Weekly Web Roundup (2/11/17)

Photo Credit: Moinikon

Here is a collection of items from around the web that caught my attention this past week:

Why Christian Kids Leave the Faith by Tim Challies

"For some people Christianity is outright rejected and replaced by an alternate system of beliefs. For others, though, Christianity is merely displaced by competing passions, concerns, or emphases. They may commit themselves to success in business and allow religion to take a back seat, or they may passionately pursue sports and find it more exciting and fulfilling than their faith. Some endure times of trial or torment and in the midst of those troubles find their faith has fallen by the wayside. In either case, faith, once an important part of their life, falls in significance until it fades far into the background. It’s less that these people reject their faith and more that they lose interest in it or even forget about it."

Getting My Friend Back 25 Years Later by Joshua Rogers

This is a touching story of how a grown man was spurred on by his young daughters to make an effort to reconnect with his estranged best friend from middle school. Get your tissues ready.

Thoughts on Sharing our Stories by Marilyn Gardner (A Life Overseas)

"The person who has read a book cannot claim experiential knowledge. A person who has spent ten days on a cruise ship and has visited nine ports in those ten days is hardly an expert on every country where they have stopped. Yet they sometimes claim to be. The person who has gone on a short-term mission or volunteer trip needs to be careful to tell their story with integrity and honesty, not as an expert, but as a learner. It is easy to make broad assessments of places and people based on a limited view and a single story. At the same time, when we travel and when we live in places, we do experience the world through a different lens, and we do want to communicate those experiences. Much of my life is a learning process of how to communicate what I have experienced and be fair and wise within that communication."

The Headache and Hope of Multi-Ethnic Ministry by Adam Mabry (The Gospel Coalition)

"I’m not saying every church has to meet some false standard of diversity. Nor am I suggesting churches mostly composed of one ethnic group are bad. Yet if any church isn’t concerned with the other tribes—unconcerned to reach them, to know them, and to be known by them—how is that not the same kind of self-preferential partiality of which Peter was guilty? We carry the lunch tray of our cultural preferences to the table filled with persons like us because we just don’t want the headache of dealing with the other."

A Timeline of Black Christianity Before the Civil War by A.G. Miller (Christianity Today)

Here is an interesting timeline of some of the key moments of African American history as it relates to Christianity.

How Children Learn Who’s In And Who’s Out by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson (The Redbud Post)

"As an African American child, my mother taught me about race. She didn’t teach me so I would hate the other. She taught me so I would be informed, so I could better understand history and attempt to process why someone might think differently, and so I would have examples of what was and is a righteous response to hateful people. From her teaching and example, I learned my responsibility to educate myself and to advocate on behalf of others. As an African American parent of an African American daughter, this is part of the teaching and training that takes place in my home. Education about racial injustices is a necessity for her survival, and it was a necessity for mine. That’s why my mother taught me, that’s why I teach my daughter, and why I don’t want her to be colorblind."

Jennie Allen and the Longterm Impact of College Ministry by Tim Casteel

"College Ministers: What you are doing matters. Meeting with hundreds of disinterested freshmen to find a handful that want to know Jesus and make Him known. Turning over a multitude of rocks to find one or two gems. Teaching students how and why to read God’s Word. Discipling students who will make disciples. We rarely get to see the fruit of what we so laboriously sow. Students graduate and get married and get jobs and move off. And we go back to meeting with hundreds of disinterested freshmen to find a handful…"

An Important Life Lesson From Inigo Montoya

You may be familiar with the 1987 cult classic film, "The Princess Bride." Loved as the charming tale of the romantic journey of Westley and Princess Buttercup, the movie is also known for its cast of interesting characters and number of one-liners.

One of the film's most memorable characters, Inigo Montoya (played by actor Mandy Patinkin), delivers perhaps the movie's most famous line: "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Patinkin was recently asked about his favorite line of the movie and although he shares the well-known "prepare to die" line, he also offers another more obscure quote that provides insight to an important life lesson. You can watch the clip here.

There you have it from Inigo Montoya himself. Seeking revenge is not what life is all about.

In Love’s Service, Only Wounded Soldiers Can Serve

Photo Credit: Wally Gobetz

From Brennan Manning's Abba's Child:

"God not only forgives and forgets our shameful deeds but even turns their darkness into light. All things work together for those who love God, “even,” Augustine of Hippo added, “our sins.” 

Thornton Wilder’s one-act play “The Angel That Troubled the Waters,” based on John 5:1-4, dramatizes the power of the pool of Bethesda to heal whenever an angel stirred its waters. 

A physician comes periodically to the pool hoping to be the first in line and longing to be healed of his melancholy. The angel finally appears but blocks the physician just as he is ready to step into the water. The angel tells the physician to draw back, for this moment is not for him. The physician pleads for help in a broken voice, but the angel insists that healing is not intended for him. 

The dialogue continues — and then comes the prophetic word from the angel: “Without your wounds where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and women. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of living. In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve. Physician, draw back.” 

Later, the man who enters the pool first and is healed rejoices in his good fortune and turning to the physician says: “Please come with me. It is only an hour to my home. My son is lost in dark thoughts. I do not understand him and only you have ever lifted his mood. Only an hour.... There is also my daughter: since her child died, she sits in the shadow. She will not listen to us but she will listen to you.” 

Christians who remain in hiding continue to live the lie. We deny the reality of our sin. In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If we conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others. We cling to our bad feelings and beat ourselves with the past when what we should do is let go. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, guilt is an idol. But when we dare to live as forgiven men and women, we join the wounded healers and draw closer to Jesus."

How Falling Plates Illustrate Our Relationship With God

Have you ever watched a video that changed your destiny? This one may do just that.

#FallingPlates

Josh McDowell Shares How God Can Use Our Past For His Glory

Noted Christian speaker and author Josh McDowell came from a difficult background. He experienced a troubled home life and was sexually abused as a young child. He developed a stutter and after becoming a Christian later in life, he never thought that God could have use for someone like Him. But he found that God could use even our weaknesses and troubled past for His glory.

In the video here, listen to Josh tell his story and how he learned that God could work through the seemingly insurmountable obstacles of his life.

To hear the stories of other veteran Campus Crusade for Christ staff members, visit the YouTube channel for The Legacy Project here.

Michael Vick: Can He Ever Be Forgiven?

Photo Credit: warpafx

ESPN: The Magazine took an interesting approach with its NFL preview issue this year by centering the magazine around the resurgence of Michael Vick, his impact on the NFL and our society. Several articles explored Vick's upbringing, his influence on the game of football and his involvement in dog fighting and his subsequent time in prison.

One article, "The Dog in the Room: A lot of people will never forgive Michael Vick. A lot of people wonder why, too." by David Fleming, particularly interested me as it examined our culture's view of pets, especially dogs, and why Vick is so vilified in some pockets of our society.

Fleming writes:

"In the fight for sole possession of the moral high ground, the fierceness of Vick's supporters and foes often leads to a complete dismissal of the opposition's valid points. For some African-Americans, a suspicion that somewhere along the way this increased devotion to animals directly correlates to a decreased respect for humans has hardened into excusing Vick of any wrongdoing altogether. There are cries of racism when perhaps speciesism may be more accurate. At the same time, animal rights activists can seem to be indulging their misanthropic side. Pets are easy to love -- humans, not so much.

This blurring of boundaries between the welfare of humans and animals is at the heart of Vick's pariah status. In this country, almost 40 million dog owners consider their pets to be a part of the family. A 2001 survey of pet owners revealed that 83 percent referred to themselves as their animals' "mommy" or "daddy." That's one reason that when Vick pleaded guilty to managing a dogfighting ring, people responded as if he had serially murdered children. "Vick should never ever, be publicly supported again -- ever," said Simon Cowell of American Idol fame. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a public letter to the NFL titled "Is Michael Vick a Clinically Diagnosable Psychopath?" White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle admitted in an interview with mlb.com to openly rooting for Vick to get hurt. "Some things are considered sacred in our culture, and they tend to cluster around the defense of the innocent such as animals and children," says veterinarian and USA Today columnist Patty Khuly. "There are a lot of pitfalls in directly comparing animals and babies, but the need to defend them comes from the same place."

In December of last year, just as Vick was making a run for MVP (he lost to Tom Brady), pundit Tucker Carlson appeared on Fox News and declared that the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year "should have been executed" for his crimes. The outrageous statement was denounced so quickly (even by Carlson) that it denied us the chance to examine the hypocrisy and moral paradoxes behind Carlson's -- and our own -- viewpoints on animal cruelty. For starters: Did Carlson also believe his stepmom should be put to death? She is, after all, the heir of Carl A. Swanson, founder of Swanson frozen foods -- a company that in its heyday slaughtered hundreds of millions of chickens. "People should look at what they're eating and what they're spending their dollars on and what kind of animal abuse they themselves are supporting," says Singer. "And if they haven't taken a good look at that, I don't think they have much right to criticize Vick."

The same night Carlson went after Vick, the TV was awash with Old Spice deodorant commercials starring Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. "Women want me, men want to be me," said Lewis. Surreal, considering that less than 10 years ago the pitchman stood in an Atlanta courtroom and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in a double stabbing murder following Super Bowl XXXIV. The reason Vick's crimes continue to stay in the spotlight while Lewis' history or Ben Roethlisberger's alleged acts of sexual misconduct don't is that there are at least 40 times as many animal lovers as there are NFL season-ticket holders. And their pets have become the antidotes to something Mother Teresa described as the most terrible poverty of human existence: loneliness. "I don't know if dogs are sacred. But so many people have these personal relationships with them," says Singer. "They are very loyal animals, very uncritical animals. Because of that people can't imagine doing to them the kinds of things that Vick did."

Vick's case has raised all sorts of issues about which animals should be protected and which shouldn't. For example, would we feel the same about him if he had done the things he did to chickens or cows? Some people have questioned whether a person like Vick can be truly rehabilitated. Can he?

Since I'm a firm believer that those that have done horrible things to people can be forgiven then I have to believe that Michael Vick can be forgiven. He has admitted what he did was wrong. He has done his time. He's seeking to help educate others of the horrors of animal cruelty. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that his remorse is sincere. What Vick did was inexcusable but I wonder why some of us are more troubled by what he did than the crimes that are committed towards our fellow humans that don't affect us as deeply. It's something to think about it...

To read the complete ESPN article please click here.

He's A God Of Second Chances

Photo Credit: SamPac

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." ~ Jesus

Did you know that you are never beyond the reach of God's love? No matter what you've done or how you've messed up, I believe my God to be the God of second chances.

The video here illustrates this point. Carlos Whittaker, who is a worship leader and well-known blogger, was recently recording a music video for his song, God of Second Chances. While recording the video, a homeless man named Danny sat down beside him and joined the song. I'll let you watch the rest.

God hasn't given up on you, so don't you ever give up on Him.

(h/t to John Hursh for the link)

A Lesson On Forgiveness From Rwanda

Photo Courtesy of Blessed Madugba

One of the greatest human tragedies of recent memory was the genocide that occurred in Rwanda. During a hundred day period in the spring and summer of 1994, an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed during a conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes. The number killed was a staggering 20% of the population of the country.

Amazingly, the tribal differences that led to the genocide of 1994 did not always exist. At one time, the members of these two tribes were actually considered the same people with a shared language, culture and values. During the Belgian colonialist period of the mid-1800's, the people of Rwanda were divided into two different tribes based on their personal wealth. Those with more became Tutsi and those with less became Hutu. This separation of one people into two separate peoples treated unequally led to a struggle for power over the years that eventually led to the mass killings that took place in the 1990's.

A friend of mine, Blessed Madugba, recently spent some time in Rwanda and met with survivors of the genocide with the hope of bringing some healing to this troubled country. Blessed is Nigerian and his own tribe, the Ibo, experienced a similar atrocity at the hands of Nigerian government in the late 1960's when millions were killed. Possessing an empathy that few of us possess, Blessed shares:

"The absolute highlight of my trip is the meeting I had with the local pastors and Christian leaders. There’s a serious lack of unity among the Christian leaders and pastors. This contributed greatly to instigate some Hutu pastors & priests in joining the mass killings of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, including Tutsi members of their own churches.

Even after the genocide there’s still strong bitterness, hurt and distrust among them. But by God’s grace a number of them honored my invitation to meet, talk and dialogue. I patiently listened to them share their grievances, bitterness, frustrations and challenges, as well as their philosophy of ministry.

I admonished and exhorted them, and underscored the importance of unity among them and amongst the body of Christ for the work of God to advance and flourish in Rwanda. I challenged them to begin a Pastor’s Monthly Prayer Meeting, where they will take turns hosting it among their different Churches. They are to gather for prayer, fellowship, worship and sharing to encourage one another every month.

They all embraced the idea and immediately chose the next meeting date, time and location. I’ve talked with our Coordinator, Pastor Dennis, in Rwanda a number of times, and he excitedly told me that they have met three times and each time more pastors join as the word about their gathering spreads. I was told that a fresh fire and hunger for unity has been ignited among them, and they want to know when I’m coming back with a team. It was quite humbling to see how God touched and moved the hearts of these people and their willingness to come together, to eat and fellowship. The Lord worked through your prayers."

Even in the midst of massive injustice, as with what took place in Rwanda, forgiveness is the starting point for lasting healing and reconciliation. Our sins have lasting consequences that have the potential to affect generations to come. The people of Rwanda will continue to deal with the sins of their fathers, just as we in America continue to reap the consequences of the sins of our forefathers. But healing is possible and I'm grateful for those like Blessed that are helping that to take place in one portion of the world.

To learn more about Blessed's ministry, Hallomai International, click here.

To read more about the history of the conflict in Rwanda click here or check out the award-winning movie, Hotel Rwanda.

Why Our Mistakes and Our Sins Are Not The Same Thing

Photo Credit: ATENCION:

It happened again this afternoon. A politician who was caught with his pants down (literally) finally fessed up to what he had done by admitting to his "mistakes." In what seems like almost a daily occurrence, a public figure gets caught in sexual immorality, financial fraud or engaging in a series of deception and lies. These are frequently referred to as "mistakes" but is there something more to these patterns of grievous behavior that often lead to the losses of jobs, marriages and reputations?

Michael Hyatt has penned an excellent post on this very topic as he defines The Difference Between a Sin and a Mistake. Hyatt comments:

"...when people refer to this kind of behavior as a mistake rather than a sin, they are either consciously or unconsciously evading responsibility.

Why? Because of the fundamental difference between the two. Many people assume they are synonymous. They are not.

The term “mistake” implies an error in judgment—something done unintentionally. For example, a legitimate mistake might be:

- Turning onto a one-way street, going the wrong way.
- Pouring salt into your coffee, thinking it was sugar.
- Mistyping a web address and ending up on a porn site.

These could all be legitimate mistakes. They happen because we get distracted or careless. But a sin is more than a mistake. It is a deliberate choice to do something you know is wrong.

The word “transgression” is even stronger. It implies deliberately stepping over a boundary. The word “trespass” is similar. It implies entering onto another person’s property without permission.

Unlike a mistake, we choose to sin. Therefore, we must accept responsibility for it—and the consequences that follow. This is the measure of maturity and marks the transition from adolescence into adulthood. It is the foundation of a civilized society." (You can read Michael Hyatt's complete post here.)

It is rare these days in our society that we discuss sin outside of a church environment (and even that seems to be not that common, either). It is an uncomfortable topic and most of us feel uneasy in making judgments about what is and is not considered sinful.

From a Christian standpoint, sin means to miss the mark of God's perfection. We can sin through thought, word or deed and we can sin intentionally or by not really caring what God thinks. As Hyatt so adeptly shared, a mistake comes by accident but a sin is birthed through deliberate choice.

When we sin (which we all do every day), we need to admit this, own up to our transgressions and change our ways. Until we fully grasp the depth of our wrongs against God and embrace the ability to grieve our own sin, it will be difficult for us see real growth in our lives. We will continue to exhibit the same negative patterns of behavior until we honestly and openly address the heart issues that caused us to do what we did in the first place.

Though we all sin, the good news is that we don't have to continue in the same behaviors that harm others, ourselves and our relationship with God. Jesus Christ came to make us free from our sin in this life and the life to come. To learn more about how your sin can be forgiven and how you can start a new life today, please click here.  If you already consider yourself to be a Christian yet continue to struggle with the same sins over and over, please click here.

Pastor Tim Keller says the gospel tells us that "we are far more wicked than we ever dared believe, yet more loved than we ever dared hope." May we all experience this reality that our sin is very real...but so is our Savior.

What Baseball Taught Us About Grace & Forgiveness

Even if you're not a baseball fan, you've likely heard about the near perfect game that Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga threw last night against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. For those of you that don't follow baseball, a perfect game is when a pitcher is able to pitch for nine innings without any opposing players reaching base safely. Nobody can get on base by getting a hit, earning a walk, due to an error, getting hit by a pitch or any other way. 27 up, 27 down.

During last night's game, Galarraga had managed to get the first 26 batters out when he faced Indians shortstop Jason Donald with two outs in the ninth inning. Donald hit a weak grounder to Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who fielded the ball cleanly and flipped it to Galarraga for what appeared to be the game's final out and the completion of Major League Baseball's 21st perfect game. But veteran umpire Jim Joyce signaled that Donald had beat the throw and called him safe at first. Immediate replays showed that Cabrera's throw beat Donald by half a step and that he should have been called out.

Although Tigers manager Jim Leyland and other teammates argued with Joyce, Galarraga turned away, smiled and proceeded to get the last out on the next hitter, Trevor Crowe. With what would have been the first perfect game in the history of the storied Detroit franchise, Galarraga could have been justifiably upset at Joyce. Few would have faulted him were he to have thrown a tantrum, kicked some dirt on Joyce and argued until he got thrown out of the game. But he didn't. He responded with grace and dignity and went back to work to finish the game.

Having watched the replay after the game, Jim Joyce humbly admitted his error and expressed his remorse towards Galarraga. In a touching move this afternoon, Jim Leyland allowed Galarraga to take the Tigers lineup out to home plate before today's game before Cleveland. The umpire that he handed the card to? None other than Jim Joyce. Galarraga had accepted his apology and they shook hands as Joyce was visibly moved.

In another nice gesture, General Motors, who has also taken their share of hits recently, presented Galarraga with a brand new Corvette for his pitching masterpiece. His display of class in choosing not to argue the call and in accepting Joyce's apology say much about the character of Armando Galarraga. He may not go down in the record books as having pitched a perfect game, but those of us that are Tiger fans will remember the perfect game he pitched and his perfect response to a difficult situation.

My friend, Nancy Bartolec, said this about the game and the response afterwards:

"I wonder if perfect is overrated. Jim Joyce is showing great character in the midst of significant personal failure and Armando Galarraga is showing great character in the midst of significant personal loss. They are both currently way more fascinating and impressive than a perfect game."

I couldn't agree more. It's unfortunate that Joyce will likely become known as the Bill Buckner of umpires and have a fine career tainted because of a single misjudgment in a moment of time. It took a big man to forgive and it took a big man to go back out on the field into a potentially hostile environment this afternoon. Thank you Armando for representing Detroit well and demonstrating what grace and forgiveness looks like and thank you to Jim Joyce for your display of humility in recognizing your mistake. I hope my fellow Detroit fans will be as quick to forgive Joyce as Galarraga has been.

Thoughts on the Conclusion of LOST

Six years ago ABC began running promos for a new show about plane crash survivors attempting to survive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Ocean. The show looked intriguing enough so we watched the premiere. I enjoyed the pilot episode but asked out loud, “How many weeks can a show about people on a deserted island last?” Obviously, there was a deeper story to tell than any of us could have known back in 2004.

Now looking back on the conclusion of LOST, I wonder why I feel like in some way that I have lost a friend. These are, in fact, fictional characters telling fictional stories. But somehow by watching the experiences of these flawed characters week after week and year after year, I’ve been drawn into their world. LOST was not typical television. There was a mix of drama, science fiction, religion, mystery, humor and romance that has probably never been seen on the small screen and likely will never be seen again.

At its heart LOST was a story about redemption. A group of troubled individuals all dealing with their own issues were miraculously brought together on this magical island and forced to live with one another in order to survive. What appeared to simply be the story of how these unfortunate souls would survive the days following a plane crash turned into so much more. In flashbacks and flashforwards, we learned the survivors stories off the island and came to realize that for each of them there was much more than what meets the eye.

Yes, they all had sinful pasts, but they were provided this opportunity to redeem themselves. The island provided a “do over” in life and enabled the characters to find out who they really were at their core. Although the mythology of the show was fascinating, it was the characters that kept us engaged in the show. Their stories drew us to them and those of us that stayed for the whole journey were rewarded in the end.

I will miss the discussions about the symbolism in LOST and what the nuances of the show represent. The show was thick with religious metaphors and, although Christian language and reference was strewn throughout LOST, the show represented a smorgasbord of religious and philosophical beliefs. Ultimately, it demonstrated that one can have redemption and salvation with no reference to Jesus Christ and, therefore, cannot be considered “Christian” in nature.

But I will remember LOST for what it was: a captivating show with superb writing, brilliant acting and splendid story-telling. The producers did not dumb down the show for the common fan. It was chock full of hidden messages and mystifying clues that were there to find for those of that were willing to engage on the journey. In a television lineup filled with crass reality show programs and base comedies, LOST was a breath of fresh air. It represented the best of what television has to offer and generated discussions about the deeper issues of life.

Like the characters on LOST, we are all on a journey of redemption for the wrongs we have committed. But unlike those on LOST, we don’t live in a fictional world. We, too, need forgiveness for our sins and we are unable to do that on our own. Although they may be noble, our heroic acts and deeds of personal sacrifice will not earn our redemption. It is only through faith in Christ that we can be forgiven and be confident that we will one day meet up with other sinners that also came to that same realization. Jesus said that “he came to seek and save the lost.” You can learn more about how to come into a relationship with Christ here.

Thanks to ABC, J.J. Abrams, Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof and the tremendous cast of LOST for providing a thrilling ride over the past six years. You've raised the benchmark for quality television and taken the art of storytelling to a new level. You will be missed.

Mardi Gras, Lent & Self-Denial

While speaking with a loved one last year, I was explaining the season of Lent and Mardi Gras. They asked, "Now, is Fat Tuesday right before Mardis Gras?" Perhaps you might also have some questions on this matter so here's the Cliff notes version on the season...

Lent is a 40-day season of focused prayer, repentance and fasting that takes place each year before Easter, the Sunday that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The forty days represent the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness immediately preceding the launch of His public ministry. Christians around the world have celebrated this season for a number of centuries.

For those of us in the West, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter. On Ash Wednesday, worshippers have ashes rubbed on their forehead in the shape of a cross. This is to represent "repentance" -- or the turning from self to God -- during the Lenten season. During the season of Lent, Christians are expected to fast. It could be fasting from food completely or just meat or, in recent years, some have chosen other items like candy, caffeine or even forms of technology, like television or the Internet. Technically, Lent lasts more than 40 days since Sundays were originally a day when one could indulge in whatever was being denied since it is the Lord's Day.

The day before Ash Wednesday is known as Fat Tuesday or "Shrove" Tuesday (or in the French language, Mardi Gras). Carnivale (which means "away with meat") is an extended festival before Lent that is commonly found in Roman Catholic societies. These are times of celebration and feasting before the entrance into the fasting period. This year, Fat Tuesday takes place tomorrow, February 16th, with Ash Wednesday falling the following day on February 17th. Easter Sunday falls on April 4th.

For those of us that are Protestant Christians, the observance of Ash Wednesday and Lent is usually dismissed since many regard those as Catholic holy days. But I think that all Christians can appropriately recognize this season. For a number of years, I have participated in the Lenten season and have found it beneficial. It can be a time of dedicated Bible study, prayer, some sort of fasting and repentance and can be great preparation in leading up to the remembrance of the most significant event in world history, the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

In tomorrow's post I will share what the Lord has led me to do for Lent this year. It might be surprising for you and I hope that you'll consider joining me.

Whatever you might choose to do or not do during this season, I trust that your focus will be on the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. Entering into a time of self-denial and focus on Jesus can help in leading us to a place of maturity where we are more committed to Him throughout the year, whether it is a designated holiday or not. God bless.

Dealing With Church Conflict

Because churches are made up of fallen people, there will inevitably be conflict, disagreements and varying perspectives on how church should be done. In most cases these differences can be worked out amicably without much harm. In other cases, it doesn't always turn out as one would hope.

Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, a well-known church founded by the late D. James Kennedy and located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been going through a bit of a rough stretch as its members adjust to having only their second senior pastor in the church's nearly half-century of existence. Just this past March Coral Ridge installed Tullian Tchividjian as senior pastor.

Shortly after Rev. Tchividjian's hiring some rifts began to form as some members of Coral Ridge had trouble with Tchividjian's style and approach to ministry. Tchividjian, who happens to be the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, is significantly younger than Kennedy and ruffled the feathers of some long-time members of the church. Among the things that were mentioned were his lack of focus on political issues in his sermons and his refusal to wear a robe.

As is the case with many church disputes, the disagreements in this instance seem to revolve around things that don't necessarily have their basis in Scripture. For example, there are no biblical requirements for pastors to wear robes or for them to march in-step with a certain political party. Fortunately, the members of Coral Ridge voted to retain Tchividjian as their pastor after a congregational vote recently.

Pastor Tchividjian offered a brief interview with Christianity Today last week which you can read here. I appreciate the maturity with which he has handled this situation publicly and indicated desire to represent Christ well, even in the midst of disagreement with other Christians. When asked how to discuss the situation publicly without worsening it, Tchividjian said this:

"My commitment is to speak about those who opposed me in a forgiving manner, in a Christ-like manner. I will, by God's grace, do my best to take the high road, to not disparage anybody, to operate in a posture of understanding. Some of these people had only had one pastor ever. So that's going to be hard for some people.

So I am very much working hard to treat those who have opposed me the way God and Christ treated me."

As I said, conflict in the church is inevitable because we are each sinful people. How we choose to respond to that conflict is what a watching world is most interested in.

John Piper on Forgiveness

Taken from John Piper's book, Don't Waste Your Life:

"Why do we cherish being forgiven by God? There are answers to this question that would dishonor him, because there are benefits from forgiveness that a person may love without loving God. We might say, "I cherish being forgiven by God because I hate the misery of a guilty conscience." Or "...because I hate the prospect of pain in hell." Or "...because I want to go to heaven to see my loved ones and have a new body with no sickness." Where is God in these reasons for cherishing forgiveness? In the best case he is there in all these reasons as the real treasure of life.

If so, then these delights are really ways of cherishing God himself. A free and clean conscience enables us to see more of God and frees us to enjoy him. Escape from hell at the cost of Christ's blood shows us more of God's commitment to merciful holiness and his desire for our happiness. The gift of seeing loved ones highlights God's wonder in creating relationships of love. Getting a new body deepens our identification with the glorified Christ. But if God himself is not there in these gifts - and I fear he is not for many professing Christians - then we do not know what forgiveness is for.

Forgiveness is essentially God's way of removing the great obstacle to our fellowship with him. By canceling our sin and paying for it with the death of his own Son, God opens the way for us to see him and know him and enjoy him forever. Seeing and savoring him is the goal of forgiveness. Soul-satisfying fellowship with our Father is the aim of the cross. If we love being forgiven for other reasons alone, we are not forgiven, and we will waste our lives.

What, then, is the root motivation for being a forgiving person? "Forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you." We are to forgive "as God ... forgave" us. God forgave us in such a way that infinite joy in his fellowship becomes ours. God is the goal of forgiveness. He is also the ground and the means of forgiveness. It comes from him; it was accomplished through his Son; and it leads people back to him with their sins cast into the deepest sea. Therefore the motive for being a forgiving person is the joy of being freely and joyfully at home with God. At great cost to himself God gave us what we needed above all things: himself for our enjoyment forever. God's forgiveness is important for one reason: It gives us God!"

The Room

A number of years ago I somehow came across a story about a dream that a man had in which he was confronted with all the sins he had ever committed. Shortly thereafter I learned that the story came from Joshua Harris, who had just gained popularity in Christian circles as a result of his book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye.

I've used this story several times in messages that I've given and its power is evident. Harris shares on his blog that this dream really occurred and it is reprinted here with his permission:

"In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed."

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I Have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger," "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 20 years to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.

When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it

Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.

I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

"No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written."

By Joshua Harris. Orginally published in New Attitude Magazine. Copyright New Attitude, 1995. You have permission to reprint this in any form. We only ask that you include the appropriate copyright byline and do not alter the content.

The Power of Forgiveness

A number of years ago God taught me an important lesson about the power of forgiveness. There was a person in my life who had truly wronged me, even to the point of sinning against me in a public way. I was hurt and let a root of bitterness grow in my heart.

What contributed to this bitterness was that shortly after meeting Sally*, we had a negative encounter that left me with a bad impression of her. Over time, I continued to have interactions with Sally that contributed to my negative attitude towards her. A careless comment. An innocent statment misunderstood. A perceived slight.

All these things left me with ill-feelings towards her. And because I never brought these feelings before God and never talked with this individual about how I perceived them, my heart grew cold towards them and I entered into what Christian psychologist Henry Cloud calls "the Good/Bad split." I could no longer see any good in Sally. Only bad. And it all came to a head when she sinned against me publicly. What she did is not as important as knowing that it was something that you'd probably agree crossed a line and was not acceptable behavior.

I was so infuriated with Sally that I wanted nothing to do with her and, if I'm honest, actually wanted harm to come her way. I eventually shared how I was feeling with another friend. With a sympathetic ear, he listened to the history of our relationship and what had recently happened. Although he agreed that I had been wronged, I had worsened the situation by my response. I didn't have control over what had happened to me, but I had chosen to respond poorly.

This friend challenged me to begin praying about this situation and to confront Sally about the history of our relationship and, specifically, what she had recently done to me. I then began praying daily that God would work in my heart and work in her heart to bring healing to our relationship. Remarkably, my heart began to grow warmer towards Sally. For the first time, I started to look more at her as a child of God and less as an enemy. I also began to understand the depth of my own sin in how I had chosen to assume the worst of her, talked about her behind her back and had not sought to quickly resolve our conflicts.

After a couple of weeks, the time had come to talk with Sally. I sat on the couch in my living room and prayed for the phone call I was about to make. I prayed that God would move to bring healing and somehow be glorified through all that had happened. No sooner had I said "Amen" that the phone rang. Amazingly, it was Sally on the line. She had no way of knowing how I was feeling nor did she know that I was about to call her in about three seconds.

God had been answering my prayers and had been working in her heart. She shared that the Holy Spirit had convicted her of her behavior towards me in the recent incident and she was calling to apologize and ask for my forgiveness. I was stunned. I accepted her apology and told her that I would like to get together with her since there were other things we needed to talked about. She agreed and we set up a time that week to meet.

During our meeting, I recounted the history of our relationship and the many things that had been done that had hurt, embarrassed and humiliated me. But I also confessed to Sally my sin in how I chose to deal with these things. I had been immature by not going to her right away and had allowed sin to build in my heart as a result. We had a wonderful time of confession, healing, forgiveness and restoration.

I will never forget the lesson that I learned from this situation. When I sought to deal with these things how I wanted to, they only got progressively worse and more difficult. When I finally yielded to God and asked Him to works things out according to His will, I saw Him do some remarkable things. Unforgiveness harms us more than it hurts those that have wronged us. We may feel justified in our resistance to forgive, but it will ultimately eat away at us and will even affect our relationship with God. I'm so thankful that God taught me this important lesson fairly early on in my Christian walk. I still don't always apply this like I should but He often brings this example to my mind when I need it most.

*The person's name has been changed here.

Return of the Prodigal

The lesson in our adult Sunday school class this morning at our church was on a familiar story, the account of the Prodigal Son as told in Luke 15. You have probably heard of the parable of a son who asks for his inheritance, leaves home and squanders it away, returns home and is lovingly embraced by his father. Perhaps better than any other biblical story, the account of the prodigal son demonstrates the unconditional love of God.

Several years ago I was blessed by a multi-week sermon series by Pastor Joey Johnson on Luke 15 at the church I attended at the time, The House of the Lord in Akron, Ohio. Pastor Joey unpacked these verses in ways that I had never heard before and much of what I learned from that series has stuck with me to this day.

In our class this morning we compared the well-known Christian version of the story with a similar parable found in Buddhism. One of our pastors, Dave Abney, led us in a discussion comparing and contrasting the two stories. You can read both accounts and a comparison here. Since most of our class had never read the Buddhist story before it was interesting to become familar with it.

While there are many similarities between these two parables, there are a number of striking differences. The biggest difference is that in the Buddhist version the son has to prove his worth through turmoil and striving. Even after finally being accepted by his father and given his inheritance, the son had lost years of relational intimacy with his father.

On the other hand, the Christian version demonstrates the uniquely Christian concept of grace (or undeserved favor.) The son in the Luke 15 account had insulted his father and family, had wasted everything that was given to him and deserved to be punished. But, in grace, his father runs to meet him when he returns home and treats him as royalty. The son's older brother, who had dutifully served his father for years, was displeased with his father's display of grace toward his brother.

As our class talked about this story, many of us, unfortunately, identified with the older brother in the story. We'll gladly accept what our father wants to give us, but resent his generosity to others that don't deserve it as much as we do (or so we think.) We don't celebrate the lost prodigals that have come home because we're more concerned with getting what we want. Thankfully, our heavenly Father demonstrates the same kind of grace to older brothers as he does to the prodigals.

Australia's Prime Minister Apologizes to Aborigines

In a momentous statement, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a public apology to the indigenous people of Australia for how they have been treated throughout history. In my opinion, this is the type of thing that the United States would be wise to do as well. Though a public apology for the near genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans would not erase these atrocities, it would be a step in the right direction.

You can read a USA Today report on this historic apology here.

Lori and I watched a movie recently that dealt with "The Stolen Generations." Check out Rabbit Proof Fence if you're interested.

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Bono on Grace

I joined with a few other men from our church last night for a small group Bible study. The content of what we covered was very familiar material for me as it was stuff that I have gone through dozens of time to help others get established in their relationship with God. It is the core, foundational truths of how our sins are forgiven, how our relationship with God is established and the difference between placing our faith in Christ versus trusting our own good works.

But what is good to remember is that I will never be mature enough and be old enough in my faith to have "moved beyond" the foundational beliefs of Christianity. It is always good to revisit this basic material because it is easy for us to think we've got it down and don't need the gospel anymore. But the truth is that the gospel is for believers as well as non-believers. I need to be reminded each and every day that apart from Christ, I am a sinner dead in my transgressions, but that God's tremendous love offers another way.

Our group camped out on Ephesians 2:8,9 for a bit and discussed the concept of grace. With it being a free gift and unmerited favor, grace is something that is hard for our brains to wrap around. It just doesn't make sense that in spite of our ourselves and our own sin and shortcomings, God still offers this free gift.

When thinking about grace, my mind took me to an interview that I read in which Bono, the lead singer of pop group U2, shares about his Christian faith. While some Christians question the sincerity of Bono's faith, I think this interview clearly shows that he is a devoted follower of Christ and that he actually understands the gospel message better than most. Some highlights:

"But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you're a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross."

"It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people..."

"You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that 'as you reap, so you will sow' stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff... I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."

"The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled… . It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven."

You can read the rest of the interview here.

Technorati Tags: bono, u2, christianity, grace

Lessons From the Amish

I happened to be home in the afternoon a couple of weeks ago and turned on Oprah. She was describing her car trip with her best friend Gayle, which I guess you know plenty about it if you watch the show, but this was the first I had seen of it. One of their stops was an Amish community in Ohio and they talked with a young married couple about their life, especially in light of the recent shootings among the Amish in a Pennsylvania town.

It was a pretty interesting interview. Not only were Gayle and Oprah pretty surprised that they were well aware of who Oprah was and knew that 50 cent was more than just half a dollar, but they were visibly impressed with the emphasis that the Amish put on reading. They don't use many of the modern conveniences that many of us have as part of our daily lives, but they read a lot and that is how they learn about the outside world. The gentlemen said that it's not like they have something against progress and technology. They just think that the reliance on technology can distract from the importance of faith and family.

The guy pointed out that so many of these things that are so important to us and that are supposed to make our lives so much easier actually do just the opposite. He went on to say that their lives are very simple and relaxed and the people in the "real world" are the ones running around busy and stressed out. Think about it...are our lives really simpler than those 100 years ago? Of course, we probably smell better and medical advances help us to live longer, but I don't think anyone could argue that our lives are easier or that our families are fundamentally better off.

One of the reasons why the Amish have been so shocked by the shootings in Pennsylvania is because nothing like that ever really happens to them. I'm sure that this may vary from different parts of the country where they are located, but the couple that Oprah was talking with stated some pretty startling facts about their lifestyles. They said that divorce was non-existent among their people; that they knew of no one personally that had committed adultery; that most of them don't date until they turn 18 and, even then, physical interaction was limited until marriage.

This is what seemed to get Oprah and Gayle... that the people in their community actually wait until marriage to have sex! The absurdity of it! Gayle stated that a lot of people she knows would have a really difficult time having sex with only one person over the course of their life. The Amish lady responded that she couldn't imagine ever having sex with multiple people. Ole Gayle didn't have much of an answer for that.

Why is it that we mock and put down a group of people that virtually never sees divorce, has strong family ties and doesn't have many of the problems of broader society? Because they don't use computers or drive cars? Why do we look down upon them as simplistic and backward? To be fair, they do have their problems. Their separatist attitude doesn't seem to mesh with Jesus' instructions in Matthew 28, they do seem to have a works based salvation mentality and some do partake in worldly pleasures during rumspringa.

But if I'm honest with myself, I admire the lifestyle of the Amish. What would it be like to not have the clamor of traffic, the loud echoes from a T.V., or 70 e-mails waiting to be returned each day? Might I hear more from God if I didn't treat him like a microwave giving me my food in thirty seconds or less. I don't see the rush, rush, rush and busyness of our society slowing down anytime soon. Maybe we need to be intentional to step back, eliminate the distractions and return to a simpler lifestyle. I'd write more, but I've got to go check my e-mail...

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