Worldview & Truth

The “Woke” Deception

Leave a comment

A friend recently observed, “If the church doesn’t offer our young people the Kingdom of God, they will look for it in “wokeness.”   That statement landed on me like a load of bricks.  So-called “Woke” Christianity is a deadly counterfeit of the Kingdom that promises a world of tolerance and equity at the expense of the God-man and Savior of the world.  The Christ of the woke church is Jesus the social-reformer, Jesus the revolutionary, the activist, the anti-racist, the Neo-Marxist or the abortion crusader. 

In past centuries there seemed to be enough godly fear and Biblical literacy in Western culture to tamp-down the counterfeits of liberal, progressive and “woke” Christianity.  People had little interest in a church focused on issues yet bereft of life-changing power.  But in today’s Western culture the fear of God is so rare, and the human race is so desperate that every impostor and counterfeit Christ is welcomed like the latest episode of Yellowstone.

How can we identify the counterfeit?   Here are a few red flags to look for:  

  1. Woke Christians are often identified by their open disdain towards the historical church.  While Biblical Christians lament the failings of the church, (which are mentioned often in the Epistles), they still embrace the church as the flawed yet  beloved bride of Christ.  
  2. “Woke” Christians often display an air of patronizing superiority. “You just wouldn’t understand.”  To become woke is a counterfeit conversion, an initiation into a special priesthood which lectures and judges the unenlightened.   
  3. Woke Christians are often overly focused on causes rather than Christ: equity, anti-racism, special rights, over-population, climate change, and  immigration to name only a few.  In the woke world these causes become frontline issues while the saving life of Christ is minimized, if not forgotten altogether. (It’s important to mention here that the Kingdom of God squarely addresses every one of these issues with the utmost tenderness and grace, yet always in context of Jesus first).  
  4. Woke Christians are prone to elevate government, environment, feelings, and selfhood, to the place of idolatry. 
  5. Woke Christians often embrace abortion almost as a sacrament of the faith.  
  6. And finally, woke Christians utilize a distinct language and vocabulary to express their unbiblical theology and worldview.  Examples include “heteronormativity”, “white patriarchy”, “parity”, “implicit bias”, “systemic racism”,  “micro-aggressions”, “hegemony”, “gender binary”, “intersectionality”, “social justice”, and “equity”, to name but a few.    


If you see these things in your friend or brother, pray for him and look for ways to help him see the destructive course he’s on.  It’s no small thing to follow a counterfeit Christ. 

A personal note

The Hacking God

3 Comments

Hack:  a clever solution to a tricky problem.    

Two weeks ago I was hacked by an unknown person who kidnapped nearly 4,000 Facebook friends.  I thought I was clever enough to avoid the bane of cyber space, but I fell headlong into the trap, and within minutes was locked out of my account.  Permanently.  Or so it seems at this moment.   Panic jumped on me like a street gang on a nerd as I thought of losing access to so many precious friends I’d collected over fifteen years of international travel.  But it was too late for damage control.  What do you do after the house has washed down the river?

And then the Holy Spirit began to speak to me:  “God will have the final word.”  He is the ultimate Hacker who quietly steps in, takes control, and turns hopeless situations into good.  We see it in the story of Joseph and his brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” And we see it in Paul’s triumphant declaration, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him; to those who are called according to His purpose.” * Genesis 50:20 & Romans 8:28

God is a genius when it comes to redemption.  Only He can unscramble an egg, resurrect a man, or remake a nation.  But He can out-hack the hackers since He holds all the power, possesses all the wisdom, and knows ahead of time what is about to happen. “Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I’m singing joyful praise to GOD. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on GOD’s Rule to prevail.”   (Habakkuk 3:17-19) 

Well… I’m not actually capable of turning cartwheels of joy, but I am interesting in seeing where all this will go. And it’s a sterling opportunity for me to trust Him. 

Stand by…  😀

Discipleship

Thirty Kingdom Virtues:

4 Comments

A disciple of Jesus ought to be a certain kind of person, growing daily into the image of Christ. Jesus mentioned the virtues in the Sermon on the Mount, and the other New Testament writers developed them further in the epistles. Here are thirty Kingdom virtues. But there are many more as well. Perhaps you can mention others in the comment section.

Humility: The place of entire dependence upon God.   “… all of you clothe yourselves in humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  1 Peter 5:5

The opposite of humility is pride, which is independence from, and rebellion towards God.  This, of course, was Satan’s sin, and the sin of Adam and Eve.

Innocence:  The childlike condition of being blameless and pure. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  Matthew 5:8

“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”  – Psalm 51:7

Of course none of us are innocent apart from the work of Jesus on our behalf.  But what a beautiful gift to have our childlike innocence restored.

Honor: Recognizing and treating each person as a beloved image bearer of God. “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” – Romans 12:10

“Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” 1 Peter 2:1

Excellence: Letting all that you do reflect your very best. “Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1

Gratitude: We ought to always remember that gratitude is not complete until it is expressed.  When we say “Thank you”, it becomes real.

“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“What do you have that God hasn’t given you?” – 1 Corinthians. 4:7

Hospitality: The spirit of welcome originally displayed in God when He welcomed us into His life.  In a sense, it is the doorway into the Kingdom. 

“So reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory. Jesus did it; now you do it!” – Romans 15:7 (The Message)

Gentleness / Kindness: The generous extension of thoughtfulness, compassion and empathy towards others. 
“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5

“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.” – Philippians 4:5

“Gentle” is the word Jesus used to describe his own heart: “I am meek and gentle of heart.” – (Matthew 11:29)

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”

Patience: The ability to endure difficult circumstances. “Love is patient.”  – 1 Corinthians 13:4

“… be patient, bearing with one another in love.”   – Ephesians 4:2

I suspect many of us struggle with patience because we have neglected the God-given call to plant gardens. Gardening produces patience. And difficult people too!

Wisdom: Seeing life from God’s perspective and understanding the consequences of our choices. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”    – James 1:5

“Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!Don’t forget one word! Don’t deviate an inch!Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life; love her—she keeps her eye on you.Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom! Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding! Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won’t regret it; never let her go—she’ll make your life glorious.” Proverbs 4:5-9. (The Message)

Faith:  “Faith is knowing God well enough to know what He wants to do in a given situation.”  (Heidi Baker) “We live by faith, and not by sight.”  2 Corinthians 5:7

“…If you believe you will see the glory of God.” John 11:40

Generosity: Everything I have is merely on loan from God to be freely shared with others.  ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  – Jesus 

“And when you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing!”   – Also Jesus!

Mercy: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”   – Matthew 5:7

It is our call to be merciful while leaving all judgment to God. He alone carries that authority.  While Believers ought to rightly condemn sin, we must never condemn the sinner.  So much of our tarnished reputation would be rehabilitated if the church  would return to mercy.

Self-control.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is… self control.” – Galatians 5:22-23

Self-control will produce an ordered, disciplined life of love and beauty.  Its opposite is debauchery.

Courage: Not the absence of fear, but the willingness to take action in spite of your fears.  “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  – Joshua 1:9

Compassion: To share in the sufferings of others. “Carry each other’s burdens”.  Galatians 6:2   

“Weep with those who weep…”  Romans 12:15

Diligence / Industry:  The opposite of laziness and sloth. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.”  Colossians 2:23-24

“Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.”  Proverbs 12:24

Sacrifice  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”    – John 15:13

The entire structure of the cosmos hangs upon the sacrifice of one Man.

Truth: An accurate description of reality.  “If you hold to my teaching, you are my disciples indeed. Then you will know the truth, (reality), and the truth, (reality), will set you free.”  – John 8:31

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie… therefore God gave them over… to become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice… God-haters… arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil… they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.”   – Romans 1:25-30

Peacemaking:  Responding to conflict in the Spirit of Christ rather than offensiveness and judgment.  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”  – Matthew 5:9

“Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord…”   – Hebrews 12:14

Godliness: Reflecting the character and beauty of Jesus.    “… speaking the truth in love, we will grow in every way to be more and more like Christ…”  – Ephesians 4:15 

Godliness, really, is our purpose and goal.

Contentment:  The opposite of covetousness. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ”  – 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Discontentment fuels unhappiness, depression, and stress.  

See Luke 12:15-24 for Jesus’ winsome teaching about sparrows, lilies, and a fool who kept building bigger barns.

Justice:  Impartially upholding what is just, fair, and right according to honor, morality, and law. “He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  – Micah 6:8

“When justice is deferred it makes the heart sick, but “when justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous and terror to evildoers.”   – Proverbs 21:15

The scriptures teach that God will ultimately judge every evil deed and right the scales of justice.  Oh how we long for that day….

Forgiveness. Followers of Jesus do not hold onto bitterness.  Full stop.  
“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  Ephesians 4:32

Grace: Recognizing the extravagant love and favor of God towards oneself, and freely extending it to others.  

Followers of Jesus ought to be famous for this virtue, but too often we are known instead for our judgments.

Believing the best in people.  “Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  – 1 Corinthians 13:7

Although we will sometimes be disappointed, it’s better to live in generous optimism towards others than to sink into bitter cynicism and judgment.

Endurance: The ability to stand up under times of suffering, hardship, trauma, and fatigue.  It is closely tied to patience, joy, faith, and proven character.

“Brethren, consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect work in you, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  – James 1:2-4

Slow to anger, or “not being easily offended”.   “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.”  Proverbs 19:11

In a culture of offense where the slightest word or political opinion can trigger anger, this ought to set Believers apart like stars in the night sky.

Servanthood “The greatest among you will be your servant.”  – Matthew 23:11 

The mark of true greatness; Many of our greatest heroes are those who have cheerfully and sacrificially served others.  This is such a beautiful rebuke to a world which idolizes looks, money, stardom, and talent.

Encouragement: to speak strength and courage into others.  “… let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.”    Hebrews 10:25

As we observe the events around us we need to remind each other that the King is on the move, and will soon be among us!

Love: To seek the highest good of others.  

Love beats “tolerance” by millions upon millions of miles.      

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”   – John 13:34-35

Grace, The Kingdom, The Love of God

The Sound of God’s Heart

1 Comment

Years ago Youth With A Mission in Kona was sending off an outreach team to some far-off nation of the world.  The student-missionaries were surrounded by teachers and seasoned staff praying and waiting to see if perhaps the Holy Spirit had anything He wanted to say on their way to the airport.  And sure enough, His word came forth from one of the older saints:  “Don’t go!  Don’t go unless you love them!  Apart from love your message will be barren!” 

That powerful memory has returned to me recently, especially since a dear friend has challenged me several times about the importance of being “authorized” to represent Jesus. Although the resurrected One gave us the authority to preach, heal, cast out demons and make disciples, it was all predicated on the foundation of His life: The love of the Father.  Anything divorced from that love will remain sterile, barren and meaningless.  “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am only a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”  

“Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and knowledge; and though I have the faith to move mountains, but have not love… I am nothing.”   Eloquence, miracles, prophecy, wisdom and even faith itself are meaningless apart from love. 

Years ago I had a vivid dream that changed me: I was resting my head against Jesus’ chest listening to his heartbeat.  But the sound of his heart surprised me;  instead of the “thump… thump… thump…” I expected, each cadent throb of His heart spoke “people… people… people…” 

God’s Kingdom is a show-and-tell endeavor.  The language that opens the souls of broken men and women is love. 

Discipleship

Certainty or Confidence?

4 Comments

Years ago I read a newspaper interview with a spry 105 year old woman who had just celebrated another birthday.  I forget nearly all the details of the article except for one question the interviewer asked:  “After so many years of life, what do you know for certain that you would like to pass on to others?”  “Oh”, she said, “I don’t know anything for certain!  But I do suspect a few things.”

After spending the bulk of my life doing my level-best to call young people into discipleship, a steady willingness to “rethink” seems to be an important key to transformation.  We must be wary of certainty, and aim at confidence.  I have come to believe that when Jesus opened his ministry with the command to “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” he was calling the world to something more than a one-time decision to follow Him, but rather to a lifetime of rethinking the ideas, attitudes, and habits that have littered our minds by the spirit of the age.  Discipleship is a lifelong process of being transformed “by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:1-2) 

In the series, The Chosen, Peter reacts to something Jesus has said: “But this is different.”  And Jesus, with a twinkle in his eye, answers, “Get used to different.”  So often we in the modern church have allowed our religious ideas to harden like concrete into certainty, and  in the process have short-circuited the opportunity to grow and change.  

“Get used to different.” (And by the way, this applies to The Chosen, too. As much as I enjoy the beautiful storytelling of the series, it demands discernment between the clear Biblical truth, and the creative license of the writers. Test all things)!

In the classroom I begin nearly every session with the challenge, “Test everything I say.  I too am a disciple, and though I am confident in what I teach, it’s possible I could be wrong.  Look at these scriptures with me, and if they do not support what I teach, then stop me, and help me to see my error.”   I hope you will do the same.  I’m far from an authority on the things I write about, but I present them with a degree of confidence that they seem to be true according to the scriptures, plain reason, and experiential fruit.  

The disciples of Jesus are not hardened scribes, but lifelong learners.

A personal note, Musings

Gratitude, an Army, and a Dance

21 Comments

“What do you have that you did not receive?”  1 Corinthians 4:7

Today I turned seventy, and some have asked what it is like.  I’ll tell you, it’s an experience of profound gratitude.  I came wailing into the world on January 17, 1953, with nothing owed to me.  And before I took my first breath an army was assigned to my care: doctors, nurses, administrators, dietitians and diaper-changers.  

My first day of school, and the first day of my seventies.

The army expanded as farmers and pickers, truck drivers, and toy makers, jumped into the act to keep my little demanding self fed and entertained.  Teachers and preachers, scout masters, school-staffers, den mothers and doctors swirled ‘round my young soul in a tango of training, a ballet of discovery in a  world unexplored. 

The dance grew with craftsmen and makers of pianos and flutes; of guitars and ukes, designers of autos and airplanes, and pilots who shuttled me to far-off places. There’ve been bakers of baguettes and clerks who sold them to me in lonely airports, and strangers who smiled at me when I was alone, or walked me to the bus station in a foreign city. Firemen and soldiers have guarded me while I slept, and symphonies have soothed me in times of distress.

Others joined quietly: unnamed coal miners,  linemen, and gas-field workers who kept me warm and mobile, or kept the lights burning, authors and book-writers, artists and illustrators, balladeers, and inventors, Romantic composers and Renaissance painters who stood me before beauty, while sanitation workers and plumbers quietly kept the toilets flushing and the garbage at bay.  Do you see the staggering complexity that has undergirded my life?   I get lost in the thought of how many have fed me, nurtured me, inspired and sustained me . Keeping a soul alive for a week is Herculean.  Keeping it alive for seventy years is a miracle! 

I read recently that the little metal band that holds the eraser onto the end of a pencil requires no less than thirty processes, from mining and smelting to shaping and coating.  Thirty processes!  And that’s just for the band that holds the eraser!  

My mind strains to think of vanilla-growers and chicken-pluckers, of road-pavers and engineers of bridges and tunnels, of builders and butchers, of packers and produce-managers, of cooks and servers and geniuses who keep the Internet online, shoe-makers, shirt-stitchers, of postal workers and barbers who keep the deliveries coming and my cow-lick at bay.   It’s no exaggeration to imagine an army of millions has served and assisted me in this great dance of life.  How fortunate to be the recipient of all this goodness!

And you, too, are included.  Maybe you’ve danced with me for only an afternoon, or perhaps you’ve held me tight over the years.  For your part, I am fiercely grateful.  You have shaped me by your friendships, laughter, tears, and embrace, all woven together by an unseen Hand, who issues the invitation:

“Your Heavenly Father, His Glorious Son, and the Spirit of Life
request the honor of this dance”.  

Profound gratitude.  That’s what turning seventy feels like.

*(This post was inspired by The Great Dance, by my friend C. Baxter Kruger).

The Kingdom, Worldview & Truth

Upstairs / Downstairs

8 Comments

One of the church’s most deadly distractions from the Kingdom is our silly “upstairs / downstairs” idea. From the early centuries of the church, Gnosticism and Greek philosophies began to seep into our thinking which separated God’s world into two levels of reality: the upstairs “spiritual” level, where God lives, and the downstairs “natural” level, where mortals live, work, and watch America’s Got Talent in the evening.

We live downstairs in the “natural” world while God lives upstairs
in the “heavenly” world.

This messed-up worldview has kept our lives as divided as whites and colors on laundry day. We imagine God almost like a reclusive old grandfather living on the second floor, while the rest of us are grinding away at life down below. Of course God loves it when we go upstairs to visit Him on Sundays, or when we need His advice. But he never, ever comes downstairs to get involved in our messy existence on the ground floor. He’s just not interested in our music, work, TV shows, or the sports car in the garage. (He’s way too religious for those sorts of “natural” things). So we mostly leave him alone in His upstairs apartment where he can watch TBN, The Gaithers, or his favorite series, The Chosen, in peace and quiet.

The Kingdom, of course, is exactly the opposite: God has moved right down into the midst of our stuff on the ground floor, and He moves throughout the house tinkering, laughing, helping out with our messes, or rolling up His sleeves to lend a hand with the science project. He also loves America’s Got Talent, and I think I even caught Him tapping his foot to one of my ragtime tunes on the piano.

There is NO Upstairs-Downstairs, but only one world where God and people live together!

This upstairs-downstairs idea has done immense damage to both the church and the world. At times it has kept me from reading good “non-religious” books, from expressing political opinions, and occasionally it even keeps me from enjoying too much laughter and good times with friends. But the saddest and most dangerous thing of all is in “partitioning” God off from the rest of life. The Kingdom means God has invaded all things with his presence. “The Word became flesh and lived among us.” There is no division; neither upstairs nor downstairs. He inhabits it all.

Worldview & Truth

Conspiracy, or not?

8 Comments

Because it is the nature of darkness to hide, there are indeed
conspiracies afoot.

C.S. Lewis famously observed, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”  I think the same can be said of conspiracy theories. 

I see on one side those who mock reasonable questions about the origins of the Covid virus, the integrity of our elections, or the agenda of the World Economic Forum with, “Oh… that’s just a conspiracy.”  But equally disturbing are the ones on the other extreme who think EVERYTHING is a conspiracy.  They wear me out with their alarmism and suspicion. 

The reality is certainly somewhere in the middle, where the sound sensibility of the scriptures exhort us, “Do not believe every spirit…”  “Test everything; hold fast to what is good.”  “… Evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”  “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” 

Lewis wisely points out a foolish and deadly denialism on one side, and an unhealthy fixation with darkness on the other.  Instead, let us walk in the sanctified center of wisdom: If the origins of the virus, or the outcome of the election seem suspicious, then by all means ask your questions, pray, and do your research.  Or if you can’t be bothered, then at least affirm your brother and the questions he may be asking.  Engage in reasonable conversations, and arrive at your own considered conclusions.  But don’t try to drag me into a rabbit hole that will divert the whole river away from the shores of truth and reason.  We are called to declare the good news of the Kingdom, while taking only a passing interest in the deeds of darkness.  (Indeed, enough interest so that we can pray intelligently). 

“If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding… then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God.”  May we live curious, questioning lives of healthy examination, while we keep our hope and our focus on the One who is the truth.   

A personal note

Why I Am A Christian (Rewrite)

8 Comments

In 2001 I was living in postwar Sarajevo, Bosnia. The World Trade Center had just been attacked, and people were asking existential questions. I wrote a piece entitled “Why I Am a Christian” which received an unusual amount of traction at the time. I recently went back and updated it. It’s a little longer than my other blog entries, but if you take the time to read it, you’ll see why.

When I was a new believer, if a person were to ask me why I’m a follower of Jesus, I would have drawn from the beautiful, subjective experiences of my new found relationship with Him. I would have spoken about “peace”, “forgiveness” and “life” with deep sense of wonder and gratefulness. But if you were to ask me that question now, so many decades later, my response would go so much deeper, beyond the subjective into the depths of reality itself:

Today I follow Jesus not only because of the beautiful inner work He did in me during those early days, but also because the Biblical story offers the only complete and viable answers to life’s most universal questions

  • Who and what is man?
  • Is there meaning to life?
  • What’s wrong with the world?
  • How can the world be fixed?
  • Why is my heart so deeply moved by beauty, compassion, and stories?
  • Why do I dream of a different, more perfect world?

Jesus answers all the questions:
While the Materialists, Marxists, and Postmodern intellectuals wrestle in vain to make sense of these questions, Jesus gathers them all up and assembles them into a story that gives a complete accounting of all nature, life and human longings. No other worldview even comes close to that. Search for yourself the philosophies of Materialism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Islam, Buddhism, and New Age Spiritualism. They fail spectacularly in answering even the most basic questions of life.

The Way to Beauty, and Life:
I’m a follower of Jesus because wherever it grows, Biblical Christianity produces consistently beautiful and enduring fruit. No other “way” has built so many hospitals, orphanages, rescue missions, has fed so many hungry people, lifted so many out of poverty, emancipated so many slaves, or established so many organizations to serve, educate, heal, and bless the human family as the simple followers of Jesus, who believe that “inasmuch as you did it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it unto me.”

The Foundation of Science and Creation:
I’m a Christian because creation itself testifies of a wondrous order that can only point to a loving, genius Creator. The world’s greatest scientists from Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon, to Carl Linnaeus and Max Plank have believed that only an infinite, personal God can account for the intricacies of fireflies, animal instincts, eyesight and hearing, the Fibonacci and the water cycle, the rotational clockwork of the planets, and the natural laws of nature. Man and animals alike exhibit a capacity for love and relationship that could never have arisen out of a cold, impersonal time-chance universe. Follow the science, and you will come to an infinite, personal God who designed us with mind-boggling DNA, self-consciousness, and emotions that cause us to tear-up in the presence of profound beauty.

The Basis of Civilized Society, Order and Blessing:
I am a follower of Jesus because the Biblical story offers the best and only viable foundation for a civilized society. Look at the nations of the world. Where there is freedom, purpose, prosperity, justice and compassion you will find Jesus at the foundation.

Christianity Explains Us:
But it doesn’t stop on the cultural level.  Christianity goes deeper to undergird and explain our own personal passion for beauty, life, relationship, understanding, order, meaning and story:  I was created in the “spittin'” image of a loving, creative, genius of a God.  And that explains so much about who I am. The Father, Son and Spirit is eternally relational, and so I, (we), long for relationships.  God ordered the universe, and so we desire order.  God creates, and so we love to create. God works, and we enjoy work. God thinks, and we are thinkers.  God writes powerful, meaningful stories  And we too have a great yearning to live deep and meaningful stories!  

The Satisfier of Personal Need:
And finally I am a follower of Christ because of the deeply personal way He meets me in everyday life; because he steps into my human brokenness, darkness and despair and meets me with a love and quiet presence that stills my soul with assurance and peace. I follow Jesus because he is the true source of life, purpose, truth, wisdom, understanding, and reality itself.

Discipleship

Experiencing Life

3 Comments

It’s an unchanging key to the Kingdom: life expands and contracts according to our preoccupation with self.  “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.”  (Matthew 10:39)

We get stuck in our own needs and wonder why life isn’t “better” for us.  The solution is simple: Raise your sights and your concern to those around you, forget about yourself and ask what you can do for the person standing in front of you.  That is Christian maturity: the bearing of fruit.  Life is too short to be self-conscious, timid, and retiring.  A mature disciple of Jesus is one who has become outgoing, servant-minded, and others-focused. The question to ask is, “What can I do to help that man bear his load?”

Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, noted that the great problem in his psychiatric hospital was how to get the patients to do anything for others, “for they are not interested in others; they are interested solely in themselves – that’s why they are here!”

May God deliver us from the shallowness of soul-sucking selfishness!