Have we gone too far?

July 4th is around the corner (exactly 4 days from today). I begin to see the guys in the make shift trailers in grocery store parking lots selling firecrackers. I think of lots of food, explosions, community, fun and parades.
I know that July 4th is a celebration: a celebration of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, of our independence from Great Britain. I remember as a kid, getting to volunteer, as a boy scout on a military base, in Oklahoma and meeting Lee Greenwood. I am certainly "proud to be an American", but have we gone too far in idolizing being American or patriotism? Before people get all up in arms, I am proud to be in this country, and more thankful for the lives that have given me this freedom but since when has it been tied to Scripture? I feel like in Christian circles being patriotic and Christian have blurred lines. Hence lay my frustration with the way Christians act toward govt. and elected officials (see my Christians and Govt. post). A very good article on this is in the new Relevant magazine. It was written by Greg Boyd and he ventures into areas I have already discussed by focuses his point on the Idolatry of Patriotism.

One important problem he identifies is that, "we have believed the pagan lie that God uniquely favors their country and that their national enemies are God's enemies"

Does God bless America sound about right? In no way am I asking God to NOT bless America but why can't God bless other countries? No country represents God, they represent the people in it! Even in the nation of Israel 65% of Jews say they believe in God, and this is liberal number.
The great part about heaven is that it is made of so many different kinds of people with their SOLE ALLEGIANCE to Jesus Christ! Remember our job is pray, to lift up, encourage, and most importantly submit to the governing authorities (regardless of what kind of government it is!!). It is okay to proud of where you come from but we can't forget our priorities: the kingdom! Boyd says that if "we become too invested in our nation, we can forget our REAL citizenship is in heaven."
I have actually had conversations with people who believed if you weren't American you weren't Christian. I have had the conversation that if your American your Christian!!! How crazy is this?

The danger in investing too much can also be that,"rather than manifesting the distinctive values of the Kingdom of God, we can begin to assume the ideals of our culture are kingdom values."

Finally I think Boyd brings a great example into the light of the phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These concepts are found no where in Scripture. First you already have life (John 3), you have liberty (Gal. 5:1) and the pursuit of happiness isn't something that you can truly pursue outside of Christ.

Our goal as believers is to reach people for Christ, our goal is to provide the good news of redemption, reconciliation, and renewal, and our allegiance is first and foremost to Jesus Christ. So during this 4th of July, celebrate, have fun, but remember where your allegiance lies.

For further reading on the kingdom a great book is Graeme Goldsworthy's: Goldsworthy trilogy: Gospel and Kingdom
Here it is on Amazon click here

If you would like to read the Boyd article click here
Be Blessed

Summer Memories

I know this is a biblical blog, but I can't help but think of some memories and being that I can hardly remember alot of stuff its best that I write it down. Besides the memories are more like a picture of GOd's grace and care for me at various times. The summer weather is here with blistering heat and humidity. This weather stinks for a lot of people, but there is a group that thrives and comes alive in this: Drum Corp people. I will never forget it, it was the summer of 1997, I had just graduated high school and decided to go to a drum corp show in Hampton, Va. That year they had some of the big wig groups there: The Blue Devils, Crossmen, etc... I will never forget hearing those groups and being in awe. I will never forget Crossmen playing "Birdland" with the screaming trumpets (called sopranos) and the drumline. I remember turning to my friends right after their show and saying that I was going to be in that group someday. After hearing the Blue Devils who played "A Night in Tunisia" which to me is still one of the best renditions of it, I left with a feeling of euphoria. From there I don't know how I got into the drum corp world, I think it was because most of the big groups were so far off I couldnt make it to the camps (you had to attend about 5 or 6 weekend camps about once a month) in states like Delaware, or NY. So I chose to be a part of a Division II corp called "Tarheel Sun" in North Carolina. The corp was dominated by people from the Virginia Beach area with some North Carolina peeps in there too. Immediately we worked so hard, in the sun, sweating, learning music, getting in shape. This was intense. I know at this point (non-musical) or ignorant people would just laugh and call it another form of band-geekizm. But this was hardcore: music, marching, reviewing-10 hours a day in the sun, no matter how hot it was you were out there practicing. Finally you made it to what they called "all-days". This was in May where basically you did this all day. 10 hours a day for 2 weeks learning the show, memorizing music....you get the hint.
Anyway you travel by tour bus, going from state to state, for 3 months till you get to like the Superbowl of Drum corp. Here are some things I remember from that tour: I remember being in Louisiana on a show one night and being bit like I was a piece of food by thousands of mosquitoes. it sucked, people's face were bit, arms, legs, everywhere, ahh it was terrible. I remember once (Akron, Ohio?)we practiced in a tornado storm, we did eventually stop when the sky went black but we were pelted by hail until then!! I remember climbing inside of a high school trophy case to get a Viking which we eventually duct taped to the back of bus for good luck. He broke the last week when the bus driver slammed his brakes. I remember being on a live morning TV show in Buffalo, NY, which we were originally told was going to be on a radio show, so we appeared in sweat pants and t-shirts at like 6am??!!!! I remember being in Allentown, PA, and hearing Billy Joel's "Allentown" being blasted to wake us up in the mornings. I remember my bus mate 'Buddha" (not his real name) and all the times we laughed and how we just gelled. I remember our off-day in San Antonio, TX and the water-park I went to. I remember wailing on my soprano during the solo part in El Cunga (our soloist decided to leave because he said they weren't feeding him and abusing him--all lies of course) during the July 4th celebration with Rob Hixson and getting yelled at by Al (horn instructor). I remember playing in D.C. and my friends came and I didnt know they were there except for when I took the field for the show. I remember turning to Drew one day when we were doing suicides (corp style) and saying " I think I am going to die. Wait no I can't I'm Superman!!" I remember how awesome we sounded and the shock on so many other Corps on how good we were. And finally all the friendship I made: Drew, BJ, Buddha, all of them were great people, and took me in and were great friends. We ended up winning 1st place at every show but the last 2 where we finished 2nd. Which still ticks most of us off to this day.

Oh and in 1999 I did march for the Crossmen. Here's the proof: click here It was fate all over again: I wasn't going to march that year due to money, and yet again I went to watch the Crossmen practice (as Drew left Tarheel to join them). I watched them practice and the horn line instructor came up to me saying that Drew had said something about being good at marching and playing. She said a spot was open and I could jump right in. I quit my job that day, went to the show that night, and got on a bus headed for N.C. show the next day. I had to learn the entire show, and music in about a week. That year was awesome as well. I remember playing with the big wigs of Drum Corp. I remember playing in front of 25,000 people in Madison,Wisconsin! We finished 10th place and I will never forget the experiences that I had with those groups. I had one more year to my name and still to this day this is one of the most difficult decisions I made was not to march my age-out year (something that is VERY special), yet I was in a cross-roads in my life--I was searching for Christ, and I knew that I needed to start college to begin my long journey to a 4 year degree. And I decided to pursue those rather than march and I am okay with it, but I always think what if (Crossmen finished 7th that year and played cool jazz numbers). But I will be a Tarheel Sun and a Crossmen for life. As someone wrote about the cross symbol used by the Crossmen says, "...every Crossmen member and alum knows, the cross has such special meaning."

Well they are certainly right, in more ways than you know!

Be Blessed.

What Ever Happened to Marriage?

Does any body find it sad that we have a TV show that tries to have a man or woman pick from a group of 15 guys or girls, who they will have to marry at the end of the show???!!! Yes I am talking about "The Bachelor or Bachelorette". Recently there was a CNN article about the latest contestants splitting after 3 months. Now you make think: why are you wasting your time on this. Well I will tell you. First I think shows like this give the luxury of marriage in a cheap and sleazy way: meaning that instead of a death do us part, its a pick what you want, marry it and if you dont like it divorce it mentality. Second, while choosing a "bride", the guys basically take advantage on every alone date to make out with every contestant or to see how far he can get with them. This is sad, and a gross distortion of the sanctity of marriage. HEre are the "stats" for the Bachelor show taken from a website:

"1 for 16. - it's the success ratio for The Bachelor and The Bachelorette since the ABC reality franchise debuted in 2002."

One marriage. Out of 16 seasons.

Can you believe that? Then the blogger decides to ask the question: Why can't they find love? Why can't they find love??? Geez it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out.

You may ask: well how do you know?
Recently I have been ministering to a lot of couples in their 60's-80's. Most have been married for 50 to 60 years of their lives and decided to share their marriage advice with me. I am deeply indebted to them for sharing hardships as well as the wonderful parts of marriage. I wanted to know what made their marriage last so long, how did you avoid pitfalls and how did you keep it together? The majority of responses were that they:

1. Married their best friend.
Every single person I talked to on this issue said this. You have to have your best friend. Why? Intimacy aside: they will encourage you, move you, take care of you, tell you when your wrong, guide you, ride along side you, persevere with you, and most importantly love you when no one else does. I think this is the kind of love C.S. Lewis spoke of in his book Mere Christianity: not the infatuation love that rests on looks, and skipping hearts( not that this is bad but marriage cant last on this), but real committed love that NO MATTER what happens they stay committed to them. One lady who had been married for 57 years, said that she wouldn't want a rich man, or even a strong man, but a good man, a man that would be her best friend and she found him!

You know before God created a nation, before the first gospel (proto-evangulion), before the family, God's first institution was marriage (Gen. 2:21-25). This is probably why bad marriages affect so many different areas of life: children, family, friends, work because it is the first and foremost institution.

2. Always say I love you (some add a peck on the cheek) every time they leave.
One lady told me a story about a godly man named Bill. He was in his 80's, healthy and active. He loved Christ and loved his wife dearly. One day he left to the grocery store to grab little things for dinner that night. He reached the parking lot and slipped into a sleep (some here think it was a heart attack) and died in that parking lot. His wife said that she would tell him every time he left that house that she loved him and would give him a peck on the cheek. She said she never knew if he would come back or if something might happen. Now obviously we dont want to be paranoid and think that EVERY time we step out something will happen, but something might.

3. Never go to bed angry.
THis is biblical. Ephesians 4:25-27: "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

It doesnt apply directly to marriage but it does apply as individual Christians and our community with other believers. COntextually it speaks of the believers new life, since they have been raised with Christ they must put off the old self, the old ways: falsehood, evil for the new: righteousness, holiness. Ephesians is speaking of community: Eph. 4:25.....members of one body"
THe "in your anger do not sin" comes from Psalm 4:4 which also contextually speaks of our new holy (set apart life) in Christ.
Do not let anger linger. Most of the couples spoke of how they would never be able to physically sleep with anger in their heart. I know several times of where I was angry, or upset where I had the WORST nights sleeping. My mind was focused and thinking, my heart was racing and I could not relax and go to bed. Anger not only is a sin (Matthew 5) but it isn't something we should allow to rule our marriage or ourselves.

Biblical Role:
I know marriage isn't easy. Its a marathon, not a race. The perception of marriage has changed over time also. More people are divorcing for some of the stupidest and selfish reasons. They are exchanging 1 person for another, or using someone esle to fix their problems. What they must realize is that they must look to the Author and Perfecter of Faith: Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:2). He fixes problems, He creates a new heart, He leads and guides you---and He calls you husbands to "love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"
You are to love her no matter what, and give your entire self to her in the same way that Christ gave himself totally to die for His people. This is NOT an option rather a command (imperative mood in the Greek). (See Eph. 5:25-28: Colossians 3:19)

Likewise wives you must submit (this isnt slavery) to your husbands just like you do to Christ. The husband is the head, just like Christ is the head of the church and you submit to Him correct? You should so the same with the husband. (See Eph. 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18)

***These are tall orders but I know that marriages would model Christ, they would last much much longer.

Oh and if your watching this TV show...quit.

Be Blessed.

High School Memories

From time to time I like to pause the theological stuff for reflections down memory lane. For the first time in a long time I thought about my high school graduation. Now this could have been due to the fact that I was fortunate to recognize some young people who are graduating in our church in a week. But its been about 13 years since I graduated high school and I never really thought back about it too much. High school was an awkward period for alot of people but it was definitely for me. I wasn't a believer at this time in my life and was searching for my place in my school. I just wanted to fit in. 9th grade is always the strangest because your in a new school, you no longer are cool and your trying to find a group to fit in with. I managed to pursue my love for music by doing several music classes. If the gift of music wasn't a part of my life who knows where I would have ended up. I put all of my energy into the musical groups I was a part of. Though parts of high school still haunt me (those clothes and hair), its a period of time that I grew as a person. Graduating from high school became a transition into the real world (and the high cost of college). In a week thousands of high schoolers will be graduating with dreams of college, or a tech school of some sort and saying goodbye to old buildings with funny lunch ladies, and smelly bathrooms with no toilet paper and broken sinks, principals who come onto the intercom to announce something of absolutely no importance, to fat security guards who if you ran .00003 of a mile from them they'd die, to vending machines that worked until that kid who decided to bust it open with his foot destroyed your chance of ever eating from them again, to goofy hairstyles, corny dances, stonewashed jeans, football games where you win the homecoming game 62-7, then lose every single game of the season, to yearbooks that you wish were burned up in a blazing inferno. But there are also some of the good things like putting whole bag of M&M's into a persons engine, your best friend getting puked on by a homeless man while waiting in line at the movie theater, to taking your senior pictures in your work clothes (I worked at Food Lion back when they had to wear a blue/green apron+nametag), to spending 6 hours at your friends house trying to break the 5 inch thick ice on his pond, to getting your shirt ripped off because it was caught in a tire from a moving car, to pelvic thrusting your band teacher during the school's very public Christmas concert dressed in a Santa Suit, to mispelling jipped (I spelling jiped) on a blackboard then getting in trouble for it and spending 6 hours in the teachers office, to telling your English teacher (when she incorrectly throws you out of class thinking you were talking--when you WERE NOT!) that your going to burn her house down with kerosene, and last but not least realizing that everything is going to change in your life. College graduation is very similar, but thats a diffrent memory for now.

Be Blessed

Longing for Pandora??

A blockbuster movie came out last year called Avatar. It was directed by James Cameron (director of the Titanic) and was a movie he had been thinking about make for quite some time. This movie beat all the records set previous for highest grossing movie, merchandising, etc... Basically it made ALOT of money. If you havent seen the film the premise is described here:

"A place set in the future when the Earth's resources have been pillaged by the human race. A greedy corporation is trying to mine from the planet Pandora, which is inhabited by a peace-loving race of 10-foot tall, blue-skinned natives called the Na'vi.

In their race to mine for Pandora's resources, the humans clash with the Na'vi, leading to casualties on both sides. The world of Pandora is reminiscent of a prehistoric fantasyland, filled with dinosaur-like creatures mixed with the kinds of fauna you may find in the deep reaches of the ocean. Compared with life on Earth, Pandora is a beautiful, glowing utopia.

I found an article about Avatar on CNN from January 2010, describing the fact that there were people so entranced by the beauty of the place called "Pandora", people were actually becoming depressed or suicidal.

One person wrote:
"One can say my depression was twofold: I was depressed because I really wanted to live in Pandora, which seemed like such a perfect place, but I was also depressed and disgusted with the sight of our world, what we have done to Earth. I so much wanted to escape reality,"

The want and need to go to Pandora is described by one of the actors:
"Pandora is a pristine world and there is the synergy between all of the creatures of the planet and I think that strikes a deep chord within people that has a wishfulness and a wistfulness to it,"

These people were longing for a place of peace, a place of love, a place where people lived in harmony forever. Funny thing is when I read this article I realized that these people CAN HAVE this very type of place: the kingdom of God. For what the kingdom of God actually is read my other post.
God's people in a similar way (the whole creation and its inhabitants) groan and long for when God (Romans 8:22-23) will refine the earth and combine heaven and earth together and unite Himself with His people!

These people are longing for a place on a movie screen, while there is a God who longs for them to know who He is so that they can live lives dedicated to Him--- living eternally with Himself in a perfect utopia!!!

Listen to this description:
"I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Rev. 21:1-3

How amazing is that?? God Himself will be with his people, no more death, tears, mourning or pain. Check these additional descriptions out:

"...and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
Rev. 21:10-11

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. "
Rev. 21:22-23

Wow, Pandora has nothing on the kingdom of God manifested like this. I can only imagine what John felt at those moments as this was all being revealed to him. Its exciting to simply read this knowing that as followers/believers in Christ, when our King returns to bring all things together---we will be there. Celebrating, rejoicing at His brilliance, His majesty, His glory--in a world that is perfect, pristine, harmonious, and better than any representation that movies TRY to imitate. Pandora in no way compares to the glory of the kingdom!

I pray that these people will hear the gospel message. The good news that we have in Christ so that they will have a past joy (Christ' death on the cross for forgiveness of sins) and a future joy ( Christ' return). If your a believer already then let this be an encouragement for whatever your going through: a bad job, bad friends, bad day,---that in the midst of this, "we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ..." (Titus 2:13)

So as the apostle John says in Rev. 22:21-"...Amen, Come Lord Jesus."

Be blessed!

Christians and Government (or church and politics) part 4

I recently found this video of John Piper (Q&A) discussing church and politics and found it to be refreshing--especially 2:38-3:05. It goes along with what we have been discussing in the earlier blogs. Check it out here
Be Blessed

Justification: what does this really mean?

Justification. This is a loaded word. A word that for Christians has seemed to put more of what "we" want it to mean rather than what its original meaning entailed. The debate came to a head during the reformation when Martin Luther said that one was justified (declared righteous) by faith and only by faith. The Catholic church didn't like that much to the point where they wrote in the Council of Trent...that the"main object was the definitive determination of the doctrines of the Church in answer to the heresies of the Protestants..."(This taken directly from Catholic Encyclopedia). Justification is also coming under attack from within the Protestant group from people like James Dunn, N.T. Wright and J.P Sanders. (**Hence why it is important for those buying commentaries to know where that person stands in their viewpoints in justification.) I wrote about the importance of justification by faith alone already in an earlier blog so I will not dive into it here. What I want to do is provide you with a comprehensive biblical explanation of what justification is and how important it is.

BUt a question that should be asked in order for us to appreciate the magnitude of justification is:
How can sinful man be right in the eyes of a holy God?
Answer: justification

So then what is justification?
The word justification or to justify appears in the New Testament several times
(Romans 3:24, 3:30, 4:1, 4:25, 5:1, 5:16-18, 8:30, 10:10, Galatians 2:16-18, 3:8, 3:11, 3:24, 5:4; Acts 13:39; 1 Corinthians 6:11; and Titus 3:7--the list is endless but this covers a majority)

Justified is from the Greek word dikaioo (dik-ah-ya-oo) which means to render righteous or to declare, to pronounce, one to be just, righteous.
(Note:Justification (dikaioma) is just a derivative of dikaioo.

Its primary definition is an act of someone being made into a right relationship with God. The term was used in a legal sense--in a court room where one was legally declared righteous. So our legal status changes from "children of wrath" to righteous. (Note it doesn't MAKE you righteous just as someone who is pronounced not guilty is a perfect loving human being.)

For example:
Romans 3:24-"[we]...are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Notice we are declared (in the legal sense of a judge declaring us guilty or not guilt) righteous---Therefore God declares those righteous, they are not made righteous by any work or merit but rather declared from an outside source:--HIS grace, HIS redemption through CHrist Jesus!!

Heres another:

Romans 8:30--"And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Again Paul contextually here is speaking of the preservation of the election or elect (8:28-30) (I'm not going to focus on this debate for now) and God's sovereignty within it. But he uses the term again--those he declared righteous, made in right standing before God.

Justification or to be justified can also mean to be liberated or freed. An example of this is in Acts 13:39:
"and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could be freed by the law of Moses."

Paul is giving a speech to those in Antioch in Pisidia, about the gospel, JEsus Christ and their need for redemption. He argues using the Old Testament as his basis for Jesus as Messiah. Appealing through the prophets (13:20), the judges (13:20), the 2nd Psalm (13:33-34) and David (13:35-36) as examples of those who came, and died yet spoke of the good news coming. Where as Jesus did not death, nor corruption--rather the forgiveness of sins comes through this man--and everyone who believes is freed (dikaioo).

We are not only declared righteous but liberated from the bounds of sin. Freed from "everything that the law of Moses..." could not free us from.

We know that justification is a one-time only act (not to be confused with sanctification --the progress towards becoming more holy)

We know justification is of no work on our own (faith alone)

So what?
KNowing this great doctrine has taken place in the hearts of believers, a right relation with a holy God, vindicated from the complete and total enslavement to sin, by the grace and mercy of our great God should do something to us.

It should remind us that we are worth something. (this is esp. handy when we fall and feel like complete failures)

It should move us to action. Meaning that the works we perform are out of this change in our legal standing, NOT to gain God's favor (Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:14-16)

There is such great joy in the doctrine of justification. Even now as I write it excites me to know that this simple yet complex doctrine not only makes my relationship with God right (from wrath to righteousness-Eph. 2:2,5,8) but vindicates me from the sin that would have executed the wrath of God upon me.

Be Blessed