Frustrated…

by | Sep 28, 2018 | America, discipleship, Leadership, pastor, politics

Alright. The title expresses my perspective entering the fray on this debacle of a confirmation process. In fact, I have pushed back from wading in because as soon as you say something, someone is offended. No matter what position you take. So, I was going to just drive on by and voice my frustration from the comfort of my recliner in front of my own television, in my own home, in the hearing of my own wife. Then…it happened. I started reading comments from some of my Christian friends…and my jaw dropped. I am shocked. Embarrassed. Frustrated.

So, in light of that, I think you ought to know a couple of things…otherwise, you may go on saying things that display ignorance, tarnish the name of our Savior, and become a stumbling block to the cause of Christ.

Who am I speaking to? I will leave it to your conscience and the Holy Spirit to apply this individually. Here, though, is who I am not speaking to: OUTSIDERS. If you are not a follower of Christ, please scroll on by as I speak to the people of God. I am sorry you stopped to read this much and I am not aiming any of this to you for consideration since you cannot draw on the source of wisdom I am pointing to as our AUTHORITY.

To my Christian friends, it seems to me that these ten things are true and if you disagree, you can do so privately with me, or on this forum. I opened the door.

  1. If you are “absolutely certain” of who is telling the truth (Judge Kavanaugh or Dr. Ford)- you’re a partisan hack with an agenda that was settled in your mind before you ever heard one word of testimony. Only God and the aforementioned parties know exactly who is telling the truth. (Prov 18:13).
  2. If you can speak disrespectfully in a meme, a tweet, a post, a status update, or in a water cooler conversation about either of these people based on what you read, heard, or sensed in your intuition, you are not sensitive to the Spirit of God; furthermore, you should pause long enough to examine if you are even His! How can you destroy with your words ONE who God loves? If you can make light of drunkenness and carousing, or sexual assault as if it were nothing more than a punch line in your political diatribe…you have completely lost touch with God’s view of sin and His heart toward brokenness. (James 3:8-12).
  3. If you think that there is “her truth” as several Senators referenced yesterday and “his truth”…and that they both exist in contradiction and at the same time…you have a worldview issue. There is one truth…and we may know it, or we may not. But “he did it” and “he did not do it” cannot both be true at the same time.
  4. If your heart is not broken for Dr. Ford, you lack the compassion of Christ. Read Luke 10:30ff, and learn something from the Samaritan because you have mastered the role of priest and Levite.
  5. If your heart is not broken for Judge Kavanaugh, you lack the compassion of Christ. Read Luke 10:30ff, and learn something from the Samaritan because you have mastered the role of priest and Levite.
  6. If you think everyone, who says anything, ever, about anything, is to be believed simply because they seem very sincere…I’d challenge you to see if you are consistent with that worldview in other areas of your life. Do you believe your 3-year-old when he says he has not eaten a cookie when you see crumbs on his shirt and chocolate in his teeth? What if he swears and says he has never eaten cookies or says he is 100% certain that he didn’t eat the cookie? Does that make it true?(Prov 14:15)
  7. If you think a man speaking passionately in response to weeks of attacks in the hearing of his mother, his wife, his children makes him too passionate to be an effective jurist…you’ve never had to look at the pain endured by your family while other simply unleashed venom. By the way…have you read Luke 19:41, 45? Do you think that Jesus is an impotent Judge because he wept or because flipped tables? Apparently some things are worthy of passionate response!
  8. If you think “the resistance” or as I like to refer to it, “toddlering” is anything courageous, good, or honoring to God…you’ve completely missed the tone and counsel of Scripture. (too many to cite)
  9. If you have an expectation that people living apart from Christ would act any other way than what I am describing, you’ve misunderstood the work of the Holy Spirit; and, if you think Christians can honor God by acting like what I have described, you have misunderstood the work of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 6:43-45, Matt 7:16-18).
  10. Finally, if anything about this confirmation process gives you a sense of pride rather than shame… you have a strange sense of pride. I am embarrassed that US Senators are pursuing “gotcha points” and reading comments in a high school yearbook in a confirmation hearing! I am embarrassed that an uncorroborated allegation from more than three decades ago can be used to destroy a man and his family…simply because a woman said it and it would be seen as cruel or politically unhelpful to say…”it may have happened, but we cannot be sure…and part of that reason is related to the fact that there is no corroboration and the crime was never reported…not to mention the timing is a little suspect.” (Prov 14:34).

It brings me to tears to watch a woman, who is broken and living with the consequences of sin, struggle. (read that carefully before you @ me.) That happens almost every week in my work…not just in SCOTUS confirmation hearings. It also brings me to tears that a man who seems like an accomplished jurist and respected member of his community can be villainized based on an uncorroborated (and at least partially refuted) accusation of a deeply wounded person.

I have seen far too many lives, mostly women, damaged from sexual assault. You have no idea! I have also watched good people destroyed over optics and accusations and watched families, including my own, absorb the pain of a verbal assault by nefarious creatures with darkened hearts, while others sat silently by…watching it happen in fear or apathy…but communicating agreement by their silence.

I am grieved…and frustrated…at the brokenness of the world around me and I find no ultimate hope in the institutions of man, be it social constructs or governing bodies. My only comfort is the sovereignty of God who has already promised that every sin will be judged…every sin. No one is getting away with anything…and He judges by a singular, unappealable, and unimpeachable declaration of what truth is. As a sinful man that terrifies me, but as a man forgiven by God and living under the payment offered by the Son of God Himself, I stand humbled, and thankful…while growing in holiness and in my obedience to His purpose for my life.

<memes, >prayer+repentance =righteous hope

 

Correcting the Drift

by | Aug 27, 2018 | discipleship, Leadership, pastor, Teaching

Late one evening, I found myself cruising across I-10 from Tallahassee to Pensacola. This is the longest stretch of uninhabited road on the planet. Ok, maybe not the whole planet…but it is long and desolate. Suddenly, the low hum of the tires was exchanged for a loud roar…my truck had drifted past the painted line on the right side and onto the warning strip! I did not plan for this…I simply failed to guard against it.

When you find you’ve drifted out of the lane, you’re left with a choice…continue your direction until you crash, or correct the drift and return to the designed path.

That’s true with driving, but it is also true with other areas of our lives, like exercise, diet, relationships, finances, etc. It is also true with our lives as disciples.

Jesus instructed His people in Matthew 28:19-20 to make disciples of all people groups, baptizing them (identification), teaching them (edification) to obey all things I have commanded (transformation). He said this command was based on His authority (Matthew 28:18) and empowered by His presence (Matthew 28:20).

While almost no one argues against this command (The Great Commission) being Christ’s command, and almost no one argues against this command being given to Christ’s people; however, most people find that they are not obeying this command personally. We have DRIFTED from the road! What do you do if you have drifted from the roadway Christ has designated?

  • First: Get honest. It is not enough to write a new narrative that changes the standard, or to bury one’s head in the sand…denying the drift. The Commission (command) is easy enough to evaluate: Am I MAKING DISCIPLES that IDENTIFY with Christ as Lord, and obey ALL of His teachings? Am I engaged in TEACHING them ALL that Christ has commanded? This is not a question about whether one is part of a church that does this, or if one paid someone else to get it done; rather, the question is personal…AM I making disciples?
  • Second: Get right. Friend when you’re drifting off the shoulder of the road, it is not time to pray about a right course of action…or to pray for discernment about what to do next. There are two choices: Stay the course and crash…or correct the drift and get back on the road. Isn’t it amazing how often we try to spiritualize disobedience? We can dress up our rebellion in a pretty dress and put lipstick on it…but, as someone said, putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t change what it is…it is still a pig.
  • Finally: Get going. It is important to slam on the brakes if you’re headed for the shoulder. It is important to turn the vehicle so you get back onto the roadway. These two things alone though, are not obedience. Obedience occurs when you travel the road you were designed to travel…when you get back on the right road, going in the right direction, and start clocking the miles.

I cannot speak for everyone…but I am personally humbled and grateful for the fact that the Lord did not abandon me in my rebellion and that He does not tire of my corrective steering. He knows my fleshly failings and He desires my honest obedience. He has never greeted me with, “So, repenting again huh? Third time today, Chris… isn’t this getting a little redundant?” No! Like a good and loving Father, He puts a warning track to let me know when I have drifted, lights up the path and instructs me to return there, and promises to be with me throughout the journey.

Friend, ask yourself, Am I MAKING DISCIPLES? Am I TEACHING THEM to obey all that Christ has commanded? If not, and you call on Him as Lord…correct the drift.

Discipleship is a ministry of unequal equals

by | Aug 7, 2018 | church, Devotions, discipleship, Leadership, parenting, Pastor's Reflections

In my morning reading from 1 Thessalonians (I said Thessalupians in my head…and if you are a Veggie Tales fan, you know why), I was captivated by the description Paul used to describe his ministry approach among this people: But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. (1 Thess 2:7). In this description Paul displayed his ministry approach as a contradiction of sorts to the experiences of the church…and an example of an approach that is helpful to consider; therefore, it is a model for us to emulate.

Paul first showed how his ministry was distinct from the experience of those the church was familiar with. Before these Gentile people ever became Christians, they had observed the ways of religious people. He did not come with flattering words that would manipulate the crowd or seek to win their affection through the art of rhetoric, nor was he exemplifying a front-facing humility with an underlying desire for personal gain (2:5). He was not seeking to shore up some underlying self-image deficiency by seeking glory; rather, working from a deep well of his relationship to Christ, he simply served the people what they needed (which may differ significantly from what the would have preferred or desired, 2:6).

Then the picture…I was gentle…like a nursing mother to her own children. This imagery conjures up numerous thoughts…but a couple stand out prominently in my mind:

  • Nursing mothers give of themselves. In the same way, a discipler must give of his/her own storehouse. Anyone can read a lesson plan…but disciplers have walked the path, internalized the Word, and feed others from the overflow.
  • Nursing mothers are responsive. This is sometimes responsive to the audible cry of a child; however, there is an intuitive sense between a mother and her own infant. They can be in different rooms and the mother sense a need that the child has not yet fully expressed.
  • Nursing mothers are patient. I have never known a nursing mother to say to her child, “We have 3 ½ minutes to get this done so hurry up.” They let the child take what is needed, when it is needed, as it is needed.
  • Nursing mothers function from a deep love for their children. They endure all that they do…solely for the benefit of the child. (In the process, they also gain…but their gain is not the motivation). Disciplers live, serve, and give of themselves to those they disciple (2:7).
  • Nursing mothers model unequal equality. A mother’s OWN CHILD is part of her…her own flesh…(EQUAL) and at the same time, is wholly dependent on the mother for life (UNEQUAL). A disciple-maker is, in one sense, a needy and dependent human existing under the gracious covering of God. In another sense, the discipler acknowledges and serves as one through whom God sustains new life and brings it to maturity.

Now I could go on and on. (I am a preacher after all). However, if we could just see ourselves in the way Paul saw himself…if we only trained ourselves to serve as he served, love as he loved…we would have a lifelong pursuit of joy realized in raising up infants to maturity so they could feed their own children as well. The strength for this rising up from the wellspring of God’s gracious and loving provision toward us and our corresponding affection for our own children…serving them as unequal equals.

Shalom.

Plenty of Time…

by | Aug 1, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, Faith, Pastor's Reflections

Guilty. I have thought this way before, but as I am moving firmly into the second half of my life (though you might say…’more like the 4th quarter’) I realize that we don’t have plenty of time. Time, for us, is finite…at least on this earth. Then, infinity based on our actions during this brief span of existence.

In my reading of Proverbs this morning, I was given a glimpse BACK to the mind and thoughts of “naïve” Chris…who felt invincible, lived recklessly, and persisted only by God’s mercy.

Proverbs 1:22- “How long, O naïve ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”

The writer classifies those who are ignorant in the simplicity of their thinking, those who are contrarians to the claims of truth, and those who deny the truth as essentially one…at least in the outcome. He goes on to state in the remaining verses in the remaining verses that these did not see the actions of Wisdom (the personification of God) or they resisted Wisdom or flatly rejected Wisdom. As such…time ran out and they were left with the consequences of choices (1:26, 28, 30). The result or consequence of their position? They could no longer respond!

The clock ran out. More accurately…when they were sleeping, the thief broke in and stole away with what was certainly their possession (opportunity) and it was permanently and irreversibly taken away.

At some stage in our lives, we (who have heard the gospel seemingly forever) think…I can do that (repentance, baptism, study to grow, seeking forgiveness, discipling others, sharing Christ) tomorrow; however, God calls us to do that now! There may be no tomorrow…but worse, we forsake the gift of today when we delay our obedience.

No one has forever to respond. One cannot sit in a worship gathering week after week rehearsing in their mind… “one day when I have had all of my fun…THEN, I will respond to God’s call.” We do not know when the clock runs out but we most certainly do not have “Plenty of Time.”

The consequence of delay/dispute/or denial is being left to the product of our own works (1:27-29, 30, 31, 32).

BUT.

(That is how v.33 begins and I am grateful that it does…)

“he who listens to me” describing the one who seeks wisdom, submits to counsel, and acknowledges God…”shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

In other words, the one who stops trying “market timing” with the ways of God shall have peace. He will be prosperous in the things of God. He will experience joy. He will walk in the comfort and security of the Holy Spirit. He will be unphased by the threat of calamity because he knows the One who reigns sovereignly over all things.

Finally, I am reminded that for years I have preached to others two things that I must be constantly reminded of myself:

  • That Christ came to give us abundant life now…not just a heavenly inheritance of abundance. (John 10:10).
  • If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). That’s the “but” of the story…

Question to consider: Are you watching the clock and waiting on some time or place in the future to be obedient? Is the risk worth it? No one has “plenty of time” to choose our own destiny; rather, we have today…and a good, good God who beckons… “come home…come to Me…come let us reason together…come away…”

He beckons…but not forever. Today…choose to yield and begin or begin again.

Shalom.

Where Smiles Come From

by | Jul 25, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, pastor

Some people never smile. I was looking through some pics a friend shared on social media recently and there was a remarkable stoicism about one of the people. Even if others were smiling, this person was not. For some, smiling is culturally strange. My Indian (as in India, not Cherokee) brothers rarely smile for the camera. They can be laughing and carrying on but when the camera comes out, you’d think they were officiating the most somber of events. For others, it is superstition. Yes, some cultures actually believe that smiling for a picture can cause you to have your soul stolen.

For some others though, they don’t smile because their reason seems to be gone. They were hurt. Abused. Disappointed. And they have never reconciled that with the gospel. For them, it is the image of what’s wrong that drives them, or the pride of control that directs their steps. Refusing to yield to the emotional impetus to simply…smile.

Does smiling negate the hurt or the pain one has experienced? No, of course not. It does, however, find its source in a different place. For those who can smile in adversity, their source is something greater than their pain.

If we, as believers, are to thrive in this life, we must choose to root our actions in something greater than temporary circumstance. Yes, you were hurt. God saw it. And He sent His Son to pay your debt so one day…your tears could be wiped away and your pain could be a distant memory.

Yes, you did blow it. Over and over again. And again. And God sent His Son to settle the debt incurred so you could rejoice and experience a transcendent hope!

Yes, you have failed in the task; and, God chose to redeem you, restore you, indwell you, and entrust His glorious gospel to you. He “hired you” when life “fired” you for poor performance!

My wiring is such that I am hyper-critical of my own actions. It is a form of pride…and not the good kind. It is sin. It is rooted in a broken nature that wants to earn respect rather than receive position by grace. My hyper-criticism of self…is sin. I am a work in progress. I am not satisfied with where I am, but I am also not staying here.

The Psalmist writes: “But You O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Psalm 3:3). This truth reminds that when life and our performance demands we stare at the ground in shame and regret, in stoic reflection…God stretches out His hand, places it under our chin, and lifts our eyes to heaven.

You have failed, and Christ has overcome. You have faltered in your faith yet God remains faithful to His promise to you. You have rebelled and forsaken your calling, and God called you to be His own.

Today…by His grace and your willful actions…root your smile in His gospel rather than your circumstance…and SMILE.

Shalom.