Christian Intolerance

There is a growing tide that I see emerging in our land. As our nation rebels against God in the name of enlightenment, there is a growing sentiment against Christianity and Christians in general. This is ironic, because it is mostly being done by the same people that are maligning Christianity as being intolerant. What's worse is that we have people feeling they can put God on trial when they don't even know Him or His words.

As I write this we are nearing Christmas. It is now considered almost rude or bigoted to wish someone a "Merry Christmas." We hear things like "well what if they don't celebrate Christmas" or "We shouldn't just assume that a person celebrates Christmas," etc. Really?? Wishing someone a Merry Christmas is now seen as closed-minded and intolerant of other beliefs? This is compassion that has been twisted into something misleading. Must we be forced to say "Happy Holidays" like we are an advertiser trying to appeal to the broadest base without possibly offending someone? Are people that fragile that a simple good-natured wish for a Merry Christmas is going to shatter their well-being?


As a result of this and other things, spirituality has become situated within "self" as we reshape God according to our cultural values.

For example, I heard the President (W) say in an interview that he thought the Muslims were worshiping the same God as the Christians do (though they don't know it and apparently we don't either). Now I think our president is a sincere Christian, but that does not make him an authority on the faith. What he is doing is common of people today who are shaping their faith and their view of God based upon a limited knowledge of God's Word mixed with our cultural values. Imagine if someone was formulating negative opinions about you without getting to know you and only by second or third hand knowledge...

Just recently in the elections we saw the attacks upon President Bush and Gov. Palin for their faith. They have been ridiculed and mocked by the so-called "enlightened" crowd. Granted each have their obvious flaws, but to be denigrated like that in large part due to their beliefs is the climate of the day

But what about the critics assertions that Christianity is intolerant? Is it intolerance for God to define who He is or how people may connect with Him? If there are many roads to God then (with respect) what kind of fool would Jesus have to be to die for the sins of the world if we could go to heaven by simply having good intentions and being sincere?

Is Christianity intolerant? Absolutely. We believe that as Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 (TNIV)). It is His claim about himself, we merely are communicators of this truth to others. Does that mean that we disrespect other religions? No. Does it mean there are no good things in other beliefs? Of course not! Does it mean that we treat someone who believes differently with disrespect? Absolutely not.

Here's the application moment; will Christians alter God's truth because it is becoming inconvenient and unpopular to those around them? Is it "our" truth to mold and shape as we see fit, or is it God's truth and therefore we are simple purveyors of it? Will we be able to stand with compassionate boldness against cries of intolerance and bigotry to humbly say that God has given a precious gift and great sacrifice to all of humanity in allowing His Son to die in our place. If any want freedom from the chains of sin; if any want to embrace God's gift of salvation from a purposeless, broken life as well as an escape from an eternity in Hell, then all they have to do is to humble themselves and believe.

Our continuing challenge in this culture will be navigating the path of relevance in ministry. We will most certainly change our ways of doing things in church. We will change our methodology in order to build a bridge for the gospel to connect with people where they are. However, we must not out of fear or arrogance start changing God's word. We must not sacrifice the truth of the way to salvation because it has become unpopular or inconvenient. Did the martyrs lay down their lives through the centuries so that we, as recipients of the unbroken chain of faithfulness, could say to our coworkers and those around us, "Well Jesus is my Lord, but whatever you believe is fine."

Luke 18:8 (TNIV) "...when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)

Something New Is Here

There's something new in the air...can you feel it?
I can.
I can't explain it except to say that it's a God thing.
I sense it every time in worship or when I have the privilege of talking to someone about Jesus.
God is giving the gift of His presence as this world is going down.
People are sensing peace in the midst of their pain.
I know that as I continue to move in obedience by His grace toward the Lord that I will get to experience this.
This is why I am here
This is why we as a church as a body are here...for such a time as this.
In the midst of despair, God's people will know joy.
In the midst of lack, God's people will enjoy bounty.
In the midst of arrogance and hatred, God's people will know humility and brokenness.
God is raising up a people of faith. A people who boldly defy the things and people around them that say they should despair; that they should turn inward; that they should hoard.
It is for this moment that we are alive; to show His light and His goodness.
Worship, Pray, Read, Serve, Give, Obey and see what you thought was impossible come to pass.

A God Unto Ourselves

Was at Wal~Mart today and they had the Christmas music playing already (of course!) The song that was on got me thinking though. It's the one that has "long lay the world in sin and error pining..."

It got me thinking about the incredible paradox that I see going on, and it makes me really sad. It seems that our culture is continuing to move away from God and continuing to move towards a secular humanistic philosophy. The paradox lies in that the farther we move away from God as we depend on ourselves, humanity and our own answers the worse things continue to get.

We are applauding our own enlightenment and cultural advancement even as things spiral into the toilet. As part of this picture there is an increasing anti-religion (mostly anti-Christian) sentiment going on. I have heard people talking about Christianity as the "last barrier to be removed" in this country.

It reminds me that one day, perhaps very soon, that "barrier" will be removed from this world for a short time. Humanity will celebrate itself even in the midst of chaos. There will arise a leader during that time that will coalesce the people and religions of the world into one body. It all sounds very noble, and yet it will be in rebellion against and denial of God Almighty and will lead to the final judgment.

As we continue to remake ourselves in this nation and around the world into our own image, we will march more and more towards decay. Proverbs 16:25 (ESV) "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." Values and morals apart from God can sound really good, but are in fact sin. The best example of this that I know of is the debate centering around Pro-life vs. Pro-choice. Both sound noble. Both seem to have the best interests of certain parties in mind. And yet, what does God's Word teach us about the beginnings and sanctity of life? The answer for these types of situations? "what makes you think your religion can tell me what to do?" "That book was written thousands of years ago and not should be interpreted allegorically." In other words, I don't like what it says, so I reject its authority.

But above all our objections as a culture. Above all our seeming nobility is a God who created all things and will hold all things to account. Above all is a God whose heart was so broken without us, that He paid the ultimate price to make a way for us. Above it all is a God whose grace continues to overwhelm the most stubborn of hearts with His love. But there will be an account given. He gives grace to the humble, but opposes the proud. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is not too late. But I believe that this final chapter in the Age of the Church is drawing to a close. Get past ideals, arguments, philosophy and ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you. If you are stuck in the parade that is marching to destruction, ask God to open your eyes to the fact that your heart lays in "sin and error pining" for the righteousness that only He can bring.

I believe in God but...

I can't tell you how many times I have heard that phrase through the years. In fact I have been hearing it more and more of late. It usually takes shape in something like this...
"I believe in God, but I have needs."
"I believe in God, but I just don't go to church."
"I believe in God, but I am just real busy."
"I believe in God, but you just don't understand how hard it is."

What people keep saying is that "I believe in God, but I just don't want to do things His way."
I don't trust His ways
I don't like His ways
I don't want to give up my rights

I find this particularly takes form in the second "I believe but" phrase. I believe in God, but I just don't go to church. People have had many disappointing experiences in churches. Believe me I understand this!! I have heard many stories and even seen what I term "spiritual abuse" within God's house. As a pastor please allow me to apologize for the idiocy that is found in many churches. All I can tell you is that I have devoted myself to being a part of the solution rather than checking out of the game altogether as some have. You see even with the experience of poor leadership; even with experiencing the sin of those we are supposed to be able to rely upon, we are still commanded in numerous verses such as "do not forsake the assembling together of yourselves" to come together in worship and service. Some say "well I am still a Christian, I just don't go to church." "You don't have to go to church to be a Christian!" In fact you do. Here's my point: someone might still be saved and make it to Heaven without being a regular part of a local church. However, if you are going to claim the label of Christian, which means "follower of Christ," then you absolutely do have to be plugged into a church somewhere. It has been the case for 2000 years despite the many errors and abuses that the Church (the universal Body of Christ as expressed in local assemblies) has been the vehicle through which God has moved and extended His Kingdom. We were made for community. God Himself has invited us into community with Himself and calls us into community with others that follow Him.

How does "church" meet this created need?

• Church is a place of corporate worship where we gather together with all different types of people on the common ground of the cross to worship Jesus

Christianity has never been about the individual, but rather about connecting the individual in community. First with God and then with others. God's intent is for all of creation to be restored. As people gather in worship it is an expression of what is to come and a testimony to those who do not yet know Him. We need each other in this journey of faith. We cannot do it alone! If you were the devil and wanted to destroy a Christian or at least make them totally irrelevant wouldn't you try to isolate them and separate them from all sources of strength and encouragement?

• Church is a place where we cannot create community in our image, but we are connected with other people utterly unlike ourselves yet we share the common foundation of being redeemed in Christ.

You know those churches where people all look, dress, vote, talk and act the same? They are like a big boring scoop of vanilla. No sprinkles, no syrup, no different flavors. Some say that is a picture of unity...I see it as a picture simply of uniformity. God's creation is diverse and wonderful. God loves Republicans and Democrats. God loves the wealthy and the poor. God loves the socially adept and the socially inept. "Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight..." Though that is an incredibly non-politically correct way of saying things today, (and by the way...where's the "brown?") the point is still valid. If Jesus is for everyone, why don't our churches reflect that? Certainly if left to our own devices we gravitate toward those most like us, but are we challenged through that? God connects us with others that cause us to be stretched and as a result it makes more room for Him within us.

• Church is a place where we can connect with others in mission to accomplish more for God and His Kingdom than we could separately.

Really...do I need to elaborate here? Just think Foreign and Domestic missions. How are you "going into all the world" by sitting on your butt on the couch on Sundays watching Joel Osteen feeling good about how God loves you? What about ministry in the community? What about being a witness in the community? What about engaging the culture around you through the ministries of the church that your faithful tithes and offerings provide?

Bottom line... you cannot claim to be really close with Jesus and in touch with God's call on your life and not be connected at a local church in a significant way.

And by the way, that whole "I believe in God" bit... So does the Devil. How is your faith different from his? Take your life to the next level and join obedience to your belief!

Remembering 9/11, but dreaming of a different one...

It's 9/11 today. I think all of us remember exactly where we were when we first saw the pictures of a plane hitting the tower...and then a few minutes later another one. We saw bravery and courage that still stands within our memories as a monument and testimony to service and sacrifice today.

I am continuing a series on the Lord's Prayer as a paradigm rather than a script this Sunday and I am going to be examining extending forgiveness to others. In thinking about that and about what day it is today I began to think, "What if as a result of 9/11 we attended to the necessary security issues, but instead of what we chose we as a nation that was founded upon Christian principles had chosen to extend forgiveness instead?" Now of course this is completely hypothetical, but how would the world be different today?

Let me be clear: This is not political commentary and I honor our troops and their service and sacrifice for this country. I also am not a pacifist, I do believe there are times where force is justified. But even in those times where it is justified as St. Augustine said Christians should "march to war with tears in their eyes."

But what if... Forgiveness is costly.

I am going to be taking an honest look at what the Bible teaches about forgiveness on Sunday. Is there anything in your life where you have said "I just can't forgive..."

Is there justice in forgiveness?
Is forgiving just letting people off the hook?
Does forgiving someone mean pretending like nothing happened?
Does forgiveness mean going back to the way things were before?

God bless you today.

PE

I Could NOT Do That Before!

You know my son is 6 years old and started his first day as a 1st grader yesterday. He also had his first day at (flag) football practice the other day. Even though he can be a little fearful of new things and experiences, he is genuinely excited about all the things that growing older lets him do. He's always been that way, and I think most of us are that way. This morning for example, after breakfast he came in the kitchen grabbed his leg and stood on one foot and said "Dad, did you know I could do this??" I responded with the appropriate "Wow! I sure didn't!" As he was walking away he said "I could NOT do that when I was 5!"

As adults I wonder if we have lost the wonder and excitement about growing. We develop our patterns and our world views and devote a lot of effort to making ourselves comfortable. We do that. And yet, I wonder if in our pursuit of comfort, safety and security if we have lost the joy of discovering new things. Do we ever look to God and say "Jesus, teach me something new about you today," or "Jesus, about these spiritual gifts that are a mystery to me, could you help me in a greater experience of you?"

All I know is that if in five years I look back in my life and see sameness, I would be greatly discouraged. Even though that is the natural pull of my life, I know that with God there is more. I have only scratched the surface of Who God is and what it means to be His servant. Let's take a lesson from children who get to experience growth and new adventures all the time and realize that we too can still grow and become different, greater. Would you join me in the great adventure and open your life up to more today? By God's grace and in Jesus Name, may we all be able to say tomorrow, next year and in five years, "I Could NOT do that before!"

50 Ways Marketers (and Churches!) Can use Social Media to Improve Their Marketing

Found this at chrisbrogan.com. There are some great applications for a church here as well!

1. Add social bookmark links to your most important web pages and/or blog posts to improve sharing.
2. Build blogs and teach conversational marketing and business relationship building techniques.
3. For every video project purchased, ensure there’s an embeddable web version for improved sharing.
4. Learn how tagging and other metadata improve your ability to search and measure the spread of information.
5. Create informational podcasts about a product’s overall space, not just the product.
6. Build community platforms around real communities of shared interest.
7. Help companies participate in existing social networks, and build relationships on their turf.
8. Check out Twitter as a way to show a company’s personality. (Don’t fabricate this).
9. Couple your email newsletter content with additional website content on a blog for improved commenting.
10. Build sentiment measurements, and listen to the larger web for how people are talking about your customer.
11. Learn which bloggers might care about your customer. Learn how to measure their influence.
12. Download the Social Media Press Release (pdf) and at least see what parts you want to take into your traditional press releases.
13. Try out a short series of audio podcasts or video podcasts as content marketing and see how they draw.
14. Build conversation maps for your customers using Technorati.com , Google Blogsearch, Summize, and FriendFeed.
15. Experiment with Flickr and/or YouTube groups to build media for specific events. (Marvel Comics raised my impression of this with their Hulk statue Flickr group).
16. Recommend that your staff start personal blogs on their personal interests, and learn first hand what it feels like, including managing comments, wanting promotion, etc.
17. Map out an integrated project that incorporates a blog, use of commercial social networks, and a face-to-face event to build leads and drive awareness of a product.
18. Start a community group on Facebook or Ning or MySpace or LinkedIn around the space where your customer does business. Example: what Jeremiah Owyang did for Hitachi Data Systems.
19. Experiment with the value of live video like uStream.tv and Mogulus, or Qik on a cell phone.
20. Attend a conference dealing with social media like New Media Expo, BlogWorld Expo, New Marketing Summit (disclosure: I run this one with CrossTech), and dozens and dozens more. (Email me for a calendar).
21. Collect case studies of social media success. Tag them “socialmediacasestudy” in del.icio.us.
22. Interview current social media practitioners. Look for bridges between your methods and theirs.
23. Explore distribution. Can you reach more potential buyers/users/customers on social networks.
24. Don’t forget early social sites like Yahoogroups and Craigslist. They still work remarkably well.
25. Search Summize.com for as much data as you can find in Twitter on your product, your competitors, your space.
26. Practice delivering quality content on your blogs, such that customers feel educated / equipped / informed.
27. Consider the value of hiring a community manager. Could this role improve customer service? Improve customer retention? Promote through word of mouth?
28. Turn your blog into a mobile blog site with Mofuse. Free.
29. Learn what other free tools might work for community building, like MyBlogLog.
30. Ensure you offer the basics on your site, like an email alternative to an RSS subscription. In fact, the more ways you can spread and distribute your content, the better.
31. Investigate whether your product sells better by recommendation versus education, and use either wikis and widgets to help recommend, or videos and podcasts for education.
32. Make WebsiteGrader.com your first stop for understanding the technical quality of a website.
33. Make Compete.com your next stop for understanding a site’s traffic. Then, mash it against competitors’ sites.
34. Learn how not to ask for 40 pieces of demographic data when giving something away for free. Instead, collect little bits over time. Gently.
35. Remember that the people on social networks are all people, have likely been there a while, might know each other, and know that you’re new. Tread gently into new territories. Don’t NOT go. Just go gently.
36. Help customers and prospects connect with you simply on your various networks. Consider a Lijit Wijit or other aggregator widget.
37. Voting mechanisms like those used on Digg.com show your customers you care about which information is useful to them.
38. Track your inbound links and when they come from blogs, be sure to comment on a few posts and build a relationship with the blogger.
39. Find a bunch of bloggers and podcasters whose work you admire, and ask them for opinions on your social media projects. See if you can give them a free sneak peek at something, or some other “you’re special” reward for their time and effort (if it’s material, ask them to disclose it).
40. Learn all you can about how NOT to pitch bloggers. Excellent resource: Susan Getgood.
41. Try out shooting video interviews and video press releases and other bits of video to build more personable relationships. Don’t throw out text, but try adding video.
42. Explore several viewpoints about social media marketing.
43. Women are adding lots of value to social media. Get to know the ones making a difference. (And check out BlogHer as an event to explore).
44. Experiment with different lengths and forms of video. Is entertaining and funny but brief better than longer but more informative? Don’t stop with one attempt. And try more than one hosting platform to test out features.
45. Work with practitioners and media makers to see how they can use their skills to solve your problems. Don’t be afraid to set up pilot programs, instead of diving in head first.
46. People power social media. Learn to believe in the value of people. Sounds hippie, but it’s the key.
47. Spread good ideas far. Reblog them. Bookmark them. Vote them up at social sites. Be a good citizen.
48. Don’t be afraid to fail. Be ready to apologize. Admit when you’ve made a mistake.
49. Re-examine who in the organization might benefit from your social media efforts. Help equip them to learn from your project.
50. Use the same tools you’re trying out externally for internal uses, if that makes sense, and learn about how this technology empowers your business collaboration, too.