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.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)