Have you ever noticed how sometimes well-meaning Christians say contradictory things? For example, sometimes in gatherings where multiple people are praying, a person will pipe up and say something like, "Lord, You said that whenever two or more are gathered together in Your name that You will be in the midst of them. Well Lord, there are more than two of us here, so we know that You are with us!"
I remember hearing people quote those words from the Gospel of Matthew and thinking to myself, "So what does THAT imply? Does that mean that Jesus ISN'T at the center of our prayer experience if at least TWO people aren't praying together? What if I'm praying by myself? Is Jesus ignoring me until I round up a partner?"
I'll let you sit on that one for awhile. I do have an opinion - but I want to raise an issue about a contradiction which is infinitely more important than the example above. The issue I'd like to discuss relates to God's forgiveness for us through Christ. For years I grew up hearing preachers talk about how we are eternally "forgiven" of all of our sins (past, present and future) when we receive Christ and become children of God. I agree with this as a basic tenet of genuine Christianity.
Yet, on the other hand I grew up being told that Christians must confess their sins to God on a regular basis in order to find forgiveness for individual sins. The idea was to "keep short accounts" with God so as to "maintain close fellowship" (whatever that meant). Most of the rationale was based on 1 John 1:9, which says "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify us from all unrighteousness." Now, you can see where the double-talk comes in. If I am eternally forgiven of all my sins the moment I receive Christ as Savior - why must I continually confess my sin in order to receive forgiveness and purification?" Is that REALLY what 1 John 1:9 is saying?
Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts...
Friday, October 22, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Burning the Koran in the Name of Christ?
Most of you have seen the reports about how Rev. Terry Jones and his church in Gainesville, FL. are sponsoring a “Koran burning” on September 11, 2010. This kind of behavior is – in my opinion – nothing more than a disgraceful, cheap stunt done in a manner that is both anti-Christian and anti-American. This week I join our Secretary of State and other political and religious leaders in their condemnation of the actions of this church.
In 1790, George Washington wrote to a synagogue in Newport, RI that “This country will give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” As a Christian, I am obviously in disagreement with some of the teachings of the Koran as I understand them. Yet as both a Christian and an American, I believe in religious liberty and tolerance of those I disagree with. And I also benefit greatly by their treatment of me in similar fashion. I may not choose to worship alongside of a person from another faith, but I will rigorously stand alongside of them in defense of their right to worship as they see fit.
In his condemnation of the terror attacks on 9/11, Reverend Jones is now lowering himself to a level on par with the very terrorists he condemns. In fact, his actions are eerily reminiscent of a former terrorist regime known as the Nazis. I'm no genius, but I think a good rule of thumb is that if Hitler practiced it, it's probably something we should avoid! Repaying evil for evil is not only unbiblical, but extremely unwise in a case like this. In addition to his actions bringing reproach to the Name of Christ, Rev. Jones and his church are also putting many innocent people at risk by inciting more violence against Americans, U.S. Troops and peaceful Christians, Jews and Muslims worldwide.
All legitimate Christians should wholeheartedly repudiate the unfortunate and despicable actions of this pastor and his church. Please pray with me as we remember those lost on 9/11, that this church and its sympathizers will be largely ignored and that the radicals who might respond to this Koran burning with violence will not be successful in the needless taking of more innocent lives.
In 1790, George Washington wrote to a synagogue in Newport, RI that “This country will give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.” As a Christian, I am obviously in disagreement with some of the teachings of the Koran as I understand them. Yet as both a Christian and an American, I believe in religious liberty and tolerance of those I disagree with. And I also benefit greatly by their treatment of me in similar fashion. I may not choose to worship alongside of a person from another faith, but I will rigorously stand alongside of them in defense of their right to worship as they see fit.
In his condemnation of the terror attacks on 9/11, Reverend Jones is now lowering himself to a level on par with the very terrorists he condemns. In fact, his actions are eerily reminiscent of a former terrorist regime known as the Nazis. I'm no genius, but I think a good rule of thumb is that if Hitler practiced it, it's probably something we should avoid! Repaying evil for evil is not only unbiblical, but extremely unwise in a case like this. In addition to his actions bringing reproach to the Name of Christ, Rev. Jones and his church are also putting many innocent people at risk by inciting more violence against Americans, U.S. Troops and peaceful Christians, Jews and Muslims worldwide.
All legitimate Christians should wholeheartedly repudiate the unfortunate and despicable actions of this pastor and his church. Please pray with me as we remember those lost on 9/11, that this church and its sympathizers will be largely ignored and that the radicals who might respond to this Koran burning with violence will not be successful in the needless taking of more innocent lives.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A Discussion About Grace...
A little more than 20 years ago, a debate among theologians began to intensify about the nature of the grace of God in the salvation of humanity. One view became known as "Lordship Salvation" (LS). This position is predicated upon a few central ideas:
First, LS claims that true faith (what they call "saving faith") in Christ involves not only belief in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, but also a commitment to submit to Christ as Master over every area of life. The idea is that "repentance" (which LS defines as "turning from sin toward God") is a necessary component of genuine faith - and that without such a commitment to turn from sin, a person is not exercising legitimate faith in Jesus. One common cliche popularized by this camp is "You cannot accept Jesus as Savior while rejecting Him as Lord." Sounds reasonable enough, doesn't it?
Secondly, LS asserts that in the life of all true believers, genuine faith will be "proven" by a lifestyle of increasing victory over sin, a demonstration of consistent obedience, and a track-record of obviously good works. Among the passages used to defend this idea are James 2:14-26 and Jesus' various statements in the Gospels related to "denying" or "dying to" oneself in order to come to Him.
On the other side of the debate, another view became popularly known as "Free Grace" theology (FG). This school of thought also emphasizes some core ideas about the nature of the Gospel proclaimed by Jesus and the Apostles.
In contrast to LS theology, FG theology affirms that Biblical faith in Christ is nothing more or less than simple "trust" or "confidence" that the Gospel is true and that it's promises apply to us personally the very moment we place our trust in this work of salvation Christ accomplished. FG advocates distinguish faith from "surrender to Christ's Lordship" on the grounds that adding mandatory results as a "litmus test" for whether or not one's faith is genuine is unbiblical and runs against the nature of grace itself - which is defined as God's unmerited favor received as a free gift on the basis of simply trusting in the promises of Christ.
Secondly, FG advocates insist that while "repentance" CAN and often DOES involve a turning from sin, we must be careful to define repentance Biblically. The Biblical definition of the verb "to repent" means literally "to change one's mind or perspective". It does NOT mean "to turn away from sin", although as I just mentioned, it could and often WILL include turning away from sin. Popular passages used to defend the FG position include John 3:16 and following, along with various passages in the Pauline Epistles which affirm that grace and the Law are two entirely different systems with unique purposes.
At one time I was a staunch, card-carrying member of the Lordship Salvation camp. Over the years, and with many reasons brought about through careful study of the Scriptures, I have journeyed toward the Free Grace camp in my understanding of the Gospel. Some of the primary voices among the LS camp include John MacArthur, R.C Sproul and John Piper. Noteworthy advocates of the FG position include Zane Hodges, Charles Swindoll and Charles Ryrie.
While I respect each of the men I just mentioned in various ways, I am definitely thankful for the movement toward Free Grace theology that I have experienced as a believer and pastor. I cannot possibly go into all of those issues in this format, but I would be interested in knowing where you fit along this spectrum of thought. What exactly DOES it mean to have faith? What does repentance mean? And how do the two of these ideas fit together (if at all) in bringing about eternal life?
If you have non-combative ideas to share - stuff that you would be able to defend Scripturally and with respect to other viewpoints - I would love to hear from you. As Christians, we all believe that salvation is by grace through faith - but what exactly does that mean? Let's have a good discussion...
First, LS claims that true faith (what they call "saving faith") in Christ involves not only belief in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, but also a commitment to submit to Christ as Master over every area of life. The idea is that "repentance" (which LS defines as "turning from sin toward God") is a necessary component of genuine faith - and that without such a commitment to turn from sin, a person is not exercising legitimate faith in Jesus. One common cliche popularized by this camp is "You cannot accept Jesus as Savior while rejecting Him as Lord." Sounds reasonable enough, doesn't it?
Secondly, LS asserts that in the life of all true believers, genuine faith will be "proven" by a lifestyle of increasing victory over sin, a demonstration of consistent obedience, and a track-record of obviously good works. Among the passages used to defend this idea are James 2:14-26 and Jesus' various statements in the Gospels related to "denying" or "dying to" oneself in order to come to Him.
On the other side of the debate, another view became popularly known as "Free Grace" theology (FG). This school of thought also emphasizes some core ideas about the nature of the Gospel proclaimed by Jesus and the Apostles.
In contrast to LS theology, FG theology affirms that Biblical faith in Christ is nothing more or less than simple "trust" or "confidence" that the Gospel is true and that it's promises apply to us personally the very moment we place our trust in this work of salvation Christ accomplished. FG advocates distinguish faith from "surrender to Christ's Lordship" on the grounds that adding mandatory results as a "litmus test" for whether or not one's faith is genuine is unbiblical and runs against the nature of grace itself - which is defined as God's unmerited favor received as a free gift on the basis of simply trusting in the promises of Christ.
Secondly, FG advocates insist that while "repentance" CAN and often DOES involve a turning from sin, we must be careful to define repentance Biblically. The Biblical definition of the verb "to repent" means literally "to change one's mind or perspective". It does NOT mean "to turn away from sin", although as I just mentioned, it could and often WILL include turning away from sin. Popular passages used to defend the FG position include John 3:16 and following, along with various passages in the Pauline Epistles which affirm that grace and the Law are two entirely different systems with unique purposes.
At one time I was a staunch, card-carrying member of the Lordship Salvation camp. Over the years, and with many reasons brought about through careful study of the Scriptures, I have journeyed toward the Free Grace camp in my understanding of the Gospel. Some of the primary voices among the LS camp include John MacArthur, R.C Sproul and John Piper. Noteworthy advocates of the FG position include Zane Hodges, Charles Swindoll and Charles Ryrie.
While I respect each of the men I just mentioned in various ways, I am definitely thankful for the movement toward Free Grace theology that I have experienced as a believer and pastor. I cannot possibly go into all of those issues in this format, but I would be interested in knowing where you fit along this spectrum of thought. What exactly DOES it mean to have faith? What does repentance mean? And how do the two of these ideas fit together (if at all) in bringing about eternal life?
If you have non-combative ideas to share - stuff that you would be able to defend Scripturally and with respect to other viewpoints - I would love to hear from you. As Christians, we all believe that salvation is by grace through faith - but what exactly does that mean? Let's have a good discussion...
Monday, July 12, 2010
Religion Kills
Have you ever stopped to take a close look at Jesus - independent from the religious baggage we've attached to Him? I was talking to a guy at Peet's Coffee who asked me what I do for a living. When I told him I was a vocational pastor (which is unfortunately a predictable conversation-killer in most cases), he promptly told me that he wasn't a religious person, but that he respected those who have faith.
You should have seen the look on his face when I responded that I am not a particularly religious person either. "But I thought you just said you are a pastor," he replied, "How can you say you're not a religious person." I began to explain my opinion that there are crucial differences between those who are religious and those who follow Jesus.
When Jesus came into the world, the last thing on His agenda was to launch a new religion. The Jewish culture into which He arrived was chock full of religion. In addition, the Roman Empire was a cesspool of pagan religious practice as well - from Caesar-worship to Greek mythology to ritualistic cults. Jesus came to launch a rebellion - not a religion. In essence, religion is virtually all the same. Sure there are key differences among man-made religions, but they are all essentially about pleasing or appeasing their Deity or Deities through some form of human effort. Even the Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism - while not so much affirming belief in any one "god" - operate on a system of Karma and essentially working one's way to a higher state of reincarnated life.
Jesus' message was quite literally: "To hell with all that!" The rebellion Jesus started was focused on an upside-down way of relating to God - one in which God did all the work, initiating a loving relationship with His creation and salvation that comes as a free gift rather than something you work for. For some people, this message is too good to be true. It is a blatant affront to the prideful human sense we all share - that somehow we want to prove ourselves at least partly "worthy" by contributing to our own salvation.
In the Book of Matthew - chapters 5-7 - Jesus shocks His audience with a message Christians commonly refer to as "The Sermon on the Mount". In that message He challenges religious thinking head-on. The entire foundation of the sermon is built upon a very key phrase where Jesus says, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, you cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven." This was so shocking because from the outside looking in, the Pharisees were the most pious religious sect among the Jews. They were known for their outward religious adherence to the strictest interpretation of God's Law.
You can imagine how the common people felt when Jesus told them that in order to receive salvation they had to be MORE righteous than these so-called "perfect" religious folks. But that - we would eventually find - was precisely Jesus' point! He wanted to drive them to the desperate realization that in and of their own effort, it is impossible to live up to God's perfect standards. In stating this, Jesus was setting the stage to introduce what for them would be an entirely new concept - namely, that we could exchange our lives for His life. He was claiming that God had sent Him to live the perfect life on our behalf, and that through simply believing in His perfect life and sacrifice on the cross, we could exchange our sinful lives for His perfect life even though our behavior remains imperfect.
The exchanged life that Jesus proclaimed is a radical rebellion against religion. Whereas religions says, "There's a lot of work to be done," the message of Jesus is, "The work has already been done." There is a radical difference between religion and the message of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, humans have neutered the raw power of the rebellion by attaching all kinds of religious baggage to Jesus. But even through the 2,000-year-old fog we've created, the clarity of Jesus' voice rings through loud and clear: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in (your) weakness..." (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Jesus is not about mustering up enough strength to be religious. He is exactly the opposite. He is about admitting your weakness and need for a Savior - and allowing Him to begin living His supernatural life THROUGH you by faith. That's how our lives are changed and become filled with power and joy. Religion kills. Don't let it kill you! Come to the Author of life and let Him exchange His life for yours. And remember, if you hear someone talking about Jesus and the message doesn't sound too good to be true, then you're not hearing the true message of Jesus. His grace ALWAYS sounds too good to be true. That's precisely what makes it grace!
I can hear some of the religious combatants now... "What are you talking about, Jeremy? If you teach people that Christ's grace is an unconditional, irreversible disposition of favor and tenderness toward people - then they will be tempted to abuse God's grace as a license to sin." To which I reply, "DUH! If grace were not open to the possibility of abuse, it would at that very moment cease to be grace!" And yet, when we truly begin to catch a glimpse of God's irrationally free gift of grace toward those who simply receive it though faith in Christ, that same grace begins to change us into grateful creatures. We begin to respond to His unfathomable tenderness with a disposition of surrender to Him as our Heavenly Father, Friend and Lord. But this cannot happen until we rest in the all-sufficiency of His grace. Grace is what sets Christianity apart from man-made religious bondage. it's what makes the message of Christ unique.
If you are reading this and your experience of Jesus has been the kind with all the religious baggage attached, I encourage you to join the rebellion and meet the real Jesus - the One who will never leave you or forsake you. The One who loves you as you are and not as you "should" be. The One who loves you so much that He would rather die for you than live without you for eternity. And yes, the One who loves you exactly the way He finds you - but also loves you WAY too much to leave you that way! He has the power to change your life. Will you let Him?
That's the way I see it. I welcome your thoughts... :)
You should have seen the look on his face when I responded that I am not a particularly religious person either. "But I thought you just said you are a pastor," he replied, "How can you say you're not a religious person." I began to explain my opinion that there are crucial differences between those who are religious and those who follow Jesus.
When Jesus came into the world, the last thing on His agenda was to launch a new religion. The Jewish culture into which He arrived was chock full of religion. In addition, the Roman Empire was a cesspool of pagan religious practice as well - from Caesar-worship to Greek mythology to ritualistic cults. Jesus came to launch a rebellion - not a religion. In essence, religion is virtually all the same. Sure there are key differences among man-made religions, but they are all essentially about pleasing or appeasing their Deity or Deities through some form of human effort. Even the Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism - while not so much affirming belief in any one "god" - operate on a system of Karma and essentially working one's way to a higher state of reincarnated life.
Jesus' message was quite literally: "To hell with all that!" The rebellion Jesus started was focused on an upside-down way of relating to God - one in which God did all the work, initiating a loving relationship with His creation and salvation that comes as a free gift rather than something you work for. For some people, this message is too good to be true. It is a blatant affront to the prideful human sense we all share - that somehow we want to prove ourselves at least partly "worthy" by contributing to our own salvation.
In the Book of Matthew - chapters 5-7 - Jesus shocks His audience with a message Christians commonly refer to as "The Sermon on the Mount". In that message He challenges religious thinking head-on. The entire foundation of the sermon is built upon a very key phrase where Jesus says, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, you cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven." This was so shocking because from the outside looking in, the Pharisees were the most pious religious sect among the Jews. They were known for their outward religious adherence to the strictest interpretation of God's Law.
You can imagine how the common people felt when Jesus told them that in order to receive salvation they had to be MORE righteous than these so-called "perfect" religious folks. But that - we would eventually find - was precisely Jesus' point! He wanted to drive them to the desperate realization that in and of their own effort, it is impossible to live up to God's perfect standards. In stating this, Jesus was setting the stage to introduce what for them would be an entirely new concept - namely, that we could exchange our lives for His life. He was claiming that God had sent Him to live the perfect life on our behalf, and that through simply believing in His perfect life and sacrifice on the cross, we could exchange our sinful lives for His perfect life even though our behavior remains imperfect.
The exchanged life that Jesus proclaimed is a radical rebellion against religion. Whereas religions says, "There's a lot of work to be done," the message of Jesus is, "The work has already been done." There is a radical difference between religion and the message of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, humans have neutered the raw power of the rebellion by attaching all kinds of religious baggage to Jesus. But even through the 2,000-year-old fog we've created, the clarity of Jesus' voice rings through loud and clear: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in (your) weakness..." (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Jesus is not about mustering up enough strength to be religious. He is exactly the opposite. He is about admitting your weakness and need for a Savior - and allowing Him to begin living His supernatural life THROUGH you by faith. That's how our lives are changed and become filled with power and joy. Religion kills. Don't let it kill you! Come to the Author of life and let Him exchange His life for yours. And remember, if you hear someone talking about Jesus and the message doesn't sound too good to be true, then you're not hearing the true message of Jesus. His grace ALWAYS sounds too good to be true. That's precisely what makes it grace!
I can hear some of the religious combatants now... "What are you talking about, Jeremy? If you teach people that Christ's grace is an unconditional, irreversible disposition of favor and tenderness toward people - then they will be tempted to abuse God's grace as a license to sin." To which I reply, "DUH! If grace were not open to the possibility of abuse, it would at that very moment cease to be grace!" And yet, when we truly begin to catch a glimpse of God's irrationally free gift of grace toward those who simply receive it though faith in Christ, that same grace begins to change us into grateful creatures. We begin to respond to His unfathomable tenderness with a disposition of surrender to Him as our Heavenly Father, Friend and Lord. But this cannot happen until we rest in the all-sufficiency of His grace. Grace is what sets Christianity apart from man-made religious bondage. it's what makes the message of Christ unique.
If you are reading this and your experience of Jesus has been the kind with all the religious baggage attached, I encourage you to join the rebellion and meet the real Jesus - the One who will never leave you or forsake you. The One who loves you as you are and not as you "should" be. The One who loves you so much that He would rather die for you than live without you for eternity. And yes, the One who loves you exactly the way He finds you - but also loves you WAY too much to leave you that way! He has the power to change your life. Will you let Him?
That's the way I see it. I welcome your thoughts... :)
Monday, July 5, 2010
A Few Thoughts about America and God's Grace
Having recently celebrated Independence Day with friends and family, I was reflecting on the song "America, the Beautiful". One of the lines in the song is the phrase "God shed His grace on Thee..." It got me thinking, is it really accurate to say that God has shed His grace upon a particular country?
As an American, I love this nation where I derive my earthly citizenship. As a Christ-follower, I love grace, because it alone secures me in my eternal citizenship both in and beyond this world. In the New Testament, grace is offered to individuals in numerous ways, not the least of which is through Christ's sacrifice for sin on the cross. So if the New Testament concept of grace is extended to individuals regardless of race, color or national identity, the question is worth asking: In what sense is God's "grace" shed on America - or any other nation, for that matter?
I do believe that America's foundational documents (i.e. the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, etc.) are morally superior to other systems of human government. And while we have at times fallen very short of living up to the ideals of our founding intentions, these documents are nonetheless a beautiful and Scripturally rooted set of values by which we seek to perpetuate freedom for our citizens. In that sense, God has indeed been gracious to the citizens of this nation - allowing us to live in relative peace, prosperity and political freedom by comparison to the vast majority of the global population.
And yet, under the New Covenant God no longer operates through specific "chosen nations" such as He did in the Old Testament. For "there is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female - but all are one in Christ Jesus". The New Testament concept of grace is centered upon the unmerited favor of God being freely bestowed upon those who will simply receive God's grace as a free gift through faith in Christ. Obviously, not everyone in America believes this message. So again I ask, "In what sense is God's grace been shed upon America?" Or is that particular line of the song misstated?
Biblically, grace is the highest and sweetest expression of the love of God toward humanity. It is the offer of complete forgiveness of sin and eternal life based upon no effort of our own. So when we say that God has shed His grace upon America, do we mean that He loves Americans more than others? Is this line something that should be sung by Christians, thankful and patriotic as we may be about our country? I would love to know your thoughts...
As an American, I love this nation where I derive my earthly citizenship. As a Christ-follower, I love grace, because it alone secures me in my eternal citizenship both in and beyond this world. In the New Testament, grace is offered to individuals in numerous ways, not the least of which is through Christ's sacrifice for sin on the cross. So if the New Testament concept of grace is extended to individuals regardless of race, color or national identity, the question is worth asking: In what sense is God's "grace" shed on America - or any other nation, for that matter?
I do believe that America's foundational documents (i.e. the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, etc.) are morally superior to other systems of human government. And while we have at times fallen very short of living up to the ideals of our founding intentions, these documents are nonetheless a beautiful and Scripturally rooted set of values by which we seek to perpetuate freedom for our citizens. In that sense, God has indeed been gracious to the citizens of this nation - allowing us to live in relative peace, prosperity and political freedom by comparison to the vast majority of the global population.
And yet, under the New Covenant God no longer operates through specific "chosen nations" such as He did in the Old Testament. For "there is neither Greek nor Jew, slave nor free, male nor female - but all are one in Christ Jesus". The New Testament concept of grace is centered upon the unmerited favor of God being freely bestowed upon those who will simply receive God's grace as a free gift through faith in Christ. Obviously, not everyone in America believes this message. So again I ask, "In what sense is God's grace been shed upon America?" Or is that particular line of the song misstated?
Biblically, grace is the highest and sweetest expression of the love of God toward humanity. It is the offer of complete forgiveness of sin and eternal life based upon no effort of our own. So when we say that God has shed His grace upon America, do we mean that He loves Americans more than others? Is this line something that should be sung by Christians, thankful and patriotic as we may be about our country? I would love to know your thoughts...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Praying for the President
Recent weeks have been tough for America overall. At present, we are faced with an oil spill filling the beautiful gulf coast environment with billions of gallons of sludge. A top military general has been replaced to provide leadership for the war effort in Afghanistan. Sales of new homes plummeted following the recent expiring of the new home buyer tax credit. The only sizable area of job growth has been due to temporary government employees working for the U.S. Census Bureau - all of whom will lose those jobs in a matter of weeks. Political leaders continue to be scrutinized for possible ethics violations. And the list goes on...
Say what you will about President Obama, but if there is one job on the planet I do not wish to have (besides a FIFA World Cup referee) it is his. When Mr. Obama was elected, I vowed that I would pray for him regularly - and I am thankful to say that I am meeting that goal. Even though I disagree with many of this administration's policies, I truly desire for our President to make decisions that are good for America. I want his little girls to be protected and raised well. I pray for his safety against those who would be so sick as to try to do him physical harm. And I pray for God to help me to disagree with grace (which I sometimes fall short of).
One thing we have to keep in mind no matter which party or person is in power - is that God is in charge of His universe. It may not always feel that way when we consider the suffering of this world. But sin is real, and it leads to misery. The good news is that there is a Savior from sin - and this Savior is not a President, or a celebrity, or a billionaire or an athlete. He is Jesus - and He said that His kingdom is not of this world. And He said that His followers are aliens and strangers on this planet who are here as His ambassadors. So I will keep praying for this President...and the next one and the next one...unless there is no next one.
Jesus said "Behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with me." The early disciples understood this, and while they were definitely engaged in their human citizenship, they saw it as secondary to their heavenly one. So, I plan to remain engaged in the affairs of this planet - but I pray I will never lose sight of the reason I am here. Although I love and give deep thanks for America, I am not primarily an American. Or a voter. Or even a pastor in a formal role as such. I am first and foremost a bearer of grace and truth as I allow Jesus to live His supernatural life through me. What about you? What keeps you anchored to Reality in the midst of the falsehood that surrounds us? Will you pray for the President with me? I hope so. But even more importantly, I want to pray with the Apostle John "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus..." What say you...?
Say what you will about President Obama, but if there is one job on the planet I do not wish to have (besides a FIFA World Cup referee) it is his. When Mr. Obama was elected, I vowed that I would pray for him regularly - and I am thankful to say that I am meeting that goal. Even though I disagree with many of this administration's policies, I truly desire for our President to make decisions that are good for America. I want his little girls to be protected and raised well. I pray for his safety against those who would be so sick as to try to do him physical harm. And I pray for God to help me to disagree with grace (which I sometimes fall short of).
One thing we have to keep in mind no matter which party or person is in power - is that God is in charge of His universe. It may not always feel that way when we consider the suffering of this world. But sin is real, and it leads to misery. The good news is that there is a Savior from sin - and this Savior is not a President, or a celebrity, or a billionaire or an athlete. He is Jesus - and He said that His kingdom is not of this world. And He said that His followers are aliens and strangers on this planet who are here as His ambassadors. So I will keep praying for this President...and the next one and the next one...unless there is no next one.
Jesus said "Behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with me." The early disciples understood this, and while they were definitely engaged in their human citizenship, they saw it as secondary to their heavenly one. So, I plan to remain engaged in the affairs of this planet - but I pray I will never lose sight of the reason I am here. Although I love and give deep thanks for America, I am not primarily an American. Or a voter. Or even a pastor in a formal role as such. I am first and foremost a bearer of grace and truth as I allow Jesus to live His supernatural life through me. What about you? What keeps you anchored to Reality in the midst of the falsehood that surrounds us? Will you pray for the President with me? I hope so. But even more importantly, I want to pray with the Apostle John "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus..." What say you...?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Can Truth and Tolerance Coexist?
What is truth? In John 18, Pilate asked Jesus that exact question. The answer may be one of the most consequential conclusions we ever come to. In an increasingly relativistic culture like ours, objective truth is a concept that fewer and fewer people seem to believe in. To suggest that one particular idea or belief system is true to the exclusion of any other is seen by many as arrogant at best - and dangerous at worst.
Yet, Jesus told Pilate that "everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Jesus also made exclusive claims about Himself being the only way by which a person could find God (John 14:6). According to Jesus, objective truth does exist and is found in Him. In today's smorgas-board approach to life and spirituality, it seems that the highest of virtues is not truth, or even love - but "tolerance".
Tolerance is actually a great word and a very biblical concept, when properly understood. The traditional understanding of tolerance meant respecting the fact that everyone has equal rights to believe what they want to believe according to their own conscience. Christians support this kind of tolerance as consistent with the volitional and rational capabilities God has given to humanity.
But in recent times, tolerance has been radically re-defined. No longer is the concept focused on equal rights to individual beliefs - but instead, today's "tolerance" seeks to force everyone to affirm that all views are equally right. So is this a wise philosophy to embrace? Is it true that all belief systems are equally valid and that truth is merely whatever the individual happens to decide is in fact true? Or is there an objective, higher and absolute realm of truth which applies to all people, from all cultures, for all of time?
Beginning this Sunday at Valley Church, we will be launching a brand-new 3-part series called "True(ish)". We will be investigating the answer to these and other questions which are crucial to the process of critical thinking, sound decision-making and ultimately discovering whether the claims of Jesus and the Scriptures are trustworthy. What do YOU think about this issue of absolute truth? Does it exist? If so, is it possible to find and understand? Feel free to chime in here with your thoughts - and also please join us this Sunday at Valley Church (9am and 11am - 5063 Maple Rd. Vacaville, CA. 95687, www.valleychurch.com). Blessings to you...
Yet, Jesus told Pilate that "everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Jesus also made exclusive claims about Himself being the only way by which a person could find God (John 14:6). According to Jesus, objective truth does exist and is found in Him. In today's smorgas-board approach to life and spirituality, it seems that the highest of virtues is not truth, or even love - but "tolerance".
Tolerance is actually a great word and a very biblical concept, when properly understood. The traditional understanding of tolerance meant respecting the fact that everyone has equal rights to believe what they want to believe according to their own conscience. Christians support this kind of tolerance as consistent with the volitional and rational capabilities God has given to humanity.
But in recent times, tolerance has been radically re-defined. No longer is the concept focused on equal rights to individual beliefs - but instead, today's "tolerance" seeks to force everyone to affirm that all views are equally right. So is this a wise philosophy to embrace? Is it true that all belief systems are equally valid and that truth is merely whatever the individual happens to decide is in fact true? Or is there an objective, higher and absolute realm of truth which applies to all people, from all cultures, for all of time?
Beginning this Sunday at Valley Church, we will be launching a brand-new 3-part series called "True(ish)". We will be investigating the answer to these and other questions which are crucial to the process of critical thinking, sound decision-making and ultimately discovering whether the claims of Jesus and the Scriptures are trustworthy. What do YOU think about this issue of absolute truth? Does it exist? If so, is it possible to find and understand? Feel free to chime in here with your thoughts - and also please join us this Sunday at Valley Church (9am and 11am - 5063 Maple Rd. Vacaville, CA. 95687, www.valleychurch.com). Blessings to you...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Is Enforcing the Law a Racist Thing To Do?
It is my opinion that the term "racist" is being used WAY too freely these days. Before I go any further, let me affirm to anyone who does not know me well that as a Christian, I believe racism to be evil, immoral, unjust and against the most basic ideals of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Racism has no place in the life of a Christian and should be peacefully resisted in America on all fronts.
That's why I am so upset that the definition of racism is being so mischaracterized by many on the radical left of the political aisle - with the latest example being this ridiculous notion that Arizona's new crackdown on illegal aliens is racism. In a ploy of almost unbelievable audacity, Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva recently called upon President Obama to force Arizona to overturn their legislation mandating sworn peace officers and Border Patrol agents to begin more strictly monitoring and questioning those who they suspect may be in the country illegally.
Silly me for being one of those out of touch, old-fashioned idiots who is naive enough to suppose that the main responsibility of the Border Patrol is to CONTROL THE BORDER. I must have missed the memo about these officers and agents no longer being allowed to do the job our tax dollars are paying them to do!
I understand the opposition's argument about fears of racial profiling - which is why I actually went online and READ the bill. It clearly prohibits law enforcement personnel from racial profiling - among several other extremely strict stipulations. Google it and read for yourself if you don't believe me!
You can tell I am passionate about this stuff, can't you? I am so sick and tired of the far left yelling "racism" any time a white person questions the policies of our black president. I am grieved by the notion that some people cannot offer critical analysis of ideas they believe are bad for our country without being labeled with such a terrible and false charge of racism. And I cannot understand the notion that a long-overdue crackdown on illegal immigration in Arizona is now being labeled as a "racist" agenda.
The far left continually talks about how we are now finally a "post-racial" society - with the election of Barack Obama as their greatest proof. While I too celebrate the progress we have made in tearing down racial bigotry in our great country - my opinion is that an even greater evidence of our becoming "post-racial" as a nation will occur when two things happen:
1) When the far-left stops using the term "racist" in such an illegitimate, unwarranted and ill-defined manner, and
2) When a President-of-color can be voted out of office based on his policy failures and no one so much as brings his race into the discussion.
When did agreeing to enforce our states' illegal immigration laws become a racist endeavor? I don't care whether it is a Mexican or a red-haired Irish Canadian attempting to come to America illegally! He or she should be treated humanely, punished to the full extent of the law and deported with no chance for re-entry. This is exactly how Mexico treats the thousands of Guatemalans who illegally cross Mexico's southern border each year! Wouldn't it be great if we could at least enforce our laws as well as Mexico enforces theirs?
Now the Phoenix Suns are sporting "Los Suns" on their Jerseys as a protest from the owner of their team. I truly wish one of their star players had the cajones to sit out of the game without pay in protest of his jersey being used as a political propaganda billboard. I think Dennis Miller said it best when he questioned why nobody is memorializing the poor Arizona farmer who was recently murdered by illegal immigrants or the cop who was recently shot while chasing down illegal immigrants or the dozens of other examples of how out of control this problem is!
That's my opinion - what's yours? If you have a strong conviction that you can share respectfully - please feel free to join in with your comments! :)
That's why I am so upset that the definition of racism is being so mischaracterized by many on the radical left of the political aisle - with the latest example being this ridiculous notion that Arizona's new crackdown on illegal aliens is racism. In a ploy of almost unbelievable audacity, Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva recently called upon President Obama to force Arizona to overturn their legislation mandating sworn peace officers and Border Patrol agents to begin more strictly monitoring and questioning those who they suspect may be in the country illegally.
Silly me for being one of those out of touch, old-fashioned idiots who is naive enough to suppose that the main responsibility of the Border Patrol is to CONTROL THE BORDER. I must have missed the memo about these officers and agents no longer being allowed to do the job our tax dollars are paying them to do!
I understand the opposition's argument about fears of racial profiling - which is why I actually went online and READ the bill. It clearly prohibits law enforcement personnel from racial profiling - among several other extremely strict stipulations. Google it and read for yourself if you don't believe me!
You can tell I am passionate about this stuff, can't you? I am so sick and tired of the far left yelling "racism" any time a white person questions the policies of our black president. I am grieved by the notion that some people cannot offer critical analysis of ideas they believe are bad for our country without being labeled with such a terrible and false charge of racism. And I cannot understand the notion that a long-overdue crackdown on illegal immigration in Arizona is now being labeled as a "racist" agenda.
The far left continually talks about how we are now finally a "post-racial" society - with the election of Barack Obama as their greatest proof. While I too celebrate the progress we have made in tearing down racial bigotry in our great country - my opinion is that an even greater evidence of our becoming "post-racial" as a nation will occur when two things happen:
1) When the far-left stops using the term "racist" in such an illegitimate, unwarranted and ill-defined manner, and
2) When a President-of-color can be voted out of office based on his policy failures and no one so much as brings his race into the discussion.
When did agreeing to enforce our states' illegal immigration laws become a racist endeavor? I don't care whether it is a Mexican or a red-haired Irish Canadian attempting to come to America illegally! He or she should be treated humanely, punished to the full extent of the law and deported with no chance for re-entry. This is exactly how Mexico treats the thousands of Guatemalans who illegally cross Mexico's southern border each year! Wouldn't it be great if we could at least enforce our laws as well as Mexico enforces theirs?
Now the Phoenix Suns are sporting "Los Suns" on their Jerseys as a protest from the owner of their team. I truly wish one of their star players had the cajones to sit out of the game without pay in protest of his jersey being used as a political propaganda billboard. I think Dennis Miller said it best when he questioned why nobody is memorializing the poor Arizona farmer who was recently murdered by illegal immigrants or the cop who was recently shot while chasing down illegal immigrants or the dozens of other examples of how out of control this problem is!
That's my opinion - what's yours? If you have a strong conviction that you can share respectfully - please feel free to join in with your comments! :)
Friday, April 9, 2010
Confessions of an Unfinished Pastor - Part 1
On April 4, 2010 I preached my first Easter sermon as a Lead Pastor. For the first 13 years of my pastoral ministry I had never attended an Easter Sunday service because I had always been on a Mission trip during our students' Spring break. The morning was an awesome experience, as each service was filled with people hungry to worship the risen Christ.
In addition to these worshipers, I came into the morning very aware that on Easter, many people show up to church gatherings who rarely if ever attend. The motives for this rare Easter church attendance vary according to those I have spoken with over the years. Some seem to show up out of a sense of duty to a friend or loved one who has been begging them to attend church for the previous 51 weeks. Others do so out of duty, believing that church is simply what good "God-fearing" Americans do on Easter morning. And there are still others with many other reasons, I suppose.
I treat every worship gathering expecting that many will be in our midst who have not yet become followers of Jesus. Some are genuinely seeking truth. Others are simply curious. But this Easter, I shared some personal things I believed would connect with those in attendance who wanted to believe in a risen Savior, yet struggle with incessive doubt. At various points along the way, I affirmed in no uncertain terms that doubters and skeptics are welcome at Valley Church - and that I too am a fellow doubter who, like Thomas, often wrestles with the desire to "see before I can believe."
While sharing personal information about weaknesses and struggles can be risky for a pastor, I believe that at the end of the day God's people will appreciate the leadership of someone who is honest more so than one who fakes his way through the journey with a plastic smile plastered all over his over-confident face. My risk ended up paying off, as numbers of people have since contacted me expressing a desire to meet over coffee to discuss Jesus further in the weeks ahead.
I realize that on the surface, it may not sound comforting for a person to hear that their pastor struggles with doubt. But properly understood - doubt should not be viewed as an enemy of faith, but rather a friend. Certainly there can be a negative side to ongoing unchecked doubt. But in my journey of faith, doubt has prompted me into relentless seasons of soul searching, Scriptural contemplation and personal investigation into the knowable facts. Ironically, it has been during these wilderness seasons of doubt that God has most significantly deepened and strengthened my confidence in Jesus Christ and His claims.
As my faith has grown, I find that I am rarely ever doubtful about such elementary topics as whether God exists or whether Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, I am confident enough of those things to give my life for them. Nonetheless, I have found that for most people it is NOT easy to walk by faith. It's not easy to believe that God's acceptance is totally unconditional. It's not easy to believe that God doesn't count our sins against us based on simply trusting in Christ. It's not easy to believe that there is no condemnation and that His grace is abounding to us every millisecond of the day. But the Scripture says that these things are true.
Doubts will come and go throughout the ebb and flow of life. Someone once said that an unexamined faith is of no real use - and I would tend to agree. Doubts force us to re-examine our core values and beliefs. Doubts bring us to the brink of realizing our utter dependence upon the God who has revealed Himself to us in creation, the Bible, and the Messiah. So while a handful of people may not want to hear their pastor speak of his own journey through the twists and turns of doubt - I remember that my mom always taught me that "honesty is the best policy." Integrity is not pretending to have it all together. Integrity is being true to the Truth no matter where it leads. So I'll repeat what I said on Easter morning: "Fellow doubters and skeptics...WELCOME TO VALLEY CHURCH!" Let's join with the disciples who honestly said "Lord, we believe - but help our unbelief..." That's when an unexamined faith begins to mature.
Any thoughts you'd like to add? Feel free....
In addition to these worshipers, I came into the morning very aware that on Easter, many people show up to church gatherings who rarely if ever attend. The motives for this rare Easter church attendance vary according to those I have spoken with over the years. Some seem to show up out of a sense of duty to a friend or loved one who has been begging them to attend church for the previous 51 weeks. Others do so out of duty, believing that church is simply what good "God-fearing" Americans do on Easter morning. And there are still others with many other reasons, I suppose.
I treat every worship gathering expecting that many will be in our midst who have not yet become followers of Jesus. Some are genuinely seeking truth. Others are simply curious. But this Easter, I shared some personal things I believed would connect with those in attendance who wanted to believe in a risen Savior, yet struggle with incessive doubt. At various points along the way, I affirmed in no uncertain terms that doubters and skeptics are welcome at Valley Church - and that I too am a fellow doubter who, like Thomas, often wrestles with the desire to "see before I can believe."
While sharing personal information about weaknesses and struggles can be risky for a pastor, I believe that at the end of the day God's people will appreciate the leadership of someone who is honest more so than one who fakes his way through the journey with a plastic smile plastered all over his over-confident face. My risk ended up paying off, as numbers of people have since contacted me expressing a desire to meet over coffee to discuss Jesus further in the weeks ahead.
I realize that on the surface, it may not sound comforting for a person to hear that their pastor struggles with doubt. But properly understood - doubt should not be viewed as an enemy of faith, but rather a friend. Certainly there can be a negative side to ongoing unchecked doubt. But in my journey of faith, doubt has prompted me into relentless seasons of soul searching, Scriptural contemplation and personal investigation into the knowable facts. Ironically, it has been during these wilderness seasons of doubt that God has most significantly deepened and strengthened my confidence in Jesus Christ and His claims.
As my faith has grown, I find that I am rarely ever doubtful about such elementary topics as whether God exists or whether Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, I am confident enough of those things to give my life for them. Nonetheless, I have found that for most people it is NOT easy to walk by faith. It's not easy to believe that God's acceptance is totally unconditional. It's not easy to believe that God doesn't count our sins against us based on simply trusting in Christ. It's not easy to believe that there is no condemnation and that His grace is abounding to us every millisecond of the day. But the Scripture says that these things are true.
Doubts will come and go throughout the ebb and flow of life. Someone once said that an unexamined faith is of no real use - and I would tend to agree. Doubts force us to re-examine our core values and beliefs. Doubts bring us to the brink of realizing our utter dependence upon the God who has revealed Himself to us in creation, the Bible, and the Messiah. So while a handful of people may not want to hear their pastor speak of his own journey through the twists and turns of doubt - I remember that my mom always taught me that "honesty is the best policy." Integrity is not pretending to have it all together. Integrity is being true to the Truth no matter where it leads. So I'll repeat what I said on Easter morning: "Fellow doubters and skeptics...WELCOME TO VALLEY CHURCH!" Let's join with the disciples who honestly said "Lord, we believe - but help our unbelief..." That's when an unexamined faith begins to mature.
Any thoughts you'd like to add? Feel free....
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Generous Joe and "Greedy Rich"
OK, I haven't blogged on Raw and Relevant about anything political in a few weeks. So here it goes...
Lately I have heard a lot of rhetoric from the far left about how these "greedy rich" people who make over $200K/year should shut up and accept that they owe their fellow countrymen universal health care - courtesy of a boatload of increased taxes. Incidentally, the President has recently mentioned that his campaign promise to only raise taxes on those earning $200K or more will likely drop to incomes MUCH less than that...but I digress.
Anyway, my compassionate heart could almost be swayed by an emotional argument like that if it weren't for a few stubborn things called facts. According to USA Today, a "study of wealthy households in 2005 found average yearly donations of $40,746 from people with incomes from $200,000 per year to $500,000 per year."
(Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-12-biden-financial_N.htm)
The 2008 report also goes on to reveal that Vice President Joe Biden - according to his 1999-2008 tax returns - gave an average of $369 per year to charity over that decade. Stop for a moment to re-read that sentence...
Does anyone else find it even slightly hypocritical that the VP would be lecturing hard-working Americans about their duty to pay higher taxes when they already give thousands of percent more of their income to the less fortunate than does Biden? What's wrong with this picture?
Don't get me wrong. I could care less what Biden gives. That is between him, his conscience and God. What I do admit is that I find it a tad irritating when Biden and his supporters attempt to demonize successful small business owners and investors as "greedy" folks who don't care about those who can't afford to go to the doctor.
Mr. Biden, I know that you'll never run across a little blog written by a nobody like me, but if I could fantasize for a moment that you might somehow stumble across Raw and Relevant, allow me to say this. According to your own tax records, my wife and I donate more to charity......every two weeks......than you do in a year. I do not say this to boast, Mr. Vice President - but to illustrate the following point:
Like many of my friends, I work long weeks in a vocation devoted to serving the needs of others. I am privileged and thankful for the middle-class income God provides for us. I live in a modest 31-year-old home that will need a new roof in a few years. The latest-model automobile we own is a 1999 Honda Minivan with a salvaged title we bought off Craigslist. Material crap just doesn't compare to the joy of a loving marriage and healthy children. Our aim is not to be rich - but to be generous with what we have, which is more than I can say for you. Mr. Vice President, how about LOWERING the tax burden on those who actually create jobs and wealth for others?
JEREMY!!! WAKE UP!!! THIS ISN'T A REAL CONVERSATION!!! Ahhh...but if it were - would you agree or disagree with me? Feel free to chime in with respectful dialogue no matter your opinion...
Lately I have heard a lot of rhetoric from the far left about how these "greedy rich" people who make over $200K/year should shut up and accept that they owe their fellow countrymen universal health care - courtesy of a boatload of increased taxes. Incidentally, the President has recently mentioned that his campaign promise to only raise taxes on those earning $200K or more will likely drop to incomes MUCH less than that...but I digress.
Anyway, my compassionate heart could almost be swayed by an emotional argument like that if it weren't for a few stubborn things called facts. According to USA Today, a "study of wealthy households in 2005 found average yearly donations of $40,746 from people with incomes from $200,000 per year to $500,000 per year."
(Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-09-12-biden-financial_N.htm)
The 2008 report also goes on to reveal that Vice President Joe Biden - according to his 1999-2008 tax returns - gave an average of $369 per year to charity over that decade. Stop for a moment to re-read that sentence...
Does anyone else find it even slightly hypocritical that the VP would be lecturing hard-working Americans about their duty to pay higher taxes when they already give thousands of percent more of their income to the less fortunate than does Biden? What's wrong with this picture?
Don't get me wrong. I could care less what Biden gives. That is between him, his conscience and God. What I do admit is that I find it a tad irritating when Biden and his supporters attempt to demonize successful small business owners and investors as "greedy" folks who don't care about those who can't afford to go to the doctor.
Mr. Biden, I know that you'll never run across a little blog written by a nobody like me, but if I could fantasize for a moment that you might somehow stumble across Raw and Relevant, allow me to say this. According to your own tax records, my wife and I donate more to charity......every two weeks......than you do in a year. I do not say this to boast, Mr. Vice President - but to illustrate the following point:
Like many of my friends, I work long weeks in a vocation devoted to serving the needs of others. I am privileged and thankful for the middle-class income God provides for us. I live in a modest 31-year-old home that will need a new roof in a few years. The latest-model automobile we own is a 1999 Honda Minivan with a salvaged title we bought off Craigslist. Material crap just doesn't compare to the joy of a loving marriage and healthy children. Our aim is not to be rich - but to be generous with what we have, which is more than I can say for you. Mr. Vice President, how about LOWERING the tax burden on those who actually create jobs and wealth for others?
JEREMY!!! WAKE UP!!! THIS ISN'T A REAL CONVERSATION!!! Ahhh...but if it were - would you agree or disagree with me? Feel free to chime in with respectful dialogue no matter your opinion...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Is the Gospel worth Cussing About?
So I've been preaching for a few weeks now in an Easter series called "Signed in Blood - The Radical Gospel of Jesus." I have been receiving more feedback on this series than any I have previously preached - including on topics as controversial as sex and the return of Jesus. Why so much feedback? I believe it to be a reflection of the fact that so many in the Body of Christ are starving for grace.
Whenever I write or blog or preach or converse one-on-one with people about the Gospel of grace - usually I get feedback from multiple angles. One of those angles is the notion that by confronting modern-day legalists, I am somehow not being "gracious" myself.
Let me be the first to say that heated, passionate debate can and should remain as respectful as possible. It is never my intention to personally attack an individual. However, when attacking ideas one believes to be false, this is often interpreted by those who hold the ideas as a personal attack on them. I understand this fully, because I am no different. I can easily get defensive and feel persecuted when someone challenges an idea that I believe in. It's part of human nature, and that is why I agree that we must seek to be respectful even in debate.
That being said, is it not the mandate of every generation of believers to defend and clarify the Gospel of grace with the utmost passion? The Apostle Paul, when exposing his former legalistic way of life, said that he now considered all of that past false confidence to be "rubbish". The old King James Version more accurately translates this word as "dung". If we were going to be really honest and unafraid to offend the over-sensitive, the modern equivalent would literally be "S#@%". That's how expressive Paul was in exposing legalism (i.e. front-loading or back-loading the free offer of grace with human works). And that description is included in the INSPIRED Scripture.
Paul also said that he wished perverters of the Gospel would be "accursed" and he called the Judaizers "mutilators of the flesh" because of their insistence that believers had to be circumcised. Does this sound like a guy who was willing to tolerate false teaching about the Gospel? As I've written elsewhere - defending grace rises to a different level in the sphere of theological debate. We can debate such issues as spiritual gifts, the return of Jesus, the age of the earth and a host of other matters of secondary importance all day long. But the Gospel of grace is different. It is in a league of its own. If we get this wrong - nothing else matters.
Please don't misunderstand me. I am not implying that I hold the same level of spiritual clout which belonged to the Apostle Paul. Nor am I suggesting that we should not strive to be gracious in tone - a goal which I routinely fall short of. What I AM saying is that grace is worth defending. It's worth fighting for. It's worth dying for. It is the only thing that distinguishes the core of Christianity from mere man-made religion. That's my opinion...what do you think?
Whenever I write or blog or preach or converse one-on-one with people about the Gospel of grace - usually I get feedback from multiple angles. One of those angles is the notion that by confronting modern-day legalists, I am somehow not being "gracious" myself.
Let me be the first to say that heated, passionate debate can and should remain as respectful as possible. It is never my intention to personally attack an individual. However, when attacking ideas one believes to be false, this is often interpreted by those who hold the ideas as a personal attack on them. I understand this fully, because I am no different. I can easily get defensive and feel persecuted when someone challenges an idea that I believe in. It's part of human nature, and that is why I agree that we must seek to be respectful even in debate.
That being said, is it not the mandate of every generation of believers to defend and clarify the Gospel of grace with the utmost passion? The Apostle Paul, when exposing his former legalistic way of life, said that he now considered all of that past false confidence to be "rubbish". The old King James Version more accurately translates this word as "dung". If we were going to be really honest and unafraid to offend the over-sensitive, the modern equivalent would literally be "S#@%". That's how expressive Paul was in exposing legalism (i.e. front-loading or back-loading the free offer of grace with human works). And that description is included in the INSPIRED Scripture.
Paul also said that he wished perverters of the Gospel would be "accursed" and he called the Judaizers "mutilators of the flesh" because of their insistence that believers had to be circumcised. Does this sound like a guy who was willing to tolerate false teaching about the Gospel? As I've written elsewhere - defending grace rises to a different level in the sphere of theological debate. We can debate such issues as spiritual gifts, the return of Jesus, the age of the earth and a host of other matters of secondary importance all day long. But the Gospel of grace is different. It is in a league of its own. If we get this wrong - nothing else matters.
Please don't misunderstand me. I am not implying that I hold the same level of spiritual clout which belonged to the Apostle Paul. Nor am I suggesting that we should not strive to be gracious in tone - a goal which I routinely fall short of. What I AM saying is that grace is worth defending. It's worth fighting for. It's worth dying for. It is the only thing that distinguishes the core of Christianity from mere man-made religion. That's my opinion...what do you think?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
GRACE - The Best Way to Live
In this life, our plans seldom quite end up like we imagine. Today I was at a stoplight with my boys on the way to spend the day at Six Flags. "BANG" was the noise I heard simultaneous to my vehicle being thrust a few feet out into the intersection. In what felt like a millisecond, I asked my boys if everyone was OK and then watched in my rear view mirror as an embarrassed woman followed me through the intersection to the side of the road up ahead.
I don't know who felt worse as each of us stepped out of our vehicles to survey the damage to the back end of our Honda Odyssey. She was obviously upset with herself, apologizing numerous times and beginning to tear up as she noticed I had several children in the car. The reason I felt bad is because I've been on the offending side of a fender-bender, and I know that ugly feeling in your gut when you gather your thoughts enough to admit to yourself "That JUST happened!"
As I gathered insurance information from the woman, I tried to assure her by my demeanor that she had nothing to worry about - that I was not the kind of guy who was going to fake an injury and make her life miserable. And of course I had a selfish motive behind the grace and friendliness - namely, that I wanted to treat her exactly the way I would hope a man would treat my wife in the same situation. After reassuring her that the insurance companies would handle everything just fine, we went our separate ways.
Not exactly the kickoff I had envisioned for a father & sons day at the local theme park! As I reflected on the incident later, the blessing in disguise was that I had been able to show some grace and reassurance to a woman who was angry at herself for something any of us could easily do on any given day.
That's basically true about most everyday mistakes in life. Why do we get so irritated when people do something to "offend" us when on any given day we are just as liable? Why do we complain when our spouse or our children or our neighbor fails to live up to our expectations when on any given day we also fail? What gives us the right to hold a grudge against a person when we have been so freely forgiven by God through Christ?
I can think of times I've flown off the handle toward my kids or my wife or my friends about things MUCH less significant than a car accident! Today was just a reminder that GRACE is the best way to live. In fact - come to think of it, this day turned out pretty swell after all...
I don't know who felt worse as each of us stepped out of our vehicles to survey the damage to the back end of our Honda Odyssey. She was obviously upset with herself, apologizing numerous times and beginning to tear up as she noticed I had several children in the car. The reason I felt bad is because I've been on the offending side of a fender-bender, and I know that ugly feeling in your gut when you gather your thoughts enough to admit to yourself "That JUST happened!"
As I gathered insurance information from the woman, I tried to assure her by my demeanor that she had nothing to worry about - that I was not the kind of guy who was going to fake an injury and make her life miserable. And of course I had a selfish motive behind the grace and friendliness - namely, that I wanted to treat her exactly the way I would hope a man would treat my wife in the same situation. After reassuring her that the insurance companies would handle everything just fine, we went our separate ways.
Not exactly the kickoff I had envisioned for a father & sons day at the local theme park! As I reflected on the incident later, the blessing in disguise was that I had been able to show some grace and reassurance to a woman who was angry at herself for something any of us could easily do on any given day.
That's basically true about most everyday mistakes in life. Why do we get so irritated when people do something to "offend" us when on any given day we are just as liable? Why do we complain when our spouse or our children or our neighbor fails to live up to our expectations when on any given day we also fail? What gives us the right to hold a grudge against a person when we have been so freely forgiven by God through Christ?
I can think of times I've flown off the handle toward my kids or my wife or my friends about things MUCH less significant than a car accident! Today was just a reminder that GRACE is the best way to live. In fact - come to think of it, this day turned out pretty swell after all...
Monday, March 1, 2010
Ruffling Feathers with the Grace of God
Want to know a great way to make religious people indignant? Esteem the grace of God as the freely bestowed, unconditionally secure and flamboyantly generous Divine welfare program that it is! For years, I have been on a journey of seeking to mine the depths of God's grace in pursuit of the reality that it is - and more and more I find that it is GRACE pursuing ME in the Person of Jesus.
Religious people across the spectrum get downright uneasy when grace is lifted high. Cultists will front-load the Gospel by insisting that there are requisites to receiving the grace of God - that one must do as much as they are able and then Jesus will "make up the rest". Hard-core Arminians and Hyper-Calvinists on the other end of the spectrum will rip James 2 out of context to defend the idea that the Gospel of grace must be back-loaded by "results" - or "proof" - that a person is genuinely in the grace of God.
These ideas go beyond what Scripture abundantly teaches. Any time our assurance of salvation is placed upon our performance rather than on Christ's promises, we are in for a dark religious experience. Few and far between are the clarion voices of those like Brennan Manning, Zane Hodges, Steve McVey or Andrew Farley - who dare to esteem the grace of God so high that persecution nearly ensues against them. Why is it that when we mention the utter gratuitous nature of God's grace, we are met by well-meaning voices that immediately want to "balance" the discussion with talk of Christ's Lordship or point us to Paul's words in Romans 6 about not using grace as a license to sin?
Paul said "Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5). And YES, he cautioned us against using grace as a license to sin. Sin is hurtful to ourselves and to others and to the Kingdom of God in its current earthly manifestation. But the caution to flee from sin in no way NEGATES what Paul had previously established in Romans 5. If Christianity is the least bit unique from other religious claims, this uniqueness rises and falls on grace.
Either the Gospel was and is a free, no-strings-attached offer of pardon and freedom based on faith alone - or it is a bait-and-switch religious scheme promising unconditional favor which it cannot actually deliver. As someone whose conscience is naturally legalistic enough to condemn a small nation, I don't need to be reminded NOT to use God's grace as a license to sin. DUH! I need to be reminded to surrender to an expression of God's kindness that in Christ is so freely offered I have no other response than to lose myself in it. Then and only then will I escape the performance treadmill to which my inner Pharisee wants to enslave me - and instead allow Jesus to live through me.
This "try hard, fail, feel guilty, confess and try again" form of Christianity is not the Gospel Jesus and the Apostles came to proclaim. Jesus' command to "DIE" was given to His audience prior to the cross while still living under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, Paul says we are to "reckon" ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ. This means that no matter how we "feel" at any given moment - we are to accept this reality by faith. When the unconditionality of this identity in Christ becomes our sole source of hope, we begin to rest - and godly transformation is finally possible...
I will close by saying that if I were to post the words "Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more..." on Facebook, I guarantee that my posting would be met by several "Likes" and a few "Amens" and also several "Yeh, but don't forget about Romans 6 or James 2" comments. Why is this? Why can't we stop for even 30 seconds and lose ourselves in the reality of grace untainted by our desire to "balance" it out? By definition, grace IMBALANCES the equation in our favor. If grace were not open to the possibility of abuse, it would at that very moment cease to be grace...
Religious people across the spectrum get downright uneasy when grace is lifted high. Cultists will front-load the Gospel by insisting that there are requisites to receiving the grace of God - that one must do as much as they are able and then Jesus will "make up the rest". Hard-core Arminians and Hyper-Calvinists on the other end of the spectrum will rip James 2 out of context to defend the idea that the Gospel of grace must be back-loaded by "results" - or "proof" - that a person is genuinely in the grace of God.
These ideas go beyond what Scripture abundantly teaches. Any time our assurance of salvation is placed upon our performance rather than on Christ's promises, we are in for a dark religious experience. Few and far between are the clarion voices of those like Brennan Manning, Zane Hodges, Steve McVey or Andrew Farley - who dare to esteem the grace of God so high that persecution nearly ensues against them. Why is it that when we mention the utter gratuitous nature of God's grace, we are met by well-meaning voices that immediately want to "balance" the discussion with talk of Christ's Lordship or point us to Paul's words in Romans 6 about not using grace as a license to sin?
Paul said "Where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5). And YES, he cautioned us against using grace as a license to sin. Sin is hurtful to ourselves and to others and to the Kingdom of God in its current earthly manifestation. But the caution to flee from sin in no way NEGATES what Paul had previously established in Romans 5. If Christianity is the least bit unique from other religious claims, this uniqueness rises and falls on grace.
Either the Gospel was and is a free, no-strings-attached offer of pardon and freedom based on faith alone - or it is a bait-and-switch religious scheme promising unconditional favor which it cannot actually deliver. As someone whose conscience is naturally legalistic enough to condemn a small nation, I don't need to be reminded NOT to use God's grace as a license to sin. DUH! I need to be reminded to surrender to an expression of God's kindness that in Christ is so freely offered I have no other response than to lose myself in it. Then and only then will I escape the performance treadmill to which my inner Pharisee wants to enslave me - and instead allow Jesus to live through me.
This "try hard, fail, feel guilty, confess and try again" form of Christianity is not the Gospel Jesus and the Apostles came to proclaim. Jesus' command to "DIE" was given to His audience prior to the cross while still living under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, Paul says we are to "reckon" ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ. This means that no matter how we "feel" at any given moment - we are to accept this reality by faith. When the unconditionality of this identity in Christ becomes our sole source of hope, we begin to rest - and godly transformation is finally possible...
I will close by saying that if I were to post the words "Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more..." on Facebook, I guarantee that my posting would be met by several "Likes" and a few "Amens" and also several "Yeh, but don't forget about Romans 6 or James 2" comments. Why is this? Why can't we stop for even 30 seconds and lose ourselves in the reality of grace untainted by our desire to "balance" it out? By definition, grace IMBALANCES the equation in our favor. If grace were not open to the possibility of abuse, it would at that very moment cease to be grace...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Right on the Money
Let's face it. Money is not the most popular subject to talk about at church. Some pastors loathe the idea of teaching on the subject. Many church members nestle down into their seats, catch the sermon title and think to themselves, "Money? Aw, man - why did I come to church today?" or "Why did I invite my friend to church today of ALL days?"
Why is money such a big deal? I think because along with sex and political beliefs, it is viewed as an extremely personal issue. And it is. But its not one we can pretend doesn't affect us deeply.
Most of us are great at compartmentalizing our lives. We tend to think of categories like our "emotional" lives, our "intellectual" lives, our "material" lives and our "spiritual" lives. But Jesus made no such distinction. In Jesus' view, all of life is spiritual.
So while I can definitely sympathize with feeling uneasy when ministries beg for money and manipulate people to give more - I can assure you that there will be no begging or manipulation this Valley. We want people to understand how to manage money in a biblically informed way that enables greater freedom in their lives. "Right on the Money" will be a 2-part miniseries followed by a live Simulcast with Dave Ramsey on March 13 at Valley. Here is a brief overview:
FEB. 21 - "Master Your Money (Or It Will Master You)" taught by me (Jeremy) will solidify a theological framework for possessing money rightly rather than it possessing you. This will be a passionate teaching which will also confront and expose false teachings such as the so-called "Prosperity Gospel." You won't wanna miss this...
FEB. 28 - "When the Bottom Falls Out (Rebuilding After the Storm)" taught by Pastor Raleigh Galgan. This message will encourage and teach people who have been swept up in the financial tidal wave of the recent recession - as well as give practical tools to those desiring to avoid financial ruin in the future. This will also be a Sunday you won't wanna miss...
MAR. 13 - On this Saturday, we will be hosting Dave Ramsey's live simulcast of "The Total Money Makeover". If you haven't seen Ramsey's show on Fox Business Network or would like to familiarize yourself, check out his website at www.daveramsey.com. This seminar will inform and inspire you to move beyond merely managing your money - and propel you into a life of greater freedom in this deeply personal area.
Hope to see you this Sunday at Valley at 9am (contemporary or traditional services available) or 11am (contemporary only). If you have questions, call the church at 707-448-7222 or visit our website at www.valleychurch.com.
Why is money such a big deal? I think because along with sex and political beliefs, it is viewed as an extremely personal issue. And it is. But its not one we can pretend doesn't affect us deeply.
Most of us are great at compartmentalizing our lives. We tend to think of categories like our "emotional" lives, our "intellectual" lives, our "material" lives and our "spiritual" lives. But Jesus made no such distinction. In Jesus' view, all of life is spiritual.
So while I can definitely sympathize with feeling uneasy when ministries beg for money and manipulate people to give more - I can assure you that there will be no begging or manipulation this Valley. We want people to understand how to manage money in a biblically informed way that enables greater freedom in their lives. "Right on the Money" will be a 2-part miniseries followed by a live Simulcast with Dave Ramsey on March 13 at Valley. Here is a brief overview:
FEB. 21 - "Master Your Money (Or It Will Master You)" taught by me (Jeremy) will solidify a theological framework for possessing money rightly rather than it possessing you. This will be a passionate teaching which will also confront and expose false teachings such as the so-called "Prosperity Gospel." You won't wanna miss this...
FEB. 28 - "When the Bottom Falls Out (Rebuilding After the Storm)" taught by Pastor Raleigh Galgan. This message will encourage and teach people who have been swept up in the financial tidal wave of the recent recession - as well as give practical tools to those desiring to avoid financial ruin in the future. This will also be a Sunday you won't wanna miss...
MAR. 13 - On this Saturday, we will be hosting Dave Ramsey's live simulcast of "The Total Money Makeover". If you haven't seen Ramsey's show on Fox Business Network or would like to familiarize yourself, check out his website at www.daveramsey.com. This seminar will inform and inspire you to move beyond merely managing your money - and propel you into a life of greater freedom in this deeply personal area.
Hope to see you this Sunday at Valley at 9am (contemporary or traditional services available) or 11am (contemporary only). If you have questions, call the church at 707-448-7222 or visit our website at www.valleychurch.com.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Pastors and Politics
As a pastor, I affirm and embrace the reality that I am called to a high standard of conduct. While I fall short of God's standards in numerous ways (in other words, I'm a sinner), I take very seriously the Biblical charge to be an example to others and to live in such a way that I am "above reproach." The Biblical term "above reproach" was literally a legal term that had to do with "not living in such a way that people can easily drag you into court and accuse you." In short, it means keeping your nose clean and striving to be a good example to others.
One of the ways I believe I can be a good example to others is by being engaged with my culture on various levels. For example, I enjoy coaching youth sports - not only because my boys happen to play, but also because I cherish the opportunity to make a positive investment in other families by serving their kids. I will sometimes attend important City Hall meetings and other public gatherings to stay in touch with my community. I enjoy finding creative ways to build relationships between "church and state" in relation to the common ground we share in making our community a better place. And, as you can imagine, I also have socio-political convictions. Unfortunately, this is where it gets sticky for some people.
I am the first to admit that I feel sick to my stomach whenever a "pastor" or Christian leader makes some stupid public claim that would be better left unsaid. I don't think guys like Pat Robertson do Christians any favors by suggesting that natural disasters are God's judgment upon various people and places. We simply cannot pretend to speak for God on that level. Nor should we use our pastoral positions as leverage to endorse a political candidate or to coerce people to vote "our way". But I DO believe it is entirely appropriate to endorse good ideas and oppose bad ones - and this includes the arena of politics.
As a conservative-leaning Independent, many of my views are consistent with Republican and Libertarian points of view at this time in history. This does not mean that I hate liberals or that I despise individuals who see the world of politics differently than I do. But I get frustrated when people assume that because I am a pastor, I should never chime in on socio-political issues such as health care reform, just war theory, the sanctity of marriage or the best way for America to confront terrorism. I am a Christian first, and an American citizen second. Both of those identities require me to think about the superiority of one idea over another.
I am certainly not all-knowing. And i certainly don't claim to have all the answers. And I DO believe it is necessary for all political parties to seek to work toward compromise on a variety of political issues. So while there will always be the Jeremiah Wright's on the radical left - and the Pat Robertson's on the right - I believe that pastors have a responsibility and privilege to engage politically with respect, integrity and conviction while NOT becoming like those I've just mentioned. Yes I am a spiritual leader - but I am equally a husband, dad, friend and community member.
What do you think? Should Pastors be allowed to respectfully speak their mind on political issues? Chime in with your thoughts...
One of the ways I believe I can be a good example to others is by being engaged with my culture on various levels. For example, I enjoy coaching youth sports - not only because my boys happen to play, but also because I cherish the opportunity to make a positive investment in other families by serving their kids. I will sometimes attend important City Hall meetings and other public gatherings to stay in touch with my community. I enjoy finding creative ways to build relationships between "church and state" in relation to the common ground we share in making our community a better place. And, as you can imagine, I also have socio-political convictions. Unfortunately, this is where it gets sticky for some people.
I am the first to admit that I feel sick to my stomach whenever a "pastor" or Christian leader makes some stupid public claim that would be better left unsaid. I don't think guys like Pat Robertson do Christians any favors by suggesting that natural disasters are God's judgment upon various people and places. We simply cannot pretend to speak for God on that level. Nor should we use our pastoral positions as leverage to endorse a political candidate or to coerce people to vote "our way". But I DO believe it is entirely appropriate to endorse good ideas and oppose bad ones - and this includes the arena of politics.
As a conservative-leaning Independent, many of my views are consistent with Republican and Libertarian points of view at this time in history. This does not mean that I hate liberals or that I despise individuals who see the world of politics differently than I do. But I get frustrated when people assume that because I am a pastor, I should never chime in on socio-political issues such as health care reform, just war theory, the sanctity of marriage or the best way for America to confront terrorism. I am a Christian first, and an American citizen second. Both of those identities require me to think about the superiority of one idea over another.
I am certainly not all-knowing. And i certainly don't claim to have all the answers. And I DO believe it is necessary for all political parties to seek to work toward compromise on a variety of political issues. So while there will always be the Jeremiah Wright's on the radical left - and the Pat Robertson's on the right - I believe that pastors have a responsibility and privilege to engage politically with respect, integrity and conviction while NOT becoming like those I've just mentioned. Yes I am a spiritual leader - but I am equally a husband, dad, friend and community member.
What do you think? Should Pastors be allowed to respectfully speak their mind on political issues? Chime in with your thoughts...
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Hide and Seek with God?
Earlier tonight I was listening to a message taught by a youth pastor friend of mine online, when he posed a very simple yet profound question. In essence, he asked his audience of about 3,000 youth: "Have you ever wondered why God continually invites people to seek Him?" And his answer hit me in a fresh way: "Because He loves to be found!"
He then went into this story that immediately connected with my own heart. He talked about playing "hide and seek" - and how, as a dad, your perspective on that game totally changes from when you are a kid. During childhood, the coolest thing in the world is to be the master at hide and seek. To find that perfect spot and elude the seekers for as long as possible is so gratifying for a 10 year old. But as a dad, it totally changes.
He talked about how dads love to play hide and seek - and how the best part is being found! It got me thinking how when I am playing hide and seek with my four year old, I love to hide in obvious places (like under a blanket with my foot sticking out) so he can find me quickly and feel proud about how good he is at the game. With my older boys, I try to make it tougher - and while I enjoy making them search, the best part is the excitement on their faces when they finally discover that a grown man can fit into a laundry hamper!
God uses the Father/Child metaphor repeatedly in Scripture to describe the way He desires for us to relate to Him. And repeatedly, He invites us to seek Him. Often we subconsciously believe that God enjoys hiding from us and that it is our job to figure out what the heck He's trying to tell us each day. But that's not what "seeking God" is all about. Seeking God is an invitation to find Him. He told Jeremiah "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Are you feeling distant from God right now? Does His invitation to seek Him feel like another hoop to jump through in order to make Him happy? It's not. He invites you to seek Him so that you can find Him. Sometimes it will be obvious - under a blanket with a sock exposed. Other times you may have to search through some laundry hampers. But God is findable. He is knowable. Jesus said, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Everything you ever needed to know about God can be found by getting to know Jesus. If you are feeling distant, it's not because God is trying to trip you up. He wants you to find Him. Every thought you have or idea you think you know about God must ultimately be submitted to the reality of who Jesus Christ reveals God to be - full of mercy and compassion - and wanting to be found daily in the most surprising places.
Are you seeking Him? I'd like to know your thoughts... :)
He then went into this story that immediately connected with my own heart. He talked about playing "hide and seek" - and how, as a dad, your perspective on that game totally changes from when you are a kid. During childhood, the coolest thing in the world is to be the master at hide and seek. To find that perfect spot and elude the seekers for as long as possible is so gratifying for a 10 year old. But as a dad, it totally changes.
He talked about how dads love to play hide and seek - and how the best part is being found! It got me thinking how when I am playing hide and seek with my four year old, I love to hide in obvious places (like under a blanket with my foot sticking out) so he can find me quickly and feel proud about how good he is at the game. With my older boys, I try to make it tougher - and while I enjoy making them search, the best part is the excitement on their faces when they finally discover that a grown man can fit into a laundry hamper!
God uses the Father/Child metaphor repeatedly in Scripture to describe the way He desires for us to relate to Him. And repeatedly, He invites us to seek Him. Often we subconsciously believe that God enjoys hiding from us and that it is our job to figure out what the heck He's trying to tell us each day. But that's not what "seeking God" is all about. Seeking God is an invitation to find Him. He told Jeremiah "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Are you feeling distant from God right now? Does His invitation to seek Him feel like another hoop to jump through in order to make Him happy? It's not. He invites you to seek Him so that you can find Him. Sometimes it will be obvious - under a blanket with a sock exposed. Other times you may have to search through some laundry hampers. But God is findable. He is knowable. Jesus said, "if you have seen me, you have seen the Father." Everything you ever needed to know about God can be found by getting to know Jesus. If you are feeling distant, it's not because God is trying to trip you up. He wants you to find Him. Every thought you have or idea you think you know about God must ultimately be submitted to the reality of who Jesus Christ reveals God to be - full of mercy and compassion - and wanting to be found daily in the most surprising places.
Are you seeking Him? I'd like to know your thoughts... :)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Why Slow Down?
Yesterday I turned 36. I was thankful to be able to take the day off, sleep in, not shave, work out mid-morning, take my 4-year old to Sonic for a slushie, go see a matinee movie with my wife, pick my older boys up from school, shoot baskets in our cul-de-sac with them, watch some TV, enjoy the best fajitas my wife has ever made (and that's saying a lot), and wind down with some friends over for birthday cake. At the end of the day, I realized how much a person can accomplish while they are resting.
It got me thinking about the Biblical concept of Sabbath - and how God offered (well, commanded, really) His people to take a day of rest every 7th. Over the centuries the religious leaders stripped the Sabbath from God's original intentions and placed a bunch of crappy regulations around it which where never intended to be there. Jesus rebuked this legalistic attitude when he said that "the Sabbath was made for mankind, not mankind for the Sabbath."
The point is this: The God of Jesus Christ is gracious. He is not the rigid, fussy and irritable God so many humans have painted Him to be. He knows we have limits. He knows we need planned periods for rest. And He gave us not only permission, but a commandment to take the issue of rest seriously. The Hebrew word for Sabbath means "rest". It originally had little to do with the word "seventh" per se - as some religious groups insist. God indeed "rested" on the seventh day, and He commanded the Israelites to imitate Him in this pattern.
It doesn't matter which particular day of the week you schedule in for some rest. The important thing is that you DO it. The pace of 21st century life will suck the energy out of your existence if you allow it. For most of us, there is always something more to do - another deadline to worry about, another phone call or email to return, another pressing need demanding our attention. Biblically, "rest" is a matter of faith. It reminds us that while it is virtuous to work hard when it's time to work - we are nonetheless NOT little Messiah-clones designed to be able to meet the needs of the universe.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are wary and heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest. Come and learn from me, for I am humble and gentle in spirit." Remember, a day of rest doesn't necessarily mean sleeping the day away. But it may mean turning off the cell phone, focusing on fun and relationships, and carving out some personal space as well. I know - some will say this is easier said than done. But we tend to accomplish the things we make a priority in our lives. Are you getting enough rest - spiritually, physically and emotionally? None of us are perfect on this quest for adequate rest - but God invites us to it...
Your thoughts?
It got me thinking about the Biblical concept of Sabbath - and how God offered (well, commanded, really) His people to take a day of rest every 7th. Over the centuries the religious leaders stripped the Sabbath from God's original intentions and placed a bunch of crappy regulations around it which where never intended to be there. Jesus rebuked this legalistic attitude when he said that "the Sabbath was made for mankind, not mankind for the Sabbath."
The point is this: The God of Jesus Christ is gracious. He is not the rigid, fussy and irritable God so many humans have painted Him to be. He knows we have limits. He knows we need planned periods for rest. And He gave us not only permission, but a commandment to take the issue of rest seriously. The Hebrew word for Sabbath means "rest". It originally had little to do with the word "seventh" per se - as some religious groups insist. God indeed "rested" on the seventh day, and He commanded the Israelites to imitate Him in this pattern.
It doesn't matter which particular day of the week you schedule in for some rest. The important thing is that you DO it. The pace of 21st century life will suck the energy out of your existence if you allow it. For most of us, there is always something more to do - another deadline to worry about, another phone call or email to return, another pressing need demanding our attention. Biblically, "rest" is a matter of faith. It reminds us that while it is virtuous to work hard when it's time to work - we are nonetheless NOT little Messiah-clones designed to be able to meet the needs of the universe.
Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are wary and heavy-burdened, and I will give you rest. Come and learn from me, for I am humble and gentle in spirit." Remember, a day of rest doesn't necessarily mean sleeping the day away. But it may mean turning off the cell phone, focusing on fun and relationships, and carving out some personal space as well. I know - some will say this is easier said than done. But we tend to accomplish the things we make a priority in our lives. Are you getting enough rest - spiritually, physically and emotionally? None of us are perfect on this quest for adequate rest - but God invites us to it...
Your thoughts?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
God's Grace...How Sweet the Sound!
Over the past couple of weeks, I have had at least three conversations that took the same basic path. We were talking about the marvelous grace of God - and about how His kindness toward us is the only thing that leads to a truly changed life (rather than religious manipulation, trying harder, fear of His wrath, etc.). I based this conviction upon Scriptures such as Romans 2:4, Titus 2:11-13, etc.
In each of the conversations, I was met with similar resistance. While each person seemed to want to affirm the reality of God's grace, they were uneasy about the possibility of "making God's grace too free". Each person said (in their own way) that it is dangerous to talk about grace without talking about holy living. Their fear was that people who view God's grace as being offered with no strings attached would be likely to abuse grace as a license to sin.
I tried to explain that God's grace, by definition, leaves itself open to being taken advantage of. Unless this possibility remains, grace ceases to be grace. The Apostle Paul knew this - and encouraged the Roman believers to live in light of their new life and identity in Christ (Romans 6).
Nonetheless, Paul earlier affirmed that "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5). Paul's teaching on living in surrender to the indwelling Spirit of Christ in no way diminishes or denies this earlier affirmation. I believe based upon Scripture and personal experience, that until we begin to grasp and embrace the reality of God's irreversible tenderness toward us - regardless of our sins and failures - we will never truly grow spiritually.
I meet so many people like myself - who battle against a vague, nagging sense of God's disapproval. No matter how "good" we perform on a given day, we are racked with existential guilt and a feeling that God must surely be upset with us about something. Often we project upon God the false beliefs we assumed at earlier stages of development and for whatever reason cannot seem to fully lay down.
Thankfully, I am learning with so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ that over the course of time, the truth of the Gospel can chip away, dismantle and expose this false projectionism for the idolatry that it is. From a human perspective, the Gospel is so upside down! The Gospel brings us to the finish line, crowns us with victory and secures our spot in the winner's circle before we have even taken our first baby steps in the race!
The Gospel affirms that the pressure is off! There are no hoops left to jump through. Because of Jesus dying in our place, God is fully pleased with us and no longer are we the recipients of His anger against sin. All of this and more is offered to us simply through trusting in the provision He made through Christ. This is very different than the "organized religion" Christianity is often lumped together with. This is truly revolutionary! T'was grace that brought us safe thus far...and grace will lead us home!
What say you?
In each of the conversations, I was met with similar resistance. While each person seemed to want to affirm the reality of God's grace, they were uneasy about the possibility of "making God's grace too free". Each person said (in their own way) that it is dangerous to talk about grace without talking about holy living. Their fear was that people who view God's grace as being offered with no strings attached would be likely to abuse grace as a license to sin.
I tried to explain that God's grace, by definition, leaves itself open to being taken advantage of. Unless this possibility remains, grace ceases to be grace. The Apostle Paul knew this - and encouraged the Roman believers to live in light of their new life and identity in Christ (Romans 6).
Nonetheless, Paul earlier affirmed that "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (Romans 5). Paul's teaching on living in surrender to the indwelling Spirit of Christ in no way diminishes or denies this earlier affirmation. I believe based upon Scripture and personal experience, that until we begin to grasp and embrace the reality of God's irreversible tenderness toward us - regardless of our sins and failures - we will never truly grow spiritually.
I meet so many people like myself - who battle against a vague, nagging sense of God's disapproval. No matter how "good" we perform on a given day, we are racked with existential guilt and a feeling that God must surely be upset with us about something. Often we project upon God the false beliefs we assumed at earlier stages of development and for whatever reason cannot seem to fully lay down.
Thankfully, I am learning with so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ that over the course of time, the truth of the Gospel can chip away, dismantle and expose this false projectionism for the idolatry that it is. From a human perspective, the Gospel is so upside down! The Gospel brings us to the finish line, crowns us with victory and secures our spot in the winner's circle before we have even taken our first baby steps in the race!
The Gospel affirms that the pressure is off! There are no hoops left to jump through. Because of Jesus dying in our place, God is fully pleased with us and no longer are we the recipients of His anger against sin. All of this and more is offered to us simply through trusting in the provision He made through Christ. This is very different than the "organized religion" Christianity is often lumped together with. This is truly revolutionary! T'was grace that brought us safe thus far...and grace will lead us home!
What say you?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Are the 2012 Predictions Legit?
This week at Valley we will continue with our series "The End of the World as We Know It...And I Feel Fine." Our church's founding Pastor - Raleigh Galgan - will be leading us through Matthew 24 and the "signs" by which Jesus told his audience they could know that the end is near. It's going to be another great week of digging deep into the most amazing Book in the world - the Bible.
As I have been thinking about what the Bible says about the end of the world, I find it so ironic that with all the amazing Biblical predictions which have already come to pass with total accuracy, still so many people would rather look for credence in random so-called "prophecies" related to such things as predictions about the Mayan calendar coming to an end and other outlandish claims. Why does our culture promote interest in predictions which have no proven reliability whatsoever - while at the same time virtually ignoring the one Book on the planet that has never been wrong?
I am not claiming that I fully understand every futuristic detail about which the Bible speaks. There are symbols and mysteries about which we must remain humble and open to careful consideration. But SO much of Biblical prophecy has already come true that it should leave any honest skeptic with little doubt as to its credibility. Many scholars agree that the Bible contains approximately 1,000 specific predictions about the future - about half of which have already come to pass in world history.
What do YOU think about the 2012 hysteria? Do you believe there is anything to it? If so, why? I invite you to chime in with your remarks and I hope to see you at Valley soon! :)
As I have been thinking about what the Bible says about the end of the world, I find it so ironic that with all the amazing Biblical predictions which have already come to pass with total accuracy, still so many people would rather look for credence in random so-called "prophecies" related to such things as predictions about the Mayan calendar coming to an end and other outlandish claims. Why does our culture promote interest in predictions which have no proven reliability whatsoever - while at the same time virtually ignoring the one Book on the planet that has never been wrong?
I am not claiming that I fully understand every futuristic detail about which the Bible speaks. There are symbols and mysteries about which we must remain humble and open to careful consideration. But SO much of Biblical prophecy has already come true that it should leave any honest skeptic with little doubt as to its credibility. Many scholars agree that the Bible contains approximately 1,000 specific predictions about the future - about half of which have already come to pass in world history.
What do YOU think about the 2012 hysteria? Do you believe there is anything to it? If so, why? I invite you to chime in with your remarks and I hope to see you at Valley soon! :)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The Future is Now...
This weekend marks "round 2" of our 7-week overview of Bible prophecy at Valley Church. As a teacher and preacher of the Bible, this is one of my favorite subjects - and yet, it is also one in which extra humility is required from each of us. One of my favorite places to take my kids is Disneyland. No matter how many times I visit the Magic Kingdom, it never fails that each time I go I seem to notice some detail I never saw before on a ride, building or other attraction.
If this is the case with a man-made theme park like Disneyland, how much more true when journeying through the Bible? Even though I may be familiar with the basic layout and story line, it seems that new details always jump out which I never noticed before. The Bible is an amazing book for many reasons - not the least of which is because of its ability to mesmerize the deepest thinkers and scholars while at the same time dispense a core message that a 5-year old can comprehend!
If you are curious about what the Bible says related to the future - I invite you to join us this Sunday at 9AM and 11AM (5063 Maple Road in Vacaville). Come journey through the reality of a love-story written about a God who loves His people so much He would rather die than live without them for eternity...
Hope to see you there!
If this is the case with a man-made theme park like Disneyland, how much more true when journeying through the Bible? Even though I may be familiar with the basic layout and story line, it seems that new details always jump out which I never noticed before. The Bible is an amazing book for many reasons - not the least of which is because of its ability to mesmerize the deepest thinkers and scholars while at the same time dispense a core message that a 5-year old can comprehend!
If you are curious about what the Bible says related to the future - I invite you to join us this Sunday at 9AM and 11AM (5063 Maple Road in Vacaville). Come journey through the reality of a love-story written about a God who loves His people so much He would rather die than live without them for eternity...
Hope to see you there!
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