Tag Archive for 'Bible'

The Church's Missing Work Ethic, saved by faith proven by works

Published on July 30, 2009 in The Bigger Picture. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

I am sick of reading stories about how we can get rich.  I am sick of hearing accounts of how much God is blessing us, without any mention of the shallow nature of the American Church as an institution.  I am not looking to blame anyone, but I think we have to get beyond our narcissistic, Facebook/Twitter theology and get back to the basics of the Bible.

             It seems that Christians in the early Church lived by a different standard than we live by today.  They were not so caught up in the trite statements and what can only be termed Christian voodoo.  There were no formulas for success.  There were not three things God wants us to learn as we sit and perform our Christian duty of Church attendance.

             There was more to this Church that a meeting.  There was more to this Church than what was in it for me.  It is a good thing there was more to the first Church than our modern model. 

             Think of how poorly the first Church would have done if they had been serving the God of the Universe for what was in it for them.  Hebrews 11 and the lives of the Apostles were both a testimony to what was in it for “me.”

             Here is what the writer of Hebrews lists as some of what God promises for His people:  “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, torments;”   Hardly the stuff the American Church promises to King’s Kids. 

             Now, do not get me wrong, I think God does take care of His people.  The problem is not with God, it is with our expectations.  We are living through the longest peace time prosperity in world history.  Even with all our economic woes and the wars that are going on the peace and prosperity are amazing.

             We have allowed that to make us lazy and assume that our peace and prosperity are rewards from God for living in a godly nation.  Yet, we murder over a million children every year.

             I think one of the reasons we find ourselves in this place is that we have become too preoccupied with the faith part of our walk and not the works part of our walk.

             I know, I know, Luther says it is faith and faith alone that saves us.  I am not talking about that.  Sure it is through faith that we are saved.  We have to remember, however, that being saved is only the beginning.  We, unfortunately, have made it the end as well as the beginning.

             The Gospel was never meant as a get to heaven and then sit back approach to God.  God has never been an eat, drink, and be merry kind of God.  He created the world and yearns to have the world return to Him.

             Salvation is a great start to a relationship with God.  If we stop there we run the risk of being spiritually retarded, stunted in our spiritual growth.  There is no maturity in merely being beings that are destined for heaven.

             Jesus never rested on His coming kingdom; He went about healing all who were sick, setting the captives free, feeding the hungry, ministering to the poor.  He spent his entire earthly ministry doing the one thing we Protestants consider unnecessary, His ministry was a ministry of works.

             I think that is what is missing from the modern American Church, the works portion of our faith.  Before you write me off as a heretic, let’s look at what James has to say about this very thing.  If we read James literally, then we have to question what we have been taught that Luther believed.  (Sorry, for you purist out there, this is the NASB version.)

 14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,   16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.  18But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”  19You believe that God is one You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  20But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  22You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;  23and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” and he was called the friend of God.  24You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.  25In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?  26For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

             It seems to me that we might be missing something.  If salvation is the end of everything, then how did James get into our canonized Bible?  Whose mistake was that?  So, what is the solution?  I believe it is simple; we read the Bible for ourselves and listening to the advice of others, determine what God is saying to us.  Our relationship with God is with a living being and there should be communication, at least in our hearts.

             We can no longer count of the government to do our good works for us.  The moral foundation of our country is gone.  We can no longer count on someone else to do our good works for us.  And, most importantly, we can no longer assume that faith and faith alone will bring us to maturity in Christ.  James is clear “so also faith without works is dead.”

             I do not know about you, but I believe in serving that which is living, not that which is dead.  So, I am pledging to have works with my faith so that it lives.

Where Is Reality When You Need It?

Published on January 2, 2009 in Christianity. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

I know, it is more fun to live in the dream world most of us create around ourselves.  It is easier than looking at the cold hard facts surrounding our lives.  The economy is struggling; the only real argument is over how bad the struggle is.  We are living in the world, the reason we have so much trouble as Christians is we have forgotten the command to live in the world, while not being of the world.

 

            We should not be feeling the gloom of those around us.  We should, however, be a solid place for people to land.  The solidity of our position should not be that we are as rich as the world around us.  The solidity of our position should be that we are not measuring our lives on what we own or how our investments are doing.  The standard by which we measure our lives has to be the commitment to the eternal principles of the Gospel message—you remember those:  love your neighbor has yourself, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

 

            The church is losing its influence in America for one reason—it is not behaving as the church.  Any organism that does not follow the laws that define its existence will not survive long.  We are still debating the depths of our opposition to abortion, we have accepted divorce as an alternative to unhappy marriages, we are wavering on homosexuality, we have accepted gluttony as if it were a normal state of being…I could go on, but you get the point.

 

            We do not need a new wave of seeker friendly ideas.  We do not need a new fad religion.  Fads are good for diets and fashion, but fad is not legitimate for religion.

 

            I am not talking about returning to a fundamentalism that demands we read only one version of the Bible.  I am not talking about the fundamentalism that suppresses women and African-Americans.  I am talking about the real fundamentals of our faith—again, a return to the teachings of Jesus that revolutionized the world in the first century AD. 

 

            This was not a weak faith.  It was a faith that was able to challenge one of the greatest military regimes in the history of the world.  And this faith won.  It was ultimately consumed by its own prosperity, but it won the initial battle.

 

            We need to see the return of that faith—not more prosperity and God wants us to be millionaires.  God does not care about our money—He cares about our living the life He called us to live.

 

            That is a reality we can live with, everyday!

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Published on October 28, 2008 in Christianity and The Bigger Picture. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

            For years I have dealt with a variety of people who seem to enjoy fighting internally as much as they enjoy fighting the real enemy.  Let me begin by reminding each of us that our real enemy is not man or men, gay or straight, liberal or conservative.  Our real enemy is a spiritual force that seeks to destroy the souls of men.  As long as we waste all of our time fighting symptoms we will never cure the disease.

 

            Rather than delve into the weeds on this broad topic I want to narrow it down somewhat.  I work with a lot of people who want to spend a lot of their time fighting other Christians who do not believe the same on noncore issues.  In other words, many of us want to fight over the ten percent over which we disagree rather than celebrate the ninety percent on which we agree.

 

            I am losing my patience with these arguments for a number of reasons, but the main reason is this type of argument does not further the goal of the church.  We are here to be salt and light, to transform unregenerated man and culture into regenerated man and culture.  We are here to change the world, to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth rather than take the kingdom of earth to heaven.

 

            I do not think there are arguments in heaven over what version of the Bible we read.  I do not think there are arguments in heaven over what clothes we wear.  I do not think heaven cares about the length of our hair—for either men or women.  Do not get me wrong, I love to discuss these issues when they do not matter, but I believe when we lead with these issues we discredit the kingdom of heaven.

 

            One of the biggest time destroyers in the evangelical community for decades has been the role of the Catholic Church.  Let me start off by saying that I am not a member of the Catholic Church because I do not agree with some of their doctrine.  I do not, however, want to argue over the doctrinal differences between us here.

 

            I think there are more important matters that Evangelicals must consider in our war to discredit or destroy the Catholic Church; matters that should give us pause the next time we declare war on the Catholic Church.

 

            We need to remember, no matter how we feel about the Catholic Church they were the chosen vehicle for the church for nearly fifteen hundred years.  Before the Reformation began there was only the Catholic Church; and to a much lesser extent the Orthodox Church, making inroads into the cultures of the world of any significance.

 

            Regardless of what I think about the Catholic Church, God chose to use it as His tool on the face of the earth.  To believe otherwise is to question the sovereignty of God.  So, first of all we should show some respect for the history God has given us as a people.

 

            Next, the Catholic Church is an organization that reaches around the world.  You can go to any major and most other cities in the world and find a Catholic Church that is reaching into the community for some reason.

 

            Regardless of whether we agree with their doctrine, the Catholic Church still preaches the name of Jesus on a number of levels.  They continue to speak about Jesus to much of the world—places where the Evangelical Church has yet to turn its attention.

 

            There is great value in this.  I understand that there are many who believe we can only accept the discussions of Jesus that are completely inundated with proper theology.  I personally believe there is value in the moral codes and structures that cover the world which were created by the Catholic Church—moral codes which are, at their core, Christian morals.  These moral codes influenced our founding fathers, even the ones who were not Christians.

 

            Another value we need to consider is the stand the Catholic Church is making around the world as a Christian organization that is avoiding creating a complete vacuum for Islam and other anti-Christian belief systems around the world to fill.  We should not be deceived; the vacuum that would be left by the loss of a Christian moral code is not neutral.  Whether it is a moral code that does not believe in moral absolutes or an Islamic or Hindu moral code, it is a moral code that has spiritual significance and will change the face of the planet.

 

You might not realize it but there are more religions than Islam that are killing Christians right now.

 

            According to Voice of the Martyrs there are more Christians being killed because of their faith right now than at any time in the history of the world!

 

            Whether we believe it or not, we are in a battle for the spiritual soul of this planet.  Christianity has long been the dominate religion, but that is rapidly changing even in America.           

 

            The final argument I am presenting is without a doubt the strongest argument.  The Catholic Church is undoubtedly the strongest voice in the world on the issue of abortion and same-sex marriage.  While some Evangelicals have stumbled over these issues, the Catholic Church remains staunchly committed to a pro-life position without apology.  They are so firm that they have issued statements regarding the value of life during this election cycle in America where abortion is almost a nonexistent issue.

 

            At the same time, the Catholic Church is standing strong against the idea that God approves of the marriage of two men or two women.

 

            Mark my words, if we lose the voice of the Catholic Church on either of these issues we will see a free fall of the moral structure of the entire western world.  It is not an overstatement to declare that but for the stand of the Catholic Church pro-life and pro-traditional family values would not exist.

 

            Instead of being divisive maybe it is time for us to come alongside our brethren and thank them for keeping the Bible alive, standing for morality in a dark land, and proving to be worthy of the calling God gave them nearly two thousand years ago.

If Obama Wins I Am Not Leaving The Country, There I Said It!

Published on October 24, 2008 in The Bigger Picture. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

            The title says it all.  I believe in America, and America is not the President.  America is a Constitutional Republic that lives long after really lousy government officials have faded into the dark night.  Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton continue to prove this for us in the modern era.  We are a land founded on the principle of freedom for everyone, from the lowest to the highest.  We are a land where not only the king, queen, and royal family can find prosperity, but everyone finds prosperity of some kind here.

 

            The difference in liberals and conservatives is seen in this approach.  Where are the conservatives in Hollywood screaming that if they do not get their way they are moving to another country where they will be properly worshipped and respected?

 

            Of course, we all knew that Alec Baldwin was not really moving—not enough worshippers in other parts of the world.  Barbra Streisand was never going anywhere.  These guys were just doing what my mother used to call “pitching a fit.”

 

            Maybe it is just that we really are smarter.  I do not think so, but I am willing to consider it.  Maybe it is just that we have a more balanced approach to life.  That I do believe.

 

            The real difference is that conservatives are willing to honestly evaluate their lives and their beliefs without fear of hating what they see.

 

            Liberals, on the other hand, are tolerant as long as it is their shortcomings.  Thus, if Bush is elected President we are leaving the country.

 

            In 2001 I lived in Strasbourg, France.  While we were there we had a friend who was from Siberia.  She lived in France as an immigrant from Russia.  She summed it up best when she said, “You know, I can live the rest of my life in France, get married, have children, become a part of the French world and I will always be a Russian—never French.  If I can come to America, I can become an American—that is what America is.”

 

            Forget the fact that we have lost some of moral standard to corruption and greed.  Forget the fact that we have a city full of people whose only challenge is to get in front of a television camera so they can increase their fortunes.  Here I am actually speaking of Washington, D.C. not Los Angeles. 

 

Our politicians are celebrities now.  Our celebrities seem to think we value their opinion.  Personally, I am tempted to go to a Bruce Springsteen concert with a bull horn just to get the opportunity to yell, “Hey, Boss, just shut up and sing would you.  We came to hear you sing your moral less songs, not to hear you share your volumes of political ignorance.”

 

We were clearly founded by men who were influenced by the morality of the Bible if not by their personal belief in the Gospel of the Bible—that would be Jesus for you left coasters.  These were men who understood that if you want to govern others through a system of freedom you must first govern yourself.

 

Barney Frank would have been rejected by the founding fathers.  He has never shown the ability to govern himself—thus he is not qualified to govern others.  They would not even have to get to the fact that he ran an escort service out of his congressional office in Washington to disqualify him.

 

As long as our idea of prosperity begins and ends with enriching ourselves we will never reach the place God has always intended for us.  We will never reach to the immortality that was intended for those who are created in God’s image.

 

When are we going to learn that it does not matter what the outside of the cup looks like, it is only what is on the inside that matters, for out of the mouth the heart speaks. 

 

I had a cousin who summed it up best, “You can put a five hundred dollar suit on a pig and you still have pork chops underneath.”