We do have the power to create. We create buildings, cities, automobiles, computers, pieces of art, clothing, stories, books, blog posts, etc. We have the power to create all of these things and more. And, if we have the power to create these things, we also have the power to destroy these things. We are the creators; therefore, we are also the destroyers because nothing we create is more powerful than we are. That being said, let me ask this question, "Do we have the power to create life?" It's an important question that may appear to have an easy answer, and it does have an easy answer, but it may not be the answer that is of popular opinion. The answer to the question is simply, "No." We do not have the power to create life. Now, some may rebut this statement and say, "Farmers create life with their crops. Or, human beings create life when they have children." But, does a farmer actually create life? Do parents actually create life when they conceive a child? A farmer does get the field ready, plant the seeds, water the seeds, but the farmer does not make the seeds grow. There is nothing a farmer can do to make his crop grow. He can help create an environment that is conducive for plants to grow, but he does not actually have the power to make his crops grow from the seeds he planted.
Let's take parents conceiving a child. Two people who come together, have sexual intercourse, and fertilize an egg contribute to conception, but have no power to make a baby grow from a fertilized egg. If we did have that power, then there would never be miscarriages because we would have the power to correct any problems that might arise.
So, really we have no power to create life whatsoever. This is true whether you believe in God or not. If you believe in God (which I do wholeheartedly), then you believe God created life out of nothing (Genesis 1:1-2). If you don't believe in God, you still have to believe that we had no power in creating life on this earth. Evolutionists will even admit that because they are still trying to discover where life came from. The popular opinion is that life came from primordial ooze that formed over millions of years. Out of that ooze came life. Again, we had nothing to do with it.
When we think that we create life, we also think we have power over that life. Did your parents ever say to you, "I brought you into this world and I can take you right out of it." If our fundamental belief is that we are the creator of life, then we also have to believe that we are the destroyer of life. But, we are not the creator of life so we cannot be the destroyer of life either. Why else do you think it's wrong to murder someone?
Now, this post is not about judging those who have gone through an abortion. This post is to challenge us think deeply about this issue and not just think about the women involved. The women involved are important to this discussion and anyone who disagrees is not considerate. But, the lives of children are involved as well and we have to think about that. We have to consider that life too.
It is heartbreaking to see people celebrating abortion because to me it is a celebration of death not life. There are other options other than abortion that can at least give a child a chance. We need to think about the ramifications of this. We have to stop making this a political issue (on both sides) and start making this about life.
Tomorrow we will look at the reasons for abortion including those gray areas like protecting the life of the mother and rape. Check back tomorrow for that discussion.
Once I saw this hashtag and researched it briefly, my mind started turning. I started thinking about the fundamental issues involving abortion. Now, for those who know me know that I am very against abortion. But, there are some times when the abortion issue is not as black and white as some make it out to be. But, I will address that issue in a post tomorrow.
The fundamental issue with abortion is the question, "Who has the power to create?" According to society today, we have the power to create, which is true. We do have the power to create. We create buildings, cities, automobiles, computers, pieces of art, clothing, stories, books, blog posts, etc. We have the power to create all of these things and more. And, if we have the power to create these things, we also have the power to destroy these things. We are the creators; therefore, we are also the destroyers because nothing we create is more powerful than we are. That being said, let me ask this question, "Do we have the power to create life?" It's an important question that may appear to have an easy answer, and it does have an easy answer, but it may not be the answer that is of popular opinion. The answer to the question is simply, "No." We do not have the power to create life. Now, some may rebut this statement and say, "Farmers create life with their crops. Or, human beings create life when they have children." But, does a farmer actually create life? Do parents actually create life when they conceive a child? A farmer does get the field ready, plant the seeds, water the seeds, but the farmer does not make the seeds grow. There is nothing a farmer can do to make his crop grow. He can help create an environment that is conducive for plants to grow, but he does not actually have the power to make his crops grow from the seeds he planted.
Let's take parents conceiving a child. Two people who come together, have sexual intercourse, and fertilize an egg contribute to conception, but have no power to make a baby grow from a fertilized egg. If we did have that power, then there would never be miscarriages because we would have the power to correct any problems that might arise.
So, really we have no power to create life whatsoever. This is true whether you believe in God or not. If you believe in God (which I do wholeheartedly), then you believe God created life out of nothing (Genesis 1:1-2). If you don't believe in God, you still have to believe that we had no power in creating life on this earth. Evolutionists will even admit that because they are still trying to discover where life came from. The popular opinion is that life came from primordial ooze that formed over millions of years. Out of that ooze came life. Again, we had nothing to do with it.
When we think that we create life, we also think we have power over that life. Did your parents ever say to you, "I brought you into this world and I can take you right out of it." If our fundamental belief is that we are the creator of life, then we also have to believe that we are the destroyer of life. But, we are not the creator of life so we cannot be the destroyer of life either. Why else do you think it's wrong to murder someone?
Now, this post is not about judging those who have gone through an abortion. This post is to challenge us think deeply about this issue and not just think about the women involved. The women involved are important to this discussion and anyone who disagrees is not considerate. But, the lives of children are involved as well and we have to think about that. We have to consider that life too.
It is heartbreaking to see people celebrating abortion because to me it is a celebration of death not life. There are other options other than abortion that can at least give a child a chance. We need to think about the ramifications of this. We have to stop making this a political issue (on both sides) and start making this about life.
Tomorrow we will look at the reasons for abortion including those gray areas like protecting the life of the mother and rape. Check back tomorrow for that discussion.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
A Response to Kim Davis
Thanks to the internet, Facebook, and the twitterverse, the entire country knows about Kim Davis. It's amazing how a small town city clerk can become instantly famous (or infamous). A month ago, no one but her close family, friends, and coworkers knew who this person was. But, now, because of one decision, everyone knows who she is. Not only do people know who she is, but the internet and social media are exploding over the latest news that a judge has ordered her to spend time in jail until she agrees to do her civic duty and issue marriage licenses to gay couples.
This is a delicate situation because there are passionate feelings on both sides of the issue. This blog post is my response to Ms. Davis' decision to take a stand based on her religious convictions.
Let me start by saying that everyone who knows me knows where I stand on the gay marriage issue. I am a pastor of a church and I do not agree with gay marriage. I will always be against the idea, but I will never be against people. I will always be for people no matter what their situation, lifestyle, struggles, background, race, etc. I understand that Ms. Davis wants to stay true to what she believes in. I feel the same way because I want to stay true to what I believe in. But, I do not agree with her approach.
Ms. Davis has decided to make her decision a public spectacle, whether she meant for this to happen or not (but I think it's safe to assume that she had a good idea what would happen when she refused the couple in the first place). There are a few problems with her decision. The first problem is an obvious one, she, along with Christians in general, is coming across as judgmental. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge or you too will be judged." It's amazing how many people use this verse that do not go to church at all. It's also amazing how little Christians listen to this verse. Christians have such a reputation today of being judgmental. Now, I will say this reputation is not fair in a lot of cases. But, in other cases, I would say it's pretty accurate. What we have done for too long is act like the moral police, attempting to change the moral decay of society one person or group at a time. But, is this what Jesus did? Did Jesus speak out against the moral decay of the first century? The answer is no. Jesus did not publicly speak out against the moral decay of the Romans nor the Jews. He did confront the religious leaders over their questionable morals, but he never publicly took political or moral stands. Rather, he preached the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is all about a new life, salvation, change, etc. Jesus wanted people to come to him so that he could give them a new and better life. People could not change themselves; therefore, Jesus did not tell people to change their behavior. He told them to surrender. When we start preaching moralism we are going to end up as hypocrites. Ms. Davis has probably issued many marriage licenses to people. She has most likely issued some to couples whose moral behavior she would not agree with if she knew about it. Also, when we judge someone else for their faults, we better be sure we are perfect, which by the way we are not nor ever will be. Jesus also said in Matthew 7:3-5, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Jesus basically said, "Don't walk around like the moral police. Surrender to me and then you will see what your brother needs; he needs me too."
The other problem with this decision is that it will not bring people closer to Jesus. I want to do everything I can to bring people closer to Jesus because I know that he is the only one who can fix what is broken in our human nature. He is the only one who can cover our sins. It's like when you find a good mechanic. You will recommend that guy to everyone you know because when your car is broken, he knows how to fix it and it's as good as new. I know what Jesus can do because he has done it in my life. Am I perfect? No. Am I perfect in God's eyes? Yes, but only because of Jesus. Let me be clear about one thing, I will never compromise what I believe in. Your response may be, "But isn't that the same idea behind Kim Davis' decision? She didn't want to compromise either." Compromise is to see the other side of an argument or disagreement and give in to demands from the other side. There are good compromises, but there are also bad ones. To do your job as a county clerk is not compromising beliefs. It would be like a Christian police officer who is assigned detail at a pride parade and refuses to stop a violent protester just because he does not believe in that lifestyle. That would be a public disservice and it would not honor God. A clerk who refuses to do her job because of religious convictions, pushing people away from Christ in the process, does not honor God. What would honor God is to do the job quietly, but pray for ways to be a light. I don't want that to sound over simplified; it is definitely easier said than done. That is why we need to pray and ask God to give us the wisdom to make the best decisions possible that will honor Him and not us.
Do you think Paul liked going to all the different Roman and Greek cities? Of course not! He was probably disgusted by what he saw. But, Christ had changed him and his eyes were open with love for his fellow human beings. He wanted to introduce people to Jesus rather than push them away. He did not want to change the morals of the Roman Empire; he wanted to see Jesus change the Roman Empire.
In saying all of this, does this mean that I would conduct gay weddings? No nor will I ever do that. I am a minister of the Gospel and I have to uphold what I believe in the Bible. For me to conduct a wedding is different than a clerk issuing a license. A clerk issuing a license is doing a job; a minister conducting a ceremony is showing full support for the couple of their future marriage, which I just cannot do. The one thing I will do is be about Jesus. I want to introduce people to him so that he can do the work of changing people's live not me. That's too much for me because I couldn't change myself. As followers of Christ, let us strive to be like him and bring people closer to him rather than push them further away.
This is a delicate situation because there are passionate feelings on both sides of the issue. This blog post is my response to Ms. Davis' decision to take a stand based on her religious convictions.
Let me start by saying that everyone who knows me knows where I stand on the gay marriage issue. I am a pastor of a church and I do not agree with gay marriage. I will always be against the idea, but I will never be against people. I will always be for people no matter what their situation, lifestyle, struggles, background, race, etc. I understand that Ms. Davis wants to stay true to what she believes in. I feel the same way because I want to stay true to what I believe in. But, I do not agree with her approach.
Ms. Davis has decided to make her decision a public spectacle, whether she meant for this to happen or not (but I think it's safe to assume that she had a good idea what would happen when she refused the couple in the first place). There are a few problems with her decision. The first problem is an obvious one, she, along with Christians in general, is coming across as judgmental. Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge or you too will be judged." It's amazing how many people use this verse that do not go to church at all. It's also amazing how little Christians listen to this verse. Christians have such a reputation today of being judgmental. Now, I will say this reputation is not fair in a lot of cases. But, in other cases, I would say it's pretty accurate. What we have done for too long is act like the moral police, attempting to change the moral decay of society one person or group at a time. But, is this what Jesus did? Did Jesus speak out against the moral decay of the first century? The answer is no. Jesus did not publicly speak out against the moral decay of the Romans nor the Jews. He did confront the religious leaders over their questionable morals, but he never publicly took political or moral stands. Rather, he preached the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is all about a new life, salvation, change, etc. Jesus wanted people to come to him so that he could give them a new and better life. People could not change themselves; therefore, Jesus did not tell people to change their behavior. He told them to surrender. When we start preaching moralism we are going to end up as hypocrites. Ms. Davis has probably issued many marriage licenses to people. She has most likely issued some to couples whose moral behavior she would not agree with if she knew about it. Also, when we judge someone else for their faults, we better be sure we are perfect, which by the way we are not nor ever will be. Jesus also said in Matthew 7:3-5, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Jesus basically said, "Don't walk around like the moral police. Surrender to me and then you will see what your brother needs; he needs me too."
The other problem with this decision is that it will not bring people closer to Jesus. I want to do everything I can to bring people closer to Jesus because I know that he is the only one who can fix what is broken in our human nature. He is the only one who can cover our sins. It's like when you find a good mechanic. You will recommend that guy to everyone you know because when your car is broken, he knows how to fix it and it's as good as new. I know what Jesus can do because he has done it in my life. Am I perfect? No. Am I perfect in God's eyes? Yes, but only because of Jesus. Let me be clear about one thing, I will never compromise what I believe in. Your response may be, "But isn't that the same idea behind Kim Davis' decision? She didn't want to compromise either." Compromise is to see the other side of an argument or disagreement and give in to demands from the other side. There are good compromises, but there are also bad ones. To do your job as a county clerk is not compromising beliefs. It would be like a Christian police officer who is assigned detail at a pride parade and refuses to stop a violent protester just because he does not believe in that lifestyle. That would be a public disservice and it would not honor God. A clerk who refuses to do her job because of religious convictions, pushing people away from Christ in the process, does not honor God. What would honor God is to do the job quietly, but pray for ways to be a light. I don't want that to sound over simplified; it is definitely easier said than done. That is why we need to pray and ask God to give us the wisdom to make the best decisions possible that will honor Him and not us.
Do you think Paul liked going to all the different Roman and Greek cities? Of course not! He was probably disgusted by what he saw. But, Christ had changed him and his eyes were open with love for his fellow human beings. He wanted to introduce people to Jesus rather than push them away. He did not want to change the morals of the Roman Empire; he wanted to see Jesus change the Roman Empire.
In saying all of this, does this mean that I would conduct gay weddings? No nor will I ever do that. I am a minister of the Gospel and I have to uphold what I believe in the Bible. For me to conduct a wedding is different than a clerk issuing a license. A clerk issuing a license is doing a job; a minister conducting a ceremony is showing full support for the couple of their future marriage, which I just cannot do. The one thing I will do is be about Jesus. I want to introduce people to him so that he can do the work of changing people's live not me. That's too much for me because I couldn't change myself. As followers of Christ, let us strive to be like him and bring people closer to him rather than push them further away.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Lessons from a baseball game
A few weeks ago, I took all three of my boys to a Lowell Spinners baseball game. It was Star Wars night so of course we had to go. I was looking forward to spending time with the boys and some friends we were meeting at the game.
When I walked up to the stadium, an older gentlemen handed me something. Right away I knew what it was, it was a gospel tract. If you don't know what that is, let me explain. A gospel tract is a little booklet that explains the Gospel message with some verses. Then it asks if you want to make a decision for Christ. There was a time when I thought Gospel tracts were great, but my views on them have changed over the years. This particular one gave me more reassurance that my change in views was right.
The front cover of this tract stated, "What do you have to do to go to Hell?" The words were surrounded by a black background with flames all around. My first thought was, "Why are you assuming I'm on my way to hell in the first place?" I was a little offended by this tract and I'm a Christian. Besides that, I'm a pastor of a church!
I understood the intentions behind the man giving out the tract. He was trying to reach people for Christ and I totally respect that because that's what I want to do too. But, just because we are trying to reach people for Christ does not mean the methods we are using are good.
My problem with handing out tracts without any kind of interaction (especially ones that talk about hell before Jesus) is that this kind of "evangelism" is impersonal and not effective at all. There was a time when I thought handing out a tract to someone was doing evangelism. I thought I was building the kingdom of God by handing out these little pamphlets. But, is that the kind of evangelism the Bible teaches us to do?
Jesus commanded his followers to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). To make disciples takes personal interaction. It takes more than handing someone a Gospel tract. Now, I'm not saying that God cannot use Gospel tracts to lead people to him; I have heard stories of that happening. But, if we are just relying on handing out little pamphlets, then we aren't making disciples.
To make disciples takes time spent with people. We can use Gospel tracts, but only after we have built a relationship with someone first. We can give them a tract to read and then set up a time to go over it with them. This is discipleship. I don't even want to be handed a piece a paper from someone I don't know. My immediate reaction is to throw it away.
We are designed by God to be with other people. God designed discipleship to be personal not impersonal. So, if you are handing out your tracts thinking, "I have done my evangelism for the kingdom today." I have some news for you, you haven't. Probably 99% of those tracts you handed out were thrown away.
We have to further. We have to step out of our comfort zones. It's easy to not interact with people; interaction is the tough part. But, you will see more fruit for the kingdom through interaction as opposed to handing out pamphlets and never saying a word.
When I walked up to the stadium, an older gentlemen handed me something. Right away I knew what it was, it was a gospel tract. If you don't know what that is, let me explain. A gospel tract is a little booklet that explains the Gospel message with some verses. Then it asks if you want to make a decision for Christ. There was a time when I thought Gospel tracts were great, but my views on them have changed over the years. This particular one gave me more reassurance that my change in views was right.
The front cover of this tract stated, "What do you have to do to go to Hell?" The words were surrounded by a black background with flames all around. My first thought was, "Why are you assuming I'm on my way to hell in the first place?" I was a little offended by this tract and I'm a Christian. Besides that, I'm a pastor of a church!
I understood the intentions behind the man giving out the tract. He was trying to reach people for Christ and I totally respect that because that's what I want to do too. But, just because we are trying to reach people for Christ does not mean the methods we are using are good.
My problem with handing out tracts without any kind of interaction (especially ones that talk about hell before Jesus) is that this kind of "evangelism" is impersonal and not effective at all. There was a time when I thought handing out a tract to someone was doing evangelism. I thought I was building the kingdom of God by handing out these little pamphlets. But, is that the kind of evangelism the Bible teaches us to do?
Jesus commanded his followers to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). To make disciples takes personal interaction. It takes more than handing someone a Gospel tract. Now, I'm not saying that God cannot use Gospel tracts to lead people to him; I have heard stories of that happening. But, if we are just relying on handing out little pamphlets, then we aren't making disciples.
To make disciples takes time spent with people. We can use Gospel tracts, but only after we have built a relationship with someone first. We can give them a tract to read and then set up a time to go over it with them. This is discipleship. I don't even want to be handed a piece a paper from someone I don't know. My immediate reaction is to throw it away.
We are designed by God to be with other people. God designed discipleship to be personal not impersonal. So, if you are handing out your tracts thinking, "I have done my evangelism for the kingdom today." I have some news for you, you haven't. Probably 99% of those tracts you handed out were thrown away.
We have to further. We have to step out of our comfort zones. It's easy to not interact with people; interaction is the tough part. But, you will see more fruit for the kingdom through interaction as opposed to handing out pamphlets and never saying a word.
Friday, June 26, 2015
My thoughts on today
Many of you may read the title of this blog and think that I am going to write about the Supreme Court decision. Well, you would be right in a sense. I want to write about it, but from a different angle.
I have read a few things about the decision through social media today. Most are in favor of the decision and I'm honestly not surprised. We live in a day and age when decisions like this will happen. Does it affect my beliefs as a Christian and what I will teach as a pastor? No. I will still believe, teach, and preach what I know to be true. Does that make me a bad person? I guess it depends on who you talk to.
One of things that has saddened me throughout this whole debate is the attitudes from both sides towards the other side of the issue. I have written posts and a book (Millennial Gospel http://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Gospel-Ryan-Reveley-ebook/dp/B00UDAAS22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435337643&sr=8-1&keywords=millennial+gospel) about the attitude of the church over this and other issues like it. What also saddens me is the attitude from supporters of gay marriage towards Christians.
Now, will I support gay marriage or the homosexual lifestyle? No. Will I marry a homosexual couple? No. I can't because the Bible I read and believe in does not support either. Now, before you want to lynch me, here me out. While I don't support those lifestyles, I also don't support any lifestyles opposed to God's word and that includes my own. I have a somewhat addictive personality. There are certain things that I will talk myself into trying and not be able to break away from. This is why I struggled with pornography for a large part of my life. It was a destructive lifestyle that hurt me and others around me. I do not support that now or then, even when I was in the middle of it. As a believer in Christ, I cannot support things that do not honor God. So, I am saddened when people call Christians like me bigots, intolerant, relics to be forgotten, etc. just because we do not believe the same.
One thing I will not do is push my beliefs on anyone. That is not the way Jesus did it and that is not the way his followers should do it. Therefore, why should Christians be forced to believe the same as supporters of gay marriage? There is a call for Christians to abandon their beliefs and come to the other side of the argument. If we don't, then we will be forgotten by history and forced to be corrected. Is that real equality? Equality can be achieved even if we don't agree.
I have a close friend who is a Green Bay Packers fan. I hate the Packers because I am a Chicago Bears fan. Now, I could be really extreme and tell him, "If you don't stop rooting for the Packers, then we can't be friends anymore." But, that is silly, right? I know that is a silly analogy, but the idea behind it can be applied. I can tell someone who supports homosexuality that we can't be friends anymore and they need to believe in what I tell them to believe. But, would that be right? No. Will I tell them the truth that I believe in and tell them that I don't agree with their lifestyle and other life decisions they make? Of course, if I value them as a friend.
My goal as a Christian is to bring people close to Christ; my goal is not to push them away by trying to correct behavior. I couldn't correct my own behavior when I was dealing with pornography. The only One who changed me was Christ. I want to be friends with people and treat them as people. That also means that I will share the truth that I believe in with them. If they get upset, I can't help that. But, I won't beat them over the head with it.
So, I ask as we move forward as a country, don't expect me or other Christians like me to come over to your side of the argument. We will do our best not to impose our beliefs, but we will share them any chance we get. That is what we were saved for and called to do. We will do our best not to label you and so I ask that you not label us either.
I want all people to know the hope and grace that is found in Christ. I want all people to know how he loves us so much that he does not want to leave us the same. Does that make me intolerant? Depends on who you ask. Will I stop believing that and change my mind? Never because I answer to a King who lived a perfect life for me and died in my place. I answer to a King who took the punishment my sins deserved so that if I believe in him, I will have life and life eternal. My King did not abandon me so I will not abandon him no matter what.
I have read a few things about the decision through social media today. Most are in favor of the decision and I'm honestly not surprised. We live in a day and age when decisions like this will happen. Does it affect my beliefs as a Christian and what I will teach as a pastor? No. I will still believe, teach, and preach what I know to be true. Does that make me a bad person? I guess it depends on who you talk to.
One of things that has saddened me throughout this whole debate is the attitudes from both sides towards the other side of the issue. I have written posts and a book (Millennial Gospel http://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Gospel-Ryan-Reveley-ebook/dp/B00UDAAS22/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435337643&sr=8-1&keywords=millennial+gospel) about the attitude of the church over this and other issues like it. What also saddens me is the attitude from supporters of gay marriage towards Christians.
Now, will I support gay marriage or the homosexual lifestyle? No. Will I marry a homosexual couple? No. I can't because the Bible I read and believe in does not support either. Now, before you want to lynch me, here me out. While I don't support those lifestyles, I also don't support any lifestyles opposed to God's word and that includes my own. I have a somewhat addictive personality. There are certain things that I will talk myself into trying and not be able to break away from. This is why I struggled with pornography for a large part of my life. It was a destructive lifestyle that hurt me and others around me. I do not support that now or then, even when I was in the middle of it. As a believer in Christ, I cannot support things that do not honor God. So, I am saddened when people call Christians like me bigots, intolerant, relics to be forgotten, etc. just because we do not believe the same.
One thing I will not do is push my beliefs on anyone. That is not the way Jesus did it and that is not the way his followers should do it. Therefore, why should Christians be forced to believe the same as supporters of gay marriage? There is a call for Christians to abandon their beliefs and come to the other side of the argument. If we don't, then we will be forgotten by history and forced to be corrected. Is that real equality? Equality can be achieved even if we don't agree.
I have a close friend who is a Green Bay Packers fan. I hate the Packers because I am a Chicago Bears fan. Now, I could be really extreme and tell him, "If you don't stop rooting for the Packers, then we can't be friends anymore." But, that is silly, right? I know that is a silly analogy, but the idea behind it can be applied. I can tell someone who supports homosexuality that we can't be friends anymore and they need to believe in what I tell them to believe. But, would that be right? No. Will I tell them the truth that I believe in and tell them that I don't agree with their lifestyle and other life decisions they make? Of course, if I value them as a friend.
My goal as a Christian is to bring people close to Christ; my goal is not to push them away by trying to correct behavior. I couldn't correct my own behavior when I was dealing with pornography. The only One who changed me was Christ. I want to be friends with people and treat them as people. That also means that I will share the truth that I believe in with them. If they get upset, I can't help that. But, I won't beat them over the head with it.
So, I ask as we move forward as a country, don't expect me or other Christians like me to come over to your side of the argument. We will do our best not to impose our beliefs, but we will share them any chance we get. That is what we were saved for and called to do. We will do our best not to label you and so I ask that you not label us either.
I want all people to know the hope and grace that is found in Christ. I want all people to know how he loves us so much that he does not want to leave us the same. Does that make me intolerant? Depends on who you ask. Will I stop believing that and change my mind? Never because I answer to a King who lived a perfect life for me and died in my place. I answer to a King who took the punishment my sins deserved so that if I believe in him, I will have life and life eternal. My King did not abandon me so I will not abandon him no matter what.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Quest for Unity
I grew up in Arkansas. Arkansas is typically seen as redneck and a supporter of the Confederate flag. That is somewhat true; it is somewhat true because it depends on what part of Arkansas you are in and what Arkansans you are talking to. I grew up in Cabot, AR and when I was in high school, the rebel flag caused controversy in my little town. Cabot High School asked one of its students to remove the rebel flag from the back window of his pickup truck. To give you a little context, Cabot was mainly an all white town. So, you would think that the rebel flag would be supported in an all white town in Arkansas. But, Cabot also had a rumored reputation for being racist. Therefore, the difficult situation the school was put in when school officials saw the rebel flag on display in the back of a student's pickup truck. In protest to the school's decision, some students and their parents protested that night at a commuter parking lot in town. They protested by waving rebel flags, thus making the evening news and adding more unwanted attention. Imagine if this happened in the age of social media.
The rebel flag is back in the spotlight because of the recent shootings in Charleston, SC. It is a sad day on so many levels for our country. This incident further sparked racial tensions that have been on the rise lately. Now, there are calls for the rebel flag and other Confederate symbols to be taken down for the sake of calming the racial tensions and for unity.
You may assume that growing up in the south that I was a racist to some degree at some point in my life. I will admit that I was taught that it was wrong to be romantically involved with someone from another race because the Bible taught that. But, I guess I would be considered a rebel because I never understood why people treated other people of a different color differently. I never understood why the civil rights movement even happened because I saw people as people regardless of their skin color. I did not have many black friends because I never had the opportunity to have them. But, that changed as I got older, but I did not see them as my black friends; I saw them as my friends.
Today we are striving for unity. But, our first step towards that unity is to drop the labels. We label ourselves as well as other people. And, I think the group that has to lead the way is the Church. Christians cannot claim innocence in all of this. We label people outside the church as well as inside the church. It is our human nature to do so, but we have a new nature now. Paul said in II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come." So, if we are a new creation, then we have to act like it.
The Church has to lead the way in this quest for unity. We have to seek unity within the Church so that we can carry that unity out into the world. It breaks my heart to see people act as though the Civil War is still going on. It breaks my heart to hear members of the Body of Christ put labels on people because a label ignores their humanity and makes them a category.
Our example is Christ and Christ did not label people. He saw and treated people as people. He told his disciples to love one another so that all men would know they were his disciples (see John 13:34-35). To love one another is to love one another as people not labels. Does this mean we accept one another's faults and sins? No because Jesus loved people too much to accept the things in their lives that would hurt or destroy them.
The Church was saved and called to be different. We are supposed to be the trendsetters. We are supposed to be the ones to lead the way in the quest for unity. The way we are going to do that is obey the commands of Christ and love one another regardless of skin color. Paul said in Galatians 3:28-29, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." For Paul to write these words shows the transformation that took place within him because of Jesus. Paul was a staunch Jew before he met Christ. He thought the Gentiles were scum and unworthy of God's mercy. He would never dare to say that they were Abraham's seed. But, after Christ changed him, Paul realized that labels cause division. Paul understood that Christ brought unity; therefore, the attitude Paul had towards the Gentiles changed. Instead of seeing them as scum, he saw them as people in desperate need of Jesus.
This is the message that the Church needs to lead the way with. True equality will not be achieved without Christ. We can try all we want to eliminate labels, but it won't happen because only Christ can eliminate the labels. Under Christ, we realize that we are nothing apart from him. He is the One who gives us purpose and meaning. He is the one brings us from death to life. He is the one who unifies us.
The rebel flag is back in the spotlight because of the recent shootings in Charleston, SC. It is a sad day on so many levels for our country. This incident further sparked racial tensions that have been on the rise lately. Now, there are calls for the rebel flag and other Confederate symbols to be taken down for the sake of calming the racial tensions and for unity.
You may assume that growing up in the south that I was a racist to some degree at some point in my life. I will admit that I was taught that it was wrong to be romantically involved with someone from another race because the Bible taught that. But, I guess I would be considered a rebel because I never understood why people treated other people of a different color differently. I never understood why the civil rights movement even happened because I saw people as people regardless of their skin color. I did not have many black friends because I never had the opportunity to have them. But, that changed as I got older, but I did not see them as my black friends; I saw them as my friends.
Today we are striving for unity. But, our first step towards that unity is to drop the labels. We label ourselves as well as other people. And, I think the group that has to lead the way is the Church. Christians cannot claim innocence in all of this. We label people outside the church as well as inside the church. It is our human nature to do so, but we have a new nature now. Paul said in II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come." So, if we are a new creation, then we have to act like it.
The Church has to lead the way in this quest for unity. We have to seek unity within the Church so that we can carry that unity out into the world. It breaks my heart to see people act as though the Civil War is still going on. It breaks my heart to hear members of the Body of Christ put labels on people because a label ignores their humanity and makes them a category.
Our example is Christ and Christ did not label people. He saw and treated people as people. He told his disciples to love one another so that all men would know they were his disciples (see John 13:34-35). To love one another is to love one another as people not labels. Does this mean we accept one another's faults and sins? No because Jesus loved people too much to accept the things in their lives that would hurt or destroy them.
The Church was saved and called to be different. We are supposed to be the trendsetters. We are supposed to be the ones to lead the way in the quest for unity. The way we are going to do that is obey the commands of Christ and love one another regardless of skin color. Paul said in Galatians 3:28-29, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." For Paul to write these words shows the transformation that took place within him because of Jesus. Paul was a staunch Jew before he met Christ. He thought the Gentiles were scum and unworthy of God's mercy. He would never dare to say that they were Abraham's seed. But, after Christ changed him, Paul realized that labels cause division. Paul understood that Christ brought unity; therefore, the attitude Paul had towards the Gentiles changed. Instead of seeing them as scum, he saw them as people in desperate need of Jesus.
This is the message that the Church needs to lead the way with. True equality will not be achieved without Christ. We can try all we want to eliminate labels, but it won't happen because only Christ can eliminate the labels. Under Christ, we realize that we are nothing apart from him. He is the One who gives us purpose and meaning. He is the one brings us from death to life. He is the one who unifies us.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Heroic
Over the last couple of weeks in our country, there has been much debate over the definition of a hero. Because we all are different with different perspectives, the definition of hero is different as well.
But, today a woman passed away that embodies the very definition of heroic and her name was Elizabeth Elliot.
Now, you may be asking yourself, who is Elizabeth Elliot. You won't hear about her death on the news or read about it on social media, which is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because everyone should know this woman's story and be inspired by it.
In 1953, she married Jim Elliot in Ecuador. They were living there as missionaries to the Quechua Indians. These Indians were savage people who did not have much contact with the outside world. They were a primitive people who wanted to be left alone and fiercely protected themselves from intruders. In Jim Elliot and other missionaries attempted to reach out to these Indians with the love of Christ, in hopes to lead them to Christ. But, in 1956 tragedy struck. Jim Elliot and the other missionaries who were with him were killed by the Indians they were trying to reach. Now, imagine living in a strange land and your loved one had just been horribly killed by the very people you were showing love and kindness to. What would you do?
Here is what Elizabeth Elliot did: she learned the language of the Quechua and lived among them for two years! Most of us would pack up and leave. We would never think to live with the people who had killed our loved ones. But, Elizabeth Elliot was not most of us. She lived for a King who showed all of us what love was and how to love.
Not only did Elizabeth Elliot continue the work in Ecuador, but she also went on to right more than 20 books and was a highly demanded speaker. She also experienced the death of another husband, but still kept doing what her King called her to do.
Elizabeth knew and understood that she was radically loved by Jesus her King. She devoted her life to sharing that same radical love to anyone who would listen. Some may call her foolish for what she did, but I call her heroic. To be heroic is to face impossible odds. To be heroic is to take actions that may not be popular not make stands that are already acceptable. This was a woman who radically loved because she was radically loved. May we all be challenged by this woman to radically love even when it may not be popular. May we all be challenged by a life that did the seemingly foolish, but in reality was quite heroic. Thank you Elizabeth for showing us what being heroic was all about.
But, today a woman passed away that embodies the very definition of heroic and her name was Elizabeth Elliot.
Now, you may be asking yourself, who is Elizabeth Elliot. You won't hear about her death on the news or read about it on social media, which is unfortunate. It is unfortunate because everyone should know this woman's story and be inspired by it.
In 1953, she married Jim Elliot in Ecuador. They were living there as missionaries to the Quechua Indians. These Indians were savage people who did not have much contact with the outside world. They were a primitive people who wanted to be left alone and fiercely protected themselves from intruders. In Jim Elliot and other missionaries attempted to reach out to these Indians with the love of Christ, in hopes to lead them to Christ. But, in 1956 tragedy struck. Jim Elliot and the other missionaries who were with him were killed by the Indians they were trying to reach. Now, imagine living in a strange land and your loved one had just been horribly killed by the very people you were showing love and kindness to. What would you do?
Here is what Elizabeth Elliot did: she learned the language of the Quechua and lived among them for two years! Most of us would pack up and leave. We would never think to live with the people who had killed our loved ones. But, Elizabeth Elliot was not most of us. She lived for a King who showed all of us what love was and how to love.
Not only did Elizabeth Elliot continue the work in Ecuador, but she also went on to right more than 20 books and was a highly demanded speaker. She also experienced the death of another husband, but still kept doing what her King called her to do.
Elizabeth knew and understood that she was radically loved by Jesus her King. She devoted her life to sharing that same radical love to anyone who would listen. Some may call her foolish for what she did, but I call her heroic. To be heroic is to face impossible odds. To be heroic is to take actions that may not be popular not make stands that are already acceptable. This was a woman who radically loved because she was radically loved. May we all be challenged by this woman to radically love even when it may not be popular. May we all be challenged by a life that did the seemingly foolish, but in reality was quite heroic. Thank you Elizabeth for showing us what being heroic was all about.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
I'm done with church
I'm done with church. That sounds so weird coming from a pastor and it feels weird to write it. What I mean by it is I am done with the organized church that I see today.
Today, I saw a news story about a bull and horse-riding preacher in Ohio. In the story, the reporter asked him if this was some kind of gimmick to bring new people into the church. The preacher's answer was that Jesus said "compel them to come. He didn't say how to compel them." You can watch the entire story here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/ohio-pastor-rides-bulls-church-084852600.html
This is just one example of the many that are out there of churches attempting to attract new people to their congregations. I have even tried to use attractions to bring people into the church. But, I am tired of doing it and people are tired of our methods too. According to the latest Pew Survey, 23% of the United States are unaffiliated with any kind of religion. They are tired of our gimmicks.
Last week, I attended my denominational meetings in Maryland. Usually the week is spent sitting through business meetings with some spiritual challenges intermixed. But, this week was different. This week, other churches from around the world joined us and we joined together to come up with a new vision for our denomination which states: "The World Federation of Primitive Methodists exists to make disciples who make disciples. We also have a new Vision Statement: By 2020 we will be recognized as a global planting movement." This is an exciting time because no longer are we focused on attracting new people; rather, we are focused on a missional movement intended to further God's kingdom on this earth. We are focused on engaging those around us in hopes to bring them close to Christ by the way we live our lives.
Jesus said in Luke 10:2, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Jesus did not want us to sit in our institutions and do our religious activities in hopes that it would attract other people. Jesus did not tell us to use gimmicks; he told us to get to work. He told us to look at the harvest field and ask God for workers.
Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that we could work not be marketing gurus. Jesus was missional and he called his followers to be missional as well. He did not want his followers to sit back and attract people to the kingdom. The way he wanted his followers to compel people was by living out and preaching the Gospel, and these things take work.
I love the church and I want to see the Church be everything God called us to be. I don't want to see the Church rely on gimmicks and events; I want to see us be missional like our Master was and still is. Last week I was challenged to get my hands dirty not by my denomination, but by Jesus. Let's get our hands dirty together.
Today, I saw a news story about a bull and horse-riding preacher in Ohio. In the story, the reporter asked him if this was some kind of gimmick to bring new people into the church. The preacher's answer was that Jesus said "compel them to come. He didn't say how to compel them." You can watch the entire story here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/ohio-pastor-rides-bulls-church-084852600.html
This is just one example of the many that are out there of churches attempting to attract new people to their congregations. I have even tried to use attractions to bring people into the church. But, I am tired of doing it and people are tired of our methods too. According to the latest Pew Survey, 23% of the United States are unaffiliated with any kind of religion. They are tired of our gimmicks.
Last week, I attended my denominational meetings in Maryland. Usually the week is spent sitting through business meetings with some spiritual challenges intermixed. But, this week was different. This week, other churches from around the world joined us and we joined together to come up with a new vision for our denomination which states: "The World Federation of Primitive Methodists exists to make disciples who make disciples. We also have a new Vision Statement: By 2020 we will be recognized as a global planting movement." This is an exciting time because no longer are we focused on attracting new people; rather, we are focused on a missional movement intended to further God's kingdom on this earth. We are focused on engaging those around us in hopes to bring them close to Christ by the way we live our lives.
Jesus said in Luke 10:2, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Jesus did not want us to sit in our institutions and do our religious activities in hopes that it would attract other people. Jesus did not tell us to use gimmicks; he told us to get to work. He told us to look at the harvest field and ask God for workers.
Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that we could work not be marketing gurus. Jesus was missional and he called his followers to be missional as well. He did not want his followers to sit back and attract people to the kingdom. The way he wanted his followers to compel people was by living out and preaching the Gospel, and these things take work.
I love the church and I want to see the Church be everything God called us to be. I don't want to see the Church rely on gimmicks and events; I want to see us be missional like our Master was and still is. Last week I was challenged to get my hands dirty not by my denomination, but by Jesus. Let's get our hands dirty together.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Religious Freedom
Unless you live in a hole somewhere or not on social media at all, you have probably heard about Indiana and Arkansas' proposed bills to secure religious freedom for businesses. These bills have stirred up a lot of controversy across the country. There is public outcry that these bills should be vetoed, citing a return to the Jim Crow laws era of our country as a reason. Because I am from Arkansas, I thought I would write a post sharing my thoughts on these controversial bills and how Christians should respond.
First of all, let me say that I am not a proponent of the homosexual lifestyle nor am I a proponent of any lifestyle that is contrary to God's word. On the other hand, I am a proponent of people no matter what is going on in their lives. My goal in life is to serve Christ and to make much of him. What that means is I want everything in my life to be about Jesus and leading people close to Jesus. With that being said, I worry about the proposed bills coming out of Arkansas and Indiana.
In my book Millennial Gospel, I dedicate a whole chapter to moralism. Moralism started in the 1970s with the concept of the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority became a political force bent on restoring this country's moral compass. While the intent was noble, what happened over the years became less so. The Church began to preach morals before Jesus. Christians basically said, "Get cleaned up first and then you can meet Jesus." The problem with this line of thinking and teaching is that it's wrong. Jesus never preached this message. He did preach morals, but he preached embracing Him as Savior and Lord first. The reason he did it this way is because none of us are capable of cleaning ourselves up; only Jesus is capable of doing that. We come to Jesus dirty and stained with our sins, whatever those sins may be. If we come to Jesus in faith, He will be the one to clean us up. Look at the story of the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus started a conversation with her about living water and how much she needed it before he brought up her moral behavior. In John 8, a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to stone her, but Jesus did not condemn her. He treated both of these women as human beings. Now, we can't overlook the fact that he told them to leave their lives of sin, but the only way they were going to do that is by surrendering to him.
These proposed bills will not lead people closer to Jesus; they will do the exact opposite. Jesus never said that his followers were going to need religious freedom. Followers of Christ are set free from sin and death, but not this world. The early church was persecuted heavily because of their faith in Christ. Jesus himself was persecuted for his teachings. Jesus never experienced religious freedom nor did the apostles including Paul.
Speaking of Paul, he was a guy who lived among people whose morals he did not agree with. But, did that stop him from proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel? No! In fact, it motivated him to do it more and more. Also, he was a tent maker who made tents and sold them in the areas he was living in. He probably sold tents to people who worshiped idols, adulterers, drunks, homosexuals, etc. Why would he do this? Because he wanted to use anything he could to lead someone closer the life-changing person of Jesus Christ. Did that mean Paul accepted people's lifestyles? Of course not. He didn't accept his own shortcomings (Read Romans 7). Paul knew that he was not going to change anyone; it was Jesus' job to do the changing.
Moving forward, Christians should not be silent about what they believe in. Paul said in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew then for the Gentile." We should never back down from God's Word and we have to hold firm to that. On the other hand, we need to make sure that it is God's Word that we are spreading not our own agendas. God loves people. We are all His creation. Therefore, He desires that all will be saved (I Timothy 2:4). So, whatever we do we should do it all for the glory of God in hopes to lead others to him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
When Israel was exiled to Babylon, God told them to make homes there. He told them to settle down and start a new life there. The purpose? So that Israel could lead the Babylonians to the gracious and loving arms of God. We need to use every avenue we can to lead people to Christ. Now, there are certain things that we cannot compromise on nor should we be forced to by the government. But, we also need to remember that Christians belong to a different kingdom, a kingdom that is not of this world. Let us be like Paul, who was a tent maker for Christ. He used his business to lead others to Christ. Just because a product is sold to someone does not mean that we are endorsing their lifestyle or anything else they do. Christians can see it as being a light for Christ.
First of all, let me say that I am not a proponent of the homosexual lifestyle nor am I a proponent of any lifestyle that is contrary to God's word. On the other hand, I am a proponent of people no matter what is going on in their lives. My goal in life is to serve Christ and to make much of him. What that means is I want everything in my life to be about Jesus and leading people close to Jesus. With that being said, I worry about the proposed bills coming out of Arkansas and Indiana.
In my book Millennial Gospel, I dedicate a whole chapter to moralism. Moralism started in the 1970s with the concept of the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority became a political force bent on restoring this country's moral compass. While the intent was noble, what happened over the years became less so. The Church began to preach morals before Jesus. Christians basically said, "Get cleaned up first and then you can meet Jesus." The problem with this line of thinking and teaching is that it's wrong. Jesus never preached this message. He did preach morals, but he preached embracing Him as Savior and Lord first. The reason he did it this way is because none of us are capable of cleaning ourselves up; only Jesus is capable of doing that. We come to Jesus dirty and stained with our sins, whatever those sins may be. If we come to Jesus in faith, He will be the one to clean us up. Look at the story of the woman at the well in John 4. Jesus started a conversation with her about living water and how much she needed it before he brought up her moral behavior. In John 8, a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to stone her, but Jesus did not condemn her. He treated both of these women as human beings. Now, we can't overlook the fact that he told them to leave their lives of sin, but the only way they were going to do that is by surrendering to him.
These proposed bills will not lead people closer to Jesus; they will do the exact opposite. Jesus never said that his followers were going to need religious freedom. Followers of Christ are set free from sin and death, but not this world. The early church was persecuted heavily because of their faith in Christ. Jesus himself was persecuted for his teachings. Jesus never experienced religious freedom nor did the apostles including Paul.
Speaking of Paul, he was a guy who lived among people whose morals he did not agree with. But, did that stop him from proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel? No! In fact, it motivated him to do it more and more. Also, he was a tent maker who made tents and sold them in the areas he was living in. He probably sold tents to people who worshiped idols, adulterers, drunks, homosexuals, etc. Why would he do this? Because he wanted to use anything he could to lead someone closer the life-changing person of Jesus Christ. Did that mean Paul accepted people's lifestyles? Of course not. He didn't accept his own shortcomings (Read Romans 7). Paul knew that he was not going to change anyone; it was Jesus' job to do the changing.
Moving forward, Christians should not be silent about what they believe in. Paul said in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jew then for the Gentile." We should never back down from God's Word and we have to hold firm to that. On the other hand, we need to make sure that it is God's Word that we are spreading not our own agendas. God loves people. We are all His creation. Therefore, He desires that all will be saved (I Timothy 2:4). So, whatever we do we should do it all for the glory of God in hopes to lead others to him. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
When Israel was exiled to Babylon, God told them to make homes there. He told them to settle down and start a new life there. The purpose? So that Israel could lead the Babylonians to the gracious and loving arms of God. We need to use every avenue we can to lead people to Christ. Now, there are certain things that we cannot compromise on nor should we be forced to by the government. But, we also need to remember that Christians belong to a different kingdom, a kingdom that is not of this world. Let us be like Paul, who was a tent maker for Christ. He used his business to lead others to Christ. Just because a product is sold to someone does not mean that we are endorsing their lifestyle or anything else they do. Christians can see it as being a light for Christ.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Lessons in Laughing
Have you ever laughed at yourself? There are plenty of times in my life where I have laughed at the decisions I made or the things I said. It is through those times that lessons can be learned through laughter.
Recently, my wife and I were trying to decide on a movie to watch on a Friday night. Our kids were in bed and watching a movie in our quiet house is a little piece of heaven for us. We searched through several movie titles, but nothing caught our attention until we came across a movie called Believe Me. The synopsis sounded interesting to us and we thought we would give it a try. The basic plot is about a college student about to graduate who recruits his friends to help him pay off some unforeseen debt. The debt would keep him from graduating, delaying his plans to attend law school in the fall. He goes to church because he is invited by someone and hears a girl talk about the church's upcoming mission trip to Hawaii (real tough, I know). Sam, the college student, asks the girl after the service about the trip, specifically how much money they had raised so far. The group had to raise $20,000 and they had already raised $14,000 in a week. And, this is where the light bulb goes off in Sam's head.
The rest of the movie is about Sam and his friends creating a fake charity to raise the money Sam needs to pay off his tuition bill. Along the way, the group learns the ins and outs of Christianity even though they don't believe themselves. What's entertaining about this movie is that it takes an honest look at some of the things we do as Christians and encourages us to laugh at ourselves so that maybe we can learn some lessons along the way. Sam and his group take us on a journey into Christianity through the eyes of the unbeliever and what it does is helps us see the things we do in an honest way, challenging us to rethink some of the things we do.
This movie was an honest Christian movie. The one thing I loved about it was that the Jesus moment (if you've seen a Christian movie, you know what I'm talking about) felt real and not forced. Most Christian movies I have seen have a Gospel presentation that seems out of place and forced. In Believe Me, it was quite the opposite. Sam has a real encounter with Jesus and he was not given a Gospel presentation with an invitation to accept Jesus into his heart. He encountered Jesus in a real way, realizing that paying off his school bill was not the ultimate goal in life. He realized that law school was not what life was all about. He realized that Jesus was life.
People need a real encounter with Jesus and if we, his followers, continue to do things that don't make sense to people, the greater the distance between people and the church will be. We need to laugh at ourselves and admit that maybe some of the things we do are a little silly. Being humble enough to be honest with ourselves is the first step in the right direction. The Church in this country needs a new direction. People today want to change the world and the Church was designed to be an agent of change. We don't need more pastors who ask for a new jet or churches who are exclusive social clubs. We need to stop focusing on our numbers and start focusing on people. We need to laugh at ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and let the Holy Spirit teach us and use us to reach new generations for the kingdom of God.
Recently, my wife and I were trying to decide on a movie to watch on a Friday night. Our kids were in bed and watching a movie in our quiet house is a little piece of heaven for us. We searched through several movie titles, but nothing caught our attention until we came across a movie called Believe Me. The synopsis sounded interesting to us and we thought we would give it a try. The basic plot is about a college student about to graduate who recruits his friends to help him pay off some unforeseen debt. The debt would keep him from graduating, delaying his plans to attend law school in the fall. He goes to church because he is invited by someone and hears a girl talk about the church's upcoming mission trip to Hawaii (real tough, I know). Sam, the college student, asks the girl after the service about the trip, specifically how much money they had raised so far. The group had to raise $20,000 and they had already raised $14,000 in a week. And, this is where the light bulb goes off in Sam's head.
The rest of the movie is about Sam and his friends creating a fake charity to raise the money Sam needs to pay off his tuition bill. Along the way, the group learns the ins and outs of Christianity even though they don't believe themselves. What's entertaining about this movie is that it takes an honest look at some of the things we do as Christians and encourages us to laugh at ourselves so that maybe we can learn some lessons along the way. Sam and his group take us on a journey into Christianity through the eyes of the unbeliever and what it does is helps us see the things we do in an honest way, challenging us to rethink some of the things we do.
This movie was an honest Christian movie. The one thing I loved about it was that the Jesus moment (if you've seen a Christian movie, you know what I'm talking about) felt real and not forced. Most Christian movies I have seen have a Gospel presentation that seems out of place and forced. In Believe Me, it was quite the opposite. Sam has a real encounter with Jesus and he was not given a Gospel presentation with an invitation to accept Jesus into his heart. He encountered Jesus in a real way, realizing that paying off his school bill was not the ultimate goal in life. He realized that law school was not what life was all about. He realized that Jesus was life.
People need a real encounter with Jesus and if we, his followers, continue to do things that don't make sense to people, the greater the distance between people and the church will be. We need to laugh at ourselves and admit that maybe some of the things we do are a little silly. Being humble enough to be honest with ourselves is the first step in the right direction. The Church in this country needs a new direction. People today want to change the world and the Church was designed to be an agent of change. We don't need more pastors who ask for a new jet or churches who are exclusive social clubs. We need to stop focusing on our numbers and start focusing on people. We need to laugh at ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and let the Holy Spirit teach us and use us to reach new generations for the kingdom of God.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Larger than Life
If you know anything about comic book people, you know that we don't like change very much. Anytime there are changes to the heroes we love, we freak out. There is an uproar about the new Fantastic Four movie released this summer. Photos are starting to be released of the actors in their superhero suits (you can view the pictures here: http://geektyrant.com/news/four-more-photos-from-fantastic-four-to-fuel-fan-outrage). The problem is that the costumes are not the classic costumes of these heroes. In fact, no one has even seen a 4 anywhere on these costumes. So, as you can imagine, comic fans are not too impressed with these changes. And this is not the only time changes like this have occurred.
Superman has been the hero for me since I was little. But, today, was heartbreaking for me. DC Comics released an image of Superman's new suit and you can see that here:
I understand what they are trying to do: they are trying to make Superman so we can relate to him easier. Putting him jeans and a t-shirt makes him look like an average Joe who happens to have powers. But, I don't want that from my heroes. I want my heroes to be larger than life.
So, this got me thinking today. I got to thinking, "In my walk with Christ, is Jesus larger than life?" Is Jesus larger than life in your walk? Is Jesus larger than life in our churches?
The younger generations are leaving the church or not even thinking about church and one of the reasons is that we have watered down Jesus. Our God is no longer the transcendent God who created the universe nor the one that the Psalms speak of. God is our homeboy and our buddy. God is our sugar daddy that we can ask anything of to satisfy our spoiled cravings and He will give it to us because He wants us to be happy.
We wear the t-shirts that say Jesus is our Superhero then go to church on Sunday, sing funeral dirges, barely keep our eyes open, and anxiously look at our watches to see how much longer the service is. Is it any wonder people don't want to go to church?
I have worn the shirts, barely kept my eyes open, and anxiously wondered when we will sing the last verse of Just As I Am. I still struggle with this attitude at times as well. So, why is God so boring?
I think the reason God appears so boring is because we have portrayed him that way through our actions and attitudes. We dumb down God in order for him to be relevant. We water Him down so that people can relate to him more. But, I don't want to relate to God. I want to be saved by God.
We don't need to dumb down God and people don't want us to either. People want someone that is larger than life. A god who is less than larger than life is incapable of saving us. When we water down God, we make him into our image. And, when we make him into our image, he is powerless to save us because we are more powerful than he is. People are looking for a god who is real and tangible, but at the same time impossible to grasp or fully comprehend. That is kind of God that is mighty to save.
We need to stop putting God in our boxes and surrendering to His majesty. When we surrender to that God, then the thought that He would draw near to us through the person of Jesus Christ becomes almost overwhelming. We can say along with David, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him" (Psalm 8:3-4)?
I don't want my Superman wearing a t-shirt and jeans and I certainly don't want my God to be anything less than the all-powerful, all-knowing, everlasting, gracious and merciful God of the Scriptures; we don't need anything less than that.
Superman has been the hero for me since I was little. But, today, was heartbreaking for me. DC Comics released an image of Superman's new suit and you can see that here: I understand what they are trying to do: they are trying to make Superman so we can relate to him easier. Putting him jeans and a t-shirt makes him look like an average Joe who happens to have powers. But, I don't want that from my heroes. I want my heroes to be larger than life.
So, this got me thinking today. I got to thinking, "In my walk with Christ, is Jesus larger than life?" Is Jesus larger than life in your walk? Is Jesus larger than life in our churches?
The younger generations are leaving the church or not even thinking about church and one of the reasons is that we have watered down Jesus. Our God is no longer the transcendent God who created the universe nor the one that the Psalms speak of. God is our homeboy and our buddy. God is our sugar daddy that we can ask anything of to satisfy our spoiled cravings and He will give it to us because He wants us to be happy.
We wear the t-shirts that say Jesus is our Superhero then go to church on Sunday, sing funeral dirges, barely keep our eyes open, and anxiously look at our watches to see how much longer the service is. Is it any wonder people don't want to go to church?
I have worn the shirts, barely kept my eyes open, and anxiously wondered when we will sing the last verse of Just As I Am. I still struggle with this attitude at times as well. So, why is God so boring?
I think the reason God appears so boring is because we have portrayed him that way through our actions and attitudes. We dumb down God in order for him to be relevant. We water Him down so that people can relate to him more. But, I don't want to relate to God. I want to be saved by God.
We don't need to dumb down God and people don't want us to either. People want someone that is larger than life. A god who is less than larger than life is incapable of saving us. When we water down God, we make him into our image. And, when we make him into our image, he is powerless to save us because we are more powerful than he is. People are looking for a god who is real and tangible, but at the same time impossible to grasp or fully comprehend. That is kind of God that is mighty to save.
We need to stop putting God in our boxes and surrendering to His majesty. When we surrender to that God, then the thought that He would draw near to us through the person of Jesus Christ becomes almost overwhelming. We can say along with David, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him" (Psalm 8:3-4)?
I don't want my Superman wearing a t-shirt and jeans and I certainly don't want my God to be anything less than the all-powerful, all-knowing, everlasting, gracious and merciful God of the Scriptures; we don't need anything less than that.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Blurred Vision: A Book Review
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting a new friend, Aaron "Woogy" Wolgamott. He is a youth pastor in the area and has such a great heart for leading youth to Christ. We became instant friends when we met and I am looking forward to collaborating with him in the near future.
I volunteered to read his book Blurred Vision for review purposes. I thought I owed him that since he read a pre-release copy of mine. So, this blog post is a review of Blurred Vision.
The concept of Blurred Vision is to ask Christians if they are seeing things clearly when it comes to their relationship with Christ. In a world full distractions and different philosophies, it can be hard for Christians to see Jesus clearly. It is easy for Christians to veer off the straight and narrow. If you are a Christian that is dealing with these issues, then Blurred Vision is the book for you.
Pastor Woogy takes the reader on a journey through the basic tenets of the Christian faith, but looking at them through fresh eyes. He begins the book by challenging Christians' perspective on things. He asks whether followers of Christ are really seeing Christ for who he is and are their lives reflective of that. In order for Christ and following him to make sense, Christians' vision must be clear on who he is and what the faith is all about.
Pastor Woogy's take on Christianity is fresh and exciting. It is a take that needs to be heard across America in big churches and small churches. The Church in America tends to be all about our religion, but according to Pastor Woogy, Jesus did not die to start another religion. Woogy writes, "We talk a good game, know the right things to say, can pray nice-sounding prayers, and even quote scripture. Yet all too often we stop at only words" (Blurred Vision, p. 10). Pastor Woogy establishes early in his book that Christianity is not another religion; rather, it is a relationship with Christ that should not be defined by what we say, but also by what we do. And, this idea sets the stage for the rest of the book.
Throughout the rest of the book, Pastor Woogy takes a look at worship, treasures, faith, spiritual warfare, prayer, forgiveness, relationships, and truth. He explains each topic in light of not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. He effectively argues that each tenet of the faith should go beyond what Christians do on Sunday mornings. Christianity is a tangible relationship with Christ and the reason being is so that others will be introduced to Jesus because of our clear vision of Jesus.
Without being too preachy or getting bogged down in deep theology, Pastor Woogy does a great job of explaining what follow Jesus is all about and challenges Christians' perspective on church and the faith. This book is a must read for a new believer or a seasoned believer. It is even a great read for one who might be exploring faith and even Christianity. It can be read by anyone without being confusing and this is a compliment to Pastor Woogy's writing style and clarity on some tough topics.
If you would like to purchase this book, go here: http://pastorwoogy.com/blurred-vision/
I volunteered to read his book Blurred Vision for review purposes. I thought I owed him that since he read a pre-release copy of mine. So, this blog post is a review of Blurred Vision.
The concept of Blurred Vision is to ask Christians if they are seeing things clearly when it comes to their relationship with Christ. In a world full distractions and different philosophies, it can be hard for Christians to see Jesus clearly. It is easy for Christians to veer off the straight and narrow. If you are a Christian that is dealing with these issues, then Blurred Vision is the book for you.
Pastor Woogy takes the reader on a journey through the basic tenets of the Christian faith, but looking at them through fresh eyes. He begins the book by challenging Christians' perspective on things. He asks whether followers of Christ are really seeing Christ for who he is and are their lives reflective of that. In order for Christ and following him to make sense, Christians' vision must be clear on who he is and what the faith is all about.
Pastor Woogy's take on Christianity is fresh and exciting. It is a take that needs to be heard across America in big churches and small churches. The Church in America tends to be all about our religion, but according to Pastor Woogy, Jesus did not die to start another religion. Woogy writes, "We talk a good game, know the right things to say, can pray nice-sounding prayers, and even quote scripture. Yet all too often we stop at only words" (Blurred Vision, p. 10). Pastor Woogy establishes early in his book that Christianity is not another religion; rather, it is a relationship with Christ that should not be defined by what we say, but also by what we do. And, this idea sets the stage for the rest of the book.
Throughout the rest of the book, Pastor Woogy takes a look at worship, treasures, faith, spiritual warfare, prayer, forgiveness, relationships, and truth. He explains each topic in light of not just talking the talk, but also walking the walk. He effectively argues that each tenet of the faith should go beyond what Christians do on Sunday mornings. Christianity is a tangible relationship with Christ and the reason being is so that others will be introduced to Jesus because of our clear vision of Jesus.
Without being too preachy or getting bogged down in deep theology, Pastor Woogy does a great job of explaining what follow Jesus is all about and challenges Christians' perspective on church and the faith. This book is a must read for a new believer or a seasoned believer. It is even a great read for one who might be exploring faith and even Christianity. It can be read by anyone without being confusing and this is a compliment to Pastor Woogy's writing style and clarity on some tough topics.
If you would like to purchase this book, go here: http://pastorwoogy.com/blurred-vision/
Friday, February 13, 2015
Letting go of hell?
Recently I read a blog post by Benjamin L. Corey that questioned the validity of the belief in an eternal hell. The post listed 25 verses that disproved the traditional view. You can read the post along with his whole series on hell here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/category/letting-go-of-hell-series/
There is a resurgence of an idea that all will be saved eventually and that hell is only a temporary stop on one's way to be saved. Here is the problem with letting go of the traditional belief in hell and embracing a more universal idea that hell is temporary and God will save all in the end eventually.
1. Without an eternal hell, eternal life is not a big deal.
Jesus came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. That is what is clearly taught in the Scriptures. If you don't have the time to look you can simply read John 3:16-17 because that is what those verses refer to. Now, if Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and the penalty of those sins was just nonexistence, then it seems like a lot of effort for very little reward. Paul said in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul makes a distinction between the wages of sin and the gift of God. If the wage is less than the gift, it makes the gift seem outlandish. It makes it seem like Jesus was trying too hard. But, if the wages of sin is eternal death, then the gift of God looks amazing, awesome, great, etc. You get the picture. If Jesus' sacrifice does not save us from something horrible, then his sacrifice almost seems in vain.
2. Without hell, God ceases to be God.
We like to see God as a loving and gracious God, which He is, thankfully. But, we don't like to think of God as a judge, which he is, thankfully. Not only is God a judge, but he is a righteous judge. What this means is that God judges fairly. Now some may not agree with that because they will look at our faith in Jesus and the benefit of that faith and cry foul. They will look at our beliefs and say that God does not judge fairly because believing in Jesus gets us off the hook. But, Jesus shows just how fair God is in his judgment. What Jesus did on the cross was die in our place. Those who believe in Jesus are saved because Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus because Jesus became the very thing that God hates, sin. II Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Did you catch that? Jesus actually became sin for us. What this means is that the punishment our sins deserved was taken by Jesus. Isaiah 53:5 and 10 say, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed...Yet is was the Lord's will to crush him...So, God treated sin like it should be treated, making him a just judge. So, if someone does not put their faith in Jesus, that person remains in their sin. So that person must face the just judge and receive what sins deserve. So, if there is no literal hell, then God is a liar and not a just judge. Imagine if a person murdered someone close to you and the judge said to him, "You know, it's okay. Just don't do it again. In fact, you'll never get in trouble for murder." Would you consider that judge just? Of course not. Then why should we expect God to be any different?
3. Temporary hell means we are saved by works.
If we believe that hell is just a temporary stop to purge all of the bad stuff out of us so that God will be pleased with us, then hell is nothing more than purgatory and we can be saved by our merit. That is completely contrary to Scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you are saved and this not of yourselves for it is the gift of God not by works so that no man should boast." We are not saved by works, but by grace. We can do nothing to earn the favor of God, not in this life or in the next one. A temporary hell goes against the clear teaching of Scripture that we cannot save ourselves by earning salvation.
4. An eternal hell makes eternal life that much sweeter.
Jesus came to offer us a new life, an eternal life. Eternal life means nothing if the rejection of it means we cease to exist or that we can earn it in a temporary holding cell. When faced with the unimaginable, a way out looks that much sweeter. Now, that is not to say we should use hell to scare people into heaven. Those tactics do not work and our contrary to Scripture. Those are the tactics of the Westboro Baptist Church who I strongly oppose. But, the truth needs to be told and not just part of it. The whole truth needs to be told and even the harshest truth can be told in love. The reality is that the wages of our sin is death and that death will not end until we pay that wage. And, that is a wage we can never pay off. That is why Jesus came. He came to show us a better way. He came to show us a more excellent way. He came to show us that we could have life and have it to the full. He came to show us mercy, love, grace, forgiveness, light, etc. All of those things look so much sweeter when compared to the other side of the coin.
I am a pastor and I don't like talking about the reality of hell. But, I know that if I don't, then I will be withholding the truth. I want to make much of Jesus and in order to do that, I have to declare the whole counsel of God and not shrink from it (Acts 20:26-27). Some may say that I am intolerant and not with the times. Some may say that I hate people and do not love. Well, I love people too much to withhold life-saving information from them. Sometimes the truth is hard and it hurts, but the alternative is worse.
There is a resurgence of an idea that all will be saved eventually and that hell is only a temporary stop on one's way to be saved. Here is the problem with letting go of the traditional belief in hell and embracing a more universal idea that hell is temporary and God will save all in the end eventually.
1. Without an eternal hell, eternal life is not a big deal.
Jesus came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. That is what is clearly taught in the Scriptures. If you don't have the time to look you can simply read John 3:16-17 because that is what those verses refer to. Now, if Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins and the penalty of those sins was just nonexistence, then it seems like a lot of effort for very little reward. Paul said in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul makes a distinction between the wages of sin and the gift of God. If the wage is less than the gift, it makes the gift seem outlandish. It makes it seem like Jesus was trying too hard. But, if the wages of sin is eternal death, then the gift of God looks amazing, awesome, great, etc. You get the picture. If Jesus' sacrifice does not save us from something horrible, then his sacrifice almost seems in vain.
2. Without hell, God ceases to be God.
We like to see God as a loving and gracious God, which He is, thankfully. But, we don't like to think of God as a judge, which he is, thankfully. Not only is God a judge, but he is a righteous judge. What this means is that God judges fairly. Now some may not agree with that because they will look at our faith in Jesus and the benefit of that faith and cry foul. They will look at our beliefs and say that God does not judge fairly because believing in Jesus gets us off the hook. But, Jesus shows just how fair God is in his judgment. What Jesus did on the cross was die in our place. Those who believe in Jesus are saved because Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. The wrath of God was poured out on Jesus because Jesus became the very thing that God hates, sin. II Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Did you catch that? Jesus actually became sin for us. What this means is that the punishment our sins deserved was taken by Jesus. Isaiah 53:5 and 10 say, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed...Yet is was the Lord's will to crush him...So, God treated sin like it should be treated, making him a just judge. So, if someone does not put their faith in Jesus, that person remains in their sin. So that person must face the just judge and receive what sins deserve. So, if there is no literal hell, then God is a liar and not a just judge. Imagine if a person murdered someone close to you and the judge said to him, "You know, it's okay. Just don't do it again. In fact, you'll never get in trouble for murder." Would you consider that judge just? Of course not. Then why should we expect God to be any different?
3. Temporary hell means we are saved by works.
If we believe that hell is just a temporary stop to purge all of the bad stuff out of us so that God will be pleased with us, then hell is nothing more than purgatory and we can be saved by our merit. That is completely contrary to Scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you are saved and this not of yourselves for it is the gift of God not by works so that no man should boast." We are not saved by works, but by grace. We can do nothing to earn the favor of God, not in this life or in the next one. A temporary hell goes against the clear teaching of Scripture that we cannot save ourselves by earning salvation.
4. An eternal hell makes eternal life that much sweeter.
Jesus came to offer us a new life, an eternal life. Eternal life means nothing if the rejection of it means we cease to exist or that we can earn it in a temporary holding cell. When faced with the unimaginable, a way out looks that much sweeter. Now, that is not to say we should use hell to scare people into heaven. Those tactics do not work and our contrary to Scripture. Those are the tactics of the Westboro Baptist Church who I strongly oppose. But, the truth needs to be told and not just part of it. The whole truth needs to be told and even the harshest truth can be told in love. The reality is that the wages of our sin is death and that death will not end until we pay that wage. And, that is a wage we can never pay off. That is why Jesus came. He came to show us a better way. He came to show us a more excellent way. He came to show us that we could have life and have it to the full. He came to show us mercy, love, grace, forgiveness, light, etc. All of those things look so much sweeter when compared to the other side of the coin.
I am a pastor and I don't like talking about the reality of hell. But, I know that if I don't, then I will be withholding the truth. I want to make much of Jesus and in order to do that, I have to declare the whole counsel of God and not shrink from it (Acts 20:26-27). Some may say that I am intolerant and not with the times. Some may say that I hate people and do not love. Well, I love people too much to withhold life-saving information from them. Sometimes the truth is hard and it hurts, but the alternative is worse.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Take Me to Church
Last night was the Grammys. My wife and I watched some of it, but not all of it because we have other, more pressing priorities (i.e. Walking Dead and Downton Abbey). One performance I did see was Hozier's performance of "Take Me to Church." I was interested in the performance because I wanted to know exactly what the song was about. I didn't catch all of the lyrics last night so I looked them up today.
The song is a metaphor about the singer leaving the faith of his youth. He uses the metaphor of a woman to represent his journey away from God so that he could reclaim his humanity. Hozier grew up in Ireland and what he remembers about church is that it was repressive and handed out burdens to people that they could not bear on their own. He did not speak of church in the light of grace, freedom, forgiveness, salvation, etc. Is this surprising that he would feel this way towards church? No.
Hozier wants to go to a church where he can be free to be who he is. Hozier said about the song, "It's an assertion of self, reclaiming humanity back for something that is the most natural and worthwhile" (quote taken from interview on http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=32921). Hozier sees humanity as the thing that is natural and worthwhile rather than church. And, honestly I can't blame him.
For too long the church has put more burdens on people than lead them to the lifter of burdens. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers" (Luke 11:46). What do you think Jesus would say to His church today? I think he might say something similar. Now, this is a generalization, but it needs to be heard. Not all churches are like this because there are many churches who are leading people to Jesus. But, the church as a whole in this country and in other countries has been putting burdens on people's shoulders rather than pointing them to Jesus who wants to take their burdens.
The song that Hozier sung last night at the Grammys should be a wake up call for the Church. Hozier represents a generation that sees the church as nothing but a burden that they don't want to bear. They see humanity as the end-all-be-all. Humanity has the answer for everything and this life is all we have. But, as Switchfoot says, "We were made for so much more, have we lost ourselves?" As humans we bear the image of God and as Christians we are clothed with Christ. Christ came to lift burdens because he said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus came to lift the burdens of sin, guilt, shame, death, and more off of our shoulders. As his followers, why should we add burdens on people's shoulders? Jesus has taken our burdens and his shoulders are big enough to take other people's burdens.
The song is a metaphor about the singer leaving the faith of his youth. He uses the metaphor of a woman to represent his journey away from God so that he could reclaim his humanity. Hozier grew up in Ireland and what he remembers about church is that it was repressive and handed out burdens to people that they could not bear on their own. He did not speak of church in the light of grace, freedom, forgiveness, salvation, etc. Is this surprising that he would feel this way towards church? No.
Hozier wants to go to a church where he can be free to be who he is. Hozier said about the song, "It's an assertion of self, reclaiming humanity back for something that is the most natural and worthwhile" (quote taken from interview on http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=32921). Hozier sees humanity as the thing that is natural and worthwhile rather than church. And, honestly I can't blame him.
For too long the church has put more burdens on people than lead them to the lifter of burdens. Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers" (Luke 11:46). What do you think Jesus would say to His church today? I think he might say something similar. Now, this is a generalization, but it needs to be heard. Not all churches are like this because there are many churches who are leading people to Jesus. But, the church as a whole in this country and in other countries has been putting burdens on people's shoulders rather than pointing them to Jesus who wants to take their burdens.
The song that Hozier sung last night at the Grammys should be a wake up call for the Church. Hozier represents a generation that sees the church as nothing but a burden that they don't want to bear. They see humanity as the end-all-be-all. Humanity has the answer for everything and this life is all we have. But, as Switchfoot says, "We were made for so much more, have we lost ourselves?" As humans we bear the image of God and as Christians we are clothed with Christ. Christ came to lift burdens because he said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus came to lift the burdens of sin, guilt, shame, death, and more off of our shoulders. As his followers, why should we add burdens on people's shoulders? Jesus has taken our burdens and his shoulders are big enough to take other people's burdens.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Not Helping
For a little over five years, I have supported Answers in Genesis through my teaching and sharing their content with others. My family and I visited the Creation Museum in Kentucky a few years ago and I loved it. I thought it was a great museum and served as an alternative to evolutionary teaching. But, things change.
On New Year's Eve, Answers in Genesis paid for a billboard advertisement to promote the message of the cross. You can read about it here: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/heres-controversial-billboard-answers-genesis-displaying-times-square-tonight.
The problem I have with this advertisement and some things that Ken Hamm and Answers in Genesis have done lately is that they are not helping the cause of Christ in a post-Christian world. They talk and act as though we are still living 20-30 years in the past. They paid for a billboard advertisement that didn't promote grace, but promoted picking a fight with the "liberals" of society. Did Jesus ever pick a fight with someone? Pretty sure it was the religious leaders of his day that picked fights with him.
I understand the motivation behind the project, but I don't think it was a good one. They want to defend Christian ideals and beliefs. In a sense they want to defend God, but when did God ever need defending?
The problems we face as Christians are mostly brought on by ourselves. We play the martyr card any chance we get. We think that if the Ten Commandments are taken down, then we are being persecuted. Or, whenever our moral beliefs are questioned or threatened, it is the second coming of Roman persecution. Didn't Jesus tell us in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33)?
We act like we are martyrs, but we are martyrs by our own hand. Things like putting a billboard in Times Square with the kind of message that AIG put on there is not helping the cause of Christ. It's pushing people away and alienating people who may identify themselves as "liberal" with their views and beliefs. We need to spend more time treating people as human beings not as labels. Jesus never labeled anyone. In fact, he said that he was sent into the world to save the world not condemn it (John 3:17).
Now I am not saying that we should not take stands for things that are against God and His word. We should, but not in a way that is going to alienate people from Christ. Our goal should be to bring people to Christ not push them away from him.
In a post-Christian world, we need to use our ears more than we use our mouths (for more insight into that click here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/christian-mission-in-a-post-christian-world-interview). We need to listen to people before we start speaking at them because that is what we are doing far too often now, speaking at them rather than to them.
I don't mean to bash AIG because I still love some of the stuff they put out and have on their website. I love the scientific approach they take towards the book of Genesis. What I hope to do is to raise awareness of the harsh tactics that we as Christians have used in the past and are still using that are not working anymore. In fact, I don't know if they ever worked.
It's time to focus on the methods of Jesus. He took time to treat people as people. His first words to people were not condemnation. We are the messengers of Christ not his defenders. He faced trial and conviction without opening his mouth. He died on the cross and rose again from the dead without our help. I think he can handle defending himself now.
On New Year's Eve, Answers in Genesis paid for a billboard advertisement to promote the message of the cross. You can read about it here: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/heres-controversial-billboard-answers-genesis-displaying-times-square-tonight.
The problem I have with this advertisement and some things that Ken Hamm and Answers in Genesis have done lately is that they are not helping the cause of Christ in a post-Christian world. They talk and act as though we are still living 20-30 years in the past. They paid for a billboard advertisement that didn't promote grace, but promoted picking a fight with the "liberals" of society. Did Jesus ever pick a fight with someone? Pretty sure it was the religious leaders of his day that picked fights with him.
I understand the motivation behind the project, but I don't think it was a good one. They want to defend Christian ideals and beliefs. In a sense they want to defend God, but when did God ever need defending?
The problems we face as Christians are mostly brought on by ourselves. We play the martyr card any chance we get. We think that if the Ten Commandments are taken down, then we are being persecuted. Or, whenever our moral beliefs are questioned or threatened, it is the second coming of Roman persecution. Didn't Jesus tell us in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33)?
We act like we are martyrs, but we are martyrs by our own hand. Things like putting a billboard in Times Square with the kind of message that AIG put on there is not helping the cause of Christ. It's pushing people away and alienating people who may identify themselves as "liberal" with their views and beliefs. We need to spend more time treating people as human beings not as labels. Jesus never labeled anyone. In fact, he said that he was sent into the world to save the world not condemn it (John 3:17).
Now I am not saying that we should not take stands for things that are against God and His word. We should, but not in a way that is going to alienate people from Christ. Our goal should be to bring people to Christ not push them away from him.
In a post-Christian world, we need to use our ears more than we use our mouths (for more insight into that click here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/christian-mission-in-a-post-christian-world-interview). We need to listen to people before we start speaking at them because that is what we are doing far too often now, speaking at them rather than to them.
I don't mean to bash AIG because I still love some of the stuff they put out and have on their website. I love the scientific approach they take towards the book of Genesis. What I hope to do is to raise awareness of the harsh tactics that we as Christians have used in the past and are still using that are not working anymore. In fact, I don't know if they ever worked.
It's time to focus on the methods of Jesus. He took time to treat people as people. His first words to people were not condemnation. We are the messengers of Christ not his defenders. He faced trial and conviction without opening his mouth. He died on the cross and rose again from the dead without our help. I think he can handle defending himself now.
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