The Cornerstone

Shepherd Your Flock

2011-08-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

As a sales associate for a Christian book store, I now see a lot more than the average person when it comes to what churches read and teach. As someone who has been a leader of a church, I have many opinions on what is good and what is not so good and what is downright heretical, but as an employee for this company, I can't reveal my true feelings most of the time...it's my job to basically shake my head and say "yes" to whatever they are looking for.

I will be sharing from time to time here my perspective on life in the church based on what I am seeing at work. Today I want to address how churches choose curriculum.

I was approached the other day at work by a woman searching for curriculum. I showed her the aisle that held the many women's bible studies. She saw how many there were and immediately said, "Oh, that's a lot to look through, is there anything that is easy or basic for new believers?" I had to admit I had no clue which curriculum to point her toward, not because I didn't know, but because I did know. First, there isn't one. Second, why was she asking this 36 year old man which curriculum to choose for her women's group? Did she really want me to choose it for her? Third and most importantly, where is her pastor?

This is the one that I really have the issue with. I am calling on our pastors and ministers to lead their congregations in the direction they need to go. That includes making certain that you are finding the curriculum that is right for your flock. Sending a member of the group to choose some random curriculum is not the right way to set a vision and direction for your church.

How do you know what she picks out will be sound teaching? Who will be teaching it? She didn't sound very confident in knowing what to teach.

One of the biggest failings I see in the church is our lack of vision and direction and real leaders stepping up to teach and lead the way. We need leaders who know where to take a church so that the membership doesn't feel as though they are left to fend for themselves.

Some may think I am being to harsh and critical about this. I see this flaw as one of the most critical issues we are facing right now; churches without leadership. If my words seem critical, maybe it is because it is hard to hear that our leaders are failing the flock. The requests I get at work make me shake my head in disbelief almost every single day. It is sad to see people who are supposed to be saved look so lost in our store.

Church leaders need to take a more active role in selecting the kind of material they want taught in the church; vetting it and checking it's soundness and reasoning it with scripture to see if it matches up. The degradation of our churches is due in large part to our becoming more like a business where everything is delegated to other people instead of taking the time necessary to plan ahead and know what people will be hearing and learning in our church classes. Even if this woman was confident in what she wanted, how does her minister and pastor know that what she is going to teach is healthy biblical teaching if he isn't there to see it and read it himself first?

I know that we hold a priesthood of all believers and that the average Christian should learn to share their faith. I believe that too. I'm not trying to be elitist. I just believe so strongly that our churches need to hold to a set standard. We want people to come to know Christ and to know what is right, true and Biblical too.

Take the time to shepherd your flocks so that the Christian bookstore employees don't have to even if they are qualified.

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A New Evangelical Liberalism

2011-07-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

by Phil Johnson
via Apprising Ministries

The gospel’s most dangerous earthly adversaries are not raving atheists who stand outside the door shouting threats and insults.

They are church leaders who cultivate a gentle, friendly, pious demeanor but hack away at the foundations of faith under the guise of keeping in step with a changing world.

No Christian should imagine that heresy is always conspicuous or that every purveyor of theological mischief will lay out his agenda in plain and honest terms. The enemy prefers to sow tares secretly, for obvious reasons. Thus Scripture expressly warns us to be on guard against false teachers who creep into the church unnoticed (Jude 4), wolves who sneak into the flock wearing sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15), and servants of Satan who disguise themselves as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Theological liberalism is particularly dependent on the stealth offensive. A spiritually healthy church is generally not susceptible to the arrogant skepticism that underlies a liberal’s rejection of biblical authority. Liberalism must therefore take root covertly and gain strength and influence gradually. The success or failure of the whole liberal agenda hinges on a patient public-relations campaign.

That is precisely how neo-liberals have managed to get a foothold in the contemporary evangelical movement. Consider how evangelicalism has changed in just a few short decades.

CLASSIC EVANGELICALISM

Historic evangelicalism has two clear distinctives. One is a commitment to the inspiration and authority of Scripture. The other is a conviction that the gospel message is clear and non-negotiable.

Specifically, evangelicals understand the gospel as an announcement of what Christ has done to save sinners, redeem Adam’s fallen race, and usher believers into his eternal kingdom. The gospel is not a mandate for sinners to save themselves, redeem humanity, recover human dignity, safeguard cultural diversity, preserve the environment, eliminate poverty, establish a kingdom for themselves, or champion whatever social concept of “salvation” might be popular at the moment. In fact, the gospel expressly teaches that sinners can be justified only through faith in Christ alone, and exclusively by his gracious work—not because of any merit they earn for themselves.

The Protestant Reformation clarified and illuminated those same two principles—sola Scriptura and sola fide. Indeed, they are sometimes known as the formal and material principles of the Reformation. But they weren’t novel ideas someone dreamed up out of thin air in the sixteenth century. They are and always have been essential principles of biblical Christianity. In the long course of church history, those truths have frequently been clouded and confused, or mingled with (and sometimes overwhelmed by) bad teaching. Yet since the time of Christ and the apostles those truths have never been totally silenced. They are in fact the very backbone of New Testament doctrine.

Historic evangelicalism made much of that fact. From the dawn of the Reformation through the mid-twentieth century, few evangelicals ever thought of questioning Scripture or modifying the gospel.

CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICALISM

With the advent of the seeker-sensitive movement, however, evangelicals began to be influenced by a new species of entrepreneurial leaders who marginalized those core doctrines by neglect. Most of them didn’t overtly deny essential biblical truths; but neither did they vigorously stress or defend anything other than their own methodology.

The results were predictable: Churches are now filled with formerly unchurched people who are still untaught and perhaps even unconverted. Multitudes of children raised on a treacly diet of seeker-sensitive religion have grown up to associate the label evangelical with superficiality. Most of them cannot tell you what the term originally meant, and they reject whatever vestigial evangelical boundaries or doctrinal distinctives their parents may have held onto. But they still call themselves evangelicals when it’s convenient, and many have remained at the fringes of the visible movement, decrying how out of step the church is with their generation. That, after all, is exactly what they learned from their parents.

This is fertile soil for liberalism to burst into full flower, and that is precisely what is already happening. Evangelicals are blithely following a number of trends that advance the neo-liberal agenda. Unless a faithful remnant begins to recognize and resist the neo-liberal strategy, evangelical churches and institutions will eventually succumb to rank liberalism, just as most of the mainstream denominations did a century ago… This may sound like an oxymoron, but while treating faith as an academic matter, liberals prefer an almost anti-intellectual, agnostic approach to dealing with the specific truth-claims of Scripture. They like their doctrine hazy and indistinct.

One maneuver neo-liberals have perfected in these postmodern times is an artful dodge when they dislike a particular doctrine but cannot afford to make a plain and open denial. Instead, they will claim, “Scripture is simply too unclear on that point. We can’t really be sure. The point is disputed by top scholars, and who are we to speak with too much certainty?”

Thus without denying (or affirming) anything in particular, and without even technically dismissing the matter under discussion as an unimportant point, the ruse effectively sets the truth aside. The skeptic’s goal is thus accomplished without incurring any of the odium of skepticism.

Heavy doses of that flavor of postmodern, neo-liberal evasion have conditioned multitudes of church members to regard carefulness and precision in handling doctrine as both unimportant and potentially divisive. These days the person who shows evidence of doctrinal scruples is much more likely to be held in suspicion or disdain among evangelicals than the neo-liberals who have deliberately made the study of biblical doctrine seem so cloudy, confusing, and contentious.

In reality—and this is a lesson the church should have learned from both Scripture and church history—unity and harmony cannot exist in the church at all if there is not a common commitment to sound doctrine.

CONCLUSION

As long as these four trends and others like them continue to thrive within the evangelical movement, the threat posed by neo-liberalism looms large. Conservative evangelicals should not grow apathetic or take too much comfort in the apparent meltdown of Emergent Village and the liberal wing of postmodernized Christianity. Even if the Emergent ghetto does finally and completely give up the ghost, many of the leading figures and popular ideas from that movement will simply blend into mainstream evangelicalism, which is growing less mainstream and less evangelical all the time.

We must pay attention to the lessons of history and stand firm on the truth of Scripture—and we desperately need to be more aggressive than we have been so far in opposing these neo-liberal influences.

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The Church Needs Men

2011-06-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

"The Church at this moment needs men, the right kind of men, bold men...We languish for men who feel themselves expendable in the warfare of the soul, who cannot be frightened by threats of death because they have already died to the allurements of this world.

Such men will be free from the compulsions that control weaker men. They will not be forced to do things by the squeeze of circumstances; their only compulsion will come from within–or from above.

This kind of freedom is necessary if we are to have prophets in our pulpits again instead of mascots. These free men will serve God and mankind from motives too high to be understood by the rank and file of religious retainers who today shuttle in and out of the sanctuary.

They will make no decisions out of fear, take no course out of a desire to please, accept no service for financial considerations, perform no religious act out of mere custom; nor will they allow themselves to be influenced by the love of publicity or the desire for reputation."

A.W. Tozer "Of God and Men" [Camp Hill: Christian Publications, 1995], 11-13.

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Panel Discussion: "Love Wins" by Rob Bell

2011-04-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

I found this discussion very Biblical and very helpful:

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Earthquake

2011-03-11T08:36:00.000-08:00

Last night I watched the coverage of the 8.9 earthquake (and dozens of aftershocks) hit off the coast of Japan followed by the tsunami that entered the shores of surrounding islands.

I am struck in awe at the devastation that a natural disaster can have. It is easy to be saddened by this kind of destruction because I think how I might be affected if that were to happen to me and what the people in that area might be going through looking for loved ones and trying to repair a semblance of normal life when all they have might be gone.

I am easily distracted in my own life with trying to gain a step up in my ministry, my family, my work, my health, my finances, my marriage... It can be hard to cope with constant barrages from negative people and those who wish ill of me and my ministry. I realize that I have it good. My life isn't being confronted like those in Japan.

When disaster strikes, how does one respond? I am fortunate than most and not in the way that you may think.
Yes, I have enough money to buy food and clothing.
Yes, I have the ability to enter a warm home and bed and sleep well.
Yes, my family loves me and cares for me when I am sick.
I have the ability to turn on a faucet and watch clear, clean water spill out of the tap and into a cup for me to drink and cook.
Those are wonderful blessings and miracles that God has given me. The real reason I am fortunate than most is because I know Jesus Christ.

In times of trial and pain, Jesus is there listening to my hurt.
In times of sadness and anxiety, Jesus comforts me.
In times of financial woes, Jesus has provided for me.
When life is good and I am blessed beyond what I deserve, Jesus celebrates with me.
Most of all, in my sin and my rebelliousness, Jesus has saved me.

Not everyone we encounter knows the glorious gift Jesus has provided us. I can help people by giving them a leg up when they are down, but if I don't share Jesus with them, I may never get a second chance. That should be my priority in every chance encounter I have with another human being. I should be asking them if they know Jesus. He alone has the power to save. This life is going to be full of more devastation like the earthquake in Japan. My prayer is that Christians everywhere are sharing the good news so that if these earthly days end, they will have the destiny of everlasting life.

My heart goes out to those in Japan and all the other places that have been left destroyed over the years. I am praying for the Japanese people as they try to rebuild the things that they need. I pray for the people who lost their lives and their families. I pray we as a wealthy nation can help them not with just money but bodies. Men and women to go and help clean up and rebuild. I also pray that we have Christian men and women in Japan to help lift up their neighbors with comfort and love and share the good news of Jesus.

Join with me in praying for this disaster. If you have the gift and time to travel to Japan, I urge you to go.

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

"Why We're Different" by James Glasscock

2011-02-04T14:58:00.001-08:00

"I hear people say all the time that if we just live good lives "people will want to know why we're different" and then they will want to be Christians, too. If Jesus had just been a really good small town carpenter instead of actively reaching out to those in spiritual need and proclaiming the kingdom of God--where would we be now?

If there are people in your life who are needing to know the grace of God, don't hope they notice your life. Speak up and help them see HIS."

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"The Canon Is Closed" by Charles Spurgeon

2011-02-03T09:36:00.001-08:00

"The canon of revelation is closed; there is no more to be added; God does not give a fresh revelation, but He rivets the old one. When it has been forgotten and laid in the dusty closet of our memory, He grabs it out and cleans the picture, but does not paint a new one. There are no new doctrines, but the old ones are often revived.

It is not, I say, by any new revelation that the Holy Spirit comforts. He does so by telling us old things over and over again; He brings a bright light to manifest the treasures hidden in Scripture; He unlocks the vaults in which the truth has long lain, and He points to secret rooms filled with untold riches; but He coins no more, for enough is done.

Believer! There is enough in the Bible for you to live on forever. If you should outnumber the years of Methuselah, there would be no need for a fresh revelation; if you should live until Christ returns, there would be no necessity for the addition of one single word; if you should go down as deep as Jonah, or even descend as David said he did, into the depths of hell, still there would be enough in the Bible to comfort you without one extra sentence."

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2010 Books of the Year

2011-01-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I read a lot. As many are doing, here are my favorite books this year.

The Map: The Way of All Great Men by David Murrow - I had been looking forward to David Murrow's follow up book to Why Men Hate Going To Church and it sure did deliver. Where his first book exposed many of the issues of why men hate going to church, The Map enlightened us to how we can then disciple men in the way that has been done in history before us in order to get them to love Christ and the church today. Wonderful book! All men (and women) need to read this.

Why We're Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck - The whole title to this book is Why We're Not Emergent (By Two Guys That Should Be). These two young men fit the profile of those flocking to the emergent church: young, hip, questioning stagnant traditions, and open to reaching those who don't fit in a traditional church. The problem they (and I) find is that the emergent/missional/postmodern church's answers to those questions are leading people astray with teaching that is contrary to what scripture says, practices that are deceptive, and a gospel that is very much "contrary to the one preached to us (Galatians 1:8)". These guys get it although DeYoung is a much better writer of theology than Kluck who writes for ESPN.

The Truth War by John MacArthur - This is the first John MacArthur book I have ever read and it made me want to read everything else he's ever written. Dr. MacArthur is brilliant and contends for the faith in this book that is also critical of the emergent church. We all need the truth. Most importantly, we need to do a better job of discernment in teaching others what is truth and what is not.

Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll - This is the story of how Mars Hill Seattle was started by Mark Driscoll. It is full of triumphs and failures in church planting but has a very happy ending. Very inspiring and hopeful for budding church planters.

Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood by John Piper & Wayne Grudem - Many today would disagree, but Piper & Grudem give a primer for why the complimentarian model is the biblical calling for men and women and not the egalitarian one. I found it to be the most scholarly book on the roles of men and women that I have ever read and it has many authors that have submitted chapters in this 500+ page volume. Thoroughly cited and endnoted, it should be on every pastor's shelf and used for reference.

The Obama Diaries by Laura Ingraham - A riot of a book. I laughed until I cried. A very witty and insightful (nay, prophetic) book on the current administration.

The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose - I wrote an individual review of this book HERE, and just want to reiterate that it was a great read. I still pray he would have made a decision to follow Christ but his view of Christianity and Christ's people has definitely become softer.

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Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

America's Best Churches

2010-11-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

by Mike Lewis

In January, ChurchRelevance.com came up with a ranking and listing of the most influential churches in America today (HERE). I read the lists several times recognizing many of the churches based on their pastors, name recognition, and authors of books.

I thought to myself that yes, these are very big and very well known churches. But something bothered me about knowing this. It was the criteria that they used to come up with their lists.

The author of the website states,

"If you are looking for some top churches to watch in America, I have created mashups of the top churches to study in the areas of
(1) growth,
(2) innovation,
(3) church planting,
(4) size,
(5) influence, and
(6) overall."
(I added the numbers--these are the 6 lists they came up with.)

These lists sound like they could be for companies on a Forbes list or businesses to watch in the stock market, not churches. It really bothered me. Is this the litmus for identifying good churches? Are these the criteria that make us healthy churches? If so, I know of many churches using these models that aren't growing. I also know many, many churches that, according to this criteria, would not be considered "top" churches. Yet I know many "better" churches based on other criteria.

Here is my list of the things I would like to see "top" successful churches identified by:

1. Faithfulness to scripture/contextually and hermeneutically sound. I believe strongly that this should always be the #1 reason a church is considered good. Too many churches grow by twisting scripture in order to scratch itching ears. They tell people things that God never promised and that Jesus never said. To me, teaching the Gospel truthfully and soundly is the way the church grows. It is the example we find in scripture. For more, read Acts.

2. Leaders who don't seek to grow large churches, but because of the way they model Christ, their churches grow. I know an abundance of church leaders that never thought about money when it came to their calling to ministry. They are ministering because they want to see the world come to Christ. Some of their churches are growing by leaps and bounds. The important thing is that they are modeling Christ in their daily walk and sometimes they still don't grow. But they continue to walk with humility and respect and do not seek for themselves, but for the lost world around them.

3. Churches that are in small population areas that might not grow, but people recognize as Christlike bodies. There are places where, no matter how much you do to be relevant, no matter how faithful you are to scripture, no matter what, the church is small. It is because the population is small. I see men faithful to the Gospel and live in these places because they are called to be there and know that they may not see numerical growth. Yet, they do not think about the day they will be able to move away to a "better" city in order to make more money or see their church explode in growth. The people matter to them and that is it.

4. Church members that know the Gospel and scripture and share regularly with everyone they meet and show the love of Christ during the week in their interaction with others. It is awesome to hear church members walk away knowing what God's Word says and have the ability to quote it when they are in a time of trial. It is amazing to hear church members help someone dealing with a crisis by quoting the words of Scripture. It is a blessing to see members share their faith daily with their neighbors and to share the good news of Jesus with friends and family. This is our ultimate goal.

5. Churches that have made good financial decisions and aren't constantly in debt because of new building projects and new pastors. Too many times, we rely on tax exempt status to keep us in a particular place. I see too often churches take on building projects when they aren't financially capable. I also hear of churches that hire new staff members every week to do the work (that I guess) the ministers already on staff don't have time to do (which to me is odd considering all the roles I have held at one time in churches). It is hard to see that happen when so many are in need of money today.

I don't claim to know the churches on the lists. I don't know all the church pastors. I don't know everything they teach. There are a few of the churches on the lists in which I admire their pastors. But by these definitions, I cannot agree with the churches placed on these lists. Too many churches spend so much time focusing and creating a business model that leaves out the things that matter more to Jesus.

I do not believe the church should be run like a business.

I believe Jesus would have used a list more like mine if he were to list the "top" churches if he were to make such a list. To Jesus, it wasn't about ranking churches. Although if you read Revelation and the way he judges the churches of Asia, you would see that his list would look a lot more like mine and a lot less like ChurchRelevance.com's.

I know too many great, faithful churches that struggle day-to-day to afford the space they use, pay their one or two ministers on staff, but reach their city in powerful ways. I know of a church that is downtown today whose demographic they reach out to is homeless people. They are less than 200 people regularly in attendance, but to me, they are doing God's work better than any 10,000 member church is.

But it isn't for me to judge. I just thought this was something relevant for me to share today. I would love to hear if you would add anything to the list of criteria. Do you think I am off base? What would you say makes a successful, "top" church?

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"Black Friday" by Johnathan Thomas

2010-11-24T10:00:00.001-08:00

My friend Johno made this video in 2008. Thought it would be appropriate to show my readers.

I chose to post it before Black Friday to maybe influence some sanity when you decide to go out and get a good deal.

Is it okay to buy gifts for family? I think so. I do.
Let's remember those that are in need of more than Wiis and Star Wars. Some don't have the basics of life. Maybe some would be willing to take the savings and give it to a child that doesn't have immunization or clean drinking water or a mosquito net.

Living Water International
World Vision

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"Immanuel: God With Us"

2010-11-22T11:19:00.002-08:00

by Mike Lewis

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"Gandhi Is My Favorite Christian Hero" by Ben Cook

2010-11-09T10:00:00.001-08:00

I hope my friend Ben will be okay with me sharing this here. I figure not everyone has read it since he posted it on Facebook. Plus he references one of my articles and I thought his was exceptionally great, so I hope you enjoy reading this. I have posted the full text since not everyone knows him.
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"Be the change you want to see in the world." -- Mahatma Gandhi

Go ahead and peruse your Facebook profile information page. Skip across to your friends... Eventually, you're gonna probably find someone who has this exact quote listed as a "favorite quote." It's so common, in fact, that several Christians will choose Gandhi's quote over any quote from Christ himself.

That's noteworthy. Even if it's just anecdotal; it's noteworthy. And poignant.

My good friend, Mike Lewis wrote an excellent article which provokes us to consider whether Gandhi would have even accepted the teachings of Christ at all - instead of the emasculated, play-nice-in-the-sandbox, "Jesus" we experience in popular culture. While that is an interesting question altogether, I am perhaps frustrated for another reason.

The emergent church movement is a wonderful, God-sent re-focus for our faith. I am thankful for the stirring they provide for us all. But my hesitation is this: the epistemology of this movement is ambiguous at best. Here's what I mean: I know what is true because it comes from the lips of Christ. Knowledge and truth really come from Christ - whatever He declares as truth is truth. In the above quote, Gandhi expresses truth very eloquently. But it's not truth because Gandhi said it. It's truth because it is declared as truth by the author of truth.

Here comes my question: now that Christians are more attentive to social justice issues... are we doing it because we are attentive to the Spirit of Truth, or are we doing it because it is a cultural value? As postmodern values take deeper root in our culture we see a steady erosion of any standard of objective truth. Except one: social justice/human dignity. The single objective truth in postmodernity is that people should be helping people.

How is it that we have come to the conclusion that we should be agents of social change in our communities? Is this truth given to us by Christ, or is it a cultural value cloaked in Christian terminology and verses? I know, I know - the criticism here is easy to say "who cares, as long as we can agree that it's important? Why can't Gandhi speak truth?" But how we get there matters.

According to Gandhi, we are agents of social change because of human dignity. According to Christ, we are also agents of social change because of human dignity. But also because we have received grace from our heavenly father. Oh, and also because our example in the world will bring glory to our heavenly Father.

When we are not attentive to Jesus as the source of truth, we can miss the boat on some very BIG issues. (The first 4 minutes of THIS VIDEO will illustrate nicely) Yes, this call for social justice has gotten so big in some emergent circles that it has started to eclipse the gospel. The real gospel. The gospel that Gandhi cannot give. The gospel that brings life. The great commission-driven gospel. The you're-a-sinner-Jesus-died-for-you-there-is-an-afterlife gospel.

Jesus puts social justice in its proper context in John 6 when he says, "the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:33) In fact, in the greater context of John 6, Jesus is actually frustrated because the whole point of the miracle - feeding 5,000 people - was for people to turn to God. That act of kindness served the purpose of the gospel. But it was not the gospel.

May we always be attentive to Jesus: the way, the truth, and the life.

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"When The Gospel Gets Personal" by Martin Downes

2010-10-29T10:00:00.001-07:00

Martin Downes (TUESDAY Evening Acts 24 : v 24 - 27) EMW ABERYSTWYTH Wales 2010 from Evangelical Movement of Wales on Vimeo.

Panel Discussion – A New Kind of Christianity

2010-10-27T10:00:00.001-07:00

by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

view link

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"In Whose Steps Do We Walk?" by James Glasscock

2010-10-26T10:00:00.001-07:00

If as Christians we are allowing any guide, principle, or worldview to determine our course ahead of "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "love your neighbor as yourself" we are and will forever be unable to follow Jesus in our actions in any way, shape, or form. When we appeal to heritage, history, law, tradition, or nationalism above "do unto other as you would have them do unto you" we fail to follow in the steps of Jesus.

This is why the pharisees were so baffled, and so jealous. His actions were in direct conflict with those man-made standards, and that shook the very foundations of their world, their pride, and their moral superiority. Love baffled them. Mercy baffled them. Justice that acted as a battering ram to their walls of injustice baffled them. Jesus just plain didn’t make sense, because they’d lost all sense of what loving God and neighbor really meant. If we find ourselves balking at love and mercy, it is because we have followed them, and not Jesus, and that is-–scarily enough–-far easier to let happen than any of us dare to admit most days.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. -- 1 Peter 2:21 [NIV]

view original

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"Save Me From My Sins" by Charles Spurgeon

2010-10-25T10:00:00.002-07:00

"Lord, save me from my sins. By the name of Jesus I am encouraged thus to pray. Save me from my past sins, that the habit of them may not hold me captive.

Save me from my constitutional sins, that I may not be the slave of my own weaknesses. Save me from the sins which are continually under my eye that I may not lose my horror of them.

Save me from secret sins; sins unperceived by me from my want of light. Save me from sudden and surprising sins: let me not be carried off my feet by a rush of temptation.

Save me, Lord, from every sin. Let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Thou alone canst do this. I cannot snap my own chains or slay my own enemies.

Thou knowest temptation, for Thou wast tempted. Thou knowest sin, for Thou didst bear the weight of it. Thou knowest how to succor me in my hour of conflict; Thou canst save me from sinning and save me when I have sinned.

It is promised in Thy very name that Thou wilt do this, and I pray Thee let me this day verify the prophecy. Let me not give way to temper, or pride, or despondency, or any form of evil; but do Thou save me unto holiness of life, that the name of Jesus may be glorified in me abundantly."

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Joining God In His Mission

2010-10-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

I have taken some heat recently for speaking in a Berean spirit about being "missional". I then qualified my statements by sharing and posting THIS ARTICLE written by Ryan Kelly on what God's mission is and that I gladly join that mission. I urge you to read his article before you go any further here. I think it is introduces where I am going and prevents any reader from assuming they know where I am going here.

One phrase I continually hear when it comes to being "missional" is that the goal of "missional" churches is to "join God in the work He is already engaging in the community..." or something to that affect (this is not a direct quote).

This phrase or idea (that I badly misquoted) has had me in deep thought because I am not sure it is biblical or that we can see examples of it in Scripture. In my study I have, in fact, seen quite the opposite. Let me explain.

Let's start with Acts 8:26ff:

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth." [NIV]

The phrase spoken by "missional" proponents cannot be fulfilled unless a person of God is present thus making it a false statement or simply that it is an ambiguous and circular argument. I call it ambiguous because it becomes a question of God being present in the lives of those who don't know Jesus. I believe God is present in this world, but he has equally charged us through His Son Jesus to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV) It cannot be that God is at work in the lives of the world absent faithful witnesses of Christ. That goes against everything we've been taught by God in His Word.

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. -- Acts 8:34-35 [NIV]

The eunuch did not know what he was reading about because no one had ever explained the gospel to him.

Some might argue that God was already at work in the life of the eunuch since he went to Jerusalem to worship. However, since he was not a Jew and did not grow up hearing the stories of how God had rescued his people from Pharaoh and how the prophets proclaimed the coming Messiah. He only knew what he had read in the prophets but did not understand what it all meant. God worked in the world by sending Philip to proclaim the Gospel.

We bring the presence of God through sharing the Good News of the Gospel. Unless someone shares the Gospel, is God truly "already at work"? I would submit that God is at work in the world through us and if we're not willing to share, the world may not know what God's will for them is.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. --Acts 8:36-39 [NIV]

Only at the sharing of the Gospel by Philip do we truly see God at work in the world. This goes for the saved and the unsaved. We must continually be reminded where our hope lies. We cannot assume God is "at work" if we're not willing to be at work ourselves in sharing His Word with everyone we come in contact with. When it comes to that, I agree with Robert Preus when he said, "The Gospel assumed is the Gospel denied."

I see two dangers in assuming God is "already at work" in the manner of the original phrase: 1.) We get ecumenical universalism. People who accept every and all doctrine without a Berean spirit or 2.) Complete atheism.

Our ultimate Mission (with a big "M" like Ryan Kelly referred to in his article) is to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of our sins. That is the best and most biblically faithful way we can join God in the work he is already doing in the world. When we share the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of the people who hear. If we are unwilling to share it, we have assumed they understand His Word and the possibility occurs that they might follow any and every kind of false doctrine that is out in the world. Some may even wonder why it matters to be a Christian since non-Christian organizations are able to accomplish the same kinds of things without Jesus. The difference is we know where our ultimate hope lies.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -- Matthew 5:14-16 [NIV]

"A Holy Man" by J.C. Ryle

2010-10-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

"A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him, and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labour to have the mind that was in Him, and to be “conformed to His image” (Rom. 8:29). It will be his aim to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave us-to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself-to walk in love, even as Christ loved us-to be lowly-minded and humble, even as Christ made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself.

He will remember that Christ was a faithful witness for the truth-that He came not to do His own will-that it was His meat and drink to do His Father’s will-that He would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others-that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults-that He thought more of godly poor men than of kings-that He was full of love and compassion to sinners-that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin-that He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it-that He went about doing good-that He was separate from worldly people-that He continued instant in prayer-that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way when God’s work was to be done. These things a holy man will try to remember."

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"Missional One More Time" by Ryan Kelly

2010-10-15T10:44:00.001-07:00

I read this great article on the topic of being missional. I found myself agreeing a lot with what he wrote and that it was very helpful for future discussions I will have about churches who call themselves "missional". It is posted on Kevin DeYoung's website and I have provided the link for you to read it in its entirety HERE.

Here's some great quotes, but go read the whole thing...

"...I want to be unashamedly clear that I believe in the centrality of gospel proclamation. This is what I see as the capital-M “Mission” of the church in Scripture. I don’t see mercy ministries being one wing of the plane and the mercy message being the other. I’m not sure what picture I’d draw on the whiteboard as an alternative, but that one doesn’t cut it for me. I also think there are good reasons to ask what this friend or that author means when they say that they are missional and that we should be missional. And I think there are some good reasons to painstakingly and collectively think through the theory and wording of how our deeds relate to our proclamation..."

"...While Jesus healed and fed, the gospel accounts culminate with the disciples’ commission to proclaim and make disciples. This doesn’t mean that this is all they are to do, but “famous last words” do seem particularly noteworthy, especially when they are quadruply given..."

Book Review: "The Unlikely Disciple"

2010-10-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

Posted from a review I did April 28, 2009...thought it was worth sharing here:

I have just finished what I believe is a masterful look at the Christian faith by someone who is not a Christian. The book, The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose, began as an experiment. Roose would use his second semester Sophomore year as many did, studying abroad. Only his "abroad" was still in the United States.

Roose develops a plan to visit Liberty University, run by then President, Jerry Falwell as a student. He takes classes in Old and New Testament, Creation Studies, Theology, Evangelism 101, and participates in prayer groups, the church choir, and convocation every day. This is a far cry from his real Alma Mater, Brown University known for their partying image and loose morals within some circles (as he points out himself in his book).

Roose is curious about students of a Christian college. What do they learn? Do they date? Do they use Facebook? (a lot according to the references in the book) And are the students and Roose really all that different?

I recommend this book. I learned a lot about other people. I mean, I always knew the "unsaved" weren't much different than those who are saved...we're all battling daily different things. The difference between us is repentance and forgiveness of sins. I learned that skepticism can be overcome by being a decent human being. As far as salvation goes, Roose ends up respecting the faith and morality on campus and comes near to giving his own life for Christ...I really prayed it would end up that way, anyway. He's a great writer and had me thinking he might by the last page.

In all, Roose still prays for people in tough situations, reads every now and then from his Bible, and still chats with his LU friends. I like one of the things he ends with,

"I found the distance separating my two worlds all but collapsed. Having thrown off the yoke of exaggeration and half truth, I was now free to be the same guy--the exact same guy--when talking to my Liberty friends and my Brown friends alike [...] the people at Liberty were almost completely unfazed. They saw me for who I am, and even though I'm sure they're not completely happy with it--I'm guessing they'd like me to curse less and pray more--they didn't seem altogether shocked or dismayed that I was living on my own terms, at my own pace." (pg. 314)

We as followers of Jesus need to remember that we stand for truth, but need to extend grace and mercy and kindness to those who haven't arrived at the point we're at yet. Those who haven't accepted Jesus yet aren't disgusting people, they are sinners, like us, at a different phase in their journey. Support them in their success. Pray with them in their failure. Never abandon. The on campus pastor makes a great point about prayer from Oswald Chambers: "it is not so true that prayer changes things as that prayer changes me and I change things."

I won't spoil the book. I think it is a must read for anyone seeking to reach their world for Jesus. There is some minor offensive language, mostly by Liberty students (irony of all ironies). Read about visiting lecturers Dr. Gary Chapman, Karl Rove, and Sean Hannity. His friendships and the Christian girl Anna he falls in love with but doesn't want to hurt with his secret. Read about his exclusive interview with Jerry Falwell, the response on campus to the Virginia Tech shooting, and the response on campus when Falwell passes away a few days before graduation.

Ultimately Kevin is one of the classiest people from the words he chooses and how he describes his time at Liberty. If we all were able to muster that the world would be a better place and maybe even more people would find us Jesus freaks more irresistible.

Bravo, Kevin. I was hooked from page one. His website is www.kevinroose.com

Here's the YouTube video that got me interested:

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Where I've Come From

2010-10-12T19:27:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

I was in High School. I was beginning to come into my own as a leader in the youth group and was frequently asked to serve in various ways at church--much like most teen males are today--serve communion, speak communion thoughts before it was served, lead singing and sing on praise team, pray, read scripture, and even preached a couple of times.

This particular Sunday was a little different than others in the past. A new man was in charge of the Lord's supper ministry and was wanting to require the guys who serve to not only wear shirts and ties, but full blazers and slacks too. I did not own such items. I was not a dressy dresser. I usually wore jeans, but was starting to dress a bit better on my own, for myself. I had a couple of shirts to choose from and one nice pair of dockers that matches both shirts. I even had one tie!

I knew when it was my turn to serve again, he was going to ask me to wear a particular outfit I didn't own. He was a big guy too (just my luck, his clothes would fit me). I showed up that Sunday dressed in one of my nice shirts and dockers. That was it. No tie...mind you, this was the late 90's and dress shirts could be plain, but we also had some flashy patterns and those were the ones I liked at the time. So there was no way he had a blazer to match my outfit. I figured, he really couldn't do anything to help me that week. But it happened. I found myself with him in the restroom where he had his spare blazers and ties hung up and asked me which one I would wear...

Ugh! I told him I wasn't going to do it. If he wanted me to serve, I would serve as I was and he would accept me as I was to pass out the communion trays and if he didn't like it, he could take me off of the list of servers. I served that week in what I had worn to church but found myself never on the list to serve again.

This has stuck with me to this day. In fact because of this drama, I adopted the verse in First Samuel 16:7 as one of my lifelong verses I would maintain.

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." (ESV)

I didn't want people to think that it was okay to discriminate by what someone wore. This was something I struggled with all throughout my teen years. I wasn't wealthy enough to buy new clothes when I needed them and frequently wore clothes until they disintegrated on my body or were just worn and stretched out and faded to nothingness. It was very hard on me that this focus on clothing reached into the body of Christ and his people when I knew I would never live up to the expectations.

This legalism about what we wear has in many ways fallen by the wayside. I still felt this pressure in my first youth ministry position when I dared to wear jeans to church and when I dared to wear shorts on a summer Wednesday evening. I was told it was a West Coast mindset that I would have to get over. How is that? I wore clothing I had. I thought it was a poor view of the world then and still do today. But for the most part, the church in general has forgiven this duty to wear certain clothes on Sundays.

My fear is that we still have legalistic tendencies like this in other areas though and they are about as helpful as the one that made me reject serving communion because of the kind of decisions that were made about clothing.

Some who are reading this might think that legalism is purely an act of ultra-conservative brethren. No, no, no. I'm afraid not. I see it in our more progressive/contemporary brothers and sisters too.

Dictionary.com defines legalism:

1. Strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.
2. Theology
a. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
b. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.

Anytime we elevate doing works the right way and are so strict that the law becomes more important than the spirit of Jesus, we are being legalistic. I recently read a book written by one of the contemporary leaders of the faith that told me I wasn't praying right (praying in a spiritual way that leads me to experience God's presence rather than the "rote" way I usually pray) unless I prayed the way he wrote about. He also said the same thing about reading scripture (unless I read it this special way, I am not going to receive God's word for my life). Now I am sure many would disagree and say he wasn't really saying that, but that is the way it struck me because in his book, he had a "special" way that dated back into history to ages past.

I hear daily those who push all believers into doing everything the same way even if they aren't spiritually in a place where they can work at the same "level" as others. Service and social justice has become the legalism of the left and there are other ways legalism is expressed in our contemporary settings that I won't go into. These are just two examples of many I could list, but the point I want to make is that it is legalistic to force this onto others when it isn't forced by Scripture in the same way.

Legalism exists in many forms. When I was a teenager, it existed in the form of the way I dressed, whether I wore a hat in church, whether I sang songs by myself or in a singing group, whether I clapped my hands, and if I was in the right denomination. Today is still exists in this form and in the way we pray, sing, serve, whether we have "freed" women and "sinners" to be leaders, and how we organize the leadership of the church.

The good news is that we have been saved by grace through faith and not by works. I cannot boast in the things I have done right because I will inevitably mess that up and won't be able to boast in those things either. I am positive I will still mess up something I do, something I say, the way I serve, and the way I lead. It's going to happen, so let me apologize now and get it out of the way so we can move forward.

When we serve, we should serve out of the blessing of salvation we have received. Those who are forgiven much, love much. Sometimes it looks like me being a good stay-at-home dad and nothing more because that's the extent that I feel able to serve. Sometimes it will look glorious and impressive in the way I lead my church and the other leaders and people in it.

The good news for you is that you may only be able to spend a few minutes a day loving your neighbor in the way you raise your kids, in the way you are nice to the people you encounter, or in the way you submit to your spouse (and by submit, I don't mean what you think I mean...).

The good news is that Jesus Christ died to forgive you of the sins you have committed and you no longer have to worry about trying to atone for what you have done.

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That experience in my teenage years with serving communion had a negative impact on me. I pray that things are not still done the same way. It showed me that my service cannot be the thing that defines me because my service is not who I am. I am the person I am in Jesus Christ and the glorious good news of his Gospel that saves me. There are so many more people living in a legalism that can never be fulfilled because the expectations are so high. I pray that if you have experienced the same thing, you can see that hope is not lost just because of legalistic people. Your hope should be in Jesus Christ. I love the old hymn, "My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less" because of the message it proclaims. I will leave you with that song as you finish reading. This isn't traditional, but a great version. Enjoy!

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Middle Ground - Part 2

2010-10-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

Yesterday, I spoke to my being "stuck" in between my ultra-conservative and very liberal friends in the church and how lonely it can be.

The church seems to be "stuck" in its own right. In an effort to be liked by the world and to reach as many as possible, there are many who have lost the ability or even the desire to use biblical discernment in what we will or will not accept.

I have been stunned by some of the authors our tribe has latched themselves to in their spiritual walk with Christ. Day after day I hear spiritual sayings and proverbs by men and women who have long left orthodox Christianity and the comments are usually glowing praise about how well they have "spoken to one's heart".

My desire and efforts to say something out loud come from the love Christ compels us to speak to the truth of his Gospel. It is sad that it is met with vitriol that I would "dare to talk that way about such a wonderful person" because "at least they help people" and "are trying". Is that what we're called to by Christ? To try to help people? To try to be good? His call is clear:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. -- Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

At some point we do have to draw a line in the sand where we will stand for truth. I do not believe it has to be a dividing line between orthodox believers who differ on non-essential practices. It doesn't have to be an all-inclusive club for only our denomination. The line isn't there to kick out people who haven't gotten their theology straight when they have just begun to follow Christ. The line is there to protect the flock from wolves.

I am not the legalist people claim I am. Legalism is a hard road for all people who place works above grace and put expectations on people above their faith in Christ. What I want, and I believe what Christ wants is for us to unify behind his message of good news to all who believe. If we teach a gospel other than that, we are teaching no gospel at all.

We go to share the Gospel. I will continue to teach the truth. People will despise me for it...that's what Jesus promised. I am prepared. I hope others see the clear call to join me in this mission. The Great Commission. Don't worry, we'll help people along the way.

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Middle Ground

2010-10-05T11:56:00.002-07:00

by Mike Lewis

Today I am pondering something a bit different than the articles I usually post. I am thinking about my role as a pastor-teacher-shepherd.

I think about the limited role I play in my current position and then about the future role I will be partaking and I wonder to myself if I am 1.) cut out for it and 2.) willing to speak truth even if it hurts me in the present.

I am very opinionated. I admit it. When it comes to the Gospel, I will not compromise. It gets me in trouble with my more liberal friends who don't hold to the doctrines I hold to. I tend to speak my mind and that's usually when the fireworks happen. For some, I am too legalistic. They despise my complementarian view on the role of women--why can't I just be egalitarian? For others, I am too Calvinist. For yet others, they think I have been reading too much John MacArthur (who I respect highly). They really don't like that I think Scripture is the inerrant word of God.

Then there are my very conservative friends. They think I am too grace-filled--someone actually said that to me. Some say I am not requiring enough when it comes to salvation through baptism. Some say my view on instrumental music is too liberal. And yet others want me to get my head out of John MacArthur books and my NIV & ESV Bibles and go back to God's Bible, the KJV.

I find myself at a crossroad where I do not fit with most churches of Christ. There are Reformed churches and confessional Lutheran churches that would love me, but I think some of them are a bit off and I think robes in worship services are goofy.

How did I get to this place where I feel lonely in theology and in how I show my love for God's creation? It is truly baffling.

My prayer is that I can be afforded the grace that God has given to each of us who has put our trust and faith in Christ. The good news for my liberal friends is that I love them and do not condemn them for wanting to help the poor. Just don't forget they need the Gospel of Jesus more! Teach them. Disciple them. Show them the path Jesus wanted us to take. Don't worry, I am not a legalist. I am a sinner saved by grace through faith. If I could be perfect on all points, I wouldn't need Jesus. I confess my failings and submit to His authority.

There is equally good news for my conservative friends. I believe in the essential nature of baptism for forgiveness of sins and the inerrant word of God. I want only to teach the Gospel of Jesus and have no desire to add to or take away any of His words. Remember to have some mercy on others. Jesus said that those who have been forgiven much, will love much. Love people. Show them the right path and teach them the truth. Be humble, gentle, and patient. It's not up to us to convert the world. We need to also make sure we help the helpless. The fruit of our faith, the fruit of the Spirit compels us to do good things for others.

Maybe there's room for people like me after all. I know that others have struggled with the same thing and have felt isolated and don't fit with what is already out there. I pray God will use me to start a church that reaches these kind of people. In His time. His will be done.

Part 2

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John 1:29-34

2010-09-29T10:00:00.001-07:00

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." -- John 1:29-34 (ESV)

Seeing the dove descend is not recounted in John, the writer's, Gospel. But John the Baptist did see this when he baptized Jesus in Matthew chapter 3.

John the Baptist proclaims boldly Jesus' mission on earth that he came to take away the sin of the world. We know this is true, for we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God made him to be sin for us so we might become the righteousness of God.

John 1:19-28

2010-09-28T10:00:00.001-07:00

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." So they said to him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."

(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. -- John 1:19-28 (ESV)

John had the opportunity to gain a lot by calling himself the Christ. He knew from very early on that the Christ was coming. Talk about faith! John called the one coming, "the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." Jesus Christ was coming and John knew it and believed and prepared the way faithfully and with trust that he did not need earthly praise.

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"All Star?" by Scott Linscott

2010-09-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

It seems I have dropped the ball on my posting regularly. It has been a busy month. With that, I want to share an article I read yesterday which spoke powerfully to me as a youth minister and as a parent to a future athlete. I love sports and have always dreamt of children that would one day love sports and want to compete and let me be one of "those" dads. But, with that, I need to remember where my priorities lie and not let my kids lose their faith because we're too involved in any extra curricular activities. I hope you'll read it with that in mind.

Your Kid's An All Star? Wow! Someday He'll Be Average Like The Rest of Us.

Remember...

2010-09-11T08:46:00.001-07:00

"The events of 9/11 and today’s memorials should sober the Christian—not to continual mourning—but to greater deeds of compassion. We should be jolted back to the importance of evangelism, the absolute necessity of trust in God, and the fervency of prayer. While we know the many blessings of being American, let us always remember that our true citizenship lies in a greater, more peaceful, more glorious land. There we shall know no pain, no tears, no loss, no terror—nothing but the love and praise of our Heavenly Father."
James Glasscock

John 1:14-18

2010-09-03T10:00:00.001-07:00

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. -- John 1:14-18 (ESV)

The Word we read about in John 1:1-5 is now revealed as becoming flesh to live among the people of the world--Jesus.

We have all truly received grace upon grace. We live in a corrupt world yet we have been loved and received mercy and grace from God through Jesus Christ. We do not deserve salvation, but through belief in Jesus, we all receive it.

For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. -- Matthew 25:29 (ESV)

so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. -- Romans 5:21 (ESV)

The love of Christ is abundant. Let us choose to believe in him and receive the everlasting life he promises.

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John 1:6-13

2010-09-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. -- John 1:6-13 (ESV)

John, the disciple Jesus loved, writes about another John, John the Baptist (the baptizer). Jesus and John the Baptist were related. Jesus' mother Mary, and John's mother Elizabeth were cousins. John's birth was just as miraculous as Jesus'. Elizabeth was barren and could not have children. Her husband Zechariah was visited by an angel telling of the birth. He was struck with the inability to speak. When John was born, their relatives wanted to name him after his father Zechariah. He was given a tablet to write on and as soon as he wrote, 'his name is John' he regained his ability to speak. They all praised God.

John the Baptist was to go and bring God's people back to God who had gone astray to prepare them for the coming of the messiah, Jesus. We read much of this account in the book of Luke.

Jesus is the light that the apostle John writes about. John the Baptist was not the light, but came first to proclaim that the light was coming soon. In much of the same way, we are now stepping in as the ones proclaiming the coming light. For one day soon, Jesus has promised that he will return to bring those that believe in him into eternal life.

John 1:1-5

2010-08-31T10:00:00.001-07:00

εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. -- John 1:1-5 (ESV)

How great the words penned by John at the start of his Gospel message. He begins with the revelation that Jesus existed before time was created. He was with God in the beginning. The parallels between this passage and Genesis 1 are so magnified by John as he shows that without the existence of a Savior the world would not have been created and without the existence of a Savior the world could not be redeemed!

Jesus taught in Matthew's recounting of his life that we are the light of the world and by our good deeds we are showing the light of Jesus; we show the fruit of a life saved by him. Darkness cannot overcome Jesus' light.

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The Gospemenical Church

2010-08-30T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

There is a growing ecumenical unity among churches. Unity is good. We should seek to be unified around the central message of the Gospel. However, unity without discernment should cause alarm. I hear more and more that churches are doing community programs and worship services with an inclusive nature accepting anyone that wants to be involved. Again, this is not a problem for me. I believe we should be reaching beyond our denominational roots for a spiritual unity in the bond of peace.

We must guard ourselves though.

There are many wolves that seek to destroy what Christ has established. We hear, "Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors..." and "Paul used other writers and religious people of the day to preach to the Athenians..." as excuses to "Coexist" in exercising a freedom we believe we have.

Let me take each of those biblical accounts and establish a heart of discernment for us all. In the first case, Jesus did indeed eat with sinners and tax collectors. He did it openly and willingly. In fact, the Pharisees were very upset about it. How could he openly be among those people? Jesus took them to task for their hearty uproar. He said,

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." -- Matthew 5:12-13 (ESV)

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." -- Mark 2:17 (ESV)

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." -- Luke 5:31-32 (ESV)

You see, Jesus was modeling what he wants each of us to do, teach the Gospel to those who do not know him. He did not merely eat with sinners, but taught them as Luke specifically lays out, to repent of their sin. That is our call. If we are to eat and spend time with the lost, we must be sharing the Gospel with them. Jesus often called sinners to go and sin no more.

In the case of Paul's trip to Athens we are usually taught the part where Paul spoke from poets and philosophers of the day to teach about God. We are told he was inclusive and used culture to prove his point. I want to point out two situations that occur that we tend to overlook. First, in Acts 17:16 it says,

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. (NIV)

Paul, with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, was quite upset about a city that had given itself fully to idolatry. Second, when Paul taught, he spoke in reference to the one idol that had implication to the one and only God:

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for

"'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said,

"'For we are indeed his offspring.' Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." -- Acts 17:24-31 (ESV)

You see, Paul did not walk in and accept their idols; did not accept their teachings; did not accept their ways. He went among them to proclaim the God that we should all know and worship. Even in his acknowledgment of the "unknown god", he proclaimed the command given by God to Moses that they should not have idols before God. There are shades of First Kings 18 when Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal and their idol. We can hear whispers of Habakkuk 2:18-20 where the prophet asks the rhetorical question, "Of what value is an idol, since man has carved it?"

If we are to spend our time among people we must take our commission seriously, to share Christ and him crucified. If we go among sinners, prostitutes, and tax collectors and do not take that opportunity to follow Christ's command to spread the Gospel, we are ignoring our Savior.

In that, I call each and every one of us to stop being ecumenical and to start being *Gospemenical; uniting with all those that teach only the true Gospel of Jesus for the sake of the world. We must examine the teachings of those around us. If they do not teach the Jesus Christ of Scripture, we must stand up and teach the truth. Scripture teaches more about false teaching, false prophets, lying, sound doctrine, and teaching the truth more than it does anything else. I believe it is because the truth is the most important thing we can value as human beings, especially those that follow Christ. Christ himself said,

"You are right saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." -- John 18:37 (NIV)

Jesus came to tell us the truth. We must also seek to speak the truth of the Gospel. For this reason, we must be able to discern what is right and true about Jesus. Which Jesus do other groups teach? If it is not the one we read about in Scripture, it isn't true. [An article about the true Jesus may be in order here.]

If we are willing to be ecumenical for the sake of unity and mercy, but are not willing to be Gospemenical, we are exchanging the truth of God with a lie (Romans 1:25).

There are many who have never heard the true message of Jesus and his Gospel before. That is our calling through the Great Commission. Christ's words that he did not come to call the righteous, but the sick is our key, because we truly all are the sick he speaks of. Some just don't realize Jesus was talking about them. We must proclaim what it means to be a sinner who has been saved by grace through Jesus.

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*Yes, I made up a word. If others can make up words like missional and presbymergent to describe things that are not Gospel oriented, I can make up one that has Jesus in mind.

Repentance and PED's

2010-08-26T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

When I was young, I started my baseball card collection. I was excited about opening up those packages with the cardboard gum and quickly looking through to see which stars I had gloriously received.

Today, I look back on those cards and it is with pity that I do not have the same view. Now I see tainted records and men who did not stand for ethics and values. The very men I admired and saved in the plastic sleeves to one day be my retirement, have let me and many others down by their use of performance enhancing drugs (PED).

The rookies I held onto no longer hold the same meaning. People used to make fun of me for being a Wade Boggs fan. Today I can say at least he isn't implicated in PED use and his records aren't tainted.

In the news recently we're hearing from many of these men admitting to the use and distribution of these drugs. They speak with somber tone their disappointment with themselves and how they shouldn't have done it. This is the right response.

Others have "categorically denied" the use even though they have been proven otherwise. It is hard to remain a fan of these men. Roger Clemens was one of my favorite players in the late 80's. Some want to wash over it and say we should just forgive and move on. I do forgive him for using PED's. Everyone needs forgiveness. I just wish he would man-up and admit it.

We have done similar things in Christianity. We let men and women say and do things that are wrong and make excuses. When they admit failure, they are taking a stand for the forgiveness that is available to all who will ask for it. I admire that. I extend forgiveness to those people with all grace and mercy.

When others make excuses that those sins are not as bad as we have made them out to be in the past and that maybe God doesn't define certain things as sin anymore because culture has changed, I am let down. Where is the repentance?

God extends his forgiveness to us all. We have all sinned. We all make mistakes. We all choose to pick up activities and habits that are deplorable before God. But only the repentant sinner receives the forgiveness through grace that God has promised. Use a discerning voice in all you hear and read. Be like the Bereans in the book of Acts who searched scripture to see if what they were taught is true.

Repent of sin and go and do those things no longer. There is hope in Christ's resurrection. We will one day be at a point where we will desire the things of the flesh no more and sin will no longer be an issue. We will be made new. Amen!

May God extend his grace and mercy to you every morning as you live like Jesus.

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What Did You Just Call My Bride? - Part II

2010-08-25T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

I have been doing some thinking about my previous post about the bride of Christ.

After some thought and reading more on the postmodern trend toward not liking the church, I have seen many people who really think it is fine if you say bad things about the church: "the church has a history of treating people badly...", "What, we can't examine our past beliefs and practices?", etc.

I want to add more to my previous idea that I don't see a problem with reevaluating past mistakes and looking for new ways to improve. Sometimes reevaluation means that we have to say something negative.

It is when we say things like "the church will never work", "the church is the problem with our country", "radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America" that I am completely offended and want to take a stand for Jesus' bride.

We can have doubts. We can have input. Don't knock her down though. Doubting is a normal part of life and faith. Doubting says nothing bad about our faith, but it gives us a chance to grow and develop. But we do eventually have to find faith. As the writer of Hebrews says,

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. -- Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Faith has to come with conviction. We have to at some point stop doubting and have faith. Our salvation is by faith through grace, not by works, so that no one may boast and it is especially not by doubt.

If we don't like something in the church, it should be our responsibility to help it change and to give new ideas for what we would be willing to bring in for our neighbors and friends. If we have no ideas or aren't willing to be in on creating and participating in the solution, then maybe it isn't our place to say negative things. When I hear a bunch of people say things that aren't true or have no solutions, I call it "pooled ignorance."

Let us be careful about what we call Christ's bride and lift up and encourage people to join us in being the church.

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What Did You Just Call My Bride?

2010-08-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

I am becoming more and more frustrated lately with people who claim to follow Jesus, yet bag the church like a worthless piece of trash. My anger rises when I hear folks talk about the church in such negative ways.

I heard someone do this recently and it made me really upset because it was in an inappropriate place.

I think I understand the kind of anger Jesus must have had when he overturned tables in the Temple when he saw the bargaining and theft of the money changers. The church is his bride. When we slam the church and treat it like this, we are telling Jesus his wife is stupid and ugly. I would seriously mess someone up if they said that about my wife.

The church has flaws, as does anything that humans interact with. Who am I to bag it and give up on it? I am here to encourage it and help it and to see that it improves and matures with age. Have I said bad things about the church? You bet, but I quit when I realized what I was doing. Have you heard the phrase, the church is full of hypocrites? I have. You know my response? Then you need to be there too. I am glad the church is full of hypocrites...people like me. I need those people in my life who understand and go through the same things I go through.

People who talk badly about the church are wrong and misinformed. They are lost. Plain and simple. It doesn't matter if you think they are nice people...the church is God's creation. The whole, "I'm okay, you're okay" mindset is ruining God's creation.

What I am finding more disconcerting now is that there are so many people that agree with this kind of chatter. I am glad that one man had the courage to stand up and refute it. The rest of us were cowards. I am shedding tears as I pray about it right now.

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Let Us Not Completely Abandon... Part II

2010-08-21T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

Saturday I talked about not abandoning the church when she lets us down. I am finding that the whole Missional/Emergent/Postmodern thing is taking on a life of its own which may not be a good thing because it is the reason why many are doubting and turning away from her.

What I observe is that people are completely throwing out established churches which is a sign that we're not doing our job to reach new people with truth and the Gospel. At the same time the Emergent thing is becoming exclusive to those who will only adopt certain principles. There are groups becoming "denominational" in the Emergent culture--The Emergent Church--that if you don't adopt their models and modes you are not being postmodern enough. I find that ironic.

Fred Peatross noticed this too. He wrote about it on his blog here:
Abductive Columns: Balanced Emergent? or One of Those Waaaay Over on the Other Side

Being Missional/Emergent/Postmodern is now the "trendy" thing to do in that if you are not doing it right, you are not cool and if you are not doing it at all, you must not know how to reach the lost. I fear, like most trends, it will one day die out leaving many people starving in the wake of its hurricane. Many people prophesied that this M/E/P thing would be a trend that would die out. I disagreed at the time (oh my naivete!). I just thought of this movement in a different way...that it wouldn't be limited by rules of engagement...that it wouldn't be the WWJD of this millenium. I still believe I have some postmodern tendencies, but that they are more rooted in trying to get back to Biblical Christianity instead of the distorted version we have today. I think the Missional/Emergent/Postmodern thing can have longevity, but not if they are going to treat it like the next big trend in Christian culture. This is where the "trendiness" will someday wear off and people will feel rejected and lonely again and be searching for the ever elusive "Biblical" version which looks a lot different than anything we have today.

Here's a quote from Fred that sums up what I am saying:

Anytime a group of "inclusive" Christians start talking about who is and is not a "real" one of what they claim is not a movement, it's time to say like Elijah, "I am no better than my fathers."

Let us not completely abandon!

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Let Us Not Completely Abandon...

2010-08-20T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

I once was at a church event where the leader asked us to write down what we didn't like about the church. I was okay with that because I trusted he would be going somewhere important with it.

I once also had a conversation with one of my beloved former professors about the postmodern/emerging phenomenon. He really has led me to some new insights and thoughts about this movement.

I came to a startling conclusion: I know that it is "cool" for emerging generations to criticize and knock down 2000 years of church history just because we are in a new time, a new culture, and a new society. I have done it and I do indeed have trouble with some of the things that we've done and continue to do in the name of Jesus. At the same time, like my professor has taught me recently, we cannot just simply abandon the structured/institutional church.

We need community. We need tradition. We need structure. Those things cement us with the Christians of old in the time of today and will affect those Christians of the future when this movement has passed. What if someone were to tell you in 30 years that your postmodern mindset is so outdated that you are not following Christ like you should? What if someone were to scoff at you and turn up their nose at the thought of you limiting yourself to a worship station where you wrote a sin on paper and lit a candle? How would you feel?

I fear, in our haste to walk away from the bad, we have gone to the other extreme and said, "to hell with this structured, capitalistic entity...I want to meet in a house with 2 people for the rest of my life because Jesus didn't worship in a church building!" That isn't the point. Where is the accountability between Christians? Where are the seasoned and experienced leaders, elders, shepherds and guides that have lived through historical torrents? Where is the body with many gifts? Where is the group that is blessed with multiple gifts to meet many kinds of needs? Yes, where 2 or more are gathered, Jesus is there...let's just not forget the "more" part that we sometimes need and not throw it all away. I think limiting ourselves to a small house church is good in some ways, but it can also give us a free pass to never reach very many new people for Jesus.

We don't need to throw out the good too.

So, after thinking about it, I wrote on that piece of paper: "The thing I don't like about the church is that we are so quick to talk badly about the bride of Christ." Sometimes the church is big. Sometimes the church is small. Without the church, where would all of the Christians of the world be today? I love the church with its many foibles and mistakes. Let's stick around and help her grow and change and love her like Jesus does. Jesus is the church. The church is me. The church is you. Let us not completely abandon the church.

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"Left Handed Service"

2010-08-19T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

Today the meaning of Matthew 6:1-4 (and much that follows in the same chapter) was made clear to me.

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (ESV)

It only makes sense that we be humble ourselves and not seek recognition for things we should feel compelled to do out of a life changed in Christ. After all, it is the fruit of the Spirit of Christ that we display our faith with action (Gal. 5:22-23). Faith without deeds is dead (James 2:26). However, standing on corners sharing those deeds with everyone is not the point of the deeds.

Sharing our deeds certainly can make life a little easier. The world might witness a ‘good person’ by the deeds you do. Christians will know for certain that you are living the life of someone who has been ‘forgiven much’ (Luke 7:46-48). And the world will see you are a disciple of Christ by those works as well and not blame you for the ills of society. In fact, those that want to hurt you will find a way even if you do nice things for your neighbor. I have seen this first hand; that no matter what you do, people will hate you and treat you with contempt. Jesus said this (Matthew 10:34-35; John 20:21). Peter, Paul, and James all agreed this would happen as well...to the point that you should consider it joy and to persevere in your suffering.

I have seen how many within Emergent circles elevate works as the only proof of salvation (though this is not exclusive to Emergents). That unless you are always serving the poor, 24-7, always helping people around you, you are not a true follower of Jesus—with no mention of faith, grace, or the Gospel.

Jesus thought it was none of their business what you do. He named the greatest command as this: To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-31). This will lead you to behave in a different way if you truly believe it. But he never said to keep a tally of those things. In Matthew 6, he clearly teaches the opposite. What you do is between you and God and you will receive your honor from Him alone.

To keep your deeds secret does humble you. It requires you to know that many will never know if you do nice things for other people and it may cause some that seek to hurt you an easier route to do it. I have felt the sting of other Christians who believe with all their hearts I am not a servant and that I do not care about service to others. Of course this is without any merit.

Take heart! Jesus Christ died on the cross as a substitute for the evil things of the world. By his death we receive life! By our faith in him, through grace we have been saved. As you serve anonymously and without earthly rewards this week, know why you serve: not for accolades of men, but out of a life saved by Christ.

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"God's Issue" by Matt McGill

2010-08-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

A ministry friend of mine, Matt McGill, writes:

National Youth Ministry Conference, second post.
Yesterday I heard this comment:

“I think justice is God’s issue for the Church right now.”

I wanted to throw up when I heard this. It took most of my self control to not drill into this retarded comment.

Let me back up a moment. I do love the passion behind this statement. Obviously “justice issues” are very important to this person, and that’s great. I react to an immaturity of this statement for the following reasons:

1. Where in scripture does God ever have ONE issue for all of his people to “attack” for a limited amount of time? There are plenty of universals (or near universals, as these won’t be happening the same way in eternity): loving God, loving others. Justice is an issue that has always been on God’s heart, right?

2. What about other passions? Are there not other causes to fight, other crosses to bear, things that aren’t related to “justice issues?” If this is “God’s issue for the church right now,” then are all other issues subordinated to it?

3. How can a person think that they have such a command of church history that they have seen one “God’s issue” for a particular time? How can a person have this and not realize it’s an OVER GENERALIZATION for that period in history.

Of course, we can assume this statement comes from ignorance or foolishness, not a bad heart, like to sell books or push an agenda. Now, I do wonder if “justice issues” are simply trendy right now...and that’s the true source of the comment. However, the audacity in the claim to KNOW what God wants for everyone in his family, (something that’s not a universal like having a pure heart, or a life that worships God first), is so crazy I nearly exploded. Instead I looked down at my food and chuckled quietly. I did hope someone said, what are you laughing at, Matt?

At a table of friends, this comment when unchallenged, no one said anything. I nearly said something, but didn’t because I was an outsider. So I’d like to assume that they either agree or this was a hill they weren’t ready to die on?

I agree with Matt. I think that there is more than one thing that God is concerned about. Social justice seems to be the "trendy" thing to focus on now. I think they have done so to the detriment of truth and God's will in our lives to live a particular way that has nothing to do with other people but our own sinfulness. No amount of justice mission work will tithe us from living better and following the commands God laid out for us in His Word. We seem to have substituted one for the other.

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"Glory Plodding" by Kevin DeYoung

2010-08-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

Every now and then I will share articles written by other people to help us learn and understand more and more our faith, the Gospel, and our role in the church and in culture.

Kevin DeYoung, senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, has written an excellent article about those leaving the church to be "revolutionaries". Kevin believes too many think that is their job and if the church isn't fulfilling their dreams, then they leave. What he calls many to do is to realize that there are many faithful "plodding visionaries" that are also very necessary in the church:

"What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. That’s my dream for the church — a multitude of faithful, risktaking plodders. The best churches are full of gospel-saturated people holding tenaciously to a vision of godly obedience and God’s glory, and pursuing that godliness and glory with relentless, often unnoticed, plodding consistency."

Please read the article, absorb it, let it marinate, and remember that there is good news: you don't have to revolutionize the world. You can love and serve your neighbor simply by paying your bills and taking care of your family.

Read here: Glory Plodding

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The Gospel - Part III

2010-08-16T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

Those of us who claim Christ and the Christianity believe we have been redeemed and have been saved from something. That is the claim anyway. I am afraid that the answer to this question has had a shift; mainly because of a culture that has decided that having an answer to any question has become arrogant.

I believe the answer to the question, "What are we saved from? What are we redeemed from?" is sin and death. I believe it is that simple because of what I read all throughout the gospels and especially what Paul tells us in Romans.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." -- Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

I hear more than ever this claim that our soteriology cannot be about saving us from hell in the future, but that it brings heaven to earth. It is difficult for me to find that in the Scriptures when I read the passage I just quoted from Romans. We are sinners. There will not be heaven on earth until Jesus Christ returns in glory to bring His Kingdom with him.

If you can replace Christ, Jesus, or Christian with any other religious or spiritual group or organization, it is not be the Gospel. Here's an example of things I have heard people say our duty as Christians is...it is not a direct quote, but representative of many things I have heard:

As Christians, we can work for change in the world. Caring for the environment, extending to the poor generosity and kindness; a hopeful outlook. We can bring the Kingdom of God here to the world now.

Replace "Christians" with any other words: Buddhist, Muslim, follower of Oprah, member of "One", communist, friendly, political, an upstanding member of the community, etc. Are these intrinsically good things? Some are, absolutely. Are they the Gospel? No.

Those things like caring for one another and the poor are very well fruits of our Christ-likeness, but none of these things sets us apart as Christians from the rest of the world. What sets us apart is our willingness and desire to die to ourselves, take up our cross, and follow only Christ.

I have friends who aren't part of a church say things like, "the church is not representative of who I want to be as a Christian." and, "I know lots of good people who aren't Christians." I don't think that I am a Christian so I can be a good person. I am a Christian because I am a sinner who has no hope without Christ. In that, the church represents Christianity very well. We are all in need of a Savior who saves us from ourselves. Leaving the church because there are broken people there isn't the answer, it is arrogance because apparently you can do it on your own.

Try replacing Christ in this next statement:

"Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures..." -- 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (ESV)

It is very difficult to do (I would say impossible). It worries me that many have changed the Gospel of Jesus Christ for something that is akin to moralistic, therapeutic Deism in order to look good to culture. They don't fit together.

It has never been and will never be arrogant to say that I know my Redeemer lives. Jesus Christ saved me and He can save you too.

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The Gospel - Part II

2010-08-14T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

In my desire to continue teaching the Gospel of Jesus, I find myself thinking about the perception of Jesus in the world. Is it really what I have been hearing lately?

In 2007, Dan Kimball released a book titled They Like Jesus but Not the Church. Within the paperback cover, we read that some are leaving the church because they see it as an institutional nightmare that does not act as the body it was intended to be. I liked Kimball's book because of his desire to connect people on the outside with those on the inside.

During his life, Gandhi is quoted as saying, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. They are nothing like your Christ." Gandhi is to be admired in the way he handled civil rights and those leaders who would seek to dominate and dictate the people through tyrannical and oppressive methods.

I bring these two things up because while on the surface, these might sound like realities we must enforce and absorb into the teaching of the Gospel, I think they are misleading. I do not believe that the "They" in Kimball's book or Gandhi himself really like Jesus the Christ. I think "They" like the diluted picture of Christ that has manifested itself in this world.

Jesus (jee' zuhs) n. - has become opinion and the opinion is very pretty with roses and rainbows.

Unfortunately, this Jesus isn't the one we read in Scripture. You see, if it is true that "They" like Jesus, they are an anomaly because even the people who lived at the time of Jesus did not like him. The people Jesus came to give Good News were quite angry at him because he expected a lot from them. They so hated and reviled him that they killed him. The way of Jesus is so countercultural, that it is difficult to accept him.

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. -- Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

Jesus is the one we must follow and the true Christ is not easy to accept and he calls us to a difficult life...one that may lead to death.

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? -- Luke 9:23-25 (ESV)

This is what I suspect people really reject because, like the rich man, they are happy with their life and don't really want to take up their cross to follow him. The Jesus that they want to believe in never existed. This has been the mistake from the time Jesus actually walked the earth. It was mistaken enough that even Jesus' own disciples didn't quite understand why Jesus was here. They kept waiting for the battle against flesh and blood to begin when his purpose was of eternal significance.

We are broken people and should not be ashamed that we don't get it perfectly. Our sin should cause us some shame, for that is what the law was set up to do (Rom. 3:20) but being imperfect should not. We cannot do it on our own. This is why we needed the death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He alone is the reason we can have any hope in salvation. This is the good news.

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The Gospel

2010-08-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

by Mike Lewis

I have been listening to a podcast with whom the host proclaims the necessity of preaching the Gospel of Jesus every chance you get.

This has me thinking a lot about what one might hear in one's church on a given Sunday morning. In fact, it has overtaken my ears to listen for the Gospel every time I hear a message preached and not just at my particular Sunday morning location. What else would a church preach on if not the Gospel?

Relational messages are good and healthy but if they are not rooted in Scripture and do not point to Jesus then there is no point for you to be there. If you can hear the message from any motivational guru, it most likely isn't the Gospel, but a watered down, pumped up man-centered message.

One of the core values at Cornerstone is that we care first and foremost about the message of the Gospel. This is what the church was commanded to be about by Jesus.

So I ask you:

What to you is the Gospel and where in scripture does this come from?
How much of the Gospel do you hear each week?
Does your minister/radio host/preacher always come back to the atonement of Jesus even if he is preaching from Numbers or Leviticus?
Do you agree that each message should point back to Jesus every week?

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

Peace!

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"Counterfeit" by Terry Rush

2010-08-12T10:00:00.001-07:00

I am really impressed with this article by Terry Rush. Here's a portion and I urge you to read the whole thing if you have time.

I'm bugged, bothered, and frustrated that a strong portion of mankind has bailed on God as if He did something wrong. Much of the peeling away from Him, in reality, has nothing to do with Him yet He is the One who gets hurt in the process.

Man has built stubborn defenses against spirituality in general because of counterfeits. This is the distant roar from the anti-church people. God has been banned from homes, offices, and schools because of counterfeits...

Counterfeit money is everywhere, yet I've never met one person who balks against the use of money...

Why won't people treat God with the same mercy?

Amen! I would add the question, if people think they are morally higher than those of us who make mistakes but are genuine in our faith, won't they treat us with this mercy as well? No one has it perfect, but if we are doing our honest best, why should we be abandoned in the process.

Read the rest of this great article HERE.

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Believer's Reason Conference

2010-07-14T15:20:00.001-07:00

Transformed

2008-05-04T07:16:00.001-07:00

The second curriculum series written by Mike Lewis.

Transformed is being written and used in the classroom so you know it has been tried and tested with real teens in youth ministry. Transformed is a series on real conversion. What happens when we give our lives to Christ? How do we see change happen? What do we have now that we are Christians? Transformed incorporates clips from the Transformers movie.

Cover graphics created by Tim Lewis and are available throughout the series for use on PowerPoint and any place you advertise your ministry. Available in CD-ROM format. If you like what you see and would like a sample lesson, please contact me. My email is bigmikelewis [at] Gmail [dot] com.

All images are copyright 2008 Tim Lewis designs. Used with permission.

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Band Of Brothers

2008-03-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

The first curriculum series written by Mike Lewis.

Band of Brothers is being written and used in the classroom so you know it has been tried and tested with real teens in youth ministry. Band of Brothers is a series on discipleship. What it means to be chosen as a disciple; what it means to be a disciple and follow Jesus; what it means for us to disciple other people; what it means to continue to make disciples.

Cover graphics created by Tim Lewis and are available throughout the series for use on PowerPoint and any place you advertise your ministry. Available in CD-ROM format. If you like what you see and would like a sample lesson, please contact me. My email is bigmikelewis [at] Gmail [dot] com.

All images are copyright 2008 Tim Lewis designs. Used with permission.

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New Ministry Resources

2007-06-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Cornerstone Ministries, a ministry resource that writes original curriculum for use in your church. My name is Mike Lewis and I am producing and publishing my own youth ministry resources, curriculum, materials, downloads, and media for youth workers to use in their churches and other ministries. We are ever growing and expanding our material and planning for the future.

You will be able to purchase bound lesson books, CD's, or get downloads of materials sent to your inbox. This is going to be a different kind of material that I have never seen before. When it's ready, I will unveil it here first.

If you like what you see and would like a sample lesson, please contact me. My email is bigmikelewis [at] Gmail [dot] com. Thank you for dropping by.

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Cornerstone

2007-05-12T16:50:00.001-07:00

Comment Policy

2007-05-10T11:51:00.001-07:00

My comment policy is this:

1. I will usually approve comments, but I have an obligation to make sure things do not get divisive. So keep it civil and please do not use offensive words or language.
2. I am protecting myself from slander, so I may not approve things that are flat out untrue. I don't have time to defend false statements.
3. I want to keep Spam from showing up in posts.
4. This is my blog and can keep or deny what I want.

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