Taken Advantage of…Again!

by | Nov 15, 2018 | America, American, Devotions, discipleship, pastor, Pastor's Reflections, politics

“There’s no way, pastor, that you can convince me that I should be taken advantage of.”

While I “hear” this occasionally, the sentiment resides in the hearts of far more people than actually speak it. NOTHING within us desires to look foolish. Nothing within us desires to have someone walk over us or take advantage of us. After all, where do “they” get the right to do that?

As I have been thinking about this very idea today in my reflections on the Word…I’ll confess that this is an area I have to grow in. After all, I am an American and as an American, I have a right to defend myself, my property, and my dignity. I have the right to fly a flag above the ground of my heart that declares, “Don’t tread on me!

That said, should I draw from the wellspring of my “Americanism,” or from the wellspring of Christ’s Kingdom?

Question: When Jesus said these things, do we think he was being hyperbolic, ironic, or rhetorical? Was He just making a point or do you think He meant for us to take this literally? Listen:

Luke 6:27–30 (NASB95)

27“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

30“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

Jesus would have made a horrible American! He would! He was so bad at it, that He actually said that this prescribed manner of living He speaks of would lead to a greater reward than protecting ourselves from those who might take advantage of us! Listen again:

Luke 6:31–36 (NASB95)

31“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

33“If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

34“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.

35“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

36“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Honestly, this seems like too large of an order many days. Perhaps you’re thinking that right now! What if though, it was possible?

What if Jesus had in mind that He was playing chess while we were playing checkers? What if He was working something for good in the life of a thief or a swindler or a boastful bozo who insisted on trampling your rights?

As I am reflecting on this very truth, I am aware of the poverty of my resources to live consistently as this passage indicates. But then again, isn’t that precisely where God desires for me to be…so that He becomes my supply and grace becomes my heart cry…and obedience becomes my all-encompassing life mission?

Go and do likewise.

As always, if you think I may be missing it and you have a more comfortable conclusion based on the Word of God…I’m all ears.

Make Him look good today in all that you do.

A Mile in Someone’s Shoes

by | Nov 6, 2018 | church, discipleship, Pastor's Reflections, politics

This is not a ground-breaking article. It is not earth-shattering. It is not a new concept.

Now if you’re still reading, I assume something else is motivating you than the compelling sensationalism of the first line.

Today is election day. I am concerned that the cultural climate may inadvertently cause otherwise good, otherwise godly, otherwise gracious people to create a category of enemies that would otherwise be friends…simply because they cast a ballot differently than you. Here is a newsflash: Jesus was not a registered Democrat. He also was not a registered Republican. He is Lord. That’s bigger than donkey or elephant allegiances.

In recent decades, some have made political affiliation a litmus test of Christian maturity. One popular meme today says no Christian can vote for a democrat party candidate because the party platform advocates abortion. Another says if you support a republican party candidate then you must be a xenophobic nationalist (a person who has an intense dislike for people from other countries and seeks independence of a nation, i.e. an insular people who hate others and want to be left alone), and you must hate people of color.

As the cultural norms continue to divide the people into two camps, each camp gravitates toward identity and allegiance. “I am loyal to my camp because they ‘get’ me,” one might say. Friend, I am an advocate of loyalty; I might merely suggest that you reconsider to whom you choose to be most loyal. If our alliance with King Jesus is of superior importance, then there can be no loyalty that rivals it. All other loyalties must fit completely under a disciple’s loyalty to Jesus.

May I suggest something to you? Perhaps the choices people will make and the rights they will exercise at the polls in America today are more complex than can be explained in a tweet. Perhaps, rather than choosing to step on one side of a line or the other, it would be more helpful to step to the middle and have a conversation. One example may illustrate this truth.

A man I almost completely disagree with on every facet of politics but love as a brother in Christ joined me for a conversation. I asked him how he could publicly support a party platform (which he denied in philosophy but embraced practically) that trumpeted abortion on demand as an inalienable right. He said that he disagreed with that plank of the platform and believed all life to be sacred. He then asked how I could offer wholesale support to a party platform that systemically treated people of color with less dignity than white Americans. I categorically denied the premise. We did not change each other’s minds. What we did was had a series of difficult conversations intending to learn more about one another’s positions. We walked in each other’s shoes (as much as that is possible). I learned that he felt me to be a hypocrite when I spoke of human dignity of the unborn and supported politicians whom he deemed xenophobic. I believed his views were patently inconsistent with a shared ethic of Christian values.

This brother of mine and I have a strained but respectful relationship. It is strained because we are sinful and wrestle with our own human nature. It is respectful because we have an allegiance to King Jesus that compels us to love one another. We recognize that our decision-making process is complex. It is more nuanced than a single issue though single issues rise to the top of our conversations at times. I disagree with many of his premises and he disagrees with many of mine. We think that neither of us truly understands the other. That is ok. We are broken people. We wrestle against the flesh and against the circumstances of our past experiences. We know this…because we took the time to walk in each other’s shoes…at least for a little while…even though it made us very uncomfortable…and still does.

Before you walk away from election night, a night where division sells and divisiveness is on full display…remember there is a higher loyalty deserved and demanded of those who follow King Jesus. Be complex. Love complex people. Seek to understand. Don’t soundbite your brothers and sisters. If you can’t see how to do that, take time to have a cup of coffee…many cups of coffee with your otherwise de facto foe, and walk a little while in his or her shoes.

Time for What You Love Most

by | Oct 30, 2018 | church, culture, discipleship, Faith, Leadership, Pastor's Reflections

Sitting in front of his home, he dropped the truth-bomb in the form of a question: “How much golf are you playing these days?” My response, which fit perfectly the nuances of the culture, was simple…” Doc, I’ve got so much going on, I can’t find time to even get to the range.” His response has stuck with me now for more than sixteen years: “Chris, golf is kind of like your quiet time with the Lord…you always have time for what you love.”

Now I am not making a play for more time in the fairways. (Honestly, anyone who has ever played with me knows I have very little experience in the fairways. My game is “Army golf”…. Left, Left, Left, Right, Left). The truth really resonates though…you always have time for what you love most…what is most important.

I remember some time back…a person came to me for spiritual advice. Actually, the previous week’s Sunday message really spoke to the situation, so I asked if the person had been there to hear it. “No, I was doing ____.” By the way, it was a good thing that this person was doing! It seems though that the activity was not the best thing. Honestly, though, that’s the real choice for most of us. It isn’t that we are choosing between helping a little ole lady across the street or robbing a bank. In that case, the choice is clear. More often in life, our choices are between good and best in any given matter.

Let me propose 3 considerations, which are not exhaustive by any measure, that should guide the decision…if we want to experience God’s best in our lives.

First, has God already spoken to the decision? As a pastor, I am admittedly more in-tune with (and biased toward) church attendance than a lot of Christians. Often times I will hear, “My schedule is so busy that the only time to do ____ is on Sunday, so we chose to do _____. Is this a faith issue? Has God already spoken directly to the matter? (See Hebrews 10:23-25 as one example). How do the “one another” passages of Scripture get fulfilled if we are not with one another?

Second, how does this decision directly affect others? Now I know that our default thinking on matters of faith is how does our decision affect us? If I skip church today, will I be less tired, happier, less encouraged, etc? What if, though, we considered our actions from its impact on others. Does my absence help the body? Does my absence free up a needed seat for someone else? Does my absence become a distraction or perhaps keep me out of place, so that I cannot help someone else with a struggle in their lives?

Third, what message does my action communicate to others? When our boys were growing up in the home, we had busy lives like everyone else…but we worked to make sure we were in our place in our assembled church every Sunday. (By the way, this conviction preceded my work in vocational ministry). As such, both of my sons have left the home and for years have faithfully attended and served in their local church bodies. Is that because we took them to church? Not completely, but I think it helped solidify priorities in their minds. Besides, Proverbs 22:6 implies that if we want our children to follow in our/ the Lord’s ways, we must train them up in the way we should go.

I talk with dads often who want to be the spiritual leader in their home. I believe they genuinely want to be the best at it. What I also believe to be true is they ARE the spiritual leader in their home…the only question is where are they leading? If we regularly choose the lake house, or travel ball, or sporting events, or working Sundays, or relaxing by the pool…we lead those who look up to us to believe that there more important things to do than to be connected to the body of Christ. I don’t think that is the intended message…and I am not certain that it is immediately evident that the values are transferred from generation to generation. Eventually, though, it happens. Your son drops church from weekly to monthly to a few times per year at best. He chooses work ahead of other things that you wish he gave higher priority. He passes these new values on to your grandchildren (his children) and you wrestle with why his faith is so shallow. Could it be, as my friend Allan Taylor said to me recently, “Your leadership is perfectly designed to give you the results you’re getting.”

I could go on, but I wonder if the Lord might already have signaled your heart about a change you should consider. If so, know this: God allows (and even encourages) U-turns.

Grace and Peace.

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.