Apprentice2Jesus

Ramblings of a Confessing Pentecostal

Archive for the category “Holiness and Christian Culture”

29 Mar 2010
3 Comments

John Piper Taking a Leave of Absence

This news came out this past weekend: John Piper is taking a leave of absence from ministry from May 1 to December 31, 2010. The letter of explanation is here.

I have always had a deep admiration for John Piper and his ministry, though our theologies may have an occasional clash. His integrity in incredible, and it shines through in this letter.

This paragraph is gripping:

“But on the other hand, I see several species of pride in my soul that, while they may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry, grieve me, and have taken a toll on my relationship with Noël and others who are dear to me. How do I apologize to you, not for a specific deed, but for ongoing character flaws, and their effects on everybody? I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins.”

I can remember so vividly over 20 years ago the fall of some televangelists, one of whom I deeply admired. He had been prophetically warned to do exactly what Piper is doing. Piper sees this on his own and is taking aggressive action. The evangelist didn’t see it on his own and then ignored godly counsel.

Piper will remain in my prayers.

Posted in Holiness and Christian Culture, Ministry and tagged
21 Jan 2010
6 Comments

Why I Must be Prophetic

One of the tough lessons I am not learning very well over these past few years is the prophetic call of the Church. I can talk a good game, but I don’t act on it very well.

Confession time. I’m a political junkie. I try and avoid it here, but if you follow me on Facebook, I’m full of it. I am addicted to news. I’m not as addicted to talk radio, but I still read the news voraciously. My political opinions are fairly strong.

When I speak of the Church having a prophetic voice, I mean we should not tie ourselves to any political party. It’s easy for mainline churches to wag their fingers at conservatives for trying to hitch the evangelical wagon to the Republican Party. It’s not a lie. It’s the truth.

Yet, mainline churches consistently hitch their wagon to the Democratic Party and act sanctimonious. Give me a break. We’re all guilty as charged at some point in time!

That said, I used to have a belief that the voter had a voice. That belief has been eroding for the past several years. When I first moved to Minnesota, I could actually call my congressional representatives and get answers. Now, they won’t give me the time of day.

Here is why, and let’s be honest: I DON’T GIVE THEM ANY MONEY. If I did, it wouldn’t be in the range of say, MILLIONS of dollars. What it has come down to is this: If you don’t donate HEAVILY to a political cause, you have no voice. Period.

Today’s Supreme Court ruling only solidified that obvious fact. Make a note. Politicians will not even fake listening to “the people” anymore. They will make their appeals to corporations and labor unions. Why? Because those entities will have huge pots of money to throw at advertising to persuade us, the voters, as to who is right and who is wrong. It was stupid before. It’s about to get insane.

It’s sad for me, as an American. I used to call my congressional representatives with an expectation of being heard. Now, they don’t care. I can almost hear them filing their nails or checking their email while I am trying to talk to them about an upcoming vote. They don’t ask for my name, number, address, nothing.

So, I am being forced into the true understanding that we MUST act prophetically as the Church. It will matter so little in the shadow of the mountains of campaigns dollars being spent on advertising, but stand I must. Stand WE must, as the Church. We may not be heard, but that should not keep us from speaking if that is what the Lord is asking of us.

Posted in Culture, Holiness and Christian Culture, Politics, Theology and tagged , , ,
30 Aug 2009
3 Comments

The Resolutions — #5

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

This is from Jonathan Edwards’ list of resolutions. Do not lose one moment of time. I don’t think Edwards did. He was constantly in study, writing, prayer and ministry. He learned how to discipline his time and make sure he used the days effectively. He died prematurely and is still considered America’s finest theologian (and this before America was the United States).

May my life be found squeezing life from every day. May I be found learning more about the Kingdom of God and walking in that power. May I be found loving my family. May I be found moving from one degree of glory to another. Greater glory. May the Spirit lead me on.

Posted in Bible Study, Holiness and Christian Culture, Jonathan Edwards, Journal, Revival and tagged
24 Aug 2009
1 Comment

Holy God, Part 2

We have three teenage boys. One in college, two in high school. We have told them all through life, “If you don’t learn how to say ‘No’ to things, it means you will still say ‘No’ by your actions.” By that we mean you quite simply can’t say “Yes” to everything and get it done. You will still choose. So, you may have told some friend, or some teacher, or some parent, that you WOULD do something, but decided another thing you said “yes” to was more important, so you went and did that instead.

We carry that habit into our Christian lives. When we don’t have the discipline of “NO” in our lives, we will more often than not, by default, tell God “NO.”

In my own life there may be some things the Lord wants to talk to me about. Not necessarily things of sin, but matters where if I would adjust my priorities of time I would find a richer time with him. Maybe I sense that in my spirit and I agree. Yet, if I do not make the adjustments, I am essentially saying to a holy God, “This other thing is more important.”

Israel’s struggle before the exile was being a nation who truly served ONE GOD. They were called to serve one God, they just never got around to it. Even the most righteous kings who would call Israel back to Temple worship left idols up in the hill country. They couldn’t make the all out effort to say YES to God.

The exile cured that. Israel became radically monotheistic and they haven’t had that problem since returning from captivity.

What will cure it for us? What will get us to finally get the idols out of the hill country and truly serve our God?

Posted in Holiness and Christian Culture
23 Aug 2009
1 Comment

Holy God

Preaching on Leviticus today I came to a realization. We, as Christians, are so worried about offending people who don’t believe, we will do things to keep from “offending” them, but in doing so, we end up offending God. We care more about our own reputations than we do the holiness of God.

Posted in Holiness and Christian Culture
15 May 2007
2 Comments

Why Christianity does not work…

Bear with me on this. Too often we are quick to read the first couple of paragraphs and jump to our own conclusions. That’s why journalism teaches journalists to put pertinent information up front, or at least the information you want the readers to grab, up front. They know our attention span is short! I digress.

Why Christianity does not work…

Jesus seemed to change lives when he was on this earth. Even in Acts, lives were changed. Peter stands up to a huge crowd and preaches boldly. He couldn’t stand up to a little slave girl the night of Jesus’ trial! Saul persecuted the church, then is radically changed. In Acts 19, 12 men full of the Holy Spirit change the economy of Ephesus.

That’s the Bible.

What do we see in America? Set aside the political arena, which is tough for me to do. (Do NOT get me started on how the Republican Party made conservative Christians their water boys for 14 years, then did NOTHING with key issues they PROMISED to deal with…)

The Church in America. Is it changing people? Are people LESS selfish than people in the world? Are people LESS likely to get divorced in the church than in the world? Are people LESS likely to gossip in the church than in the world?

We have not removed the SELF from the center in American Christianity. We have put it dead center. Our churches that “grow” market themselves to serve every need an American Christian could want. In the South, they have whole Christian mini-cities where you can belong to the church health club, have a latte at the church coffee bar, go bowling in the church bowling alley… WOW! Everything for … ME!

We have created niche market churches. We have 20-something churches, 30-something churches, even 60-something churches. Why? To serve… ME!

We have put the self dead center.

When the self is dead center, you don’t care about the other… at least I don’t. If I am consumed with my needs and wants, I certainly don’t want to spend time with someone else and listen to THEIR WHINING about their selfish needs! Especially if they are not Christian! Come on! I have a LIFE, you know!

Thus, my contention. Christianity is not working. We are not really seeing change. We are not even seeing growth. We see shifts of people from one church to another, but people coming from darkness to light? That’s hard work! Who has time for that? I have a job, a family, weekend cabin retreats, a boat, lots of fishing to do…

When the self is at the center, Christ is on the periphery. That is not Christianity. This is not working.

Hopefully I am deep enough into this tirade I have sufficiently ticked enough people off I can now continue. Perhaps I have even put my own ministerial credentials in jeopardy. That may add some long needed excitement to my life.

Now…Why Christianity WORKS.

Unfortunately, we simply have few models of this in the United States. So much of it is overseas in refreshing areas of the world where situations are so desperate they MUST have Jesus work! But, oh! Those stories!

Jesus DOES work in the United States. It is just not easy! We want it easy. I want it easy! I want cruise control!

Jesus works in Brooklyn, New York. They work their tails off at Brooklyn Tabernacle, but drug addicts are set free. Prostitutes come to Jesus. Gang members find new life in a REAL family. They sing from the HEART. (GOD! How I miss that singing!)

Grace is not easy! Grace demands effort. They give themselves daily to the work of the gospel in Brooklyn. They pour their lives into people strung out on drugs, young single mothers, gang members, and more. They see too many slip back into the destructive cycles. They also see Jesus radically change lives.

These believers do not have their own lives at the center. They have JESUS at the center. It is a PLEASURE for them to serve their church. They see changed lives.

Their lives changed. It was not overnight, and it is still ongoing, bu CHANGE THEY DO! They LOVE Jesus and they LOVE what Jesus does in the lives of others. It wakes them up in the morning and gives them sweet rest at night.

Jesus works. Christianity works. I am tired of it NOT working. How I need that change!

Posted in Church Life, Holiness and Christian Culture, Spiritual Formation
12 Dec 2006

Holiness. We do not have this concept fully in our brains. I use the collective “we” because I am guilty.

The past few weeks have seen some devastating spiritual losses in situations near and far. In the midst of spiritual victories we still battle with defeat!

From Ted Haggard stepping aside as president of the NAE as well as his megachurch, there is the new story of another Denver area pastor (another megachurch) who stepped aside because of homosexual encounters.

Closer to home, the school where I teach has had to deal with issues among student leaders, one of which is so horrifying there are possible charges pending against the young man. Sexual immorality again.

We have lost our way and the Lord is going through pruning away…again. We need to heed the call.

Fear God. Really. Tremble. He is HOLY. Do we have any idea what that means? Are we so lost in our own little worlds we just have no regard for the One who is “wholly other”? He is magnificent, and we treat him so shamefully.

May our hearts break. May MY HEART break…

Fear him. Know him. Take the time.

This is the God who DELIGHTS in us! He is so thankful for us, even in our sin! That thought simply blows me away. Our delight needs to be in him. Too often, our delight is in ourselves.

Break our hearts, O God.

Posted in Holiness and Christian Culture | Leave a Comment

Post Navigation

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 34 other followers