Dear John and Mark,

Greetings,

I realize that I am not one of the influential christians that has the worlds ear. I realize I have not written books by the thousands, in fact the one that I am in the middle of writing is at most a cathartic practice.

I'm a used to be. I used to be a youth pastor, I used to be an associate pastor, I used to be involved on a district level in leadership.

I am called, I know that I am gifted, that's something that I realize. I am also broken, something that I wouldn't change for anything in the world. I am writing to you as person who was in full time ministry and who will be again if God opens those doors, and who will continue to do what I can where I am until that time comes if ever.

As a used to be that is attempting with all that is in him to follow Christ, I am really embarrassed by both of you. I have read and enjoyed both of your ministries, I grew up in the AG, moved on toward non-denominational leanings because I didn't really fit in the AG world. Since then I have moved in other directions. If you were to read any of the blog that I am posting this letter to you would find a person that is attempting to walk out the faith he has found in Christ and to bring light to people who have no clue.

I am writing because I don't understand the motivation behind the current fight within the evangelical church. As you are the most visible at this point, and as your twitter accounts, instagrams, and conference are at the forefront of this battle.

What I see in the events of the weekend, tweets from the conference, tweets from the people who are against the strange fire movement, rebuttals, articles, and proofs that either side is right has taken away from the work that we are called too.

If registration for the conference were just 50 dollars, with 3000 attendees we are looking at $150,000 that could have been used to reach people who need a relationship with Jesus.

It's a tragedy to me that instead of the church, not the cessasionists, not the charismatics, not the evangelical, not the catholic, not the AG or Baptist, or Episcopal... you get the idea it's a tragedy to me that we have the hope of Christ and instead of sharing the hope of Christ with a world that is dieing, we are throwing rocks at each other. Staging book give aways at a place we know will spark controversy, and telling an entire group of people who have a very real faith that they are wrong, and they really have no relationship with God.

A couple of days ago I wrote a blog that was a dig at the partisanship I see in the church. The idea that we are to live at peace with all men as much as possible.

Gentlemen when you fight like this, when you tear down in the name of truth you make it harder and harder for the every day Christ Follower to share their faith.

Jesus made a pretty clear statement. And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Mar 16:15 NLT

This did not happen these last three days. What did happen was a bunch of christians (little c intentional) getting up and attacking each other while the world looked on, shook their heads, and stumbled away lost, hurting and lonely.

Praying for you both, and for those in authority.

 

Aaron

The Delicate Balance

As a Christ follower I tend to look at life through a lens of guilt. Now before you say but Christ has set you free from guilt, and his grace is sufficient and you know all those things. I don't mean that I feel guilty all the time, I don't mean that guild over rides my heart and mind any more. It used to but that's all water that has long since emptied into the sea of forgetfulness, I still remember it but it's not with the angst that was so prevalent. No when I say I look at life through a lens of guilt it has more to do with the continuing saga that is the attempt to live a life that is stamped with the marks of being more and more like Jesus.

So if the opening statement of this post is all about the idea of feeling guilty when I don't act, think, or react the way Jesus would, why is it titled the delicate balance.

I think that there is so much in scripture that tells us how to live lives that are pleasing to Christ, and that make others that are stumbling around in their own vain attempts at finding the thing that makes them complete take notice, not of all the rules and regulations that come from christianity, but of a life that is lived in obedience to Christ and His teachings. Scriptures that talk about love, and grace, mercy, compassion, are important, I think that they are to be the bulk of how we share Jesus with a world that is tired. I really think that's the long and short of it. People in general are tired of things. Tired of politics, tired of scandals, tired of war, tired of 20 something celebrities behaving badly just for the press it garners. People are tired and they are looking for people that are going to be real. That are going to say what they have to say and then, wonder of wonders actually live that way, or do that thing that they have said they would do.

In Mark, Peter makes the following statement to Jesus; Then Peter began to speak up. "We've given up everything to follow you," he said. Mar 10:28 (NLT) I think the fast majority of christians do the same thing. They look at the things that their friends, co workers and acquaintances are doing and when and if they take time to actually converse with God, they point out all the "fun" they aren't having. Sometimes they even go a step further and talk to other christians about all that they have done, all that they have given up. Perceived sacrifice is huge in our own minds, and a great way to prove how tight we are with Jesus. Many times we grab a hold of the first part of Jesus reply. It's one of those promises that Christians like to point to..."Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—. Mar 10:29 -30 (NLT) Doesn't that sound great, isn't that an awesome promise. If I give stuff up for God I get it all back with interest. I've actually heard people say that from the pulpit. This tends to be one of those carrot on a stick passages used to lure people into making a commitment to Christ. There's just one problem, see that hyphen that just seems to sit at the end of the verse? I like to look at that as the pause that Jesus must have taken when he was getting ready to drop the bomb that was to come.

There is a delicate balance that goes on in our lives, at least there should be. This balance has to do with how we look at the different stages of our lives.

1. The life we lived:

Many people look at their life before they chose to start on the path to a relationship with Jesus as a time of great loss, a time that they were blind, that they were searching fill in all the sad parts that people attribute to their life before Christ. The problem is I wonder if people really do look at their life without Jesus in that way. I wonder if there are times that they look back and are honest enough to say that things were easier before they decided to accept the sacrifice that Jesus made and to live a life that was going to constantly be at odds with friends, family members, co-workers. The life we lived may have been spiritually empty, but I would venture to say that for most of us it was full of things that kept us busy, things that distracted us, things that we enjoyed. I think that there just came a point that the spiritual emptiness became to big to ignore. So we have all these things before we make the jump to a relationship with Jesus.

2. The life we live:

This is where I peg that will receive 100 fold part of the verse. When we start to follow Christ the things that were fun suddenly don't do it for us any more. We don't enjoy them as much, many times we recognize that they don't really line up with how Jesus would act so we cut them out of our life, we lose friends who may think we just aren't fun any more, or that all we want to do is talk about God. Family members may walk away, not able to handle being around someone who always judges them. The sad thing about the last one is, at least most of the time there is no real judgment on the Christ followers part, just a realization on the family members part that there are things in their life that they would like to change, people that drag them down, and choices that they would like to somehow unmake. Still there is a loss here and it's that loss that can be made up for when the Christ follower attaches him or herself to a community of believers that is also doing their best to follow Christ. I think that's what Jesus is talking about. Sure we lose out on the things that we used to enjoy and some of the people we used to be with, but when we really make a connection into a local group of other Christ Followers we are seeing the fulfillment of that promise. Now for the rest of the life we will live...—along with persecution. Mar 10:30 (NLT) This is the part we don't want to read, this is the part we wish we could ignore, and unfortunately this is the part that many Christian leaders, especially ones in America use to point out how downtrodden they are when they don't like something happening in the Government or in the Media. I read and hear them say things like: "It's only going to get worse." Many times it becomes something to try to change, something to try to stand against, we want to get out of the along with persecution part of our walk with Christ, mainly because it's not fun. I just don't see that happening. We are going to be misunderstood, misquoted, and disliked, there are going to be groups of people that are going to try and make it hard to be a Christ follower, that also is a promise that Jesus made. He told us you will be persecuted. It will happen, he didn't say try and get out of it, he didn't say speak out about how downtrodden you are. He said it's going to happen and you will have to live with it, in fact realize that "my grace is enough to help you deal with it."

3. The life we will live:

And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. Mar 10:30 (NLT)

I really don't think I need to explain this part of it.

Here's where the delicat balance comes in. We have to understand that life as a Christ follower brings with it all sorts of baggage. Christians like to point out the baggage that gets left behind when a person recognizes a need for a relationship with Jesus, we just don't like to point out the baggage that is going to be picked up. That baggage looks conspicuously like a Cross...after all that's what we are to do if we are really following Jesus, take up the cross and follow.

We don't have a prayer...

This verse struck me today as I was reading: But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn't say a kind word to him. Gen 37:4 (NLT)

The history behind this part of the Bible is not really a secret, and it speaks to the reason that people with multiple children have to work so hard at loving all of their children equally, still the thing that struck me was those last seven words; "They couldn't say a kind word to him." I actually read it a couple of times, it's an interesting statement. It seems that they really didn't have much of a choice in the matter, but why. I believe that what happens in life is always due to a choice. We make choices every day, and I like to think that I can and for the most part do make the correct choices, so reading that someone couldn't do something, even if they wanted to makes me wonder.

The thing is my thoughts are wrong on some occasions. We know that Josephs brothers were pretty bad guys in the beginning, if you continue to read the account of what happen, you will find that Joseph can't shut up about how important he's going to be, and his brothers can't see past the anger and bitterness they have in their hearts, and the favoritism that was shown on a regular basis. They toss him in a pit, sell him into slavery and well the saga continues. Still I am not like them am I?

If we have a prayer of making it, of doing the right thing, of proving how much we are worth, of showing God that he needs us and that we are worth saving we must be able to make the right choice, we must be able to be nice and do the right thing...

Paul even had this issue, and it's in him that we find the only hope we really have. In Romans 7:18, Paul talks about how frustrated he is when it comes to making the right decisions. How hard it is to do the right thing. He talks about how even though he wants to do the right thing, he can't seem to do it. This concept would seem to support the idea that Joseph's brothers couldn't say anything nice to him. It points out how truly sad humanity is. Ultimately no matter how hard humans try, and no matter how good they are, they are going to eventually come up against the wall of their humanity, the inability to not judge others, the difficulty in always telling the truth, the desire to get the dirt on whatever is happening in other people lives.

It took me a long time to realize that I can't do it all, that I need to rely on God, and the people he put in my life to make up the areas that I was weak in. Paul laments his inability to do the right thing, and then rejoices because for those times that he does make the mistake, and does do the wrong thing, Jesus is not just willing and able but really wants to help us through the issue.

As I live and move and have my being in Christ, something that takes effort on my part there are times that I don't do the right thing, times that I don't like people, times that I get angry and react instead of asking for help. So many times that I want to do the right thing, but I don't and in those times I have the hope that Jesus knew I would not do it right, or make the right decision all the time. He will work in me and through me though, pointing out the areas and helping me through them.

We don't have a prayer if left to our own devices in our walk with Christ. We will walk away from him, even as we desire to be more like him. That's just our nature. It is only because of his unfailing, unchanging grace that we can be more like him. So while we don't have a prayer...we do have Hope.

No Room for Moderation

It's likely no surprise to any of my regular readers that I tend to lean more left of center than right of center. Still I like to think that I walk a more moderate path than most.

I would guess that many of my Facebook friends, a list that spans both sides of the political spectrum, as well as different religious, social, economic and ideological view points, would love for me to just "pick a side." I just can't do that, which leads me to believe that in today's world the moderate voice is a thing of the past, and yet I know there are other people who share my world view.

I realize that I'm likely putting words in peoples mouth, but hey this is my blog, and what I'm talking about today is my perception, and contrary to popular belief, opinion, and even contrary to what I recognize as a truth embraced by many of the people I know and love, perception is not always reality, it's usually skewed, by my world view, my values, religious beliefs, up-bringing, and arrogance. We are all more important in our own minds than we are in reality. Anyway I can hear my conservative, republican, Christian friends talking to their significant others saying anything from Aaron's lost his christianity (there's that little c again) to can you believe he won't take a stand, he must not be the person I thought he was, he must not believe in absolutes any more, I think he may even be a socialist, can you believe that, he actually likes some of the things the democrats stand for, he likes the affordable care act, he thinks there needs to be a decent safety net for people in our country.... the list of grievances I imagine can and does go on. To them I likely appear to not be the man that they thought I was, much less the Christian that I should be.

Equally disconcerting is what I assume my other friends who know me must say behind closed doors. If he really was a supporter of justice, and fairness, of freedom of speech, if he really was an advocate for equality, he would break ties with the right wing nut jobs he talks to, he would denounce some of the things that he grew up with, he would embrace the liberal agenda fully. Again understand I know that I'm not that important in either sides world view, but hey it's my blog and I can grandstand if I want too.

I don't see myself as a dyed in the wool liberal, as some would think, neither do I find myself any where near the conservative right wing evangelical that some of my friends are. I walk this middle line of things, at least in my own mind.

I listen to what both side says, then I start to dig. I don't just jump to CNN, or FOX, or the Huff post, or the Blaze. I don't just go to Snopes or any number of fact check sites, I try and go a bit deeper, reading the proposed laws and amendments. Looking at things that are available in their un-doctored form. To me that's just second nature, sure it would be easier to just trust what any number of news outlet says. I can find one that agrees with my world view, again and admittedly left of center one, just as easily as any number of right of center people can go and find a person to tell them what they want to hear.

The danger that I see in both of those approaches is that I have taken myself out of the equation. This is a dangerous proposition, one that all to many people are willing to do.

I have two questions:

1. Why are christians so ANGRY?

2. Why are liberals so ANGRY?

christians:

So much of what I see from my christian friends, or J's christian friends just doesn't fit what I see modeled for us by Jesus and later other Christ Followers. Given the recent climate and as a rebuke to myself as well as them I read this from Paul.

Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Rom 12:17-19 (The Message)

If anything christians should not be angry at all for several reasons the most important of which is found in just about every gospel and throughout the apostles letters to the churches. The idea of living in harmony, showing love, and not judging non christ followers is huge throughout the New Testament. Besides the only difference between a Christ Follower and the guy down the street is that the Christ Follower has recognized the path that he or she needs to be on and has decided it's preferable to the endless cycle that comes from not having the great hope that comes from who Jesus is. Somehow though we have forgotten this. A lot of people look at christians, and all they can see is an angry group of people who are full of them self and think they know it all. Christians are angry that's pretty much what I see when I look at them in the media, on Facebook, on twitter, or in the halls of our government. Christians are mad about health care, mad about government spending on social programs, mad about the liberals in power, angry at our president, mad at the fact that people would even think about gun control, mad that people are attempting to enforce some sort of separation of church and state, upset over prayer not being in school the list is endless. The problem that I have with the whole anger issue is that's not what God told us to be, or to do. If you've got it in you get along with everyone. If you don't like the way The Message says it how bout the NLT? Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, Rom 12:17-19 but wait, I am sure some won't like that either, so lets look at the good old fashioned KJV Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Rom 12:17-19 Yeah pretty much the same idea. With as much as is in you...is the key word here, and if you and I really are following Christ then it follows that he is the one that we are living and moving and having our being in. I'm pretty sure he could handle all of the above, in fact he did so on a daily basis. The people that he wasn't at peace with were the religious leaders of the day, the ones that thought they had it all together, the ones that had all the answers. Even then he would answer there questions and refuse to be baited into some long drawn out discussion. So why do christians today think it's their job to be right, to bring judgment, to bring morality and change to our nation and it's leaders. I don't find that in scripture, I find that we are to pray and live at peace. Christians shouldn't be angry, they should be full of love, compassion, and forgiveness.

Liberals:

Liberals have pretty much won. As much as I can't stand Angry Christians attempting to speak for me, I am equally annoyed at angry liberals who constantly point the finger at Christians and talk about how antiquated their ideas are, how angry they are, how full of hypocrisy they are. The liberal agenda is going strong, the left has given the moniker of out of touch idiot to most on the right, and the charge has stuck. Liberals are never content with a victory, always needing to push their agenda further and further, to push all semblance of Religion out of every facet of life, save the home and the church. Some would even be content to yank churches down as well. Liberals sit in their desk chairs of enlightened superiority and explain why they are right and why anyone that has the nerve to believe in a Judeo Christian God must be at the least a less than intelligent troglodyte. other more enlightened religions are embraced but there is no room for the morality that comes from attempting to live out Biblical principles. Most are quick to run to the aid of a same sex couple that is being discriminated against, while at the same time being bigoted toward the church that wants to set up a Living Nativity this Christmas. Angry Liberals are just as annoying to me as angry christians and they are all over.

Here's the thing, while I definitely lean more toward the left, there are things that are not left about me. I will never fit squarely in one camp or the other and many times it is this very aspect of who I am, an aspect that I actually enjoy for the most part that draws criticism from friends on both sides. My liberal friends don't think I go far enough in condemning my conservative friends, and my conservative friends think I have given up important aspects of my faith. On the contrary, this is what I'm busy attempting:

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Phi 2:12-13 (NLT)

Those two verses take up more than enough of my time and energy, sure I make the occasional comment about how annoyed I am with right wing conservative christians and the politicians they have anointed as the next saint, and sure I get annoyed at some of my liberal friends and their constant condemnation of anyone who disagrees with them, but for the most part that's just a distraction from what I really should be doing.

Freedom from Religion...

It seems like I have the same frustrations over and over when it comes to christians.

(I realize that there are times that I use a small c when I type christians, you may also notice that I sometimes use lower case letters when talking about Jesus. This is intentional on my part, lower case letters in this case is the version of christian that so many have become, and the jesus that so many follow, the one that looks very different from the Jesus in the Bible, and the Christians that are different from the ones that grace our air waves, and sit in church looking down on others and... anyway there's that explanation.)

The christian world view, the one that is giddy about a government shut down, that attempts to pin apocalyptic person hood on our president, and that talks about needing to get prayer back in schools, repeal the a fordable care act, calls for a military coup to set things right, I mean the list goes on. This christian world view is rather frightening.

Here's what we were told to do;

Jesus :I am here speaking with all the authority of God, who has commanded Me to give you this commission: Go out and make disciples in all the nations. Ceremonially wash them through baptism in the name of the triune God:Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age. Mat 28:18-20 (The Voice)

Why is it so hard for us to do this.

Which brings me to the next part of this. Paul gives us a glimpse into what the foundation of making disciples should be when he writes to Timothy.

So, first and foremost, I urge God's people to pray. They should make their requests, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all humanity. Teach them to pray for kings (or anyone in high places for that matter) so that we can lead quiet, peaceful lives—reverent, godly, and holy — all of which is good and acceptable before the eyes of God our Savior who desires for everyone to be saved and know the truth. Because
There is one God and one Mediator between God and us—
the man Jesus, God's Anointed,
Who gave His life as a ransom for all
so that we might have freedom. 1Ti 2:1-6 (The Voice)

A couple of interesting notes here.

1. God's people are supposed to pray, but more importantly is who we are supposed to pray for. Praying for all of humanity, not just for ourselves, our churches, our ideals, our motives, our plans, not for the people that agree with us, and not that people would be put out of places be it a job, or an office, or a church. Pray for all humanity. Lets see that would include but not be limited to, other Christ followers and christians (there's that little c again) Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, people who are strait, people who are gay, people who are rich, poor, sad, happy, all is a pretty big three letter word, and I fear that christians have forgotten how big it is.

Now you would think that when Paul says hey here's what you need to do pray for all humanity, that would be enough, but obviously it's not because he then takes another step and tells Timothy to teach the people to pray for kings or anyone in high places (read governing authority) I don't see Paul saying pray that they are gotten out of office, I don't see him telling Timothy to pray for their failure, I don't see him saying to pray for God's judgment to come on them. He just says pray for people in high places. I wonder if we would do this more than rant and rave about our rights and freedoms and privileges. If we would really do this pray for all of our leaders the one's we like and agree with and the ones we don't like and didn't vote for, I wonder what a difference that would make?

2. The reason to do this is so that we can lead quiet, peaceful lives, that are reverent, godly and holy... What would happen if people that claim to be Christian would act like a follower of Christ instead of like a christian. What would happen if Christians prayed and then lived this way. What if we stood firm in our beliefs and allowed others to have their beliefs to. What if we prayed and then listened to everything that the other person, who desperately needs Jesus in their life instead of hitting the wall that is their sin and suddenly becoming the judge, jury and executioner as it where, what if we actually let God do what only can be done by God. We tell the stories of our life, and share the truth of His word. Then pray and let Him finish the work that we started. Isn't that what he promised he would do?

3. God doesn't have a list of people he's willing to save and a list that he is unwilling to save. So why do we?

4. Our freedom does not come from the Constitution, it does not come from our government, it doesn't even come from our church. Our freedom comes from the sacrifice that Jesus made. Why do we hold on so tightly to man made freedoms. Why is it so important for us to be right, or to be heard? Why are we so willing to take on the mantle of the oppressed and downtrodden? I'm not free because I live in America, I'm not free because of the Constitution, I'm free because of Jesus sacrifice.

I have been thinking of something lately. What if God is calling Christ Followers in America to take up a different sort of cross? christianity is on the decline in our nation, that's a fact, and what if that's what God is doing. What if he is calling us to live a life full of mercy, love, and forgiveness. What if God wants us to stop being christians and start being Christ Followers?