|
| I have thought long and hard about this. I have prayed a lot. After all of that, and some conversations with my wife and some good friends, I have decided to stop posting my stuff here. It only succeeds in bringing out the worst in myself and others. There is just something about being referred to as a "dumbass" for being against the death penalty and an assumed hypocrite regarding how my thoughts on military intervention have changed that really isn't edifying to anyone. And it is discouraging to me.
I remember about a year-ish ago, when I was working on my Sr. Seminar paper on environmentalism within the emerging church, being attacked as someone who was denying the truth of the Gospel. I remember people assuming that because I didn't want to be called a "Calvinist" anymore that it meant I was denouncing the faith. These things should not be. In that time I was kicked off a message board for not removing an emerging blogring fast enough from this site. Who was/is edified by things like that? How does that glorify God? How do statements to the effect of, "What are your credentials to be leading youth?" really build up the body of Christ?
How do personal attacks and name-calling really help anyone? We throw around labels like "apostate" and "heretic" like they are nothing. But these are big things. An apostate, according to Webster's, is, "One who has forsaken the church, sect or profession to which he before adhered; one who has abandoned his religion."
So, let me clarify something. Let me tell you all, in as clear terms as I can find, what I believe.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy [universal] church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
If that is apostasy and if that is heresy, then let me be damned, for "If in this life only [I] have hoped in Christ, [I am] of all people most to be pitied" (1 Corinthians 15:19 ESV). I don't deny Jesus. I have never once denied Jesus. I have never denied anything about Him. And if it makes me a heretic to believe that He came to do more than just die on a cross for humanity's sin, then I will proudly wear that badge. But if it is true, and it is right...then why am I judged by my fellow Christians?
As far as the emerging church goes, why don't we just leave it alone and stop wasting time, money, and trees trying to refute it? If it is wrong, it will pass like a fad. But if they are on to something...if they are really truly with all their hearts seeking to serve Jesus...then get out of the way.
Did you know, that in Billy Graham's early days, he and the people who were working with him and doing the work of the ministry at that time were also criticized? They were labeled "The New Evangelicals" and were accused of all sorts of things. If you look at the history, you find that they were accused of the same things that "emergents" are accused of today. And when Mr. Graham started, he wasn't much older than those leading in "emerging" churches.
Different generations express the faith differently. I am willing to place money on it that the way that Calvin and Luther did things was not widely accepted by those who came before. And when Billy Graham came on the scene, modernity was condemned as a slippery slope to atheism. Now, we have embraced modernity and we raise the same arguments against post-modernity. Maybe we should just let it go.
I say all of this to say, again, that I am done posting on xanga. I have given you plenty of links to my MySpace and WordPress pages. I will continue posting there. And if you want to comment, go ahead. But be warned: anything rude, obnoxious, or disrespectful will be deleted.
I have surely been the one in the wrong at times, and for that I am sorry. I regret any time that I have been a bad example of what Jesus would be like, and from the bottom of my heart, I apologize.
So, until God sees fit (if He does) to put us all back in contact again, this is goodbye. May God richly bless you in all that you seek to do as you strive to do His will.
| | |
| If any of you are interested, here is a way for you to get involved in
something meaningful locally. There will be a protest against Vectren
in regards to coal-burning power plants. It will take place on April 14
at 4:00pm at the Four Freedom's Monument in downtown Evansville. Here
is the story from the Evansville Courier and Press.
A local
environmental watchdog group has planned a rally at the riverfront to
demand that Vectren stop building coal plants in Southern Indiana.
Evansville's Step It Up action is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. April 14
at the Four Freedoms Monument. The rally will be followed by a march
down Riverside Drive to Vectren Headquarters, according to Valley Watch.
Those who would like to make signs and posters for the rally should meet at 2 p.m. at Penny Lane Coffeehouse.
According to Valley Watch:
- Indiana is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide from coal burning in
the nation, and carbon dioxide is the principal gas known to cause
global warming.
- Tri-State residents live among the highest concentration of coal-fired power plants in the world.
- There are 17 coal plants within a 62-mile radius of Evansville,
including Duke Energy's Gibson Station, the largest coal-fired plant in
the United States.
- Most of the coal-burning plants in Southern Indiana provide electricity to out-of-state customers.
~+~+~+~+~+~+~
If you're interested, you should show up. My wife and I should be there. Look for us.
Also, don't forget to come out and hear George Lucius Salton, the
Holocaust Survivor, on that same day at 1:00pm at Oakland City
University in the Cornwell-Reed Building in the Bernard Recital Hall.
There will be a reception after the event where you can meet him
face-to-face. | | |
| A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34 ESV)
I pray...for those who will believe in me through [the disciples'] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in
you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have
sent me. (John 17:20b-21 TNIV)
Another implication of being our brother's keeper involves unity. Now, among Protestants, this seems to be a touchy subject. We revel in our autonomy, and we seem to interpret unity to mean that we lose this. But is autonomy really the best (or most Biblical) way?
You see, if everyone is taking care of everyone else, autonomy will be a non-issue. Why? Because we will, instead, be interdependent.
In Ephesians chapter 5, Paul commands,
Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21 RSV)
In this passage, Paul is commanding us to be imitators of Jesus. Rather than lording over and living His life separate from His disciples, He relied on them and served them. We are to act in a similar manner toward our brother. And this is the distinguishing mark of a Christian, or it should be.
People will know that we are Jesus' followers by the way we treat each other. And when we treat each other properly; when we act as if we are our brothers' keeper, a mutual bond forms. We serve each other. And through this bond of service, true unity is born.
More on this true unity tomorrow.
| | |
| Jim Evans
04-02-07
The
Sermon on the Mount is regarded by most Christians as the heart of
Jesus' teaching. Unfortunately, what Jesus has to say there has not
been overwhelmingly embraced by much of the Christian community in
America. Perhaps it is time to update the sermon so that it is more in
line with American culture. Maybe something like this:
You
have heard that you shall not kill. But sometimes you just have to. And
don't worry too much about anger or demeaning language. In order to win
a war you must demonize your enemy, otherwise people won't hate them.
You
have heard it said you shall not commit adultery. But let's face it,
movies and television would be so dull without it. And forget about
trying to suppress lust. You do that and no one will ever be able to
sell a car or bar of soap anywhere.
And don't get too worked up about divorce. Everyone knows that it is easier to end a marriage than it is to sustain one.
You
have heard it said you shall not swear falsely, but common sense tells
us if we are going to do business in the real world sometimes the truth
must be ignored. If this gets too complicated, you may need to consult
an attorney.
You
have heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I don't
know how I can improve on that. The same for love your neighbors and
hate your enemies. Some things just should not be changed.
Let
me talk to you about prayer. What good is it if you go off and pray in
secret where no one can see or hear you? Get out there in public, on
television, at football games, during school days--pray out loud. What
good is prayer if God is the only one who hears it?
And
the same thing is true about charitable giving. Try to schedule a press
conference so the media will see your good works. You might also think
about printing an annual report of your good deeds so there will be a
permanent record. After all, what good is charity if no one knows
you've done anything?
Here
is the bottom line: If you don't take care of yourself, no one else
will. Dress for success. Eat only the best foods at the finest
restaurants. Keep that body healthy. No one wants to look at your
flabby thighs. I say unto you--no one with flabby thighs will enter the
kingdom, or any of the finer clubs for that matter.
Set
high standards and don't let anyone off the hook. If you cut someone a
break, all they will do is go out and make the same mistake again.
You've got to watch people all the time. They cannot be trusted. If
they get half a chance, they will get you and yours.
Always
seek to be first in line. The last one in line is going to be the last
one in. Strive to always associate with strong, wealthy people. Those
are the people who help you get ahead. Don't think about death or
suffering. Thoughts like that are for losers.
And
no matter what, do not give to people who beg from you. That only
encourages more begging and less work. Remember the secret to life
rests in this one golden principle: Do unto others before they do unto
you.
After Jesus had finished these sayings, he got into his private jet and flew off for a relaxing week in the Bahamas where he could check on his offshore tax shelters while enjoying duty free shopping. And many people in American said, Amen.
James L. Evans, a syndicated columnist, also serves as pastor of Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Ala.
Source: http://ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=8731
| | |
| The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So
they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out,
"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the
King of Israel!" And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" (John 12:12-15 ESV)
Over the past few weeks, we have covered a decent amount of ground. I know that I have probably not done this topic justice, but let me give a brief summary of what it was that I was trying to get across.
All of us are indeed our brother's keeper. This idea has been true from creation to the present and it is never going to change. While family in the Old Testament referred specifically to blood relation, in the New Testament, Jesus expanded the boundaries of who is included in this relationship. The family, that once consisted merely of blood, was expanded to include other disciples and immediate followers of Jesus. But Jesus doesn't stop there, and in one sentence He shatters even that understanding of family and expands it to include whoever does God's will.
Now, to this point, what God's will is has not been properly defined. So, today I would briefly like to do that and then begin a week-long discussion on what the implications are of being our brother's keeper.
God's Will Defined
He has shown all you people what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 TNIV)
Some of my responders, in defining God's will, limited God's will to getting saved. Now, while believing in Jesus as the Messiah and making Him lord of your life is vitally important, this is not all that God demands of people. As we saw in the passage above, God wants more than relifious duties. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 13,
If I speak in human or angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not
have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-2 TNIV)
And as Jesus said before him,
Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21a ESV)
religion is not all that God demands. God also demands justice, love, and mercy, to name a few. And anyone who does these things is doing God's will.
The Implications
Since we now have an understanding of God's will that consists of more than simply "getting saved;" and since Jesus has expanded the family (or at least those who we are to treat as our family), what are the implications? How does "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother," impact the truth that we are our brother's keeper?
The first thing this should do is humble us. I want you to see one important detail in the Palm Sunday text:
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it (John 12:14a ESV)
Jesus, the King of all kings, rode into the city where His throne will later reside on a donkey. Jesus, "who was made lower than the angels for a little while" (Hebrews 28b TNIV), humbled Himself even further by riding into His earthly kingdom on a donkey. This is Jesus setting us an example.
This earth is our kingdom. In the beginning, God set people as rulers over the earth (Psalm 8:6-8). But this is not license to exploit and abuse the earth. Rather, this one fact is intended to humble us. The Psalmist states,
[W]hat are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalm 8:4 TNIV)
In the same way that being made the rulers of creation should humble us, knowing that our family is anyone who is doing God's will should humble us.
We are our brother's keeper. We are our family's keeper. We are each other's keeper.
This is big. I pray that we would all see it as such.
| | |
|
