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As last Friday’s church met over a shared meal (nothing fancy — KFC this week!) around a kitchen table, someone asked a question that opened up a great discussion on God’s sovereignty and human will. We must have spent at least an hour in dynamic exchange — with amazing questions, comments and seeking Scripture together as God’s truths opened up for everyone.
I vividly recall leafing through World magazine back in 2006 and reading the unsettling but hardly surprising news that Randall Terry – the 
firebrand evangelical who formerly headed Operation Rescue and was then financially wiped out following a series of lawsuits by pro-abortionists – had joined the Roman Catholic Church.
“Unsettling,” because it provides further evidence of the growing weariness and disillusionment I’m seeing among spiritual “entrepreneurs” who’ve been laboring within evangelical circles to expand the Kingdom of God in all spheres of life and culture.
“Hardly surprising,” however, as those “on point” for the Kingdom increasingly seek refuge from the prevailing pop-theology (or dare I say lack of theology) and me-focused brand of Christianity that pervades evangelicalism (which includes charismatics and Pentecostals), animates many of our local church and national leaders, and cuts believers off from the great historic doctrines and creeds of our faith.
“The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” — Margaret Thatcher.
Some may think we’ve not yet sunk into the clutches of socialism — 
which happens when we have a state-run economy. But consider this: In 2009, federal and state governments will consume 40 percent of the United States’ TOTAL gross domestic product. This means that nearly half of all the wealth generated in America this year will be taken by civil government to fund its ever expanding control over more and more of our lives and our economy. As a result, we have run out of money while undercutting the means for producing future wealth.
Yet the federal government seeks to expand its reach even more.
Self Delusion
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:5-9 (KJV)
“Peace if possible, truth at all costs.” — Martin Luther
I am sensing more and more the need for authentic community in our churches.
When community starts taking hold (beyond an emphasis on Sunday “church” services) and we start getting involved in each other’s lives, major issues typically arise as we start to learn more about one another. Often, ongoing sins and improprieties begin to come to light — maybe even among our leaders.
How do we handle pastoral failings, especially when they go beyond merely personal sin and involve an abuse of position or trust which harms the church and hurts others?
Sunday afternoon I attended an authentic fire-from-heaven, slain-in-the-spirit, foot stomp’n, Pentecostal Holy Ghost church service with handkerchief-to-wipe-away-the-sweat-on-the-forehead preaching on — believe it or not — pastoral burnout.
Although the topic could be viewed as a “downer”, it actually was a great time of refreshing and renewal!
This article (see full text here) confirms my worse fears about Rick Warren, who has shown a troubling tendency to fall into the false trap of thinking that “compromise” is “compassion”. Worse still, he then publicly lied about prior comments he made on the issue of “gay marriage”.
The great thing about America is we have the right to be wrong. But that doesn’t mean we must have state-sanctioned sin. I minister a lot to people dealing with homosexuality, and showing grace to those in bondage to homosexuality does not mean compromising the truth. Grace and truth are not either/or, but yes/and. Grace without truth is sloppy agape that leaves us in bondage, while truth without grace is death. But when we reach out with both, there is life.
This is Exhibit A on what happens when our “leaders” fear man more than God. God help us all if we allow ourselves to be reduced to this type of of “leadership” in the Church today.
On Sunday I taught men in the jail, using Psalms 116:5-7 (ESV), about moving from woundedness to life. I challenged them not to settle for mere comfort when confronting hurt, but to embrace life instead.
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
When hurt and wounded, too often all we can muster is a desire for God’s comfort or soothing presence. Although he’ll sometimes do that, what he really wants is to move us past woundedness into brokenness – that low place where we are willing to surrender to him. Only then can we hope to experience the bountiful life, both in us and around us, that comes from finding and finally doing God’s joyous will.
