Posts Tagged ‘Christianity’

May
10
2012

5 Great Reads on Gay Marriage

Unless you’re living under a rock, you know that gay marriage has been at the top of the news headlines. On Tuesday, voters in North Carolina overwhelmingly approved an amendment to their constitution affirming traditional marriage. And on Wednesday, President Obama, somewhat reluctantly, affirmed the right of homosexuals to get married.

This is a tough, sensitive issue that didn’t begin with President Obama, but bubbled up from the culture. In my view, this was a battle that the church lost years ago, the product of a pragmatic evangelicalism that offered a “lowest common denominator” Christianity  heavy on personal happiness and short on gospel proclamation and spiritual depth. So now we face a hollowed-out culture that has rejected Biblical norms because they never knew them in the first place. I also think evangelicals have often been sloppy in their political engagement, making their political opposition personal to particular politicians and waging unnecessary fights that have diluted their influence.

But enough of what I think. Here are five really great reads on the subject of gay marriage: 

1)How to Win the Public on Homosexuality - Collin Hansen – Gospel Coalition

We’re fighting today over authority, yes, but it’s not straightforwardly biblical. Many gay-rights advocates have excused themselves behind a professed love of God’s Word. You won’t likely win a debate with them by citing Bible verses they’ve been trained to explain away. Rather, we’re losing a more fundamental struggle over the very definition of God. Straight or gay, Reggie or Brett, we’re not satisfied with a God who calls us sinners. Who calls on us to deny ourselves. Who calls our gaze heavenward to receive his blessing: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

I’ve spoken to a number of conservative legal scholars about the subject, and I’ve always heard the same thing: the church lost the battle over same sex marriage three decades ago. How, you ask? Because the church was silent when state after state passed no-fault divorce laws. These bills essentially removed the state from any interest in preserving or defining marriage. No fault divorce laws defined marriage as an agreement between two individuals that may be entered or dissolved as the individuals desire without state interference or prejudice.

3) 5 Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage - Kevin DeYoung

The temptation, then, is for Christians go silent and give up the marriage fight: “It’s no use staying in this battle,” we think to ourselves. “We don’t have to change our personal position. We’ll keep speaking the truth and upholding the Bible in our churches, but getting worked up over gay marriage in the public square is counter productive. It’s a waste of time. It makes us look bad. It ruins our witness. And we’ve already lost. Time to throw in the towel.” I understand that temptation. It is an easier way. But I do not think it is the right way, the God glorifying way, or the way of love.

Homosexuality is not an easy issue. Christians have said a lot of unhelpful things about the subject over the years– but that does not mean we cannot say helpful things now. The most helpful truth is the biblical truth. In the midst of a complicated issue, we need to admit to poor engagement in the past, speak of the complexities of the issues involved, but always point to biblical truth and change that can be found in Christ.

As this happens, faithful churches must be very clear about God’s design for marriage.   We must do so knowing that the message of Holy Scripture is radically different from the society around us.  As all kinds of people show up in our churches, we must show love AND speak truth in a way that honors all of God’s Word.   This will not be easy.  But if we care about people we must do both.

As much as I disagree with this president’s method of interpreting the Bible, I am still commanded to pray for him and his advisors—and I will. Yet at the same time, I have the right and privilege to elect wiser leaders for the days ahead.

 

Apr
03
2012

Why Christians Are Not the Point of Easter

I’m studying for my Easter sermon. I have to be honest, sometimes I get intimidated by Easter sermons. It’s not that I don’t enjoy preaching about the pivot point of our faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s just that I know on Easter there are those people sitting and listening to my message that probably don’t want to be sitting and listening to my message. (My friends could joke and say this is the case every Sunday!).

Some preachers get really fired up by a crowd of nonchurch people. They are gifted evangelists who are always at ease sharing their faith with hostile hearers. In a Christian sort of way, I envy them. I get nervous. This is a big moment. This could be the only time that some people will hear the gospel. I don’t want to mess it up. This is where God reminds me that He can use my clumsy gospel efforts and form the words to penetrate the heart of sinners. He is sovereign and for that I’m glad.

This year, God has impressed upon me this central idea of the Resurrection: Christianity is not about Christians, but about Christ. Let me explain:

Perhaps the biggest reason that nonbelievers give for not putting their faith in Jesus Christ is the shoddy faith of his followers. I believe it was Ghandi (but don’t quote me) who said he’d follow Christ, were it not for Christians. This is a sad commentary on Christians and the state of the church. And it’s the cause for much lament in the evangelical community today, with competing perspectives battling to define the church’s mission.

There’s a place for this introspection. And it’s true that our lives as believers must adorn the gospel well (Titus 2:10; 1 Peter 3:33-4). It’s true that we, Jesus’ followers, are the only Jesus the lost will see.

And yet, the point of Christianity is not that it produces the best, most disciplined followers (though history might actually argue that point well). But let’s assume that, over all, Christians haven’t done the best job of representing Christ. It’s a big assumption, but let’s go there. This, still is not the point of Christianity.

The point of Christianity is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He’s alive. He defeated sin and death.

The truth is that there may very likely be more disciplined adherents in other religions. There may be more moral, more socially responsible, kinder, gentler souls. But, the point is not that Christianity makes the best people. It’s that Christianity points to Jesus is risen.

Because the point is not that God needs more highly disciplined religious people. Even the highest, most disciplined people fall far short of perfection. Even the most religious can’t be religious enough to erase the curse of their sin. The best of us, regardless of religion or system or code, falls way short. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that even he, the most spiritually astute, religiously devout man of his day, needed to be supernaturally regenerated by a power that could only come from above. This is why the rich, young ruler in Luke 18 went away sad. He had followed the law, point by point, and still Jesus poked holes in his righteousness. This is why Paul said he counted his strict adherence to the law as “dung” (Phillipians 3:8). His works were good, but as a covering for his sin, were as useful as dung. This is the message of the prophet, Isaiah, who proclaimed in Isaiah 64:6 that our best attempts to satisfy God with our goodness are like, “filthy rags.”

The point is that we need something supernatural. We need God Himself to provide a solution. And God did. Jesus came to this earth, in the flesh, absorbed the just wrath of God against our sin, finished the work of atonement, and rose again from death on the third day. Jesus defeated sin and death and His life gives life to dead souls.

The Resurrection is not just a nice capstone to a wonderful religious story. The Resurrection is the story. Jesus wasn’t merely a good example to show us how to be better people on the earth. Jesus lived, died, and rose again so that our dead, spiritually unprofitable souls could experience the regeneration of new life.

So, to the Christian who constantly chafes at his inability to be a good example at work, at home, at play, who broods over the incomplete picture He is giving of Christ, take heart. Know that you’re not the story of Easter. Jesus is. You don’t have to be perfect on Holy Week, because Jesus was. Draw on his love for you and when you do, that love and life will naturally flow out in a way that will point others to the Resurrection they need.

And to those who read this who have rejected Jesus. I say with tears, don’t wait to acknowledge your sin, God’s coming judgement against it. Don’t wait to fall on your knees in faith at the foot of the cross. Don’t wait to accept the rescue of salvation Jesus offers freely. And most importantly, don’t confuse the inconsistencies of Christians like me with the perfection and life of Jesus Christ.

Because us sinful, sometimes nasty, flawed followers are not the story of Easter. Jesus is. He’s alive.

 

Mar
23
2012

Friday Five: Lin Johnson

Lin Johnson is one of the most influential people in Christian publishing as a writer, editor, and instructor. Perhaps here biggest contribution is her annual Write to Publish Conference, held every year on the campus of Wheaton College. Personally, the Write to Publish Conference has had more influence on my writing career than almost any other factor. It’s one of the premier writing conferences in the country.

Lin is Managing Editor of The Christian Communicator, Advanced Christian Writer and Church Libraries and is the author and co-author of more than 60 books, including Christian Education: Foundations for the Future, Extracting the Precious from 2nd Corinthians, Encouraging Others, and The Book of John from The Smart Guide to the Bible Series. Lin specializes in Bible curriculum and is a Gold Medallion Book Award recipient. She’s a sought-after teacher at writers’ conferences across the country and internationally. Lin was kind enough to stop and answer some questions about Christian writing:

You’ve been a writer and editor for a long time, but perhaps you are best known for helping writers get their start in Christian publishing. What motivates you to continue to educate and assist the next generation of writers rather than seek your own “fame and glory” as it were?

One of my spiritual gifts is teaching, and training writers is a way to use that gift. A great thing about teaching is the ripple effect of influence that goes far beyond a classroom or conference. As I assist people in honing the craft of writing and getting published, their words, in turn, will influence thousands of people I’d never be able to reach.

Write-to-Publish (WTP) has been around for almost 40 years. How did it get started?

It started in 1971 (and missed a couple of years) as a two-week, credit-only, summer-school course at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Eleven years later, it became a one-week workshop to allow more people to attend, then morphed into a conference format a few years later. I worked as assistant director for almost 10 years.

In the early ‘90s, Moody decided to drop several conferences; and Write-to-Publish was one of them. The school gave me the rights to the name, the mailing list, and cassette masters for past conferences.

However, I didn’t have the upfront money to run it as a conference, so I organized a few Saturday seminars at Moody and Wheaton College. Then in 1996, with several interest-free loans from fellow congregation members, I started it as a conference again at Wheaton College.

Why is a conference like WTP so crucial for a writer to break into the marketplace? 

So much of getting published these days is the result of networking, of who you know. At a conference like WTP, you have the opportunity to meet editors and agents who are looking for manuscripts—or they wouldn’t take the time to be there. Plus you get to know other writers who may provide introductions to their editors or agents and share writing leads later.

A conference is crucial for book writers. Every year more book houses close to looking at unsolicited proposals, so it’s difficult to sell a book without an agent. And few agents are interested in writers who haven’t sold books. The way around this Catch-22 situation is attending a writers conference since book editors go to them, looking for new writers.

What are the common mistakes a first-time conference attender might make at a conference like WTP? 

The biggest mistake I see is going to a conference with a myopic focus on selling one or two specific manuscripts, usually books, instead of being open to what God has in mind. His plan is always so much bigger than ours.

Another mistake is not getting to know other writers who attend the conference. Yes, editors are the ones who buy manuscripts; and you want to get acquainted with as many as possible. But networking with writers can pay off in many ways: lifelong friendships, prayer/accountability partners who motivate you get more writing done, passing along your name to editors for other projects.

If you could give one piece of advice (besides attending WTP!) to an emerging Christian writer, what would it be? 

Learn the craft and the market. Editors are looking for polished manuscripts that won’t take a lot of time, which they don’t have, to edit. Learning the craft involves knowing the structure for different types of manuscripts and genres, practice, knowing the proper manuscript format, getting feedback from a critique group or writing partner, and more practice.

Learning the market involves finding what publications and houses take the types of manuscripts and topics you write (the Christian Writers’ Market Guide makes that task easier), following writers guidelines, and analyzing at least one issue of a periodical or a book-house catalog/website. As a magazine and newsletter editor, I get dozens of articles and queries a year that have nothing to do with the audience and type of periodical. Those are guaranteed rejections.

Mar
22
2012

Christianity in the Shadow of the Mosque

As a pastor I’m having increased discussions with Christians on the way to treat our Muslim neighbors. I felt this panel discussion from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was really good at both looking at the increasing Muslim population in our midst, how should we engage them, etc. This is very, very instructive:

A key quote (and I’m paraphrasing) is Russ Moore who says, “You can either consider Muslims a threat and wish them gone or you can consider them as people created in the image of God whom we wish to lovingly win to Christ. But you can’t do both.”

 

Jan
06
2012

Friday Five: Joe Carter


Joe Carter is one of the most articulate evangelical voices on the intersection of church, culture, and politics. Joe founded Evangelical Outpost in 2005. He is the web editor for First Things and an adjunct professor of journalism at Patrick Henry College. A fifteen-year Marine Corps veteran, he previously served as the managing editor for the online magazine Culture11 and The East Texas Tr

ibune. Joe has also served as the Director of Research and Rapid Response for the Mike Huckabee for President campaign and

as a director of communications for both the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity and Family Research Council. He is the co-author of How to Argue like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History’s Greatest Communication.1) You’ve served in a variety of capacities in the conservative movement. What is your impression of the movement as it stands today? 
The first thing that should be said about the conservative movement is that there is no conservative “movement.” The term movement implies that a there is cohesive group that is in agreement about moving toward specific political goals. While individuals aligned with conservatism tend to agree on a general set of principles, they often have radically differing views on where those lead. For example, social conservatives and libertarians are generally lumped together under the rubric of the “conservative movement, yet both groups differ on issues such as same-sex marriage.

The reality is that conservatism is comprised of numerous small movements, some that are flourishing and others that are stagnating. This inevitably leads to internal tensions since established conservative groups, politicians, and media are all fighting for the same attention and donor funding. When specific grassroots sub-movements begins to gain popularity, activists of all stripes try to co-opt it for their own purposes.

A prime example is the Tea Party movement in 2008-2010. Despite the fact that polls and surveys showed that it was largely a subset of the “religious right” movement, libertarians tried to claim it as their own. The media latched onto that spurious impression and tried to create a narrative that conservatives were ready to abandon social issues. Of course that was never true. Most grassroots conservatives are full-spectrum conservatives who don’t make sharp distinction between economic, social, and national security conservatism. This is why I’m optimistic about the long-term prospects about conservatism, despite the problems within the “movement.”

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Sep
27
2011

Saying Nice Things about People With Whom You Disagree

Can you say nice things about people with whom you disagree? On the anniversary of 9/11 I posted a nice comment on Facebook about the leadership of President Bush after 9/11. It wasn’t a political statement, just a note of admiration. I was surprised at how many people (many Christians) who wrote scathing things about the President. Some were conservatives upset he wasn’t conservative enough. Others were liberals who were convinced he was the 2nd coming of Hitler.

I think this is a shame. I see this same dynamic when I post nice things about President Obama. Now a few words of explanation. I’m generally a conservative when it comes to politics. I didn’t vote for President Obama and I’m likely to vote for a more conservative alternative in November. I’m glad our political system gives us this choice.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things about President Obama to admire. So from time to time I’ve posted those things. The other day I recommended an article where he testified about his Christian faith. Now, because I’m not God, I don’t know if the President is a true believer in Jesus Christ. But I take him at his word. Again this provoked all kinds of charges. People are convinced the President is a Muslim, born in Kenya, and on a collision course to destroy America. I don’t share those opinions. I have been disappointed in his leadership, but  think him to be a genuinely sincere man whose policies I disagree with.

Because I have this position, I’ve heard from a number of friends and other folks who are concerned that I’m “liberal.” One prominent conservative leader privately accused me of “moving to the center and abandoning Biblical truth.”

I freely admit that I’m not always right and that my opinions on politics and other stuff is as flawed as the next guy. But I wonder if Christians have forgotten the Christ-like ability to love and admire people with whom they disagree. This isn’t confined to the political realm. It happens in the evangelical world. Mention the name of a prominent Christian leader in certain circles and you’re likely to hear a laundry list of all that person is doing wrong in their ministry.

I think we need to consider a few things here, in light of Scripture:

Complimenting someone’s character is not the same as agreeing with them completely on every issue. Every soul is created in the image of God, even if they are fallen. Part of living out our faith is loving people enough to find the good things about them, even if they are hard to find. Our highly-charged polarized political culture forces us into “sides” but as Christians we should resist this. We can hold to our political positions or theological positions firmly without compromise and still be winsome and warm and respectful to those on the other side. We can also do this in real life among regular people whose lifestyle or personality rubs us the wrong way.

We can affirm and respect leaders without swallowing everything they teach or espouse. The Scriptures are pretty clear that leaders hold their positions because ultimately God placed them there (Romans 13:1). It’s okay to be dissatisfied with leadership and want a new direction. But overwhelmingly the New Testament urges us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-3), honor them (1 Peter 2:17), and obey them (Hebrews 13:17). This is not some optional thing for the more “soft” Christians. This is commanded of every believer who takes seriously the call to live out their faith.

Jesus overturned the money-changers but that doesn’t mean you should. Every time I speak about praying for and respecting leaders with whom we disagree, I get the “But Jesus overturned the money tables in the temple.” Yes, Jesus did this and no, Jesus wasn’t the soft, effeminate liberal some make him out to be. But anger wasn’t the predominate response of Jesus throughout his ministry. And Jesus had gospel and kingdom motivations to overturn the tables. Your hacked off Facebook post about the President, I’m pretty sure, doesn’t fit this category. Most often our anger arises from our fleshly and worldly impulses.

And remember that Jesus was bipartisan. Among his twelve chosen disciples were Matthew, a despised politician/tax collector and Simon, a zealot who advocated the overthrow of Rome and probably despised Matthew.

There is a strong Biblical history of believers kindly respecting and serving wicked leaders. Nehemiah, Daniel, and Joseph all served very pagan, wicked kings. These are just three examples of many. I’m pretty sure the worst political leader in our current system would pale in comparison. Consider their examples, how these men of God stood firm for biblical truth without making it personal, how they respected and loved leaders with whom they disagree. We can all learn from this.

We should live at peace with all men. Romans 12:8 says, as much as possible, we should “live at peace with all men.” This is rather convicting, because I’m prone to arguing my point until the other side cries “uncle.” But this verse reminds us that, when we can, we should seek peace in our relationships. Let’s face it, we all have differing opinions on politics, church methodology, etc. It won’t be possible to always have peace in a world of fallen men and women. However, we, as Christians, should work hard to promote peace. This may mean we think twice about posting an inflammatory comment on Facebook about a public figure we don’t like. It may mean swallowing hard when a friend compliments somebody you despise. It may also be, as Christians, that we promote a tone of civility and love even in the rough-and-tumble of the public square. We should ask ourselves, are my opinions alienating people who might disagree and are they clouding the gospel message? 

We should not be conformed to this world. We make a difference by being different. We have to remember that we are first Christians, then everything else. The world wants to conform us to its mold, to lure us into the snarky, mean , angry opinion-making that characterizes much of public discourse. And often we Christians excuse our behavior as “well the other side is worse.” or “That’ just politics or business or whatever.” But we are Christians. Sometimes we say nasty things because our position is being attacked, often unfairly. But again, this is an opportunity to demonstrate Christlike love. Peter reminds us, in 1 Peter 2:18-20 that responding in love to unfair treatment is a terrific opportunity for gospel witness. The few Christians in public life who have the strength to do this are a wonderful witness to the world. This is not a sign of “being soft” it’s a portrait of the gospel.

Aug
16
2011

Christians, Fear, and the Truth about Muslims

Since 9/11, the West has been skeptical and downright fearful of the Muslim faith. And rightfully so, given the attacks on 9/11 in the name of Islam. The American Church has, at times, led the skepticism, especially conservative evangelicals like myself. You don’t have to look far to see documentaries and books and other media that serve to warn us about the growing Muslim presence in the world.

As a believer–how should a Christian respond to Islam? I’ve thought about this quite a bit in the last year. Should we cower in fear? Should we spread fear? What should we do?

Now, as a believer in the orthodox truths of the gospel, I believe Islam to be a sincere, but misguided religion, one that leads their followers away from an eternity with God in Heaven. Jesus said in John 14, “I am the way, the truth, the life.” I believe that. I also am troubled by the jihad we hear from many parts of Islam and I’m disturbed by the way in which Islamic radicals have threatened and even murdered anyone who exposes the dark parts of their religion.

However, as Christians, I think we have a responsibility to communicate the truth. And often we’ve been guilty of spreading misleading information, especially when it comes to Islam, Islamic nations, and terrorism. The truth is that Islam is a complicated religion and not all of its adherents believe in Jihad. In fact, only a tiny percentage of them believe in and subscribe to radicalism.

Now, I generally believe the media has been favorable to Islam and antagonistic to Christianity. I believe this falls in line with Jesus’ prediction and James words to the early church that followers of Christ would always be persecuted and never be popular (John 15:18).

However, that doesn’t mean we Christians should be part of spreading information that isn’t true. Nor should we be so beset by fear that we adopt attitudes that keep us from wanting to see Muslims come to faith in Christ. God has called us to love Muslims. It’s hard to love someone when you consider them your enemy.

Does that mean we should soften our anti-terrorism policy? No. Does that mean the government doesn’t have the right to pursue terrorists and put them to death? No. Clearly the Bible gives us that authority (Romans 13:4).

But, as followers of Christ, we should live in the truth, walk in love, and avoid “the spirit of fear.” We should also be discerning with all the media we consume–liberal media and conservative media. We should learn about the Middle East, rather than letting our ignorance keep us from engaging people who are different than we are. I think of Jesus’ approach with the Samaritan woman. The Samaritans were people the Jews were supposed to hate and fear. Jesus went out of his way to meet this lady so He could introduce bring her redemption, grace, and a relationship with God. He was faithful to confront her sin, her false beliefs, but Jesus didn’t have any animosity. He sidestepped the social prejudice and another soul was added to the Kingdom.

I also think of the admonition in James 1, where the brother of Jesus and leader of the early church rebukes Christians for showing favoritism, which, in the original language actually means, “lifting up the face.” Diving by race or ethnic background is against to the gospel.

I have to admit that I’ve often been guilty of this kind of stereotyping. I’ve looked at cultures and said, “Hey, all of ____ are like this.” Of this I need to repent. Because as followers of Jesus, we are called to live out the truth of the gospel, desiring all nations (Matthew 28:19) come to knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Apr
15
2011

Friday Five – Tim Sinclair

One of the ongoing conversations in the evangelical church is about marketing the gospel. There’s a tension. On the one hand, the gospel is decidedly countercultural. On the other hand, we want to contextualize the gospel to a modern world, so more people hear the message in their language and come to faith in Christ.

Tim Sinclair lives at the nexus of both marketing and ministry. He grew up in ministry as a pastor’s kid, has successfully helped businesses market their products, and is a morning radio host on WGBL in Champaign, IL. He’s recently written an interesting and perhaps provocative book, Branded, Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture.

Today, Tim stopped by for some thoughtful answers to my questions on ministry and culture:

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