The Charleston Massacre

I was on a teaching and preaching mission in Trinidad and Tobago when 9 Christians were murdered by a hate-filled racist on June 17. Just about everybody in the world has weighed in on this unspeakable tragedy, and today it's my turn.

Jesus spoke about coming persecutions in Matthew 10:22, "you will be hated by all because of my name." Yes, I know that he was not talking about race hate, he was telling his followers that persecution was coming, no matter the source. Specifically, he said:

I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 10:16-22).

 We were all rightly shocked and horrified by the Charleston massacre. Things like that just should not happen on God's good earth. But the sad reality is that they do happen. And they happen a lot.

• Christian Solidarity International has issued a Genocide Warning for Christian communities and other religious minorities in North Africa and the broader Islamic Middle East.
  
• 100 million Christians in over 60 countries are persecuted for their faith.
  
• '70 million Christians' martyred for their faith since Jesus walked the earth.
  
•  "It seemed like it was me, the gunman, and God," said Jeanne Assam, describing her feelings as she confronted a man who charged into her Colorado Springs church.

I could insert more and more links, ad nauseam. But I won't, because you don't need convinced, you only need reminded of the global persecution of Christians. 

And, sadly, we should not be surprised when haters enter church buildings and kill Christians. It has been happening all over the world (particularly in the middle east and in communist countries), and there is no reason it won't happen in the United States. As long as mentally ill haters are alive, they will find a way to murder and maim Christians. 

And so main message today is this:

Christians in America --

Get ready to be persecuted for your faith. Jesus told us it would happen, and we have been safe and secure for such a long time that we have forgotten this ugly part of living in a sinful world. 

I believe things will get worse for us in the United States. 

Be prepared. 

Persecution is coming.

A New Definition of Disciple

The more I read and think about this, the more convinced I am that we need a new definition of disciple. My reading, my thinking, and my experience lead me to the conclusion that true discipleship is generational. 

1. There are four generations of believers in 2 Tim 2:2 -- "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

     First Generation: Paul

          Second Generation: Timothy

               Third Generation: Reliable people

                     Fourth Generation: Others

A disciple is someone who disciples someone who disciples someone.

2. Very often in the Bible, when God saved someone he saved their entire οίκος (oikos) -- household, family, close associates. See, e.g., Gen. 6:17-18, Joshua 6:17, Mark 5:18-20, John 4:39-42, Acts 10:24; 16:14-15; 30-33, and many other places.

I was saved by faith in Christ at age 16, but nobody ever discipled me. I never told my mother, father, or brothers about the Lord and what he had done for me. My oikos never heard my faith story. I did not share Jesus with them, and this is the one big regret I have as a Christian. If I could have one do-over, I would go back and be discipled so that my oikos could hear and believe.

A disciple is someone who disciples someone who disciples someone.

And today, after 49 years as a Christ follower, I'm not sure if I can really call myself a disciple. Oh, I'm a Christian for sure. I'm saved. I'm born again. But have I ever discipled anyone who then discipled someone else? I just don't know.

How about you?

A disciple is someone who disciples someone who disciples someone.

Pew Research: America’s Changing Religious Landscape

On May 12, the Pew Research Center shocked the religious world with its headline, "Christians Decline Sharply as Share of Population; Unaffiliated and Other Faiths Continue to Grow" (http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/). This was so big that  it not only lit up the Internet, but mainstream news outlets reported and opined on it. 

Now that the dust has started to settle, I shall chime in. I offer my theory alongside all of the other theories about why this shift is happening. And my theory isn't based on research; it's based on 40 years of ministry experience and observation.

With few exceptions, I have observed that when both parents love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love their neighbor as themselves, most of their children do, too. It's that simple. This is not true 100% of the time, of course, but in my experience and observation, it's true most of the time.

When mom and dad pray, worship, tithe, go to church, love their neighbors as Christ would -- most of their children follow suit. I saw this in my family of origin, in my wife's family of origin, and in the extended families in the four churches I have served (three in Indiana and one in West Virginia).

The bottom line is -- if you want to see a return to Christian faith in America, it starts with fully committed Christ following parents. Period. 

OK, so enough of my non-scientific, non-research-based rant. Let's look at one paragraph in the Pew study that is consistent with my theory:

Religious intermarriage also appears to be on the rise: Among Americans who have gotten married since 2010, nearly four-in-ten (39%) report that they are in religiously mixed marriages, compared with 19% among those who got married before 1960.3 The rise in intermarriage appears to be linked with the growth of the religiously unaffiliated population. Nearly one-in-five people surveyed who got married since 2010 are either religiously unaffiliated respondents who married a Christian spouse or Christians who married an unaffiliated spouse. By contrast, just 5% of people who got married before 1960 fit this profile.

So what happens in a religiously mixed marriage? I don't know, but chances are that you don't have a mom and dad who are both following Christ and working together for the spiritual development of their children.

And before you call me a bigot for "being against intermarriage," let me quickly say that I'm just observing. Choices have consequences. If you want to see more adults following Christ, then they need to start out as children following Christ. And if you want to raise Christ following children, then you need both a mother and father who are Christ followers. That's all I'm saying.

So I for one was not shocked when Pew released its report. Anybody with eyes open saw this coming. And if we don't return to the precepts of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we are very likely to see a continued movement away from historic Christian beliefs in America.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Deut 6:4-9, NRSV

The Truth

Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" And that's the eternal question that has haunted us forever. How do we know the truth? How do we know what is true? Where do we turn for guidance?

Well, there's a pretty good answer to those questions. And it's an answer that the church has kept pretty well hidden. I, for example, never heard of the answer until long after I had graduated from seminary, served as a pastor, and came back to teach in seminary.

Have you ever heard of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral? THAT'S the answer!

It's a method of discovering theological truth, based on the writings of John Wesley (1703-1791). The term, "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" was coined by Albert C. Outler in the 20th century.

You will remember from your junior high geometry class that a quadrilateral is a four-sided figure. Any size or shape will do, as long as it has four sides.

Wesley ran every theological idea through four tests before coming to any conclusions, and 300 years later, Outler named this theological method the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

So what are those four tests?

1. Scripture

For the Christ follower, the Word of God is the longest edge of the quadrilateral. For anything to be trusted as true, it must be consistent with Scripture. Every quest for truth starts here. 

2. Tradition

Any new idea must also be consistent with 30 centuries of Judeo-Christian tradition (see my post about tradition). For me, our tradition starts with Abraham, who obeyed God when he was called to leave his home and go to a new place. Ever since then, the people of God have been building a legacy of truth. And all new truth claims must not only be consistent with the Bible, they must also be consistent with tradition.

3. Reason

We are made in the image and likeness of God. God is a reasonable God. God has the capacity to think and reason. Because we are made in His image, we too have the capacity to reason. In our quest to discover truth, a thing must be consistent with the Bible, with 3,000 years of theological tradition, and it must be reasonable.

4. Experience

Many Christian groups affirm the first three sides of this quadrilateral, but they stop short of experiential truth. The Holy Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). If something is true, it will be true in the Bible, in tradition, in reason, and in our personal experience. "You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!"

So there you have it, my friend. Jesus' promise that we shall know the truth is fulfilled. We know what is true by putting it to these four tests. Praise God for simplicity, for clarity, for understanding, and for confidence in our beliefs.

As Shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof

What a crazy idea -- playing a fiddle on the roof of a house! You won’t ever see me on a roof, walking, standing, sitting, OR playing a musical instrument. I would be the shakiest of the shaky. I like to keep my feet planted on terra firma.

But it’s a metaphor. Even though I am not physically on a roof, navigating the bumps of life is pretty shaky – just about as shaky as a fiddler on a roof! And that is exactly the point Tevye makes in his opening monologue:

Life wasn’t easy in Anatevka in 1905. Neither is it easy in America in 2015. Metaphorically, every one of us is a fiddler on a roof, trying to serve God and live a good life without falling and breaking our necks. For sure: it is not easy. Sort of reminds me of Amy Grant’s song: 

“We believe in God, and we all need Jesus, 

‘cause life is hard and it might not get easier.”

Tevye anticipates our question, “So how do you keep your balance?” and his answer is one word: TRADITION! Note that he uses the singular, not the plural: Tradition, not traditions. To be sure, he illustrates with several of their local traditions: “How to sleep. How to eat. How to work. How to wear clothes.” But the power is not in the specific habits and practices, but in TRADITION itself.

TRADITION as understood by The Free Dictionary:

1. The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially
by oral communication: cultural practices that are preserved by tradition.

2.a. A mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a custom or usage: the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

b. A set of such customs and usages viewed as a coherent body of precedents
influencing the present: followed family tradition in dress and manners.

3. A precept or a body of precepts that are not written in the sacred book of a religion,
such as the Bible, but are considered holy or true.

4. A style or method of an activity or practice, especially of artistic expression, that is
recognized and sometimes imitated: satire in the tradition of Jonathan Swift.

TRADITION, you see, is a good thing, and certain specific traditions may or may not be good. While some people today are throwing off all sorts of traditions -- and tradition itself -- they are only hurting themselves, because their lives will be fuller and more meaningful if they were to understand value TRADITION.

And while I would quibble with Tevye over the following (I would change “traditions” to “tradition”), I wholeheartedly support the philosophy he expresses: “And because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as…as...as a fiddler on the roof!”

From the perspective of a disciple, I would say, “Because of our Tradition, every one of us knows who he or she is, and what God expects us to do. Without the Christian Tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!”

Uncle Tom Speaks

There has been a lot of controversy in recent days about religious rights:

1. A pizza shop had to close temporarily due to threats against them because they said that they would not cater a gay wedding.
2. The Indiana governor and legislature managed to mismanage themselves in a rather public and embarrassing manner.
3. A bakery was run out of business due to a heavy fine because it would not bake a cake for a gay wedding (click here for an interesting take on what this bakery might have done differently).
4. And so on.
5. And on. And on. And on. 

I've been thinking about these issues. I've been focusing on what a disciple of Christ should do when asked or compelled to do something that goes against their beliefs.

And I've decided that we should do as Jesus said in Matthew 5:41, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” The writer of the blog mentioned above applies this logic and concludes that a baker should bake two cakes for the gay wedding. Fair enough. 

But I'm drawn to the practice of a local dentist who belongs to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He tells his patients about his faith and explains that if they ever have a dental emergency on a Saturday, that he will come in and treat them but that he will not, indeed cannot, accept any pay. Why? Because the patient has an emergency need and he can help, but accepting pay would be working on the Sabbath, which his faith forbids. I like it!

So I say to Christ followers near and far: 

If a gay person or gay couple wants to hire you to do something, accept it gladly as an opportunity to be a servant like Jesus. But don't accept any pay. Bake that cake for free! Do the wedding photographs for free! Do those floral arrangements for free! And do it in the name of Jesus!

But there IS one place where Christ followers must draw the line -- we can work and serve others, but we must never inflict pain or suffering. And here's where Uncle Tom speaks to us. Harriet Beecher Stowe published this powerful book in 1852, and it became the best-selling novel of 19th century. It fueled the growing abolitionist movement.

Many people misunderstand Tom. They see him as a submissive, cowardly black who bowed to the will of the white master. But that is so wrong! Tom's refusal to flog a woman is why Simon Legree ordered his death. Read this snippet:

• "And now," said Legree, "jest take this yer gal and flog her."
• "I beg Mas'r's pardon," said Tom; "hopes Mas'r won't set me at that. It's what I an't used to,—never did,—and can't do, no way possible. I'm willin' to work, night and day, and work while there's life and breath in me; but this yer thing I can't feel it right to do;—and, Mas'r, I never shall do it,—never! Mas'r, if you mean to kill me, kill me; but, as to my raising my hand agin any one here, I never shall,—I'll die first! Mas'r Legree, I can't do it. I never will do a cruel thing, come what may."

And Legree ordered two slaves to beat Uncle Tom to death. 

The lesson? 

Do what you are legally required to do (such as bake cakes for gay weddings), unless it requires you to raise a hand against another. And I'm thinking that you ought to do it gladly, without pay. For the sake of Christ.

Making Friends for Jesus

When I was 5 years old, our family was shaken to its core. It was a hot August day and I was playing outside. The windows were open – these were the days before air conditioning! – and I heard the phone ring, and then I heard my mother crying. I remember a newspaper man coming to the house for a picture of my father, who had been seriously injured in the factory where he was employed.

A machine had exploded and Dad was hit by flying metal. It sheared off about half the fingers on his left hand, which he had raised to shield his face, and opened a life-threatening gash into his forehead. His brain was exposed to the atmosphere and to infection. He was in a coma. We didn’t know if he would ever wake up. We didn’t even know if he would live. Picture my mom, 32 years old, with four boys between the ages of 2 and 14, her husband somewhere between life and death.

Across the street and down seven houses lived Ollie Ewell, a Christ follower. She heard about this tragedy and knew that a young wife and mother needed a friend. So Ollie, the hands and feet of Christ, took a risk. She walked down the street, knocked on our front door, and introduced herself to my mother. They became lifelong friends, coming to see each other as sisters. Ollie was a disciple of Jesus and faithfully did what her Lord wanted done. A simple act of love to a total stranger – a young mother who needed a friend.

Eventually my father recovered, returned home, and went back to work. Some years later, I started going to church with Ollie and her family. And on Tuesday of this week (March 24, 2015), Ollie went home to be with God at the age of 92. I firmly believe that my coming to faith in Christ is a direct result of Ollie’s act of friendship in 1955. I further believe that any good I might do for the Kingdom is now credited to Ollie, for none of that good would ever have been done without Ollie’s walk of friendship sixty years ago.

I write this today to encourage you to do what Ollie did for my mother when my father lay between life and death in the hospital. Be a friend to the friendless. Bring hope to the hopeless. Bring joy to the joyless. Take seriously Christ’s call on your life. Be Jesus to every person you meet. Treat everyone as a child of God. Give gifts of love, acceptance, and friendship to those in need. Make friends for Jesus. After all, it’s really what he wants you to do!