The Jesus in Someone Else

When I started out as a fiery young prophet in Bible college at Lee University, I was convinced that unless you believed exactly like I did on even the most hair splitting of issues, you were  quite possibly destined for the eternal fires of hell.

And why not? 

I had the Bible.  And I had the Holy Spirit living in me.  So all I needed to know that I was in the truth, and that you were in error, was simply to read the Bible and then turn inward to find out what was true and what was not.  So, if I did that, and you didn't agree with me, well then "bless God," (as us Southerners sometimes say) something was clearly wrong with you!  The fate of your eternal soul must be hanging in the balance, and it was my job to make sure you got on my side of the fence lest you perish.

I'm guessing most of us can probably identify with this story.  Either, because you've been "that guy" before, or because you've known someone else who was a lot like me (and some of you who read my blog knew me when I was this guy!). 

But one day something inside me changed.

One day God showed up in a pretty significant way.  And He did so through some of the people I thought were walking a dangerous tight rope over the very fires of hell.  All of a sudden I was startled as I discovered something of the Jesus living in me was also living in some of these very same people.  At that time, "my heart was strangely warmed," (to echo the words of John Wesley).

And I experienced a change.  No longer did I look at these men as possible enemies, but I saw them for who they truly were all along, they were my brothers and sisters in whom Christ dwelled. 

Since then as I have grown more and more in my faith, I've begun to realize that the truth of Jesus Christ living in me is not as important as the truth that Jesus Christ is living in other people. 

Don't get me wrong, the indwelling presence of Christ, "Christ in you, the hope of glory!" is a very important truth that we all need to grasp and realize as Christians.  But we need to grow up from this basic doctrine. 

I believe our evangelical expression of the faith has made far too much of this theology, and as foundationally important as it is, it has almost become a doctrine that has crippled us instead of a doctrine that has equipped us.

Yes, Jesus is alive and well in me... but Jesus is also alive and well in a lot of other people. 

And as such, I need to be looking to see Him and hear Him in the lives of other people just as much as I am looking for Him inside of me.  "The witness" I find confirmed in me I need to look for in others as well.  For Jesus is just as much inside of them as He is me.

Therefore, the moment I stop looking to see and hear Jesus in other people is the moment is the moment that I become a danger to myself and others.  Not only in the sense of thinking just about everyone besides me is a heretic in the making, and treating them like it, but also in the sense that I am cutting off from myself the opportunity to truly serve others in the body of Christ, and to also be served by them. 

Jesus stressed the importance of us grasping this truth.  So much so that in the judgment to come, Jesus said we will be judged by how we treated others whom Christ was found to be in:

"I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in...." (Matthew 25:35, NASB).

While there is an undeniable inward focus of our faith, and the need for us to have a personal relationship with God, this relationship only exists as a starting point in our faith.  The doctrine of "Christ in you" was never meant to turn you into a prophetic hermit, or to be a doctrine by which you were suddenly empowered to overwhelmingly conquer whatever addictions or personality hang-ups you have going on in your life (although there is truth to that).

Rather, the doctrine of "Christ in you" was always designed by God to turn out outward instead of inward.  It was designed by God to make you think twice about how you interact with others and how you treat them.  Instead of treating others as deplorably and ignorable, the doctrine of "Christ in you" was designed by God to compel you to start thinking about "the least of these," and actively seeking them out as someone to serve. It was meant to change our focus from that which is inward to that which is outward.

As a result, folks like me should be motivated to play the fiery young prophet role a little less often, and become more like the men and women who have faithfully served Christ by washing the saints' feet. 

Is there still a time and place to take bold stands for the truth, to confront an erring apostle Peter with his hypocrisy, and to be a voice crying in the wilderness to make straight the ways of the Lord?  Absolutely.  Are there times in which we must look inward to summon up incredible Sampson like strength to overcome adversity?  Yes! 

But such things are few and far in between.  They should not be everyday occurrences.  What should be something of much more frequency is how often we find ourselves bowed before another, in humble and quiet service, seeing the face of Jesus in others, and tending to them even as we would if it were the Lord Himself.  For in truth, through them, we are caring for the Lord himself. 

But if all we do is think about the Jesus living inside of us, we will never see Him, even if He is right before our very eyes. 

"In your face" Jesus Style Mercy and Social Justice Ministry

"Bible education?"  We've got a program for that.

"Feeding the homeless?"  We've got a program for that.

"Seniors ministry?"  We've got a program for that.

"Greeting first time visitors?" We've got a program for that.

"Community outreach?"  We don't currently have that, but give us 6 months and we'll put a committee together to form a program for that.

Over the years I've come to notice that as the church, we love having "programs."  I'm not even sure many of us could define the word "program."   However, there is one thing we know, is that if there is a problem we are trying to solve, we know that a program will fix it.

Programs have become our one indispensable tool that we use on everything, and fulfills the prophecy that says if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem will begin to look like a nail.  And if we don't have a program for something as a church, we tend to let things fall to the wayside, as collectively, we can only do so much.

Please don't get me wrong.  I think programs are great, and I believe they are Biblical. Organizing a group of mutually interested people to solve a problem, pooling mutual resources, and working together as a community, we can often do more together than we can individually.  We need food pantries, we need community outreach programs, and all these sort of things.

However, there still remains much for us to do at the individual level.  As much as we need church programs, we also have a great need for "in your face" Jesus style mercy and social justice ministry.

Jesus once said:

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' " ~ (Matthew 25:34-40; NASB)

One thing that has always stuck out to me regarding this passage is the very intimate and personal nature in which the followers of Jesus are supposed to reach out to people.

Jesus said "I was hungry, and YOU gave ME something to eat... I was thirsty, and YOU gave ME something to drink..."

There is something very one on one and up close and personal about this.   I, you, me.

I believe in my heart of hearts we need to reach out to people and connect with them in a way that programs simply will not allow.  Programs tend to get boxy and have steps and procedures and regulations and chains of command.  Programs become filled with red tape, and and as we institutionalize outreach, we sometimes make it impossible to reach out to people to meet their individual needs.

As a result, even our best of programs have tons of cracks for people to fall through, and if the program you have does not match the person, that person will become further neglected, marginalized, and unreached.

Jesus calls on us as individuals to reach out to individuals.

If we see somebody is in need, Jesus doesn't want us to simply refer them to a church or government program.  Rather, we need to look and see if there isn't a way that you as a person can meet them where they are at and help them.  You can feed them, you can give them something to drink, you can give them a place to stay, you can put clothes on their back, you can spend time with them when they are sick, you can visit them in prison.

You.... you... you!  This is one of the few times in the Bible that we read where it's really all about you.

You don't have to wait for the church or the government to solve the problems people and society face, rather you as an individual can look solve these problems at an individual level, within whatever sphere of influence you have.  You may not do a lot to fundamentally transform society and reach the masses, but you will be performing a service as if unto Jesus Himself.  And if we as individuals in the church all stepped up to do this, who knows to what degree society might be quietly changed and transformed.  I'm pretty sure there is a parable or two in the Bible where Jesus talked this sorta thing.

So, if you consider yourself a "social justice advocate" and think everybody should make a living wage, then when you go out to a restaurant to eat, instead of sitting back and dreaming about a democratic socialist utopia in which president Bernie Sanders leads a revolution that sticks it to greedy corporate fat cats, and forces them to better pay their employees, when you go out to eat at a restaurant, you could make it a point to leave a VERY generous tip (much more than 20%), regardless of how well your waiter performs, or the size of your food order.

Or if you think a particular government agency does a great job at something, and you really like what they do, you could always make a very generous donation to the IRS, and pay the tax level that you want to pay, instead of sitting around and waiting for the government to raise taxes on everyone else.

Or, if you think that college should be free, you could always head down to your local college registrars office, and find out the names of some students who need some tuition assistance this year, and bless one of those students with a scholarship or grant funded by you.

Likewise, if you think medicine should be socialized, there is nothing stopping you from randomly paying the bills of a stranger or somebody you know at the hospital.

Go, do these things.  Stop waiting for some program to be formed that addresses all these issues and ministers justice and mercy to others.  Rather, be an angel of mercy yourself.  Practice justice yourself.  Find individuals wherever they are at, be it friends, neighbors, co-workers, or even complete strangers, and think of ways that you as an individual can serve them even as Jesus would serve them.

Learn from Jesus, who when He healed the multitudes, He never did this by just waving His hand over an entire crowd and making everybody whole.  Rather, He did this by going through a crowd, and one by one, He touched people where they were at.  He ministered to people face to face, and He took the time to care for each person as an individual.  He didn't wait for a committee to organize something.  He was proactive, and took it upon Himself to do these things, because He knew that is what the Father wanted Him to do.

What does God the Father want you to do?  What has He purposed in your heart?  Who has He put in your life, that you know has a need?  Who can you reach out to as an individual?  Where can you make the difference?  Don't wait for a program to be organized to solve social ills that you have identified.  Don't simply talk a good game.  Put your hand to the plow, and work the field that is yours to work.

Jesus says: Your smile is missing

Once upon a time when I was single, and I developed quite an extensive check list in my mind of things I was looking for in a future spouse.

The basic things I desired were pretty simple and standard.  She had to love the Lord, be smart, funny, have a decent job, and above all, she had to be good looking (because I just couldn't stomach the idea of presenting an ugly grandchild to my parents one day!)  

But the specifics were pretty specific.  In fact, some of my friends thought I was being too picky about some of the things I wanted in a wife.  They were pretty sure I would never find one!

Among those specific things I was looking for in my future wife was that she was a woman that enjoyed smiling, and that she also have pretty and expressive eyes that were full of life.  I kid you not when I say that there are many girls out there that made my short list and did not get very far with me when it came to a relationship because they were lacking in this area.

When some girls smiled, I noticed they did not show their teeth because they smiled with their lips clamped together.  Or, there was this one girl in which the white of her eyes were frequently red.  I don't know if she had a medical condition or if she was doing drugs (I didn't stick around long enough to find out).  Either way, these things tended to turn me off quite quickly once I noticed them.

I personally don't think any of that sounds too nit-picky, do you?

After all, as human beings we place a great deal of value on our eyes and our teeth when it comes to ourselves.  We like to have both of our eyes and all of our teeth.  We cherish the ability to see clearly and to chew all of our food.

Eyes and teeth are so important to us that Moses even used these two parts of our body as a means of explaining how we are to go about measuring and exacting justice under the Law of God.  "Eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" sorta stuff.  If somebody is guilty of plucking your eye out, justice is to be found in plucking their eye out.  The consequences of your actions are to be paid back in proportion to the crime you have committed, or had committed against you.  Justice is all about making things even.

But as Martin Luther King, Jr so aptly pointed out in the teaching of Jesus on this matter, the problem with "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" justice is that eventually the whole world ends up blind, and without much of a smile.

So, when somebody wrongs us, instead of seeking justice, and pursuing the desire to get even, Jesus says we start thinking about life beyond justice:

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also.  If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.  Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.  Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." ~ Matthew 5:38-42 (NASB)

Because of my prior profession, I had the opportunity to go to court many times.  And in court I noticed that there isn't a lot of smiling that goes on (such is a great reason to never become a lawyer).  And why should there be?  Everybody is busy plucking out eyes and teeth.  Everybody is busy defending or asserting their rights.  There is no joy in such occasions.

But for the person who has their rights violated, yet decides to not pursue justice, there is a great joy that can be found.

It's the type of joy that when somebody slaps you on one cheek, you are able to offer them the other. It's the type of joy that if somebody tries to sue you and take your shirt, you are able to give them your coat also.  It's the type of joy that if somebody forces you to go one mile, you are able to offer them a second mile.  And, it's the type of joy that if somebody wants to borrow from you, you find it's not such a big deal if they don't pay you back.

The Christian doesn't need to seek justice for themselves.  They don't need to defend their rights... even those granted by the U.S. Constitution.  Instead of getting caught up in the endless cycle to seek justice for themselves, they realize they serve a King who on a cross paid for all the justice that this world could ever imagine and hope for.

Knowing such things, we can do the aforementioned stuff that Jesus spoke about because we've discovered an inner joy deposited deep within our hearts from the Holy Spirit.  And, that joy from the Lord becomes our strength, and the type of stuff that makes us truly into saints.  It liberates us to find a freedom that no constitution or judge can ever grant us.

And. it lets us keep our smiles.

No Guns in Church!

Smith and Wesson may soon be joining your local church.

Locally in Charlotte, NC, the local NBC news affiliate has covered a story in which the pastor of New Outreach Christian Center, has announced their decision carry a firearm in church as a result of the deadly church shooting that recently happened in Charleston, SC.

Pastor Brenda Stevenson said from the pulpit:

"We need protection... I want them to know 'Have no fear. God is here,' but we got two more members. Smith, and Wesson."

As a patriotic American who supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms, there is a part of me that wants to say "Amen!"  But, I am troubled by such a feeling, as I know it conflicts with the Holy Spirit, who tells me that pastor Brenda Stevenson and what she is thinking is wrong.

It's wrong because it's fundamentally out of step with the teachings of Jesus.  Such a thought might be fully American, but it is not exactly Christian.

Jesus taught us not to be afraid, for He is with us.  Jesus taught us that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.   Jesus taught us that instead of taking up our right to bear arms, we need to take up our cross.  Jesus taught us that though we die, we will yet live again.

As a people who believe that Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again, I simply don't see how in good conscience we can even think about arming ourselves for the purpose of self-defense.

The idea of being shot to death is a terrifying one.  It actually happens, and we see it play out in the news every day.  But as a people who believe that death doesn't have the final answer, and that though we die, Jesus Christ will come again and raise us back to life one day, we should accept the real possibility that somebody might actually violently kill us one day.  And, instead of seeking to preserve our lives, we need to be a people who are always ready to give our lives.  Even if that means falling prey to a world full of madmen.

The late Art Katz used to frequently say, "You are far too American" in his preaching. And in instances such as these, I cannot help but think time and time again how right he was.

We would rather be American than Christian.  And the idea of packing heat in a church service betrays everything I know about being a Christian and shows where our heart and our thinking really is.  It is fundamentally wrong, and grounded in the thinking that rules this world.

But sadly, many of us can't see it, because our values more align with the stars and stripes than it does the cross of Jesus Christ.  And in the process, we lose the opportunity to be a powerful prophetic voice to our generation, and be like those saints who gave their lives in the church shooting in Charleston, SC.

Let us refuse to take up arms.  Let us be willing to give our lives as a people who believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, knowing that as He lives, so too shall we one day.

Dear Christian Clerks: Please Issue Gay Marriage Licenses

Dear Christian Clerks:

As you are well aware, the Supreme Court has recently ruled that homosexuals have the constitutional right to get married in the United States.  Like you, I believe this is clearly contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures and of our faith on the nature of marriage, and that gay marriage is sin.

But in spite of such feelings, I want to encourage you to do something that seems almost contrary to what our actions should be.  I would appeal to you, as your fellow Christian and brother in Christ:

Please issue gay marriage licenses if and when a homosexual couple requests to get married.  Don't protest these proceedings under the flag of civil disobedience, taking a stand for religious liberty, or in the name of Jesus Christ.

Please, hear me out.

I believe you should issue same sex marriage licenses to whoever requests one, even though our faith is clearly against such behavior, and that you can do so in good conscience without having sinned against the Lord.  My reasoning behind this is pretty simple.

In issuing a marriage license to a gay couple, you are not personally endorsing their "marriage" anymore than you are personally endorsing the marriage of anybody else.  You are simply acting as a representative of the state, and issuing a certificate that simply gives the couple legal standing in this country as a married couple.  That legal standing is not the same as you personally endorsing their decision to get married.

Think about it for a second, do you know a straight couple in your life that are getting married, but have no business whatsoever getting married, because they simply are incompatible with one another?  Let's say your Christian daughter wanted to marry a devout Muslim.  Such a marriage arrangement is clearly contrary to the teachings of our faith, and would clearly be a sin according to the Scriptures.  Without a doubt, the marriage would be a complete disaster.

Yet if they came into your county clerk's office to request a marriage certificate, even though you are personally opposed to your Christian daughter wanting to get married to a devout Muslim, would you not issue them a marriage certificate just the same?  Or if for whatever reason you don't, should not the state issue them one just the same?

Remember, just because you oppose the marriage to begin with, even on sincerely held religious grounds, does not mean you should refuse to issue the couple a marriage certificate to begin with.  Your issuing them a marriage certificate is not the same as you giving them your personal blessing, or endorsing their decision to get married.  Such is simply you carrying out a function of our government, and acting as an agent of the state who recognizes the right of any couple to get married.  And even in that capacity, the government is not in anyway endorsing the wisdom of that couple getting married.  It's simply saying they have the right to do so, no matter how sinful or stupid such a decision might ultimately be.

I don't believe you would be sinning against the Lord in issuing a gay couple a marriage certificate.  I understand your reluctance.  But I would encourage you to do so in good faith and clear conscience before the Lord.

For further reflection, I would encourage you to consider the likes of Joseph and other great men of God we read about in the Bible, who served as government officials in nations that were steeped in great pagan and idolatrous practices.  They carried out duties on behalf of their idolatrous governments, yet maintained a pure faith before the Lord.  Consider their example, and apply it the best you can to your situation.

Many blessings,


Jimmy

Our Hopes for Revival Are Dead: And I'm ok with that...

As we celebrate this Fourth of July, many Christians will do so out of a awakened sense that America is not exactly a "Christian nation" anymore.

The Supreme Court decision affirming gay marriage has caused many to realize that we are living in what many have labeled a "post-Christian" nation.  "Traditional values" have long gone out the window.  More than ever, Evangelicals are beginning to realize we are a minority group.

Cliched slogans about "turning America back to God" are losing their former prophetic fervor.  What was once our war cry has now started to become a distant echo.  Hopes for city and nation wide sized revivals are starting to die.  A few foolish "prophets" will still announce the next great move of God that is going to shake everything up from time to time.  And such will land such people a spot on a stage somewhere, or on the Elijah List.  But there they will go to see their hopes and dreams die, and their words having an origin from somewhere other than God.

But, slowly, over time, we will eventually wise up to the silliness of prophecies.  Such prophecies are often grounded in the desire for self-glorification that a so-called prophet has for themselves, coupled with a really bad theological foundation.

Indeed, I think our eyes will be opened to the truth that the primary reason that past "revivals" in America and Europe were ever able to exist in the first place is because there existed a nominal Christian culture that made such revivals possible.  That's not to say such revivals were purely a sociological phenomenon.  God was definitely at work.  But they were a miraculous sociological phenomenon, unique to their own time and place in history.  At the end of the day, these revivals were born in places where the name of Jesus was at least welcomed and familiar.  People still thought of themselves as being somewhat Christian.

Those days are quickly moving past us.

As recent studies have shown, an increasing number of Americans don't have any sense of religious identity.  Any possible outbreaks of "revival" that happen in America going forward will be very limited and regionally based.  But, as our nation as a people moves away from the places that Puritans and Jesus used to haunt, "revival" will be something we read about mostly in a few church history books.

And in spite of the many years of my life where I have studied, hoped for, prayed for, preached on, and had fellowship with other like minded individuals that yearned for revival, I have come to accept that our hopes for revival are ultimately dying and will soon be dead.  And I am ok with that.  I'm ready to move on.

I'm ready to move on to the not so glamorous Christian life.  I am ready to do the painful and difficult work of being a minister in the midst of trials and persecutions of a culture that is hostile to Jesus.  I am ready to embrace the grace I need for daily bread, and to share that bread with others who realize they are hungry for something other than what this world has to offer.  I am ready to speak to those who have ears to hear, and to show Jesus to those with eyes that can see.

Any "revival" we as a Church experience in America going forward will be a revival that sifts and refines us.  The next "great move of God" will involve God preparing a bride for Himself.  It will involve us asking hard questions about hard things, learning to accept difficult answers, growing in our understanding of grace, as we as the church earnestly seek the face of God in how to direct us into the next stage of history, so we can effectively carry out the work of His kingdom, and to be the people He has called us to be.

Dear Governor Nikki Haley: Take the Confederate Flag Down!

Dear Governor Nikki Haley,

I understand something of the history behind the Confederate flag that is lifted above your state capitol.  There are many people who would like to see that flag continue to fly.  But in light of the tragedy that recently befell the citizens of your state at the historic AME Zion Church in Charleston, there are many more people who would like to see it come down.

I understand that flag is flying by means of state legislation that commands it to be lifted up every single day.  I also understand, we live in a republic, and are a nation of laws.  And, I understand as an elected official, you have sworn to uphold the laws of your state.  But, I also understand that sometimes there are things that are more important than laws.

Drastic times call for drastic measures.  I am calling upon you, as the Governor of the state of South Carolina, to bypass the political and legislative process required by your state, and to physically remove the flag from the capitol of South Carolina yourself.  Order its removal anywhere else it may fly in your state, and dare anybody to put it back up. Such may be illegal for you to do.  But as we have learned in the history of our nation, sometimes civil disobedience is a necessary action required of those who wish to break the chains of injustice.

Don't wait to legislate. Help fight the hate.  Take the rebel flag down.  Nobody in their right mind will oppose you.


God bless,


Jimmy

What Is Racism: Through the Eyes of Dylann Roof

If you were to ask most people what racism is, most people would probably use the adjectives "prejudiced" or "hateful" somewhere in their definition.  Or, in light of the tragedy that happened at the historic AME Zion Church in Charleston this past week, you could probably open a dictionary and find a picture of Dylann Roof.

But what exactly is racism?

In trying to understand what was going through the head of Roof, reporters have discovered a "manifesto" written by this young man.  I find this manifesto interesting, because in it we discover exactly how the seeds of racism developed in Roof, and in seeing how it developed, I believe we can get a better picture of exactly what racism actually is.

I have selected portions of the letter for analysis.

Analyzing the Manifesto

Roof wrote:

"I was not raised in a racist home or environment...

The event that truly awakened me was the Trayvon Martin case. I kept hearing and seeing his name, and eventually I decided to look him up. I read the Wikipedia article and right away I was unable to understand what the big deal was. It was obvious that Zimmerman was in the right. But more importantly this prompted me to type in the words “black on White crime” into Google, and I have never been the same since that day. The first website I came to was the Council of Conservative Citizens. There were pages upon pages of these brutal black on White murders. I was in disbelief. At this moment I realized that something was very wrong. How could the news be blowing up the Trayvon Martin case while hundreds of these black on White murders got ignored?

From this point I researched deeper and found out what was happening in Europe. I saw that the same things were happening in England and France, and in all the other Western European countries. Again I found myself in disbelief... 

Niggers are stupid and violent. At the same time they have the capacity to be very slick... 

Segregation was not a bad thing. It was a defensive measure. Segregation did not exist to hold back negroes. It existed to protect us from them. And I mean that in multiple ways. Not only did it protect us from having to interact with them, and from being physically harmed by them, but it protected us from being brought down to their level..."

Roof's manifesto lends proof to the idea that racists aren't born, they are made.  Admittedly, he says he didn't grow up in a racist home or environment.  He wasn't born a racist.  His parents didn't raise him to irrationally hate people of another race.

Rather, we see that his racism was to him a sort of moral philosophy that he discovered after in-depth research and analysis.  He discovered "the truth" in a way that sounds reminiscent of the greatest thinkers and scientists of history.  After hearing all the fall out in the media over the Trayvon Martin trial, Roof became curious over the incident, and started digging around. And, the facts and figures of what he unearthed left him stunned "in disbelief."

Roof wasn't born a racist, rather he believes he saw the proverbial light, and experienced something he likened unto an awakening.  He believes he became enlightened.  In his mind, the facts spoke for themselves, and such required practical actions in light of the reality he discovered.

True Lies

From Roof's writings we discover that his racism wasn't an irrational hatred of black people and other races.  It wasn't an "a priori" knowledge.  It had nothing to do with his upbringing, and everything to do with the truth he discovered by means of in-depth research.  In Roof's mind, his hatred of black people is perfectly rational, and grounded in facts and figures, and supported and confirmed by his own real world personal experiences and observations.

If asked, I believe none of us would admit to hating blacks or any other race of people simply because of who they are.  Rather, like Roof, we would admit that our bias towards others is based on certain facts and observations we have made over the years.

Racism is a belief system that is grounded in what we perceive to be "truth" of what we've extrapolated about other races over the years.  It is the belief that there are certain truths that exist about other races and nationalities, and such truths justify us treating other people groups differently based on the bias we've formed.

Sometimes this bias is positive.  "Italians from New York know what great pizza is!" or "Germans are great engineers, and make the best cars!"   Other times this bias is negative.  "Black people are lazy and have a bad work ethic!"  or "All Arabs are dirty and potential terrorists!"  

BMW and Volkswagen are able to sell a lot of cars as a result of marketing that plays off the positive bias that Americans have towards German made cars.  They are treated as a luxury, and the finest automobiles on the road. Whereas a black family from Georgia might struggle in marketing an Italian restaurant, no matter how "authentic" their pizza is.  One might suggest that they would find more success in opening a soul-food restaurant instead.

But in spite of all these perceptions, we know these things to ultimately be lies.

BMW and Volkswagen make some pretty good cars.  But we also know they make some bad ones.  Likewise, there are Italians from New York who make great pizza, but there are others who should stay very far away from a kitchen.  But regardless of the truth of the matter over such things, the perception still exists, and the perception of the truth is the story that is sold time and time again.  And it is in such stories that racism finds a place to lodge in our hearts.

A Poisoned Pill and the Cure

At the end of the day, racism is built upon a lie masquerading as the truth.  And all lies have their origins in the Devil, whom Jesus calls "The Father of All Lies."  (John 8:44) 

Therefore, if racism has its origins in the demonic, then it is fundamentally a spiritual problem.  And as such, no amount of talking about racism or attempting to craft legislation will ever cure man of the poisoned pill he has taken, and ingested into the depths of his soul.  The only cure can be found in the truth of the Gospel message, wherein the lies of the Devil are crucified upon the cross of Jesus Christ, and exposed to all of the world for what they are.  And it is only in the cross that our hope can hang, for it was on the cross that Jesus reconciled all the races of the world together.

I only wish Dylann Roof would have seen this truth earlier, instead of all the "truth" he found on Google.

It is reported that Roof has said that he almost did not go through with his massacre, because of how nice they were.  For in the hour leading up to the killing, he sat there and listened to these people pray and study the Bible together. And I earnestly believe in that hour he got a heavenly taste of how good the Lord is at AME Zion Church in Charleston.  He almost couldn't imagine killing them as a result.  He became a partaker of heavenly manna.  And like the Hebrews in the wilderness, he simply did not know what it was he was experiencing.

Roof did not know it, but the cross of Jesus Christ was at work in his heart.  God was appealing to him in that hour not to go through with the killing that was in his heart.  The truth of the Gospel was wrestling with the "truth" that was in his heart.  It was attempting to dig out the poisoned root so deeply at lodge within his heart.

Even in this hour, the hope found in the Gospel continues to work in Dylann Roof, as the families of the victims have announced their decision to forgive this young man.  They are forgiving Roof even as Jesus forgave those who crucified Him in their ignorance, the same ignorance that resulted in the death of 9 black men and women in Charleston this past week.

I pray the full work of the cross in felt in the heart of Dylann Roof.  It's his only hope.  And it is our only hope.

Stop "Taking A Stand" for Jesus!

Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and currently sits at the right hand of the Father.  He promises to return one day.

So with that said, where has this idea come from that Jesus needs you or anybody else to stand up for Him?

Jesus does not need you or anybody else to take a stand for Him.  He's not in danger.  He's at the right hand of God after all.  He is sitting as the Lord of all creation.  All power and authority on heaven and earth are His.  He wants for nothing.  He holds the entire world in His hands.

Needless to say, I think it's fair to say that Jesus Christ is doing pretty well where He is at.

And in light of such things, I think it's fair to say that Jesus does not need us to "take a stand" for Him in the public arena.  He's not calling you or anybody else to boycott Disney, Starbucks, or Wells Fargo.  He's not calling on you to demand prayer be put back in public school, or to make sure that the U.S. Treasury keeps vainly printing "In God We Trust" on the back of dollar bills.  He doesn't need the Ten Commandments erected as a monument outside of court houses.

Instead of trifling in such matters, I think the Lord is calling us to do something else entirely.

We often point to individuals like the prophet Daniel and his three friends as "taking a stand" for the Lord in the midst of Babylon, and point to them as an example of how we ought to live.  But make no mistake about it, Daniel and his friends never once took a bold stand for the Lord.  They were simply those who remained faithful to stand before the Lord while the rest of the world bowed before a graven image.

Likewise, I believe the Lord is calling us to be faithful witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and to the uttermost ends of the earth.  He is calling us to practice justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.  If we take a stand for anything, it should be the stand we take on behalf of those who have cannot stand up for themselves.   He's calling us to love our neighbors even as we love ourselves.  He wants us to deal kindly with them, and be a source of blessing in their lives, instead of a source of contention.  He wants us to share the grace we have received in our lives with others, who are desperately in need of the same saving grace.

Above all, I believe Jesus Christ wants us to disengage from the culture wars.  Stop fighting to turn America back to Jesus.  America never has had Jesus.  If it did, she would've crucified Him just like the Jews and the Romans did.

Jesus will deal with America in His own time.  She will eventually go the way of all nations.  And until that time, simply share your faith with those around you.  Be bold, and tell somebody about the hope that is within you.  Pray for the salvation of those within your sphere of influence.  And show others the same mercy that Christ has shown you.  And in doing such, you may just see hearts and minds transformed, and souls snatched from an eternal flame.

And if somebody wishes you "Happy Holidays" at Christmas time, don't correct them by wishing them a "Merry Christmas" in return.

Albert Einstein's Poverty Equation: Why the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer

 "Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.  He who understands it, earns it... and he who doesn't, pays it." ~ Albert Einstein

Have you ever wondered why the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer?

Marxist and free market capitalist theories aside, it's really a pretty simple matter of understanding the above quote by Albert Einstein.  If you can grasp this idea, you can feel free to ignore just about everything a politician says about the issue in the up and coming presidential election in America.

The reason the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is a simple matter of arithmetic:  Rich people get richer, because they have math working on their side.  Poor people get poorer, because they have math working against them.

Simple enough, right?

Consider Bill Gates.

He has an estimated net worth right now of about $89 billion dollars.  Imagine if all this money was sitting in a savings account, earning 1% of annual interest.  That means without doing anything except letting his money sit in a savings account and earning interest, Bill Gates would earn $890 million dollars in one year alone.  That means he would make more than a million dollars every day before it is even lunch time.  His situation goes from great to greater, and all because of simple math.

Now consider the average poor person.

They live paycheck to paycheck, and are never able to save much of any money.  While driving to work one day, their car breaks down.  Not having enough money in the bank to pay for the repairs, but needing to make them because their car is the only way they can get to work, they sign up for a credit card at the auto repair shop in order to finance $2,000 to get their car fixed.  And at the end of the month, they receive a bill in the mail from their credit card company saying that they need to make a minimum payment of $60 a month for the next few years.  Living paycheck to paycheck as it is, they aren't really sure how they are going to squeeze another $60 out of their budget this month, let alone next month, and every month thereafter for the next few years. They try hard, but eventually "life happens" and they miss a couple payments in a row.  And suddenly they discover their balance of $2,000 has grown to $2,200, and they now owe $75 a month.  Their situation goes from bad to worse, and all because of simple math.

Albert Einstein was onto something.  Compound interest is an amazing thing.  It has the ability to make the rich even richer, and likewise, it has the ability to make the poor even poorer.  Compound interest impacts everybody in this world.

Compound interest impacts the rich, it impacts the poor, and it impacts you.  

Rant and rave all you want about economic and social injustices, real or imagined, at the end of the day rich people get richer, not because they are busy screwing over poor people, bribing politicians, and exploiting the working class.

The rich get richer simply because they have learned how to put the money they have to work, and to take advantage of the simple law of compound interest.  The poor individual, unfortunately, experiences the devastating impact that compound interest has on his life.  What turns out to be a positive experience for the rich ends up turning out to be a negative experience for the poor.  What creates wealth for one person ends up creating poverty for another.

As Einstein said, he who understands how compound interest works will earn from his understanding.  But he who does not understand how compound interest works, will pay for his understanding.

Remembering the Poor as the Heart of Ministry

"They only asked us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do." ~ Galatians 2:10 (NASB)

I find this verse very curious. In the midst of much traveling, saving souls, and theologizing, the apostle Paul takes a moment to recall a time in his ministry when the apostle Peter asked of him "only" one thing, and that one thing was to "remember the poor."

Which makes me to wonder, how often do I remember the poor? And am I as "eager" as the apostle Paul was to remember those living in poverty?

Honestly, I don't think I remember the poor as often as I should. I know in my life, I'm doing pretty well. My wife and I live in a uber middle-to-upper-middle crust part of town. On either side of our neighborhood are some shopping centers featuring high end restaurants, grocery stores, and retail outlets.  We have two Target stores within a mile of our home!  These insulate us into a really nice cultural bubble, as we seldom need to go anywhere outside these two shopping centers to find most of what we need for our daily lives.

Don't get me wrong, my wife and I aren't exactly rolling in dough. But we do make out a pretty comfortable life as two young professionals, who have firmly planted our feet in the middle of suburbia.  Like most of our neighbors, we have a mortgage, car payments, and a little bit of credit card debt.  We have some savings, and some money tied up for retirement.  We give to charity.  And we manage to scrape away a few bucks for date nights, and the occasional trip to the mountains or the beach.

Poor people are very difficult to find in my part of town, as the size of the homes and the property tax values virtually guarantees you won't run into very many "undesirables."  If I wanted to go to a part of town where most of the people living there meets the Federal government's definition of poverty, I would probably have to drive about 20-30 minutes to find such a place.

And so an old saying becomes a prophecy fulfilled: "out of sight, out of mind."

In order for me to remember the poor, I have to make a concerted effort to find somebody that is poor.  I'm simply unlikely to run into somebody who is poor in my daily life and interactions with others.

And I am willing to bet that the chances are, if you are reading this short blog post, then there is a pretty good chance you are like me.  You too are rather insulated from the poor, and they are not a regular part of your life.  Therefore, as you go about your day, you think very little about the poor.

I am also willing to bet that like me, most of the people who you attend church with are in the exact same scenario.  In contrast to the churches the apostles planted, which were made up of mostly poor individuals, our churches are often composed primarily of other affluent people, just like you and me.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with this per say.  Jesus died for rich people too.

But as a result of the high affluency rate in the population of our churches, whatever we do in the name of "outreach" to the poor often becomes nothing more than a "special project" that our church engages in.  It involves us loading a bunch of white rich people into a van to take a trip across town to the "other side of the tracks."  It's nothing more than a side project we do on the weekends, and a line item on our church budget.  Our main focus in ministry is back in the comforts of our home church, on Sunday morning, where hardly a poor person is to be found.

Yet for the apostles Paul and Peter, ministering to the poor was at the very heart of their ministry.  Indeed, they saw ministering to the poor at the very heart of the Gospel itself.  Ministering to the poor wasn't simply a side project that they tacked onto an otherwise busy church schedule.  They saw ministry to the poor as central to their calling as apostles.

I believe I am in the process of discovering this truth in my life.  It is my hope that this short blog entry will help you begin the journey of discovering it in your life as well.  For I feel in my heart of hearts that we miss the opportunity to remember the poor, and in doing so, we fail to become true ministers of Jesus Christ.,

May we remember the poor in all that we do.  And may remembering the poor become something that gets ingrained into the heart of our everyday church ministry, experience, and life.