Starbucks and Salvation

Now blogging at new site

check me out at Steve Rose

This blog will stay active until the end of 2011, then will be shut down.  Thanks :)

Destroying the sanctity of marriage...

The sanctity of marriage is a phrase commonly thrown around by evangelical Christians - it is a phrase commonly used in the argument against homosexual marriage, and believed that allowing such marriages to exist "destroys" the sanctity, or holy nature of marriage.  I believe however there is a greater enemy to the sanctity of marriage...

This Sunday I will be preaching from Ephesians 5:22-33, as we continue to work our way slowly through this letter from Paul.  As I have prepared and studied this week, overwhelmingly the focus of the passage is not simply submission - as some would have you believe.  No, the focus is the mystery...the mystery of how the husband/wife relationship known as marriage is a paralleled teaching of the relationship of Christ and His church.  Not to give too much away from my upcoming message, here are just a few thoughts

1. When a husband and wife don't mutually submit to each other - the wife allowing the husband to lead, and the husband laying down his life for his wife - the sanctity of marriage is threatened.
2. When the husband doesn't do all that he can to present his bride as a radiant bride, without stain, wrinkle, or blemish - the sanctity of marriage is threatened.
3. When the husband and wife don't fully seek to understand the importance of "one flesh" from verse 31, and gain knowledge in terms of understanding that whatever each one chooses to do in their own flesh affects their spouse's flesh - the sanctity of marriage is threatened.
4. When the husband and wife don't fully understand that their relationship is a picture for the world to see of Christ and His bride, the church - the sanctity of marriage is threatened.

This is not just about whether or not Christians get divorced as much as non-Christians.  That statistic that is commonly thrown around is a deceptive one, as simply marking that you are a "Christian" on a census form or some other report makes you a Christian about as much as marking yourself as a car makes you a Dodge.  This is about those who are truly in Christ, who have fully exchanged their lives for His, and how we treat our spouse.  When persons who we may feel threaten the holiness of marriage see us doing all we can to preserve it in our own relationships, then we will have a means of discussion with them.

Necessary for salvation - part 3

In part 2 we looked at the Gospel of Mark - today, we tackle Matthew.  As a reminder, we are looking at scriptural references that are framed within what we commonly think of as being "necessary" for salvation today, primarily the individualistic decision-based framework that is prevalent today, and only at passages that are directly attributed to the words of Christ.

Matthew 4:17 records this simple phrase of Christ, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  As we saw in Mark's gospel, repent here means a turning away from sin and a turning towards God, but not so much in a one time repentance, but a continual repentance in life.

Matthew 5-7 records the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the Beatitudes.  This sermon of Jesus primarily deals with conduct, though there are implications of decision within.  In the Beatitudes themselves is a call to make decisions that run counter cultural of Jesus' day and of ours.  The closest thing to an individual teaching on salvation is actually a warning from Jesus in chapter 7, verses 21-23.  There Jesus states on the day of judgment there will be many who thought they were "in", and even did miraculous works in their lives...but they will be cast out as Jesus never 'knew" them.  The word for knew here is also used in Jewish culture to denote intimacy between a husband and a wife, so it appears Jesus is speaking to persons who may have been doing mighty activities in His name, but had never entered into an experiential relationship with Him.

I want to interject something here - one reason why the Gospels may not allude to the individualistic salvation we carry in such high regard today is found in Matthew 10:5,6.  Jesus sends out his 12 apostles with these instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or any town of the Samaritans.  Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel."  Jesus' work on the earth was two-fold.  1) He came to proclaim to Israel their Messiah was here, and to challenge them to repent of abusing their favoritism with God and in doing so, affirm the promise to Abraham that all people on earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:1-3).  2) As Israel rejected their Messiah, Jesus would move into His 2nd purpose which was to offer a sacrifice (Himself) that would enable all peoples to share in the covenental relationship with God that had previously been limited, by and large, to the Jews.  

Matthew 10:32,33 is often used as a proof-text for individualistic salvation.  Many an altar call has been filled with a reference to this passage as means to entice people to walk down the aisle, and publicly profess their faith.  A careful reading of context however shows that Jesus has been warning the disciples all through chapter 10 of the pitfalls they would face as they went to the Jews.  Specifically in verses 17-20 He tells them of possible imprisonment and punishment as they go.  It would make sense then, that verses 32,33 are more about the disciples response in the face of such danger than a walking of an aisle and a "public" profession of faith.  The disciples' response was to be one of acknowledgement of Christ even in the face of death.  This is not to say I do not believe that we should still publicly acknowledge our faith in some way - but it is incorrect to use these verses as some type of manipulative means to entice people to come forward.

Matthew is full of parables, many focusing on the kingdom of God.  One of my favorites in terms of individualistic salvation thought is Matthew 13:24-30.  Here Jesus teaches that the kingdom is full of weeds and wheat.  It is supposed that the field here represents the world, and therefore that believers and non-believers alike inhabit the same places.  Within the kingdom on earth, the enemy will "sow" the seeds of non-believers entrenched within the kingdom, and the question is asked in the parable, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?"  Jesus replies, "No, because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them."  We spend a lot of time trying to determine who within the church is "in" and who is "out", largely so we can uproot those who are "out" - yet Jesus tells us in this parable that is His job, not ours...

I am going to stop this post for now, so I can move into the latter chapters of Matthew later.  

 

Shouting at God...

SO...a little dream has been realized.  I started putting my thoughts and journal entries regarding my dad's battle with cancer into book form several years ago.  After a year long process of investigating options, writing additions, and proof-reading...

The production run has started, and I should have the first 100 copies here in my house in about 10 days!  The book will be for sale via my website, Shouting at God and you will also be able to order it at places like Barnes and Noble.  In a few weeks we should have the book available in all E-book formats as well!

I thought I would share with you an excerpt from the book...the book is basically 2 parts.  The first 4 chapters detail our family's struggle with dad's illness.  The remainder of the book deals with issues such as suffering, faith, and other variables a person deals with in the battle with potentially life-ending illness.  The excerpt below is from the chapter, "You Make Me Wanna Shout!", where I talk about a time where I essentially let God have it, verbally.  I had just made known to God in very loud tones what I thought about my dad's illness, and our family's struggles, and realized I had just stood toe-to-toe with the Creator of the universe...

            "The One who had spoken the universe into existence had seen fit not to react to me as a father threatened by my total lack of respect.  The One who sets boundaries for the seas and places the stars in the heavens had not seen my display as one of a spoiled brat, asking for the latest toy.  No, the Creator had seen His creation at its barest.  He had seen me as I really was...broken, in need, and helpless in a situation bigger than me.  He had allowed me a moment of indescretion, and responded to me by simply taking it...and when it was over, He opened His arms and embraced me."

My prayer and hope for this book is not that I would become rich, but instead, that people who read it would find hope and comfort in whatever they are facing in life.  That God would use this work for His glory, and would continue to take a life situation that cut my family to the core, and use it for good.  I am excited to see what He will do with my obedience.

A crucial 2 months...

It's November 1st, and with Halloween now in our rear view mirror we come to 2 months that are crucial in terms of beginning or sustaining a conscientious way of life.  I use the term "conscientious" here because I believe it applies to all human beings - how we approach the next 2 months and the observances of Thanksgiving and Christmas will tell a lot about what kind of people we are.

For the Christian, our "conscience" is the Holy Spirit.  For the non-believer, their "conscience" is that innate moral law that is written on the hearts of all mankind.  Both the Holy Spirit and the moral law dictate to us right from wrong, good from evil.  Both the Holy Spirit and the moral law lead us to think more of others than we do ourselves.  I would argue that for the believer in Christ, disobeying that leading of the Holy Spirit is an indicator that we are not fully following Christ.  For the non-believer, not following their conscience is merely choosing to ignore a mental suggestion - for the Christ-follower, it is choosing to ignore the 3rd person of the Trinity.

Regardless, the next 2 months are crucial.  As we gather on Thanksgiving will we draw the shades and close the blinds to the windows of the outside world?  Will we eat until our buttons pop and our belts no longer fit solely because it is our "right" to do so?  Or will we alter our Thanksgiving plans and traditions and enjoy a nice simple meal with our family and turn our attentions also to the hungry that exist in our backyards and around the world?

What of Christmas?  Will we as parents agonize and go deeper into debt just to satisfy the consumerist cries of our children as they surf the internet, turn the pages of the catalog, or utter a vocalized chant at every commercial?  Will we forget the "peace on earth, good will towards men" as we gnash teeth and elbow the person next to us on Black Friday?  Or will we sit down with our children (and ourselves) and take stock of what we have so we can realize the answer to our happiness is not more "stuff", but is more time together and more giving rather than taking?  Will we take the opportunity to teach the tough lessons to our kids - lessons that allow them to learn early in life how blessed they are and how to avoid the consumerist mindset that has plagued the generations before them?

The next 2 months are crucial to our 2012 - we will either enter a new year full of new traditions, memories and outlooks, or we will enter it complaining about our "holiday weight" and the new influx of credit card bills that occupy our mailboxes...only to watch our kids play with their old toys more than their new ones.  How we end 2011 will tell a lot about how we live 2012...

What's your net worth?

This morning I was listening to a local talk show on the radio while taking my youngest daughter to a doctor's appointment.  "Occupy Wall Street" was the topic of conversation, and as many have done, the participants were trying to discern exactly what people were protesting against, what could be done, etc...

One of the hosts began talking about the disparity of "net worth".  A simple definition of net worth is the value of a person's assets, including cash, over their liabilities.  So if you own a home worth $250,000, a car worth $10,000, and have cash in the amount of $5,000 you have $265,0000 in assets.  If you have $100,000 in debt, then your net worth is $165,000.  The person on the radio was commenting on the housing market here in the Phoenix area, and was trying to make the point that 5 years ago someone's house may have been worth $200,000, but now is worth $90,000, thereby lowering their net worth by $110,000.  

I began thinking about the concept of net worth in places other than America, specifically the area of Honduras I just returned from.  Most of the individuals I met there would consider their net worth in terms of their supply of food, or clothing.  If they were fortunate enough to live through the night, with their possessions intact and a little bit of food in their belly, their net worth was high.

What is our net worth really worth anyway?  Obviously if a person is in a position fortunate enough to die with tons of assets left over they may give it away to family, or a to a charity in their will.  But what happens if that family member or organization misuses that net worth?  In the blink of an eye it could be for nothing.  What if our net worth is less about our material assets and more about our lives' impact?  What if your will read that you had nothing to give away, because you had sought out to give it away each and every day you lived?  What if at the end of your life the greatest thing that could be said about you was that you died penniless, so that others could live with your pennies?

The Apostle Paul said, "But my life is worth nothing to me, unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." Acts 20:24, NLT

It seems for followers of Christ in particular, our net worth will not be measured in what we dispense from our wills, but from our lives. 

The Gospel message...and Red Rover

I just got back from a whirlwind 5 day trip to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  A blog post really isn't deep enough to fully transfer the emotions and thoughts I am having today, my first full day back in the States.  Instead of trying to pour it all out at one time, I've decided to split it up into multiple posts over the next few days and weeks.  Today I want to tell you about a place called La Corosa...

La Corosa is this community built into the mountains south of San Pedro Sula.  No one really knows exact population figures, or much else in the way of demographic information.  The area is pretty much what you would envision in what we commonly call "third-world" countries - small shacks, built of materials that are sub par, but available.  Located close to a water source that is at times a great resource but also a great hindrance when it floods, La Corosa is a community where life runs at a decidely different pace.  

Sparrow Missions has been working in La Corosa for some time.  This past summer they sent a team down to build a shelter area, basically just a concrete slab with a tin roof on top.  The families of La Corosa have been using that area for school, church, and as a general gathering place.  During my time in La Corosa we visited with the kids primarily, and told them about the Lord, played games, did crafts...and took LOTS of pictures!  Kids love to have their picture taken worldwide!

We took the kids of the community down to their soccer field area, and decided ahead of time that some of us would work with the older kids and some with the younger.  It just worked out that I suddenly found myself surrounded by about 20 kids, probably 12 and under.  We were throwing a frisbee around (which most of them had never seen before) and I asked the translator who was with us, "Do they know how to play Red Rover?"  The look on her face told me they didn't, as she had no idea what I was talking about.  So, I proceeded to teach the kids Red Rover.  Maria, our translator, helped explain the game to them and taught them the simple phrase to say each time.  Before I knew it, we had grown to close to 40 kids and we spent about 30 minutes playing Red Rover!  The game did have a few low points...I grew very tired as there began to be a battle between the two teams for the "gringo".  I did LOTS of running back and forth as it seems I was the prized player of the game, haha!

After the game, I quickly gathered the kids together to present a simple teaching moment to them.  We talked a little about "dares", and how in the game each team picks someone they think can't break the handholds to dare.  I told them that in life people dare us to do things all the time - maybe not in that exact language of "I dare you!" but in theory.  I encouraged them to stay strong "amigos", and to follow the voice of the Lord instead of the opposing voices of the enemy.  A simple prayer, and we were done.

It all started with a game...a game they had never experienced before.  If you had asked me prior to this trip if kids in Honduras knew "Red Rover" I would have confidently said, YES!  It never occurred to me that might be something new for them.  I pray that experience meant more to them than just a game...and that many of them will follow the voice of the Lord.

"Striving" is not enough...

I recently filled out a character reference form for a teenager who is applying to a Christian college.  There was the obligatory, "To the best of your knowledge, has the applicant made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ?" question, which was then followed by, "If your answer to #3 is yes, to the best of your knowledge is the applicant striving to live a Christian life?"

Striving to live a Christian life?  That is so ambiguous...what do you mean by striving?  According to Webster's dictionary, to strive is to 1) devote serious effort or energy or 2) to struggle in opposition.  One could declare that the applicant is "striving" to live a Christian life by doing all the right things (and by proxy NOT doing the wrong things) - the applicant could be a person who goes to church, goes to youth group, goes to camp, etc...you get my point.  The applicant could also be a person "striving" by not going to R-rated movies or not listening to secular music (a term I hate by the way but it fits this discussion) or a person who doesn't "drink smoke or chew, or date girls who do" to use an old phrase from long ago.

These things could constitute "striving" to live a Christian life, and would most likely secure automatic acceptance into the particular college.  But are they enough?  Are these things really the manner in which righteousness is produced and therefore a Christian life is obtained?  I would really prefer an application which used phrases like these: "Is the applicant aware of sin in his/her life and seeking to kill it daily by the power of the Holy Spirit?"  "Is the applicant aware the grace of Jesus Christ is the power by which he/she lives under?"  "Is the applicant acknowledging that his/her best religious efforts still fall short of the righteousness of Christ?"

2000 years after the arrival of Christ and we are still using the same criteria the religious community used in His day.  I fear we are not placing the correct expectations from the Christian community, and in this case particularly our young brothers and sisters.  So long as we can acknowledge doing the "right" things in our life, we believe we are striving...yet doing the "right" things leads to spiritual pride and Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will inherit the kingdom of heaven."

Let's strive...let's strive to see Jesus increase and ourselves decrease...let's strive to ask daily for the Holy Spirit of God to continually put to death our sinful nature and raise to life our new nature He has invaded us with...let's strive to take a harder look into our own lives' shortcomings by the truth of His Word and Spirit.  If we strive in these areas, the outflow of our lives will surely reflect the "Christian" life.

Happy birthday Katie!!!

Today my little girl turns 10 - I was looking at her last night while our church community group was meeting at our home.  She looked 18...with her big girl haircut and her dangly earrings, and her smile that pierces the darkest moments.  I'm not ready for 18...I'm not ready for 10!

Katie amazes me, and I pray she realizes I recognize that fact.  She's talented...she's compassionate...she's loving.  At times, when I fail as a parent, she succeeds as a child.  She forgives quickly and loves in spite of other's mistakes.  She believes she will make a difference in this world as she grows older, and she will - but I hope she knows she already does make a difference.  Katie turns 10 today...and as much as I hate to see her grow out of being that little girl I remember, I can't wait to see what she does with the life God has given her.

Here is some of Katie's talent on display; I think she was about 5 1/2 at the time - singing L-O-V-E, one of her favorites.

 

I'm a recovering evangelical...

The word "evangelical" is often used in western culture to describe someone who declares themselves to be a born-again Christian.  The story of Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, is where we primarily encounter the notion of being born-again.  Webster's defines evangelical as:

1) of relating to or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels; 2) Protestant; 3) emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual.

At first glance I'm down with that definition - I believe in the Gospel message of Christ, especially as He presents it through His life recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  I am of the Protestant tradition of faith - though I have long considered myself to be a capital C Christian and a little "b" baptist - my Savior is of more importance than my tribe...and I do believe salvation was fulfilled by the death of Christ (AND His resurrection), and scripture and preaching are important pieces of the puzzle.

So why do I state above I'm a "recovering" evangelical?  Again borrowing from Webster, recovering means to get back, to bring back to normal position or condition.  A person who is "recovering" from an addiction is trying to get back to who they were before the addiction took hold...they're trying to get to their roots so to speak.  So as a recovering evangelical, I am attempting to get back to my roots.  I am orienting my life around the full, original meaning of the word "evangelist" from scripture.  To be an evangelist is to be a messenger of good news, specifically the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Ray Stedman accurately states:

        The evangelist's task is not to go about denouncing sin, but to point to the way out of sin.  The evangelist may call people's attention to that which is creating so much misery and heartache in their lives, but his work is not to denounce and condemn sinners...If the preaching of 'fire and brimstone' is ever called for, it is the task of a prophet, not the task of an evangelist.  The evangelist's role is to tell people about the overpowering grace of God and the overpowering love of a heavenly Father - a Father who calls men and women back to Himself, offering to set their twisted lives straight through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.

This description seems to be a far cry away from what modern day "evangelists" look like.  Just this morning I read an account of an evangelical preacher from Texas who publicly denounced Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate due to his religious beliefs as a Mormon.  The preacher asked; "Do we want a candidate who is a good moral person?  Or do we want a candidate who is a born again follower of Jesus Christ?"  We can understand why he feels this way - after all, going all the way back to President Clinton who publicly acknowledged being born again AND being southern baptist we have seen outstanding public displays of character based on those criteria.  Oh wait...well, if we don't count having sex with a 22 year old intern in the White House while married and categorically denying that happened...we also can't count being led into multiple wars whose total losses on all sides have far exceeded what the purpose of the wars were (not to mention how we have ignored other human atrocities in places that geographically don't hold oil reserves - did I say that out loud?)...I suppose we also have to recognize that these evangelical, born again presidents did nothing to slow the tide of abortion in our land as well.

"But Steve!!!  No one is perfect!!!"  Precisely my point...southern baptist or mormon, roman catholic or atheist...no one is perfect.  So why publicly state that one set of values dictates the office of arguably the most powerful person on the earth more than another set of values?  Because that's what modern evangelicals do...we turn blind eyes to bigger issues in order to push to the forefront our own individual agendas.  

I'm a recovering evangelical - that means I am striving for a couple of things in my life.  I want to be a messenger of the incredible Gospel message of Christ, a message that redeems, makes new, and dispenses grace freely.  I want to move away from classifying degrees of sin, and placing people within those areas, and instead let them know that the only person who is holy and righteous enough to judge them has made a way for them to escape that judgment.  I want to be a person who leads others into seeing the holy Scriptures for what they really are; not statements I need to prove to people, but instead a story, an incredible meta-narrative that tells the entire plan of God accomplished through Jesus Christ for His creation.  As Robert Webber states, I want to "restore the message of the Bible, a message which when proclaimed by the power of the Spirit, takes up residence within those who know how to hear."  

Hi...I'm Steve...and I'm a recovering evangelical.