For King and Kingdom

Overwhelmed Part 2

2010-05-17T07:59:00.001-05:00

Ok so here is one example of an online situation where what I read just overwhelms me.

I stumbled across an article yesterday that involved a controversial issue within Christianity. The article itself was fine, written as unbiased as possible I believe. The part that got to me, though, was reading the open posted comments after the article. I became exceedingly overwhelmed when I read them.

First there is one person who, claiming to be a Christian, comes out preaching condemnation, spitting hell fire and hopelessness, fully bent on bringing down the full weight of the Old Testament law onto all the sinners. My problem with this person is the obvious lack of love, lack of mercy, the lack of Jesus in their speech, all stemming from, most likely, an extremely legalistic life.

Then, there is another person who, claiming to be a Christian, speaks of how God has forgiven us all and that we should accept people as they are because we are all Children of God. My issue here is the lack of right and wrong, lack of sin, lack of justice, lack of realizing there are Christians and non-Christians, and all of this stemming from a lack of knowing God's holiness.

Next comes along another person who, claiming NOT to be a Christian, rips apart the first person for being unloving (which I agree with) and then questions what right this person has to make any judgment call at all. The problem with this person's argument is that their argument stands on air without any appeal to absolute truth and thus opinion is their only foundation.

What overwhelms me most is that I feel neither of the "Christians" did a good job representing Jesus and Christianity to a world that can read their posts. I get frustrated thinking about the non-Christians reading this who will now have a skewed view of Jesus and Christianity. I become overwhelmed because I want to do something about it, fix the problem. But this happens so often I'd be posting replies until I die.

Yet so many "Christians" I feel do a terrible job when they broadcast their "christianity" online. Is this pride in me thinking I could do better? Or is there a true sense of 'holy anger' when I see my God misrepresented? Probably a mix of both.

Overwhelmed Part 1

2010-04-19T12:48:00.006-05:00

Too often when I am perusing the internet I can get overwhelmed. Usually this occurs in when I look through sites that allow anybody to post an opinion. A blog, a facebook post, or just comments after blogs or articles that are open to all to post their opinion. When the topic of the post delves into religion, I often find myself getting overwhelmed. Specifically what kinds of things overwhelm me?

-Pointless bad arguments. The comments after a controversial article usually raise my blood pressure quick. Too often people debate while posting comments. This is a terrible way to discuss. Healthy discussion with someone you disagree with is good because it can firm up why we believe what we believe or it can show us that we are wrong. Posting arguments, however, are nothing like this. It is usually the “Christian” in these cases that get me most angry because they usually poorly represent Jesus and Christianity.

-Legalism. This mostly happens when looking at a personal page like a facebook profile but can be seen often in blog posts. Legalism is a top concern for me because of how sly a danger it is. Seemingly noble, pious, selfless actions possibly done in the name of Christianity have distracted many from Jesus and His grace

-Bad theology. I’m not really talking about some obviously heretical article or blog. Mostly it’s the subtle bad theology that undergirds a person’s profile or post. An example of this would be contradictions in the types of facebook groups a person belongs to or a post/blog of a testimony that portrays God as more of a supporting actor. Often times the bad theology is legalism (see above).

When I get overwhelmed by these things I always have an internal battle. Am I overwhelmed because I care? Is it pride in me? Maybe I am too critical? I catch myself wanting to talk with the person about what I see and read (I always refrain from posting a comment unless I like what I see and read). I want to ask them, “Do you think someone who claims Christianity as their religious status should join a group like this?” or “Are you really holy because of all the good you’ve done? Do you understand Jesus’ grace?” Is this pride or is this genuine care? Many times I can’t tell. That’s probably because I know I can be too critical and certainly arrogant. These are sins of mine and I do pray God would show me when I am sinfully critical or arrogant (and often times He shows me through my wife). But I can’t deny that my heart aches at times when I see these things. I know I don’t have close to perfect theology and personally struggle with living in practical legalism, but when there are obvious dangers I get genuinely concerned.

In the end I know that this is also rooted in a lack of faith in God’s sovereignty. God doesn’t need my help and can handle it all on His own. None the less I at least want to vent my frustration (that’s not a sin). And maybe someone one day will read my blog and the Holy Spirit will use this to cause them to check themselves. For now, the best way to really describe what I’m talking about is with some examples.

Hook 'em With Alliteration

2010-04-07T14:26:00.006-05:00

So I was looking at a church's website today and was saw their up coming events. For their youth event the description read to "Join us for a time of fun, food, and fellowship..." That phrase seemed so familiar to me but it was my first time to this church's website. I thought to myself, "I know I've heard that phrase before describing youth groups." So my question is this: is it the the promised realities of the gathering that attracts the kids to the event or is it the alliteration itself? OR! Is the appeal of fun, food, and fellowship greatly increased by the use of alliteration?! Instead you just say "An enjoyable time, food, and time with friends." So dull!

I'm waiting for the church gathering to be advertised like this: "A time of brats, beer, and Bible!" Now that works! Not only is it catchy, but each word in the alliteration tops the previous one in magnificence producing an increasing anticipation and climax!

Jesus Gives Hope...Through Ironing

2009-12-16T07:41:00.003-06:00

I thought I'd write about this little gem of a story because frankly, it's hilarious. Apparently a woman in the New England area walked into her daughter's room and saw an iron sitting there with residue on the bottom of it. To her the residue looked like Jesus.

True you can make out a resemblance of the long haired typical picture we have of Jesus today. But what's really hilarious, or I guess really sad, is the impact this had on the lady. The article states that this lady, who was raised Catholic, was going through hard times (marriage separation, cut hours at work, moved houses) and that this image "reaffirmed her faith." She was quoted saying that, "It just gave me a sign that life is going to be good. I think he's listening."

Seriously though, she needed an icon in an iron to reaffirm her faith? And this tells her that there is a possibility that Jesus is listening? What happened to the good ole' fashioned days when the Bible was good enough to reaffirm faith and know truths of Jesus? This is the main issue I have here. Besides, think about how this portrays Christians in the minds of non-Christians. You know what it reminds me of, the movie Saved. Terrible movie, but one thing I always remember about that movie is the girl who said she saw Jesus in her fish tank over summer break. That was hilarious.

But I guess when you're raised to look at icons and other superstitious things what can you do? The iron of Jesus is now retired and kept in her closet. A nice little idol shrine I think. True, I don't know this lady, but my question will be, when she needs comfort will she run to the Bible and seek the true Jesus or just stare at this iron.

Well at least this is a fresh picture of seeing Jesus in everyday things.

You can find the article here

http://www.eagletribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_331003226.html

Hero(es) of the Bible??

2009-06-09T11:33:00.008-05:00

Heroes of the Bible sounds like some sort of sermon series you may hear at your typical evangelical church. The concept would have to do with comparing the "great" characters in the Bible to our lives and seeing what we can learn from them. Seeing where we can improve and be more like Daniel or be more like Ruth. You'll have sermons entitled something like 'David: A man after God's own heart' and 'Ester: A woman of prayer.' I am reminded of this kind of thinking whenever I log onto Facebook and see that someone else has taken the 'Which Bible Character are You?' quiz.

At the least, these topics are a distraction and at the most they are idolatry. Mainly I believe they miss the point. That is, they put the focus on some person and what they have done for God and all they accomplished in the name of the Lord. All this does it make them seem super-human and us feel super-helpless. We go back to our mundane life with a mortgage, oil-leaking engine, cubicle, utility bills, family demands, house demands, etc. and we despair because we cannot see how we can be as effective for God as Paul was.

The point is never Paul (or Ruth, or Abraham, or David for that matter). The point is always Jesus.

We need to realize that all these characters in the Bible are people that are just as jacked up as we are. And the truth is that despite how messed up they are God still used them. We should be able to relate to the characters and say, hey that guys is just as jacked up as I am. The point then is to see how the grace of God was able to use someone as jacked up as the people in the Bible. This should give us hope. If God can do great things through those messed up people in the Bible, then certainly God can deal with me.

Noah was a redneck who got drunk and passed out in his tent, but God still spared him. Abraham was a pagan and God made a whole nation out of him. Sampson couldn't keep it in his pants and God still used him to save Israel. Ruth was a Moabite who worshiped idols and had some funny dating techniques but she still ended up as Jesus' very very great grandma. David impregnated a woman and murdered her husband but he was still called a man after God's heart. Many of the disciples were uneducated blue-collar workers who God used to start and pastor churches. Paul was a terrorist who murdered Christians and ended up writing more than half of the New Testament.

The point is that humans are jacked up but God's grace is amazing.
My point is that the Bible only has one hero - Jesus.

Church Sign of the Week: Easter

2009-04-14T09:18:00.005-05:00

Yeah it's been a while since I posted a sign. But here is one for the past Easter weekend!

I mean this is probably really morbid to some people. Do we really assume that everyone who passes this sign understands the Christian believe that Jesus died for our sins?? If we do assume that then we are very naïve and ignortant of our society and where it is going. We are a post-Christian society and there are a lot of people who have never heard of Jesus let alone a shred of truth about Him. So I can imagine how seemlingly morbid and pointless the thought of a bunny dying would be for them. Eh it's just strange

But I guess that this sign really deep down just makes me want to be sarcastic. If you ask me the Easter Bunny isn't as big a deal as Santa Claus is at Christmas. Most people paint eggs, hunt them, and maybe visit the bunny at the mall (though his line is no where near as long as Santa's). If they go that far with their Easter traditions my guess would be they have some Christian background, with some exceptions, and so then they make their bi-annual trip to a church that Sunday. So this begs the question, why aren't there as many signs about Santa Claus? If there are send them to me when the season comes around. For now, I've made up a few of my own Santa signs in the spirit of this sign. Enjoy!

-Santa Claus wasn't born of a virgin
-Santa Claus wasn't betrayed by Ruldolph
-Santa Claus wasn't a Jew
-Santa Claus wasn't visited by the 3 wise men!
-Santa Claus doesn't answer your prayers
-Santa Claus gives gifts, not righteousness (ha I could really see this one happening)
-Santa Claus will be judged by God, either naughty or nice!
-Santa Claus' gifts will burn, Jesus' won't!

Wow that was fun!

Church Sign of the Week: Are you Ready?

2009-03-30T11:08:00.005-06:00

Because when you look back at the road from reading this sign you'll realize that traffic 10 feet in front of you is stopped...

So this sign is obviously geared for non-Christians. It's meant to cause one to ponder the inevitable truth of death which can take us at any time. That a person's realization of the lack of care they've had for their creator will send them running to church this Sunday is the desired outcome of this sign. Though I'm sure it is well intentioned at best (not well thought out). I would never frown on the desire for others to begin believing in and loving God. The world may think that it is arrogant, unloving, and narrow minded for Christians to wish that others would believe in the God of the Bible. But really it is the most loving thing for us to do. If we really believe that God saves us from eternal punishment for our rebellion, it would be unloving NOT to care whether people believe in Him or not.

But there is a fundamental flaw here. It should read something like, "Are you read to meet your creator?" This would be more appropriate. God is everyone's creator, He is not everyone's Savior. If He is my Savior then yes, I am ready to meet Him. If He's not my Savior, then I don't have a savior I can get ready for. Some people may be thinking, but what about 1 John 2:2 and 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 that talk about Jesus dying for the world or for all? Isn't this a way to say that Jesus is everyone's Savior? Yet it is clear that not every man will be saved (Matt. 7:13-14). A Savior is someone who saves you. You cannot say that the former verses allow us to call Jesus everyone's Savior if not everyone will be saved. The reality is that these verses only really point to the fact that the invitation is offered to everyone. That is to say that Jesus is the ONLY POSSIBLE Savior, propitiation or substitute for the whole world. It does not say that every man can and will take the offer. Therefore Jesus is Savior to those He saves and Judge to the rest.

Church Sign of The Week: Quoting God

2009-03-21T15:17:00.005-06:00

Straight out of the amplified "translation" of the Bible comes this gem of a sign! Well not really, but both this sign and that translation beg the question, "did God really say that?" What chapter and verse can I look up to find this warm and gentle invitation? Or maybe this was a special word of God spoken to the sign maker of this church. Probably in the end the same label applies to this sign as to the amplified "translation" - ridiculous!

Of course I'm not implying that God would not want families to come to church. This is not the issue of debate. The issue is as always the sign itself. Call me crazy, but I'm never a fan of quoting God on something He never said. Sure you could say this is an extreme paraphrase of a principle of scripture, which I guess would be that parents should teach their children about God. But this thing of making up quotes for God has got to go.

Seriously, though, I'm not sure what you picture when you read this sign, but I'll tell you what I picture and why it concerns me. I see a weak and has-been god. It's like he's sitting in church week after week wondering why nobody comes over. I see god more like a lonely and neglected teenager who's wanting friends and so he will make sure everyone knows he is free and has nothing going on...ever. Just call or drop in anytime. And so just in case other didn't know they were welcome, he'll put it on a sign. I'd say that if God really is saying this it is because he is sick of the company he currently has over. Or maybe I shouldn't say that.

Really the people driving by probably don't think that much into the sign. To them, it's just another weak advertising gimmick from the powerless church to fill the seats (and subsequently the offering plate). Only this organization uses God as their cloak and puts up signs in His name, since God couldn't bring people to church Himself.

New Calvinism: Revision

2009-03-16T13:41:00.002-06:00

It is good to have people who will provide counter arguments. They keep us sharp especially when we rush and tend not to be so sharp ourselves. So for those of you who don't read the comments on my blogs here is a counter article to what Driscoll says about the "New Calvinism" article in Time Magazine. Check it out. It provides a good counter point to Driscoll's analysis of the Time Magazine article and has changed my opinion. I must confess I was more interested in the Time article and did not read through Driscoll's analysis as critically as I should.

It is still worthy to note, however, the changes occurring in Christian culture as I noted in my previous post.

New Calvinism?

2009-03-16T10:32:00.006-06:00

According to Time magazine, what they are calling the "New Calvinism" is one of the 10 ideas changing the world right now. You can see the article here. The article is decent for being a secular source trying to describe Calvinism (I don't even find many Christians who can describe it well). It has also been mentioned a few times by Mark Driscoll at The Resurgence and he even has a good blog on the differences (though few) between the new and old Calvinism. I find it very interesting to see it up on their list as it really seems out of place with the rest especially since most of them have direct economic relevance. To me this is pretty encouraging... and at the same time unsettling.

The reason I am at all unsettled is that I think this really shows a growing divide in Christianity. The article makes a point to mention the difference between Christian doctrine just 20 years ago and today (it does so by looking at the difference in Christian music which to me is brilliant and insightful). The reality is that the Evangelical Christianity of my parents generation (and I'm 25) that sought after prosperity, good feelings, a better life now, pastors that were more like motivational speakers, and an arms-wide-open sensitive and soft Jesus is changing. The first option for its change is what I would say is its normal course which is liberal Christianity where doctrine is really ignored. The other option is this new Calvinism which is popular among younger Christians. I believe this is because many are tired of the flimsy god and self-focused religion of their parents and are finding hope, joy, and security in the sovereign God of the Bible.

But the reality is that there is a divide and it may get larger. There is more of an urgency now than ever to find out when to fight and when to back down. What doctrines do we stand up for and which ones do we not accept? How do we stand for the truth, fight for the truth and still love our brothers and sisters in Christ? Where can there be unity and where can there not?

Church Sign of The Week: Daylight Savings

2009-03-13T23:06:00.005-06:00

This is in honor of last weekend's daylight savings time. And this is really an amazing sign. I mean I'm still laughing every time I see it.

So in the spring we lose an hour. At 2am it really becomes 3 am. For those people who forget to set their clocks forward the night before, this can cause more problems than the fall time switch. You see, if you forget to set your clocks, then when your clock says 10am, it is really 11am. So if you have to be somewhere, say at 10:30am that next Sunday, and you forgot to set your clocks, you will be an hour late. At least if you forget in the fall, you'll just be an hour early.

But this makes you wonder if in the past this church has had issues with people walking in an hour late to service. Possibly enough issues to warrant this sign. But think of those victims of daylight savings time memory lapse. Those families who woke up at the normal time, did the normal Sunday morning routine, and when they get to church the pastor is already into his sermon. Oh the awkward looks ranging from 'how dare you come late' to 'you forgot about daylight savings time, how stupid are you.' And so this church has found a way to forever solve that problem. I just hope nobody from this church was planning on having lunch with someone from a church who practices proper daylight savings time.

But what about visitors? I mean, if as a visitor actually came to the church that day and never saw the sign, would they have known? Then, though being truly on time, they'd really be awkwardly early. But really I just think this would be weird for a visitor anyway. I'm assuming that this delay of the time switch was announced the previous week in service and so the sign must be for the public, for the potential visitor. Whatever.

I'm sure they don't do this in the fall even though this seems like it may be a problem for many of their members. If someone forgets then, they'll be early. Thus you can trick all those who come right as the service begins into an hour of pre-service fellowship.

Church Sign of the Week: The Sign of God!

2009-03-06T08:35:00.008-06:00

There is a fundamental flaw with this sign (besides what it says). The part that matters, that is the service time, is so small that nobody could even see it from the street. At least not safely.

Let's think this one through here. What really are they trying to say? The sign is assuming that people are asking God for some sort of sign. There are two main cases where people ask God for a sign. The first is a sign that would prove that He exists. This person is most likely not a Christian and is spiritually searching for some truth. This truth is some sort of proof of the existence of God. In this case, this church sign is claiming that it is yet another sign. So it also assumes that there have been other signs of this proof. But probably the funniest implication in this case is that the church sign is claiming to be another sign, that being proof of God's existence. Even if they are trying to point out the many ways God shows Himself to us without us noticing, this would be foolish since the non-Christian cannot see and does not understand the works, or I guess signs, of God in this world.

The other case where someone would look for a sign from God is someone who is Christian (or even just spiritual). In this case they would be looking for a sign to help them with some sort of decision they need to make. So, in this case, this church sign is claiming that it is yet another sign from God to point them to their answer. But unless the person's big decision is what church they should attend, I don't see how this sign helps them. Hmmm, what job should I take? Hey look a sign from God.... Should I marry this girl? Hey look a sign from God.... Yeah doesn't really work.

Okay so it's probably true that they didn't think about this sign as in depth as I just did (though isn't that the problem). But really, I don't think that this sign will draw anyone. It's cute. A cute little clever sign. If anything it's a sign to people that God doesn't exist. God must be so weak that His great signs are nothing but cute slogans that humans made. And yet that fits well with most church signs being a powerless attempt to get people to come to your church.

Stupid Quote

2009-02-24T13:21:00.003-06:00

Recently I came across an article which had a statement that made me look twice. It was an article talking about a U.S. District Judge who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in exchange for having five sex-crime charges dropped. Besides the whole situation being a sad one, there was a quote by his lawyer regarding the Judge's lying about the sexual abuse he was accused of.

"[The Judge] and his secretary were involved in a longtime affair and he didn't reveal it to the judicial council because he was being a gentleman."

Really?? Our society is very confused about standards. Call it morality or ethics or whatever you want to call it, I don't really care, but we are confused about standards. This man is being a gentleman because he was concealing his adultery? How far have we come that a gentleman doesn't have to remain faithful to his wife.

If this judge is considered a gentleman how about this hypothetical. A killer breaks into a house and shoots a man in the head. He then take his jacket off and uses it to cover the dead man lying on the floor so that his wife doesn't need to see the mess when she comes home. Another example of a gentleman right?

What does it mean to be a gentleman? Is there a standard? Is there a definition? This is honestly true for many other labels. When is someone an adult (18?), a man (when he can tie his shoes?), a woman (when she knows how to use her assets?), a friend (when they approve you on facebook?). These need to be defined or there will be no standard.

There either is a standard or it is all meaningless.

Rolodex Interpretation

2009-02-23T10:58:00.006-06:00

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
This is a passage found in Psalm 118:22-23 and is also used by Jesus in Mark 12:10-11. In context it is talking about the Jew’s rejection of Jesus though He really is the Messiah and points to how God had even purposed this to happen. Recently I was in a Bible study which, while using this passage, began to discuss how great it is that God accepts the rejects of society even though society does not and how as Christians we should also accept them. Now is it true that God accepts the rejects? Yes (Eze. 34:16; 1 Cor. 1:27). And should we as Christians take care of the rejected? Yes (Matt. 25:31-46). But does this passage in Mark 12 really intended to show this principle? No. Yet this kind of Bible study is not uncommon.

The rolodex interpretation

Sounds weird, I know. But we’ve all seen it or are possibly guilty of it. Here’s what happens. As someone reads the scriptures, either for personal study or as preparation to teach, they force the passage to fit into one of the pre-set Christian interpretations they know. They read and pull out words and phrases and clichés which then trigger in their mind the principle that fits the best. It’s like a rolodex of the mind and it’s filled with categories like forgive one another, pray without ceasing, and Jesus. Then when it comes time to apply meaning to a passage or answer a question in a Bible study, a person will flip through their rolodex, find the most likely category, and use it. Most of the time a person’s rolodex is limited to a few Christian principles. The problem is that though these are Biblical principles and there are passages which talk about them, they are not every answer, every interpretation, and every application to every passage. This also leads their application to be cheap, weak, cliché, surface, superficial and incomplete. The problem is circular, though, as teachers who think like this produce students who think like this who then turn into teachers who teach like this. Got it?

The cycle

The teacher, instead of truly talking about the passage and getting at it’s depth and intricacies, will boil the main point of the passage down to a limited number of Christian principles every time. Then most of the time will be spent talking about the principles, not the scripture. The danger here is that the teacher really determines what the passage means, not the passage itself. Often times a student is exposed to only a limited number of passages never delving into the hard ones. Also, a person is now supposing that Christianity is comprised of a certain limited number of good principles. Of course this certainly leads to some principles, whichever are deemed more important to the teacher, to be over-emphasized beyond scripture’s emphasis while other principles and truths that scripture emphasizes are under-emphasized or ignored altogether. So the full and whole teaching of the Bible is often never realized. The students then learn to study the Bible similarly. As they read they flip through their rolodex of principles and acceptable interpretations and force the passage to fit.

The problem

A person who suffers from R.I. more seriously suffers from a lack of critical thinking skills and a low view of scripture. A lot of that comes from their teaching. They rely on the little list of principles that make up God and Christianity instead of the profound words they read off the pages of scripture. So what happens when they’re asked a question outside of the normal Bible study question? Or what happens when they venture into scriptures other than the comfortable ones? Either they’ll randomly grab a card from their rolodex and play it hoping it works or they’ll be in a mental stalemate for eternity. An obvious sign this is occurring is when a person is looking up (like trying to look at their brain) and thinking instead of looking at the scripture itself. If they spout out an answer it’s usually one that leaves some people looking at the scripture wondering where they got their answer from. Worse off, many times the teacher doesn’t even say no, but instead just says, ‘okay what else do people see here?’

More often people study the Bible like this out of ignorance. This is how they've always seen it done and this is how they do it. But there are some other dangerous reasons why this kind of thinking is appealing.

Using scripture to push an agenda

Many times people have an idea they want to convey and beginning with the idea then go to scripture to find it. This can be done right and may simply be topical teaching. However it can also be very dangerous if care is not given to ensure that within context the passage/verse used really applies to the topic. Too much of this in one's study diet could cause a person to only look for principles in scripture grouping certain passage together under very general topics.

Avoid Controversy

As in our example in the beginning, we can altogether avoid the controversial discussion that maybe God purposed the Jews to reject Jesus. Yet in our attempts to not offend people we may instead be offending God by leaving the teaching of His word incomplete. Deep disciples are not made by avoiding the hard stuff.

Keep things pleasant

Let's be honest, there are some things in the Bible that are hard to believe. But what good is there in deceiving yourself of what is true? Take the doctrine of hell or God's justice and wrath. Not so pleasant. But then again maybe it is. To me as a Christian there is great security in knowing my God is powerful enough to defeat His enemies and that He is just enough to punish wrong. As a Christian who is growing in hatred of my own sin and the sin of this world I am glad to know that one day my God will cast all the evil away. So even in the 'not-so-pleasant' doctrines there is some beauty (for all those who always try to find the positive in things).

Needing "practical" application

Some people seem to always want a "practical" application. However sometimes this is forced and really just becomes another legalistic requirement or good Christian practice. But what if the application was just knowing who Jesus is and letting that shape you? What if not every lesson came with a direct command but sometimes just left you in awe of God? Why isn't that enough?

Stick to the scripture

It could be a new day for Evangelical Christianity if we just read our Bible and believed it. No frills, no add-ons, no passage summaries that leave out so much of what's intended. Just the deep and rich truths in the scripture. Let us go to the Bible with the desire to see God, to see Jesus and to know Him more letting our deeper knowledge of Him and His truth move us to good works.

Church Sign of the Week

2009-02-20T08:55:00.006-06:00

So I thought this would be fun. For all five of you who read my blog you probably have heard my thoughts on church signs. Sure you should advertise your service times so that in the case someone wants to come, they know when. But other than that I am not a fan of most other uses of church signs. By other uses I mean putting clever, cheesy, or Biblical sayings on the sign. I can't think of any reason as to why a church would do this except to hopefully attract someone to come to their church. Why don't I like this?

Mockery

Basically I think what really ends up happening is what I'm doing, mockery. Most non-Christians (and some Christians) just mock the sign. Most of the cleverness put into the signs just ends up cheesy and cheap. If anything I think this turns more people OFF to church and Christianity. It makes Christianity seem like a fake, flippant faith based on cliches. So one could ask, is it really Christian of you to mock the signs also? Is it really Christ-like? Yes. I won't get into it now (maybe a future blog on Biblical mockery). But maybe through my mockery some non-Christian would see that not all Christians agree with stereotypical Christian culture. Maybe it would help clear up some misconceptions.

Bible verses

One last thing. What about Bible verses on signs? While this might be the best option if you absolutely have to write something on it, it's still very ineffective. Some signs I've seen have a saying and a chapter and verse after. Seriously do you think people will pull out their Bibles and look up the verse while driving? And really how many remember it when they get home? Some do write the whole verse on the marquee. But too often it's an out of context verse. And with signs being only so big, only so much can fit so really what's the point?

So here we go. I will scour the town and the internet to find the best Church signs I can. Then every Friday, at least, I will post the new Church Sign of the Week. Hope this is fun.

Theologically Picky

2009-02-16T08:39:00.011-06:00

Some people say that I'm a little too picky...theologically. That doesn't bother me really. I'll admit it. I'm a theological nerd and neat nick. I can't help it. I love my theology because it tells me about my God and Savior. Now I certainly know that I don't know everything and if scriptures proves me wrong I am willing to (and many times have had to) change what I believe. So I was thinking about this: what's wrong with being too picky? Is there such a thing as too picky?

Think about it

Theology is all about knowing God. After all it is the study of God. It's similar to my friends getting to know me. That would be Chrisology (not to be confused with Christology which is actually a real thing). My friends get to know me and how I act, what I love, what I hate. They find this information by coming and talking to me, asking me questions, listening to my words. Straight to the source so there is no guess work or speculation. And when I say, 'I like Oreos,' they believe it and don't chance what I say to, 'I like carrots,' just because they want me to have a healthier image. It's no different with god. Theology is about knowing God, how He acts, what He loves, what He hates, what He wants. The best way to find out this information is to ask God (pray) and listen to His words (Bible). Problems come when people don't come to me to get to know me and just speculate my intentions, desires, likes, hates, actions. This is when rumors start. It's no different when people do this with God speculating His intentions, desires, likes, hates, actions. The only difference is that in this case the rumors are more serious - they're called heresy.

Why would you NOT be picky?

You'd think that if there's one thing to be picky on it would be what you believe about the God of the universe. Seems kind of important. Maybe the issue is that people are not picky enough! Maybe it's not a good thing to be so broad and general. This should be especially true for anyone who claims there is an absolute truth, which as a Christian you do. Now, someone might say that we can't know everything since God is infinite and there are mysteries. This is true. The Bible is clear that God has not revealed everything, but only what we need to know. It is also true that much heresy and legalism has come from taking the scriptures farther than they go and being picky where the Bible is silent. But could it be that right now as a whole we are more prone to labeling something a mystery too early? My diagnosis of modern mainstream Evangelical Christianity is that most of us and most of our churches are not even close to going to far with their doctrine but are instead too surface. So then why do we raise a stink about that? 1 Timothy 4:16 says, "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." Sounds pretty important to me, like that salvation is what's hanging in the balance.

So what's the problem?

Probably people have figured someone who is picky with their theology to someone who is argumentative about it, and at times for good reason I'll admit. However, this is not a problem of being too picky or specific, but one of pride. And we all struggle with it, some maybe more than others. Some do view their theology more like bullets they can use to shoot down those who may even slightly disagree. What a way to treat the rich treasures of the knowledge of God! If anything, good theology should humble man not make him proud. And yet this shouldn't cause us to never fight for the truth. Paul tells Timothy to, "Fight the good fight of the faith," (1 Tim. 6:12) and Paul specifically tells the Corinthian church that, "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5). So what am I arguing for?

Balance

That's right balance. Something that as humans we are terrible at. We are prone to extremes just as Ecclesiastes 7:16-17 warns us about. And when the scales have been tipped so long to one side, sometimes a balancing seems like an extreme. We should know our theology as specific as the scriptures allow us. We should fight for the truth and be specific even about the wording because it was with just a small twist of the wording that Satan was able to deceive Eve. But we need to use discernment (that discernment coming from our theology) about when to fight and who to fight. Many times a well intentioned and excited young Christian is discouraged when they have their theology beat down by someone out of pride. Instead we should beat down their bad theology...out of love. This will look more like teaching where the goal is closer conformity to scripture. But no matter how we come to the realization, we know it is always a difficult thing for any of us to admit we are wrong and change our belief. So why do you not like a picky theology? Is the person being argumentative? Or do you just not want to come to grips with the flaws in your own?

So unless you're delving into speculation beyond what the scriptures say and/or adding rules where the Bible makes none, I'd say be as specific and picky as possible with whatever theology you believe.

My Son...My Daughter... (3 of 3)

2007-10-20T14:18:00.000-05:00

My Son...My Daughter... (2 of 3)

2007-09-04T12:33:00.000-05:00

~Luke 6:46-49~
Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

I am putting here parts of a letter I wrote to read to college students at our first InterVarsity meeting here at SIU. The purpose of the letter was to write as a parent to a child on their own now. The truth is that many people that age don't have parents who ever have talked to them about these issues. The appeal for solid truth and finding satisfaction in God instead of what the world can offer may have never been presented to them. Here is part 2 of 3.

My son…my daughter,

One time when tapping into the rich insight and knowledge found in fortune cookies, I received a fortune that said, “It is better to be happy than to be wise.” This honestly shows the lack of wisdom that most fortune cookie writers have. For one, that is not a fortune, it’s a load of crap. Two, it shows a truth about the world we live in. You will hear this bad philosophy in many different forms. It’s the Toys R Us syndrome where the world is saying, “I don’t want to grow up I’m a Toys R Us kid.” The world hides from truth and responsibility…and we wonder why it’s in such a bad state. Men and women don’t take joy in their God given duties and we wonder why marriages are failing at a growing rate. We wonder why more and more children today are going to bed without a father. Even those who have a father physically present are truly no better off.
The world will shun wisdom and say, “Stay with building sandcastles because building a mansion is too much work.” Yes it is more work, but the end your needs are truly fulfilled. I’m not going to lie, it is much easier to live as most people do, but it is empty. It takes no strength to give into materialism and try to find satisfaction in stuff. But that person will never have enough. It is not a strong man, but a weak man who will treat women as objects to be used. After all, how much strength does it take to give into that desire? But that man will never know the incredible joy of loving, protecting, and cherishing one woman. It is not a beautiful and desirable woman who flaunts her beauty for all to see. After all, how desirable is something that everyone has? But that woman will never know what it’s like to be loved. This is just plain truth and wisdom. Do not despise it like a fool.
Yet it is much harder, and in fact impossible on your own strength to live as God has called you to live, but it is full of riches you can’t imagine. You will be opposed and the world will not understand this. But do not listen to them. These people fear men and not God. They care more about what others will think about them than about what matters in this life. But you shouldn’t fear men. Their mockery and lack of understanding is just the fruit of their immaturity. But it is God who you should fear and Christ who you should run to. We know very well that many regard Christ and the cross as foolishness. But you should still press on for your treasure is not of this world.

My Son...My Daughter... (1 of 3)

2007-08-29T10:50:00.000-05:00

~Luke 6:46-49~
Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

I am putting here parts of a letter I wrote to read to college students at our first InterVarsity meeting here at SIU. The purpose of the letter was to write as a parent to a child on their own now. The truth is that many people that age don't have parents who ever have talked to them about these issues. The appeal for solid truth and finding satisfaction in God instead of what the world can offer may have never been presented to them. Here is part 1 of 3.

My son…my daughter,

You are now on your own. I want you to understand the gravity of this. There are paths set before you now and whatever influence I could have on the path you take is gone. Who you are will be defined greater now than ever. I plead with you to be wise and not foolish. We have enough fools in this world. We have enough boys, enough girls in this world who are still content with building sandcastles which do not last when they could be building mansions that will last forever. There are too many boys who serve their stomachs and lusts than serve their King in battle. There are too many girls who love the attention they get instead of letting their Savior’s love satisfy them. You see, a child will work all day at building a sandcastle and will not rest until it is complete. He will spend hours looking for the best seashells to decorate with and haul much dirt very far to build the most glorious sandcastle his mind could conceive. And when he is done, in the evening, he heads home to sleep. And when the child wakes up he realize his sandcastle is gone, trampled by some other child, washed away by the tide. So the child begins again trying to rebuild his joy and satisfaction, but it never turns out as good as the first time.
Now for a child this is fine. However you will find that there are many people in this world who have settled to live their life like this child forever. I saw it when I was in college and I see it still now. My own roommates lived like this. They were enslaved to their lack of fulfillment and satisfied with cheap pleasures. Their focus was themselves and no one else mattered. They fulfilled themselves with women as if they had a right to treat them that way and devalue their worth as human and their beauty as pure. Their god was themselves and they chased after things that left them wanting, unfulfilled. They had no direction and left no impact on anyone. It was junior year when one of them finally realized this truth about their life. I thank God for the change in his life. But my other roommate has not changed. He still continues to build his sandcastles and wakes up every day to find them trampled on or washed away.
Look around and see that this is everywhere. No one fears God and those who believe He exists still don’t pay Him much attention. I do not want you to fool yourself like the person Jesus is talking to in verse 46 where He asks, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” In Jewish culture when words are repeated it is for emphasis, but when names are repeated it is to emphasize deep relationship. By calling Jesus ‘Lord, Lord’ they are claiming they have the deep relationship with him as a King and a friend. But their actions do not match. Do not fool yourself as many people have. Can you truly call someone a friend who you never talk to? Can you truly call someone your King if you do not follow Him? The truth is that if we hear the words of God and not put them into practice we are doing nothing but playing with sandcastles that never will stand and never fulfill. We are like a child who will spend all its energy on trivial things that will not last. They will settle for measly sandcastles of joy when they could have so much more. I pray that you will leave the childish ways behind and find that there is something much greater for you than this world can offer...

Our fathers and our Father…and Fight Club Theology

2007-07-05T17:13:00.000-05:00

~Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV~
My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

As I share some reflective thoughts about time spent with my father, I hope that this will get men to reflect a lot on their own fathers, their view of God, and what it would mean for those who want to be fathers one day.

I have to admit that I have struggled more than I think I should with my standing with God. I have been wondering why there is such a disparity between my theology of the grace and love of God and my actual internal battles with it. I mean, I have officially left the legalistic past of a Christianity that is simply do this, don’t do this. I have come to understand (though not near fully!) the doctrines of grace and realize that God’s love for me is not based on me but based on Him and thus unshakeable! But why then do I find myself in my darkest times questioning yet again whether I am a child of God? Why do I sulk around with thoughts that God is still utterly angry with me or disappointed? What I’ve come to know the Bible teaches would say that though we shouldn’t sin anymore, God’s grace still covers the sins we do commit. But for some reason I find my emotions not following what I say I believe. I find myself basing how much God loves me on my actions. I didn’t lust today therefore God is happy and will bless me. Or I am very prideful today and have done so much wrong and now God is about to cast me away and take away all my blessings. There are even times as I pursue ministry that I have wondered whether God has changed His mind on my ability to do it. Why is there such disagreement between what I know the Bible teaches and what I truly fall into believing?

Dad. I have come to realize more and more how much fathers impact their children. Even at 24 years old I am realizing the affect it still is having in my life now. Earthly fathers are supposed to model and point us to God the Father. Basically, part of how we learn about the character of God is from our earthly father. And when our fathers do things contrary to God’s character, there is a possibility of that shaping our view of God in a wrong way. There is a very interesting dialogue from the movie Fight Club between Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, and the narrator, played by Edward Norton. Though the movie is filled with much language, some sex and other disturbing things and is certainly not safe-for-the-whole-family, I would say that one can learn a whole lot about how our culture and society thinks. At least they can learn much more from it than from a great safe family movie like Air Bud. But now I’m on a tangent soap box. I would only recommend the movie to a very discerning mind. The movie shows the messed up lives of men. The only appearance of fathers is in short dialogues like this one which tells you a lot about these men and their fathers.

Tyler: “Shut up! Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God?"
Narrator: “No, no, I... don't...”
Tyler: “Listen to me! You have to consider the possibility that God does not like you. He never wanted you. In all probability, he hates you…”

This truth about father’s pointing us to God is engrained in us and although many men may deny it, I think they really want to have the approval of their father. In fact, the current picture of manhood in our culture is being shaped by many boys who do not feel approved of or loved by their fathers. As for me, I know my father loves me and he has done much for me. I truly have no reason to complain and so that is not my goal. However no father is perfect. Relative to probably the majority of father-son relationships out there, mine and my fathers relationship is great. But even with that being the case, the imperfections of our relationship have affected my view of and relationship with God. My concern is, how much more skewed are men’s view of God who have much worse relationships with their fathers?

Just out of the relatively light imperfections of our relationship, I feel that my works based view of God’s love may have come from certain experiences with my father. I’m not saying my father actually loses love for me. But at times when we have disagreements and I have not met his expectations of certain things, I have caught a feeling of disappointment or disapproval of me as he vocally points out my flaws. Then there are other times when I do meet his expectations that we have gotten along fine and his attitude toward me is of approval it seems. Thus the appearance of a works based approval or love from my father is there even if that really isn’t what’s going on in his mind. So where am I practically going with this? I am NOT saying that fathers should not discipline or rebuke their sons. I am saying that as a father disciplines or rebukes his son, he should reflect the character of God disciplining His children. Just as Proverbs 3:11-12 says God disciplines those He loves, those He delights in. In fact God’s discipline has been a great comfort to me since I know He would not be disciplining me if I were not one of His children. I would say it is true that a father who does not discipline his son doesn’t love his son. However the danger is assuming the child understands that the discipline or rebuke comes from love and so fathers don’t vocalize it. Even God doesn’t assume we understand that since He has stated in the Bible that His discipline for us is out of love. Whether the discipline is a physical spanking of a child or verbal rebuke when they are older, fathers should not ever assume their sons know it is out of love. To say, ‘Look I love you and don’t want to see you fall into these problems so you need to do something about these areas of your life,’ is completely different from saying, ‘You are not doing well here, you are destroying your life, you don’t know what you’re doing, etc.’ The first way gives the discipline that is needed and still reminds the son that he is loved. The second way leaves the son guessing his father’s love and approval of him. All he has to go off of is the tone and language of his father.

It is true that it takes work. To take the time to show love in the constant teaching and discipline a child will need is what separates fathers from Godly fathers. Anyone can be a dad (well only males) but not every dad is a good Godly father. That takes a conscious effort and most dads don’t want to do it anymore. Thank God that He is our perfect father. That He will discipline those who He calls son and will not just leave them there, but carry them through His rebuke. And thank God that He will be the perfect Father for my sons one day since I know I will not be the perfect father. As fathers and future fathers, we should think about what we can do to point our children to the Character of God and teach them to draw from Him.

We need to first remember that our fathers are not perfect and that we need to find our true acceptance from our heavenly Father. We need to seek Him to find out His true character and not base it off of what our fathers have done breaking out of the Fight Club Theology. And for those who want to be fathers some day, we need to realize how much work it truly will be and begin to prepare ourselves to be the kinds of fathers God has directed us to be.

The Tame God and The Castrated Male

2007-06-23T12:38:00.000-05:00

~Job 37:1-5 ESV~
"At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place. Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. After it his voice roars; he thunders with his majestic voice, and he does not restrain the lightnings when his voice is heard. God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.

~Psalms 18:6-15 ESV~
In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

~Psalm 24:8 ESV~
Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle!

~Isaiah 46:8-11 ESV~
"Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

What we believe about God will affect the way we live. It’s that simple. This is certainly NOT restricted to Christians. An atheist who doesn’t believe in any god at all will live their life accordingly as if this world just happened and in the end there’s nothing…or maybe their body goes into the soil and they become a tree…exciting. The agnostic who believes there is a higher power, but we can’t really know him/her/it has at least left the realm of Psalm 14:1, but won’t ever get to know God because he doesn’t believe you can, so why try. The one who believes God is specific and knowable will at least have the chance to find Him. But even here we can now break down the specific beliefs about God and see how our specific beliefs will affect how we live. For example, does God care about our actions or not? Your answer to this greatly affects how your life is lived.

So what does this have to do with Biblical Manhood? Truth is that, for the Christian in general, a right view of God is important all around. But what I want to focus on right now is that our dominant view of God in the church does not warrant men to be men. Our view of Jesus means the men will not act like men when they try to be Christ imitators. The attributes of God we emphasize and the attributes of God we ignore don’t make for a King that men would want to follow.

To get right to the point, I believe the dominant view in Christianity is a tame God. I remember a time when a group of us went to see the Passion of The Christ. In the group was my college roommate who was not a Christian at the time. After seeing the movie he was driven home by a friend of ours and when he got out of the car she called after him and said, “Hey, remember Jesus loves you.” My roommate told me later that her comment made him mad. When I asked him why, he said that the tone of her comment made God seem like a teddy bear and that was angering. See, this is a very simple formula. We know that if we follow a tame God as our king it means we will be tame or, in a sense, castrated males…and we get aggrivated when you mess with our…stuff….in that way.

So what’s so tame about this dominant view of God? If you asked a church attendee what they thought was the most important attribute of God is, one of the majority answers would be love. Along with that you may get answers like mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Of course theses are great and important attributes of God; however these are the attributes of God that the Church at large in America seems to have emphasized. Growing up in the church, I remember hearing preachers talk about how much Jesus loves me and how He died for my sins. It was “Jesus loves me” and “He cares for me” all day long and it didn’t make sense to me. Jesus was nothing worthy to follow. He was just a beggar begging for me to accept Him. Could this be it? Is this all there is to God? It seems that the majority of preaching and the dominant emphasis of God’s attributes have left us a God that leaves much to be desired. Currently many men who look at the church are just like I was and see a God preached who reminds them of the snuggle bear on fabric softener commercials. We are told to follow Jesus, but the Jesus they see is a limp-wristed-pretty-boy who is sitting there begging you to accept Him, but has no power on His own to deal with the wicked in some way. Our view of God is one lacking such a hatred for sin that our God isn’t just and couldn’t punish wickedness. God would not ever be angry and certainly does not show wrath. We have left out the warrior side of God who can (and has) killed his enemies. Our view of God is also more and more deistic in that God has no power to act or accomplish His purposes. There is no image of a true King who answers to no one and who is worthy of following because he has no power to make anything happen.

Now I am not trying to put the love, grace, and mercy of God pitted up against the anger, wrath and justice of God. The problem is that we have gotten lazy in our desire to know God and have concluded that these attributes of God are contradictory and cannot all exist at the same time. Nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact all of these truths about God need to be explored and understood for a full understanding of the Gospel. See, when I believe in a God who is powerful enough to save and also powerful enough to destroy, then I have a peace and comfort. If my God is too weak to destroy wickedness, then how do I have any assurance that He will be able to deliver me from my own horrible sin and life’s trials? How do I have any hope that God will one day avenge my persecutors just as the martyrs cry out for in Revelation 6:9-10? How do I have any hope for salvation if my God is too weak or sissy to deal with evil?

What I hope is restored in the Church is a Biblical view of God, of Jesus. The verses at the beginning are only a few of the many verses that show how God is a God of action (Isaiah 46:8-11) and when he acts it is not always tame (Psalm 18:6-15)! I love storms and I think of the Job 37:1-5 passage. When I hear that thunder I imagine God’s voice and realize that He can kill me without much effort and it is only by His grace that He doesn’t. You may find this strange, but that thought comforts me. That kind of God is a God who I want to live for because I can fear Him. That kind of God is a God I want to die for because I can serve that kind of King! We tell men to be imitators of Christ and then rebuke them for not being men, but I think if we look at our view of Christ we teach we’ll see that the men are imitating that view of Christ to its natural conclusion.

A proper view of God is what gives us hope and faith. It is the solid rock we need to stand on. It is what gives us the freedom to take risk and the ability to hope when all hope is lost. We want a King, one who is mighty to destroy AND mighty to save!

To close, take a look at this verse from Revelation which describes Jesus when He returns to earth. As you read it, meditate on it. Compare it to what you believe about Jesus, what you hear about Jesus, and what others think about Jesus. I have a feeling there will be many people who will be surprised to see who their Jesus is when He returns…

~Revelation 19:11-16 ESV~
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Response to: Men and Christianity

2007-05-26T01:06:00.000-05:00

Some people may wonder as we get into this idea of Biblical Manhood, what do the women think of this? Well here is a response to the Men and Christianity post from the perspective of a woman. Certainly feel free to post your thoughts, questions, or responses to any posts by clicking on the comments below each blog.

To Chris,~
Manhood…womanhood…a man and woman…made in the image of God…could it be that manhood and womanhood find their definition in their Creator? Could it be? Would there be manhood without the distinct contrast of womanhood to compliment it, and vice versa? “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). It is fascinating to me that the Lord God made two to reflect Him. Even more mysterious is the fact later mentioned at the end of Genesis 1, “…and they shall become one flesh” (vs. 24). Hummm…the Holy Trinity is One, and man and woman are to be one as a reflection of our glorious Creator. Man and woman are to be one but blessed with very distinct roles. It is by design that we are different. And for good reason…to glorify the One we are made in the image of. Awww…but then sin entered the picture. Therefore, depravity entered into manhood and womanhood. Were we left without hope? No. For there was One who was sent, present in the beginning might I add, that has become our restoration for manhood and womanhood, if our trust and hope is found in Him alone. However, since sin is still present in the world and we are being sanctified, we still feel and live out the affects of our sin in our manhood or womanhood. So, the question is…as you have stated, “What is the Biblical view of God?” And does our view line up with it? I concur, Spartan. Only till we understand more of who God is will we understand what it means to be a real man and a real woman. I think at the heart of this is living out Deut. 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Here is a real man and a real woman living out this commandment.

Chris, I think you are right on concerning the issue of manhood, esp. in the Church. It seems that the Lord has opened your eyes to this matter for a reason. However, I think the same can be said of womanhood. But we’ll leave that discussion for another time. I’ll turn my thoughts to your own about manhood. From a female perspective…yes, we do often “roll our eyes” at the comment, “be a man!” Mostly, I think because we don’t know what that means either. If we think we know what it means, our definition is probably distorted by what our culture would tell us is a real man. It’s difficult to know what a man is if we don’t know what a woman should be, let alone who our God is. And yes, women may not be “ready for it”, because we aren’t ready to be real women ourselves.

You mentioned that you noticed in yourself and the boys around you a “…lack of responsibility, lack of self-control, disrespect for women, lack of courage, lack of strength, and the danger of remaining in a perpetual adolescence…” So true, brother. Yet, I can’t help but think a lot of the same is true for us women- lack of responsibility, self-control, courage, strength, and disrespect for men and women. You’re right, nobody seems to think that it’s a problem…but we know that it is. What are those of us who have noticed the problem, then, going to do about it? It must begin with prayer (not only for ourselves but for all the saints)…and then a transformation in our lives by the Holy Spirit…and then sharing the Truth with others so they can be transformed. So, my brother, we are warriors together, male and female. We may not fight the same way, but we have the same weapons at our disposal to fight the enemy. Who is our enemy? “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Our enemy is the Lord’s enemy. Our enemy is the one that wants to deceive us (in our hearts and minds) in the most unnoticeable way- our manhood and womanhood. How are we to fight this enemy? Choose your weapon. What are our weapons? “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil…take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATIONS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints…” (Eph. 10, 11, 13-18). (Capitalized letters represent Old Testament references from the NASB translation) Our weapons are found in the Lord.

You say that you are disappointed in the way you see fathers raising sons and husbands loving their wives. Me too! And I’m also disappointed in the way I see mothers raising their daughters and wives respecting (or the lack thereof) their husbands. However, we don’t have to experience these roles of fatherhood/motherhood or of being a husband/wife to have wisdom concerning how these roles should be lived out. You said, “I am not married or have children and will admit my lack of wisdom there…” It’s not that you lack wisdom, maybe you do, but it seems to me that the Lord is obviously showing you what a man should be through His Word and rare godly examples. He’s giving you wisdom now before you enter those roles. So I think you just lack experience, not necessarily wisdom. Practical example: I know there’s wisdom in not being an alcoholic, pothead, or a prostitute. I don’t have to experience those lifestyles in order to have wisdom about the right kind of lifestyle to lead. Same is true in having wisdom about how to be a godly man and woman in marriage and parenting. Just a thought…

I strongly agree with your viewpoint. I’m also encouraged and excited to see a young man desiring true manhood. Just be ready though because…“Satan knows a Godly man of integrity is about the most dangerous thing on the face of the earth” (Paul Washer). Looking forward to more of your thoughts…

Soli Deo Gloria and your encouraging sister always~

Allison

Men and Christianity

2007-04-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

~1 Kings 2:1-3 ESV~
When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commands, His rules, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…”

…a fascinating charge from David to his son. My eye catches a phrase that makes me pause and think…only to have my thoughts be empty. A phrase like, “be a man!” has lost all of its meaning. Instead, the meaning behind the phrase has been left to be defined by society and culture, the world. Instead of respect of the meaning behind the statement, women roll their eyes at it, blowing it off as a vain display of….testosterone. Although most of the time, I would argue that this sentiment behind it on behalf of women is justified, I would also argue that we are so used to the phrase having no meaning, that women would not be ready for it to be used with its proper meaning. Actually, the world, Christianity, and males alike are not ready for what that statement should mean. I am certainly not excluded from that group as I am finding out…

For a good time now I have had a growing discontent, a kind of uneasiness about what I see as men in the church. It has been very difficult to put my finger on it. All I know is that I am not content with what I see portrayed as the man in the church today. Much of my feeling of this comes from what I see in the Bible compared to what I see in men today. Other times it is just a deep revulsion in my soul that I feel when I see other men or things done at church services. But even so, I could not fully explain to myself what was going on. Sure I didn’t like something about it, but, then again, what was it supposed to be like? The images of men in the Bible did not match up to the men I see in the faith today. That’s when it hit me. My thoughts on this issue are foggy because, though I see a lack of true manhood in the church, I had nothing to compare it to. I have not seen much example of true manhood in the church. My mind had no context for what it was trying to find.

The image of a warrior has always been a favorite of mine. But even more now than ever before has this analogy, this image been on my mind. Amidst what I see as a society of boys, who can live up to the character, responsibility, integrity, etc. of what is a warrior? From myself and other boys around, all I have noticed is lack of responsibility, lack of self-control, disrespect for women, lack of courage, lack of strength, and the danger of remaining in a perpetual adolescence if not made aware of their state. Adolescence, that culture created position for boys who are too arrogant and don’t want be called boys, but at the same time don’t want to accept the responsibility of a man.

But what I see in this 1 Kings 2:1-3 passage is something I see all over the Bible. The way David tell his Son to “keep the charge of the Lord your God…” reminds me of a soldier, a warrior keeping the charge of his king. All this talk about God being King of kings and about the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of heaven should tell us something about the government of God’s rule. More and more I feel like a true insight into the phrase, “be a man!” should be found in no other place but the Kingdom of God. But I am left disappointed when I look into the church. And even more disappointed because it seems as if nobody thinks there’s a problem.

So where is there a problem? There are many areas that I will need to write on later, but for now here is an example. As I think about this faith being in a battle and men as the warriors, I picture music as the way of shouting the battle cry. Yet when I listen to congregation after congregation sing their songs, I hear only women’s voices. I look around and see men staring at their songbooks, some mouthing words, but there’s no way to tell if anything is coming out. There is no passion to be seen in them. I believe God made the sound of men raising their voices as one to be a glorious, inspiring and driving force; a force that creates fear in the heart of the enemy. Now I am not trying to be sexist or set men above women. However, as I imagine charging the gates of Hell, it is not women’s voices that I see causing our enemy to run. The sound of women singing as one is beautiful. It restores my soul, brings me to a place of peace and rest, but it is the battle cry from my fellow soldiers that keeps my mind focused on the fight. So why is this the case, that men’s voices are not heard? I have been on musical worship teams or led musical worship for about 6 years now. What I have come to find is my great disappointment with most modern Christian music. I then think, it’s no wonder no man sings anymore. The songs no longer remind men of following after their King. Modern worship songs have become so fluffy, lacking in depth and most people are oblivious to what they’re actually singing. Instead, as put by Mark Driscoll, modern worship makes the man feel like he’s singing love songs to his prom date. Yes we are to love our God, but the love a man has for his King is very different from the love he has for his wife. It then doesn’t make sense to us men to use the same words when praising our King as we use when loving our wives. My wife will be beautiful, but my King will be where I find my glory! Once again I should state that the description of God as beautiful is not at all a wrong description, this is only an example. What I’m trying to get across is that we have less and less of a view of God that is suitable for the man. That is because we have less and less a view of God that is Biblical. If we had a Biblical view of God, he would be appealing to both men and women. And I believe that is where the problem is…our view of God. As far as expounding on this example of worship music, I’m sure I’ll tackle that one more specifically later.

It will have to be another time, after much more thought, that I write about specifics. Things like the loss of certain characteristics of men like honor, integrity, and respect. The lack of commitment to others or to his claimed King. Or the lack of a man’s sense of duty is to self, to his brothers, to his wife, to his children. I am not married or have children and will admit my lack of wisdom there, but I still can’t help but say that I have been disappointed in the way I see fathers raising sons and husbands loving their wives. I remember making a comment to someone about my desire to find a wife. Their reply was that it was natural for me to feel that way with all the married people and newly weds that are around me. But I had to be honest and say that this couldn’t be the reason for my increased desire to find a wife because I’m not really impressed with any of the relationships I see.

But my biggest observation about men can be summed up by saying that I feel they have just gone soft. A man will talk about the Biblical analogy of a warrior to our faith, but I won’t believe him. The pinnacle of manhood in the church has been watered down to being a nice guy. Don’t be harsh with your words. Be tame. Be what God created you NOT to be. And wouldn’t that be a reasonable outcome when our view of God is a tame God? For too long the church has over-emphasized certain characteristics of God like love, mercy, goodness, patience, and ignored the truth about characteristics of God like justice, vengeance, wrath and anger. We’ve made our God soft and so have at the same time made our men soft. I guess this is where I need to start if I’m going to figure this out. Before we can tackle the specific areas of manhood, we need to make sure we know what kind of King we’re really serving.

I do not claim to be an expert on manhood. I never want to give anyone the impression that I think myself as one. I am only another boy realizing my great need to grow into a warrior suitable for the Kingdom. My writings are my thoughts and convictions as I learn them and desire to share them for the purpose of growing men, women and the Kingdom of God...

“Let’s face it, most of you young men have not been raised to be men. That’s the plight of our culture. The world would keep you as boys, because men are dangerous. Satan knows a Godly man of integrity is about the most dangerous thing on the face of the earth." –Paul Washer

For All The Saints

2007-03-28T08:28:00.000-06:00

I love this hymn. It reads like a story and speaks about the battle of our faith. The reward and outcome for the warriors is their rest and ultimately the glory of their King.

For All the Saints

For all the saints
Who from their labours rest
Who Thee by faith
Before the world confessed
Thy name O Jesus
Be for ever blest
Alleluia

Thou wast their Rock
Their Fortress and their Might
Thou Lord their Captain
In the well fought fight
Thou in the darkness drear
Their one true Light
Alleluia

O may Thy soldiers
Faithful true and bold
Fight as the saints
Who nobly fought of old
And win with them
The victor's crown of gold
Alleluia

And when the strife

Is fierce the warfare long

Steals on the ear
The distant triumph song
And hearts are brave
Again and arms are strong
Alleluia

The golden evening
Brightens in the west
Soon soon to faithful
Warriors cometh rest
Sweet is the calm
Of paradise the blest
Alleluia

But lo there breaks
A yet more glorious day
The saints triumphant
Rise in bright array
The King of Glory
Passes on His way
Alleluia