Preserving the Gospel

Taken from a post I just made on the forums at http://www.tddm.org/index.php/community
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What a strange world we live in.
Things change. Preferences and opinions shift, ideals change, dreams come and go, and things we thought were certain are dashed to pieces. People we had the utmost respect for fall from grace, or perhaps we merely begin finding out things that aren't so admirable. Such has very recently been the case for me, as I have been hearing odd tidbits about a well-known evangelist. Accusations of apostasy, antisemitism, and even an involvement in the Masonic system. The name? Billy Graham. I'm currently reading up on the issue, but what I've seen documented so far has me very worried. I've watched several interviews in which he (in a somewhat muddled, wordy way) denies the concept of Christ being the only way to heaven. Certainly he preached the gospel in his famous crusades, but looking at these interviews and seeing how weak his spiritual convictions truly are, I'm concerned to think that this man is seen as a spiritual leader for America. (As a side note, I'm a Canadian, but regardless of what you may have heard, we're not all that different.) If you have more information on Billy Graham, either positive or negative, I'd love to continue that conversation. I've started by reading a few articles and watching this series of four videos showing and commenting on Billy Graham's interviews over the years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUXDFHnFxdI
Here's another question: how many of the "converts" from Billy Graham's ministry went on to become strong Christians? I never attended one, but it seems to me that these crusades- as well as countless other contemporary evangelical efforts- are based on emotional pull, the prosperity gospel, and a watered-down, simplified version of God's love for us. Personal accountability is all too often overlooked, and I fear that many people attending these events get the impression that life after conversion will be rosy and God will take care of anything without any effort on our part. This is a dangerous gospel, leading to the kind of church the New Testament describes as apostate. Lackluster, apathetic, unconcerned Christians cannot fight the evils that are facing us each day in our rapidly deteriorating culture. Billy Graham himself could not even say with certainty whether people who do not call on the name of Christ would go to heaven or not; how about the thousands of people who respect him as one of the greatest spiritual leaders of the century? Are we becoming a generation of Christians who cannot stand up for truth?
I believe the Christian community needs a shift. We need to shift from revering particular leaders of the faith to revering Christ and Christ alone. All men are imperfect, no matter how eloquent or well-trained in spiritual matters they may be. Every bit of spiritual advice we receive, whether from a globally-known speaker, your local pastor, your grandfather, or a good friend, must be compared against the holy Word of God. This is our source of authority in a world of uncertainty. I plead with not only all who read this but with myself to consider carefully our sources of spiritual food. Do not take anybody's word unquestioningly; familiarize yourself with the Bible, and as you do so, you will be able to discern solid truth from feel-good, wishy-washy, watered-down renditions of the truth. We live in a world that will challenge everything we stand for as Christians- not just moral absolutes, but the very gospel of salvation through faith in Christ. You and I need to be completely grounded in our faith, or else we will not stand. Please take prayerful consideration to all this.
Here are a few questions to consider:
-What Christian leaders do you respect?
-Have you ever heard a Christian (leader or otherwise) state something that seemed slightly off? Did you compare it against the Bible?
-Is mass evangelism a dangerous (or at least overrated) method of spreading the gospel?
-What can we do to combat the half truths and untruths that are infiltrating the church?
I believe these issues may be some of the most relevant we can discuss, perhaps even more so than hot-button issues like abortion and homosexuality. The church is not only being attacked from the outside, but also being corroded from the inside. I was shocked to find Billy Graham's weakness in spiritual matters; I have little doubt there are more surprises to come. Please do not discredit all the information available merely out of respect for a man who seems to have done so much for the kingdom. We must not let popular opinion sway us in our quest for truth and our mission to bring glory to God. I believe we, as a generation, can rise above the apathy prevalent in the church and by God's grace, we will maintain a pure testimony to the gospel of Christ.

Passion 2010

Friday, November 5, 2010: the 2010 Passion World Tour made its seventh and final stop of the year at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.  In attendance were 10,900 young adults, over 300 volunteers, several well-known musical performers (including Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, and the David Crowder Band), and the renowned speaker Louie Giglio.  Among the throng of concert-goers in that arena were myself and life-long amigo Chad, who brought up the idea of making the trip for this event.
To be honest, I'm not much of a concert person.  I've been raised on hymns and classical music, and although my tastes have diversified the last few years, the jean-shaking volume of rock concerts (Christian though they may be) does not appeal to me.  And yes, my jeans were shaking.  I'd be interested to know how much power is required to generate that kind of volume.
I will, however, testify to the encouragement gained from seeing almost eleven thousand young Christian adults singing praises to their Saviour.  People from all ethnic backgrounds, all social circles, and all kinds of financial and emotional circumstances were at that performance, and when they all joined in to sing, it was a powerful thing.
The highlight for me was to hear Louie Giglio deliver a message much needed in Christian circles today.  His primary focus was on the fact that we, as children of God, ought to live in a way that brings glory to the Creator.  The verse he centred the message around was Colossians 3:17, which reads in the New King James:
"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
As always, the Bible sums it up much better than I can.  But Giglio did an excellent job of driving home the point: it is only in vain that we strive to make names for ourselves; our greatest responsibility is to live in such a way that our words, actions, and attitude point to the character of Christ in us.  What that looks like as a career or a calling is variable.  God will call some to be pastors, missionaries, or other full-time ministry workers, while others are intended to do His work in a factory or office setting.  Wherever you are, and whatever your situation, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.  This is truly the Christian's highest calling.
The event closed with the song "How Great is Our God"- a stirring reminder of how unspeakably incredible our Lord truly is, and as such, of the dedication owed to Him.
On the long drive home, I was reminded of something that has jumped out at me in the past: every half an hour, while, driving along any given highway, one is likely to see a cross on the side of the road.  What is it there for?  Obviously, it is to mark the site of a vehicle accident that claimed the life of some unfortunate soul.  We've all seen them, and perhaps we no longer even notice them.  When I look at these crosses, however, I have to ask myself, "Did the person who died in this spot truly believe in the power of the cross, or was this just a nice gesture by the loved ones he or she left behind?"
Years of tradition have led to the cross being a common grave marker; most people, no doubt, quite often fail to connect the cross to the effect it can have on people's lives.  It is ultimately a symbol of the death Christ died for us, and the free gift of salvation we have through Him.  How many crosses mark the graves of people who waited to look to the Christ of the cross until it was too late!
Coming out of the Passion tour, I am left with one overriding concern.  Will the tens of thousands of young adults who attended this event across the world truly live their lives for Christ?  Or will they live according to their own dreams and die unfulfilled, graves marked by the cross they failed to honour?
An emotion-inducing concert, a fiery preacher, and even a night that brings you to your knees are not guarantees that you will live your life in a way that brings glory to God.  It is a choice you must make every day as you are confronted with the challenges of society, temptations of the flesh, and persecutions of the world.  My prayer is that the young men and women who have been ignited for Jesus by this tour will not lose their flame, but go on to be a generation who will truly shine for the cause of Christ- a generation who will bring light to a world grasping hopelessly in the dark.

What use is a coat when ripped to shreds?

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." -I Peter 1:22-23

You know what really disappoints me and places a burden on my heart?  It's seeing a family torn to pieces by the human nature of its own members.  We all have weaknesses.  Some of us struggle with a lack of self-worth while others must tame their pride; some are held back by fear and timidity while others are a tad too bold and stiff-necked.  These differences in character often cause us to clash, or to take differing opinions on certain issues.  Over time,  small differences can become huge rifts in relationships.  A marriage that seemed completely secure can be ripped apart seam by seam, one small disagreement at a time.  In a similar manner, entire families can be split up, friends can be pitted against each other, and entire social circles can be dissolved or divided.  What is it in human nature that makes us so incredibly vulnerable to this problem?
This isn't just happening in secular society.  The Christian church is constantly struggling to get the upper hand in the battle against splits, factions, and denominational enmity.  Churches are torn apart by people with their own agendas, or people who are simply too proud to let others take the reins or have a say in church business.  Perhaps there is a desire to maintain a certain set of doctrines.  This attitude in itself is not intrinsically wrong.  In fact, it is critical that we not be willing to let our morals slide for the sake of those around us who do not share our desire to be a holy people, set apart unto God.  But is this really the only reason for division in the church?  Is it sometimes, perhaps, merely a smokescreen for a deeper, more personal, less honourable set of goals?  That, I believe, is a truly dangerous scenario.  Are we start picking apart people's doctrine because we are worried that they will usurp our dearly beloved positions of respect?  I pray to God that such is not the case.
Rifts among groups of people- families, friends, or congregations- are a terrible thing.  Most of us know how heart-rending it is to see a husband and wife split up after years of marriage, leaving their children disoriented and often bitter.  I am equally dismayed to see a church body come apart at the stitches because of the pride and selfish ambition of the men and women who make up that body.  Don't let your morals crumble in the name of tolerance, but don't let doctrinal squabbles be a cover-up for personal disagreements!  Surely there we can come to a place as individuals where we can learn to work alongside one another, bearing each other's weaknesses, and growing as children of the Lord.
Perhaps I'm a young, naive, imprudent idealist.  Perhaps time and experience will show me that my assessment of this crisis is wrong.  Perhaps this is something I should just let be, and ignore the problem entirely.  As it is right now, I truly believe that we the church, as the bride of Christ, desperately need to put more energy into operating together in love and unity, putting aside our differences and pulling as one the yoke of the Savior.  We are answerable to a higher Judge than any church committee.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins. -Proverbs 10:12

The Culmination of Thanksgiving

In this final post, we will sum up our study of Thanksgiving by looking at its culmination. We have seen what it means to be thankful, reasons to be thankful, when we should be thankful, and now we need to identify why it is so important to have a thankful heart. Are we obliged to be thankful, or is something we should merely do when we are “in the mood”?

Look for a moment at Psalm 118, verses 15 and 19:

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;

The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. (...)

Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord.

An attitude of praise and thankfulness is inextricably linked with the righteous man. You cannot truly appreciate God's character and not develop a thankful heart which seeks to praise the Lord. The more we get to know our Saviour and Father, the less we will focus on the problems and the greater our sense of security and peace will become. After all, if you truly believe that God is your Savior and Provider, will you not have a desire to praise Him regardless of the circumstances? I am well aware of how difficult this can be, but I do truly believe that peace and gratitude will result from our efforts to deepen our relationship with the Father.

In contrast with Psalm 118's linking of rejoicing with the righteous, Romans 1:20-21 paints the picture from the opposite side.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Let's take this passage apart a bit and look at it as a cause and effect statement. Paul is discussing the unsaved Gentile people in general here, and inserts this explanation about their fallen nature. None of them could deny God's power, because it is so clearly shown in creation. As it says, “they are without excuse.” They refused to glorify the Lord, and they refused to give Him thanks for all His mighty works. What is the result? It is twofold: first, they “became futile in their thoughts,” meaning all their philosophy and reasoning ended in emptiness; second, “their foolish hearts were darkened.” Once they willingly blinded themselves to God's prominence in creation, they were unable to see Him in any aspect of life. Obviously, this passage refers to the unsaved, but it does bring out the fact that a failure to be thankful is indicative of a weak, struggling, or non-existent relationship with God. Do we really want to run the risk of neglecting to give God the praise due to His name?

Looking again at Psalm 118, this time at verses 21-24, we can see that the ascribing of praise to God is a direct result of our salvation through Jesus Christ.

I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

When we display an attitude of gratitude to our Savior regardless of whatever life throws at us, it is an incredible testimony to the unbelieving around us! When people see that something inside you enables you to be thankful in the midst of darkness and trials, and that there is a peace about you even in troubling circumstances, that speaks volumes more than simply knocking on a neighbour's door and inviting them to church. Inversely, what kind of a witness do you present if you tell people about the wonderful gift of salvation through Christ and then fail to show yourself grateful for that gift? It is vital that your attitude reflects your words; people are watching. When life gets you down, remember that you have so much to be thankful for in Jesus, and that your choice to be thankful or not very likely will influence the view of Christianity taken by at least a few people you interact with. As Christians, we have not only the opportunity, but also the responsibility to be faithful, thankful stewards of the unspeakable gift provided to us.

Over the course of the last week, we have looked at a few key points of Thanksgiving. We now have an overall understanding of what it is, why we should make a point of observing it, when it is relevant, and how incredibly vital to the Christian walk it is. The challenge today is this: after the Thanksgiving festivities have settled down and our family gatherings have dispersed, when things have gone back to normal- or perhaps worse than normal- will we still be thankful to our Redeemer? Even if you live in a part of the world where the Thanksgiving holiday is not observed, the concept of giving thanks to God is still crucial to your relationship with our Lord. Remember His gift of salvation and the peace we have through that gift. That is cause to be eternally thankful.

In closing, think for a moment on Psalm 95:1-2.

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

May we be ever thankful for God's eternal, undeserved blessing on our lives. Until next time,

Your brother in the faith,

-Jeremy