Monday, September 13, 2010

Where are the Christians that Just Love Jesus?

Over the course of these past two weeks, I have become increasingly aware of a disconnect that has plagued me for the past several months. Since moving to this beautiful place with white sands and sparkling waters, I have disengaged from so many of life's realities. I have, in some sense, lived on auto-pilot through a plethora of transitions in the life of my family and ministry. I've approached life like many do a beach vacation- sit and stare, dream, and forget about the "real world" right behind you.
To be honest, it has just been easier that way. Numbness is comfortable. It has been comfortable to just float from place to place, appointment to appointment without truly considering the gravity and implications of the things happening around me. So many times, it seems easier to ignore the responsibilities of family and ministry, than to work at them.
As I should have known, I serve a God that will only allow this to go for so long.
A couple of weeks ago, while preparing for a Wednesday prayer meeting and Bible study, I hit a spiritual wall unlike anything I had encountered in some time. It did not matter how much I researched, how deeply I delved into a passage, how many Greek word studies were done, or how many reference materials were sitting on my desk, the Bible study simply was not coming out. Hours of frustration were spent trying to force out an outline so that I could "fulfill my pastoral duty."
And then it happened. Something amazing, Something unexpected. Something profound. Something so much more important to the life of God's church here in Highland View than an overview of Biblical covenants. God spoke. He gave me what Mark Hall from Casting Crowns calls a "God-line."
In that time I heard, "The church cannot GROW if it refuses to GO."
It is simple. To most it would seem inconsequential or overtly elementary. But it is what we needed to hear as God's people. Personally, it was the wake-up call that I've needed for more than four months.
We had a wonderful worship service that evening and skipped the planned covenant study to discuss a strategy and direction to move. I cannot express the joy that I felt to see the excitement in the eyes of God's people about possibilities for ministry and service. It was an evening where I came to understand that our people simply love Jesus.
Since that time, I have regained that insatiable hunger to just make God proud. I've been reminded that because of that love we should have for Jesus, I need to stand up and get to work in our little corner of Gulf County. I've scoured the internet for days on end listening to teaching from men that I trust and respect. Over and over again, I've become more and more consumed by the majesty and splendor of the God I'm privileged to serve.
It seems as if every message God has put in my path has presented a simple picture of how much we take God for granted- and how much bigger He is than the box we like Him to stay in.
Unfortunately, as I've been shaken from this funk, I've been forced to take notice of things happening in the "Christian" church. And it seems that there is an ever-widening chasm forming between those that love Jesus and simply want to serve Him, and those in the church that are more determined to push their personal agendas and ideologies. To say that it alarms me is an understatement. I'm afraid that we are at a critical, pivotal place as a Christian people. We are quickly approaching that bursting point where everything falls apart unless we quickly find that common bond that relieves the stress caused by our own attitudes and preferences.
Now we could dedicate an entire month to addressing disagreements, problems, divisions, individual crises, etc., but I will spare you. However, there are a handful of things that I've encountered in the past few days that have burdened me deeply that simply evidence how I believe that church is risking serious disaster. Some of them are old news, some are new, some just won't seem to go away.
1.) By now, Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville is becoming old news. I am certain that there is no need to give details of how he has become such a household name. The news media has thoroughly amplified his voice for the world to hear. Obviously, the topic of holding a public burning of the Qur'an has generated a worldwide buzz as well as a slew of vehement protests.
My concern with this man, this church, and this attitude in general is two-fold. First, I understand the call of Scripture to stand against false gospels, false gods, and false prophets. I understand the need to stand on the truth. I am not excusing the actions, crimes, and persecution that has occurred in the name of Allah and Islam. However, when did Christianity devolve into a short list of things and people we are against? When did we stop sharing what we believe and Who we are for?
I question the persistent condemnation off everything we don't agree with while ignoring the hope that we hold. When is it all going to point to Jesus?
My second concern is this: when did the church become concerned with publicity and political leverage? When did we become motivated by notoriety and the opportunity to simply gain face time?
The pastor made it abundantly clear that the motivation of this act was to protest the building of the Islamic center near the site of the 9/11 attacks. (Now, please don't misinterpret this to mean that I support the building of a mosque in such close proximity to that site. I find it reprehensible) However, it is readily apparent now that this was nothing more than a political ploy, and a chance at free advertisement.
When did we become more concerned with making a point than pointing people towards our only hope?
2.) The second story that raised an eyebrow and made me begin to question when is the church going to get back to Jesus came in the form of a replay of last year's controversial burning. (or tearing) Apparently Pastor Marc Grizzard and the Amazing Grace Baptist Church of Canton, North Carolina are planning a replay of last year's Halloween festivities. Rather than burning copies of the Qur'an like Pastor Jones, they have set their sights on something a little closer to home with the Christian church. They are burning Bibles.
The church has announced that they will burn any copies of the Bible in any modern translation other than the King James Version. Just so I don't misrepresent this pastor and church, let me include part of the announcement from their website. It says:
We are burning Satan's bibles like the NIV, RSV, NLT, HCSB, CEV, NCV, NIRV, TNIV, NKJV, TLB, NASB, ESV, NEV, NRSV, ASV, NWT (Jehovah Witness Bible), Amplified Bible, God's Word Translation, 21st Century King James, Young's Literal Translation, Reina-Valera 1960, Darby, Good News for Modern Man, The Evidence Bible, Book of Mormons, The Message Bible, The Green Bible, Quran (Koran), Bible in Rhyme, Boomer Bible, and ect. As well as Greek New Testaments by Westcott & Hort, Metzger, Scrivener, Berry, Ginsburg, and Green. Also Herbrew-English Dictionaries by Brown, Driver, and Briggs. Also Greek-English Lexicons by Moulton, Thayer, Danker, and Liddell.
These are perversions of God's Word the King James Bible.
We will also be burning Satan's music such as country , rap , rock , pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel , contemporary Christian , jazz, soul, oldies but goldies, etc.
We will also be burning Satan's popular books written by heretics like Westcott & Hort , Bruce Metzger, Billy Graham , Rick Warren , Bill Hybels , James White, Kay Arthur, Charles Stanley, Pat Roberson, RC Sproul, Mary Baker Edddy, Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, Britt Merrick, Max Lucado, Randy Alcorn, John Ortberg, Michael W. Smith, John David Clark Sr., Eckhart Tolle, Joni Eareckson Tada, Sarah Young, Stormie Omartian, Joseph Maxwell, John McArthur, James Dobson , Charles Swindoll , John Piper , Chuck Colson , Tony Evans, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swagart , Mark Driskol, Franklin Graham , Bill Bright, Tim Lahaye, Paula White , T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn , Joyce Myers , Brian McLaren , James White, Dave Ramsey, Alister McGrath, Ron Hill, Denver Moore, Mary Beth Chapman, Steven Curtis Cahpman, E Stanley Jones, Robert Schuller, Mother Teresa , The Pope , Rob Bell, Erwin McManus , Donald Miller, Shane Claiborne, Brennan Manning, William Young, Will Graham , and many more.

I am appalled, saddened, infuriated, dismayed. I'm heartbroken that there are those claiming membership in the body of Christ, people that go forth claiming Christ's authority that are so consumed by their own traditions and preferences.
Do I agree with everything that is written by this list of authors? Absolutely not. Are there translations that I prefer to others? Absolutely! But how arrogant can someone be to think that my God is too small- and that all of these other men were too ignorant for God to speak truth through them!
To Pastor Grizzard, if by chance you somehow stumble across this page, shame on you! How dare you, because of arrogance, and I would say ignorance, rob people of the chance to read the word of God and discover the hope it contains! Sir, I have watched people respond to the conviction of the Spirit, and the message of the gospel with a NIV in hand, a NKJV, a NASB, and any other number of other translations that you call abominations. Sir, respectfully, your God is too small. My God is mighty to save, and my salvation is based on the blood of Jesus and not archaic English language.
We could keep going. I've been saddened and dismayed at the number of churches that are launching attacks at others because of music styles, program titles, and ministry endeavors. Literally, hours could be spent on YouTube watching pastors criticize the methods of churches that they have never stepped foot in- and not for major doctrinal issues, but for minor preferential things.
We are divided over worship styles, Biblical translations, pastoral opinions, political affiliations, and everything else we can think of. And the question has to be asked: When are we going to get out of our own way? When are we going to realize that this is not all about us? When are we going to stand in awe of the majesty and wonder of our God? When are we simply going to be known as a people that are in love with Jesus?