This article highlights in Evangelicalism at large a problem that I'm seeing and commenting on in Fundamentalism in particular. There is more desire to prove a point than to be scrupulous about being accurate. Bradley Wright comments often on sloppy statistics used by (and about) Christians as well.
Here's another, more recent article on the subject.
I see this all over the place, and it's become even easier in the world of email forwards. It goes back beyond emails, though, and runs far deeper. Back in college, we'd have well-known missions speakers come and address us, and they'd often give us numbers and statistics. (Some things never change.)
On the one hand, people proclaimed that all the missionaries are coming off the field - hardly any go back for a second term, and the long-term ones are all getting old, coming home, and dying. They would give numbers and statistics depicting the decline of world-wide missions.
Yet on the other hand, I heard statistical complaints that it's incredibly difficult to get support for new missionaries, in part because there are so many competing for the missions support out there!
Unless missions support is drastically decreasing across the country (and I have seen no statistics suggesting that), both statements can't be true. Either we have fewer missionaries going out, which would mean less competition among the remaining ones for the available support, or we have more missionaries going out, which means foreign missions is increasing, not decreasing. Yet those assertions are both often supported with statistics, and ironically, sometimes it seems that they're both made by the same people!
I'm not saying this to bash missiologists, much less missionaries. That's just one of many examples where I've seen statistics applied in sloppy ways. Really, it's nowhere near as bad among Christians in general I know as it is among the politically-involved in general that I know. (Though some make the case that Christians tend to be among the worst at abusing statistics.)
But then, Christians ought not be the world warmed over - we should be something radically different. Being like the world but not quite as bad... this tells me we've gotten very sloppy about truth in general, and about statistics in particular.
Now, I don't think this comes from an evil desire to deceive. I think the thought process runs something like, "My position on this issue is correct, and what I want people to do about it is right. Therefore, any statistic that supports my position MUST be true, since my position is correct. People who take my position must be honest, because we are on the side of right - so why should I waste time verifying statistics when instead I could be proclaiming the truth they support and urging people to the action they endorse?"
If an action is according to Scripture (such as going into all the world and preaching the gospel), then feel free to urge people toward it. If the Bible says something, you don't need statistics to prove it - the Bible itself is truth. But if you're going to use statistics, please do what you can to make sure they're reliable. Otherwise, you undermine your reliability in every area.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Is There a T-Shirt for This?
It would appear that I am a heretic, by the judgment of a local fellowship. If I don't change my doctrine (or at least the terms I've used to express it), they've decided to separate from me. It's possible that I can work through the situation to prevent the action, since the practical differences between us are truly minute, but those are tricky shoals to navigate.
It's kinda strange to be looking at separation from this side of things. I just want to know if there's a t-shirt or something for the experience, like people get for riding wild roller coasters or surviving hurricanes.
It's kinda strange to be looking at separation from this side of things. I just want to know if there's a t-shirt or something for the experience, like people get for riding wild roller coasters or surviving hurricanes.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
When Opportunity Knocks, Just Shoot Through the Door
I've got a whole queue of post drafts lined up, but opportunity came knocking to take me for a stroll. Well, okay, it kicked down the door and demanded that I come along. Hiking this path with opportunity has kept me too busy to finish any of the other posts yet.
Specifically, this is the opportunity to practice what I preached about dealing with friendly fire. Shortly after I posted that, the call came in from a friend in a local preacher's fellowship I've been attending. The word is doing the rounds among the leadership that I preach something heretical, and he wanted to talk to me about it.
Ironically, the folk who seem to have a problem with what I preach pretty much jumped straight to some of the tactics typically used in returning fire. Handouts misrepresenting what I believe and refuting that misrepresentation are going about, what I actually said is being freely ignored (despite the actual sermon they're worried about being openly available to anyone who wants it), and people are going to others to get them on their side for the battle instead of coming to me personally with their concerns.
Now I've got to make sure I respond in the Spirit, not in the flesh. There is such a temptation to lash out in anger at the wrongs that have been done me, to stomp off and refuse to fellowship with men who would hurt me so casually, to bash those who tolerate and participate in these actions rather than rebuking them, to broadcast the names and crimes of people who claim to serve God but disobey Him, and to start playing the political game by contacting the ones who are most likely to agree with me and take my side and lining them up to support me.
There is also the temptation to come as close as I can to knuckling under without actually compromising my convictions, to bury the hurt and ignore the sin for the sake of peace, because I don't want any trouble, I don't want any conflict, and I don't like being criticized. Some of the people involved in this are men I know, love, respect, and am grateful toward. However, what some of these people have done is plainly wrong.
So I've been spending big blocks of time in thought and prayer for days, trying to make sure I don't act in anger, hurt, or fear, but rather speak the truth in love with wisdom. I simply want to do what God wants. I want to obey His Word. I want to be the wise man who can receive rebuke where it is warranted and thank the one who delivered it. I don't want to fall into the trap of turning to blast away at those who should be on my side. I also don't want to turn a blind eye to sin among the leaders of God's people.
I have met with one man, the only one who has thus far come to me personally about the whole of the situation (kudos to him, by the way, for that at least.) I've told him I'll meet with another, the one who began to spread the situation throughout the fellowship, after I pull some things together. After that, I can only hope and pray that the Lord will give clear guidance and that I'll have the courage, patience, strength, and humility to do what He wants.
Whatever course I take, the road is going to be rough. That's always true when you walk out the door with opportunity. The practicing can be so much harder than the preaching.
Specifically, this is the opportunity to practice what I preached about dealing with friendly fire. Shortly after I posted that, the call came in from a friend in a local preacher's fellowship I've been attending. The word is doing the rounds among the leadership that I preach something heretical, and he wanted to talk to me about it.
Ironically, the folk who seem to have a problem with what I preach pretty much jumped straight to some of the tactics typically used in returning fire. Handouts misrepresenting what I believe and refuting that misrepresentation are going about, what I actually said is being freely ignored (despite the actual sermon they're worried about being openly available to anyone who wants it), and people are going to others to get them on their side for the battle instead of coming to me personally with their concerns.
Now I've got to make sure I respond in the Spirit, not in the flesh. There is such a temptation to lash out in anger at the wrongs that have been done me, to stomp off and refuse to fellowship with men who would hurt me so casually, to bash those who tolerate and participate in these actions rather than rebuking them, to broadcast the names and crimes of people who claim to serve God but disobey Him, and to start playing the political game by contacting the ones who are most likely to agree with me and take my side and lining them up to support me.
There is also the temptation to come as close as I can to knuckling under without actually compromising my convictions, to bury the hurt and ignore the sin for the sake of peace, because I don't want any trouble, I don't want any conflict, and I don't like being criticized. Some of the people involved in this are men I know, love, respect, and am grateful toward. However, what some of these people have done is plainly wrong.
So I've been spending big blocks of time in thought and prayer for days, trying to make sure I don't act in anger, hurt, or fear, but rather speak the truth in love with wisdom. I simply want to do what God wants. I want to obey His Word. I want to be the wise man who can receive rebuke where it is warranted and thank the one who delivered it. I don't want to fall into the trap of turning to blast away at those who should be on my side. I also don't want to turn a blind eye to sin among the leaders of God's people.
I have met with one man, the only one who has thus far come to me personally about the whole of the situation (kudos to him, by the way, for that at least.) I've told him I'll meet with another, the one who began to spread the situation throughout the fellowship, after I pull some things together. After that, I can only hope and pray that the Lord will give clear guidance and that I'll have the courage, patience, strength, and humility to do what He wants.
Whatever course I take, the road is going to be rough. That's always true when you walk out the door with opportunity. The practicing can be so much harder than the preaching.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Fighting Friendly Fire
Have you come under attack lately from someone who should be on your side?
What are you supposed to do when someone who shows as a friendly on your IFF starts blasting away at you? It can happen in all walks of life, whether it's your ministry coming under attack from another, a spouse stabbing you in the back with hurtful words, or a co-worker cutting you down to lift themselves up.
Fortunately, Fundamentalists have had decades to develop responses to these situations, and they've really honed a few techniques to a fighting edge, especially when applied at the ministry level. In situations where we are criticized or attacked by someone else who claims to be a blood-bought follower of the Lamb, many Fundamentalists set a blazing example of technique that leads to triumph. Perhaps you who were inclined to patiently endure the suffering for the cause of Christ can learn something from the Fundamentalist reactions I've observed and noted lately.
2. Remember that the cause of Christ isn't as important as making sure everyone knows you're right on this issue. It's only okay for young people to go to college at an institution that agrees to the fourth decimal place with your understanding of the preservation of Scripture. Whatever the issue of contention is, that completely overshadows any other truth people may obtain somewhere else. A sense of perspective is not your friend here. Reframe your thinking and speaking so that whoever fired on you is now the enemy, not merely an ally with a nit to pick, a disagreement over strategy or tactics, or a bit of careless speech. Feel free to extrapolate wildly about what lies at the bottom of the slippery slope they're plunging down like an out-of-control X-Gamer. Make sure you mix their assumptions with yours when you address the issue, so it looks like they're denying the deity of Christ or the inspiration of Scripture, when really the issue started out over whether wine in Scripture is always alcoholic or only sometimes alcoholic. The bigger the doctrine you can tie your position to, the more likely it is that you can force them to back down.
3. Rather than giving a Biblical defense for why what you are doing is right, instead remember that the best defense is a good offense. When they cite Scripture to support what they are saying or to attack your position, feel free to ignore it - after all, even Satan can quote Scripture for his purposes, and since this person is clearly siding with Satan on that issue, they probably are too. It's not necessary to interact with their Scripture as long as you've got some you can quote for your side or, better yet, throw like exploding javelins of truth at them.
4. Dedicate all the attention and resources to this that you can. This matter of which college the preachers for your summer camp come from is critically important and must be dealt with post-haste. How can you worry about focusing on evangelism and edification if someone is sniping at you from behind your own lines? Make sure you turn and give them your full attention. I mean, it's not like Satan is going to take advantage of you turning your back on him for a little while. He's a gentleman in these conflicts, and he'll be glad to call a little truce while you straighten out that erring brother.
Whatever you do, don't actually consult the Scriptures or go to your brother and pray humbly for God to work in and through both of you. Don't assume that he's a reasonably intelligent Christian, indwelt by the Spirit of God, who is trying to serve Jesus Christ to the best of his understanding, just like you are. How can you win the battle against him if you're both on the same side?
What other highly-effective tactics have you seen for dealing with friendly fire? Any good techniques that we Fundamentalists still need to integrate on a larger scale?
What are you supposed to do when someone who shows as a friendly on your IFF starts blasting away at you? It can happen in all walks of life, whether it's your ministry coming under attack from another, a spouse stabbing you in the back with hurtful words, or a co-worker cutting you down to lift themselves up.
Fortunately, Fundamentalists have had decades to develop responses to these situations, and they've really honed a few techniques to a fighting edge, especially when applied at the ministry level. In situations where we are criticized or attacked by someone else who claims to be a blood-bought follower of the Lamb, many Fundamentalists set a blazing example of technique that leads to triumph. Perhaps you who were inclined to patiently endure the suffering for the cause of Christ can learn something from the Fundamentalist reactions I've observed and noted lately.
So without further ado (doesn't it sound very Shakespearean and educated to use that word?), here is the classic, time-honored, tried and true Fundamentalist approach to dealing with friendly fire.
1. Return fire! After all, isn't friendly fire as much fire as enemy fire? So when someone attacks us, does it really matter all that much what they say their motives are, whether there's something to what they say, or whether they've usually agreed with you in the past? If you're on the Lord's side, and they're criticizing you, then that makes it pretty apparent which side they're on, doesn't it? The moment their first round lands near your position, you'd better be whirling to blast at them. All this talk of longsuffering and patient continuance in well-doing might be fine for lily-livered New Evangelicals, but Fundamentalists are men of action. No matter what flag someone is flying, you can't let them do any more damage to you and your troops by getting off additional shots before you return fire. If it helps, you can psyche yourself up for your counterattack by thinking, "If they thought fighting Satan was bad, wait'll they get a dose of the firepower from somebody filled with the Spirit!"
2. Involve allies immediately. The moment you get wind of a possible dispute or disagreement, make sure you're lining up all the allies you can. A good way to do this is to send a mailing to every person or preacher you know explaining things from your side and taking those counter-attacking shots. Assessing your opponent's position yourself rather than letting him speak for himself can be a huge help in recruiting people to your side. (A subtle way to do this is to use lots of carefully-selected quotes involving many of those little elliptical dots.) At all costs, you should avoid going in person and in private to speak to the other person humbly about the disagreement between you. You've only got one real ally when you do that, and clearly, you want the numbers on your side if there's going to be a fight. That great spiritual leader Napolean Bonaparte informed us that God fights on the side with the better artillery, and fortunately, Fundamentalists have paid a great deal of heed to the attitude and techniques of that wise man.
2. Remember that the cause of Christ isn't as important as making sure everyone knows you're right on this issue. It's only okay for young people to go to college at an institution that agrees to the fourth decimal place with your understanding of the preservation of Scripture. Whatever the issue of contention is, that completely overshadows any other truth people may obtain somewhere else. A sense of perspective is not your friend here. Reframe your thinking and speaking so that whoever fired on you is now the enemy, not merely an ally with a nit to pick, a disagreement over strategy or tactics, or a bit of careless speech. Feel free to extrapolate wildly about what lies at the bottom of the slippery slope they're plunging down like an out-of-control X-Gamer. Make sure you mix their assumptions with yours when you address the issue, so it looks like they're denying the deity of Christ or the inspiration of Scripture, when really the issue started out over whether wine in Scripture is always alcoholic or only sometimes alcoholic. The bigger the doctrine you can tie your position to, the more likely it is that you can force them to back down.
3. Rather than giving a Biblical defense for why what you are doing is right, instead remember that the best defense is a good offense. When they cite Scripture to support what they are saying or to attack your position, feel free to ignore it - after all, even Satan can quote Scripture for his purposes, and since this person is clearly siding with Satan on that issue, they probably are too. It's not necessary to interact with their Scripture as long as you've got some you can quote for your side or, better yet, throw like exploding javelins of truth at them.
4. Dedicate all the attention and resources to this that you can. This matter of which college the preachers for your summer camp come from is critically important and must be dealt with post-haste. How can you worry about focusing on evangelism and edification if someone is sniping at you from behind your own lines? Make sure you turn and give them your full attention. I mean, it's not like Satan is going to take advantage of you turning your back on him for a little while. He's a gentleman in these conflicts, and he'll be glad to call a little truce while you straighten out that erring brother.
Whatever you do, don't actually consult the Scriptures or go to your brother and pray humbly for God to work in and through both of you. Don't assume that he's a reasonably intelligent Christian, indwelt by the Spirit of God, who is trying to serve Jesus Christ to the best of his understanding, just like you are. How can you win the battle against him if you're both on the same side?
What other highly-effective tactics have you seen for dealing with friendly fire? Any good techniques that we Fundamentalists still need to integrate on a larger scale?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Who's the Boss?
No, I'm not asking whether your wife bosses you around or not. That's pretty much a given. (Just kidding, honey, just kidding! Ouch!) Um, anyhow.... I'm asking what the authority in your life is.
Too many times in the last months, I've talked to someone about an issue and brought up Scripture. Yet instead of interacting with that Scripture (even to discuss other ways it might be interpreted), the response has been to invoke tradition ("Well, I've been here 25 years, and we've never done it that way"), popular opinion ("I don't know a single other Fundamental, Independent Baptist preacher in this part of the state who believes that"), emotion ("But this is what I really feel is right"), theology ("But that can't be right, because this doctrine might be affected, and I'm committed to this doctrine"), human authority ("The Sword of the Lord (or Bob Jones University, or whatever other publication or institution the person has an affinity for) takes a different stance on that"), and simple unbelief or self-superiority ("I know what the Bible says about this, but I really think what I'm doing is right.")
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone say "I know what the Bible says, but...," I could live like a prosperity-gospel televangelist without ever wearing the makeup. The shattered lives of the people I know personally who have made those statements, then reaped the catastrophe they sowed by ignoring the Bible in favor of some other authority, could occupy a daytime talk show for seasons.
I'm not talking about issues with hazy interpretations of a single word in a single verse. I'm not asking people to fall into line with abstract inferences from Ezekiel and Revelation. I'm talking about matters clearly addressed in Scripture, typically with multiple references, taken in context, teaching the same truths. (And no, I'm not talking about getting all those responses to a single hobby-horse issue of mine, either - these responses range across a variety of subjects and conversations.)
The sad thing is, many of these conversations have been with deacons, with preachers, with long-standing members of good churches. These are people who claim to believe in Biblical authority.
What does Biblical authority mean? It means that whatever the Bible says, we believe. Whatever the Bible commands, we do. It should be that simple. Obviously, we must take Scripture in context and interpret carefully, seeing the Bible as a whole, rather than pulling out little proof texts for pet positions. It doesn't mean we have to change our minds the first time someone hits us with something new and quotes a Bible verse to support it. But when the Bible speaks clearly on an issue or behavior, we ought to listen and obey.
Historically, this was a defining trademark of Fundamentalism. It set the early Fundamentalists apart, probably more than anything. They refused to reinterpret or ignore the Bible based on tradition. They rejected human intellectualism that discarded Biblical accuracy. They determined not to be swayed by the pronouncements of scientists or the pressures of popular culture. They decided that if the Bible said it, they would believe it, and if God commanded it in His Word, they would strive to do it. This was the public stance of the movement, and I applaud it, for it is right. According to Jesus Christ, the Word of God is truth, and according to Paul, it is the means by which we mature and are equipped for every good work. It ought to permeate our lives, directing us in every decision through its precepts and principles.
Yet the spiritual fruit of those who made these pronouncements (however well or poorly those individuals lived out the pronouncements themselves) seems to be falling farther and farther from the tree. Biblical authority is lifted up so long as it can be used as a weapon to enforce what the person already thinks and does, and it is swiftly set aside when it doesn't fit into the preconceived package of ideas the person has.
I'm glad there are many I know in Fundamentalism and even in my church who do truly regard the Bible as the final authority. There are still some left who will search His Word and allow it to change them.
For the rest, I weep. A life or ministry built on any authority other than that of the Word of God stands upon treacherous sands. That house will fall.
Too many times in the last months, I've talked to someone about an issue and brought up Scripture. Yet instead of interacting with that Scripture (even to discuss other ways it might be interpreted), the response has been to invoke tradition ("Well, I've been here 25 years, and we've never done it that way"), popular opinion ("I don't know a single other Fundamental, Independent Baptist preacher in this part of the state who believes that"), emotion ("But this is what I really feel is right"), theology ("But that can't be right, because this doctrine might be affected, and I'm committed to this doctrine"), human authority ("The Sword of the Lord (or Bob Jones University, or whatever other publication or institution the person has an affinity for) takes a different stance on that"), and simple unbelief or self-superiority ("I know what the Bible says about this, but I really think what I'm doing is right.")
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone say "I know what the Bible says, but...," I could live like a prosperity-gospel televangelist without ever wearing the makeup. The shattered lives of the people I know personally who have made those statements, then reaped the catastrophe they sowed by ignoring the Bible in favor of some other authority, could occupy a daytime talk show for seasons.
I'm not talking about issues with hazy interpretations of a single word in a single verse. I'm not asking people to fall into line with abstract inferences from Ezekiel and Revelation. I'm talking about matters clearly addressed in Scripture, typically with multiple references, taken in context, teaching the same truths. (And no, I'm not talking about getting all those responses to a single hobby-horse issue of mine, either - these responses range across a variety of subjects and conversations.)
The sad thing is, many of these conversations have been with deacons, with preachers, with long-standing members of good churches. These are people who claim to believe in Biblical authority.
What does Biblical authority mean? It means that whatever the Bible says, we believe. Whatever the Bible commands, we do. It should be that simple. Obviously, we must take Scripture in context and interpret carefully, seeing the Bible as a whole, rather than pulling out little proof texts for pet positions. It doesn't mean we have to change our minds the first time someone hits us with something new and quotes a Bible verse to support it. But when the Bible speaks clearly on an issue or behavior, we ought to listen and obey.
Historically, this was a defining trademark of Fundamentalism. It set the early Fundamentalists apart, probably more than anything. They refused to reinterpret or ignore the Bible based on tradition. They rejected human intellectualism that discarded Biblical accuracy. They determined not to be swayed by the pronouncements of scientists or the pressures of popular culture. They decided that if the Bible said it, they would believe it, and if God commanded it in His Word, they would strive to do it. This was the public stance of the movement, and I applaud it, for it is right. According to Jesus Christ, the Word of God is truth, and according to Paul, it is the means by which we mature and are equipped for every good work. It ought to permeate our lives, directing us in every decision through its precepts and principles.
Yet the spiritual fruit of those who made these pronouncements (however well or poorly those individuals lived out the pronouncements themselves) seems to be falling farther and farther from the tree. Biblical authority is lifted up so long as it can be used as a weapon to enforce what the person already thinks and does, and it is swiftly set aside when it doesn't fit into the preconceived package of ideas the person has.
I'm glad there are many I know in Fundamentalism and even in my church who do truly regard the Bible as the final authority. There are still some left who will search His Word and allow it to change them.
For the rest, I weep. A life or ministry built on any authority other than that of the Word of God stands upon treacherous sands. That house will fall.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Stumbles and the Blame Game
This is about the fifth blog post I've started over the span since I last posted. There's a lot on my heart and mind, and a lot going on in the ministry here. But there's something I needed to post before I got back into all of that.
Man, it's hard to admit this, because I know there are people I respect who read this... but I determined to have transparency here. A little while back, I had a few of what folk generally call "stumbles." That's when you go back to the sin... briefly, or to some extent. (How that's different from flat-out falling on your face, I'm not entirely sure - maybe it's because you haven't gone quite as far as you did before, or because you so quickly realize how abominably stupid what you did was and run away from it like a hornet's nest you threw a rock at.) The pattern is still one of consistent victory now, rather than consistent defeat... but the record is no longer unblemished.
As I struggled to quit even the stumbles, I began to realize that they were typically taking place when I was frustrated with my wife. The problems in that relationship, when I didn't handle them properly, spilled right over into another area of weakness.
Marriage is intended by God to protection us from sexual sin (Proverbs 5:15-20 and I Corinthians 7:2-9). When the marriage isn't helping do that, the temptation is vastly multiplied. It's not simply that the walls marriage puts up to protect against those fiery darts are cast down, so that I'm back where I would be if I weren't married. It's worse than that, because it seems a whole new front in the battle is opened, and that weakens the battle lines everywhere. Instead of lacking an ally in the battle, it's being stabbed in the back by your ally. It becomes so easy to think, "If she doesn't want you, she can't complain if you go where there's no rejection."
But so much of that is flawed thinking. Yes, marriage is one means by which God can protect from temptation, and spouses are decidedly responsible for doing what they can to help each other spiritually. But none of us can blame our sin on anyone else. The grace and power of God is sufficient for victory in battle, no matter how many fronts we are assaulted upon. Yes, when we fight the battles in our own strength, it's only a matter of time before the multiplying fronts force us to divide our strength and attention until something gets through somewhere. But when we rely on the power of God, there is no lessening of power on one front because it is needed on another - His supply is infinite.
In reality, the times I sinned were not because my wife let me down. I looked at porn because I became angry my wife let me down. Catch the difference? It wasn't until I did that this series of stumbles stopped. It wasn't her actions that opened the gates for the assault - I unlocked those gates with my wrong reactions.
When stabbed in the back by an ally, we can begin to regard that person as an enemy - but when we turn (even in our thinking) to attack them, we are turning our back on the real enemy. It is far better for me to simply accept the wound, and with that acceptance the healing that God provides, and continue to treat my life's partner with love, even in my thinking. After all, it's not like I've never wounded her, or Him.
Man, it's hard to admit this, because I know there are people I respect who read this... but I determined to have transparency here. A little while back, I had a few of what folk generally call "stumbles." That's when you go back to the sin... briefly, or to some extent. (How that's different from flat-out falling on your face, I'm not entirely sure - maybe it's because you haven't gone quite as far as you did before, or because you so quickly realize how abominably stupid what you did was and run away from it like a hornet's nest you threw a rock at.) The pattern is still one of consistent victory now, rather than consistent defeat... but the record is no longer unblemished.
As I struggled to quit even the stumbles, I began to realize that they were typically taking place when I was frustrated with my wife. The problems in that relationship, when I didn't handle them properly, spilled right over into another area of weakness.
Marriage is intended by God to protection us from sexual sin (Proverbs 5:15-20 and I Corinthians 7:2-9). When the marriage isn't helping do that, the temptation is vastly multiplied. It's not simply that the walls marriage puts up to protect against those fiery darts are cast down, so that I'm back where I would be if I weren't married. It's worse than that, because it seems a whole new front in the battle is opened, and that weakens the battle lines everywhere. Instead of lacking an ally in the battle, it's being stabbed in the back by your ally. It becomes so easy to think, "If she doesn't want you, she can't complain if you go where there's no rejection."
But so much of that is flawed thinking. Yes, marriage is one means by which God can protect from temptation, and spouses are decidedly responsible for doing what they can to help each other spiritually. But none of us can blame our sin on anyone else. The grace and power of God is sufficient for victory in battle, no matter how many fronts we are assaulted upon. Yes, when we fight the battles in our own strength, it's only a matter of time before the multiplying fronts force us to divide our strength and attention until something gets through somewhere. But when we rely on the power of God, there is no lessening of power on one front because it is needed on another - His supply is infinite.
In reality, the times I sinned were not because my wife let me down. I looked at porn because I became angry my wife let me down. Catch the difference? It wasn't until I did that this series of stumbles stopped. It wasn't her actions that opened the gates for the assault - I unlocked those gates with my wrong reactions.
When stabbed in the back by an ally, we can begin to regard that person as an enemy - but when we turn (even in our thinking) to attack them, we are turning our back on the real enemy. It is far better for me to simply accept the wound, and with that acceptance the healing that God provides, and continue to treat my life's partner with love, even in my thinking. After all, it's not like I've never wounded her, or Him.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
300 Pounds of Opposition to Smoking
Ah, smoking, that favorite whipping boy of the Fundamental, independent Baptist! That vile habit that destroys the body and subjugates the spirit, that corrupts our youth as it clogs the air with its vile exhaust, that exposes our adulterous friendship with the things of this world and our utter lack of devotion to the God who saved us! How dare we desecrate the very temples of the Holy Spirit of God, defiling the merchandise God bought with His own blood?
Where would we be without such an easy target to rail against? It's addictive, and it's destructive. The purveyors of the product have been proven liars, peddling deceptively a product they knew to be deadly. It snares children and kills thousands. Those in bondage to it are there because they don't realize their bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit of God, don't care who owns them, or don't have the self-discipline to act on that knowledge and caring.
It feels like a risky target - after all, so many people smoke. The industry behind it is enormous. So we feel bold when we attack it. Yet we know our moral ground is unassailable when we do so. Of course, it helps that even many who smoke don't want to be smoking and that public opinion is really pretty strongly against the big tobacco companies, and no-smoking laws are being passed for enclosed public areas all over. It helps when we know that pretty much our whole audience, even the ones who do smoke or have smoked, would agree that it's bad. Yeah, it takes a bit of nerve to take a stand against something so pervasive, and there are people who will get offended by it - but on the whole, it's a pretty safe place to be bold.
But who is being bold? Who is taking the stand? Often, it's a 300-pound man who should weigh 180, sweating his way through the sermon, out of breath if he runs across the platform. There is a terrible hypocrisy here. If our bodies are truly the temple of the Holy Spirit of God (they are!), and if we shouldn't abuse that which God has placed in our care (we shouldn't!), and if we should have the self-control to live what we know and believe about this (we should!), then why aren't the preachers obligated to live to the same standard?
We have every right and responsibility to proclaim that addictions are dangerous and wrong for the believer. That includes nicotine. We ought not be under the power of anything but the Holy Spirit of God. But why does caffeine get a pass? Because it's more socially acceptable to NEED a cup of coffee in the morning to act human than it is to need a cigarette?
We ought not destroy or bring careless damage to that which belongs to God. Our bodies belong to Him. But why is it okay to slam cigarettes... while eating ourselves into an early grave? Because smoking is fashionable to preach against, while gluttony is the norm?
We ought to have the self-discipline to live out what we believe about belonging to God and discipleship to Jesus Christ in practical ways. That means being willing to not take the easy path in life, to give up something that may seem comfortable or pleasant now for the sake of eternity. Why can we criticize those who don't exercise the self-control to put down the cigarettes... but not go out and exercise these bodies God has given us to use for Him? I know that bodily exercise profits little and that godliness is far more important. Yet an unfit body hardly displays godliness, and it hardly shows that it's kept under and brought into subjection. I'm not saying every preacher should be an All-American athlete - I'm saying we should be good stewards of what the Lord has placed in our care.
Am I saying we should cease preaching against smoking, dipping, chewing, or any other means people court cancer through tobacco? Absolutely not. The principles for preaching against it are sound and Scriptural. But I'm challenging any preacher who speaks against tobacco to be sure his hearers can tell he's living a life of self-discipline and stewardship - or expect to be called rightfully a hypocrite.
After all, is our goal to turn people from one sin, or to lead them in freedom from addiction and disciplined devotion to the Lord who bought us with His blood?
P.S. Lest I seem righteous in myself, rather than in the grace and power of God... it's only been a bit over three months since I sought Him earnestly enough to lay aside my own vile, ease-and-pleasure-centered habit. There have been a few stumbles, but even the last of those was weeks in the past. Christ gets the credit. In myself, I'm no better than any four-pack-a-day chimney.
Where would we be without such an easy target to rail against? It's addictive, and it's destructive. The purveyors of the product have been proven liars, peddling deceptively a product they knew to be deadly. It snares children and kills thousands. Those in bondage to it are there because they don't realize their bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit of God, don't care who owns them, or don't have the self-discipline to act on that knowledge and caring.
It feels like a risky target - after all, so many people smoke. The industry behind it is enormous. So we feel bold when we attack it. Yet we know our moral ground is unassailable when we do so. Of course, it helps that even many who smoke don't want to be smoking and that public opinion is really pretty strongly against the big tobacco companies, and no-smoking laws are being passed for enclosed public areas all over. It helps when we know that pretty much our whole audience, even the ones who do smoke or have smoked, would agree that it's bad. Yeah, it takes a bit of nerve to take a stand against something so pervasive, and there are people who will get offended by it - but on the whole, it's a pretty safe place to be bold.
But who is being bold? Who is taking the stand? Often, it's a 300-pound man who should weigh 180, sweating his way through the sermon, out of breath if he runs across the platform. There is a terrible hypocrisy here. If our bodies are truly the temple of the Holy Spirit of God (they are!), and if we shouldn't abuse that which God has placed in our care (we shouldn't!), and if we should have the self-control to live what we know and believe about this (we should!), then why aren't the preachers obligated to live to the same standard?
We have every right and responsibility to proclaim that addictions are dangerous and wrong for the believer. That includes nicotine. We ought not be under the power of anything but the Holy Spirit of God. But why does caffeine get a pass? Because it's more socially acceptable to NEED a cup of coffee in the morning to act human than it is to need a cigarette?
We ought not destroy or bring careless damage to that which belongs to God. Our bodies belong to Him. But why is it okay to slam cigarettes... while eating ourselves into an early grave? Because smoking is fashionable to preach against, while gluttony is the norm?
We ought to have the self-discipline to live out what we believe about belonging to God and discipleship to Jesus Christ in practical ways. That means being willing to not take the easy path in life, to give up something that may seem comfortable or pleasant now for the sake of eternity. Why can we criticize those who don't exercise the self-control to put down the cigarettes... but not go out and exercise these bodies God has given us to use for Him? I know that bodily exercise profits little and that godliness is far more important. Yet an unfit body hardly displays godliness, and it hardly shows that it's kept under and brought into subjection. I'm not saying every preacher should be an All-American athlete - I'm saying we should be good stewards of what the Lord has placed in our care.
Am I saying we should cease preaching against smoking, dipping, chewing, or any other means people court cancer through tobacco? Absolutely not. The principles for preaching against it are sound and Scriptural. But I'm challenging any preacher who speaks against tobacco to be sure his hearers can tell he's living a life of self-discipline and stewardship - or expect to be called rightfully a hypocrite.
After all, is our goal to turn people from one sin, or to lead them in freedom from addiction and disciplined devotion to the Lord who bought us with His blood?
P.S. Lest I seem righteous in myself, rather than in the grace and power of God... it's only been a bit over three months since I sought Him earnestly enough to lay aside my own vile, ease-and-pleasure-centered habit. There have been a few stumbles, but even the last of those was weeks in the past. Christ gets the credit. In myself, I'm no better than any four-pack-a-day chimney.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Whups... We Forgot One.
We Fundamentalists tend to be big on obeying God's commands. We recognize the truth of I John 5:3 that the measure of our love for God is how well we keep His commandments. Done properly, this isn't legalism - we're not asserting that keeping a list of commandments will get us saved, but rather that we keep those commandments because we are saved.
But there is a command that Fundamentalism has forgotten. I see it neglected by the people in the pews, and I see it neglected by the preachers in the pulpits. In the times when it ought to be most obeyed, I see it most neglected.
The command? Philippians 4:4 : "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
Yet as I look about the pews (and our church is far better in this regard than many I've been in), the evidence of joy is so rare. Even the smiles often look like they barely extend beneath the makeup. (On the ladies, of course! Fundamentalist men don't wear makeup. Unless we're on TV. Then we wear lots, and the smiles often look even more fake.)
I'm not saying we should cover up our problems - on the contrary, we should be bearing one another's burdens, and to bear a burden, you have to know about it. But if we're obeying the Lord's commands, shouldn't that be evident to someone who looks? Shouldn't it show in something other than a pasted on smile that we're rejoicing in the Lord?
When I listen to believers, there is far more discussion of trouble than triumph in most conversations. Often, even the praises are a lead-in or a cover-up for the complaints. "All things work together for good, the Lord knows what He is doing, and He sure is good, but this bad thing happened, and that bad thing went on, and there's this terrible situation, and I don't know what we're going to do, and Aunt Edna is really sick, but God is in control... I just wish I was!" Well, okay, I rarely actually hear that last part verbally, but it sure seems like it's trying to get out past all the effort to make complaining sound like faith. We work hard to obey the commands to witness, to be different from the world, and so on... but we forgot the command to be joyful. Yet our joy is one of the greatest differences between us and the world and one of our greatest testimonies to the world.
What makes me saddest in this is what I see from some of our leaders. I attend a preacher's fellowship, and there is a time set apart for prayer. Now, I don't much care for the balance of the requests, but that's a post for another day. What really bothers me is the sense of unmitigated despondency that accompanies them. I understand that there is a rightful sorrow over sin and that our hearts may cry out in compassion for those in pain, and even that we may shed tears both within and without at the agonies of soul we endure. But is there any time we should be more joyful than when we approach together the throne of grace of our beloved Savior and God of all?
Through the compassion and the tears, our approach to that throne should be unmistakeably joyful. There is so much in Scripture about joy - in fact, one of the very REASONS for Scripture is to give us fulness of joy (I John 1:4). We who lead the flock of God ought to be leading in joy as well as in soul-winning and doctrinal conviction. I know well the weight that rests upon a pastor's shoulders and heart. Fortunately, I know also the God who helps him lift it.
How can we rejoice in every situation? Because Christ is with us in every situation. Our joy is dependent only upon the Lord, not the circumstances -- it is, after all "the joy of the Lord." We are told to "rejoice in the Lord." I think this is simply enjoying our relationship with God. Since He is perfect, yet infinite, there are infinite pleasures in His companionship. There are no skeletons in His closet, no dangers and no risks save to our flesh in knowing Him more deeply. We are blessed literally beyond measure in having this relationship. Shouldn't we enjoy it?
And if we do not, should we not confess that as sin and plead that the Lord would restore to us the joy of our salvation? It's a command, after all.
But there is a command that Fundamentalism has forgotten. I see it neglected by the people in the pews, and I see it neglected by the preachers in the pulpits. In the times when it ought to be most obeyed, I see it most neglected.
The command? Philippians 4:4 : "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
Yet as I look about the pews (and our church is far better in this regard than many I've been in), the evidence of joy is so rare. Even the smiles often look like they barely extend beneath the makeup. (On the ladies, of course! Fundamentalist men don't wear makeup. Unless we're on TV. Then we wear lots, and the smiles often look even more fake.)
I'm not saying we should cover up our problems - on the contrary, we should be bearing one another's burdens, and to bear a burden, you have to know about it. But if we're obeying the Lord's commands, shouldn't that be evident to someone who looks? Shouldn't it show in something other than a pasted on smile that we're rejoicing in the Lord?
When I listen to believers, there is far more discussion of trouble than triumph in most conversations. Often, even the praises are a lead-in or a cover-up for the complaints. "All things work together for good, the Lord knows what He is doing, and He sure is good, but this bad thing happened, and that bad thing went on, and there's this terrible situation, and I don't know what we're going to do, and Aunt Edna is really sick, but God is in control... I just wish I was!" Well, okay, I rarely actually hear that last part verbally, but it sure seems like it's trying to get out past all the effort to make complaining sound like faith. We work hard to obey the commands to witness, to be different from the world, and so on... but we forgot the command to be joyful. Yet our joy is one of the greatest differences between us and the world and one of our greatest testimonies to the world.
What makes me saddest in this is what I see from some of our leaders. I attend a preacher's fellowship, and there is a time set apart for prayer. Now, I don't much care for the balance of the requests, but that's a post for another day. What really bothers me is the sense of unmitigated despondency that accompanies them. I understand that there is a rightful sorrow over sin and that our hearts may cry out in compassion for those in pain, and even that we may shed tears both within and without at the agonies of soul we endure. But is there any time we should be more joyful than when we approach together the throne of grace of our beloved Savior and God of all?
Through the compassion and the tears, our approach to that throne should be unmistakeably joyful. There is so much in Scripture about joy - in fact, one of the very REASONS for Scripture is to give us fulness of joy (I John 1:4). We who lead the flock of God ought to be leading in joy as well as in soul-winning and doctrinal conviction. I know well the weight that rests upon a pastor's shoulders and heart. Fortunately, I know also the God who helps him lift it.
How can we rejoice in every situation? Because Christ is with us in every situation. Our joy is dependent only upon the Lord, not the circumstances -- it is, after all "the joy of the Lord." We are told to "rejoice in the Lord." I think this is simply enjoying our relationship with God. Since He is perfect, yet infinite, there are infinite pleasures in His companionship. There are no skeletons in His closet, no dangers and no risks save to our flesh in knowing Him more deeply. We are blessed literally beyond measure in having this relationship. Shouldn't we enjoy it?
And if we do not, should we not confess that as sin and plead that the Lord would restore to us the joy of our salvation? It's a command, after all.
Friday, December 18, 2009
So Nice to Talk without the Shouting
I had another post in the works, but things have gotten crazy around here because of Christmas ministry madness, and I wanted to mention something else anyhow. I've really been enjoying the conversation with author Bruce Baker in the comments thread of this post. Even if we never come to complete agreement on the subject, we have found much common ground, and I, for one, have been forced to carefully think through my position, the Scriptures I'm resting it on, and the implications of it. Thought like that is always a good thing.
It's a given that believers, even Fundamental believers, won't walk into every conversation agreeing with each other on every point. It should be a given that our mutual goals are the glory of God and all of us getting closer to Him. That means we need to be gracious in our communication with each other, especially where there are points of disagreement. I'm not talking about compromising on the fundamentals - I'm talking about discussing the Scriptures in a way that edifies all involved and all who see and hear. That doesn't mean ignoring the differences in viewpoints, but it does mean not shouting about them and descending into name-calling over them. It means discussing them with clarity and gentleness.
It's such a blessing to find other believers who view interaction about the Scriptures the same way. Conversations like this give me greater hope for Fundamentalism than even our apparent growth rate does.
It's a given that believers, even Fundamental believers, won't walk into every conversation agreeing with each other on every point. It should be a given that our mutual goals are the glory of God and all of us getting closer to Him. That means we need to be gracious in our communication with each other, especially where there are points of disagreement. I'm not talking about compromising on the fundamentals - I'm talking about discussing the Scriptures in a way that edifies all involved and all who see and hear. That doesn't mean ignoring the differences in viewpoints, but it does mean not shouting about them and descending into name-calling over them. It means discussing them with clarity and gentleness.
It's such a blessing to find other believers who view interaction about the Scriptures the same way. Conversations like this give me greater hope for Fundamentalism than even our apparent growth rate does.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What Is Christmas?
I'm becoming more convinced all the time that there are really two Christmases. They just happen to be celebrated around the same time of year.
The first is that one we celebrate by putting up manger scenes, singing "The First Noel," and talking about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Then there's that other one, the one we celebrate by having lots of family we can barely stand over, singing "Jingle Bells," and maxing out credit cards in an attempt to buy a few moments of the illusion of love. (What, me, cynical? Nah.)
For the longest of times, I didn't realize they were two separate things. Fundamentalists have either been opposed to them both or viewed the secular one as a corruption of the sacred.
But I'm thinking more and more that they are two separate celebrations. One is God's people celebrating an immensely important Scriptural event with representations of that event (like manger scenes, gifts, and songs about the nativity). This one strikes me as a lot like the Jewish people celebrating Purim. There's no command in the New Testament that we celebrate Christmas, and there is no example of believers doing it. That doesn't make it wrong to commemorate such an important event in Scripture. God didn't command the Jews to celebrate the feast of Purim, yet they did it to glorify Him for the deliverance recorded in the book of Esther. (Of course, this means that if a believer doesn't want to celebrate Christmas, there's no obligation to do it, either - the Apostle Paul made that pretty clear.)
The second Christmas is not a Christian thing - it's a cultural thing. It's a celebration of family, winter, and goodwill. This strikes me as being a lot like the 4th of July. There's nothing in the Bible about July 4th. There are lots of people who go beyond what I think is Scriptural in their celebration of this great nation. Some use it as an excuse for drunkenness. Some go way too far in glorifying an earthly nation to the detriment of their true allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Some have turned the event into an exercise in bad theology, applying promises and commands to the United States that were really only given to the nation of Israel. Yet there's also nothing wrong with thanking the Lord for the nation He's placed us in, supporting its troops, and remembering its heritage. Just because some people abuse the holiday doesn't make it wrong for me to use it. That applies to Christmas - even the social aspects like the sleigh bell songs - just as much as it does to the 4th of July.
Of course, then we have to have a cage match, no holds barred, in 15 rounds over what to do about Santa Claus. Is it okay to tell the kids he's real when he's not? Is it better to encourage them to sneer at their poor misguided and deceived friends led astray by their parents?
I'm going with the "It's a bad idea to deliberately deceive your children" theory - but I don't get irate about a picture of Santa any more than I do a picture of a troll in a children's book. They're both pretend conventions of our society. Treated rightly, they're not wrong. The fact that they can be abused doesn't mean they should never be used.
So whichever Christmas you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it. If you celebrate the version of Christmas most Fundamentalists love, I hope you remember that Christ was born (though almost certainly not on Christmas day), and I hope you remember why He was born. I hope you remember that His birth has nothing to do with hot chocolate, Christmas trees, and how much money you spend on each other.
If you celebrate society's Christmas, have fun with your family, laugh at the clean shows, and leave your credit cards home when you go shopping. Just don't turn liberty into license, abusing that which you've got every right to use.
The first is that one we celebrate by putting up manger scenes, singing "The First Noel," and talking about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Then there's that other one, the one we celebrate by having lots of family we can barely stand over, singing "Jingle Bells," and maxing out credit cards in an attempt to buy a few moments of the illusion of love. (What, me, cynical? Nah.)
For the longest of times, I didn't realize they were two separate things. Fundamentalists have either been opposed to them both or viewed the secular one as a corruption of the sacred.
But I'm thinking more and more that they are two separate celebrations. One is God's people celebrating an immensely important Scriptural event with representations of that event (like manger scenes, gifts, and songs about the nativity). This one strikes me as a lot like the Jewish people celebrating Purim. There's no command in the New Testament that we celebrate Christmas, and there is no example of believers doing it. That doesn't make it wrong to commemorate such an important event in Scripture. God didn't command the Jews to celebrate the feast of Purim, yet they did it to glorify Him for the deliverance recorded in the book of Esther. (Of course, this means that if a believer doesn't want to celebrate Christmas, there's no obligation to do it, either - the Apostle Paul made that pretty clear.)
The second Christmas is not a Christian thing - it's a cultural thing. It's a celebration of family, winter, and goodwill. This strikes me as being a lot like the 4th of July. There's nothing in the Bible about July 4th. There are lots of people who go beyond what I think is Scriptural in their celebration of this great nation. Some use it as an excuse for drunkenness. Some go way too far in glorifying an earthly nation to the detriment of their true allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Some have turned the event into an exercise in bad theology, applying promises and commands to the United States that were really only given to the nation of Israel. Yet there's also nothing wrong with thanking the Lord for the nation He's placed us in, supporting its troops, and remembering its heritage. Just because some people abuse the holiday doesn't make it wrong for me to use it. That applies to Christmas - even the social aspects like the sleigh bell songs - just as much as it does to the 4th of July.
Of course, then we have to have a cage match, no holds barred, in 15 rounds over what to do about Santa Claus. Is it okay to tell the kids he's real when he's not? Is it better to encourage them to sneer at their poor misguided and deceived friends led astray by their parents?
I'm going with the "It's a bad idea to deliberately deceive your children" theory - but I don't get irate about a picture of Santa any more than I do a picture of a troll in a children's book. They're both pretend conventions of our society. Treated rightly, they're not wrong. The fact that they can be abused doesn't mean they should never be used.
So whichever Christmas you celebrate, I hope you enjoy it. If you celebrate the version of Christmas most Fundamentalists love, I hope you remember that Christ was born (though almost certainly not on Christmas day), and I hope you remember why He was born. I hope you remember that His birth has nothing to do with hot chocolate, Christmas trees, and how much money you spend on each other.
If you celebrate society's Christmas, have fun with your family, laugh at the clean shows, and leave your credit cards home when you go shopping. Just don't turn liberty into license, abusing that which you've got every right to use.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
We Want God's Power... On Our Terms
The call came in around 2:30 AM. When the phone rings at that time of morning, as soon as the grogginess passes enough to realize that it's the phone, not the alarm clock or the fire alarm in a dream, even as the pastor stumbles out of the bed to grope for the phone, his heart is racing. His stomach feels like an alchemist's experiment in turning flesh to lead. It's never a good thing when someone calls much after 10 or much before 7.
In this case, the man on the other end was desperate. He was out of town, he'd been in a drunken brawl, and he had narrowly avoided getting put in jail. His drinking was wrecking his marriage and his life. I had only met him a time or two, but he had family who went to our church, and when he called them in the middle of the night, they told him that I truly wouldn't mind if he called me. His wife had been urging him to get into church and let God help him with the drinking, and he was finally ready to quit fighting the battle alone.
We set things up for him and his wife to come see me, and it became immediately apparent that the drinking wasn't the only problem. The dynamics of the relationship were unhealthy from top to bottom. We established that both of them had trusted Christ for salvation in years past, but they hadn't been in church or doing anything for the Lord in quite some time.
The man seemed serious about living for the Lord, and there was an immediate difference. He stepped away from the drinking completely, and he got into church. He started attending regularly and talking about being involved.
Then his wife put on the brakes. She'd wanted God to stop her husband from drinking. But she hadn't really wanted God to take over his life. Quite simply, she still wanted to run his life. She just wanted to use God as a tool to change something she wanted changed. She'd just signed up for a non-drunken husband, not one who wanted to go listen to God's Word and hang around with other Christians more than once a week. Why couldn't he just show up one Sunday morning a month for his God fix to keep him off the booze?
The guy was trying, he really was. But he adored his wife, and he'd been going along with her for the sake of peace and harmony for a long time. So when she wanted to go to a country music concert instead of church that time, he went along. And when she put a beer in his hand, he drank it. She decided she would rather take her chances with the alcohol than risk ceding control of her marriage and her husband's life to God.
I don't think they've been back to church since that concert. He is back to drinking, of course. The marriage is struggling, and I don't think either of them are happy.
God is not a tool. Yet so often, we think of Him that way (and by extension, Christ's body here on earth, the church). We want someone to change - but we only want them to change this specific detail. Sometimes it's ourselves we want to change. But God isn't just interested in changing details. He's in the business of transforming lives. When we're ready for that, He's able to do it. But He won't be used by anyone. He doesn't just want our cigarettes or our beer - He wants us. If we want His power in our lives, we're going to have to be willing to let Him control what He does with it.
In this case, the man on the other end was desperate. He was out of town, he'd been in a drunken brawl, and he had narrowly avoided getting put in jail. His drinking was wrecking his marriage and his life. I had only met him a time or two, but he had family who went to our church, and when he called them in the middle of the night, they told him that I truly wouldn't mind if he called me. His wife had been urging him to get into church and let God help him with the drinking, and he was finally ready to quit fighting the battle alone.
We set things up for him and his wife to come see me, and it became immediately apparent that the drinking wasn't the only problem. The dynamics of the relationship were unhealthy from top to bottom. We established that both of them had trusted Christ for salvation in years past, but they hadn't been in church or doing anything for the Lord in quite some time.
The man seemed serious about living for the Lord, and there was an immediate difference. He stepped away from the drinking completely, and he got into church. He started attending regularly and talking about being involved.
Then his wife put on the brakes. She'd wanted God to stop her husband from drinking. But she hadn't really wanted God to take over his life. Quite simply, she still wanted to run his life. She just wanted to use God as a tool to change something she wanted changed. She'd just signed up for a non-drunken husband, not one who wanted to go listen to God's Word and hang around with other Christians more than once a week. Why couldn't he just show up one Sunday morning a month for his God fix to keep him off the booze?
The guy was trying, he really was. But he adored his wife, and he'd been going along with her for the sake of peace and harmony for a long time. So when she wanted to go to a country music concert instead of church that time, he went along. And when she put a beer in his hand, he drank it. She decided she would rather take her chances with the alcohol than risk ceding control of her marriage and her husband's life to God.
I don't think they've been back to church since that concert. He is back to drinking, of course. The marriage is struggling, and I don't think either of them are happy.
God is not a tool. Yet so often, we think of Him that way (and by extension, Christ's body here on earth, the church). We want someone to change - but we only want them to change this specific detail. Sometimes it's ourselves we want to change. But God isn't just interested in changing details. He's in the business of transforming lives. When we're ready for that, He's able to do it. But He won't be used by anyone. He doesn't just want our cigarettes or our beer - He wants us. If we want His power in our lives, we're going to have to be willing to let Him control what He does with it.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I've Had It Up to Here with Anger
Fundamentalists often seem like angry people, don't they? That's certainly the steriotypical perception, and I'm afraid I've met some who reinforced that steriotype.
In fact, some of us are even proud of our anger. We call that good kind of anger "righteous indignation."
We're righteously indignant about the President wanting to use our tax money to murder babies. We're angry about the Muslims and their thousandth mosque in the U.S. We're angry about the New Evangelicals being willing to compromise the identity and work of Christ in the name of Christ. We're righteously indignant about the drug dealers and the pornographers and... well, pretty much anything that makes us mad, so long as we can justify the anger by saying the other person or group is sinning. If they're sinning in what they're doing, it's okay for us to be angry about it. Hey, God gets angry at sin, so shouldn't we?
Sometimes I think our movement's key verse is Ephesians 4:26a, "Be ye angry, and sin not." So long as we don't actually punch someone in the snoot or blow something up, isn't it okay to be angry, especially over sin? To listen to our preaching, sometimes, you'd think we actually have an obligation to be angry.
There's a tiny problem with all this anger that's flying around: the Bible. In our rush to excuse anger we think is justified, we've grabbed a magnifying glass and expanded Ephesians 4:26a so large we can't see the rest of the page.
What's on the rest of that page? Ephesians 4:31-32. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Wait... we're supposed to put ALL wrath and anger away from ourselves? Yup, that's what it said.
Is that an aberration we should explain away, doing a little exegetical gymnastics to reinterpret it? Um, nope. Psalm 37:8 says, "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil." In the preceding verse, it even tells us not to fret about people who bring wicked devices to pass. Rats... guess it's not okay for me to vent in anger over people, even if what they are doing is wrong.
In fact, as I perused the Scriptures, I couldn't find any situation in which God commanded an individual to be angry, nor could I find a case in which He commended a person for being angry, let alone acting in that anger.
Time and again, God warns against being hastily angry, acting in anger, or staying angry (that's the point of Ephesians 4:26 - we all feel anger sometimes, but we shouldn't let it linger or cause us to sin.) Yes, God acts in anger - God also enacts vengeance and seeks worship, neither of which belong to us.
Anger is fundamentally wanting to right a wrong, I think. It's being upset the world didn't work the way we thought it should, that someone didn't act the way we knew they should. But I'm not sure we have a "right" to that. Yes, people wrong us, sometimes. But ultimately, every sin is against God. He's the one who established the order of creation and gave the dictates of morality, not us. He has the right to be angry, to set right the wrongs, to expect the world to work as He desires. We don't. It's not our job to set things right - it's our job to do right.
We may experience anger as an emotion - but we ought not live in it or act on it.
God told us in James 1:20, "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Yet I hear sermon after sermon that seems fueled by anger and wrath, rather than by compassion and love. Is it any wonder that people don't seem moved by the preaching at times, despite the energy poured into it and the eloquence exercised in it? When the energy is man's, the work accomplished is rarely God's.
In fact, some of us are even proud of our anger. We call that good kind of anger "righteous indignation."
We're righteously indignant about the President wanting to use our tax money to murder babies. We're angry about the Muslims and their thousandth mosque in the U.S. We're angry about the New Evangelicals being willing to compromise the identity and work of Christ in the name of Christ. We're righteously indignant about the drug dealers and the pornographers and... well, pretty much anything that makes us mad, so long as we can justify the anger by saying the other person or group is sinning. If they're sinning in what they're doing, it's okay for us to be angry about it. Hey, God gets angry at sin, so shouldn't we?
Sometimes I think our movement's key verse is Ephesians 4:26a, "Be ye angry, and sin not." So long as we don't actually punch someone in the snoot or blow something up, isn't it okay to be angry, especially over sin? To listen to our preaching, sometimes, you'd think we actually have an obligation to be angry.
There's a tiny problem with all this anger that's flying around: the Bible. In our rush to excuse anger we think is justified, we've grabbed a magnifying glass and expanded Ephesians 4:26a so large we can't see the rest of the page.
What's on the rest of that page? Ephesians 4:31-32. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Wait... we're supposed to put ALL wrath and anger away from ourselves? Yup, that's what it said.
Is that an aberration we should explain away, doing a little exegetical gymnastics to reinterpret it? Um, nope. Psalm 37:8 says, "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil." In the preceding verse, it even tells us not to fret about people who bring wicked devices to pass. Rats... guess it's not okay for me to vent in anger over people, even if what they are doing is wrong.
In fact, as I perused the Scriptures, I couldn't find any situation in which God commanded an individual to be angry, nor could I find a case in which He commended a person for being angry, let alone acting in that anger.
Time and again, God warns against being hastily angry, acting in anger, or staying angry (that's the point of Ephesians 4:26 - we all feel anger sometimes, but we shouldn't let it linger or cause us to sin.) Yes, God acts in anger - God also enacts vengeance and seeks worship, neither of which belong to us.
Anger is fundamentally wanting to right a wrong, I think. It's being upset the world didn't work the way we thought it should, that someone didn't act the way we knew they should. But I'm not sure we have a "right" to that. Yes, people wrong us, sometimes. But ultimately, every sin is against God. He's the one who established the order of creation and gave the dictates of morality, not us. He has the right to be angry, to set right the wrongs, to expect the world to work as He desires. We don't. It's not our job to set things right - it's our job to do right.
We may experience anger as an emotion - but we ought not live in it or act on it.
God told us in James 1:20, "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." Yet I hear sermon after sermon that seems fueled by anger and wrath, rather than by compassion and love. Is it any wonder that people don't seem moved by the preaching at times, despite the energy poured into it and the eloquence exercised in it? When the energy is man's, the work accomplished is rarely God's.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Another Thought-Provoking Post
This from Jon at Stuff Christians Like. He's got some great insights, especially in his Serious Wednesday posts. You don't have to agree with them all to get a lot out of some of them.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Deceptive Fundamentalism
As a pastor, I say very little about politics from the pulpit. In general terms, I decry the deceptiveness and immorality of many in our political system. In moral terms, I preach against things like abortion and homosexuality. But the followers of Christ are never called upon to change laws in their political system to make other people be moral. We ought to be salt and light in a dark world, but our primary role is bringing people to Christ. If enough lives are transformed by Christ, society will change. Thus, I use my pulpit to speak on and from Scripture, with social and political commentary only when a social or political issue concides directly with the passage of Scripture I'm preaching from.
That doesn't mean I don't have political views, nor that those views are not informed by my Biblical convictions. As an involved member in our society, this post caught my eye. For quite a while now, the advocates of global warming as a manmade phenomenon seem to me to have been acting more like steriotypical fundamentalists than most of the Christian Fundamentalists I know. I don't approve of what was done to gain the information revealed in that post - but I'm well aware that God sometimes uses one wrong to expose another.
That doesn't mean I don't have political views, nor that those views are not informed by my Biblical convictions. As an involved member in our society, this post caught my eye. For quite a while now, the advocates of global warming as a manmade phenomenon seem to me to have been acting more like steriotypical fundamentalists than most of the Christian Fundamentalists I know. I don't approve of what was done to gain the information revealed in that post - but I'm well aware that God sometimes uses one wrong to expose another.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
We Love Being Scared
The other day, a man came to talk to me. He was vastly concerned about the new hate crimes legislation signed into law by President Obama. His concern was that we would no longer be permitted to speak openly about what the Bible says about homosexuality. It seemed that he was worried that if we would get in legal trouble for speaking the truth, we might stop speaking truth.
I have come to the conclusion that we Fundamentalists like being scared more than horror movie junkies.
At a preacher's fellowship recently, we were warned that the government already has numerous concentration camps built and being readied for Christians. Any day now, secret police might come along and snatch us up for unspeakable torments and death. It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. There were supposedly hundreds of these camps, but no one had seen one or knew where one was or knew anyone who had seen one or knew how all this construction had been funded. But it sure was fun to be scared by those elusive camps for a couple minutes before we headed out to eat fried things.
Now, I'm a cynic. I know that. I'm not even really ashamed of it. Although I give individual people the benefit of the doubt because that's what love does, on the whole, I believe that human beings are just plain messed up. I know that Christians in many places are abused, persecuted, and even killed. I suspect that if I live out my natural days, before I'm dead, we'll see that here in the United States. I'm not blind, and I can see the writing on the wall - we're heading into the limitation of free speech in the interests of protecting the feelings of special interest groups.
But I'd rather have truth than fear. The hate crimes legislation is, in my opinion, a betrayal of justice. All victims of crime should have the same legal protections, regardless of their gender, race, religion, and yes, even morality. To give some groups extra protections is to create an inequality in justice, for the unprotected now have less protection from violence than the protected. In that, I think this legislation is a foolish, short-sighted thing. (And why in the world is it still attached to a defense bill?)
However, this hate crimes legislation specifically states that freedom of speech is protected. I am free to oppose homosexuality, telling the truth about it as sin and a moral choice. I'm simply not allowed to go assault or steal from a homosexual - but if I break the law, committing an act of violence or theft against anyone, I should be prosecuted for that, anyhow. This legislation allows for extra penalties if I select a homosexual victim because he's homosexual, but typically, I think the penalties for violent crime are too lenient, anyhow. I'm sorry to drizzle on the fear-parade... but this law does not forbid us to speak truth. It merely adds extra penalties for things we shouldn't do anyhow. It takes blind justice and gives it a peep show sponsored by special interests - but it doesn't limit my free speech or the right to exercise my faith.
If we Fundamentalists intend to be taken seriously when we trumpet legitimate messages of impending doom, we need to be careful to get our facts straight and be able to support our statements. Truth needs to be more important to us than the rush of momentary fear. (Or the sense of bravery we feel when we determine to stand up to the scary thing, no matter the cost.)
The time will come when that bravery is needed. The time will come when some of these scary things will be realized, and that time is now for some believers around the world. But our weapon then is the same as it is now - truth.
Let's just be careful to speak the truth as accurately as we can. We don't need lies or misinformation. If we are to well represent He who is love and the Truth, we best do it with careful, loving truth.
I have come to the conclusion that we Fundamentalists like being scared more than horror movie junkies.
At a preacher's fellowship recently, we were warned that the government already has numerous concentration camps built and being readied for Christians. Any day now, secret police might come along and snatch us up for unspeakable torments and death. It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. There were supposedly hundreds of these camps, but no one had seen one or knew where one was or knew anyone who had seen one or knew how all this construction had been funded. But it sure was fun to be scared by those elusive camps for a couple minutes before we headed out to eat fried things.
Now, I'm a cynic. I know that. I'm not even really ashamed of it. Although I give individual people the benefit of the doubt because that's what love does, on the whole, I believe that human beings are just plain messed up. I know that Christians in many places are abused, persecuted, and even killed. I suspect that if I live out my natural days, before I'm dead, we'll see that here in the United States. I'm not blind, and I can see the writing on the wall - we're heading into the limitation of free speech in the interests of protecting the feelings of special interest groups.
But I'd rather have truth than fear. The hate crimes legislation is, in my opinion, a betrayal of justice. All victims of crime should have the same legal protections, regardless of their gender, race, religion, and yes, even morality. To give some groups extra protections is to create an inequality in justice, for the unprotected now have less protection from violence than the protected. In that, I think this legislation is a foolish, short-sighted thing. (And why in the world is it still attached to a defense bill?)
However, this hate crimes legislation specifically states that freedom of speech is protected. I am free to oppose homosexuality, telling the truth about it as sin and a moral choice. I'm simply not allowed to go assault or steal from a homosexual - but if I break the law, committing an act of violence or theft against anyone, I should be prosecuted for that, anyhow. This legislation allows for extra penalties if I select a homosexual victim because he's homosexual, but typically, I think the penalties for violent crime are too lenient, anyhow. I'm sorry to drizzle on the fear-parade... but this law does not forbid us to speak truth. It merely adds extra penalties for things we shouldn't do anyhow. It takes blind justice and gives it a peep show sponsored by special interests - but it doesn't limit my free speech or the right to exercise my faith.
If we Fundamentalists intend to be taken seriously when we trumpet legitimate messages of impending doom, we need to be careful to get our facts straight and be able to support our statements. Truth needs to be more important to us than the rush of momentary fear. (Or the sense of bravery we feel when we determine to stand up to the scary thing, no matter the cost.)
The time will come when that bravery is needed. The time will come when some of these scary things will be realized, and that time is now for some believers around the world. But our weapon then is the same as it is now - truth.
Let's just be careful to speak the truth as accurately as we can. We don't need lies or misinformation. If we are to well represent He who is love and the Truth, we best do it with careful, loving truth.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Keeping Our Balance
Wisdom is the principal thing, God tells us in Proverbs 4:7. Principal means number one. Numero uno. The most important quality a person can develop. (Yes, more so even than faith, hope, and love - all of those are guided by wisdom and without wisdom will swifty go astray.)
But what does Godly wisdom look like? A high IQ? Lots of post-grad degrees?
"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:17-18) There's God's answer: real wisdom is first pure, then peaceable.
Fundamentalists have latched onto the first of those characteristics of godly wisdom. That's why I'm a fundamentalist - purity of doctrine and life is essential. That comes first. Any peace we have must be a peace in purity. Any unity must be a unity of agreement with truth, not an agreement to ignore truth.
Time and again the Scriptures tell us to separate from both wrong doctrine and wrong behavior. The refusal of the church at large to obey our Lord's commands about separating from those who preach a false gospel or live like the unsaved is one of the great blemishes upon the cause of Christ in our age.
Wait, the Bible says we should refuse to associate with people who live in blatant sin but call themselves Christians? "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat." (I Corinthians 5:11)
But what about working together with unsaved people for good causes? "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Corinthians 6:14-18)
But what about people who call themselves Christians, but believe that salvation works differently than what the Bible says - surely we can associate with them, even if we don't agree with them, so long as there is some benefit to it? "As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:9) "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)
The wisdom that is from above is first pure - there can be no peace between the true gospel of Jesus Christ and any false gospel. There can be no peace between the righteousness of Christ and the filthiness of sin. The followers of righteousness in Christ ought not to fellowship with the followers of a different gospel or of unrighteousness, no matter whether the people call themselves Christians or not.
Different people draw the line in different places, but a line must be drawn, and that line must not be drawn short of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ - otherwise, we disobey God, arrogantly thinking our wisdom is superior to His.
But there is a second characteristic of true wisdom.
In this characteristic, many who call themselves Fundamentalists have failed miserably. Once purity is assured, peaceableness should be the next concern. Even in our purity, we ought to seek peace. The point of all that separation is not to inflict harm on those we separate from, nor is it to assert that we are better than they in ourselves - it is to restore the erring brother to right living and to bring the person who has misplaced faith to genuine salvation in Jesus Christ.
While many Fundamentalists point at the blatant disobedience of many evangelicals (particularly the so-called "New Evangelicals") to the commands for separation and purity, I fear that we have often just as blatantly disobeyed plain commands of Scripture. "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themsleves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." (II Timothy 2:24-25)
We have ignored for ourselves the warning that only by pride comes contention. We have excused our lack of gentleness with proclamations of purity. We have attacked our brothers instead of lifting them up. We have assaulted the people most in need of help. We have become the brawlers and strikers that pastors are forbidden to be. We insult, though Jesus condemned it. We act in anger, though we were told to put all anger and wrath away from ourselves. And in doing these things, we neglect godly wisdom. We have refused to seek peace, instead choosing to disobey our Lord and embrace conflict.
Many Fundamentalists find smaller and smaller things to argue, fight, and separate over. We went from separating over the fundamentals of the faith to separating over any major doctrine to separating over any doctrine clearly taught in Scripture to now separating over human interpretations and applications of doctrines taught in Scripture. In our prideful pursuit of purity, we have lost our balance. (Yes, I suspect that much of this is rooted in pride, because only by pride comes contention, and only through pride does it seem likely that men who know so much of Scripture would so plainly disobey the commands to be gentle and seek peace.) Too many no longer care about being peaceable.
Many Fundamentalists are bold speakers of truth. We need that. But we need to remember to speak the truth in love.
We cannot compromise our purity of doctrine or life - to do so would be to disobey our Lord. But we need to remember in our pursuit of purity to also seek peace and to be gentle. It can be a difficult balance to keep. But the wisdom that is from above has precisely that balance.
But what does Godly wisdom look like? A high IQ? Lots of post-grad degrees?
"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:17-18) There's God's answer: real wisdom is first pure, then peaceable.
Fundamentalists have latched onto the first of those characteristics of godly wisdom. That's why I'm a fundamentalist - purity of doctrine and life is essential. That comes first. Any peace we have must be a peace in purity. Any unity must be a unity of agreement with truth, not an agreement to ignore truth.
Time and again the Scriptures tell us to separate from both wrong doctrine and wrong behavior. The refusal of the church at large to obey our Lord's commands about separating from those who preach a false gospel or live like the unsaved is one of the great blemishes upon the cause of Christ in our age.
Wait, the Bible says we should refuse to associate with people who live in blatant sin but call themselves Christians? "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat." (I Corinthians 5:11)
But what about working together with unsaved people for good causes? "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Corinthians 6:14-18)
But what about people who call themselves Christians, but believe that salvation works differently than what the Bible says - surely we can associate with them, even if we don't agree with them, so long as there is some benefit to it? "As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:9) "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)
The wisdom that is from above is first pure - there can be no peace between the true gospel of Jesus Christ and any false gospel. There can be no peace between the righteousness of Christ and the filthiness of sin. The followers of righteousness in Christ ought not to fellowship with the followers of a different gospel or of unrighteousness, no matter whether the people call themselves Christians or not.
Different people draw the line in different places, but a line must be drawn, and that line must not be drawn short of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ - otherwise, we disobey God, arrogantly thinking our wisdom is superior to His.
But there is a second characteristic of true wisdom.
In this characteristic, many who call themselves Fundamentalists have failed miserably. Once purity is assured, peaceableness should be the next concern. Even in our purity, we ought to seek peace. The point of all that separation is not to inflict harm on those we separate from, nor is it to assert that we are better than they in ourselves - it is to restore the erring brother to right living and to bring the person who has misplaced faith to genuine salvation in Jesus Christ.
While many Fundamentalists point at the blatant disobedience of many evangelicals (particularly the so-called "New Evangelicals") to the commands for separation and purity, I fear that we have often just as blatantly disobeyed plain commands of Scripture. "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themsleves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." (II Timothy 2:24-25)
We have ignored for ourselves the warning that only by pride comes contention. We have excused our lack of gentleness with proclamations of purity. We have attacked our brothers instead of lifting them up. We have assaulted the people most in need of help. We have become the brawlers and strikers that pastors are forbidden to be. We insult, though Jesus condemned it. We act in anger, though we were told to put all anger and wrath away from ourselves. And in doing these things, we neglect godly wisdom. We have refused to seek peace, instead choosing to disobey our Lord and embrace conflict.
Many Fundamentalists find smaller and smaller things to argue, fight, and separate over. We went from separating over the fundamentals of the faith to separating over any major doctrine to separating over any doctrine clearly taught in Scripture to now separating over human interpretations and applications of doctrines taught in Scripture. In our prideful pursuit of purity, we have lost our balance. (Yes, I suspect that much of this is rooted in pride, because only by pride comes contention, and only through pride does it seem likely that men who know so much of Scripture would so plainly disobey the commands to be gentle and seek peace.) Too many no longer care about being peaceable.
Many Fundamentalists are bold speakers of truth. We need that. But we need to remember to speak the truth in love.
We cannot compromise our purity of doctrine or life - to do so would be to disobey our Lord. But we need to remember in our pursuit of purity to also seek peace and to be gentle. It can be a difficult balance to keep. But the wisdom that is from above has precisely that balance.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Choosing an Imaginary Hell
People often complain about Fundamentalists or Baptists talking about hell. "Scare tactics," the cry is. The implication is that we're bullying people into doing something on the basis of an imaginary boogie-man.
Based on Scripture and the way Jesus Himself talked about hell, I think we're more like a fire alarm, alerting people to a very real danger and giving them the means of deliverance.
Here's an excellent post by John Piper on the subject of hell and why people choose it.
Based on Scripture and the way Jesus Himself talked about hell, I think we're more like a fire alarm, alerting people to a very real danger and giving them the means of deliverance.
Here's an excellent post by John Piper on the subject of hell and why people choose it.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Old Bait-and-Switch
I used to think bad marketing was good evangelism.
It seemed the height of wisdom to advertise a big youth activity - pizza, games, skits, fun for all! Fliers would go out. Teens would be urged to play it up to their friends, to hype it at school, to urge it on their family.
In reality, there might be rather pathetic cheese pizza, 15 minutes of games, a skit performed by some people who ought to have known better, and then the youth leaders had fun herding all the teenagers into a big room to listen to a 45-minute sermon.
Sometimes, this was effective in getting people to trust Christ or make decisions for Him - the gospel is a powerful thing, even if it's abused by poor marketing. Depending on how dynamic or funny the speaker was, sometimes many would come back for more. But just as often, the kids who came were one-shot wonders, annoyed at being tricked into a church service when they were promised games and fun.
Now, believe me, I've got nothing against pizza. I'd be thrilled if they'd give it its own food group, and maybe put it down at the bottom of the pyramid, with roughly the same recommended portion as grains, veggies, meat, and dairy combined. (After all, those are all on a worthwhile pizza - why can't we just eat lots of pizza and call all those things done?)
I love games, and I especially love the kind of games that get played at youth rallies - lots of enthusiastic violence and mayhem, little refereeing, plenty of potential for exciting injuries. And if someone is really funny, let the man work!
But I don't like deception. And we don't need deception. If the world needed more games, Christ would have founded Nintendo instead of dying on the cross. If it needed more pizza, He could have served that instead of representations of His own flesh and blood at the last supper. If it needed more laughs, He could have told jokes instead of going to the cross in silence. What the world needed was good news - the gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and risen from the dead. So that's what He gave us. And that's what we have to give the world.
There's no need to dress it all up and trick people into coming. Teens (and adults, for that matter) are desperate for real answers, for peace with God, for love, joy, hope, purpose, and acceptance. We've got all of that. Why hide the true power of what we possess behind a facade of skits and games? We're not here to entertain - we're here to transform.
I still have youth activies (and young adult activies, and so on). And they still involve lots of potential for injury, loads of pizza, and we laugh all the time. But I don't try to cover it up that we'll be looking at the Bible and talking about what it says, either. I try to make it clear what people can expect.
As we've done that, as we've renewed our focus on the Bible, as we've been up-front about when we're having a Bible study, when we're having a game day with a brief challenge, and when we're having a church service, the Lord has blessed. We're seeing young people saved, we're seeing them bringing their families to church with them, and we're seeing God work.
We don't have to trick people for Jesus. His truth is far more powerful.
It seemed the height of wisdom to advertise a big youth activity - pizza, games, skits, fun for all! Fliers would go out. Teens would be urged to play it up to their friends, to hype it at school, to urge it on their family.
In reality, there might be rather pathetic cheese pizza, 15 minutes of games, a skit performed by some people who ought to have known better, and then the youth leaders had fun herding all the teenagers into a big room to listen to a 45-minute sermon.
Sometimes, this was effective in getting people to trust Christ or make decisions for Him - the gospel is a powerful thing, even if it's abused by poor marketing. Depending on how dynamic or funny the speaker was, sometimes many would come back for more. But just as often, the kids who came were one-shot wonders, annoyed at being tricked into a church service when they were promised games and fun.
Now, believe me, I've got nothing against pizza. I'd be thrilled if they'd give it its own food group, and maybe put it down at the bottom of the pyramid, with roughly the same recommended portion as grains, veggies, meat, and dairy combined. (After all, those are all on a worthwhile pizza - why can't we just eat lots of pizza and call all those things done?)
I love games, and I especially love the kind of games that get played at youth rallies - lots of enthusiastic violence and mayhem, little refereeing, plenty of potential for exciting injuries. And if someone is really funny, let the man work!
But I don't like deception. And we don't need deception. If the world needed more games, Christ would have founded Nintendo instead of dying on the cross. If it needed more pizza, He could have served that instead of representations of His own flesh and blood at the last supper. If it needed more laughs, He could have told jokes instead of going to the cross in silence. What the world needed was good news - the gospel of Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and risen from the dead. So that's what He gave us. And that's what we have to give the world.
There's no need to dress it all up and trick people into coming. Teens (and adults, for that matter) are desperate for real answers, for peace with God, for love, joy, hope, purpose, and acceptance. We've got all of that. Why hide the true power of what we possess behind a facade of skits and games? We're not here to entertain - we're here to transform.
I still have youth activies (and young adult activies, and so on). And they still involve lots of potential for injury, loads of pizza, and we laugh all the time. But I don't try to cover it up that we'll be looking at the Bible and talking about what it says, either. I try to make it clear what people can expect.
As we've done that, as we've renewed our focus on the Bible, as we've been up-front about when we're having a Bible study, when we're having a game day with a brief challenge, and when we're having a church service, the Lord has blessed. We're seeing young people saved, we're seeing them bringing their families to church with them, and we're seeing God work.
We don't have to trick people for Jesus. His truth is far more powerful.
Friday, October 23, 2009
"Asking 'Is It True?'"
The other day, I came across this post at Stuff Christians Like. It’s a neat post reminding us of God’s unconditional love for us and our position in Jesus Christ. The believer has already been made to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and we have been made suitable to that station. When Christ took our sinfulness on the cross, He granted to us His righteousness. When He took our death, He gave us His life.
That’s our position in Christ. But how we live is sometimes something completely different.
Back in the days when I could still play baseball without risking a pulled groin and aching for two days afterward, I was playing second base at a friend’s house.
The other team took only an inning or two to figure out that if they slid into second feet-first, deliberately aiming for my shins, I would get out of the way. Thus, even if the throw was beating them there, they could still be safe – and they could steal second at will.
Kids being kids, it took approximately 2.35 nanoseconds for this realization to make the transition to teasing and taunting.
Lacking the emotional alligator-hide I developed as life went on, I ended up fleeing home in tears to tell my dad, “They called me a chicken!” (This was especially meaningful to a boy who grew up on a small farm, where chickens are not only fearful, but also the smelliest and most disgusting of barnyard creatures to clean up after. Pigs got nuthin’ on chickens when it comes to stink.)
Looking back now as a dad on that situation, I’m sure it caught my dad a bit off guard. We parents are never really prepared for the crucial moments that sneak up on our children’s lives. Being the practical fellow that he is, he improvised and responded, “Well, are you?”
I suspect that his intent was to bring the conversation to the same place that Jon took it with his daughter. My presumed answer would be, “No, I’m not a chicken!” He could then say, “Well, then it doesn’t matter what they say, does it? You and I know it’s not true. Sticks and stones, blah, blah, blah.” (Sorry, parents never actually say, “Blah, blah, blah. But sometimes, I think we might as well.)
That’s how I expect he expected the conversation to play out. But his question brought me up short. It was one thing for neighborhood kids to call me a name and laugh at me – it was easy to disregard that as them being mean. But my dad wasn’t mean. And now he asked me to evaluate myself: was I being a chicken?
I was forced to admit to myself that, yes, I had been a chicken. I was afraid of getting my shins bumped, so I was running away. I admitted to my dad that I had been a chicken (though he was gracious enough not to comment on smell), and I headed back over to the neighbor’s.
The passing years have dimmed my memory of the exact course of events, but I think the next person or two who slid into the base aiming at my shins connected. And I didn’t run away. I hung onto the ball, and I fell on top of whoever slid into me. I wasn’t big, but I was bony, and that swiftly put a stop both to the teasing and to the problem my friends had with casual base-theft.
Sometimes, we’re hit with an uncomfortable accusation, whether from within or without, and we have to ask, “Is that true?” Is it true that I’m lazy? Is it true that I’m being a lousy husband/wife/dad/mom? Is it true that I’m making bad decisions in some area of my life? Is it true that I’m weak, cowardly, and insufficient?
It might be comfortable to shrug it off and rest happily in our standing in Jesus Christ. But what we do and how we live needs to match what we are in Him. And sometimes that means we need to face those tough questions, acknowledge the uncomfortable answer, and go change what needs to be changed.
Sometimes, instead of reminding us how wonderful we are in Jesus Christ, God, our Father, reminds us of how pitiful we are apart from Jesus Christ. Fortunately, this is never to beat us down – it’s to lift us up to living on the higher plane that is our birthright in Jesus Christ.
When He reminds us of failure, it’s to bring us to victory. When He confronts us with our weakness, it’s to grant us His strength. When He disciplines disobedience, it’s to motivate us to obedience. When He shows us our sin, it’s to bring us to repentance and His righteousness.
We simply have to be honest about what we are and be willing to change what He tells us in order to live as He has made us.
That’s our position in Christ. But how we live is sometimes something completely different.
Back in the days when I could still play baseball without risking a pulled groin and aching for two days afterward, I was playing second base at a friend’s house.
The other team took only an inning or two to figure out that if they slid into second feet-first, deliberately aiming for my shins, I would get out of the way. Thus, even if the throw was beating them there, they could still be safe – and they could steal second at will.
Kids being kids, it took approximately 2.35 nanoseconds for this realization to make the transition to teasing and taunting.
Lacking the emotional alligator-hide I developed as life went on, I ended up fleeing home in tears to tell my dad, “They called me a chicken!” (This was especially meaningful to a boy who grew up on a small farm, where chickens are not only fearful, but also the smelliest and most disgusting of barnyard creatures to clean up after. Pigs got nuthin’ on chickens when it comes to stink.)
Looking back now as a dad on that situation, I’m sure it caught my dad a bit off guard. We parents are never really prepared for the crucial moments that sneak up on our children’s lives. Being the practical fellow that he is, he improvised and responded, “Well, are you?”
I suspect that his intent was to bring the conversation to the same place that Jon took it with his daughter. My presumed answer would be, “No, I’m not a chicken!” He could then say, “Well, then it doesn’t matter what they say, does it? You and I know it’s not true. Sticks and stones, blah, blah, blah.” (Sorry, parents never actually say, “Blah, blah, blah. But sometimes, I think we might as well.)
That’s how I expect he expected the conversation to play out. But his question brought me up short. It was one thing for neighborhood kids to call me a name and laugh at me – it was easy to disregard that as them being mean. But my dad wasn’t mean. And now he asked me to evaluate myself: was I being a chicken?
I was forced to admit to myself that, yes, I had been a chicken. I was afraid of getting my shins bumped, so I was running away. I admitted to my dad that I had been a chicken (though he was gracious enough not to comment on smell), and I headed back over to the neighbor’s.
The passing years have dimmed my memory of the exact course of events, but I think the next person or two who slid into the base aiming at my shins connected. And I didn’t run away. I hung onto the ball, and I fell on top of whoever slid into me. I wasn’t big, but I was bony, and that swiftly put a stop both to the teasing and to the problem my friends had with casual base-theft.
Sometimes, we’re hit with an uncomfortable accusation, whether from within or without, and we have to ask, “Is that true?” Is it true that I’m lazy? Is it true that I’m being a lousy husband/wife/dad/mom? Is it true that I’m making bad decisions in some area of my life? Is it true that I’m weak, cowardly, and insufficient?
It might be comfortable to shrug it off and rest happily in our standing in Jesus Christ. But what we do and how we live needs to match what we are in Him. And sometimes that means we need to face those tough questions, acknowledge the uncomfortable answer, and go change what needs to be changed.
Sometimes, instead of reminding us how wonderful we are in Jesus Christ, God, our Father, reminds us of how pitiful we are apart from Jesus Christ. Fortunately, this is never to beat us down – it’s to lift us up to living on the higher plane that is our birthright in Jesus Christ.
When He reminds us of failure, it’s to bring us to victory. When He confronts us with our weakness, it’s to grant us His strength. When He disciplines disobedience, it’s to motivate us to obedience. When He shows us our sin, it’s to bring us to repentance and His righteousness.
We simply have to be honest about what we are and be willing to change what He tells us in order to live as He has made us.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How to Win, part 5 - Finding Fulfillment
Why do people give in to addictions in the first place? Now, the first use of a cigarette or the first glance at porn or the first sip of beer may be a flippant thing - but what keeps us coming back? For you, the specific answer may be different than it is for me. We're all individuals.
Nonetheless, I think the root is pretty similar for all of us. We perceive a need or a desire, and we fulfill that need or desire through the addiction. Usually, we know the addiction is wrong - but it's the place we go to satisfy that need. As long as the need remains unmet elsewhere, the temptation is always going to be strong to return to the addiction.
If you're going to beat the addiction, you usually need something else to satisfy the need you perceive, something else to slate the hunger you feel for whatever you find in drink or drugs or porn.
Where do you find that fulfillment? The short answer is, "In Jesus Christ." If you've never been saved, you don't know the peace and joy that can come from walking with Him, no matter how bad the circumstances are. If we trust and obey Him, He really can meet every need. That won't take away the chemical element of an addiction, but it certainly does take care of the spiritual element.
Yet going beyond that, there are many legitimate outlets that He uses to meet our physical and emotional needs. What need does your drinking fill? Find the legitimate place you can get that need met. What need does your smoking fill? Find where you can get that apart from the addiction.
For me, it was porn, and it was rooted in the need to perceive respect and intimacy. Yeah, porn is a lousy substitute for a real relationship - any intimacy and respect that exists there is purely imaginary. But I think that's what I kept coming back there for.
What's the legitimate place to find that? In marriage, of course. Proverbs 5:15-20 reveal that an exciting, fulfilling relationship with your spouse is a great guard against immorality. And I Corinthians 7:2-5 are perhaps even more explicit. Spouses should protect one another from the temptation of immorality by being actively, joyously intimate (physically and emotionally) with each other. In fact, marriage is the ONLY legitimate place for sex, and it should be a haven of respect, as well.
The excuse comes easily, though. He/she won't let me. I'd love to have the real thing, but I'm stuck with the imaginary, because my spouse won't give me the real.
It's the same with drinking and drugs, a lot of the time. Those are used to escape problems. But they don't make the real problem go away, do they? They just make it easier to ignore.
Fundamentally, this is laziness. Instead of drinking or doping away the problems, go solve them with the Lord's help. Instead of turning to the imaginary intimacy of porn, make your marriage work.
Don't you think you'd work a little harder on your problems if there really were no other way out? Don't you think you'd work a little harder on making your marriage work right if you really didn't have any other outlet? You have to stop letting the addiction be the back door out of the hard work of solving problems. Odds are, the addiction not only is not helping you solve the real problems - it is contributing to them. So long as you allow yourself to walk out that back door, you are preventing yourself from getting the help you need or having the courage to take the stands you need to take in order to have the need met in a legitimate way.
So instead of turning to the imaginary and artificial, go back to the legitimate places of fulfillment. Start with Jesus Christ, and then use what He gives you, rather than substituting an addiction for a morally legitimate solution. I guarantee you it's more satisfying. It's one of the keys to long-term victory over addiction - getting the need met where it should be met.
Nonetheless, I think the root is pretty similar for all of us. We perceive a need or a desire, and we fulfill that need or desire through the addiction. Usually, we know the addiction is wrong - but it's the place we go to satisfy that need. As long as the need remains unmet elsewhere, the temptation is always going to be strong to return to the addiction.
If you're going to beat the addiction, you usually need something else to satisfy the need you perceive, something else to slate the hunger you feel for whatever you find in drink or drugs or porn.
Where do you find that fulfillment? The short answer is, "In Jesus Christ." If you've never been saved, you don't know the peace and joy that can come from walking with Him, no matter how bad the circumstances are. If we trust and obey Him, He really can meet every need. That won't take away the chemical element of an addiction, but it certainly does take care of the spiritual element.
Yet going beyond that, there are many legitimate outlets that He uses to meet our physical and emotional needs. What need does your drinking fill? Find the legitimate place you can get that need met. What need does your smoking fill? Find where you can get that apart from the addiction.
For me, it was porn, and it was rooted in the need to perceive respect and intimacy. Yeah, porn is a lousy substitute for a real relationship - any intimacy and respect that exists there is purely imaginary. But I think that's what I kept coming back there for.
What's the legitimate place to find that? In marriage, of course. Proverbs 5:15-20 reveal that an exciting, fulfilling relationship with your spouse is a great guard against immorality. And I Corinthians 7:2-5 are perhaps even more explicit. Spouses should protect one another from the temptation of immorality by being actively, joyously intimate (physically and emotionally) with each other. In fact, marriage is the ONLY legitimate place for sex, and it should be a haven of respect, as well.
The excuse comes easily, though. He/she won't let me. I'd love to have the real thing, but I'm stuck with the imaginary, because my spouse won't give me the real.
It's the same with drinking and drugs, a lot of the time. Those are used to escape problems. But they don't make the real problem go away, do they? They just make it easier to ignore.
Fundamentally, this is laziness. Instead of drinking or doping away the problems, go solve them with the Lord's help. Instead of turning to the imaginary intimacy of porn, make your marriage work.
Don't you think you'd work a little harder on your problems if there really were no other way out? Don't you think you'd work a little harder on making your marriage work right if you really didn't have any other outlet? You have to stop letting the addiction be the back door out of the hard work of solving problems. Odds are, the addiction not only is not helping you solve the real problems - it is contributing to them. So long as you allow yourself to walk out that back door, you are preventing yourself from getting the help you need or having the courage to take the stands you need to take in order to have the need met in a legitimate way.
So instead of turning to the imaginary and artificial, go back to the legitimate places of fulfillment. Start with Jesus Christ, and then use what He gives you, rather than substituting an addiction for a morally legitimate solution. I guarantee you it's more satisfying. It's one of the keys to long-term victory over addiction - getting the need met where it should be met.
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