In Luke 14, we encounter Jesus as he is being swarmed with people. In fact, Luke leads his story in 14:25-34 with the fact that a "large crowd" was following Jesus. This is precisely what a public speaker leading a burgeoning religious movement would want, right? Not Jesus, apparently. He turns to the crowd and He tells them that if they have any interest in following Him, they need to hate their entire family. This is not a very seeker-sensitive approach. Of course, commentators remind us, Jesus meant that a follower's affection for Him must make his love for his family look like hate. Regardless, Jesus is telling this large crowd that following Him is serious business. Then, He makes an even more shocking statement and tells this group that they need to carry their cross in order to follow Him. Summarized, Jesus was more or less saying "Look, you are going to have to pick up your instrument of torture and death, reserved for the most reviled criminals in the world and publically carry that shame with you for the rest of your life if you want to call yourself My follower." Christ is not following a modern evangelical framework for introducing salvation to this mass of humanity. He isn't leading them through the sinner's prayer or holding an altar call. He is making it completely clear that being a Christian is more than praying a prayer, more than joining a church, more than being baptized. It is wrapped up in lifestyle. Of course, this is a paradox. We cannot earn our salvation with anything that we do, but can we consider ourselves saved if we aren't the kind of disciples Jesus is talking about in this passage?
Jesus goes on speaking to the crowd, discussing the cost of being a disciple. He provides examples from building and from war, explaining that costs must be counted in both endeavors. You don't build a house without being sure you have the funds to pay for the materials, and you don't go to battle without considering your force, your enemy, etc. Jesus then goes on to make one of the hardest statements in the Gospels---"In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." We tend to soften this statement. Jesus didn't really mean that we have to lose everything to follow Him, did He? For the sake of argument, let's contend that He meant that in the figurative sense that He must be our top priority and not that we literally must give up all our possessions. Fine. That still leaves us with Christ saying, "If I'm not your top priority, you can't be my disciple." If you're not a disciple, are you saved? This is a big question, a hard one. Of course, we can point to an example like the thief on the cross---he was saved in his dying moments and Jesus said he would be in paradise. So, it's possible to be saved without being a disciple. But we cannot simply dismiss Christ's many, many statements about discipleship, fruit, etc that indicate that one must really commit their life to Christ to be saved. I'm fearful that the Church has so cheapened grace that we have given people a very distorted, very wrong picture of what salvation looks like.
Bonhoeffer said that cheap grace is "the grace that we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” This is the type of grace that the Church often offers people. By telling people that they are now a Christian by praying a prayer, are we missing the mark and missing it badly? Over 70% of Americans consider themselves Christians. Do you think that 70% of the people in this country are so devoted to Jesus that their love for Him makes their love for their family look like hate? Not even close, in my opinion.
So, are there a lot fewer saved people than we think? Well, cheap grace is still grace. I'm hesitant to say that someone who believes they have accepted Christ is not saved. Only Jesus knows the heart of each man. Yet, read the Gospels. Read all of the words of Christ for yourself and then tell me that you are supremely confident that most people who call themselves Christians are really Christians. Tell me that a sinner's prayer without explaining the cost of Christianity is sufficient. If you're a person who is "saved" but has not made Jesus your number one priority, I urge you to make Him number one in your life. Don't take the chance that a mediocre lifestyle will keep you in the Christian camp. And if you're a disciple, understand that you need to be discipling others, not leading them through a prayer. The prayer is a start. Discipleship is crucial for every living moment after that prayer.
DISCLAIMER: Man cannot save himself. You can't be good enough to merit God's favor. The work of Christ on the cross was more than enough to cleanse you of your sins. Recognizing your sin, turning from it, and turning wholly to Christ is the essence of salvation. Yet, there is a cost that must be counted. If you choose to accept the free gift of salvation, you will be asked to follow Christ and make Him your life. He lives through you now. Be willing to live completely for Christ. He provides the grace to save, but those who are truly saved will live for Him.
Friday, June 29, 2012
A Closer Walk with Thee
"I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee"
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee"
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
He Has Put a New Song in My Mouth
Enjoy some music that I have been enjoying....
"All the Poor and Powerless" by The Digital Age
"Reason to Sing" by All Sons and Daughters
"Take Me to the River" by Desperation Band
"Alabaster" by Rend Collective Experiment
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Great Porn Debate
Recently, I was involved in a Facebook "debate" about pornography. In discussing this topic, I came across several very genuine, kind people---some who may even consider themselves Christians (I'm not sure)---who argued that porn was fun, entertaining and even helpful. I was surprised, but in hindsight I should not have been. Porn has reached epidemic proportions in America and globally. Statistics, both from Christian and secular sources, claim that upwards of 70-80% of men have viewed pornography recently. Surveys of evangelical Christians have illustrated that 50%+ of church-going men have engaged in watching pornography in the last month. This does not surprise me, and I doubt it surprises many of you Christian men who are reading this. If you have transparent relationships with other men, you know that the temptation of pornography is an issue for 99% of men, and the other 1% are probably lying! (Note, I said temptation, not sin...I know that many Christian men are winning the fight against temptation through the grace and power of Christ.) Women are not immune to pornography addiction. Studies show that anywhere from 20-30% of all women regularly view pornography and a great percentage more have viewed pornography at some point during their teen or adult years. Clearly, pornography addiction is not simply an issue for non-believers...porn is impacting people of every demographic and every faith background.
These numbers, however, don't address the question "what's wrong with pornography?" It's one thing to acknowledge that many people have interacted with pornography---we all agree on that. However, when it comes to determining whether porn is right, wrong, or somewhere in between, disagreements arise. That is why I am writing this blog. Porn is damaging on many levels, but our culture has become so sexualized that the Enemy has made pornography commonplace and, as a result, accepted by the masses. Pornography is everywhere, and depending on your definition, it is far more than just the nudity found in pictures or movies. So, how do we define porn? The actual dictionary definition of porn focuses on anything that elicits sexual excitement as pornography. Believe it or not, the word porn can be found in your Bible Porneia (in its various forms) appears in the New Testament 25 times and is used to indicate fornication (sex outside of marriage) and sexual immorality (anything that encourages or sparks sexuality outside of the marriage bed). In short, the Biblical definition of porn is the same as the modern dicitionary definition of porn---anything that creates sexual excitement outside of your spouse. So, porn is more than xxx websites and magazines. It is the billboards on 80-94 that depict scantily-clad young women and advertise for strip clubs. It's restaurants that primary means of luring in customers is women wearing next to nothing. It is "Girls Gone Wild" commercials (yes, the commercials are every bit as pornographic as the film itself). It can be something as seemingly mild as Facebook pictures that reveal way too much. In short, porn is anything that creates sexual excitement. We know what porn is, but is it wrong? Here are five ways that I see that porn is not only wrong, it is destructive.
1) Porn hurts your relationship with God. If you don't have a relationship with Christ or you are disinterested in religion, you may want to skip to number two. But, if you consider yourself to be a person who believes in God or further yet is a born-again Christian, read on. As mentioned above, the Bible speaks at length about sexual immorality. The New Testament is filled with references regarding impure sexuality, and this teaching starts with Jesus. In the timeless sermon on the mount, Jesus addressed the topic of lust---sexual desire for anyone other than your spouse. Addressing the legalistic religion of his hearers, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already commited adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28, ESV) Adultery is named among the ten commandments and is condemned throughout the New Testament. If we believe the words of Christ in this sermon, then there can be no doubt that He is staunchly opposed to pornography. Further, the apostle Paul addresses issues of sexual immorality at length in his NT writings. He repeatedly condemns both the business of prostitution and the engaging in sexual activity with a prostitute. Pornography IS prostitution. Porn stars are paid to have sex on camera...further, oftentimes the audience is paying to participate in the sex act by buying magazines, subscribing to websites, purchasing DVDs, etc. By participating in pornography (even "free" pornography online), you are helping to fund the biggest financial windfall of prostitution in the history of the world (in a calendar year, the porn business makes more money than pro baseball, football, basketball and hockey COMBINED). The New Testament continues on with scores of verses that indicate that God desires sexual purity for His people and that those who are unrepentant of sexual immorality will not inherit the Kingdom. (I will glad to share those verses with anyone who would like to read further...or visit www.biblegateway.com and search for "sexual immorality" to read more). With all this said, it becomes clear that pornography is not something that can a part of a Christian's life. The Lord is full of grace and mercy for any of us that have stumbled in this area, but our heart must be to turn away from the things God hates.
2) Porn hurts us, rewiring the way we think about ourselves, others and sex. There is significant research (again, from both sacred and secular sources) that show that pornography actually changes the brain. Fixating on graphic images creates new neural pathways that, over time, change the way we think. (This type of rewiring can also occur when fixating on violent imagery, etc.) Particularly in men, this type of neural rewiring causes them to be unable to see women realistically and instead to objectify them sexually. (More on this below.) Continued exposure to porn affects "mirror neurons" which are motor system cells that activate when you see a behavior. (William Struthers, Wired for Intimacy). Mirror neurons can cause people to vicariously participate in the sex act they are viewing in pornography. This can cause two problems: first, the viewer disconnects from reality; second, the viewer's brain, over time, will only cause the viewer to become sexually aroused when mirroring the activity they have watched (either by watching it, or an expanded version of the act, or by fantasizing about the act). In other words, the viewer can only be aroused by pornography or by fantasizing about pornography. Our spouse, which should be the only person we are aroused by, is no longer able to arouse us on their own merits. This is very sad, unfortunate and unintended consequence of consuming pornography. Without using emotional and spiritual self-control to avoid pornography, we risk losing physical self-control due to our physiology. (For an expanded overview of this topic, check out pages 139-142 of Mark and Grace Driscoll's book Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship and Life Together.)
3) Porn damages marriages, including future marriages. The previous two points make this one. God intended marriage to be pure. Hebrews 13:4 says that we must keep the marriage bed undefiled and avoid all sexual immorality. God wants you to share your sexuality with your spouse alone. Not only is sex a pleasurable gift from God, it is also an act that is designed to bind you together with your spouse. When two people are sexually active, chemicals are released to the brain that actually binds the people together. Similar chemicals are released to the brain when pornography is viewed. Watching porn binds the viewer to the people he/she is watching and in turn makes the spousal bond less valuable. We should want to be bound to our spouse alone. Pornography is, simply put, unfaithfulness to the marriage. Marital infidelity is hurtful because of the destruction of trust even more so than the act itself. Hidden porn habits create the same destruction of trust. Some porn-users argue that they enjoy using pornography as an aid to their sex life with their spouse, i.e. watching pornography together. Ironically, this choice to try and grow closer together is emotional and physically creating disconnect between the spouses without them even realizing it. For those who are unmarried, your sexual activity and your engagement with porn now will assuredly have an impact on your marriage later. The purity intended to be there will be nearly impossible because of the emotional and physiological impact that sex acts have on the brain and body.
4) Porn sets an unreachable and/or undesireable standard for women, hurting their self-image and their value in the eyes of a porn-infected world. This objectification of women starts with the media at large. Beauty tends to be defined by what the producers, advertisers, record labels, etc decide on as beautiful. This in turn shapes the way most of us think about beauty, even if it is subconscious thinking. This skewed thinking goes to an entirely different level when one is fixated on pornography. Obviously, most porn "stars" first become popular due to their good looks and "perfect" bodies (and let's face it, the majority of women in the world don't look like this). Porn goes a step further and presents its female participants as women who always want sex, who enjoy being degraded (one study showed that 90% of porn scenes depicted some degradation of women) and are entirely naive. As men consistently watch pornography, their neural pathways are altered and they begin to expect their spouse to exhibit these same charactertistics. Realistically, their spouse will not have the body of a porn star. Further, most women do NOT want sex all the time, they do NOT want to be degraded and they are NOT unintelligent. This disconnect between the viewer's perceived sexual reality and actual sexual reality causes dysfunction and, in some cases, even violence. In almost all cases, however, a woman's self-image is damaged by the expectations of their spouse.
5) Porn hurts children. Earlier last decade, it was estimated that over 100, 000 child porn websites were in existence. Updated numbers are not available, but experts estimate that the number has risen dramatically. In 2007, a British study showed that one child porn site received over 1 million hits in a month. Additionally, in 2002, Congress changed the definition of child porn from any visual act that appears to be done by a child to a more lenient definition that stated that the participant must actually be a minor for it to be considered child porn. This is not a small difference. Porn makers can now make their actors appear younger than they are (hair styles, child-like clothing, "innocent" personality types) to create the illusion of child porn. The viewing of child pornography or similar types of porn have been clearly linked to pedophilia. Porn is a gateway to child sexual abuse. Porn also hurts children because of the easy access kids have to it. When I was a teenager, the internet was still in the dial-up stage and surfing for internet pornography was a challenge. Now, with high speed and wireless internet, porn is two clicks and a google search away. Children can be unattended at a computer for literally a minute and be exposed to horrifying, graphic porn, Sadly, parents can and often are naive when it comes to their children and porn. Kids have computers in their rooms, iPhones, smart phones, laptops, Kindles, and any other device that can access the internet. If your child has access to the Internet without your supervision, you can be assured that they will sooner or later stumble on to porn (whether on purpose or not). The average age that kids access porn is 11. All of those emotional and physiological effects discussed earlier can start to impact your kids BEFORE they hit puberty! This should cause us grave concern. In our family, we recently installed an internet filter and accountability program. Our kids cannot access the internet without logging in. The filter does not allow them to see any type of inappropriate material (everything from pornography to questionable Youtube videos to Google image searches). Additionally, any time they attempt to access such material we get notified by text message and email. This may seem extreme, but we want our children (and ourselves!) to be protected from destructive, predatory world of porn. Visit www.x3watch.com for more information this service...it is only $7 a month and is well worth the investment of protecting your children and marriage.
I hope this has been somewhat helpful to you as you try to navigate this sexualized society that tells you that porn in all of its sordid forms is okay. You're under attack and I hope this article gives you some awareness of what to watch for, what porn does to you and how to protect yourself. If you want confidential advice, help or accountability to be freed from porn, to protect your marriage from porn or help with protecting and educating your kids, please feel free to contact me via Facebook or at derekchirch@comcast.net.
These numbers, however, don't address the question "what's wrong with pornography?" It's one thing to acknowledge that many people have interacted with pornography---we all agree on that. However, when it comes to determining whether porn is right, wrong, or somewhere in between, disagreements arise. That is why I am writing this blog. Porn is damaging on many levels, but our culture has become so sexualized that the Enemy has made pornography commonplace and, as a result, accepted by the masses. Pornography is everywhere, and depending on your definition, it is far more than just the nudity found in pictures or movies. So, how do we define porn? The actual dictionary definition of porn focuses on anything that elicits sexual excitement as pornography. Believe it or not, the word porn can be found in your Bible Porneia (in its various forms) appears in the New Testament 25 times and is used to indicate fornication (sex outside of marriage) and sexual immorality (anything that encourages or sparks sexuality outside of the marriage bed). In short, the Biblical definition of porn is the same as the modern dicitionary definition of porn---anything that creates sexual excitement outside of your spouse. So, porn is more than xxx websites and magazines. It is the billboards on 80-94 that depict scantily-clad young women and advertise for strip clubs. It's restaurants that primary means of luring in customers is women wearing next to nothing. It is "Girls Gone Wild" commercials (yes, the commercials are every bit as pornographic as the film itself). It can be something as seemingly mild as Facebook pictures that reveal way too much. In short, porn is anything that creates sexual excitement. We know what porn is, but is it wrong? Here are five ways that I see that porn is not only wrong, it is destructive.
1) Porn hurts your relationship with God. If you don't have a relationship with Christ or you are disinterested in religion, you may want to skip to number two. But, if you consider yourself to be a person who believes in God or further yet is a born-again Christian, read on. As mentioned above, the Bible speaks at length about sexual immorality. The New Testament is filled with references regarding impure sexuality, and this teaching starts with Jesus. In the timeless sermon on the mount, Jesus addressed the topic of lust---sexual desire for anyone other than your spouse. Addressing the legalistic religion of his hearers, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already commited adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28, ESV) Adultery is named among the ten commandments and is condemned throughout the New Testament. If we believe the words of Christ in this sermon, then there can be no doubt that He is staunchly opposed to pornography. Further, the apostle Paul addresses issues of sexual immorality at length in his NT writings. He repeatedly condemns both the business of prostitution and the engaging in sexual activity with a prostitute. Pornography IS prostitution. Porn stars are paid to have sex on camera...further, oftentimes the audience is paying to participate in the sex act by buying magazines, subscribing to websites, purchasing DVDs, etc. By participating in pornography (even "free" pornography online), you are helping to fund the biggest financial windfall of prostitution in the history of the world (in a calendar year, the porn business makes more money than pro baseball, football, basketball and hockey COMBINED). The New Testament continues on with scores of verses that indicate that God desires sexual purity for His people and that those who are unrepentant of sexual immorality will not inherit the Kingdom. (I will glad to share those verses with anyone who would like to read further...or visit www.biblegateway.com and search for "sexual immorality" to read more). With all this said, it becomes clear that pornography is not something that can a part of a Christian's life. The Lord is full of grace and mercy for any of us that have stumbled in this area, but our heart must be to turn away from the things God hates.
2) Porn hurts us, rewiring the way we think about ourselves, others and sex. There is significant research (again, from both sacred and secular sources) that show that pornography actually changes the brain. Fixating on graphic images creates new neural pathways that, over time, change the way we think. (This type of rewiring can also occur when fixating on violent imagery, etc.) Particularly in men, this type of neural rewiring causes them to be unable to see women realistically and instead to objectify them sexually. (More on this below.) Continued exposure to porn affects "mirror neurons" which are motor system cells that activate when you see a behavior. (William Struthers, Wired for Intimacy). Mirror neurons can cause people to vicariously participate in the sex act they are viewing in pornography. This can cause two problems: first, the viewer disconnects from reality; second, the viewer's brain, over time, will only cause the viewer to become sexually aroused when mirroring the activity they have watched (either by watching it, or an expanded version of the act, or by fantasizing about the act). In other words, the viewer can only be aroused by pornography or by fantasizing about pornography. Our spouse, which should be the only person we are aroused by, is no longer able to arouse us on their own merits. This is very sad, unfortunate and unintended consequence of consuming pornography. Without using emotional and spiritual self-control to avoid pornography, we risk losing physical self-control due to our physiology. (For an expanded overview of this topic, check out pages 139-142 of Mark and Grace Driscoll's book Real Marriage: The Truth about Sex, Friendship and Life Together.)
3) Porn damages marriages, including future marriages. The previous two points make this one. God intended marriage to be pure. Hebrews 13:4 says that we must keep the marriage bed undefiled and avoid all sexual immorality. God wants you to share your sexuality with your spouse alone. Not only is sex a pleasurable gift from God, it is also an act that is designed to bind you together with your spouse. When two people are sexually active, chemicals are released to the brain that actually binds the people together. Similar chemicals are released to the brain when pornography is viewed. Watching porn binds the viewer to the people he/she is watching and in turn makes the spousal bond less valuable. We should want to be bound to our spouse alone. Pornography is, simply put, unfaithfulness to the marriage. Marital infidelity is hurtful because of the destruction of trust even more so than the act itself. Hidden porn habits create the same destruction of trust. Some porn-users argue that they enjoy using pornography as an aid to their sex life with their spouse, i.e. watching pornography together. Ironically, this choice to try and grow closer together is emotional and physically creating disconnect between the spouses without them even realizing it. For those who are unmarried, your sexual activity and your engagement with porn now will assuredly have an impact on your marriage later. The purity intended to be there will be nearly impossible because of the emotional and physiological impact that sex acts have on the brain and body.
4) Porn sets an unreachable and/or undesireable standard for women, hurting their self-image and their value in the eyes of a porn-infected world. This objectification of women starts with the media at large. Beauty tends to be defined by what the producers, advertisers, record labels, etc decide on as beautiful. This in turn shapes the way most of us think about beauty, even if it is subconscious thinking. This skewed thinking goes to an entirely different level when one is fixated on pornography. Obviously, most porn "stars" first become popular due to their good looks and "perfect" bodies (and let's face it, the majority of women in the world don't look like this). Porn goes a step further and presents its female participants as women who always want sex, who enjoy being degraded (one study showed that 90% of porn scenes depicted some degradation of women) and are entirely naive. As men consistently watch pornography, their neural pathways are altered and they begin to expect their spouse to exhibit these same charactertistics. Realistically, their spouse will not have the body of a porn star. Further, most women do NOT want sex all the time, they do NOT want to be degraded and they are NOT unintelligent. This disconnect between the viewer's perceived sexual reality and actual sexual reality causes dysfunction and, in some cases, even violence. In almost all cases, however, a woman's self-image is damaged by the expectations of their spouse.
5) Porn hurts children. Earlier last decade, it was estimated that over 100, 000 child porn websites were in existence. Updated numbers are not available, but experts estimate that the number has risen dramatically. In 2007, a British study showed that one child porn site received over 1 million hits in a month. Additionally, in 2002, Congress changed the definition of child porn from any visual act that appears to be done by a child to a more lenient definition that stated that the participant must actually be a minor for it to be considered child porn. This is not a small difference. Porn makers can now make their actors appear younger than they are (hair styles, child-like clothing, "innocent" personality types) to create the illusion of child porn. The viewing of child pornography or similar types of porn have been clearly linked to pedophilia. Porn is a gateway to child sexual abuse. Porn also hurts children because of the easy access kids have to it. When I was a teenager, the internet was still in the dial-up stage and surfing for internet pornography was a challenge. Now, with high speed and wireless internet, porn is two clicks and a google search away. Children can be unattended at a computer for literally a minute and be exposed to horrifying, graphic porn, Sadly, parents can and often are naive when it comes to their children and porn. Kids have computers in their rooms, iPhones, smart phones, laptops, Kindles, and any other device that can access the internet. If your child has access to the Internet without your supervision, you can be assured that they will sooner or later stumble on to porn (whether on purpose or not). The average age that kids access porn is 11. All of those emotional and physiological effects discussed earlier can start to impact your kids BEFORE they hit puberty! This should cause us grave concern. In our family, we recently installed an internet filter and accountability program. Our kids cannot access the internet without logging in. The filter does not allow them to see any type of inappropriate material (everything from pornography to questionable Youtube videos to Google image searches). Additionally, any time they attempt to access such material we get notified by text message and email. This may seem extreme, but we want our children (and ourselves!) to be protected from destructive, predatory world of porn. Visit www.x3watch.com for more information this service...it is only $7 a month and is well worth the investment of protecting your children and marriage.
I hope this has been somewhat helpful to you as you try to navigate this sexualized society that tells you that porn in all of its sordid forms is okay. You're under attack and I hope this article gives you some awareness of what to watch for, what porn does to you and how to protect yourself. If you want confidential advice, help or accountability to be freed from porn, to protect your marriage from porn or help with protecting and educating your kids, please feel free to contact me via Facebook or at derekchirch@comcast.net.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Kony2012: Social Justice (Alone) is not the Gospel
By this point, I'm fairly certain that you are aware of the Kony 2012 campaign launched by the makers of Invisible Children. The twenty-nine minute video profiling the atrocities commited against children by Joseph Kony in Uganda went viral a couple of days ago and has grabbed worldwide attention. I know at our little Christian school the launch of this video has created a great deal of buzz and conversation amongst our students and staff. I first saw the video linked on Facebook on Tuesday and by Wednesday evening it had been shared by 46 different friends. The video has clearly grabbed the attention of millions of people and with good reason. Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army have kidnapped over 30,000 children during the last 26 years, forcing boys to be soldiers and girls to be sex slaves. These crimes should and do outrage us and the overwhelming response speaks to how this video has stirred the spirit of scores of human beings across the planet. This video and the fight against Kony is likely to continue to generate greater momentum in the coming months. We, as Christians, need to consider the message of this film and what we can or should do with it. The film and its makers have not been without criticism and there certainly can be a tension between evangelism and social justice among evangelicals. So, how do we respond?
I shared the Kony video immediately after watching it. As a Christian, there is no way I can watch a film that describes children being kidnapped, raped, mutilated and killed and not be greatly moved in my heart. These children were fearfully and wonderfully made by God. He knows each of them by name, knows their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams. These kids may have been invisible to the world, but they have always been seen by God. This resonates with my spirit and any other person in whom the Holy Spirit lives. These children of God must be protected, rescued and redeemed. If we, the Church, can stand idly by with this information and do nothing then we are woefully misguided in our faith. Jesus made it clear that people who do nothing for the least of these---the poor, the weak, the sick, the broken...those who cannot speak for themselves---have no part in Him. We cannot rightfully call ourselves Christians if we allow injustice to reign. Every Christian should share this video, regardless of your concerns over the politics, finances or mission of the leaders of Kony2012. These children need to be seen and aided.
That said, I am uneasy with the fact that Christians have been very quick to share this story and very lax to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The majority of people that I know who are sharing the Kony video would consider themselves Christians. Why haven't I ever seen anything that is boldy Christ-centered go viral the way this video has? I fear that we have become a generation of Christians who wants to simply preach a social Gospel and consider that enough. Quite honestly, that will never be enough. If good works, even great works like rescuing these children, were enough then there would be no need for the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus told us not to fear the one who can kill our earthly bodies but to instead fear God who judges the eternal soul. This principle is quite applicable here. If we rescue these kids, make them safe, educate them, reunite them with their families, etc, but do nothing to save their souls, what have we ultimately done? We have done something of fleeting significance but have not impacted lives eternally.
So, how do we respond? Well, I am certainly not suggesting that we not share Kony2012 or refuse to participate in Cover the Night or similar events. In fact, I think Christians should be the first in line to participate in these events and sound the alarm for these children. God DOES call us to social justice. We MUST care for the orphan, the widow, the kidnapped, the oppressed. Refusing to take care of the least of these assures our standing as people outside of the Kingdom of God. Yet, we must be just as passionate (if not more so) about the spiritual reality of the situation. Have you prayed for Joseph Kony? Have you prayed for the children? Sharing a video to create awareness is great. Falling to your knees before the Lord Almighty and begging for his mercy and intervention in Uganda is far more powerful. We must put these efforts before God and pray that He moves through this situation to reach the hearts of these very broken, downtrodden people. Are you spending money on an "action kit" to get the word out about Kony 2012? If so, wonderful. But are you willing to also put your money towards getting these kids a Bible? Are you willing to support a Ugandan missionary or orphanage that is sharing the Gospel with children? You may be attending Cover the Night or organizing some other event to raise awareness of these situation. I commend you if you are doing that and my hope is that you are able to touch hearts with your efforts. But I ask you, are you going to set up a prayer meeting for Uganda? Will you consider organizing a missions trip to Uganda? Lord, I pray that we do not miss the mark here and care only for the body and miss the soul.
Christians, we must stand and fight for justice. But, the spread of the Gospel---the salvific Gospel, not the social Gospel---must be the driving force behind every effort we take, every cause we support.
I shared the Kony video immediately after watching it. As a Christian, there is no way I can watch a film that describes children being kidnapped, raped, mutilated and killed and not be greatly moved in my heart. These children were fearfully and wonderfully made by God. He knows each of them by name, knows their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams. These kids may have been invisible to the world, but they have always been seen by God. This resonates with my spirit and any other person in whom the Holy Spirit lives. These children of God must be protected, rescued and redeemed. If we, the Church, can stand idly by with this information and do nothing then we are woefully misguided in our faith. Jesus made it clear that people who do nothing for the least of these---the poor, the weak, the sick, the broken...those who cannot speak for themselves---have no part in Him. We cannot rightfully call ourselves Christians if we allow injustice to reign. Every Christian should share this video, regardless of your concerns over the politics, finances or mission of the leaders of Kony2012. These children need to be seen and aided.
That said, I am uneasy with the fact that Christians have been very quick to share this story and very lax to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The majority of people that I know who are sharing the Kony video would consider themselves Christians. Why haven't I ever seen anything that is boldy Christ-centered go viral the way this video has? I fear that we have become a generation of Christians who wants to simply preach a social Gospel and consider that enough. Quite honestly, that will never be enough. If good works, even great works like rescuing these children, were enough then there would be no need for the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus told us not to fear the one who can kill our earthly bodies but to instead fear God who judges the eternal soul. This principle is quite applicable here. If we rescue these kids, make them safe, educate them, reunite them with their families, etc, but do nothing to save their souls, what have we ultimately done? We have done something of fleeting significance but have not impacted lives eternally.
So, how do we respond? Well, I am certainly not suggesting that we not share Kony2012 or refuse to participate in Cover the Night or similar events. In fact, I think Christians should be the first in line to participate in these events and sound the alarm for these children. God DOES call us to social justice. We MUST care for the orphan, the widow, the kidnapped, the oppressed. Refusing to take care of the least of these assures our standing as people outside of the Kingdom of God. Yet, we must be just as passionate (if not more so) about the spiritual reality of the situation. Have you prayed for Joseph Kony? Have you prayed for the children? Sharing a video to create awareness is great. Falling to your knees before the Lord Almighty and begging for his mercy and intervention in Uganda is far more powerful. We must put these efforts before God and pray that He moves through this situation to reach the hearts of these very broken, downtrodden people. Are you spending money on an "action kit" to get the word out about Kony 2012? If so, wonderful. But are you willing to also put your money towards getting these kids a Bible? Are you willing to support a Ugandan missionary or orphanage that is sharing the Gospel with children? You may be attending Cover the Night or organizing some other event to raise awareness of these situation. I commend you if you are doing that and my hope is that you are able to touch hearts with your efforts. But I ask you, are you going to set up a prayer meeting for Uganda? Will you consider organizing a missions trip to Uganda? Lord, I pray that we do not miss the mark here and care only for the body and miss the soul.
Christians, we must stand and fight for justice. But, the spread of the Gospel---the salvific Gospel, not the social Gospel---must be the driving force behind every effort we take, every cause we support.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
VCA Spirit Week---Spiritual Warfare---Sermons by Derek Chirch and Rick Jones
Spiritual warfare is real. We do not wrestle against our circumstances, our enemies, our jobs, or even ourselves. We fight against the evil one---Satan---and his forces of darkness.
How do we stand in the spiritual battle? Rick Jones explains that we must put on the armor of God and then we stand in the strength of the Lord.
Why are so many Christian men so apathetic about their faith? Why must we so often rely on women to be the passionate leaders in our ministries? Even men who recognize spiritual warfare and put on the armor of God can be missing something. What is missing? The battle cry of the warrior God!
Once we are equipped and are stirred to passionate action, we still must stand in the might of the Lord. Ultimately, God will be the One to win the spiritual battles we face.
The concluding message of VCA's spirit week---a conversational sermon. We talk about what it really means to be a man of God and what influences have shaped us as men of God. At the end of the service, we commissioned 50+ young men to be warrior's for God and they signed the following pledge:
Today, before God, my peers and my teachers
I make a commitment to live as a warrior for God
A man of integrity, strength, service and love
I resolve today to do what is right
To act with integrity in everything I do
Even when it hurts
And even when no one is watching
I resolve today to speak truth
To encourage my friends and family
To refrain from tearing others down
And to share the love of God with the world
I resolve today to grow as a leader
And accept the mantle of responsibility He has placed on me
Both in the present with my peers and family
And the in the future with my wife and children
I resolve to support my brothers in Christ
I will hold them accountable to do what is right
I will be open with them about my struggles
And I will lift them up in daily prayer and encouragement
I resolve today to put my relationship with God first
I will hide God’s word in my heart daily
I will seek to know Him through prayer
Living as a true warrior for Jesus Christ
God, we pray that you will help us to hold to this pledge...raise up these young men to be the fathers, husbands, leaders and ministers that are so desperately needed in these evil days.
Friday, December 30, 2011
The Gospel According to Children
This is the Gospel! When you see the story of Jesus Christ through the eyes of an innocent child, you see how gloriously simple it is. Jesus came to this world, leaving his perfect home, to embrace a broken, dying world. He lifted up the poor. He restored relationships. He ended strife. He was perfect. And just when it seemed like all was lost, he defeated death once and for all. All it takes is accepting it. Kids get it. And when all start to get it, it looks like the last minute or so if this video. Life is a joy to live!
This band has absolutely wrecked me the last couple of days! So glad God has allowed me to come across them and be blessed by their music. I leave you with a prayer from their song "Broken Bread":
I will not fight you
Take me past the line that my heart draws
I will not fight you
Take me beyond the laziness of my thoughts
I will not fight
Lead me further than I've gone before
I will not fight you
Amen!
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