Dear Church: Get rid of your guns!

In America, there are an estimated 357 million or more guns.

As Americans, we love guns as much as we love cars and apple pie.

"You'll have to pry my gun from my cold dead hands..." is an actual motto that comes off the lips of many.

This love for guns in our culture has permeated even the church.

This popular image above of a girl clinging to her gun and her Bible has become something of our witness as a church in America.  We should be disturbed by this. 

But many of us are not, and many of us even celebrate it, because we've got our thinking out of whack with Scripture, and we believe that the Second Amendment is something we should cherish and celebrate. To us, its ethos has come to rival just about anything Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not against the Second Amendment per say. I'm not interested in lobbying politicians to take away the rights our constitution gives us in America. I have serious doubts such would make things better, just as prohibition failed to make things better.

But what I am against 100% is our love for guns. 

Our love for guns is as terrible, if not more so, than our love for money.  And the Scriptures warn us against both. 

But as Americans, it seems we can never have enough guns or money, and we've created a bastardized form of Christianity in which we encourage the body of Christ to love and chase after both.

Guns, like money, are far from simply neutral tools. They are symbols that have the ability to transform our hearts if we are not careful to guard them.  Both can infect us with an unhealthy sense of pride, power, and security.  Both have the power to destroy lives and shatter community.

Some people don't believe we have a gun problem, and that it's simply a heart problem.  And in some sense, they are right. If you took away guns, people would simply resort to other means of killing people.  Cain murdered Able long before a gun was invented.

Such is indisputable.  But such is also naïve.

For the prophets, when they spoke about future things, they didn't merely talk about a time in the future when one day, people would simply have warm and fuzzy hearts that did nothing but bleed love and joy.

The prophets didn't envision a world in which we loved Jesus and also had a nice gun rack in our truck.

The prophets spoke of a day in which people's hearts would be so transformed, that they would also transform their weapons. 

The prophet Isaiah once said:

'Now it will come about that

In the last days

The mountain of the house of the Lord

Will be established as the chief of the mountains,

And will be raised above the hills;

And all the nations will stream to it.

And many peoples will come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord ,

To the house of the God of Jacob;

That He may teach us concerning His ways

And that we may walk in His paths."

For the law will go forth from Zion

And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And He will judge between the nations,

And will render decisions for many peoples;

And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not lift up sword against nation,

And never again will they learn war. '

 ~ Isaiah 2:2-4 (NASB)

Isaiah spoke of the future, "in the last days" in which God's people would hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  They aren't a people who simply blamed mass shootings at schools on heart problems and were content to send up "thoughts and prayers."  They are a people of action who saw the dangers of owning a weapon, and believed they would be better off living without them, to the point where they transformed them into tools fit for nothing more than  working in a garden. They are a people who are not interested in defending themselves or waging war anymore.

Isaiah foresaw a prophetic community and a people who are keenly aware that hearts and weapons have a strange way of becoming tethered together in a way that transforms both. 

Weapons can shape our hearts, and in turn, our hearts shape our weapons.

A prophetic people blame not only the heart, but they blame the weapons that accompany that heart as well.  For when weapon and heart transform each other, it's not just a heart problem that we have, it's also a gun problem.

And if our hearts are rightly where God would have us be, as a prophetic community, we must disavow ourselves of a love for weapons, and instead, see them as instruments that need to be turned into tools used to nurture plants.

If we see guns as instruments for which we have the right to own in order to defend ourselves and our loved ones against evil forces and against tyrannical governments, then our understanding has become dull. 

We need to change that thinking, and see our guns as instruments that need to be transformed just as much as our hearts need to be transformed.

Unfortunately, few of us are there yet.  Many of us have a sick and unhealthy love for guns.  We'd sooner die and let our children die than to be found without a gun.

And to me such shows the truth that those who cherish owning guns often say...

Our hearts really are desperately wicked.

Yes... they most certainly are.  And that is what makes owning a gun so dangerous.

In Jesus name, get rid of your guns good people. 

Franklin Graham: What if Lightning doesn't strike Obama?

Dear Mr. Franklin Graham:

In a recent post on Facebook, I noticed you got pretty upset over the White House being lit up like a gay rainbow flag.  I feel you on that, as it kinda turned my stomach too.

Like you, I object to gay marriage on Biblical grounds.  I definitely don't see gay marriage as something I care to celebrate, and like you, it grieves me that our society has embraced this particular sin.  I'm especially grieved that the White House chose to celebrate this historical mile marker in the fashion that they did.

However, as concerned as I am about these things, I am even more concerned about the public "attitude" you are displaying over this matter.  I mean seriously, what do you hope to accomplish by making a rant about the need for president Obama to invest in lightning rods?

Who does such a comment appeal to?  What good can come from it?  And most importantly, who do you hope to reach with such a comment, and what do you hope to win them to?  Do you imagine somebody is saying "Gee... Franklin Graham is really making a compelling point... I never thought about this issue like that before?"

Such a comment as you made was totally irresponsible, and does nothing whatsoever to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of God.

In Luke 9, we read a story about how the Samaritans wouldn't have anything to do with Jesus and the apostles' ministry.  The apostles, feeling a bit scorned over the entire issue, thought it might be wise to ask the Lord if it was ok if they called fire down from heaven in response to their rejection.  Jesus instantly rebuked the apostles, telling them that they were out of their mind and didn't know what Spirit they were of.  For Jesus said to them that the Son of Man did not come to destroy men, but to save them instead.  In other words Mr. Graham... we shouldn't expect any lightning bolts to hit the White House anytime soon.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know... Sodom and Gomorrah.  Fire and brimstone.  The book of Revelation.  All that fun stuff.

Such things have had their time and place, and we will see them yet again.  They are Biblical.  But I can't help but prophetically intuit that such comments as you have recently made are a bit off.  And if I were a gambling man, I would confidently bet that president Obama will live out the rest of his days without being struck by lightning from heaven.

And if God doesn't in fact smite president Obama over all the evils our nation has embraced, what will you do?  Will you apologize for such comments?  Will you acknowledge on Facebook and elsewhere that you don't quite know the heart and mind of God as well as you thought?  And perhaps, just perhaps, you will see that God is a bit more merciful than you ever imagined?

After all, if God was able to put up with you in the days of your rebellion, don't you think He is also willing to practice a little kindness and mercy, and forbear the sins of  a blinded nation that doesn't quite know what it is doing.

Many blessings,

Jimmy

Jesus will Return: A friendly reminder, in case nobody mentioned it recently

Do me a favor, and think really hard about the sermons you have heard preached in the last year or two.

Now, let me ask you a question:  How many of those sermons had the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as one of their primary topics?

Mmmm... not too many.  Oh wait... none at all?

But you've heard quite a few sermons about living your best life now, financial stewardship, finding joy, overcoming adversity, handling stress and depression, becoming a better you, discovering God's purpose for your life, and daring to dream big.  Right?

Oh dear.

There is this tendency in Christianity today to downplay the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  It's the position of "mature" Christians and serious thinkers after all.  Because if you've lived long enough as a Christian, you've heard just about every goofy thing there is to hear about the return of Jesus Christ.  And realizing that there are a lot of bizarre teachings on the matter, and realizing how bent out of shape people can get about their end-time theological systems, many have taken the position that the return of Jesus is just one of those things we shouldn't really talk a lot about.

Indeed, there has been some serious harm done in the name of Jesus over theologies centering around the end-times.   Every year there is some goofball that sensationalizes some sort of omen in the news that they claim points to the imminent return of Jesus Christ.  And of course, every year for the past 2,000 years, such persons have been proven wrong time and time again.  And of course, the media is always more than willing to run such headlines, which end up bringing a bit of shame on the church when such predictions prove to be false.

So, we have a tendency to respond to such things in one of two ways:  We passively downplay the topic of the return of Jesus Christ altogether, and try never to bring it up;  Or, we join the world in their scoffing.

But the more I've thought about it in recent years, the more I've become convinced that I would rather identify with those saints who are actively looking for the possible return of Jesus Christ in their lifetimes, than I would identify with more "enlightened" believers who shy away or scoff at the idea of Christ returning altogether.  I don't care how funky and misguided the theology of these saints might be.  I would rather be found looking for the second coming of Christ and Him not return, than to not be looking for Him and find out the hard way that He decided to return anyway.

Will Jesus return in our lifetime?  Well, He's not come back in the last 2,000 years, so there stands a pretty good chance that He won't return this year or in our lifetime.

BUT...

Be that as it may, the faith we have received, that has been once and for all handed down to the saints, teaches us that as Christians that we are to be actively looking for the return of Jesus Christ, and His return to this world.  And not to look for Him to return in some far off distant future, but to think it a real possibility that He may return before we have the chance to die.

To not actively anticipate the return of Jesus Christ in our own lives is nothing short of apostasy-- a falling away from the faith.

And this is an apostasy that has overtaken "progressive" and "evangelical" Christians alike.

As a result, this has caused Christians of both stripes to become ever consumed with the ever present "now" of the kingdom.  Progressives get obsessed in social justice issues.  And, evangelicals get wrapped up in having their best life now schemes.

And why not?  Jesus isn't returning anytime soon after all.

So we might as well avoid preaching about those topics that talk about the return of Jesus Christ and the ages of come.  It's better to focus on the "already" than "not yet" aspect of the kingdom of God.   It's better to focus on the breaking of the kingdom into present than to take much time to think about things that are yet future.  We want to talk about practical matters.

At least, so we say.

Yet, as much emphasis as the Bible places on the "already" aspect of the kingdom of God, I can't help but notice the focus on Biblical teaching is still hung on the hope that Jesus Christ will indeed come again, and that once He comes again, all the things that the kingdom ushered into the world are nothing in comparison to the things His kingdom will yet bring.

The present aspect and reality of the kingdom is but an appetizer for the Supper that is still to come.

And knowing such things about the future, what manner of men ought we to be in the present?  Knowing this world is passing away, and that we've received a kingdom that shall not perish, how ought we to live our lives in this generation?  How much different ought our lives look, knowing that one day, everything we see will be tried by Divine judgment, and will be consumed by fire?

My guess is we would live our lives a bit differently than we live now, for when we realize that everything we hold near and dear to us will one day vanish, the things we truly learn to value in this world will change.  And if our values change, our present actions must change too.

Jesus Christ is coming again, and He's coming again soon.

This is a friendly reminder, in case nobody mentioned it recently.

America will attack Israel

During the presidency of Barack Obama, the relationship between America and Israel has shown some signs of being strained.

Many progressive minded individuals have very strong negative feelings towards the nation of Israel, and what they perceive as crimes against the Palestinian people.  Many believe that Israel has adopted an apartheid type of policy against the Palestinians, and that their recently re-elected prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is something of a war criminal.  For political purposes, president Obama continues to call the nation of Israel our closest ally and friend.  But it is evident to all "that loving feeling" between the United States and Israel isn't what it once was.

There has been a definite shift in tone and rhetoric.

Historically, the political strength in the relationship between Israel and America has, in part, been fueled by the Evangelical Christian makeup of America.  Many hold to a popular "end-times" theology that sees it as necessary that we as a nation "Stand with Israel!"  However, as the power and influence of Evangelicals in the political arena continues to fade in this country, and as it continues to become increasingly progressive, we are seeing fewer people make the call to stand with Israel.

Indeed, there is the sense in which Israel is looked at as less of a friend, and almost an enemy.  One might be so bold as to say that Israel is currently America's "frenemy."  

The deterioration of this relationship between America and Israel should not come as a shock to us.  It is something that has ultimately been foretold in the Scriptures themselves.

Indeed, I would be so bold as to prophetically say that the day is coming in which America will not only permanently break its relationship with the nation of Israel, but that one day America will engage in an armed military conflict against Israel.

The prophetic witness of the Scriptures ultimately bears this out, and is part of God's larger plan to ultimately redeem the nation of Israel.  The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah declared:

"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it."  (Zechariah 12:2-3; NASB)

"For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city" (Zechariah 14:2; NASB)

If we read these texts carefully, and in their larger historical, literary, grammatical context, we will discover that the prophet Zechariah is speaking to the nation of Israel, who has just returned back from its Babylonian exile, and has resettled into the land.  It has begun to rebuild itself politically and spiritually.

To the dismay of prophets such as Zechariah, the terrible judgments that Israel had gone through at the hands of the Babylonians was ultimately insufficient.  They did not truly purge the nation of Israel from her sins as was hoped.  Spiritually, the nation still showed signs of corruption, and so long as the nation showed such signs of spiritual corruption, they would continue to be vulnerable politically, and would continue to be subject to further judgments from God at the hands of the nations.

Looking into the distant future, Zechariah prophetically saw that Israel was still spiritually corrupt, and that the nation would continue to experience the same fate that it has continually experienced since it was founded.  Indeed, Zechariah saw a time in the future where all of these things would reach a feverish boiling point, and an apocalyptic scenario would ultimately unfold in the chronicles of human history.

One day, Zechariah says, as part of God's ultimate plans to redeem the Jewish people, events will transpire that will cause Jerusalem to become "a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around," and Jerusalem will become a "heavy stone for all the peoples" and that "all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it."  He says "all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem to battle."

And by "all nations" that means "all nations."  Such is inclusive of America.

America will eventually join the rest of the world, yes, even the radical Islamic world, in an attack against Jerusalem.  And such will ultimately come out of a sense of inevitability.  We will feel like we have no other choice but to lead an attack on Jerusalem.  The force of it will be like gravity, and like an apple clipped from a tree, we will have no choice but to fall.

It will be argued in those days that Israel has finally crossed the line.  There will be a "last straw" type of scenario that will provoke the nations to genuinely feel it must attack Jerusalem for the common good of humanity.  As a nation, we will feel that we must, and that such a war is ultimately morally justified and necessary.

Of course, in the present, we haven't quite reached the point of no return.  But the strain we are beginning to see in the relationship between the United States and Israel is ultimately a manifestation of prophecy simply coming to pass.  While our national relationship will have moments of improvement, we are ultimately on a downward trajectory that will result in war.

Jerusalem is becoming a cup of reeling.  It is becoming a heavy stone that pulls on us all.

None will be exempt.