Culture War

The nation of Israel was given a beautiful gift in 1400’s (BC) when God gave them the Promised Land.  Of course the land was great, it was fertile, it had water, it was defendable, and it was in the center of two major highways of trade.  But the best thing about the land was that it was to be “set apart”.  God had given the people His commands and the Promised Land was a place that could live that out in perfect grace with one another.  But that isn’t what happened.

In order to take the land of Canaan God commanded the Israelites to exterminate the Canaanite people.  This is a subject that has caused a great many people a great amount of confusion.  Why would a loving God order something like that?  Because He is indeed loving.

Deuteronomy 20:16-17 But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the Lord your God has commanded.

The Israelite people struggled to do this.  And no wonder!  Can you imagine how painful an experience it would be to do this?  The emotional scars would last a long time?  The rebuilding from what is left behind would take patience?  And can you imagine how many excuses you could make not to do it?  Great excuses!  Excuses that everyone in the world would applaud.

Israel not only struggled to do this they didn’t do it. Sure Jericho went well, and then the second try at Ai worked.  They were faithful.  But then the Gibeonites tricked Israel into keeping them alive (Josh 9).  What makes their situation even more complicated is that God makes the sun stand still so they can rescue the Gibeonites (who were Hivites, aka supposed to be dead).  So the sun stands still and Israel destroys a collection of Canaanite kingdoms, which is what God was affirming.  It would be so easy to be an Israelite leader and say, “These Canaanites/Gibeonites tricked us, not our fault, and it looks like God is still for us…so we are still good.”

Outside of the Gibeonites Joshua was faithful to God’s extremely difficult command to kill everyone in the land (Josh 11:19).  Then he passed the torch to the next generation.  So in generation number one, there was only one leak in the boat.

The next generation just flat out drowned.  It started that before killing they would cut off kings thumbs and toes and dragging them to Jerusalem (Judges 1:6).  The tribe of Judah just couldn’t get rid of some Canaanites (Judges 1:19), blaming their chariots.  The tribe of Benjamin can’t get rid of the Jebusites (Judges 1:21).  The house of Joseph dealt kindly with one Canaanite family in Bethel because of their cooperation (Judges 1:23-25).  The tribe of Manasseh doesn’t get rid of the Canaanites in their territory, instead chose to enslave them (Judges 1:27-28).  The tribe of Ephraim didn’t clear Gezer (Judges 1:29).  The tribe of Zebulon didn’t clear out the Canaanites in Kitron, just made them slaves (Judges 1:30).  The tribe of Asher just moved in with the Canaanites (Judges 1:31-32).  The tribe of Naphtali moved in with them too, then later made them slaves (Judges 1:33).  The tribe of Dan got beat up by the Canaanites and they retreated, never taking their promised portion (Judges 1:34).  

In each of these instances we would generally understand.  We might even applaud their mercy.  Their decisions seem rational enough, even moral.  But God said to kill the Canaanites.  Why?

Deuteronomy 20:18 that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God.

God had made the tough call to keep them people of Israel set apart for Him.  To be a shining example of His way for the world.  But they let the Canaanite live.  They let the Canaanite influence.  They let the Canaanite win the culture war.

If you are familiar with the book of Judges you know what happens next.  The people do what is right in their own eyes (Judges 2:11) and end up in slavery over and over and over. 

Sin always leads to slavery.  But!

Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free, stand form therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Jesus has freed us from the penalty of sin and if we are cooperative with His work in us we will be freed from the power of sin in our life today.

Now we are all well aware of the sin that so easily entangles us personally, but what about culturally? 

We are the church “set apart” to show the world the way to God, but in America we are losing the culture war, or it maybe as I fear, the war is over and we have lost.

Slowly and steadily we moved in with societies culture or we let it move in with us.  We secularly integrated our churches and Christian school’s in ways that seemed excellent.  No single decision changed the tide, but all together they did. 

The Israelite- “What could it possibly hurt to let this one little Canaanite family live?  I like them.”

The Church- “What could it possibly hurt to ignore this type of sin? It’s so difficult to address. ”

The Christian School- “What could it possibly hurt to play secular music at all student events? The kids will have more fun.” 
The Christian Life- "What could watching this movie possibly hurt?  I can handle it."

These are just tiny examples that do not change our personal culture for worse on their own.  But when they are compounded with similar decisions and similar acceptance, well, we lose the war.

What’s the danger of marrying societies culture?  We start to think like them.  We start to act like them.  We become indistinguishable from them.   

Is our salvation at stake? No! Does God love us less?  No! But we are giving ourselves identity crisis’.   We no longer see ourselves as God says we are, instead we continually buy into who America says we are.  Those opinions are drastically different and the culture leaves us in shame.  We waste our days chasing carrots of fame and fortune, or power and prestige, only to be left empty and abused.

If it’s so bad why doesn’t God just come in and clear it out?  Same reason He didn’t clear out the Canaanites for Israel. 

Judges 2:3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.

Losing the culture war is something the majority of us didn’t notice and still don’t.  Our Mickey Mouse celebrity Christianity is working just fine.  Whether you recognize it or not the culture has ensnared us into slavery. 

If we want to take back our “set apart” status we need to declare war on culture.  

      -Declare war on what we allowed ourselves to be entertained by.  

      -Declare war on what consumes and destroys our time.  

      -Declare war on all that we are consuming that is garbage.  

      -Declare war on the gods of technology dependency and the god of social media.

Like Israel we have been given our freedom only to volunteer ourselves as tribute to the gods of this world. 

Maybe you are like me and you have these moments of realization and then immediately jack back into the Matrix. 

I want to kill the culture in my life but I struggled to do this.  And no wonder!  Can you imagine how painful an experience it would be to do this?  The emotional scars would last a long time?  The rebuilding from what is left behind would take patience?  And can you imagine how many excuses you could make not to do it?  Great excuses!  Excuses that everyone in the world would applaud.

Step One in the war...Trust God's Word is true.

Oink

          It’s been about a year since I wrote Opportunity Jesus and it’s 52 chapters of Jesus’s life.  As I’m teaching (or rather leading the discussion) in Opportunity Jesus elective class I’m reading these chapters again.  Well one of them knocked me on my butt.

          Chapter 18- Interactions.  Did we do any judging this week?  I normally read that and I think, well not that much.  I know God loves us all.  I’m generally fair.  But then I kept reading.

          As Jesus got into His sermon on the mount I found these things He talks about and I’m that I know people that are doing that exact wrong thing right now!  I mean exact!  Gosh what is wrong with them?  Then I got to Matthew 7:1 “Do no judge…”

          It didn’t mean much at first.  Ignorant of my judgment of others three seconds earlier I continued.  Eventually I get to Jesus warning not to give pearls to pigs that they will trample them and trample those who give them. 

          I had written this…

          He (Jesus) knows us and He knows our situations.  Jesus doesn’t work in a church but He serves near synagogues.  He understand there are people who just look to make a mess.  They don’t know who they are; they are dogs, and they are pigs.  These are people who already may have given their lives to Christ, but they are not open to His Way in their lives.  They stay pigs.  In fact, these dog and pig people, may be the ones doing the most judging.  “This is not right.  I don’t like this.  I don’t like you and the way you do this.”  They want to be involved in the things of God, but they shouldn’t be because they are still pigs.  They will trample the ministry or whatever thing of God it is, and look to chew you to pieces too.

          What a beautifully painful ah-ha moment.  I had originally written these notes when I was a senior pastor at a small rural church in Illinois.  I was the ministry wielder and I had some pig people that were just looking for destruction.  But now I realize in my current situation I am the pig person.

          I am always saying, “This is not right, I don’t like this, I don’t like you and the way you do this.”  And I don’t.  It’s genuine, and in fact I’m still convinced that I’m not wrong, HOWEVER if I am right I am being right in a very wrong way.  I may feel something is corrupt/broken/misguided but for me to make that judgment is one thing, to then attempt to project/enforce that judgment upon others is my attempt to clean them.

          Over the last couple years I have become fully convinced that sinners can’t clean sinners.  Only Jesus cleans us.  Yet, in my anger and frustration, and JUDGMENT I have tried to clean with my piggy behavior. 

          “Give me this ministry and I will clean it!” I’m screaming with my attitude.  “Listen to this awesome opinion of mine and it will clean you!”  Oink, oink, oink.

          If someone wants my opinion, I will share.  If I am the teacher in the situation I will direct.  If I am the shepherd I will share to protect.  But if I’m the pig, and I want to say “This is not right, I don’t like this, I don’t like you and the way you do this.” I need to shut up and love that fact that I’m free from trying to change other people.  I might be wrong, they might be wrong, Jesus is right.  I’ve gotta trust Him.  I can be free of shaking my head at people who I think just don’t get it because if I try to make them get it with an oink it is destructive. Besides they are equally convinced they are right or they wouldn't be doing what I think is wrong.  If they are wrong, ultimately it will be Jesus that shows them.

 In the meantime the good news is the next sentence in that chapter reads…

          Jesus doesn’t say, once a pig always a pig, so label them and push them away forever. 

          Thank you Jesus for your kindness, I don’t deserve it.  I’m gonna use my new Matthew 7:1 filter and trust You more.  Only you can change this in me. And if I still have something wrong here, please keep teaching me.

Guns to our heads

What would you do if you were held at gun point?  No, I’m not talking about martyrdom for your faith.  The gunman doesn’t know your faith and isn’t interested.  If he told you to sing a Justin Timberlake song and pronounce your love for him, would you?  If he told you to strip down to your underwear, would you?  If he told you to hit your child repeatedly to the point of death, would you?

I think we would all sing the Timberlake song (if we knew one) and say we love him to save our life.  That’s easy.  I think many of us would strip down to save our lives, because it’s not very difficult.  I don’t think many of us would strike our own children, but I could be wrong.  To me that’s just too hard, it’s asking too much even if I will die.

To me it seems pretty apparent that we would all do something easy in order to save our life.  If you said you loved Timberlake at gun point is that sincere or survival?

Enter the elementary aged Sunday school lesson.  The teacher is taking to the kids about God and she then tells the little children about hell.  (I don’t think they are probably this crude, but this is what gets absorbed by the listeners)  Hey kids, in Hell God’s not there, it’s a place of fire and darkness, and there is no company, no love, no peace, and no hope.  Forever.  And you are going there when you die.

Gun is to their head.

“What do I have to do to be saved?”  Pray this prayer to Jesus.

“That’s it?  That’s easy.” 

Is that sincere or is that survival?  How many church or Christian education lifers out there haven’t had this done to them?  Raise your hand.  A gun has been put to your head.

Sincere faith is when a person recognizes they are sinner and the only way to be cleaned and made new is the blood of Jesus who died for them and they make a personal claim on that blood and they trust that it will work.  Does that happen at gunpoint?

How many generations have ignored the gospel call on their life because they already believe they have it? They did that easy survival thing at gunpoint.  Is it the same?

Imagine this conversation between your average Christian believer and a witty unbeliever…

If you are right and I’m wrong about God’s existence then there are no negative consequences for me. But if I’m right and you’re wrong about God’s existence then there are huge consequences for you.

What do you mean?

I mean to say Hell. (Gun to the head)

You think you lose nothing if God is not real?  (Grabs gun from the Christian and takes aim back)  What about all the time you spend at church, time and money raised for missions trips, money given to Christian educations, and church donations?  What about all the Sunday mornings you could have been watching football?

What about all the guilt people have made you feel about not measuring up to God’s standards?

What if Hell and original sin were invented by your preacher so you would fear your soul was doomed and would buy the cure from them week after week? 

Did you believe in God out of fear like you are asking me too?  (Shots fired)

Um.

Now I’m asking.  Did you?  Jesus poured His blood for you to save you from your sins.  He took the bullet for us, let’s put away our guns and trust that His blood will do what He says it will do. 

Hey kids, Jesus is the best and He took care of your biggest need.  He did all the work Himself.  He loves you that much.  All we have to do is trust Him.  Do you want to claim His victory or do you want to try take care of your biggest need on your own?  

I believe the goodness of Jesus wins people’s hearts; especially if their hearts haven’t been spiritually bullied yet.

Caves of David

For years I have had it on my mind to write about David son of Jesse. He has always been my favorite Bible character but over the years the reason why has changed. At the present I love David's example of trusting the Lords timing and being dependent on His daily grace.  It’s inspirational and challenging.

I've thrown around a bunch of ideas to write about David over the years. Some are terrible ideas and some are better. 

   -When I was young I thought it would be fun to write an outer space 
       science fiction based on the story of David. 

   -I had an idea to write a movie script about making David king from the 
       point of view of his mighty men. 

   -I had the idea to take the above idea and put it into a historical fiction 
       book.

   -I have a book idea called David's Trust that is much like Opportunity Jesus 
       in that it would be chronological while highlighting David’s acts of faith.

The best idea might still be out here but I can't think of a better place to get inspired than in Ein Gedi. These are the caves that David hid from King Saul in.  Caves that David penned some of my favorite Psalms. I've imagined these caves, I've dreamed about them, but to experience them? Wow.

I have an opportunity to go poke around these caves this winter! Not only that; but tour dozens of major Bible locations. I could stand where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, ride on a boat across the Sea of Galilee, climb the Mount of Olives where Zechariah predicts Jesus will return one day, and many more. I've wanted to do this for so long but its never worked out. This winter I have been invited to go for 7 days, I have about half the money I need to go. Could you help me raise the rest?  Support my trip without giving money, or donate today?(http://fundly.com/send-mr-e-to-israel)

As a Bible teacher and preacher I cannot even begin to fathom how much this trip will challenge me, stretch my imagination, and give the Biblical text a whole new layer of depth. I'm so thankful the opportunity to witness the scenes of His story.  

don't judge a book by it's cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

It’s sound advice from an old English idiom.  We teach it to our kids so they learn that people aren’t always what you see.  Don’t give up on Albert Einstein because he looks homeless he has something to teach us.  Don’t think Natalie Portman is trouble because she is cute.  Don’t think Jon Stewart is smart because he is on tv.  And don’t think something racist because all my examples happen to be Jewish. 

 

 I struggle to start conversations, especially difficult ones so I will most often start them using text or email.  If this was the 1800’s I would write letters.  It turns out that in my emails I often come across as angry and hurtful.  This is when I intended to be direct and honest or even confused.  I’m disturbed when I hear how people take my words.  I have unintentionally hurt many people with the written word.

Am I angry and hurtful?  Is that my cover or is that my story? 

I also write this blog, a book called Opportunity Jesus, 6 other books not published, and an occasional inspirational email for co-workers.  Those words are uplifting and life filled.  They are full of grace and hope that aren’t in my “tough” conversation emails.

Am I full of grace and hope?  Is that my cover or is that my story?

If we run into each other at the mall, in the hallway at my work, or anywhere unplanned it might be awkward.  Unless you are in my inner circle (consists of about 5 people) I’m most comfortable in the back of a room, and probably not participating.  I’m not super comfortable starting conversations or knowing what should be said at the beginnings or endings of conversations.  In my general life I do not get excited about things nor do I get depressed. Not even about Jesus. I’m even keel and it rubs people the wrong way.  I don’t get excited for people appropriately, nor do I share grief.  I don’t make Jesus very public in my private life.  It appears that I don’t care or most often that I’m negative.  Pair that with some actually negativity once and a while and I probably come across as crazy…sociopathic…untrustworthy…sketch…or at least a downer. 

Am I a downer?  Is that my cover or is that my story?

If you see me teach my class or speak at a church or chapel or camp you will see an energetic inspired guy who loves Jesus with his whole heart and encourages others.  I sound like the life of the party, everybody’s best friend.  Just a darn good guy.

Am I an inspirational guy?  Is that my cover or is that my story?

Don’t judge a book by its cover can be complicated can’t it?  The truth is I’m none of these things I’m ALL of those things.  None of them are the real me and the others fake.  It’s all real!  I am angry and hurtful; full of grace and hope.  I am a downer yet inspirational guy.  I’m a contradiction.  Broken and totally depraved yet holy and perfect and new because of Jesus.  That’s hilarious.  That’s true.  Just know this Jesus is working in me everyday.  He has judicially pardoned my sin.  And I love Him and He loves me even when I’m angry.  And I love Him and He loves me even when I’m crazy.  He is working to make me new.  To match His pardon.  It’s my brokenness that proclaims His might.  He saved me. 

I will do my part to remember that you share a similar story too, but with very different parts.  And we can live together in love…and crazy; because of Jesus.

Almost Like Cheating

I got some answers today on questions I’ve had for months.  They were good answers because they were true.  They were bad answers because they weren’t what I wanted.  It was too long to wait to get those kinds of answers, and yet I’m relieved.

This life is full of challenges and obstacles and amazingly different personalities.  Each of us is equipped in different ways to handle them.  And then there’s Jesus.  It’s almost like cheating.  I’ve never been more thankful for Jesus in my life than on a day like today when I can lean on Him.  As my protector He was my deflector shield and as a peacemaker He was able to unwrinkle the things I had said that inadvertently hurt others.

It’s almost like cheating to know that no matter what I’m a child of God and I’m loved and adored by the creator of the universe.  Because some days He’s the only one that feels that way about me. 

It’s almost like cheating to have someone fused in my Spirit that comforts me and gives me hope.  Because some days we are not consolable and we cannot see.

It’s almost like cheating to have someone in my life I can always count on…a Rock.  Because some days there is nobody else.

I would write this story I’m in with a different ending if I was the author.  So as always I step back and look at the big picture.  This moment of “blah” is an opportunity to follow the story being written by God.  It’s not as fun as the “ah-ha” moments or the shiny powerful happy moments, but it’s an opportunity nevertheless.

In the trusting the ‘blah’ we thirst for the shiny.  What I need to surrender to in my heart today is thirsting for the Author and not just His better stories.  

Why do things this way?

Colossians 1:19-22  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell on Him (Jesus), and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.  And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach

Why do things this way?  Why suffer through the fall of man and sin and then become a frail human and die for us all to bring us back to where we started?  Why?!

We can visibly see His love now.  1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us.  Without this visual picture of love flying in the face of darkness and evil we cannot fathom His love to accept it or return it.

If we stood in the garden, with no forbidden tree, no serpent in the shadows and saw Jesus standing there what would drive us to fall in love with Him and give our lives to Him?  His greatness and majesty?  Maybe.  But without darkness would we be able to recognize His glory?  We’ll never know because that isn’t how Jesus chose to reveal Himself.

All of these things were placed in order so that you and I could clearly see Him for who He really is and see His true heart, and living breathing unconditional love.

As LeCrae has put it..."Christ is King – Lion- Lamb- God- Man- Sin Conqueror – Grave Conqueror- Satan Conqueror".  

We can see that now, appreciate that now, embrace that now. 

His love is outstanding.  Nobody has ever loved you like Jesus loves you.

Moving Targets

The thing I’m most thankful for about God these days is that He doesn’t have moving targets.  I know exactly what He expects of me…trust.  I know exactly what pleases Him…trust.  When I don’t trust He gives me another opportunity to trust.

He doesn’t look at me like I could have done better.  He doesn’t tell me with His tone of voice that I’ve let Him down.  He doesn’t tell me stories about how people in my situations fared better than I did in mine.  he doesn’t compare me to anyone.

He doesn’t tell me He was looking for something different when I do my best to trust.  He made His desires clear in the Living Word so I’m not left guessing.  He has made His decision to never forsake me clear so I’m not left wondering.  He has made His will clear that He will not condemn me so I’m not left cowering.

His targets are stationary because He is stationary.  And because He is stationary my identity in Him is unchanging.

Remember Brad Pitt’s rendition of Tyler Durden in the movie Fight Club?

Tyler rants, “You’re not your job.  You’re not how much money you have in the bank.  You’re not the car you drive.  You’re not the contents of your wallet.  You’re not your (expletive) khakis.”

I feel Jesus would put His arm around Tyler and say, “You don’t even know how right you are.  Trust in Me Tyler, and I’ll make that a reality, I will give you identity far beyond the scope of making soap.”

Tyler might says, “Whoa, it’s Jesus! No (expletive) way!”

To which Jesus would smile and nod.

Tyler might respond, “You know I’m not real right?”

To which Jesus would smile and nod…and then say, “I AM”

All this to say, He IS and so I am!  And I’m incredibly thankful for it.

Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is a big deal.  It’s emphasized by the church.  It’s emphasized by our pastors.  It’s emphasized in their books. 

One common denominator you will hear, read, or see in motivating congregations to grow in Christ Jesus their Savior is fear and guilt.  This is not necessary. 

The only people who are able to grow are those who have received the free gift of Jesus’s grace and have now become brand new creations.  People with new identities.  Identities fused with Jesus.  Identities that can not only grow, but desire to grow also.  Identities that are indeed growing at the rate they join with God’s process in them.  I call them opportunities. 

Anybody else, no matter how involved in Christianity they are, cannot grow.  No amount of fear and guilt will make them do so.  But what will be provoked is behavior modification, and people will act better.  If this is what we are after then, hooray, we did it.  If behavior modification isn’t spiritual growth then we have missed the mark.

Pastors and teachers put a lot of pressure on fruit because it is indeed the proof of our new identity to the world.  The fear and guilt type pressure actually deter as many people as it spurs.  So I see guilt as a different means to the desired end.  We all want to grow in Christ. I believe that encouragement and freedom is the way to motivate in love.

We feel the urgency to grow.  Meanwhile the Bible shares with us urgency for the Gospel to be shared.  Certainly our growth will aid in that mission.  But feeling urgency in your personal growth to the image of God’s Son is going to be a frustrating wait.

In our churches and Christian schools we want to see people grow.  We feel it’s our purpose.  However, we can only facilitate growth we cannot cause it.  We can prod people into good works and they will look impressive but it will oftentimes be false fruit.  At this point we have fanned the flames of hypocrisy.

At my high school we talk about student growth a lot.  We want to see fruit.  There is nothing wrong with that, we join God in that desire.  We must consider that many of the students have not been made new and that those who have also have teenage flesh waging war against their new self.  That is the most difficult flesh to be fruitful with. 

We also must consider that Jesus met thousands of people and only 11 were sold out disciples (and they weren't sold out for life, they were spotty).  Surely the thousands could be saved too!  Losing your life for Jesus is precious but optional in the scope of salvation.  And those who chose to deny themselves can only do it partially.  This is why Jesus was required!  We can never surrender to God enough to be good enough.

Some would use powerful tactics of fear and guilt to harness our shame and convince us into believing a lie= that more effort is the answer.  If we could just read more Scripture, pray more often, dedicate to discipleship, and never stop…we will mature…nope. 

Those are all great things to help you mature but only when your new self is thirsting for it.  Otherwise it’s just busy work.  It’s not sustainable.  But the new you wants to do the things of God and wants to grow.  More effort will make you disciplined but without desire to “be what the Rabbi is” it’s not discipleship.   

True spiritual growth is the slow process of making who you are (sin) into who you really are (holy).  True spiritual growth is a work of God in you when you walk by the Spirit.  True spiritual growth is a work of God when you trust His way and follow it. 

Discipleship is critical to our growth but are you going to let manipulation have a place in it?