renrutkram

I’m not sure if you have moments of personal doubt and insecurity—I sometimes do.  Recently I was feeling quite useless.  A stray comment here or a thoughtless decision there and one can easily spiral into a defeatist attitude.  Satan wastes no time in capitalizing on our mistakes.

Satan accuses Christians day and night.  It is not just that he will work on our conscience to make us feel as dirty, guilty, defeated, destroyed, weak, and ugly as he possibly can; it is something worse: his entire play in the past is to accuse us before God day and night, bringing charges against us that we know we can never answer before the majesty of God’s holiness.

What can we say in response? Will our defense be, ‘Oh, I’m not that bad?’  You will never beat Satan that way.  Never.  What you must say is, ‘Satan, I’m even worse than you think, but God loves me anyway.  He has accepted me because of the blood of the lamb

— D. A. Carson, Scandalous

Unfortunately, Satan is not our only accuser.  Other Christians waste no time pointing out your flaws and imperfections.  I am convinced that accountability is necessary within a Christian fellowship but accountability is for the purpose of edification and restoration.  It is very easy to drift from accountability to accusation.  We love to see others fall.  There must be a point where we allow the mistakes of others to be left in the past.  The acceptance and forgiveness of Christ is the basis of our status before Him and each other.  For me, the words of Paul are profoundly applicable:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Am I willing to treat others not just as I want to be treated but as Christ treated me.  Am I willing to consider them as better than myself?  Am I willing to suffer wrongs and insults rather than be defensive?  Am I willing to measure others by the work of Christ rather than their good or bad behavior?  Am I willing to forgive their sins rather keeping score?  Am I willing to love like Christ?

Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.

— Charles Spurgeon

I have seen a lot of discussion about Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28 (we’ll save the debate over the appropriateness of such an event at the Lincoln Memorial on such a significant date for another time).

One of my good friends mentioned how moving it was to see thousands of people singing Amazing Grace.  I could tell she was shocked when I responded with caution and skepticism rather than whole-hearted affirmation.

The more I have examined this event the more I am convinced that it is nothing more than an ecumenical, atheological, universalitic form of the often seen idolatry of patriotism.  While some well-intentioned evangelicals may have been involved in this event, Beck presented nothing more than a moralistic, patriotic call to everything but the Biblical gospel.  I heard no mention of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus or the call of Christians to love their enemies and sacrifice their preferences for the sake of the gospel.  It is no surprise that Beck, a self-identified Mormon, would miss the mark on the gospel.

For many undiscerning evangelicals Beck’s morality, Biblical references, and theistic language is enough to convince them He is on God’s team.  Unfortunately, as his Mormon theology and alliance with clerics of various faiths demonstrates Beck is not a believer in the Trinitarian articulation of the Christian God.  One can support Beck’s politics but be very wary when he begins using theistic language about “returning America to God.”  Whose God?

The best and most well-reasoned response I have read is by Dr. Russell Moore.  Everyone should read his measured response (some lengthy excerpts are included below):

Rather than cultivating a Christian vision of justice and the common good (which would have, by necessity, been nuanced enough to put us sometimes at odds with our political allies), we’ve relied on populist God-and-country sloganeering and outrage-generating talking heads.  We’ve tolerated heresy and buffoonery in our leadership as long as with it there is sufficient political “conservatism” and a sufficient commercial venue to sell our books and products.

Too often, and for too long, American “Christianity” has been a political agenda in search of a gospel useful enough to accommodate it.  There is a liberation theology of the Left, and there is a liberation theology of the Right, and both are at heart mammon worship.  The liberation theology of the Left often wants a Barabbas, to fight off the oppressors as though our ultimate problem were the reign of Rome and not the reign of death.  The liberation theology of the Right wants a golden calf, to represent religion and to remind us of all the economic security we had in Egypt.  Both want a Caesar or a Pharaoh, not a Messiah…

Mormonism and Mammonism are contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They offer another Lord Jesus than the One offered in the Scriptures and Christian tradition, and another way to approach him.  An embrace of these tragic new vehicles for the old Gnostic heresy is unloving to our Mormon friends and secularist neighbors, and to the rest of the watching world.  Any “revival” that is possible without the Lord Jesus Christ is a “revival” of a different kind of spirit than the Spirit of Christ (1 John 4:1-3)…

It’s sad to see so many Christians confusing Mormon politics or American nationalism with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  But, don’t get me wrong, I’m not pessimistic.  Jesus will build his church, and he will build it on the gospel.  He doesn’t need American Christianity to do it.  Vibrant, loving, orthodox Christianity will flourish, perhaps among the poor of Haiti or the persecuted of Sudan or the outlawed of China, but it will flourish.

And there will be a new generation, in America and elsewhere, who will be ready for a gospel that is more than just Fox News at prayer.

The Issue

Months ago I was asked to blog about a proposed mosque (actually it is an Islamic Community Center) being built at “Ground Zero” (more precisely it is being built two blocks from “Ground Zero”).  At the time I felt it was a lose-lose proposition and my feelings haven’t changed.  I do, however, feel obligated to clear up some common logical missteps that are being circulated around the “interweb.”  This story combines many emotive factors: race, religion, and war.  There is an explosive mix of misinformation, anger, xenophobia, nationalism, and religious fervor.  The scars of 9/11 run deep in the lives of many Americans.  However, the recent “War on Terror” has, among other things, produced a caricature of Muslims in the mind of the everyday American.  I am very sensitive to the feelings of those effected by 9/11.  Nevertheless, “feelings” are not a proper form of argument in a discussion on religious liberty.  Many Americans have unfairly designated Muslims as terrorists in post-9/11 America.  As a Christian it is important to be calm and fair while discussing the building of a “mosque” at “Ground Zero.”  There is no room in Christianity for “Islamophobia” or dishonest caricature.  A Christian response to Islam should be centered on the gospel (e.g., graceful and honest) while generously embracing religious liberty.

Improper Categorization

It is dangerous to categorize religious groups as homogeneous entities.  In many ways there is no one form of “Hinduism” or “Buddhism” or “Islam.”  While various sects share overlapping beliefs they often exhibit more diversity than unity.  Even in Christianity it is difficult to categorize modern day Christians as a unified group.  While I think the standard of Christianity is the Bible, the diversity of self-proclaimed Christians stretches the meaning of the word infinitely thin.  I bristle at the thought of being identified with the likes of Ted Haggard, Benny Hinn, Fred Phelps, or any number of infamous “Christian” personalities (in my opinion these self-identified “Christians” are some of the least likely persons I know to actually be followers of Christ).  These are only the famous examples; countless people claim to be “Christian” but deny the basic teachings of Jesus in their lifestyle.

Treat Others as You Want to Be Treated

If I am unwilling to allow unbelievers (i.e., non-Christians) to define me by the actions of other Christians, then I must be willing to allow Muslims a voice in their self-identity.  Surely some Muslims have used Islam as a means to justify war against others.  Does the Quran encourage violence?  That is a debate outside of our purview and I would caution my Christian friends to remember the often violent stories in the Hebrew Bible before hastily condemning the Quran.  Many Muslims (if not most Muslims) insist that Islamic fundamentalists and Islamic terrorists do not represent the whole of Islam.  If my “Christianity” is different than that of Fred Phelps then I must allow Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf (the project’s lead architect) to distance his faith from that of Osama Bin Laden. The August 16, 2010 issue of Time Magazine did a good job explaining the irony of a moderate Muslim (i.e., Rauf) being categorized with Islamic Terrorists:

The project’s critics range from those who believe Islam was the malevolent force that brought down the towers to opportunistic politicians.  Ironically, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his wife Daisy Khan, the project’s main movers, are precisely the kind of Muslim leaders conservative commentators should welcome: modernists who condemn the death cult of al-Qaeda.  Rauf is a Sufi, Islam’s most mystical and accomodating branch, yet he finds himself accused of extremist leanings.  This browbeating of a moderate Muslim empowers the al-Qaeda narrative that the West loathes everything about Islam.  As New York Mayor Mike Bloombergs said, caving to Park 51′s critics “would be to hand a victory to the terrorists.”  Rauf and Khan hope their project will promote greater interfaith dialogue.  The furor underlines how much it is needed.

Newt Gingrich and several other public figures have tried to compare America with Saudi Arabia.  “There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia” said Gingrich.  The silliness of this statement is astounding. First, Saudi Arabia is governed by Sharia law which is based, ostensibly, on the Quran and the teachings of Islam.  It would make sense that a country like this would be exclusive in their allowance or disallowance of other religions.  However, Saudi Arabia (though central to Islam because of the holy city of Mecca and other such religious sites) is not the sole representative of the international Muslim community.  In any case, America is founded on religious freedom.  I expect America to have a higher standard than most countries in regard to issues of religious freedom (for a humorous look at this issue you can turn to the always hilarious Daily Show).

America and the False Pretense of Freedom

Some of the most fervently patriotic people I know are opposed to a Mosque being built at “Ground Zero.”  Apparently, all of the talk about America as the “land of freedom” is a lie.  For those who are interested, freedom means that people can do things that upset you as long as it does not break any laws or endanger the lives of others.  As long as a group can finance a building and it fits into the zoning restrictions of a particular locale then they are permitted to build.  If we do not allow Muslims to build religious buildings where they desire then the American ideal of freedom is a charade.  You cannot say we live in a free country and then deny a significant group of people the right to build a religious building.  If a Muslim group wants to build a community center in New York City, they can!  I do not want any group of people telling me where I can or cannot build a Christian community center, therefore I cannot oppose Muslims building a mosque.  Just as free speech applies to idiots who say things that I do not like, freedom allows a Muslim group to build a community center near “Ground Zero” (despite the perceived insensitivity of those in charge of this project).

A Note to My Christian Readers

It is easy for Christians to be so consumed with special interest causes that they miss the plot of the gospel.  Christianity is not at war with Islam (despite the way some Muslims may feel toward Christians and vice versa).  There is no room in Christianity for hatred toward another religion, race, or people group.  Further, Christians cannot use dishonest representation to make a point.  Christians should be the first to embrace Muslims around the nation, showing them hospitality, love, and genuine care.  In the process there might be an opportunity to model the gospel that was demonstrated by the scandalous (e.g., Luke 7:36-50) love of Jesus that breaks through social barriers (John 4:1-42; Galatians 3:28).  Jesus died for me, a sinful, rebellious, angry person; I was spiritually opposed to God (Romans 8:5-8).  I was, in some sense, spiritually at war with God.  Yet Christ found me in a dead and decaying state and graciously gave me new life (Ephesians 2:1-10).  I didn’t deserve the love of God.  Therefore, I do not love Muslims because they “deserve” it or because they have been particularly kind to me.  I love them because Christ first loved me (1 John 4:19; 2 Corinthians 5:14).  I love them because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a Christian I am glad that the myth of Christian America is quickly crumbling.  People are no longer able to substitute heritage and tradition for genuine faith.  In the process of spreading the gospel to the nations, the nations have started to come to America.  I no longer have to travel to the Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Kosovo, or any of the myriad of Muslim majority nations to share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ with a follower of Islam.  Instead, Muslims are in my community.  Rather than opposing their traditions and customs I embrace their culture and seek to honestly and lovingly expose them with the beauty of the true and living God.

As a Christian I am confident that the only hope for everyone is the gospel of Jesus.  The solution is not legislation, picketing, name-calling, or fighting but the power of the gospel demonstrated through the honest, sacrificial love of Christians to all people.  A love that is willing to endure insult, abuse, injury, and death for the sake of the gospel.

In my discussions with Bryan Barley (see “Disciples Who Make Disciples“), he shared the way his faith community was defining their mission.  If you have been involved in any American churchianity you have come across the unhealthy view of missions as “over there.”  You know, the missionary comes to your church with their overhead projector, slideshow, and indigenous outfit to share about what it means to be a missionary.

The Biblical reality is that all Christians are full-time missionaries.  Most are full-time paid missionaries who get their pay from some occupation not related to their faith (i.e., schoolteacher, lawyer, nurse, etc.).  Many Christians see missionaries as the super-Christians who are uniquely called to dedicate their lives to sharing the gospel to a particular group of people (usually in a foreign context).  The reality is that all Christians are called to dedicate their lives to sharing the gospel with a particular group of people.  Some of us (far more of us than have actually gone) are called to go to the lost nations of the world.  However, in the modern world many of the nations have come to America.  My most effective years of “mission” where when I was a student at William and Mary (“Bill and the Babe” as we alums call it).  Many college campuses are a sampling of various “people groups” from across the nation and the globe.  The nations have literally come to your back door!

Those of us who have been on short-term mission trips are used to the “assignment” when we go.  In fact, one of the reasons “mission trips” are so successful is the clear focus on the assignment of going and telling others about the gospel.  On such trips one has a clear task.  If all of us are really full-time missionaries, why don’t we think in such clear terms daily?

Vocational missionaries use the language of “people groups” to describe unique pockets of culture they are trying to infiltrate with the gospel.  Who are your people groups and what are you trying to do to reach them?  In college my people groups where my coworkers at The Coffeehouse, my hallmates in the dorm, and my colleagues in the classroom.  In seminary my people groups where my coworkers, the regulars at the dog park, and my neighbors in the apartment complex.  Now, my people groups are the teenagers of North Suffolk, the employees of the places I frequently visit (i.e., barber, barista, grocery store clerk), and my neighbors.

Who are your people groups?

What are you doing to reach them with the gospel?

Recently my friend Bryan Barley came to our church here in Suffolk, VA.  He was sharing with our elders on Tuesday night and with the larger congregation on Wednesday.  Bryan and I have been friends for a few years now and I have always enjoyed the way he can challenge me in a Biblical and gentle way.  I genuinely feel that he is a friend that sharpens me and nudges me toward faithfulness.

It was fun to hang out with Bryan as we talked about the gospel, theology, ministry, and life.  We mixed in a some sports, comedy, and ridiculous religious broadcasting to top it off.

If you are unaware of the journey that Bryan and his family are undertaking you should check out their church.  They are moving to Denver, CO in January of 2011 to plant a gospel-centered community right in the middle of the city.  Rarely have I found a church planter as gifted, thoughtful, teachable, and faithful as Bryan.

It was refreshing to be around Bryan because he thinks the way all Christians should be thinking — like a missionary.  Nothing is off limits.  Every strategy, relationship, and plan is tested against the Scriptures for the purpose of sharing the gospel with the nations.

Bryan shared many insightful things about missions, urban ministry, church planting, community, and mission.  One thing he mentioned has continued to haunt me: as Christians we do a lot of different things when are really called to do only one thing and do it well — we are to be disciples that make disciples.

As Christians it is easy to get distracted by buildings, staff, programs, strategies, fads, events, budgets, and more.  The will of God, however, is simple — go and make disciples.  Go to the nations.  Go to the neighborhoods.  Go to the cities.  Go to the companies.  Go to the schools.  GO!

Among all the things (some of them good and some of them bad) that I am doing, am I doing the one thing I am called by God to do?

The truth is that our culture is very easily drawn toward cynicism.  There is so much hypocrisy and disappointment in life that optimism seems vaguely idiotic.  When it comes to Christianity I was living a very cynical existence for many years.  Everywhere I looked I saw hypocritical televangelists or nominal believers.  I felt most pastors preferred pop-psychology to faithful exegesis.  On top of that I felt the Evangelical culture as a whole was inconsistently preoccupied with certain social issues (such as a perceived fight against homosexual marriage).

Over the years God has been slowly softening my heart.  I am not a cheery optimist and I still consider my spiritual gift to be sarcasm but I am learning to model the grace of the gospel to everyone.  When I look at the surrounding culture I balance critical realism with gospel-centered hopefulness.  I am neither blindly naïve or hopelessly jaded.

For me, cynicism came from a belief that I had all the answers.  I felt that the way I viewed the world and the way I understood God was the only possible way.  While I still have strong opinions on issues, at the core of my ability to navigate through the perceived ignorance of others is an understanding that I am not the final arbiter of what is wise or unwise.

The gospel has magnified the depth of my sin and highlighted the grace of Jesus leaving me with no response but thankful humility.  It is only the gospel that gives me hope that I can change, that God is good, and that their is a future for those that love Jesus.  That is the hope that I want to share with a jaded and cynical world.

I’ve been a fan of Andrew Peterson for a while now.  His newest release (Counting Stars) was released today.  My favorite song is the gospel-saturated tune “Dancing in the Minefields.”  It is a song about commitment, marriage, and Christ-like love.

As such, I want to dedicate this to my beautiful wife, Whitney.

It’s harder than we dreamed, but I believe that’s what the promise is for…

And we bear the light of the Son of Man, so there’s nothing left to fear.  So I’ll walk with you in the shadowlands, until the shadows disappear.  ‘Cause He promised not to leave us, and His promises are true.  So in the face of all this chaos, maybe I can dance with you.

On the Desiring God blog, they had some advice from John Piper.  I was particularly impressed by what he said.  Read for yourself.

Hold fast to the Bible.  Base everything on the Bible.  If you are going to criticize, criticize from the Bible.  If you are going to affirm somebody, affirm them from the Bible.  If you are going to do a strategy, do it from the Bible.  Be a Bible saturated people.  That’s what will make for long term staying power for the gospel.

I know this is going to be called bibliolatry, and people will say, “You worship the Bible, not God.”  Bologna on that.  People who reject the Bible for God become idolaters.  The only God worthy of knowing and loving is the one we meet in and discover through the Bible.  I do want him to be everything and the Bible is secondary compared to Him;  but if we try to say Him or something about Him without stressing the foundation of the Bible, then we will lose what we are trying to preserve after a generation.

When I saw this video I was both convicted and encouraged.  Convicted that I am not doing more to obey the call of God and share the gospel with all people; encouraged because God is at work in the world and He has invited me to join Him in that work.