Of God and Country

It may just be that I'm not exactly the most nationalistic person in the world, but for the longest time, I've been wrestling with a strange attitude creeping into my thinking... something that feels foreign, not only to my past way of thinking, but to the thinking of those around me now.

What do you think about the importance of politics... of the government... of America?

By that, I don't mean "What's you're opinion of politics?" or "Are you liberal or conservative?" No, I'm asking about something more meaningful than that. What I'm really asking is, "How important is it?" And before you label me as an anarchist or even worse, a college student that doesn't vote... let me explain.

I grew up like every average American kid, and was born and raised in the south. As a result, my education taught me that there was glory in the American Revolution and every war since, that democracy is king (pun anyone?), and that freedom, justice, and the American dream are what we as Americans should strive for above all. While I understand how an American education leads to an American glorification, that's not even what I want to address. What I have really come to realize now is that... the church does it too.

What do I mean, you ask? Let me put forward a couple of examples. Growing up, I remember several points of debate within the Christian community concerned with faith and country. The highlights include the possibility of removing "In God We Trust" from currency, removing "Under God" from the pledge of alegiance, teaching evolution in schools, and just about every election featuring the godly conservative against the atheist democrat (during a debate in 2004, my siblings and i threw easter eggs at the TV when John Kerry showed up on the screen). Now it's true that these issues contain aspects of our faith and citizenship and must therefore be recognized. However, when the church gets up in arms while claiming that "God is being taken out of America," I believe we have crossed a line.

I spent the 2 weeks studying Acts 10 as a part of my Greek Exegesis course last fall. This chapter marks the beginning of the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles. Take a minute to realize what that means.Throughout the Old Testament period, God communicated with, protected, and disciplined the nation of Israel. He commanded his people to keep away from the other "Canaanite nations" so that the idol worship and immorality of the culture would not pull them away from the true God. In Acts 10, Peter shares the Gospel with these pagan "outsiders," and they come to belief in Christ. What a glorious turn-around this was, not only for the Gentiles, but for the apostles to realize that the whole WORLD could come to Christ!

While the apostles realized the glory of God's plan, some of the Jewish people were less understanding. Many held tight to their identity as a nation set apart, and reacted violently and maliciously towards any who thought otherwise. They saw God and Nation as one inseparable concept, and saw any change in that as heresy. Could it be that the American church does the same?

When we shake our heads in shame because the government wants to take God out of the pledge, are we doing so because less people will come to Christ, or because our country won't take up our Christian identity? When we groan as states legalize same-sex marriage (the number is constantly growing), are we saddened that so many in our country are caught in such a painful, entrapping sin that misses God's best for us, or are we simply upset that others are allowed to sin... even others that don't even know Christ?

When we hold America to a Christian standard, we tell hundreds of thousands of people that they have to obey a God that they don't believe in. We shove aside the Gospel and God's grace, and instead place commandments of God on those who don't even know Him. In fact, how contradictory to the gospel is that? So often we get frustrated and angry with those who don't abide by God's standards when we know they haven't even experienced his grace. In this we reflect our desire for moral conformity rather than the salvation of our countrymen.

America is indeed a blessing from God, a place to live and interact in great freedom, and for that I am thankful. But what if America wasn't the most important identity we hold? What if it were simply the context in which God has placed us to reach the world? Can we see the presence of sin as a need for God's grace and forgiveness? Can we pray for all the canidates, see votes as opportunities and not duties, and the increase in godlessness as an opportunity for revival?

Let freedom ring in the hearts of the redeemed, let liberty come to free slaves of sin, and let the justice of God come with His kingdom.

Brian

My First Observance of Good Friday

Q: What is Good Friday?

A: Well that's easy. It's a day for remebering the crucifixion of Jesus.

Q: What should we do on Good Friday?

A: Remember that Jesus died to save us from sin.

Q: What is the purpose of this remberance?

A:                                       

...How would you answer this question?

    As Holy Week has been rapidly approaching and is now here, I have been continually wrestling with the answer to this question. Good Friday has never carried much significance with me...maybe you can relate?  Maybe you get excited about Good Friday as a day off from school! (Don't get me wrong... a day off is always worth being excited about, regardless of the reason!) Maybe you, like myself, have consiously observed Good Friday due to the fact that no one else seems to, and just wait until the church-wide celebration of Easter. (This is the big one for me.) While many Christian traditions "recognize" Good Friday, it seems they don't very often "observe" it. Though this seems to be a cause for my lack of personal emphasis on Good Friday, I am quickly learning that it doesn't have to be an excuse.

    For myself, the key seems to lie in an attitude summed up in one of my favorite quotes, this one by Martin Luther.

"I feel as if Christ had died only yesterday."

    The first time I read this, it radically changed my perspective on Christ's death, along with the entire Gospel. Just dwell on that for a minute, or even a bit longer! What would your view of God, your commitment to Christianity, your view of this physical life, and your appreciation of God's saving sacrifice look like if Christ had actually died yesterday? Reflect on that for a minute... place yourself in the moment of Christ's life and death.

    I know... the truth is, we aren't living in first-century Jerusalem. I've often struggled with how to consciously live for Christ when he hasn't been physically present for some 2000 years. However, I'm compelled to follow a logical conclusion: The absolute truth and incredible significance of Christ's death is equally present, whether he died in the first years of the 1st century or the in the 21st century.

    If I truly believe that Christ died as the Scriptures tell us, than the length of time doesn't have to lessen its significance, because it doesn't lessen its truth! If the Revolutionary War had not occurred, however long ago it was, we might still be under England's rule. If Christ's crucifixion had not happened, we would definitely still be under the curse of sin and eternal death. Two historic, true, documented events that we only experience as history, yet they both (Christ's death infinitely more that the American Revolution) contain a personal significance.

   On Monday, Bryan College held an hour-long worship service centered on Christ's death. The result of not just an hour of worship, but more importantly an intentional focus and meditation on the crucifixion, caused me and those around me to greet each other and - instead of discussing the latest homework assignment - say, "Isn't our God incredible? To think that he loved us that much before we were redeemed, but covered in sin!" This is when the Gospel becomes real... when it means so much to us that we can't help but talk about it, not out of duty, but out of desire.

    So I want to challenge you to observe Christ's death this Friday. And I don't mean simply "think about His death" while you go throughout your day as I've done in the past, but rather really spend some time in reflection of its significance. Do you realize how hopeless we would be without it? Think about how the awesome, matchless love of God is present with us eternally, due to the greatest sacrifice ever made.... and let it radically impact your conversations, your attitude, and the very reason you live.. to share this incredible truth.

Brian

A Book You Should Read

         Cruciform: Living the Cross-Shaped Life 

        
          I just completed what I think is one of the most simple, yet insightful, books available on the outworking of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our daily lives.  God has been shaping my understanding of the Gospel by both chiseling away at my false suppositions and supplementing my already correct ones, leading to a far greater appreciation of what Jesus accomplished for me.  This book fits perfectly into the Gospel-saturated journey that has been weaved into my path in recent days.  I hope that my thoughts about the book will spur you on to read it for yourself, beginning your journey of not only seeing the cross of Jesus Christ more clearly than ever before, but also sculpting your life into the shape of the cross.

            Cathedrals posses some of the most beautiful, ornate architecture of any structure built in the Middle Ages.  Interestingly, some of the floor plans of these Cathedrals were in the shape of a cross.  The prominence of the cross in the structure of the building served as a constant reminder of the Gospel and its prominence in God’s redemptive plan.

           

            In the same way that the Cathedrals were made into the shape of the cross, so our lives should be lived out in the shape of a cross – “the Cruciform Life.”  You and I strive desperately to be something and do something special because we were made to be and do just that.  We were created to be a part of a community-on-mission with God to exalt and proclaim His glory in all things and to all people.  However, instead of joining in this community-on-mission, we selfishly look inward to how we can best further ourselves. 

            So, imagine the simple shape of a cross.  Picture the intersection point of the horizontal and vertical pieces as a nucleus from which all (now four) of the pieces of the cross originate.  We were designed, in all of our actions, to worship God and exalt His name (the upward section of the cross), and point all people with whom we interact, and all of creation to worship Him as well (both the horizontal pieces and the downward piece). 

          Because we have perverted this model into one in which we only look to serve and love ourselves, God sent Jesus to be the ultimate model of the Cruciform Life while on earth, and then to offer His life as an atoning sacrifice, completely restoring us to the God who created us.  As we look at the example of Jesus, we see two things very clearly: He lived as a Son and loved as a servant.  You have to get this.  We are called to serve people and make God’s glory known among all nations, but we cannot do this without first understand our “son-ship.”  Realizing that because of the cross we have God’s total acceptance and affection, we can have the confidence and satisfaction in our relationship with God to “count all things as loss” and take on the role of a servant.

           

            You see, when I understand that no matter what I do, think, say, or what others do, think, or say to me, I still have God’s total acceptance and affection, I am totally free to lay down my life – I have nothing to lose.  Now I can live my life to show others how they too can experience this kind of freedom.  However, I must continually come back to the cross to be reminded of who God is, who I am, and what Jesus has done for me.  Then I go back into the world with new love and passion to serve others with.  This cyclical life is the Cruciform Life.

            What I love about this book is that it does not leave us with some Theological truth, but meets us where we are daily living, giving practical applications of those Theological truths.  How do we live as sons, and serve people?  Using an ingenious, stick-figure drawing, Davis illustrates how to view our daily lives as “waiting tables.”  We have to have our eyes open to see who is sitting at the “tables” of where we work, eat, workout, and shop.  Each of us has areas of influence, and God has called us to serve and love those in our sphere of influence.  So, now we apply the cyclical process of going to the cross, and then acting out the cross to each of these “tables” that we are serving.

            The great misunderstanding of Christianity today is that I have to “do these things” in order to earn the presence and acceptance of God.  You and I can do absolutely nothing to gain or lose God’s affection and acceptance for us.  Jesus earned that for you and I.  If you are trusting in anything else to earn that for you, you are sadly mistaken.  For example, I do not read my Bible so that God will be accept me, I read my Bible to understand better the fact that He already has accepted me in Jesus, and to hear Him tell me that again.  Davis helps us to understand more clearly this concept through his own personal journey.

            I hope that my words have stimulated in your heart a desire to read this book and see more extensively how YOU can live the Cruciform Life that God created you to live.  The truths of the Gospel combined with Jimmy Davis’ personal experiences are sure to impact your heart and mind, compelling you to begin living the Cruciform Life.  I cannot urge you enough to read this simple, short, Gospel-saturated book. 

You can purchase your copy of the book at Amazon Site or Cruciform Site

Also, if you want to enter to win a free, signed copy of the book, go to http://cruciformlife.org/

You can find Jimmy’s blog at  http://cruciformlife.org/blog.htm  

Scott

A Faith I've Never Known.

The following is a brief account of a 2-hour conversation I had this week with an older man who had been involved in missions for - as I understood it - about roughly 30 to 40 years. I would rank this conversation as one of the most influential conversations I have ever had... although honestly, I did a lot more listening than talking. In the interest of not distracting from what I hope to share, I won't mention his full name, but simply refer to him by his first name, Chris.

Background

     For time's sake, I won't relate the entirety of Chris' testimony, but there is a bit of important background information. Chris began his missions ministry in Kyrgyzstan, a predominantly Muslim country, bordering the northeast area of China. He went with a "faith-based" missions organization, which means all he had was a sending church and a call... no raising support, no meeting a "financial quota" before leaving... just a faith that God would provide. While in Kyrgyzstan, Chris noticed the unreached drug addict population, and in response he developed a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, which not only helped the locals out of their addiction, but reached them with the Gospel through weekly Bible studies. Over time the ministry flourished, and he gradually turned over leadership to the locals. He saw an incredible amount of people come to the Lord, and a society transformed.

Faith I've Never Known

     As I listened to Chris talk, I realized this man had seen God work not just once, but countless times in ways we would describe as "miraculous." While at first I was simply amazed at his stories, I finally began to make a connection that I had been searching for my whole life. Maybe you've heard stories of miracles and incredible acts of God, and wondered why you never experience anything like that... I certainly have! However I finally realized Chris had a level of faith that I had never even considered having.

      When asked, (Being in a dangerous Muslim country) "How do you balance common sense and faith when sharing the Gospel?" He answered, "When you're in the center of God's will and relying solely on Him, He will preserve you as long as He wants you to keep working." He went on to share - not out of pride but out of a testimony to Christ's faithfulness - that he had been mugged 5 times, nearly stoned by a young mob of Muslims (until prayers around the world miraculously stopped them), held at gunpoint 3 times, kidnapped, whipped, and beat, but he was still alive, carrying out God's work because He was still needed for the kingdom. He made the comment, "I haven't been shipwrecked yet, so I'm really looking forward to that one!" Here I saw a man in front of me who stood for what I had been searching for... a faith that the apostles and early Christians had, a faith that allowed them to face certain death and yet miraculously live to continue the work until death finally took them. They suffered for the gospel and lived, because it was all they were living for.

     I've grown up hearing that God doesn't work in miracles anymore, but just through ordinary areas of life. Maybe you're like me and wondered why God did crazy things in the early church, but seems to stay silent today... When did He suddenly decide to become inconspicuous? Call me crazy, but I don't think God has hidden Himself at all! Without making any foolish "absolute" claims, I'm beginning to think that God only works through ordinary circumstances because we don't trust Him in the extraordinary! Too often I find myself viewing faith as "I believe God can ______." But if I'm focused on getting my plans for the next x-amount of years squared away, spending the majority of my thoughts on how to keep myself secure and safe, and wanting my life on earth to be comfortable, how can I expect God to respond to my "faith" in a miraculous way? Maybe I only see God work in the ordinary things because that's how I live... avoiding risk under the banner of "common sense." I'm not saying I don't have faith because I don't proclaim the Gospel in the streets of Afghanistan.. but if God asked me to, could I?

So much more I want to say... but for now, I hope you'll not simply "consider" true faith, but actively pursue it, as God is teaching me to do. And please add your input in this discussion!
Grace and Peace,

Brian

Usurping God's Throne

Sorry about the long drought, but life gets busy.  Here are some thoughts that I think will be healthy for you to hear...

I have been reading a book for a Theology class by A.W. Tozer entitled, “The Knowledge of the Holy.”  I would highly suggest this book for all of you who desire to think rightly, and therefore act rightly before the God of the Universe.  I realized as I was reading that my thinking about God directly affects my actions in daily life, and that my thinking concerning God’s nature was severely distorted.  Prepare yourself to be humbled because nobody leaves a time of deep thinking about God in a spirit of arrogance, rather it always leads to humility and worship.

This one quote really grabbed my attention...

“Sin has many manifestations but its essence is one.  A moral being created to worship before the throne of God, sits on the throne of his own selfhood and from that elevated position declares, ‘I AM.’” – A.W. Tozer

What is your reaction to this statement?  Read it again.

Tozer claims that every time you and I choose to sin this is what we say: “God you have no place to rule in my life!  I’m calling the shots! I am hitting the “ejection button” so that you are catapulted off of your throne and now I will run my life.”

How does that sound? Stupid? Arrogant? Like suicide?

Yet we do this multiple times every single day!

I don’t know about you, but I know that I “sugar-coat” my sin.  After all, I look around me and see all those around me doing much “worse” things than I am doing. 

You see, the point is not what “kind” of sin we are committing; it is against WHOM we are committing it.  We have to understand that God, who created us and sustains every minute detail of His creation at this very moment, is an infinite, holy, righteous, self-sufficient Being.  He was perfectly happy in Himself before He created you. 

So when you sin you say to this gracious, majestic God: “Though I am finite, dependent, and have a desperately wicked heart, I will rule my life!”

Is this starting to sink in?  I hope you see how this is absurd on every level!

God’s Commands Are Good

What makes this even more absurd is that He is not asking us to obey Him for no reason.  We don’t obey God’s commands because we do not believe that He is Good.  Let me explain why I believe this to be true.

As Creator, God created the world to function in specific way; therefore He knows how to live life here on earth to its fullest.  The commands that we are given in Scripture are NOT restrictive! We hear this taught and preached constantly, but we still don’t get it.  God is not trying to limit our lives or our pleasure.  Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor of The Village Church, states it this way, “God’s commands align us with how He created the universe to function.”

When God tells us to do sex inside certain guidelines, He is not restricting our pleasure, but teaching us how to experience sex to its fullest – the way He created it to work.  Any other way is a perversion of sex, and is only a partial experience of the fullness of it.

When God tells us to do family roles this way, He is not limiting our freedom (male or female), but instructing us on how we can experience the fullness of joy in our family relationships.

These are just two examples, but the principle can be applied across the board.

The question is, do we believe this?

I think that this is how David could write how much he loves God’s law in Psalm 119; he understood that God gave His commands to show His children how to live in the world that He created.

1 John 5:3 states, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” 

Obeying God should not be “burdensome,” but should be joyous as we deny our fleshly desires, obey God’s commands, and therefore align ourselves with how He created the world to work.

The Gospel

Too often we talk about sin without talking about the Savior.  Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we have access to the Father through repentance and faith in the blood of Jesus.  When we truly repent and believe, Biblically we receive a new heart and new nature that desires to follow after the commands of God. 

However, on the “dirt path” called sanctification, we all choose to usurp the throne like we discussed earlier.  Because the blood of Jesus has forgiven us from all sin, when we realize that we have sinned against God and elevated ourselves rather than God, we can run TO Him because our righteousness is based on what Jesus DID, not what I DO!  Too often when we sin we run away from God instead of running to Him.  This is a sign of Spiritual immaturity, and exposes an incorrect understanding of the Gospel.

Instead of usurping God’s throne, we desire to “promote the honor of God and the good of our fellow men.”  Commit, along with me, to magnify and bring glory to God’s throne and rule in my life rather than constantly ruling my own life.

So in closing, I want you to realize the gravity and disgusting nature of your sin before a Holy God, while remembering that we do not get better by “trying harder” not to sin, but by focusing on the Savior and what He has purchased for us.  That is the glorious Gospel.

I hope this makes sense. I could have developed some of the ideas more fully, but ran out of time, and it was already getting lengthy.  May God bless His words and my humble thoughts.

Scott