Christ - Our Advent

John 1:9, "There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man."

...Born to Raise the Sons of Earth
Born to Give Them Second Birth...

As we draw near the end of the Advent Season, I'm particularly mindful of why Jesus came. God truly loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son. Born to fulfill the Law of Moses. Given to end the curse of Adam. Revealed to enlighten every man. It is in the coming of Jesus that we discover the truth about our Heavenly Father, as well as, the value of every human being. It is there within the stable that we see the new beginning of humanity. Jesus - who will save His people from their sins. Emmanuel - God with us. The Light that shines in the darkness. It is my prayer for each of us as we celebrate His coming that we do not miss out on the beauty of our own becoming in Him. Jesus Christ is our advent.

One cannot read the Scriptures without discovering that God was up to something. That there was coming a day when the Fall of Adam would no longer define humanity. When the Old Covenant would be done away with and a New Covenant would take its place. All throughout the Old Testament we read of a new day, a new beginning, and an event that would transform the way in which God and humanity would relate to one another. That day began in Jesus.

We read that in the fullness of time that God sent His Son into the world. Wrapped up in human flesh, this Son of God would walk in relationship with the Father. He would overcome the temptations of the enemy, fulfill all of the Law and the Prophets, give His life as a ransom for each and every one of us, die, resurrect, and ascend to the Father. Why? So that He would bring many sons into glory [see Hebrews 2]. Jesus, the Pioneer of faith, has gone behind the veil and bid us come. We can all enter boldly to the throne of grace. We each have access to the Heavenly Father. Adopted. Chosen. Loved. Jesus' coming calls us to become all that the Father intended. We are the ones that the Earth groans to see revealed. The descendants that would outnumber the stars of the sky and grains of sand promised to Abraham. The glory of God that would fill the Earth. Jesus is our advent. It is in His coming that we begin our own becoming. Where we understand our place in relationship to the Godhead. Where we are finally able to rest in the goodness and grace of the Almighty.

In Jesus we finally see what authentic faith is all about. We being to understand that all the Law and Prophets were actually put in place that we might love God and one another. That we would live with compassion for one another, show love, grant forgiveness, and be generous givers of mercy. That we would put away any and all things that keep us from being fully human (i.e. things that keep us from living as those created in the image and likeness of God). It is in Him that religion is exposed for what it is, and is replaced with a deeper awareness of God. Where we can finally lay down all of the things that keep us weary and burdened, finding true rest for our souls.

Celebrate His coming. By all means enjoy this season. But remember that He came for you, for us, that we would become what the Father envisioned in His heart all along.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6

Merry Christmas!

Something to Ponder this Wednesday

Luke 9:50, "But Jesus said to him, 'Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.'"
I'm just going to leave this right here. No! Wait a minute. I'm actually going to say something.

I just read a wonderful article from Relevant Magazine. The title was "6 Heretics Who Should Be Banned From Evangelicalism." Now before I start to delve into some of the meat of this article, it is clear that the writer does not believe that any of these so called heretics are heretics at all. In fact, he goes on to talk about these great men of the faith in great detail. The point he is trying to drive home is a point that I have made in this blog several times. Not everyone we consider a false teacher is a false teacher, and not everyone we call a heretic is a heretic. The reality is that some people have a different interpretation of things, see things in a different light, or simply have a different upbringing in the faith than Western Christianity. I'm going to share some things directly from the article that are meant to cause us to think about how we look at people. Given much of their history within the church you may be shocked to hear what some of these people have said, believe, and/or teach. Everything within the (*) is a direct quote from the writer.

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1. C.S. Lewis
Perhaps the most celebrated Christian writer of the last century, C.S. Lewis is respected by most Christians, no matter what theological corner they occupy. And that’s what confuses me. Lewis was no evangelical by the standards of modern evangelical spokespersons. Lewis’ seven-volume, fictional masterpiece, The Chronicles of Narnia, reveals his belief that it is possible for people in other religions to inherit the Kingdom of God without knowing it.

Lewis also rejects the Penal Substitutionary theory of the atonement, which states that Christ “diverted” God’s wrath toward us and took it upon Himself. Instead, in part three of Chronicles, Lewis describes what is called the “Christus Victor” view of the atonement, which holds that the Cross is not an image of God’s wrath against us, diverted to His son, but it was the defeat of evil through an act of selfless love.


2. Martin Luther:
Where would evangelicalism be without Martin Luther? He is the father of the Reformation and the champion of Sola Scriptura.

But to the dismay of every evangelical Calvinist, I fear I must be the bearer of bad news that Martin Luther apparently didn’t believe the Bible is fully inspired, true or trustworthy.

Speaking of inaccuracies in the books of Chronicles, he states, “When one often reads that great numbers of people were slain—for example, eighty thousand—I believe that hardly one thousand were actually killed.”


3. St. Augustine:
In his work The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Augustine (to put it bluntly) thought Christians who took the Creation Story literally were a laughingstock and looked like idiots among non-Christians because they denied science and reason. This is Augustine, the one to whom we can give credit for the doctrines of original sin and Hell as eternal conscious torment (which are at the core of reformed theology).

Here is his statement:

“It not infrequently happens that something about the earth…may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation.”

4. William Barclay:
William Barclay’s iconic little blue commentaries are on the shelves of many pastors. So it's odd that Rob Bell has been so roundly rejected for holding essentially the same belief as this celebrated theologian.

Barclay writes, “I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in the end all men will be gathered into the love of God…the choice is whether we accept God’s offer and invitation willingly, or take the long and terrible way round through ages of purification.”

In that work, Barclay also lists early church fathers, Origen and Gregory of Nyssa, as two other Christian Universalists.


5. John Stott:
John Stott is one of the great evangelical Christian thinkers of the last generation. Stott rejected the view that Hell is eternal conscious torment of the wicked and suggested, instead, that the unrepentant cease to exist after enduring the penalty for their sins.

He wrote, “I believe that the ultimate annihilation of the wicked should at least be accepted as a legitimate, biblically founded alternative to their eternal conscious torment.”


6. Billy Graham:
Billy Graham is, perhaps, the epitome of the evangelical identity.

Or, so we thought…

Like C.S. Lewis, Graham believes that those who do not hear of Christ may, indeed, be saved without explicitly confessing Him as Lord.

In a 1997 interview with Robert Schuller, Graham said:

“[God] is calling people out of the world for His name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they have been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have, and they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are saved and they are going to be with us in heaven.”
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At this point I want to agree with the author. "I'm sure you, as well as I, find it ridiculous to reject these great and godly people." Who hasn't read C.S. Lewis? Who hasn't heard quotes from Luther and Augustine? I wonder how many pastors I know actually have Barclay's commentaries, or had to read (as I did) John Stott's "Basic Christianity"? And who doesn't love Billy Graham and the incredible work he has done for the Kingdom? The writer went on to cite George Whitefield’s lobbying for slavery, Martin Luther’s hatred of Jews, John Calvin’s approval of burning heretics at the stake. These are real issues. Many of which have been overlooked, minimized, or even accepted.

Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, much of our great history is filled with people who don't believe everything modern evangelicalism teaches. However, we continue to celebrate their work, recommend their writings, and consider many of them heroes of the faith. With that being said, if some of these things were preached/taught from the pulpits of our churches there would be cries of heresy. Or would there? Not everyone in the Church considers themselves to be the gatekeepers of truth. Not everyone knows fully what they believe. There are, however, many who think they have the right to call out someone with whom they disagree. We saw and heard a lot of those people when "The Shack" came out and gained worldwide notoriety. I'm sure we will hear and see more when the movie hits the theaters in March. All the while forgetting the instruction that Jesus gave to His disciples in Luke 9:50 (I told you I was going to say something). Jesus is responding to John's report of trying to stop a man from casting out demons in the name of Jesus because he didn't walk with them. Jesus said (and I quote), "...the one who is not against you is for you." Just take that statement in for a moment. Think about the ramifications. What would the modern church look like and sound like if we didn't call out everyone with whom we did not agree?

Matthew Henry stated in his commentary of the Bible that "If ever any society of Christians in this world, had reason to silence those not of their own communion, the twelve disciples at this time had; yet Christ warned them not to do the like again. Those may be found faithful followers of Christ, and may be accepted of him, who do not follow with us."

Say what?
That's right!
There are actually people outside of our evangelical bubble who are walking with Christ, doing His work in the Earth, and yet they are not a part of our particular way of thinking. In fact, many of those who have had to wear the label of heretic or false teacher are neither. They just think differently. They, like you, love the Lord and seek to walk in truth each and every day. They want people to know and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They believe a lot of the same things as you, just not everything. While you may believe that they bring much harm to the Church, they very well could have the same belief about you. Then it becomes a question of who is right? Both side will give a biblical justification for what they believe. Which brings us right back to our dilemma. Are they heretics? Or worse...ARE WE?

I don't share any of this so that you will agree with the statements that are posted above. I also don't share so that you can discredit these great men of the faith. I share so that we understand, once again, that there are many thoughts under the umbrella of evangelical thinking. The article I cited articulates this so beautifully. What I hope, in the end, is that we will be more cautious about our knee-jerk reactions. That we will actually think through this need to call out those with whom we disagree. And maybe, just maybe, consider that these people are our brothers/sisters in Christ. If anything, maybe I gave you something to ponder this Wednesday.

Have a blessed day!

'Tis the Season to be Thankful

"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
A verse that seems challenging at times. However, when one considers the environment from which these words were penned, we are reminded that there are no circumstances that should keep us from being truly thankful.

I type these words as I think of the individual who has PTSD and trying to manage life. Who still has a smile on his face even though relationships have been extremely strained.
I think of the widow and widower who are learning how to navigate the holidays without that special someone. Who still gathers with family and continue to discover many reasons to be grateful.
I think of the person who has been rejected, left alone, and is trying to make sense of love and forgiveness. Who still opens his/her heart to people, understanding the risk they are taking.
I could continue to list people in much more difficult circumstances. All whom have learned that Thanksgiving is more than a holiday stuck on a Thursday towards the end of November. Men and women who have discovered that being thankful has to be a way of life.

Thankful - Adjective
1) Pleased and Relieved
2) Expressing Gratitude and Relief

I honestly don't know how the world does it without the assurance of Christ. I'm sure that there is something deep inside the human spirit that finds a place of thankfulness. However, for those of us who know Jesus personally, thankfulness should come naturally. In Christ we should be pleased and relieved. We should be able to express gratitude and relief. All one has to do is consider all that the Father has done to give us eternal and abundant life. To consider how gracious our Creator has been to us. To dwell on the fact that He chose to come into our darkness, to take our sin and shame upon Himself, and be willing to go through the agony and pain of redemption should create a swell of gratitude in each of our hearts. Maybe even more amazing is that He chose to speak to our hearts when He did; to awaken us to the reality of life in Christ.

There is so much that we take for granted:
Family, friends, relationships, and health.
Security, provision, jobs, and a roof over our heads.
Love, grace, and mercy that knows no end.
When you consider all of the things that we are willing to risk, willing to walk away from, and the things which we allow to create division; can we not stop for a moment and think of all that we have to be grateful for?

This is a season to be thankful. Regardless of what your season looks like. Regardless of how it feels. Regardless of what you have had to endure. Learn to give thanks. Learn to be pleased in all that the Lord has done in your life. Discover what it means to be pleased in Him. Express your gratitude and relief. Watch how thankfulness releases a joy and a peace that you can never explain.

Once again I'm reminded of the hymn written by Horatio G. Spafford - "IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL" - and how the Lord was able to minister peace and gratefulness to his heart during on of the most difficult times of life. A song that would stand the test of time and continue to bring others to a place of peace and rest. If he can sing, if he can be reminded of the goodness of the Lord, then surely we can find a thread of thankfulness in our own hearts.

I want to encourage you this Thanksgiving (and every other day of life) to draw your friends and family close to your heart. Capture every moment of joy. Feel the warmth of hugs and kisses. Be grateful for the time that you have and cherish the looks of contentment on every face. Be Thankful. Very Very Thankful for these moments. Feast on them. Drink from them. Life is too short to miss out on these opportunities. Then allow thankfulness to be a part of your journey. And while you are at it, be sure to give thanks to the Lord. Remembering that EVERY good and perfect gift flows down from Him.

May this Thanksgiving be the greatest thanksgiving you can remember. Blessings to you and your family during this season.

What Unites Us Is Greater Than What Divides Us

I am a thinker. Does this surprise you? I think that most people believe that I'm a talker since I'm a pastor, but the reality is that I am often content to keep my thoughts to myself. Some would argue that since I like to blog that I must be a writer. However, I don't always write what I'm thinking about. The reason is quite simple: If my thoughts are not well formulated I don't like to share them. I am quite content to allow those thoughts to stir for days and weeks on end. This is especially true when it comes to matters of faith. I like to think through things that most people don't want to think through. I like to ask questions about long held beliefs. I don't mind wrestling with things that the church doesn't want to wrestle with anymore. At times this has created disagreements. At other times it has allowed others to feel safe to join me in such a journey. The thing that I'm thinking about this morning is: WHY ARE WE CHRISTIANS SO DIVISIVE?

Psalm 133 gives us beautiful insight into what it looks like when God's people dwell together in unity and yet we continue to struggle. We seem to be more concerned with our group identity rather than being able to appreciate the whole of the church. Denominational pride, fear of losing members to other churches, and disagreements over various doctrinal positions seems to dominate among us. When did our unity become so fixed upon dogma or agreement in all matters? Is there not a unity that transcends this type of thinking?

I came across a statement this morning that quite possibly points to the root of our problem. One writer said this, "The Christian faith, more than any other, is based on doctrine." A statement that I find mind-boggling. Doctrine? That is the basis of our faith? I thought the basis of what we believe was found in a person NOT is some theological argument. I thought it was the very person of Jesus Christ that was the foundation of all that we believed. Doctrine is important, but to say that the Christian faith is based upon doctrine proves how far we have removed ourselves from the very prayer of Jesus. That we would be one as He and His Father are one. The problem with making doctrine the basis of the Christian faith is that it is way too easy to become divided. All you have to do is disagree in one point or another and the brethren no longer dwell in unity.

Please hear me out. I know that the Early Church Fathers took great pride in defending the doctrines of the Early Church. The Nicene Creed continues to be such a powerful statement of what we believe. However, what they agreed upon back then is often considered too simplistic. In other words, they did not go far enough in their statement of faith. Just take the Creed and place it along side of most churches statements of faith and you will understand what I am saying. The Creed was a response to attacks on what was considered foundational understanding for the church, but there were things that they chose not to address. Why? Probably because there wasn't a consensus in some areas or they felt that these areas could remain unverified. For whatever reason, the one thing the council did choose to put into the Creed was the belief in One Holy Catholic Church. Catholic meaning Universal. A belief that many of us need to revisit.

Paul made a statement to the Church at Rome that I think we need to understand. He encouraged the Body to "Be of the same mind toward one another..." Live in harmony together. Think of, regard, or seek after the same thing for each other. That is, whatever we regard or seek for ourselves we should seek for the brethren. He encouraged the Body of Christ to this place of unity. Where we see one another for who we are and that we contend for harmony. Recognizing this vital truth: the world will know that we belong to Christ because of our love for one another.

This is a practical side of our faith that we rarely explore. We often fail to emphasize this need in the world. That a United Church could bring so much healing, so much understanding, and so much genuineness to our faith. That we would have to do less convincing of people if they were to see the unity that we are meant to live in. Rather than having to convince someone of why we are right and others are wrong, we could simply invite them to know Jesus as we do and to join the community of faith. Does it sound too simple? Then it must be God.

The point of all of this is that WHAT UNITES US IS GREATER THAN WHAT DIVIDES US. I get it. You and I may have different views on soteriology. We may not agree on eschatology. Our beliefs about atonement, the nature of man, the finished work of Jesus, and many other things may not be in agreement. But can we not all agree on the fact that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of all? Can we not accept the fact that Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren and that we are brothers? Can we not appreciate our distinctive groups and trust that God is working in each and everyone of us to reach out to a hurting world? Jesus Christ is the Great Unifier. He alone stands as the Mediator between God and man. He is the source of our salvation, our faith, and our unity. For us to place emphasis upon anything else is to set ourselves up for failure.

How beautiful and pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell together in unity. In Christ this is possible. Consider this an invitation. By all means have your beliefs. Be willing to hold fast to your convictions. But somewhere along the way we have to see that our family is much bigger than our denomination, our proclamation of doctrinal purity, and our particular brand of Christianity. In the same way that our Father has chosen to bring together every tribe, tongue, and nation in Christ; He will also bring every denomination, every doctrinal difference, and every division together in Christ. At least...that's what I think.

Enjoy the journey!

For the Journey Ahead

Good morning my friends. A lot has happened since I last shared my thoughts with you. America has elected a new president, Tom Brady threw his first interception of the season, and the temperature outside finally feels like Fall. And none of these things have to do with what I want to share with you today.

I was thinking this morning about Abram and God's call upon his life, how he emerged out of a polytheistic religion, and what that means for us today. I mean...doesn't everyone think about these things? Honestly, have you ever considered just how difficult it must have been for Abram. Imagine that you are the one walking away from family, from your home land, and all because the One True God has asked you to go to a country that He would show you. This takes guts. But what is even more revealing in this whole scenario is how gentle the Lord was in revealing His true nature. We owe so much to the man whose name was later changed to Abraham. The father of nations. The one in whom all of the nations of the world would be blessed. This one man risked everything because he heard a voice.

In my opinion, the greatest revelation that Abraham received came during a literal mountain top experience. It was there where he took his firstborn son, a length of rope, some firewood, and a knife. Why? Because the Lord had instructed him to do so. A difficult journey to say the least. A burden that he seemed all too comfortable to carry. Has anyone ever asked why? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in Abraham's shoes? Most of us did not grow up in this kind of environment. The thought of sacrificing our firstborn and only child seems so inhumane. But in Abraham's defense this was common to his culture. What is uncommon is what would transpire on the mountain top.

Abraham was dutiful. He carried out the instructions down to every last detail. With knife in hand and both arms stretched above his head the Lord intervened. And it's here where we discover one of the greatest attributes of God's nature. Another second and we would call this mountain the place where Isaac died. Instead it became known as the Lord will provide. Too often we miss the significance of this revelation. 9 times out of 10 our focus has been on the God of Provision. We talk about the God who meets our needs. And while this is true of His nature it misses out of the full scope of what the Lord was teaching Abraham. In this moment we discover a God who does not need sacrifice. A God who provides for Himself.

So often I believe we have held to a belief about God that is more BC than AD. We see Him as one in need of sacrifices and burnt offerings. Even our worship has been described as a sacrifice of praise. Choosing to believe that our offerings of prayers, fasting, self-debasement, and the like will somehow gain His favor. Completely missing out on the reality of what we already possess in Christ. Please hear me in all of this. I'm not saying that we should not pray. I'm not calling for an end of fasting. I don't believe in self-debasement simply because there is a difference between humility and humiliation. What I am saying is that we should be fully enveloped in what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf. To fully recognize what He has done in providing Himself for us. That all of our worship, our service, and all the details of our lives flow from this place.

Jesus told us to go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."
Have you ever considered the shift in thinking that this creates in a religion that was bound up in blood sacrifices? Can you imagine the anger and confusion that a statement like this would incite? Jesus stepped up the game just a little bit. He moved from a ram being caught in a thicket to being the one caught in the crossfire. God would provide Himself. As He always had. Not only that, but Jesus proves once and for all that how we treat one another matters. That mercy far outweighs any sacrifices that we could bring. That God is more concerned with how we treat others than how we approach Him.

Before we think this is something new, we have to see that this is actually an Old Testament reference. Hosea 6:6 puts it this way: "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." (NLT)
What a statement! Imagine what this must have done to the priests. What would happen to them if we removed a sacrificial system? More importantly, what would happen in the hearts of the people if they learned this all important lesson? Imagine a world where we actually were more concerned with showing love to one another. Handling mercy so graciously. Wanting to know God above our service towards Him. Think it would make a difference?

The God Who Provides needs nothing from us. What He invites us to enjoy is a relationship with Himself and our fellow man. He asks us to delight in the things that He delights in. The God who delights in mercy invites us to join in the same. Micah said it so wonderfully:
Do Justly
Love Mercy
Walk Humbly with your God.

Somewhere along the way we have been so consumed with the afterlife that we have forgotten to make much out of this one. We didn't do the math when Jesus said the first and greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God...and the second was like it, to love you neighbor as yourself. He placed them on an equal playing field. Where we would see them side by side not one on top of the other. So we would understand that to love God with all that we have is to love our neighbor as ourselves and vice versa. And that all of the Law and the Prophets are summed up in these two things. The very same God who led Abraham so patiently has continued to be patient with us. He continues to love while we are trying to pull ourselves out of our wrong thinking. Mercifully bringing us to a place where our altars aren't so significant. Where maybe we will stop trying to kill everything and rest in the provision that He is in Himself, i.e. the Lord our Righteousness, the Lord our Salvation, the Lord our Peace, and the like.

The best that we can do is to do what is right, to love the mercy of our Lord so much that we readily give it, and to walk humbly with our Heavenly Father. For the journey ahead I ask that you consider that this is a life well lived. That these things actually matter. And that your life, along with the lives of others, can be dramatically changed. I think it's time that we learned what the Lord meant when He said "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

Enjoy the Journey!