#LoveWins

Love wins!  On this historic day, June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that same sex marriage is constitutionally permissible.  #LoveWins is all over Twitter and Facebook. 

I can’t argue with #LoveWins.  I believe that with all of my heart, love wins every time.  

“God is love.”  1 John 4:8b

God wins every time.  Let me say that again.  God wins every time.  In my opinion, the love that would be defined by #LoveWins is incomplete and lacking.  God has established Himself and even gone so far as to identify Himself by love.  I believe we can only know the true depths of the definition of love by looking at God’s redemptive narrative.  God’s word (the Bible) has been and remains to be faithful in the explanation and revelation of God’s heart, plan, and overall consummation of time.  

God is still on the throne.  There is nothing that escapes His eye or His understanding.  Take into account that He knew this was going to happen even before the SCOTUS made their ruling.  

What then is the Christian response?  I have three thoughts:  

1. Love.  Let me say it again, love wins.  As we move forward, it is with renewed zeal that we be dedicated to God’s mission.  It is a saying that should be accepted among all Christians, Jesus Christ came to save sinners.  He has chosen us to be conveyers of that message.  One that calls people into relationship, repentance, and the receiving of God’s forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ.

2. Love. I'll say it again, love wins. Sometimes it's helpful to say what love isn't. I don't believe love is to alienate people with degrading remarks and hurtful quips.  In our approach to this community we should seek to do away with the "us vs. them" mentality.  We are all sinners. Some of us are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, being a gift of God, not anything that we have done ourselves.  Therefore the arrogance, pride, and offense that often comes from the Christian community should not be there.  I’m reminded of the words of James, Jesus’ half brother: 

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”                  James 1:19-20

3. Love some more.  I’ll repeat myself, love wins.  Let your hearts be moved for the LGBTQ community.  These are people, made in God’s image, who are just as lost and trapped in the clutches of sin like all people who come to Christ needing a savior.  May we pray for them.  May we love them earnestly. May we not mistake love for condoning action.  May we seek the wisdom of God for ourselves and each other on how He would have us be apart of His plan of redemption for their souls. 

I’m encouraged as we read the Bible, we know how it ends.  God wins.  Therefore #LoveWins every time. 

"Taking Our Country Back"

I'm not one to engage political battles on social media. They tend to be people bullying each other with their opinions and not discussions of ideas.  I have my opinion and I vote for that which is based on what I believe is best for human flourishing.  My opinions are not shared by all.  My opinions and beliefs are not shared by those even in my own "camp" (Christianity).  However I think there is an opportunity to not only elevate the discussion but have a better outcome of upcoming elections.

I submit this article for your consideration:

Click here for an article from Patheos.

I realized shortly after George W. Bush was re-elected to the presidency in the early 2000's, that this idea of a "savior" president, who thought like I did, confessed the same Jesus I did, was able to bring about the world I thought there should be.  

Jesus is my example as a Christian.  Jesus is the one that I should be taking my cues from.  If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, I would encourage you to consider what is best for EVERYONE, not just what benefits you and people who think like you.  If you would call yourself a Christian, I would remind you of Jesus' words, " If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."  John 13:14.   I assume you'll get the inference. 

As a parting comment for Christians, it would also be my hope that we can engage in civility with our conversation on such matters.  Those who disagree with us are not the enemy... even if that were true, Jesus gave us specific instructions on that as well, " “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:43-45

The Flawed and Beautiful Church

“These days American Christians switch churches because the one they are in lacks the desired programs. By contrast, Bonhoeffer “switched churches” so that he could go suffer with a church that was in difficulty and distress… Church as a place to serve, much less as a place to suffer, just doesn’t compute.”     - Everyday Life of a Pastor: Reasons to Persevere, by Stuart Stogner; The Journal of Biblical Counseling - Summer 2006

The Church is an amazing organism. It is one of the only things in this universe that in it’s brokenness and depravity, does it also magnify the graciousness and goodness of God. Of it’s many members, it speaks to the community that is the Trinity.  As there is fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so the church is not to neglect the communal gathering. 

Having held the role of a pastor for almost 20 years I’ve seen my fare share of those who have left my church to go to another.  I’ve also seen those leaving another church to come to mine.  All for various reasons that seem important for the individuals that have made the decision to leave.  In my opinion, some had very legitimate reasons to leave our church.  Others, I thought their reasons were quite petty.  

No matter what the reason, my heart is to encourage those that leave our church and those that come to make the church better.  A cynical heart, like mine at times, would say the church is already better because of those that have left.  But that would be wrong and counterproductive to admit.  I’ve had to repent of such feelings.  No, the best thing to do is to encourage those coming into the church from another to understand that we are as flawed as the last church they left.   Yes, we are flawed in different ways, but you will find out soon we are still flawed. Help make us better.  To those that leave, know that where you land, they are flawed too.  When you find that out, please don’t leave, but for the very reason that they are flawed you need to stay.  

The reality of encountering Jesus is to understand that we are sinners who can only be saved by grace through faith.  The more we understand and know who God is, the more we are aware of our own sinfulness and inability apart from God’s initiation.  It is only those who are disillusioned as to who God is and the reality of their present situation that can stand in front of another man and think of himself better than him.  

When the weakness of the church is exposed, it is all the more reason to stay, to labor, and to pray for the church to become what God has intended it to be.  If a doctor never went into the room of a sick patient, no one would ever be healed.   When we see the brokenness of the church, we must declare and marvel at the goodness of God that He would leave the glories and majesty of Heaven, for the joy that was set before Him (the Church), endure the shame of the cross, forsaking all of the glories and splendor of Heaven, His precious treasure… His pearl of great price… the Church.  Is that not worth laboring with and serving those whom Christ died for?

Christian, see that your place in the church is first to serve.  In your service you will receive what you need as the Lord ministers to you through your service.  May we remember that a servant is not greater than his Master.  We have His example, may we do as He did.  No greater love has a man than this, that he would lay his life down for his friends.  

The Measure of Success

"I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do." -John 17:4

When we think of the quintessential teacher Jesus comes to the top of the list.  His ability and masterful way of communicating truth to the masses is unparalleled.  When we think of the faithful and true pastor, Jesus is the model.   When He declared that His work was accomplished, He spoke mainly about the twelve He called to follow Him.

Jesus' prayer that John wrote down in his gospel, was said shortly before going to the cross.  What intrigues me is Jesus' measure of success.  In today's judeo-christian american culture, I find myself fighting the metrics we tend to use for success.  Not measures of success we say out loud of course.  But those measurements as pastors we all see and feel.  Success many times is measured by twitter and Facebook followers, books published, article write ups, number of speaking gigs outside of regular Sunday morning, church attendance, and not as often but sometimes... salary.  

Jesus had the followers (many thousands of followers!), but as soon as He had them, He spoke about hating family members and eating His flesh and drinking His blood.  This, conceivably so, sent the crowds for the exits.  We know that He didn't preach a message of hate towards people, the second of the greatest commandments is loving your "neighbor" as yourself.  He also didn't condone cannibalism, but to take part in His gift of salvation (His body broken for us and the new covenant He established).  To those that didn't seek the truth, they were repelled when their sensibilities were offended. 

When you read Jesus' prayer in John 17, it's clear to see that His measure of success was being faithful to the twelve people God gave Him.  Judas was lost that scripture might be fulfilled, known to be the "son of perdition" as his brothers in ministry would call him, but the other eleven believed.  Not only did Jesus pray for the eleven, but He prayed for all those that would hear their message and believe.  That's you and me!  I find it encouraging and helpful to remember what Jesus considered success.  

We see lots of models on what church could, should, and "has" to look like.   The pressure and standards that we have set for ourselves, those that we see speaking at the conferences telling us the "how-to's", the head trips that we put ourselves through, we can relieve some of the unneeded stress of being successful by remembering the measure of success that Jesus focused on; to be faithful with those whom God has given us. 

May we be faithful with what and with whom God has given us.  The ministry is all for the glory of the Lord, as we serve at His good pleasure.  

Let me know your thoughts.