thoughts on the gospel...part 2

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6: 19-21

I know that it seems I am beating a dead horse here...but...as I shared in a previous blog post the real gospel is a totally stand alone item. As I also said nothing gets added...nothing taken away. However the temptation is so great that many feel the need to add their own unique touch which immediately invalidates anything they have to say or do in relation to the gospel message. They re-image...reduce...remix...re-brand...and reintroduce the gospel as their own interpretation and set out to intentionally deceive others. In Acts 20: 29-30, Paul warned,
“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.”
Even today this rings as true as in the time of Paul...wolves continue to roam and prowl freely in plain sight within the confines of many of our churches. No bigger false gospel has ever been created to deceive so many innocents as the “prosperity gospel”. This a totally false teaching that states...that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the "sowing of seeds" through the faithful payments of tithes and offerings. It has been claimed that prosperity's ultimate purpose is to fund evangelism and various Christian charities worldwide, however critics argue that most all evidence has shown that the accumulation of wealth and material goods does not serve the purpose of the Gospel. We aren't entirely blind...we can readily see where a lot of the money is going...uh...the preachers pockets. Their lavish lifestyles and so called ministries are being funded on the backs of their conned supporters. All we have to do is turn the TV on to any of several religious channels and immediately see some of the heavy hitters in action speaking such outright lies I am sometimes amazed at their audacity. I think the bigger question for me is...how in the world can this keep happening? How can people be so blinded and deaf to the antics and the endless barrage of false teaching from these imposters? I am reminded of this verse...
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
There are really several factors at work here. The teaching style of these wolves that Paul spoke of in Acts is indeed very charming, seductive, pretty close to what we know of the bible, cunning and quite dangerous as they take advantage of the almost universally undiscerning audiences. These false teachers promise that you can overcome fear, guilt and psychological hang-ups, even alcoholism, through anything but the true gospel. They also give one the impression that they have a very intimate...up close and personal... relationship with God and often report having many visions, encounters and conversations with Him. They assure their audiences that if they give money...lots of money... they too can become more intimate with God. How ridiculous and further from the truth can anything be. Once again you have a sect within the larger body of Christianity that has taken selected scriptures totally out of context and fashioned their false theology around them. Sadly, this is done a lot and those who operate in this manner take advantage in the worst possible way of peoples ignorance of the entirety of the bible. There have been numerous critics of the teachings of the prosperity gospel and the many well known names espousing this corrupt pseudo-gospel. I think John Piper states it very well when he says,
“Paul said we should not steal. The alternative was hard work with our own hands. But the main purpose was not merely to hoard or even to have. The purpose was “to have to give.” “Let him labor, working with his hands, that he may have to give to him who is in need” (Ephesians 4:28). This is not a justification for being rich in order to give more. It is a call to make more and keep less so you can give more. There is no reason why a person who makes $200,000 should live any differently from the way a person who makes $80,000 lives. Find a wartime lifestyle; cap your expenditures; then give the rest away. Why would you want to encourage people to think that they should possess wealth in order to be a lavish giver? Why not encourage them to keep their lives more simple and be an even more lavish giver? Would that not add to their generosity a strong testimony that Christ, and not possessions, is their treasure?
Immediately...you can see the “hole” in this false gospel...the focus...off of Christ and His glory and His Kingdom...and all the focus on me and what I can get and do for me. How can I get rich beyond my wildest dreams? Oh...I see..if I send in a seed offering of $1000 I will receive this specially anointed hanky and I can use it to wipe my tears away while waiting for my ship to come in...How cruel is that? How maligned can the real gospel possibly be? How both sad and unfortunate is it that the ones these wolves prey on are the “least of these”? We are under a mandate from God to present the true saving...redeeming...hope giving...and life affirming gospel. Anything less is...well...less. Anything more is...well...sinful and we know what Jesus thinks about that, right? Uh...all false teachers and phony prophets...to the left please...just follow the other goats...move along

thoughts on the gospel...part 1

I have discovered that as a Christian it is pretty easy to go around making statements about things we know little about...or have researched...or personally experienced. This can be very dangerous to both ourselves and to others as we can be very easily deceived. That's what makes a clever magician so effective and entertaining to watch. It's just a simple fact about our human nature...we can be conned...hoodwinked....have the wool pulled over our eyes...or be led astray. That being led astray possibility is the scariest one as it seems many times we are willing to follow someone down an unknown path solely based on what we hear or are promised. This is the modus operandi of purveyors of false teachings and distorted gospels. Things can sound just good enough to our ears and be oh so close to the real gospel that we can be agreeing and following along before we ever know what has happened. Jesus was very clear about the danger. In Matthew 7: 15-20, He says,

 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them”.

 There is a weird paradox operating in the true gospel in that it has the power to save every sinner and provide a life in eternity but it also has the power to corrupt those who would seek to use it for their own purposes. As I said previously the true gospel is totally sufficient unto itself and nothing needs to be added nor taken away. So, the bedrock upon which all truth rests is in knowing what the gospel is and then...logically...hopefully... you see what it is not. So, in a nutshell only...I will not elaborate here...the real gospel is the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that provides full and free deliverance from the power and penalty of sin according to the grace of God alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone. That's it. Sadly, the gospel that we live by and share with others today has become the main and essential narcissistic tool of false prophets and teachers. It has become a one size fits all “cure-all pill” for things like stress, personal fulfillment and happiness, child-rearing, diet-eating plans, and social justice causes of every description. The gospel is not a set of rules...or 7 steps to live “your best life now” by. The gospel is not a series of methodical instructions that one follows in order to get God to do something for him in return. Of course, that's exactly what we do. The gospel is not glibly dispensed advice for more prosperous and materially abundant living. The gospel is not a therapeutic inner psyche repairing psychological massage for troubled emotions...a bad childhood...ineffective parents...or any other thing we can use to dodge responsibility for the shape we are in. The gospel is not the end point cure-all for one’s personal woes...shortcomings...disappointments...or other failures in life. The gospel is not important or saving or even necessary because it can help “me” become a better “me.” All of this is taken care of by the real gospel. One of the serious problems with our understanding of the gospel is we believe that it is something we can do...or based on our works. Admittedly this doing part is a very important part of the gospel but it is only a part. It is just like in James 2: 17,18, where it says,

“ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

Just as faith and works are two separate components and cannot effectively work apart from each other neither can the doing and telling of the gospel message. People have tried and still are trying but the understanding of the message is impaired and those who you are trying to help suffer. The bigger question to ask is if what I am doing is totally glorifying God and extending the reach of His kingdom in the world. There are so many causes and organizations that are both advocating and physically doing work in the hard and dark places. I am glad and happy for anyone that sees a need and tries to address it in any manner...BUT...if you are not bringing the gospel with you and sharing that then you are missing a huge opportunity to have your work blessed by God in a very powerful way. There are many well intentioned people who are motivated by a variety of reasons to do things to help others. Some peoples identities are even tied into these great humanitarian causes. We become do-ers and we solely focus on the next big cause and how much that I can do and maybe become famous within the confines of that cause. The problem is that causes become very personal for one reason or another...we may have been closely impacted or maybe just because it's the cause du jour...we therefore strive to advance their agendas. We become passionate and even sometimes to the point of zealousness. We bring those causes into our churches and try to incorporate them into the framework of the gospel. There certainly is nothing wrong with that but often in our extreme enthusiasm we forget God...we lose sight of the role of Jesus...we get blinded and become less kingdom minded. The cause is Jesus...the goal is the whole true gospel. Anything less is...well...less. The importance to those who do not know the gospel...who we have not shared that story with...who have not been fed with both real bread and the transforming spiritual bread of life...who have not have not been given a cup of water in His name...the importance is just too big to leave it out. I do believe that the gospel can be a powerful blueprint for action in the world whether in missions or various causes but we simply cannot ignore mans corrupt and sinful nature and thus the extreme importance of sharing the true gospel...with everyone...everywhere...all the time.

living the real gospel...

I am just sitting here and ruminating on the definition of the real and true gospel and what that really means in regard to our daily lives. I honestly do not believe we value enough the importance of the gospel being interwoven into the fabric of our day to day life and what an integral part of us it becomes when we are a follower of Christ. I feel like many of us view it as something we put on when we “go” on a specific designated mission for God. I frequently see it really used as an accessory and an afterthought as opposed to something as vital as the very air we breathe. It looks good on us and we appear righteous and holy when we are sharing the gospel and our story with someone of how God has worked in our lives. It's like raising our hands in worship to an amazing God on Sundays at our churches and forgetting to use those same extended hands in service to others through the week. The sad fact is that this is something so basic and intrinsic within our DNA that we should both seek out and pray for opportunities to share this with others always. There really are two separate components to this good news and it is difficult to get people to effectively understand this unless both are working together, I call it a show and tell approach and it is vital to maintain the credibility and impact of what you are trying to say. I can remember many times in elementary school when we would have an entire day solely dedicated to show and tell. I know that I am a visual learner and the idea of tying a visual demonstration of something together with a lecture or discussion was always much more effective for me. I think this is true for a lot of others as well. The showing part is the actual physical doing...coming along side with compassion and understanding and meeting a perceived physical need, All too often it's easy to use words...sometimes a lot of words...sometimes too many words...and tell someone what you or God is going to do to change and improve their life. However, if there are unmet physical needs...like hunger...poverty...lack of clean water...need for basic medical care...then those words don't carry much weight. Even if you come to an impoverished people with those words and an abundance of “hand-outs”...it's no different as you are only applying a temporary solution and creating an even greater dependency. Over time we have learned that this is bad and totally counterproductive to the true gospel message. A sustainable relationship where both parties are invested to create a vision of how that the hope of a better life comes from surrender to and trusting in God is inherently better. The other equally critical part of this formula is the actual verbal proclamation of the gospel message. In Romans 10: 14,15 it says,
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
I really like how that says...you have to preach to them. We all know that there is a way to do that in truth and love and without being overbearing...holier than thou...and preachy. I think most of us know that turns people off and when turned off they shut us out. I know saying that probably is controversial to some. Some believe you just put it out there in a forceful evangelistic way and let the chips fall where they may. Perhaps...I don't know. I am just saying what is effective for me and most likely a lot of other people. Irrespective of your chosen style the bible is clear we are to bring the good news to all...everywhere we go. Rick McKinley, Pastor of Imago Dei church in Portland Oregon says, “ We need the gospel...in order to give the gospel...” That is one of those statements that seems so true and obvious it needs no mention. Unfortunately, it does need mentioning because it's like one of the prime physical laws of the universe meaning you cannot possibly give what you yourself do not possess. Do you have the gospel? Is it woven into the fabric of your daily existence? Are you living it? The bigger question probably is... do you actually know what the “real” gospel is? Notice I said real? So, that clarification and emphasis perhaps would lead one to believe there are other versions or corruptions of the gospel, right? Well, indeed there are and in a few future blog postings I will delve into that a bit as it is too much to tack on here. We need to be perfectly clear that our sharing of the gospel must be done in complete faith and understanding that it is totally sufficient unto itself...nothing need be added...nor taken away. Anytime you see the ___________...you fill the blank...gospel you can be suspect of it. This is where we get into so much trouble when we put our own spin on it and it becomes this mutant thing far from the original. So how will you preach today?...how will you share your story?...how will you show someone...perhaps the most unlikely someone...how this gospel works to bring redemption and hope and peace?. God has trusted you with the most important thing you could or will ever do...making Him famous and known in the world. Will you be the salt and the light or will you let someone else do your job?. I know it's not easy...but do the hard work and have that conversation...pray for the opportunity...to do something that will have eternal impact...how awesome is that?

 CAUSE AND EFFECT

the best often die by their own hand

just to get away,

and those left behind

can never quite understand

why anybody

would ever want to

get away

from

them

Charles Bukowski

losing my religion...

I am leaving my church....Trust me...this is not a decision that I take lightly or feel inclined to do without lots of soul searching. I have read and heard many differing opinions about leaving churches both pro and con. I guess my situation is a little different in that while I have been going to this particular church for a few years...I am not a member. I have this funny thing about joining stuff and the labels that gets placed on me when I do. My season of discontent has again returned to me and the reality of what must be done is now at hand. I simply cannot continue to participate in something without a vital part of my body...my heart...being present. To do so is called being the worse kind of hypocrite and we know what Jesus thought about those... The Greek word hypokrisis means putting on a mask to misrepresent reality and those actors who did so in that ancient era were known as hypocrites. That's how I have been feeling lately on every Sunday as I walk into my church and get “clicked”...aka being counted...or being documented as present. Nothing specifically personal against anyone there...it's me. I have these seasons where I experience severe cognitive dissonance. I have been busy examining this condition and how it affects everything I view in the world and decisions I make based on that. One thing I do know is that it is a significant internal conflict between opposite beliefs and not always entirely rational and a lot of us have it. That's the part I am always rightly concerned about...is this just me?...am I the only one who thinks this? What is wrong with me? Often times it is just me as I often see and think about things much differently than most people...or so it seems. The bigger danger for all who suffer this malady is that we may rationalize anything we need to do to validate our choices. We then, perhaps later, feel maybe that wasn't the right thing to do. This is where we get the term buyers remorse which means we may make a questionable purchase...after justifying it...then regretting it later. The real problem is that creates guilt and we know the destructive effects of guilt. Entire systems of religion have been built and maintained on that one concept...guilt. So, you can see that a seemingly simple thing like leaving your church can be as complex and psychologically and philosophically dense as you choose. I really prefer to just keep things as plain and simple as I can. I have thought about my decision a lot...like every Sunday... or even right now...It has just become more and more clear that this is necessary for me to continue to move in the direction where God is leading me. When I have discussed this with people in the past, they have said , “well, you know, God puts you in places for seasons and for His purpose...not ours”. I am so in total agreement with that and I used to be afraid of overstaying my season and all the leaves falling off my tree. As simple as I can boil it down to the essence and just say it...my pastor doesn't share my passion for the things I am all about. It just all feels so impersonal and focused on the inside of the church and I am so hopelessly mission focused and in tune to the external community and world. I feel like the sole beater of this drum. I don't share the pastors desire to shape and maintain the traditional culture...status quo... within the church as opposed to the importance of making disciples and sending them out. As with many other churches I realize there may be different directions and diverse ministries vying for a piece of the pie. I get that people have pet projects and feel protective of their turf and want to be recognized and funded. We all have our causes. However that is not an issue with me and I feel I am about the things that are important and weigh heavy on the heart of Jesus. The poor...the oppressed...the widow...the orphan...the prisoner in captivity of every sort. I have been charged with a task. In Isaiah 61, it says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn...” The reality is that is of prime importance to Jesus and therefore myself as His disciple. The reality is that what the gospel is all about is ...missions. I am more convinced everyday that this attractional model of doing church only serves the church and not necessarily the lost and hurting world to a large degree. We become comfortable and lazy and satisfied within the confines of the four walls and everything become program driven and we lose our focus on mentoring and making disciples. These programs become our reason for being a church and those who drive them become territorial and inwardly focused and drift away from taking up the cross daily and giving sacrificially. A few years ago The Southern Baptist Convention appointed a task force to set in place specific steps to refocus and reignite a resurgence of the Great Commission. Their hope was to establish a grass roots movement to ensure the continued spread of the gospel to the world. What happened? Well, it took a year and 137 recommendations later and lots of discussions and more talking and some infighting and some wrangling over money and language...and here we are...a constructed evangelization program well laid out within the safety of the church for the participants to take the gospel door to door...placing ourselves in the big mix of many other churches and (false) gospels being sold at the front door. I'm sorry...again I say...it's just me. My observations...my opinions...I just don't see the gospel as something we can package up into a standardized....memorized...sales presentation to be delivered at someones front door when they are in almost the least receptive frame of mind possible. Seriously...who really thinks this is an acceptable method and feel good about doing it...not me. I know it's relational and there has always been a right place and time according to Gods design. He never fails us on that. I am not presuming to say that I know the right way or only way to evangelize...but I just don't think this is exactly what Jesus has in mind for us. The only way I can just barely say this is ok in my sight is that the “salesman” is out of the confines of the church and they are getting practice interacting with people and probably getting to defend their faith a lot. My problem and the root of my cognitive dissonance is that I believe the life changing power of the gospel comes into full force when we come along beside someone and are serving and developing a relationship just as Jesus so often did. I have discovered this is a far more powerful witness to people and has a much deeper value and long range and sustainable impact. I believe the gospel is best understood within the confines of a community where we aren't afraid to let others see our brokenness and can be open and honest with each other. I believe the gospel is spread hand to hand as we reach out to touch and heal the lives of others with the miraculous redemptive power of forgiveness and grace...and in that seemingly simple act of reaching out...we are healed as well...