Learning Worship from Islam

During the last few weeks in my continued pursuit towards my MDIV, I have been a participant in a class entitled Introduction to Islam. Prior to taking this class, I, like many other Americans, had developed my own stereotypes concerning Muslims and the Islamic faith. As I have studied, I have come to appreciate certain aspects of Islam. To put your fears to rest, I can wholeheartedly proclaim that I am not in the least embracing Islam or “converting” to their faith. Moreover, I strongly maintain that Islam is a false religion and unfortunately, they have missed the truth about Jesus Christ. In fact, I am further compelled to have compassion on the Muslim people as even in their own holy book, the Qur’an, they admit that Jesus Christ was the only one who ever walked on the face of the earth that had a supernatural birth, supernatural life, and a supernatural resurrection. Not even their prophet Muhammad can make these claims and yet, they still fail to see the truth that remains in front of their eyes.

From the other side of the spectrum, those who are committed to the Muslim faith have much they can teach Christians in certain areas of worship. Above all things in Islam is a deep reverence and devotion to “Allah” which puts many of professing Christians to shame. Muslims do not casually throw his name around like any other common word. They do not use his name in any way which might cause disrespect or insinuate that he is someone other than he is not. Nor do they entertain things which certainly bring disfavor upon his holiness and sacredness. To a Muslim, Allah is to be submitted to in all of life---by which the very word “Islam” means: submission.

How do we think that Muslims see the average American who calls himself a Christian live out his faith? Missions groups such as the Caleb Project (www.encounteringislam.org) have discovered that one of the main reasons that Christians cannot effectively evangelize Muslims is due to the fact that our lives do not reflect what our Bible proclaims in how we should be living as followers of Jesus Christ. Think about how “casually” we approach our worship. We have no problem using God’s name in vain even to the point where we feel freely to text "OMG"---not in praise but in a response to the ordinary events of life. We in the west feel that as we can bear our bodies and dress as everyone in the world dresses. Forget the idea of modesty as it is acceptable for Christian women to show “cleavage” and wear mini-skirts which leave little to be imagined. We have no problem watching movies and television shows that grieve the heart of God and act like He is not even in the same room with us. We mock the Muslims for their “rituals” of their religion, but how many of us actually take the time to pray to our Lord five times a day in the pursuit of pleasing Him? We cry “outrage” as to how they make their women dress, but we as a church have done nothing to deal with our need to have “sex-appeal” to fit in with our culture. We cry “legalism” but I believe God cries “unholy!”

It should shame us that we serve the True and Living God and yet, we don’t act like his word is “true” and that our God is actually “Living.” We live in such a way that God fits into our lives, schedule, and agenda, whereas, dedicated Muslims, fit their lives into the notion of serving Allah. They worship falsely yet their reverence and obedience is displayed as if the God they serve is true. We on the other hand, we worship what is true, but where is the reverence, holiness, obedience, and yes, the submission? In the end, our worship of Jesus Christ looks no different that the pagan worship of the seventh century which Islam fought against in proclaiming “There is only one God.” Jesus Himself said “Worship the Lord and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10). If we are truly worshiping the Lord, then our lives will reflect the idea that we are “serving” Him which literally means to “serve for hire.” In other words, serving requires our submission. We must “do” certain things in order to show our worship towards the Lord. There must be actions that reflect our beliefs and God in His great wisdom has given us the Book on “what we are to believe and how we are to put those beliefs into action.”  Sure, we can look like we worship the true God on any given Sunday but take a look at our lives Monday through Saturday and we might discover that the Muslims are right on one thing---we are a people whose claims about Jesus Christ do not match up to our actions.

A Cry for a True Ecumenical Movement

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to experience worship and the renewing power of the Spirit in the midst of  a people where many are serving in worship ministry in what is considered by some to be a “dead” mainline denominations. Not knowing what to expect when I was invited to attend a “worship conference” put on by the organization, I suddenly realized that I was privileged to take part of something special in seeing what Acts 2 proclaimed and the prophet Joel foresaw in the last days----God’s Spirit being poured out upon all flesh! Although it is evident that Christianity in America is declining, there is a remnant of believers who are determined to be baptized in the fire of the Spirit and walk in the true path of worshiping the Lord by living surrendered and abandoned lives to His glory.

Whether we are from a Pentecostal, Charismatic, or Mainline traditions, we all share a common thread: we are all in need for the Spirit of the Lord to encounter us and empower us once again. I could find many flaws, say with the United Methodist church, but if I were to take an honest look at the denominational affiliation that I subscribe to, I guarantee that I would find the same stale traditions and godless compromises that look no differently in the eyes of God. The problem that the church has is a universal problem. The church that ordains homosexuals and the church that no longer accepts the gifts of the Spirit suffer from the same root problem as the church the believes that God exists to create wealth on this earth and the church that believes it has the corner market on the “Spirit.” This problem is coined by one little word that has damned countless of souls to Hell and continues to be the church’s fiercest enemy----religion!

Religion seeks to define God. It seeks to define His role in our lives. It seeks to put God and all that He is in a neatly confined structure that makes Him a deity that can comfortably dwell with man. Religion is us trying to control God and if you take a look at the condition of the church, we have done a stellar job of limiting what God truly wants to do in us and through us. If we do not like what the Bible says or suggests, we reinterpret the Bible to make it mean what we want it to mean (isn’t that correct Mr. Bell?) If we’d rather become more embracing of cultural standards rather than embracing the life of holiness, we simply make God accepting and even endorsing our way of life.  In essence, we create a “God” that we want instead of serving God as He is. In the end, it becomes a form of idolatry using religion at the foundation and dressing it up as “Christianity.”

1 John 5:21 states, “Dear children, keep yourself from idols” and in the case of the church, the greatest idol which we have erected is “religion.” It is the serving of a god that is based on our preference rather than “Spirit and Truth” which is demanded of God for true worship to become a reality. Image if the church in America, regardless of denomination could come together with that single thought in mind---to worship our King in Spirit and in Truth. I’m not suggesting an ecumenical movement, but I am suggesting a movement of Pentecost and Revival among the people of God. We need to be radically transformed by the power of the Spirit and to be fully indoctrinated with the truth of God’s Word in order that the idols in our churches can be destroyed and Jesus can take His rightful place among His Body. God never asked us to “figure Him out!” He simply asked us to follow Him in obedience. We need to stop making God what we want Him to be and allow Him to the freedom to become who He is. To do this, we must lay down our preconceived ideas and our petty preferences that place us at the center of our universe to illicit a religion that is safe, comfortable, and accommodating to our desires and needs. It’s time to let go and return to the beginning before “church” became a religious institution and do what believers did at first-----seek the heart of God and allow the Spirit of God to consume us with holy fire that will forever change our lives and make us into a people who not only say they “know God,” but actually live as a “witness” to His presence in their lives. My cry is simply----for a true ecumenical movement where the church is once again a people who worship in one Spirit and in one Truth: that Jesus Christ is Lord of All and all other gods that our "religion" has fashioned will bow their knees in submission and worship to our King. 

Taking the Week Off

Although it is already Thursday, I just wanted to let my readers know that I am taking this week off of the blog as I am preparing to attend a worship conference in Nashville this weekend. I sure I will have much to say when I return. God bless you and thank you for your faithful support in reading the things that burn in my heart.

The Purpose Driven Lie

Our society loves the latest “buzz.” When someone who has something “new” to say has made their mark in our world, it seems as if they are propelled to the forefront societal thought. Not only does this phenomenon happen in the world but also and unfortunately, this happens within the church; however, once these individuals are placed in the “spotlight” of the Christian arena, it does not take long to discover the motivating force that exists behind their assent to the mountain top of Christian “pop-culture.” With that said, one individual in particular had indeed made his mark upon the landscape of the church in America and in many ways, he has shaped the way that church has re-defined worship. 

A few years ago, I attended a church that went through Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. At the time, I thought that it was a good idea for the church to spend the forty days in a focused study that somehow might prove beneficial to the Body. Since that time, I have come to recognize that the theology of Rick Warren is anything but Biblical. How can I make such claims? After all, that book has helped so many people discover that they are valued and that they serve a purpose in the Body of Christ. What about the news story of the hostage who used The Purpose Driven Life to touch the heart of her captor? Wasn’t that a “God” thing as well? I have a good friend who ga uges the theology of a Christian writer with a very simple thermometer: if it is on the New York Times best seller list and the world “loves it” then it must not be “Christian.”  According to Jesus, that makes sense as he assured us that the world would “hate us” and everything that is associated with Him. 

I do not know Rick Warren personally, but I can see the fruit of his life which he has chosen to put on display. Currently, Warren is attempting to find common ground among the world’s major religions and to somehow join us together in the name of “peace.” Believe it or not, this has everything to do with the Purpose Driven Life. Central to the book’s theology is “unity.” It was designed for churches to come together by a common means and experience life together and embracing our various differences which make us unique as God’s people. Enter the spotlight on Mr. Warren, and we can discover that he sees that God’s people extend beyond the confines of Christianity. Just like his book, we can comfortably accept our differences and celebrate our unique contributions which help us to discover the “purpose” for our lives in relation to God----whoever your god may be.

I’m not writing to demean or discredit Rick Warren but I am coming against the mentality what he has advocated to the Christian faith and is now infecting the church like a killer pandemic. First and foremost, God doesn’t believe in the Purpose Driven Life! He believes in the Christ Driven Life! Because without Christ at the very center of all we do, life has no purpose! The church has become too concerned with finding a “bridge” that will connect us with the world. God never called the church to “connect” with the world on any grounds. In fact, he has called us to “Come out from among them and be separate.” Too much of what the church does is in finding ways for people to discover their “purpose” in life. The Bible from cover to cover explains that very simply---to glorify God with all of our life! In other words, our purpose is to worship Jesus Christ. 

The early church did not look for “common ground” with those in the world; rather, they preached the gospel. The Gospel message is not one of common ground between the world and the church. It is a declaration that the world has no ground to stand on while the church has the only ground that will keep them from falling into a “bottomless pit.”  Because we have embraced the Purpose Driven theology, we have in essence created the church to be a place that is more concerned with people finding significance, purpose, and value for their lives than for people finding that they only thing in life which has significance, purpose, and value is Jesus Christ. It has become a place where we discover ways to conform to the Gospel to our lives as opposed to our lives being conformed to the Gospel. 

Perhaps the biggest problem in the Purpose Driven mentality is its position on “unity” at all costs. While unity is important to the Body of Christ, it should never compromise the Word of God for the sake of “peace.” There are certain “differences” we can embrace in the church such as our gifts, personalities, and preferences; however, there are also absolutes which cannot exist as “differences” in the church. Sin is sin and should be dealt with as being “wrong” and not dismissed as having a different view which we need to “respect.” Erroneous beliefs and false doctrine should be exposed and those whose job is to confront it should not be “afraid” of offending the wayward party. Finally, worship should be pure and not centered upon pleasing the ear of men for the sake of making people feel “comfortable” in our pews. After all, the goal of worship is not for unity or for the church to discover their purpose on this earth. It is to glorify God and in that, unity will come and purpose will be found; but to approach worship in any other way will result in another item to the long list of destructive theologies which has sought to destroy the true purpose of the church.

America's Demise: Who is at Fault?

There is much blame to go around these days for the decay of our nation. While one could make a great argument that for the most part, politicians have utterly made a mockery of our country, the level of intelligence which has been exhibited by this country’s leaders as of late makes one wonder if we did in fact evolve from lesser life forms as their level of decision making may prove that the “missing link” has been found---in Washington, D.C. All joking aside, our nation is a mess. And while we could place the blame on the democrats, republicans, libertarians, tea party members, or whoever else we would like to criticize, I believe that those responsible are less conspicuous and unknowing of their damning deeds that have caused the erosion of America.

I have heard many people make the claim that this current president is “narcissistic.” While there may be some truth to that, I also believe that in America there is a place that is much more self-centered, self-promoting, and self-indulgent than the White House----it’s called the church! We have created an organization in this country which exists to meet the needs of its adherents. We have our one hour and fifteen minute service so that no one has to be inconvenienced; after all, people have lives outside of church and we especially never want people to feel as if they need to “commit” to something which would cost them their free time. Furthermore, we had better entertain the congregants; otherwise, they’ll find other things to do on Sunday morning that will suit their interest. As long as we can give people what they want and speak what they want to hear, the church can remain “alive and well.”

I realize I may be somewhat harsh, but let me prove my thoughts with two simple words: prayer meeting! Where is it? Why aren’t churches doing it? Why won’t people come out to it? Someone once said (to the effect of) “The life of the church is measured by its prayer meeting.” If that is the case, I believe that we are in trouble. And yet, prayer is the foundational element to worship. The general attitude concerning prayer in the church today is one of drudgery, disinterest, and derelict. Yet, it was the “prayer meeting” that empowered the church (Acts 2). Today, we’ve come to believe in our program driven agenda based on a George Barna, Rick Warren, or Willow Creek paradigm. While prayer may be suggested as a part of implementing these programs, the emphasis centers upon the need to become a more “relevant” church to the world around us. After all, the world certainly cannot relate to the prayer meeting.

Ezekiel 21 begins with a warning to God’s people that His wrath was about to be executed upon their nation. It states, “Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary” (v.1). Why would the prophet begin to “preach against the sanctuary?” The answer is simple: this is where the greatest offense has taken place against the Lord. It wasn’t the “secular” aspect of life which was destroying their nation but it was the worshiping community which was responsible for the coming judgment. How could that be so? The reason I believe is the same reason for what is transpiring in our country today. Ezekiel 22: 30-31 states “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

While the church is too focused upon on how we can make “church better” we have failed to focus on how to make the influence of the church in the world “more powerful” which can only come through the people of God “standing in the gap.” For some reason, we are too concerned with “church growth” strategies rather than the only strategies which will make a church grow----prayer! Rather than painfully interceding on behalf of the sin and lostness of men in our nation, it is much more enjoyable to simply relish in the commentaries of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and other such conservative voices as in their “wisdom,” they can tell what needs to be done to save our nation. Their voices echo with the same rhetoric “If we could only get a new president…if we could only get conservatives in the senate….if we could only get more conservatives in the House, then we could get this nation back on track!” While all along, a voice echoes from heaven saying, “If I could only get a church to stand in the gap…if I could only get people to believe in the power of prayer…if I could only get the Body of Christ to care less about their “freedoms” and more about their “sacrifice” as disciples, then I would ‘…hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Let’s be honest at this point. Prayer is the least important aspect of worship in the church today but it is the most necessary. Why are we so negligent towards prayer?  The honest answer is the most humbling---we’re simply not that interested in God. God doesn’t care about the size of our churches or whether or not we have a top-notch youth ministry. He doesn’t care about whether or not the world is even interested in entering the doors of your sanctuary. He’s not the One giving us all of the “ideas” to “grow our churches” in finding ways to “connect” better with those in the world. How can I make such claims? Because there is a nation in which we live in that is about to experience the wrath of God in ways we have never seen in this country, and while we are worried about building our little kingdoms and mega-churches, God weeps over the lost and grieves over the apathetic church which would rather be entertained in their worship instead of travailing through the pain of intercession. Judgment will begin with the house of God. My only prayer is that when it does, perhaps a few of us will stand in the gap when the foundational walls of this nation comes crumbling down. So the next time you’re tempted to point the finger at the president, senate, or congress, you had better do so knowing that there are fingers pointing back at you accusing you of putting our country in this mess for the lack of a zealous prayer life!