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One MVP: Maintaining Humility in Christian Service

One MVP: Maintaining Humility in Christian Service

“And this week’s MVP goes to…”

I don’t remember whose name was spoken, only that mine wasn’t and I thought it should have been.

I was angry.

After all, if it hadn’t been for me, we wouldn’t have shut our opponents out.  If it hadn’t been for me, Coach wouldn’t have had the option of moving the rest of the defensive line to the front to help score.  If it hadn’t been for me, our goalie wouldn’t have had her easiest game of the season.

I had been MVP for four weeks straight, though.  I guess Coach thought it best to spread the award around, and she was probably right.  I’d gotten cocky and was starting to feel a little better than my teammates.

I’d forgotten how they encouraged me when it took a while to learn a sport that came easily to the rest of them, how they ran extra laps to keep me company because I was slower than everyone else, and how they wiped my tears when Coach’s words felt too personal.  I’d failed to appreciate how they cheered me on, gave me room to shine, and stood up for me to bullies on the other teams.

Without them, I wouldn’t have lasted the first practice, but I’d grown prideful and forgotten because someone told me I was the MVP.

It was only sixth grade soccer, for crying out loud, but a pattern had begun to develop, a dangerous one.

Monikers are powerful.  Awards.  Titles.  Position.  They go to our heads, even in the Church, and if we’re not careful, we could start thinking we’re better than our brothers and sisters just because the task God has allowed us to carry out by His grace garners more attention than the equally important tasks others have been assigned.

We’ll forget that we are sinners saved by grace just like everyone else, that we, too, struggle to maintain forward motion in our own spiritual growth, and that without the help and prayer support of our brothers and sisters, we’d probably fail more than we do.  We’ll fail to appreciate the wisdom in God’s forming the Church using diverse, but ordinary members empowered by the same Holy Spirit, the mercy and grace we were shown when chosen to cooperate with them, and the much greater sacrifices so many seldom-mentioned brothers and sisters are required to make for the sake of our common mission to advance the Gospel and grow God’s Kingdom.

We’ll forget we are dust and get too puffed up to be of any use, a sickening thought.

Listen, the most recognition any of us deserve for what God accomplishes through us is a participation ribbon for our obedience.  There’s only one MVP in all this, and that’s God.  When people hand you His glory by mistake, give it back!

Talking God and Politics: Don’t Wash Your Hands of It All

Talking God and Politics: Don’t Wash Your Hands of It All

Young evangelicals are bombarded with the questions and controversies surrounding the relationship between faith and politics. Twitter feeds are filled with stories and comments, endorsements and condemnations. It seems wise to disengage altogether and avoid conversations about God and politics, the two subjects you never bring up at a party.

But washing our hands of it all might only serve to raise the question, “Am I complicit in my silence?” What guidance do we find in the Bible? Solid arguments are made on many sides.

The consensus of Scripture is that God works through governments, and they serve an important purpose. Throughout the Old Testament, the people of God are found serving God by influencing governmental leaders, such as Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, and numerous prophets speaking truth to powerful kings—some who were godly and many who were not.

The Apostle Paul consistently taught the early church to respect governing authorities and calls them servants of God. In 1 Tim. 2:1-4, Paul writes that Christians should pray with thanksgiving, making intercession for those who are in authority.

Disengaging doesn’t seem to be the advice found in the Bible. We should care about what the government does and who is leading us. How can a Christian engage in politics without falling into the division, debate and vitriol filling our Twitter feeds? Here are three things to remember.

We are People of Prayer. Jesus taught His disciples to pray for God’s glory and Kingdom to expand on earth as it is in heaven. Perhaps the most prevalent need among Christians is a deeper understanding of the power of prayer.

By teaching Christians to pray for those in authority, Paul reminds us that we have access to the most extraordinary power and spiritual resource available on earth. Prayer quiets the soul and allows anger to subside. Prayer draws us closer to God and how He sees the people and policies in question. God hears us when we pray, and He answers.

Begin with prayer when engaging in the politics. Rom. 13:4 refers to governmental leaders as servants of God. Let our concern over a policy come after sincere prayer for a person’s heart for God. Pray that a politician’s time in office is marked less by legislative accomplishments or political wins and more by an encounter with the divine God of the universe. Pray for them to have a deeper reverence for the things that are on the heart of God; such as peace and joy, justice and mercy, ministry to the marginalized, and the dignity of all people.

We are the Church. Christians know that government was instituted by God and public policy matters. We also know that God is in control and working through all sorts of institutions, but let’s not blur the line between them.

Scripture gives moral guidance that is true in every arena of life but also specific directions to Christians in the local church, and we need to recognize the difference. The desired outcome of the prayer for governmental leaders in 1 Tim. 2:1-4 is the freedom to “live a life of quiet godliness so that all people can come to the knowledge of the truth.” Government has a role to play, but God’s redemptive plan is most fully manifested in the life and work of local churches.

We are Peacemakers. So much of modern American politics is intent on conquering political opponents, and this isn’t always consistent with a Christian witness (and disastrous to our democracy).

Christians do understand that some ideas are truly bad, and historically, God used His people to challenge those ideas. That is still true at times today, but not as often as the internet would have us believe.

Let us remember that Jesus taught in Matt. 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” The characteristic that most consistently identifies you as a child of God is being a peacemaker. Politics gives tools for compromise and consensus, but the Gospel gives the tools for lasting peace and reconciliation.

Christians have access to both politics and the Gospel. As Christians, let’s be peacemakers as we engage in politics today.

Suffering as a Blessing

Suffering as a Blessing

The Book of James tells us that we should rejoice in suffering. I’m going to be honest. That’s not my knee-jerk reaction.

But I will also tell you that this is why I think it is so important that Christians immerse themselves in God’s Word, because if we are not careful, we tend to get our sights set on this life and this life alone.  Scripture constantly reminds us that this is not our permanent home, and that we are just here for a few moments.

“For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come” (Heb. 13:14). 

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14).

There are several promises in God’s Word about suffering.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory” (Rom. 8:16-17).

Did you catch that?  His Spirit will TESTIFY that we are His children, and not just children, but HEIRS of God and co-heirs with Christ IF WE indeed share in his suffering.

So when things go south in your life, don’t be shocked. This is why we MUST ground ourselves in the truth of God’s Word in order to get us through the storms of life. Because suffering is coming regardless of if you do or do not have Christ. That’s the nature of our world.

If you’re not anchored into Jesus Christ and the truth of His Word, I can promise you this, not only will the storm come, but you will have no comfort in the midst of it. You will have nothing to truly tie yourself to. Jesus is that solid ground that upon which we can stand, and not just stand, but stand firm.

And this is what I want us to see in this blog. If we share in Christ’s suffering, we are qualified to share in his GLORY. So don’t look at your problems as problems. Start looking at them as blessings to mold you and shape you into the image of Jesus Christ.  That perspective changes the entire game.

Know that in the storms of life, Jesus is more than enough for any and all circumstances. Get your eyes off of your circumstances and look at the ONE who has already overcome your circumstances.

After the Birth

After the Birth

Merry Christmas! I’m so thankful and thrilled the day is finally here. The day in which we officially celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to seek and save lost sinners like you and me.

I know many people who grow frustrated at Christmas, because we focus on too many other things besides the actual birth of Jesus.

I cannot help be reminded of another group of people who grow frustrated about something else birth related. I’m talking about people who grow frustrated at pro-life Christians who focus, in their opinion, solely on protecting life in the womb, but not showing enough concern for children after the birth happens.

“Pro-lifers are just pro-birth,” I read someone say online.

About that perspective, I get that. I don’t agree that’s the case as often as critics say. But it is true that our Christian convictions about the sanctity of human life apply to all of life, from womb to tomb.

That means Christians must do everything we can to help vulnerable people from every walk of life. This includes, of course, the unborn who face an abortion culture of death that seeks to kill and destroy (much like Herod tried to kill Baby Jesus). But it also extends to caring for the poor, the sick, foster children, the homeless, refugees, immigrants, the disabled, the elderly and others.

If you look at the life of Jesus Christ, He had compassion on people during their suffering. In fact, He saw brokenness as opportunity to share His love, grace and healing with them (Matt. 9:36).

As we move from Christmas to a New Year, each of us in the pro-life camp should look for ways to care about the people God has placed around us; those who are in the womb and those who are born.

By caring for the least of these, we not only obey the commands of the One who came that first Christmas, but we also are serving Jesus Himself (Matt. 25:40-45).

Don’t Forget To Be Quiet

Don’t Forget To Be Quiet

If you listen very carefully on Dec. 25, you can hear a sound that only happens once a year. It’s the sound of millions of pieces of wrapping paper being torn simultaneously all across the globe.

Little kids are always excited to see what they got, but they may also be equally as excited to tell their friends what they got. I remember the first day of school after Christmas break; everyone would be talking about what it was that they got that year for Christmas.

We all wanted to be the kid who got the latest video game console or new bike. It seemed like the better present you got the cooler you became.

Even as kids we often used material possessions to find out where we belong on the social ladder.

This carries over into our adult lives. We might not talk about what we got, but we can be guilty of bragging about what we got our children or spouse.

This attitude isn’t just limited to the holiday season either. It’s really hard not to brag when we make a big purchase like a house or a car. I’m guilty of announcing a new car on social media like it was a new baby.

This kind of social bragging is what some commentators think Paul was talking about in 1 Thess. 4:11 when he wrote, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands…” There are lots of ways we are ambitious, but rarely do I think of myself as being ambitious to be quiet.

This is totally contrary to a celebrity-driven world where everyone wants to be known, and if they can’t be famous they at least want to be popular. When two guys meet each other for the first time one of the first things we ask is “What do you do for a living?” Sometimes this is an innocent question, but other times, it’s a way of gauging the worldly value of another person.

Paul continues to write why he would call them to such a life. In verse 12 he continues, “so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

God wants our daily lives to speak great volumes, not just carefully selected moments that make us look good. Another way of saying this is that your character is more important than your career or what you own. We simply don’t live by the rules the rest of the world lives by.

Reading 1 Thess. 4:11-12 made me think about the things I pursue. Before today, I don’t think living a quiet life was on my list of pursuits, but it’s a good truth to be believed. Our lives speak volumes when we are truly loving and respectful on a daily basis as we preach the grace of Christ to all who will listen.

 

Is the Oneness Pentecostal movement Christian?

Is the Oneness Pentecostal movement Christian?

You may have driven by a church that had the words “apostolic” or “oneness” in the name of it. Inside they sing songs about Jesus and read from the same Bible you might read. From a distance, they seem like just another charismatic Christian church, but there are a few key differences that may put them outside of the boundaries of Christianity.

The major issue within the oneness movement is an old heresy that resurfaces every now and then. Its theological name is modalism, but it is most commonly known as oneness. This simply means that they do not believe in the Trinity. Believers in this idea say that God appeared in different modes at different times. It’s as though God the Father has a mask that He puts on. Sometimes He is the Son, and sometimes He is the Father, but they never coexist.

Another one of their beliefs is that you must be baptized in the name of Jesus only, and a true conversion will be evident by the speaking of tongues. This means that if you have never spoken in tongues then the Holy Spirit doesn’t really live within you. The Oneness Apostolic group was kicked out of the Assembly of God church for teaching things that are contrary to Scripture.

Like many false teachers, they put forth the claim that the Trinity was some pagan invention that was forced into the church. Not only is this easy to disprove but we see the Trinity in the Old Testament, and Jews historically believed in one God who existed in several persons. They often called this the two powers of heaven with a growing belief that there was a third that was some kind of Spirit. It wasn’t until the rise of Christianity that Jewish leaders began to forbid talking about the two powers in heaven belief because it sounded too much like Christianity.

This was documented by the late scholar Alan Segal in his  book “Two Powers in Heaven.”  The two powers idea was a way to understand certain passages like Genesis 19:24 where God seems to appear in two separate ways that interact with each other. We even have the Hellenistic Jew Philo of Alexandria writing before the birth of Jesus in a way that sounds very Trinitarian. He wrote, “the one living and true God there were two supreme and primary powers–goodness and authority; and that by his goodness he had created every thing, and by his authority he governed all that he had created; and that the third thing which was between the two, and had the effect of bringing them together was LOGOS, for that it was owing to LOGOS that God was both a ruler and good” (cheribum 27-28).

There are also some verses that make the oneness belief really awkward. For example, how can Jesus pray to the Father if Jesus and the Father cannot coexist at the same time?  Despite all the problems that come with this belief, it continues to grow all over the world. I encourage you to make yourself aware of some of their beliefs so that you can have healthy conversations with those around you.

If you would like to read more on this subject I recommend the book “Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity” by Gregory Boyd.