To Praise or Not to Praise?

Waking up this morning, it happened once again. Although I suspect that I am not the only one who has awakened to face the day in this manner, I still feel as if I am alone in the overwhelming sense of discouragement I feel pressing upon me. Perhaps I am frustrated about my current life situation or I am angry at the way my life has turned out thus far in my journey. Perhaps it is the constant stress I feel in attempting to make a better life for my family, and yet, appearing to fail at every effort. Perhaps it is a deep dissatisfaction with who I am and what I feel I have become when I look at the man in mirror. These thoughts weigh heavy upon me today and my spirit is being crushed under the weight of this darkening cloud that envelops me. Life seems to have gotten the best of me today. My thoughts and circumstances have succeeded to smother me in a blanket of depression, anxiety, and apathy. And while I have wallowed in my predicament, I hear a still, small voice say, “…and then there is God.”  I open my Bible and read portions of Psalm 145:

“Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever” (v.2)

“They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness” (v.7)

I ask myself, “Have I even considered praising the Lord today?” I know what many of us will say in response to that---“I don’t have many reasons to praise Him today.” But then, the Psalm continues:

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion in all he has made…The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down…You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The Lord is near to all who call on him…He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him...Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever”  (Psalm 145:8-21).

This day, I have a reason to live. I have a reason to joyfully celebrate life as I have a God who loves me beyond what I can even begin to comprehend. I have a God who remains faithful to me and draw near to me---yes, even in my darkest times, the times when I can hardly find a reason to praise Him. I have a God that upholds me, lifts me, satisfies me, hears me, watches over me, and saves me! He is loving, gracious, compassionate, and kind. Despite all that I see in my life that is attempting to drag me to the depths of despair, it cannot compare to the saving grace of a God who loves me. His hands are and have been reaching for me. With each and every moment, he has proclaimed to me, “I AM HERE!” I need no longer accept the voices that try to convince me that God is anything less who he is. I need no longer believe my life is the exception from experiencing what God has offered me. I need no longer believe the lies that my circumstances define my existence. No, my life was defined before the foundations of the world by the God who created me, gave himself for me, and offered me everlasting life when I did not deserve anything but his wrath. Life is not drudgery. It is glorious because of our God, Jesus Christ and what he has determined that my life should be. I am now faced with a choice. I can either continue to wallow in the facade of seeing life through the lens of my self-pity and self-centered perspective or I can open up my eyes and see a God who is worthy of praise despite all that my life appears to be. My life is not what I make of it-----it is what I will allow Jesus to make of it.  The choice is mine and the choice is yours. To praise or not to praise? That is the question.

I am in a War

It’s that time of year once again for me, when I enjoy the beauty of the turning of the seasons, the cool crisp air of an autumn night, the entertainment of weekend football games with my family, and the one event that sets the tone for my entire year: the silent prayer retreat. It has become an annual pilgrimage that I have so prioritized that literally, the only way I would miss it would be due to the death of a loved one. This year however, feels much different. The past year has been one of my most challenging as a believer. At times, it has felt as if I have lost my way and I have done nothing more than spin my wheels in the mud. A part of me feels emptier than I ever have before. Feelings of discouragement, hopelessness, and defeat have haunted me almost daily. And yet, I realize something about all of this. I AM IN A WAR. If you were to ask me, “How is the battle going?” I would honesty confess that it feels as if I have lost some ground this year-----in fact I know I have. As a husband, a father, a minister, and a believer, I have certainly not met my own expectations as to what I have desired to become this year. A closer examination of my life would perhaps even be more troubling as honesty would require me to confess that I have not met the Lord’s expectations in the roles He has privileged me with. But then again, I AM IN A WAR!

War doesn’t always play out in the way we strategize it in our minds. There are certain causalities along the way. Despite being well armed and equipped, having all we need to defeat our enemy, we still experience the effects of the war. It’s tiring. It’s frustrating. It’s discouraging. It’s unpredictable. As the war rages on, we do grow weary and that’s where the greatest danger for us exists. I think of the prophet Elijah, who battled the god of his culture on Mount Carmel, decisively defeating his enemy, only to find himself retreating to the wilderness wanting to die (1 Kings 19:3-4). David in all of his conquests decided he had enough as well. Instead of marching on as the commander and chief of Israel’s army, he remained secure in his palace abode-----which began the decline of his kingdom via a series of poor choices that followed (1 Samuel 11:1-4). It’s not uncommon for God’s people to want to throw in the towel and walk away from the battlefield; yet, we seldom think of the consequences in giving up the fight. For Elijah, God’s response was simple: “…anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet” (1 Kings 19:16). In other words, “Go get your replacement!” The irony for David was that the very thing he sought refuge from----the battlefield---would now become the defining picture of his future kingdom: “…the sword will never depart from your house...” (2 Samuel 12:10). What we too often fail to realize, that in those moments when we want to escape from the battle, we may be making things worse for ourselves and forfeiting the rightful blessings that the Lord has prepared for our lives. I believe this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). I would further Paul’s thought in submitting, that either way, we will reap a harvest from our decision of pressing on or giving up. One will bring us to a place of abundance and the other will bring us to a place of desolation. One thing, however, remains true. As long as we remain here on this earth, the war will never leave us. We only have the choice of being active participants or unwilling bystanders.

So how do I know I am still an active participant in this war? Because I have one important resource that is too often overshadowed by all of that which I do not have: I HAVE DESIRE!  I STILL HAVE THE DESIRE TO GO AFTER GOD AND BE ALL THAT HE HAS CALLED ME TO BE. That’s what this weekend is about for me. It’s a time to recharge and renew my commitment. It’s my opportunity to re-equip myself for the battles that I am certain to face. I have learned to no longer worry about how the retreat will impact my future or the changes that I will try to institute as a result of being there; rather, I simply want to cultivate a deeper desire for the Lord. As long as I have desire, I have the drive to continue the fight. As long as I have desire, I can always find a place of refuge in the war without giving up the fight. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Yes, the war is real. Yes, it is filled with trials and pain. But in the greater picture of this lifelong battle, is a God, who if we have the desire to know Him and seek Him, has promised to lighten the burden of our conflicts and walk along side of us bearing the brunt of the assaults upon us. I am in a war, but I am not alone. I am in a war, but I can find rest. I am in a war, but I already have the victory. As long as I have the desire to know Christ more, I will not and cannot be defeated, because He has promised that He will remain with me every step of the way.

War Room: Real Life or Fairy Tale?

This past weekend, my wife and I went on a date to see the new Kendrick Brothers movie, War Room. I happen to be a big fan of the work that the Kendrick Brothers are doing in elevating the quality of Christian Film while always maintaining a powerful message that is certain to challenge one in their faith. War Room was no exception. The point of the movie was simple: prayer must be a central aspect of the believer’s life and they must learn how to utilize this gift in order to live a victorious, overcoming life. Upon leaving the theatre, I was forced to consider my own prayer life and confront the realization that I am failing miserably in this area of my life. Sure, it was a fictitious story where things turned out for the characters involved and perhaps many would see it as having a fairy tale ending that seldom ever happens in “real life;” but, I was left pondering an even more important question: Is this what real life is supposed to be for the Christian?

I think that too often, the perspective we have of our faith is that in “real life,” things seldom ever turn out the way we want and there are very few fairy tale endings where we get the desired or even better outcome than expected. We relinquish ourselves to accepting that this is what life holds because we live in a fallen world. And to make matters more complicated, it seems that trials and suffering have become the status quo of living if you’re a follower of Jesus. For many, Christian jargon phrases such as victorious living, being more than a conqueror, freedom in Christ, and the abundant life seem more like unrealistic concepts than they do practicalities for daily living. Sure we have the security of knowing we are going to heaven one day, but in the meantime, it seems as if this whole serving Jesus thing produces more pain than happiness and more turmoil than it does peace. Is this really the way that the Christian life was meant to be?  

The Bible tells us that suffering is a necessary part of or growing in our relationship with Christ. James 1:2-4 reminds that we should “consider it pure joy whenever you face trials...” so that as we persevere through them, we may be “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Suffering also connects the believer in a deeper way to Christ. As Paul wrote in Philippians, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29) and “ I want know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection AND PARTIPATION IN HIS SUFFERINGS…” (Philippians 3:10). But is this the only way we grow in our faith? Is the Christian life one only to be one of pain and drudgery while we remain here on the earth?

In getting back to War Room, one of the characters, Miss Clara is portrayed as a fiery prayer warrior who in essence, lives and breathes the Word of God. From what the audience can gather, she has dedicated her life to teaching other women the ministry of intercession. From her perspective, we fail to have victory in our lives because we fail to apprehend the riches discovered in the Word of God and prayer. In watching her character, you are left with the impression that prayer is something that one does throughout the day, communing with God at every possible opportunity, and speaking the Word of God in all of life’s situations----but is this a realistic picture of how it should be or just an exaggerated picture of the Christian life via Hollywood?  

Central to answering this question lies in what we believe about the Word of God. When Paul makes statements such as “PRAY CONTINUALLY and give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18), “ALWAYS GIVE YOURSELF FULLY to the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58), “…PRAY in the Spirit ON ALL OCCASSIONS with all kinds of prayers and requests….ALWAYS KEEP ON PRAYING for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18),  and “Do not be anxious about anything but IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER and PETITION, with thanksgiving present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6), did he mean those things literally or figuratively? In our Western mindset, we will certainly argue that Paul in no way envisioned Christians who would primarily spend their day praying and spouting off God’s Word as much as they could. After all, that would be fanatical and unrealistic in the “real world.” What would people think about us if we spend the majority of our time speaking truth from Scripture, praising the Name of Jesus throughout the day, and being bold enough to pray in every opportunity when it was warranted? Instead, we have come to believe that we must maintain a conservative and reserved attitude when it comes to dealing with matters of our faith. Sure, we read our bibles. Sure, we do our devotions with prayer lists included. But to be consumed about the things of God and to live with an unrestrained passion in demonstrating that in daily living, well that is another story!

Guess what? I am here to burst your bubble. WE ARE TO LIVE THAT KIND OF LIFE! WE ARE TO BE THOSE KIND OF CHRISTIANS! Jesus told his disciples, “I confer on you a kingdom just as my Father conferred upon me” (Luke 22:29). We have been assigned as stewards and covenant partakers of the reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus also told us that he came that we may “have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). In other words, our lives should reflect all that Jesus has done for us, in us, and has given to us. We have been given the fullness of life. As Paul tells us, even when the hardships and suffering comes our way in this life, “…we are MORE THAN conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:28). The unfortunate thing, however, is that we seldom live as if this is true. Which brings me back to my original thought: what would life be like if we actually began living the way that the Bible speaks of the Christian life---especially in the areas of prayer and appropriating God’s Word?

If anything, War Room, presents a challenge to us. It shows us the importance and necessity of having a prayer life. But if you consider the deeper significance of what the means, I believe that we can conclude that we are missing the greater point. Life is about prayer! Life is about the Word of God richly dwelling in us! Life is about Jesus and following His example in living! Anything else we put our hands to, occupy our time with, and pursue while we are here on earth is not life, nor is it living---it is merely existing. Do we wonder why life appears to be a constant struggle of simply making it through another day? Do we wonder why we can’t overcome our issues and we find ourselves wrapped up in crisis after crisis? Do we wonder why our problems seem endless and it feels like there is no light in the midst of our darkness? The answer is simple: because we have yet to access the life awaiting for us in Jesus. And until we are ready to relinquish our mere existing in this world in favor of pursuing the only true life offered to us, we will never move beyond the common struggles of humanity to embrace a glorious, victorious life offered to all who are willing to live boldly, radically, and completely for Jesus Christ.

Black, White, Happy and Ignorant of True Justice

Justice. It seems be the buzzword of today’s world. By definition, justice is the principle or ideal of just dealing or right action and conforming to this principle or ideal.[1] The idea of justice is saturated with words such as equality, rights, fairness, and freedoms. When one speaks of the exercise of justice, in essence, one is championing the perceived injustices of prejudice, racism, oppression, and tyranny. Those who fight for justice often see that the oppression of others, usually the less fortunate, is caused by those who have the power to relieve their suffering, yet refuse to accept blame and rectify their actions. In many circles, “justice” is synonymous with the term “social justice,” which is best exemplified in our modern era through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, led Martin Luther King Jr. The Jim Crow laws which promoted bigotry and discrimination toward Black Americans was clearly an issue where justice was appropriately instituted and rectifying the right for equality among all people. 

Fast forward to 2015. America is in a volatile place. Many believe that the fight for equality still exists and that issues like race and gender are still battles that need to be waged in our country. With the aid of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and bias media news sources, one can easily perpetuate their cause to the level of epidemic proportions---even if that is not the case. A few instances of perceived injustice can be magnified, vilifying any person, persons, people group, or race, and make a single victim of that injustice the poster child for the mentality of an entire nation. Yes there is injustice, but there is also justice enforced when necessary. For instance, a young black man, with a known and public criminal record (thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) who is involved in suspicious activity, confronted by authority, and then due to his RESPONSE, is unfortunately killed in the heat of resistance, does not speak of racism. How can I say that? Because it happens to white men as well [2] (See news links below of a few examples). I am in no way minimizing wrongful death or the abuse of authority. My point is not to reject the notion that racism still doesn’t exist, as it still exists equally among the races; rather, it is to demonstrate that justice is being misunderstood, and even worse, many in the church are in a state of confusion on this subject because social justice is not biblical justice!

Justice should be reserved for those who cannot help themselves. The Bible does not command us to stand up for those who in their quest for "rights" will choose to rebel, riot, and torch entire neighborhoods destroying the homes and business of hard working families. Nor does it encourage us to stand with those who adamantly oppose Christianity, protesting against the church, in and mocking the very One who saved them.

 






No, biblical justice stands with those who have no voice, who are neglected, abused, abandoned in society, with no means of ever having a chance without the intervention of others. James 1:27 articulates this idea by reminding the church that “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress…” The problem in America, and with Christianity that aims to join alliance with today’s social justice movements, is that it fails to see the hypocrisy present in the cause. For instance, issues like the race card can be played both ways. For every claim of "injustice" toward one race, one can also cite injustices against the other. Just because a white cop commits a crime against a black victim does not mean that there are not black perpetrators committing crimes against white police officers.  For every bit of "hate speech" that is cited by the LBGT community against those who oppose their views, that same community will spew forth "hate speech" directed toward those who oppose their views. The hypocrisy of all this lies in that the truth in neglecting to see things as they are. Why isn't there an outcry for "justice" when a women is brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant? Why isn't there an outcry for those who seek "justice" for the millions of babies that have been aborted and their body parts illegally sold? The truth is because the church is too engrained into the fabric of culture. Social justice is simply that----justice informed by the mentality and ideology of society. At the heart of society is the worship and magnification of man. So man will use whatever leverage he can to magnify himself to get what he wants, even calling it the pursuit of justice. There will always be the poor, neglected, discriminated, and abused in society. We live in a fallen world and there will always be the corruption of power. As the church, we need to remember one important fact: the greatest suffering occurred upon the cross where an unparalleled amount of injustice was demonstrated. There were no riots. No hashtags. No demands. Just a brutalized, tortured body, hanging on a cross, dying for a crime he did not commit. And why? For all of our sin. Do we have the right to fight  our own justice, when we are ALL blatantly guilty for the death of an innocent man? Biblical justice does not fight for the rights of men----it fights for the souls of men. It’s not ‘injustice” that is the responsible for the ills of our country, it is sin! Until we as a nation see that we are in sin and come to that place where we will “humble ourselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways” (see 2 Chronicles 7:14), we will never see an end to the chaos, divisiveness, and hatred which exists in our country. As believers however, we are not called to join in solidarity with the world and its causes----we are called to surrender our lives to Christ, serve others, and give up our rights for the sake of the kingdom. If we can do that, then perhaps we can make a difference not only in the world we live in but also one that will impact eternity.

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[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justice

[2] http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/06/us/seneca-teen-dead-police-shooting/index.html

  http://www.texasgopvote.com/issues/restore-families/justice-james-black-cop-shoots-unarmed-white-veteran-orange-tx-over-racial-slur-0057061

Of Martyrs and the American Medicated Church

 I have recently met a fellow believer from Pakistan whose life is drastically different than mine. He lives in a part of the world where there is a constant threat of persecution and to further his challenge of being a believer in a Muslim country, my friend has taken in several orphan children into his home whose lives have been devastated by the loss of their parents. As I compare my life with his, it is not difficult to become easily disturbed at what I have prioritized in my own life the things I consider essential and important to daily living. Recently, my friend sent me a video that showed the reality of what is happening on his side of the world. Words cannot express the horrors of the atrocities that I viewed-----the slaughtering and beheading of innocent children because of their association of with Jesus Christ. When you see something that tragic, something inside of you almost doesn’t want to believe that it is real. And yet, when you allow for it to sink in, your perspective suddenly changes and you see the world in which you live in a completely different light. For those of you who know me, I have never been one from refraining from speaking the truth and sharing my concern for the condition of today’s church. After viewing the video, I have come to the realization that the church in America is in a state of disconnection from the reality of what is happening to other believers around the world. To their defense, there is a very plausible explanation as to why the average evangelical American Christian remains disconnected. The reason? Because week in and week out, they sit in a pew in order to be spiritually medicated with the message of self-help and achieving a happy life. If you do what I did and watch a video like that on a Saturday night, and then go to church Sunday morning, you might be surprised that your perspective might change. Do we for one second believe that our messages about being more successful in our relationships, how to be blessed in our finances, how to deal with our emotions, and overcoming stress in our lives would have one ounce of meaning to those who are truly experiencing what Jesus promised-----that “you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations on account of me?” (Matthew 24:9).  

What would we say to our brothers and sisters who are living in the midst of the fire? Here’s seven principles for healthy Christian living? Sitting in our  morning services, they would most likely walk away with the impression that “We want you to feel good about yourself, so take a happy pill from the pulpit and know you’re are loved and accepted just as you are!” From more recent trends, they might even hear, “Now, be careful not to judge groups like ISIS or any other Muslim extremists, after all they were born into that kind of life, so we shouldn’t cast stones. In fact, we should understand the pain we’ve caused them from the past because they’re still trying to overcome the detrimental effects that the Crusades had upon them.”  Why? Because it appears for the America Christian, we have this fascination of wanting the world to love and accept us.  The majority world Christians (which by is no longer in the West, but in Africa and the East), does not embrace the dynamics of “relativity” when it comes to engaging culture. The majority of them only understand one kind of church: a persecuted church! Preaching and teaching the gospel could literally cost them their lives. I cannot imagine that they sit around in a pointless leadership meeting asking, “How can we get more people to come to our church?” or “What creative elements do we need to put into today’s service to make the pastor’s message more effective?” No, the focus is more likely upon things like prayer, the Word, and how can they stay alive for another day in order to preach the gospel. In the meantime, American Christians fearfully concern ourselves with being labeled as homophobes and racists because we do not want anyone to be turned off by Christianity and its true message of sin, repentance, and the work of Christ. We do everything possible to protect the image of our church from being seen as judgmental and ensure that our services will accommodate those who might find the message of the gospel offensive. 

I believe it is time to evaluate the driving factors of the American church. If we are honest, we could easily see our sermons as nothing more than hour long counseling lectures that offers just enough medication to maintain the flock until they need their next weekly fix. I have a good friend who always asks a great question when making evaluations: “What is the end game?” What exactly are we accomplishing in America when it comes to the gospel? Last time I checked, we are in decline. And my brothers and sisters who aren’t “privileged” to live in America, they are thriving in the persecuted church! According to Operation World statistics, the two countries experiencing the greatest annual growth are Iraq (19.6%) and Afghanistan (16.7%). In fact, America is on the slowest growth/declining list with a rate of 0.8% annual growth.[1] If the way we are doing church is so effective with the myriad of programs, small group studies, amped up worship teams, and cutting edge technology, then why are we so ineffective in reaching our nation for Christ? Meanwhile, in places where even the Bible is scarcely available, the church is thriving. We want so much to believe that our churches are great and that we are the supreme example of leading the way for the rest of the world, but the truth is we’re not. We can have a mega churches and tell people they can have their Best Life Now, motivating them with all sort of clever antidotes that become memes on Facebook, but it’s doing nothing more than making us feel good about our dreadful condition. I believe the words of John in Revelation are pertinent for us today where Jesus addressed Sardis warning, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Revelation 3:1-2).  And while our churches are teaching us to become “better people,” we are becoming horrible disciples. Yes, my language is strong, but the self-centered mentality that permeates the culture of the American church is what testifies against us. Face the truth, the American church is all about me, all about what I want, and all about what I believe. Jesus himself stated that being a disciple would cost us our very lives (Matthew 10:37-39, Luke 14:25-33) and yet, we do all that is necessary to preserve our lives and save face with our culture. After all, no one wants to be unpopular, unpleasing, and unappealing to the prevailing crowd. The issue isn’t our failure in demonstrating “love” for our world, it’s that we love this world too much.

The end game is this: we are disconnected from the reality of the true gospel. It’s not about us. It’s not about this quest to have a wonderful and successful life in this world. It’s about living the reality that we are citizens of another kingdom and inviting others to be a part of it. It’s time we stop the dosage of the self-help medication and begin to feel the pain of our failure in truly living as followers of Jesus Christ.  We as the church don’t have the answers to help our fallen world, only Jesus does. All of the self-help programs in the world cannot motivate a person to live for Jesus, only Jesus can.  Part of that reality is suffering, pain, and being rejected by the world in which we live. No matter how hard we may try, if we are truly living our lives for the kingdom, we will never live comfortably among our culture. Each day, men, women and children who live in these hostile areas in the world can testify that loving Jesus means being hated by the world. People are dying but we’re worried about crying! Here in the U.S. we cannot fathom that type of response from the world around us. We would find the newest book or begin a sermon series that would help us to cope the rejection (perhaps something like Eight Methods for Dealing with Rejection or Four Principles for a Better Self-Esteem?).  In the end, we just want everyone to see us loving, accepting, and good people, rather than the abandoned, radical follower of Jesus. And because of that, we will continue to live in a spiritually medicated state, watching the decay of the American church, while believing that as long as we’re feeling good about ourselves, all is well.

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[1] http://www.operationworld.org/hidden/evangelical-growth