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In God We Trust?

11/2/2020

Psalm 46 says,

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Read that again if you must.

Read it over and over and over and over and over.

"Though the earth give way"

God is not concerned.

"Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts."

God is not afraid.

Here is the major question every election cycle proposes to the Church:

Do you honestly believe that God is who He says He is?

I understand that this is a Psalm. There is poetic language being used to describe God's power and how He interacts in the world... but perhaps that is actually where we will find His truest description.

To believe in a sovereign God, to be a person or a people group that claims, "In God We Trust" means to be a community that knows that He is not only in control over the earth... but that He is the only One who is in control. Only God has royal dominion over all. Satan has been bound. His minions are subjected to futility. His days are numbered. His power is waning.

There is a huge difference in believing, "God is in control" and professing that "ONLY God is in control". I wish I heard more of the latter these days. But I fear that we have forgotten some core truths of Scripture.

Do not forget that when the nations are conspiring against Him... He laughs. (Psalm 2)
- He LAUGHS at the pretentious plans of the self-described great and powerful!
Do not forget that the movements of the nations are like drops of water in a bucket. They are nothing more than dust collecting on a scale, a mere grain of sand. (Isaiah 40)
Do not forget that when He lifts His voice, the earth melts. (Psalm 46)
Do not forget the proclamation of Job, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” ( Job 42:2)
Do not forget that , “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” (Psalm 115:3)
Do not forget that He is building His Church, and He has built His church under the nose of the Roman Empire. Nothing, not the iron fist of Rome, the depravity of Medieval Europe, not Iron Curtain of Communism, nor the nuclear weapons of 21st Century empires... not even the gates of Hell can overcome the Church of Jesus Christ on earth!

Most of American Christianity has tied their convictions into the political system.

We made political power our hope and now God is smashing that idol before us, while laying bare the blatant compromise.

Let’s just be clear, neither of these candidates are our savior.

Some will say that one side represents pure evil while the other is just impolite. Others will condemn the past actions and character flaws of one while pointing out the cleaned-up, nice-guy charm of the other.

Donald Trump did not die on a cross for you. He cannot, he will not, fix the broken fabric of our humanity. The cataclysmic fervor that surrounds him, and the narcissism he charades is idolatrous and betrays our witness as worshipers of The Lamb that was slain.

We remember that in many ways, it is taking the form of what Trump would define as "a loser", that actually leads to life, and life abundantly.

Joe Biden cannot fix the deepest longings in your heart. He cannot, he will not, give you meaning or purpose to your life.

He is not the one who can rescue the "soul of our nation". To honestly say that and believe it is also idolatrous.
No matter how much he promises, the reality is that puppet strings are being pulled and the curtain will eventually be drawn.

Millions of Americans will or have already gone to the polls to cast their votes. Thousands of Christians will vote for one, believing that God told them to do so; and thousands of Christians will vote for the other believing that God also told them to do so.

All around us the arguments are being made. Prosperity is promised. Fairness is promised. Justice is promised.

I pray that as Election night comes closer with each passing second the one promise that will be pulled up from the recesses of our hearts is not from a TV ad, but rather from a 2000 year old preacher in Galilee:

"If anyone would come after me, they must take up their cross and follow me."

We’re preoccupied with little things that in comparison to the mission that God has given us are microscopic.

The state of the economy is but a blip on the majesty of the mission, because Christ is our perfect and constant provider.

The balance of the Supreme Court is but a fragment on the scales of justice in God’s Kingdom, because Christ is our righteous Judge.

COVID, though deadly, is powerless compared to the breath of life God can give.

There are a few hard truths that I hope to express in this.

First, church... we need to stop being afraid of worldly powers. Your God is in perfect control.
Do you remember His command to us? The most commonly spoken promise-filled mandate made in the entirety of the Scriptures is to, "NOT BE AFRAID". When the world threatens God or tries to replace Him, he laughs. He confuses their tongues and destroys their towers. He makes kingdoms rise and fall.

He determines the very next breath of any ruler...

Do you really think that if the "other" guy wins an election God will be too overwhelmed to actually continue to grow His church?
Or is it because you don't actually care about the things that God cares about?
- Are you too consumed with how your wallet feels or what your bank account looks like than you are about the millions of people living without the Gospel?
- Do you actually care about helping people...or do you need to vote for the socialization of welfare simply to make yourself feel more self-actualized?
- Are you more passionate about keeping jobs for yourselves than you are about providing opportunities for oppressed people to find their next meal?
- Do you pray for the wealthy who "need to pay their fair share", and ask God to change their hearts, or do you take pride in being the resounding gong demanding more economic equality just because you are jealous of others' success?

And before you attack my rhetoric in those four assumptions... let it sink in. Chances are good that at least some of that is true in all of us.

I believe Scripture defines that any decision made in fear is not only sinful from a lack of faith and trust in God's will; but also is idolatrous, placing our feelings above God's wisdom.

Paul tells us to not be anxious about ANYTHING.

Every command in Scripture is rooted in who God is. So if He tells us to not be afraid, to not be anxious, it is because He is the epitome of peace. He is the fullest expression of security.

You can rest in that. Really.

Why do we have no gods above the Creator revealed to us in Scripture? Because He has no God's above Him.
Why do we not commit adultery? Because God is faithful.
Why do we not steal? Because God is trustworthy.
Etc.
So why should we not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God? Because He isn't anxious or surprised by anything, and He is our peace.

Second, our political allegiances can no longer be defined as a voting block or political group... we don't follow a donkey or an elephant. We follow a LION, who is hungry for our allegiance. Jesus isn't attached to one political party over the other. He challenged every political system of his day...which is why they united in sentencing him to death. For hundreds of years, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Herodians all chided each other about everything; but with Jesus they all found fault and all presented him to Rome to be executed. Amazingly, he never defended himself, he never fought. He didn't play their game. He walked through death into a whole new life and by doing so He opened the door for all of humanity to follow Him. He is a lion who actually resembles a slain, yet resurrected lamb.

Church, we win when we stop worrying about tomorrow.
We win when we stop being so concerned with how big our churches are or how many rights we can take advantage of.
We win when we look like Jesus.
We win when we pick up our crosses and follow Him into the dark valley of the shadow of death.
We win by going about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world not being worthy of us. (Hebrews 11:37b-38)

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done."

- Hebrews 12:14-17

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Let them who have eyes to read, see; and those who have hearts to perceive, understand.

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Longing For Meaning - Advent 2018

12/3/2018

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Advent: the season which begins the New Year in the church liturgical calendar. It beckons us, no, requires us to pause and look. Look at what it is that we really want.

I thought I knew. This year has been so very crazy. I made some decisions that led me to believe I was getting exactly what I wanted... and yet... still some emptiness. What’s worse is that I know I hurt others along the way. This Advent, *I* need to reflect, *I* need a Messiah.

I am longing for redemption. I am longing for some kind of meaning beyond this emptiness that I feel. This year, well these last few years, have been soul-trying. My flesh and my heart feel like they are failing. Every morning though, I am reminded that He is faithful, and this season of my life will be redeemed.

As a child, what we really desire is presents under the tree. Maybe like young Ralphie, all we wanted was that Red Ryder BB gun.

Then, in what feels like a blink, we look down at our aged hands and realize the passing shadow that is life; has left us wrinkled, calloused, and dry.

Too weary to look up, a tree full of ornaments and memories but empty of purpose looms while it seems everyone else is joyful and happy. We look through picture albums and old journals in our attempt to experience *something* this Christmas season.

Maybe you are there this Christmas season, because you realize this is the first Christmas without Mom. Maybe this is the first Christmas without children under your roof.
Maybe this is the first Christmas you are alone... or the first Christmas where your loneliness is finally catching up to you.
Maybe this is the first Christmas in a new place, away from family, away from friends.
Maybe, this is the first Christmas at church that you don't feel at home on Sunday mornings anymore. Change has removed the traditions you held most dear.

All we want this Christmas is purpose. We want to experience...something meaningful.
For those of you, like me, who are longing for meaning... be reminded that God has not left you.
His presence, though not entirely felt, is here.

"Here". Wherever "Here" is for you.

In Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul writes these words to the Church in Ephesus:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen.
(vs.14-21 NIV)

I love this passage, it is Paul's written prayer for his brothers and sisters who he loved so much. It is a beautiful wish.

A few years ago, I noticed something about this passage. The literary context of this prayer, to me, is a game changer.

"that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" is directly related to the reason Paul wrote this.

So often we overlook how passages begin. I know I do. Here he says, "For this reason I kneel..."

What reason?

It is given to us in verse 12: God's presence with us through Jesus Christ. Paul is talking about the knowledge of God's presence with us.

And so, if this Christmas season you just "aren't feeling it". I ask, what is it that you are really wanting?

All sense of unsatisfaction is rooted in something much deeper... What is it that you were wishing for this Christmas? What is it that I am wishing?

Is it deliverance? Because God's answer is Himself, the rescuer of mankind refuses to leave us where He found us. He will take you in as a son or daughter, place a ring on your finger, dress you in a purple robe and we will feast and celebrate the great saving love He has for you. (Luke 15)

Is it a knowledge that you are loved? Because God's answer is again, Himself, love incarnate. He gifts you His very own body, His very own being of love. It's yours. It's mine.

Is it acceptance? Is it any surprise that the bloody, beaten image of God the Son hanging on a cross, after being rejected by His people, beaten, and humiliated has His arms wide open accepting you... accepting me. God Has given us Himself. And in every one of these ways... God has gifted us His presence with us. In our sin. In our shame. In our desperation. In our tears. In our anxiety. He whispers PEACE into our chaos.

Until we see God as the present, involved, loving, relational Father He is, and not as just a cosmic force, we will always feel some kind of un-satisfaction in our relationship with Him.

Maybe, just maybe, that will help us with all of the other things in our life that keep us from experiencing all that this season can bring. No, I’m not downplaying any of our pains or offering a one-all solution to the real things we feel every waking moment... but perhaps this is a first step we can all take at searching for our Messiah this Advent.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine... may He bring us His peace, His love, and His very presence.

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Advent 2017

11/30/2017

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For a lot of people, Christmas is not always the “most wonderful time of the year.” Between visiting family, buying presents, sending out Christmas cards, and everything else; what is supposed to be a special time can turn into a hectic and stressful few weeks.

Interference. Inconvenience. And if your family who will gather this year will be talking about the recent state of political affairs… Well, intolerance too.

For others this is a season that used to mean so much because of the people that made it so special, but maybe this year you will be gathering around an empty chair that shouldn’t be empty.

And yet Christmas is coming. How do we get through situations like this? How do we move past the pain, the fear, the busyness of life, and somehow be people of hope?

There is a tradition within the Christian faith that calls us all to slow down and think from a larger picture. This tradition is slowly making a comeback and in my opinion is long overdue. We call it Advent.

Advent is a time for a humility check. It’s been a crazy year. We’ve had our culture’s heroes brought back down to earth amid all of the scandals. We’ve had a lot of fear to behold as the world seems to continue spinning into darker and darker days… (Here’s looking at you North Korea.)

We’ve lost people this year.
We’ve broken things this year.
We’ve experienced shame and moments of depression.

We’ve collectively mourned the deaths of innocent lives, of police officers, of soldiers.

We have made mistakes.
We have hurt people, and we have been hurt.

Some of us have had the best year of our lives, and it is so easy to forget how we got to where we are.

As Father Time continues to flip the pages of our calendars this moment is needed to pause and be able to look inside ourselves and understand that none of us have made it to our destination yet. We are all, like Paul, straining towards what’s ahead.

Our world is dark and chaotic. Among all of our happy moments and victories this year, we have also, all of us, experienced heartache and pain. Some of us may be facing Christmas this year with a family one less than last year. Perhaps the year was financially straining. Divorce. Rebellion. Death. Sin. Breakups. Fear. Our world is under a dark shadow of terrorism. Our nation is divided like never before over political partisanship. In the midst of all our darkness we find ourselves singing the chorus of the martyrs, “How long, Oh Lord? Come Lord Jesus!”

So this year, just as a star guided the wise men from the East to the baby King, I want to step back and let an ancient tradition be our guide through this season. For we are all seeking the Presence of our God this Christmas.

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine… For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod… For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” –Isaiah 9:2-6

So what is Advent?

Advent is a strange word to us. It sounds incomplete, like someone was trying to say “adventure” or “Adventist” but didn’t finish the word out. What’s up with the strange word and the strange candle lighting thing anyway?

In the midst of “Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays!” and the fifth time you heard jingle bells being sung today, this Christmas season can begin to feel like a blur. You force yourself to smile and fake a laugh because you’re supposed to be happy. It is after of course, “the Happ-Happiest season of all!”

Children sing about joy and Hallmark movies make life seem so perfect, and yet our lives feel anything but. Advent allows us to embrace the angst. It allows us to reflect in a way that might feel somber. It allows us to be transparent about what we really feel. Advent beckons us to come before God with honesty and tell him that 2017 left some scars. Sure, He already knows, but instead of the pressure of mimicking jolly old Santa, Advent asks us questions that permeate more than just sentimental feelings. It asks us what life really is. It acknowledges the darkness that still plagues us, but it points us to a source of light.

We lament through this darkness so we might better prepare our minds and hearts for the coming of Jesus. Advent, which is the Latin word for “Coming”, is perhaps one of the oldest Christian traditions. Some suggest it was founded even by the Apostles, that once a year Christians would set aside a prolonged period of time and remember the first coming of Christ, the darkness that surrounded the world so tightly until light came. Advent doesn’t stop there though, if it did there would really be no difference between generic Christmas celebrations and this life giving exercise. There are three meanings of ‘coming’ that Christians describe in Advent. The first, and most thought of, happened about 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby to live as a man and die for us. We remember the whole story: the angst of His coming, the way in which He came, and the mark He left on the world. The second can happen now as Jesus comes into our lives to live and reign through His Spirit, this is His work in and through His church. The third will happen in the future when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge, when everything that is wrong will be made right and all sorrow will be wiped away by His tender hands.

Doesn’t that just breathe hope?

We are living in an opportunistic, individualistic, consumer driven culture. The calendar has merged into sales peaks. Black Friday has completely engulfed Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday has become everyone’s favorite day of the year, and now Small Business Saturday has made its mark. Where is Jesus? Where is reflection? Where is mercy, compassion, justice for the oppressed? If we don’t take a more aggressive and even offensive stance, we will always end up getting swallowed up by the deluge of what the culture is purporting: more, more, more.

If one were to go onto any financial website, all one would read right now are the predictions for the spending of this year’s holiday season and to make sure you get your tax break by giving to charity. We’re living in a culture that’s all about consumerism, and it ends up steamrolling the end of the year. Even churches jump in on it, asking for extra end-of-year donations.

With a blink of an eye all of a sudden, Thanksgiving and Christmas become a blur of craziness. Then we’re left, barely standing, holding a candle at church on Christmas Eve thinking, “Oh yeah, it really was all about the night when Christ was born.”

While the world celebrates Santa Claus, Eggnog, great sales, and high energy festivities, WE reflect on the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

You might be thinking, “We have Charlie Brown for that thank you very much!” And of course by reading the true story of Christmas found in Luke 2 we can in fact focus where we ought to be. The Christmas season is supposed to be more than just a story though. It is supposed to be a beckon into a new way of life. In our world, December 25th has become less and less about hope, peace, joy, and love and has become more and more about presents, lights, and the color of Starbucks’ cups.

When we recover Advent, we are reminded that this season is about a promise that God is going to do what God has promised He is going to do… and He’s going to do that for every single one of us.

Though Advent is the traditional start of the Church liturgical calendar, this season was eventually placed at the end of the year in our culture’s calendar so that we could invite everyone to remember all the moments that Christ “came” throughout the past year.

And He did come to you.

He came in the same ways He always has. In those moments when we least expected Him, in the most unforeseen ways, and when, whether we realized it or not, we needed Him most.

This time of the year is a 4 week long moment to remember His faithfulness.

In the hubbub of the rush and the noise this season brings, there is something refreshing, as well as a deep type of connection with our past when we slow down, when we pause in our efforts, and reflect on all the ways Christ has offered Himself, and His presence throughout our year to us and to those around us.

Advent isn’t a celebration, though it can quickly become one. Advent is truly a time of mourning, of angst, as we prepare for the Christmas feast and the honor we bestow upon our King and Redeemer. It is a season where we dig deep into our roots as Christ’s Body on earth and we continue in a practice of humility, repentance, and worship. This tradition is as ancient as the words of our favorite carols. This tradition is as sacred as our opening of presents on Christmas morning. However, this tradition may just be the most important thing you observe this year.

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A New Way of Being Human

11/16/2017

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We talk of new things a whole lot in our culture. Newness is often understood as better. Though I would venture not everyone shares that value, and there are plenty of things we could point to that actually got worse as it became new, there are many things that this idea is of course pretty accurate. For example, electronics. I don’t know of anyone who craves the big box TVs over our slick new flatscreens, the old car phone versus the new smartphones, or the room sized computers versus the iPad. For most things in our lives today, the newer the item, oftentimes the upgrades and lack of wear and tear, do actually make it better.

What many of us don’t take time to think about is that it was a long, drawn out, very meticulous process for that new and better item to get into our hands.

The Bible speaks about a newness of life that the Gospel ushers in. It speaks of a life made new when Jesus is at the center of it. A whole section of the Bible is organized into this framework, as the New Covenant, or New Testament is seen as better than the Old Testament or Old Covenant. We see the New writings of the apostles and disciples explain how Jesus makes everything better. We see the actions of Christ and His Church take the commands and structures of the Old Testament law and writings and make them better.

Jesus himself says of his own ministry, “Behold I am making all things… New.”

So what does that actually look like?

New things require time, energy, and patience to wade through the process.

But when we do, we notice something about this Jesus.

“Christ showed us an entirely new way of being human.” - Maximus the Confessor

Jesus is not just interested in getting you or me to heaven. He is interested in transforming us into an entirely new way of living… of being… He wants to redefine what our humanity is.

At the very core of what makes us… us. That is what He wants to transform. That is the system upgrade He desires for our hearts, that is the what He longs to reassemble and make better.

I have been currently wrestling with what this means for my life in the here and now. My mind has been stirring and keeping me up through the middle of the night with this question burning in my brain: When do we live? This is when I stumbled upon a blog post by Pastor and author Brian Zahnd who asked the same question and experienced a similar restlessness over the answer and consequences to that answer.

If salvation is primarily a ticket to heaven when we die, wouldn’t the answer to the question, “When do we live?” be, “When we die”?

Brian believes that answer is unsatisfactory, in fact it is antithetical to the Gospel.

That doesn’t make much sense to me when I read about Jesus’ ministry. He came to bring life, life more abundantly. He said the Kingdom of Heaven was actively present among them, not some far off event when everyone dies.

I also believe Paul and the other apostles would balk at that idea… and yet, this is the major belief among most church goers. We need to escape the world and attain life in heaven… after we die. This is why escapism beliefs about the end times are so popular. But the Bible doesn’t back these beliefs up.

I think the answer to the question when do we live? can be answered this way:

We live when we discover the new way to be human in Christ.

I’m still left wondering, “How do we actually experience this new way of being human?”

I will be exploring some of my ideas of how we can experience this new way of being human, but first I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts?

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500 Years Later... The Reformation

10/31/2017

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In the Spirit of Martin Luther I was planning on writing a few theses for the Church today, from my vantage point, thoughts I have that I think would be good to be thought through, examined and perhaps implemented in order to further the Gospel both wider across the divides we have with other people as well as deeper within our own hearts.

As I sought to write out some thoughts I came across an article by Titus Benton. He said everything and then some in a thoughtful and helpful way. I encourage you to click pause on your reading of this and follow this link:

https://tituslive.com/2017/10/30/9-5-theses-for-today/

So, while I was planning on writing something to commemorate what tomorrow means while also asking us (the Church) to ponder what we need to do today... I do not need to write it, because Titus nailed every single one of these on the proverbial head.

May we not just nail these 9.5 theses to our Facebook walls, but the Wittenberg door of our hearts and minds.

With that in mind, I also wanted to give some thoughts on what this 500th year commemorates.

If ever there was a moment where it can be said the modern world was born, and where the future itself was born, surely it was on that church door in the small German city of Wittenberg.

Americans owe a great debt of gratitude to the monk from Germany. The American experiment would never have happened without the ideas that Luther's movement allowed to take root. For that, I am thankful.

And most importantly, if you are a Christian... Catholic or Protestant, Luther without question restored the truth of Justification to the Church and gave the Scriptures back to the people. For that I rejoice.

To an extent, I also mourn, for though I believe fervently that the Reformation was necessary and good, it also opened the door to many schisms within the church. It entrenched many God fearing people against each other, and has caused harm to witness of Christ on earth. I pray for the day when we can be united once again in truth, peace, and love.

I yearn for the heart of Martin Luther at the front end of his ministry, one that sought for reform and redemption with our Mother Church. I pray also to see that unity once again within my lifetime.

May the Protest end, and Reform open up the new door of Reunification.

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Another Election Post: Part 1

10/11/2016

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Church, it is time we had a chat.

I realize that I will not make many friends by sharing this, but that’s ok in my book. Something has been brewing in my mind for some time now and I know that I am not alone.

It boils down to this idol of nationalism that we have all bowed down to for far too long. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my country. I take pride in being an American citizen and I have the utmost respect for those who have defended her and promoted our 240 year experiment.

But we have a problem.

The elephant (and donkey) in the room have gone unspoken about for too long.

Yes, this is another election post.

I can’t go on any social media forum anymore without seeing some post from another Christian saying that we’re all doomed if so-and-so is elected. I understand that politics is an emotionally charged topic. It is a powerful topic. Politics has the power pull out the deepest philosophies and values we hold most dear as humans, as Americans, and as Christians.

It also has the power to divide us instead of bring us together.

Both sides think the absolute worst will happen if the other side wins. There is absolutely no way to have any consensus. Gone are the days where the losing side took the loss in stride and went back to work for the people who elected them. Now? An election loss only fuels the bludgeoning and finger pointing.

It is now impossible to have an opinion on something without being thrown under the bus by others who feel they must comment. A Republican who points out the flaws of their candidate in a matter of seconds can get run over by a train of insults and charges of supporting the Democrats.

A Democrat who points out the flaws of their candidate is immediately outed as helping to elect a “demagogue” and is forced to hide from the ensuing witch hunt.

This isn’t CNN. This is Facebook.

This isn’t a banter between politicians. These are comments from Christians.

Most of American Christianity have tied their convictions into the political system. Making political power their hope and now God is smashing that idol before us while laying bare the blatant compromise.

Let’s just be clear, neither of these candidates are our savior. Donald Trump did not die on a cross for you. He cannot, he will not, fix the broken fabric of our humanity. Hillary Clinton cannot fix the deepest longings in your heart. She cannot, she will not, give you meaning or purpose to your life.
On November 8th, millions of Americans will go to the polls to cast their votes. Thousands of Christians will vote for one believing that God told them to do so, and thousands of Christians will vote for the other believing that God told them to do so.

NEWSFLASH:

God is not conflicted. He isn’t torn apart over this and he isn’t confused. He knows who will be the next President, and there is nothing you or I can do to surprise Him.

God isn’t on YOUR side either. He isn’t interested in being a Republican or a Democrat.

When I realized this I was reminded of a passage in the Old Testament.
God had given Joshua the command and the charge to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Through Moses, Joshua was commissioned take the land and settle it. Joshua knew His mission, He knew God was behind it, and He knew that God would lead them to victory. Yet, when facing Jericho, Joshua halted. That’s when the LORD appeared to him:

When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?”
“Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the LORD’s army.”

-Joshua 5:13-14 NLT

In other words, Joshua is asking this man, “Whose side are you on? My side? Or their side?” And he is given the reply, “Neither, I know who I am. The question is, who are you?”

Joshua then falls to his knees and submits to this Man.

Joshua needed his mind reoriented. This was never about him. This wasn’t even about Israel. It has always been about what God is doing in His universe. God does not HAVE a candidate. God is who He is. It isn’t about picking a side for Him. He is concerned only with His Glory, and He is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him.

The hunch I get though is that the Church is not satisfied in Him much at all.

We’re preoccupied with little things that in comparison to the mission that God has given us are microscopic.

The state of the economy is but a blip on the majesty of the mission, because Christ is our perfect and constant provider.
The balance of the Supreme Court is but a fragment on the scales of justice in God’s Kingdom, because Christ is our righteous Judge.
The rise of ISIS is but a thorn in the side when it comes to our witness or our safety, because Christ is our defender.

Church, stop being afraid of worldly powers. Your God is in perfect control.

Viewing political power as the solution to the world's problems is a devious form of worldliness to which Christians have been blind.
— Joshua Harris (@HarrisJosh) October 8, 2016

PART TWO TOMORROW...

Weigh in!

-----

Nathan Bryant

is a pastor in East Orlando, FL. He loves the outdoors, whether it is camping in the mountains or jumping through the waves at the beach, nothing is better than enjoying God’s creation. Nathan longs for unity and commitment to Jesus to be a defining element in the global church of his generation.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.

Follow him on Twitter:

Nathan's Website

1 Comment

Wake Up!

8/2/2016

3 Comments

The events of the last few weeks from Orlando to Istanbul, North Korea to Louisiana, Baghdad to the Carolinas, Nairobi to Washington DC; the racism, the hatred, the pain and distress... People acting as if they are above the law, people for whom the law doesn't protect, people for whom the law directly opposes and ostracizes...

It all goes to show one thing very clearly: Our World is Broken

And all that we are doing; our institutions, our nonprofits, our attempts at peace... they just aren't working.

The battle truly begins not with legislation, but in the hearts of men.

The prophet Jeremiah said of our condition this:

"The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?"

Answer: Only God. For He is the one who searches hearts and minds. He examines our secret motives and He gives us exactly what we deserve.

But God never intended to leave us in that place of despair. So many of us walk around as if that is the ultimate truth, that mankind is wicked, beyond any kind of repair or redemption.

But God sent Himself to come and redeem ALL of that which was broken... and there is only One who came to re-create the heart.

He taught us that loving our neighbors and loving our enemies would bring peace.

He taught us that hurt is not something we "get over", but something we can stand up on top of, something that we can conquer.

He taught us that revenge doesn't heal the hurt or the longing but that redemption does.

He taught us that real love is self-sacrificial, not selfish.

He taught us that wealth and power fades, money is fickle, but that holiness stores up endless dividends.

He taught us that all life matters to God, ESPECIALLY the lives of the poor, oppressed, despondent, and ostracized.

He taught us that the Kingdoms of this world will always fail at giving humanity its deepest longing.

He taught us to pray with true expectant hope.

He taught us to take care of each other and look out not for our own interests but also the interests of others.

He taught us that loving God means loving others.

Church, the world won't wake up to the notion that Jesus' way is better until WE start living like we truly believe His ways are better.

The world needs Jesus. They need His salvation. They need His peace. They need His way of life.

They need Eden restored.

We aren't called to live like this to earn salvation.

We are called to live like this so that salvation can truly work within us and through us, to change us.

1.) We live differently, because the world needs us to.

The object of our denying of self is to call a dying world back to our lifesource. It is to live the Gospel of Christ out in our every breath. It is so that WE as a people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God can show others a better way, the way of Christ.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

- 1 Peter 2:9-12 NLT

2.) We live differently because we grow from it too.

The goal of the Christian is to become conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). Spiritual formation is the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others. When we intentionally live on mission and mirroring what we see Christ doing more and more it becomes habitual. We become better. Our hearts are more malleable to the call of God. We hear God's Spirit more clearly.

We are justified by faith... but we become holy not by thinking right thoughts, but by living out what God calls us to.

Jesus wasn't a theologian locked in a library, he was a practitioner... and He calls us to the same.

It is living in cruciformity, for our betterment.

So, how can you start, today?

Say hi to your next door neighbor. Get to know their name and their story.
Buy coffee for a stranger.
By all means, pray. Pray for wisdom and for guidance. Pray that God melts your heart for the people who He loves.
Read the Bible. Start with a Gospel (Matthew is a good one!) Put into practice what you read about.
Show kindness to the girl at work who gets under your skin.
Sit with the kid that no one likes.
Buy lunch for a homeless man.

Those are suggestions for starting points, what would you add?

3 Comments

Orlando, the beautiful

6/16/2016

1 Comment

I have found myself with a loss of words when it comes to the events of the last few days.

I have struggled to put the few thoughts I do have into any kind of comprehensive sentence.

But here is my best attempt.

I do not want to insult any specific person or community by pretending to know what the full weight of this attack feels like. We are all victims to an extent. I am, to an extent simply because of geography, and thus have some heavy emotions regarding the entire tragedy...

But I realize this was not an attack on me.

This was a deliberate, intensive, hate-filled assault on a specific community of people who have been ostracized, abused, segregated, and made to feel like second class citizens simply because of how they identify sexually.

I have been on the street. I have walked past Pulse nightclub. I know people who attend events there. I know people who work there. I have friends who have been forever impacted by the events of this weekend.

This was evil in its most blatant form, coming out into the open, for the eyes, ears, and attention of the entire world.

One man with a heart full of hate, of fear, and of anger was able to cause so much hurt

In the Gospels, there is a story. A story of a Pharisee and a tax collector.
It's a simple parable, but one that is played out on a regular basis even in our world today...

“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Certainly the text tells us a lot, but the imagery is what I want to focus on here. The man who actually prayed, instead of spewing a hate filled speech to onlookers, the man who humbled himself, the man who was ostracized, rejected, and even publicly shamed just seconds before was the one whom God honored.

God didn't even recognize the Pharisee, as morally accurate his statement MAY have been (and that is a stretch), it came from a calloused, hard heart.

Jesus condemns this attitude over and over again in the Gospel accounts.

What's my point?

Our facebook posts and tweets are not enough. It is time for Christians to ACTUALLY pray... and let your prayers become active.

Prayer without any type of action would be a foreign concept to the early church. The Lord's Prayer, found in Matthew 6, is all about asking God to lead us to ACT.

When is the last time you expressed a genuine love for someone you disagreed with?

When is the last time you showered the same kind of love you have for your family onto someone who is different than you?

Words have life. Words mean something, but they are also at times hollow.

Our words become hollow when we only seem to care about the LGBTQ+ community after a tragedy.

Our words become hollow when we say we are praying for people one day, and the next are back to spewing the same hate filled, self-righteous speech that led to much of their oppression in the first place.

And it's time to be honest: The church has been oppressive with its language and activity against this specific community.

We may have severe disagreements. But that is OK.

This is not the time to argue over a lifestyle choice. This is not the time to weaponize Scripture. This is not the time to become political, blame guns, religion, terrorists, or judges.

This is a moment to weep, grieve, do some deep soul searching, and BE.

Be a human being. Be broken with this community. Be transparent with yourself and with us.

This is a time where the church needs to look more like Jesus and less like the Pharisee praying aloud for all to hear.

Changing your profile picture is nice.
Saying you will pray for people is great.
Using one of the many hashtags to convey your care is awesome.
Sending some money is wonderful.
To the thousands who stood in line to donate blood, you are truly remarkable human beings for braving the heat and giving of yourself in such an intimate way.
By all means, PRAY. Please pray. Pray for my city. Pray for my brothers and sisters. Pray for the LGBTQ+ community. Prayer is THE most important thing you can do for us right now. Prayer works. Prayer is what everyone MUST start with.

But don't stop there: Your prayers ring hollow if your heart is still hardened.

We need to rise above that, because when the dust settles, when the news crews leave, when the investigation is over, and life attempts to crawl back to some type of normalcy... There is still a gaping hole.

There is a hole never before felt by all who were intimately affected.
There is a hole in all of our hearts that fear slowly seeps into.
I have read too many tweets of friends who are afraid to go to work, go to the movie theater, even... go to church because of these events.
Our theme parks have just installed extra security and are now doing more and more metal detections and bag searches.
There is a hole, because something was taken from us. A long time ago something was taken from us all.

We, the Church, the incarnation of Christ into this world, the bearers of God Himself, the people redeemed, the Royal Priesthood, the Bride and body of Jesus Himself... have a mission. We have been given the mission of reconciliation... and when it comes to certain communities among us, we have done just the opposite.

Christ has come to fill the hole. Christ came to bridge the gap.

God is reconciling the world to Himself, and I wonder if He is waiting for us to join Him instead of fighting against Him.

This isn't a plea to rid yourself of biblical convictions.

This is a plea to turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and ask deep down, what you believe Jesus would say to these people that we have done all we can at times to oppress.

It honestly doesn't matter what you believe is true about how a Christian should live: We haven't even invited these people to be part of our community. We have no right to impose a moralistic standard on people who we have no spiritual relationship with. We have no right to demand a conversation about theological implications of anything...because we have never extended our hand into a relationship.

We are never called to sacrifice anybody on the altar of truth. Rather to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of love.

The conversation MUST change.

Candles lit the darkness and a chilling silence filled the air as the bell tower rang for each of the 50 victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. #OrlandoUnited

It is one thing to dialogue about what the Bible says, it is an entirely different thing to be bigoted.

What we have forgotten, church is that people are made in the image of God. They are loved by Him. No matter where they are in life. No matter their decisions in life.

Because we all are in process. The only person who can claim perfection in God's eyes was God Himself... and He gave Himself up for imperfect people.

All people have one thing in common: We all are looking for acceptance and love.

We claim that we have found the One who is all loving and all accepting. We believe that He has accepted us. When will we be willing to extend that grace to others?

Really extend it. Not superficially. Fully.

--------

Finally, I must come to grips with my own self. I would be completely hypocritical to call for such a thing by the church without first recognizing my own part in the conversation thus far. I haven't always been loving. I have in the past, wrestled with the same Pharisaical spirit as the man in the parable. I have used Scripture as a weapon, and I have hurt people with my rhetoric.

For this, and so many other things, I am sorry. If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community I want you to know that I am sorry, deeply. And this should have been said long ago, not only after such a horrendous tragedy: I hope you can forgive me.

I also hope that this will not be my words ringing hollow, but that I will become an active part of the conversation of love.

We will still find plenty to disagree about. We will all still wrestle with the theological implications of how sexuality is lived out in the Church. That is OK, because love is love is love is love is love is love... and the fact that we see the world differently is what makes our solidarity so much more beautiful. My promise is that I will never attack your humanity. I will never allow our differences to make me think less of your dignity as a person loved by and adored by our Creator.

Furthermore, I will call out the hate and fear mongers within my community and do all I can to change the conversation.

I hope it is not too late for me, for us. We have done a poor job of showing it, we have done an even worse job at reaching out to tell you... but I want you to know that we love you.

We love because we have been shown love.

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.

1 John 4:7-19 NLT

And to the LGBTQ+ community,

Please understand where we are coming from, not just what you have always heard, not what the uneducated angry street preachers and greedy televangelists promote. Please take a look at WHY we believe what we believe, and please help us have a conversation with you and your community.

-----

Nathan Bryant

is a pastor at River Run Church in East Orlando, FL. As a student at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri he majored in Biblical Leadership, New Testament Studies, and Missiology. In 2014 he attended the Leadership Institute in Phoenix, AZ where he continued his education from other pastors and educators at one of the fastest growing churches in the United States. He loves the outdoors, whether it is camping in the mountains or jumping through the waves at the beach, nothing is better than enjoying God’s creation. Nathan longs for unity and commitment to Jesus to be a defining element in the global church of his generation.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.

Follow him on Twitter: Follow @nathanpbryant

1 Comment

10 Passages That Will Challenge Your Understanding of Grace

5/24/2016

1 Comment

It is so easy for us to forget the love that first called us. It is so easy to get a little worn down by the culture around us... how much more does it hurt when other Christians hurt us? Life is hard.

It is even harder when living with a faulty understanding of grace. And so many of us do. Somewhere in the middle of the mess of our Christianity is Jesus and He is destroying the lies we have so often believed about Him.

It's amazing what happens when we put aside everything we have always been taught about the Scriptures and let the Scriptures speak for themselves.

Now, in no way am I saying there is not a place for exposition. My personal area of closest study is in hermeneutics (that is: the art and science of explaining and pulling meaning out of ancient texts, the interpretation of texts). But the number one rule of a good hermeneutic is asking, "What does the text plainly say?"

Sadly it is the rule that we most overlook.

So today, in place of a blog on some spiritual principle, theological issue, or my own exposition on Scripture I offer this collection of 10 passages that I hope you will read and think about.

Pray through these passages.

Wrestle with them.

Let them speak.

And let them challenge every part of you.

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
-Romans 5:20-21

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

-Romans 3:23-26

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.
-Titus 3:4-7

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

-Titus 2:11-14

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
-Romans 5:1-2

All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

-2 Corinthians 4:15

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

-2 Corinthians 12:8-9

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

-Hebrews 4:14-16

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.

-1 Peter 5:10

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

-Ephesians 2:4-9

“Grace, then, is grace,–that is to say, it is sovereign, it is free, it is sure, it is unconditional, and it is everlasting.”

~ Alexander Whyte

-----

Nathan Bryant

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our causes.

Christ's Kingdom is bigger than our boundaries.

Follow him on Twitter: Follow @nathanpbryant

Nathan's Website

1 Comment

Currently Under Construction

12/30/2015

2 Comments

I am currently moving my blog to this site, all former posts over the last five years can still be found at insideoverneath.com

-Nate

2 Comments

Paths In the Desert

Nathan Bryant

is a pastor and Bible teacher in North Orlando, FL. He is married to the love of his life, Hannah. He loves the outdoors, whether it is camping in the mountains or jumping through the waves at the beach, nothing is better than enjoying God’s creation. Nathan longs for unity and commitment to Jesus to be a defining element in the global church of his generation.

In God We Trust?

Do you honestly believe that God is who He says He is?

Most of American Christianity has tied their convictions into the political system.

We made political power our hope and now God is smashing that idol before us, while laying bare the blatant compromise.

Longing For Meaning - Advent 2018

Advent 2017

A New Way of Being Human

“Christ showed us an entirely new way of being human.” - Maximus the Confessor

We live when we discover the new way to be human in Christ.

500 Years Later... The Reformation

Another Election Post: Part 1

Wake Up!

Orlando, the beautiful

10 Passages That Will Challenge Your Understanding of Grace

Currently Under Construction

I am currently moving my blog to this site, all former posts over the last five years can still be found at insideoverneath.com

-Nate

Paths In the Desert

Nathan Bryant

Archives

Categories

​Do you honestly believe that God is who He says He is?

Most of American Christianity has tied their convictions into the political system. We made political power our hope and now God is smashing that idol before us, while laying bare the blatant compromise.

“Christ showed us an entirely new way of being human.” - Maximus the Confessor

We live when we discover the new way to be human in Christ.

I am currently moving my blog to this site, all former posts over the last five years can still be found at insideoverneath.com-Nate

Paths In the Desert

Nathan Bryant

Archives

Categories

Do you honestly believe that God is who He says He is?

Most of American Christianity has tied their convictions into the political system.

We made political power our hope and now God is smashing that idol before us, while laying bare the blatant compromise.

I am currently moving my blog to this site, all former posts over the last five years can still be found at insideoverneath.com

-Nate