Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

the church

Unity Amidst Persecution

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I recently saw video of Christians in India being beaten because of their faith in Jesus Christ. With fists and sticks they were pummeled simply because they refused to deny their Savior. The buildings in which they were meeting were set on fire even as the believers were still inside. A couple of days later I received a magazine with a girl on the cover whose face had been badly disfigured when someone threw acid on her; the reason for such a heinous crime? She was a Christian. All over the world, every hour of every day, our brothers and sisters in Christ are harassed and tortured. I think that the word “persecution” has lost much of its sting as we have numbed ourselves to the atrocities occurring around our planet. These are real people, just like you and me, subjected to real torture. As I write this, I continue to debate how far I should go in describing the horrors these brave and courageous saints are experiencing. I want to be sensitive to the varied ages of those who read this blog, while at the same time not shy away from the gravity and urgency of the situation.

In a large number of countries in our world, converting to Christianity is illegal. Christians are not allowed to gather together and must meet in secret. Most of us have never experienced anything like this in our entire lives. We read the stories and are scarcely moved. The depth of our faith is of pitiful size when compared to that of these believers. Many travel long hours at night just to reach a place where they can talk with other Christians under cover of darkness. If they are caught, they will be arrested, beaten, tortured and often killed. The brutality of their attackers is unimaginable to many of us. Yet our brave brothers and sisters consider the risk acceptable for the sake of honoring their savior. They do not shy away from the pain, but rather embrace the suffering, knowing that they endure it all for the sake of Jesus. Their lives are lived within the tension of telling others about Christ and wondering if today will be the day they are killed for that same witness.

In contrast, Christians in America and throughout the West live lives of relative comfort and ease. We don’t worry about a knock on the door or being attacked on the street simply because of our faith. We are free to worship in any manner we choose. Every weekend we drive to our places of worship and gather with other Christians without fear of reprisal. Occasionally we’ll hear mention from the pulpit of those Christians in other nations who live in constant peril, and we might even take up an offering and offer a prayer for them; but there is little connection between our lives and theirs. Our biggest problems tend to be if we have enough Sunday school space for a certain age group; this becomes such a devastating issue that we determine the need to spend millions of dollars to rectify the problem. Meanwhile the Church outside, the bride of Christ, is huddling in dark forests to avoid detection; they seem not to be bothered by their lack of facilities. While we vacillate over proper parking and Christmas decorations, the Bride outside is being mutilated and slaughtered. We are blind to the plight of God’s chosen people and we are numb to their needs. We are so concerned and obsessed with our own growth that we neglect the things that are of true value to God. How can we sit idly by and let this happen?

Who will stand in the gap and cry out to God in a loud voice? Who will stand in the face of oppression and declare the justice of the Lord? If not His people, His Church, then who? We are admonished in Scripture to come together in unity as one people (Ephesians 4:1-6), but we have set a dividing line between “us and them”. We who are blessed with so much are blessed so that we might serve those who have so little. We have taken the gifts of the Master and buried them in our own land so as not to lose what we have, rather than taking those gifts and investing them in the lives of those in need. What must God think as He looks down on our lavish buildings and busywork programs and then looks out at those who are starving, beaten and killed even as they gather under a single tree for the sole purpose of worshipping Him? We are responsible for the condition of the Church, and that goes far beyond any walls we might construct. The unity of the Church must be achieved so as to prepare the Bride for Christ. Refuse to sit back any longer; engage your pastors and everyone you know. Implore them to lead in a way consistent with the Gospel and to serve the needs of the entire Church rather than just their congregation. It is time for each of us to mobilize and become the hands and feet of Jesus. Pray for our brothers and sisters who are in chains and torment for the sake of the Gospel. Give all you can to relieve their pain. Stand up and be heard, be a voice for those who cannot speak. Write to your newspapers and your congressmen. God is a God of justice and we are His people. Work for justice and do not rest. Repent with me over what we have allowed to happen on our watch. Linger here no longer, but rather in the name and power of Christ, go out into the world proclaiming His truth and His salvation. Stand in the way of ruthless men and break the chains of injustice. This is our calling and mission as followers of Christ. Stand in unity with your brothers and sisters and prepare the way of the Lord.

Modern Idolatry

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I am struck by how the Church continues to grow at impressive rates in countries that are altogether hostile toward Christianity, yet in the Western world the same Church is falling in a rapid decline. How can it be that Christians who are free to worship their God and to tell others about Him are trapped in a malaise while those who face great trials for sharing their faith are doing so with a rabid zeal? One of the great mysteries of Christianity is that it has always flourished under persecution. The more others have tried to stamp it out, the faster it grows. As a follower of Christ it is encouraging to see what is happening around the world, yet very discouraging to look in my own backyard. How much longer will the Western Church slumber? What must be done to bring a new awakening to our congregations?

Part of our problem is the abundance of our blessings. While this should be a good thing, we have instead indulged selfishly in what God has entrusted to us. What He intended to be used for His glory, we have hoarded for our own. In the Old Testament, the peoples would go up to the high places and worship their Asherah poles. God commanded that His people should no longer worship those, and indeed that they be torn down (2 kings 18:1-7). Today I believe our church buildings bear a marked resemblance to the ancient high places of worship. We fancifully adorn our buildings and often build them in desirable locations so that people can come from all around to worship there. Paul tells us that greed is a form of idolatry (Ephesians 5:5), which makes all us greedy people idolaters. I cringe at the notion that I have engaged in any form of idolatry; yet how can we not admit our greed when we spend lavishly on our own comforts while around the world children lie sick and dying, and while billions have never heard the message of the Gospel? We have been given much and we are clutching tightly to it. We do not share, but rather toss scraps to those in need. How can we imagine God is pleased? Is it any wonder the Western Church is in decline?

There is a cure for our troubles; there is a path away from our idolatry. The answer is Jesus Christ and a life lived fully for Him. We can no longer accept the traditions of the generations that have come before us. The Gospel has been systematically watered down until now it is good news only when it benefits us. We ignore passages of Scripture that would bring conflict or discomfort while we cling tightly to those that promise peace and rest. True peace and rest are found only in Christ, and will not reign in this world until His return. If you would have comfort in this world, the only means of obtaining it is by throwing yourself with total abandon into the arms of Jesus and allowing Him to lead you along His path. If we indulge in the pleasures of this world, then this world will be our reward. Look around at your inheritance; is it worth giving up Heaven for a place that daily plummets further into despair? If we will seek only the pleasure of following in the way God has commanded, then Christ will be our reward. Compared to anything else, I’ll take Jesus every time.

We have too long lived in darkness masquerading as light. The way to God is narrow, but it is well lit; the path is clear. Do we desire Jesus more than anything this world has to offer? Are we truly willing to sacrifice everything we have and know to follow in His footsteps? Can we let go of the idols that have insinuated themselves into our lives? We need to forget all that we think we know and learn to live only in the manner in which Christ instructed us. No more empty religion, no more alibis, and no more pretense. The call of Jesus is serious; it demands your total devotion and it demands your life. Are you willing to pay the cost? Am I? It’s time to throw away the dead and worthless idols of our greed and apathy. Let’s cast everything aside for Him; let’s truly follow Jesus.

Leaving a Legacy in 2011

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For what will the American Church be known in 2011? A new year brings great possibilities and great opportunities. At the same time, it carries great responsibilities. We can forget about our past failures and begin anew to be the Body of Christ to a world in such desperate need. This can be the year when Christians reject traditional religious ritual and venture out as true followers of Christ. We can go to the entire world, teaching them about the love of Christ and be His hands and feet to a dying world. In the midst of darkness we can be a shining light, a people who reflect the glory of God.

Conversely, we can continue to do the things we’ve always done. We can build larger buildings to accommodate our growing church programs, or perhaps just to modernize and compete with the entertainment options of the world around us. As ministries and fellowships grow, I believe it can become easy to lose sight of our true mission. We can get so caught up in doing ministry that we forget the whole point of it. Building a fellowship of believers has nothing to do with building bigger and bigger facilities with state of the art amenities. How many people could be fed and clothed with the money we spend on facilities? How many more could be shown the love of Jesus by providing a single cup of clean water? I pray this is the year that the Western Church begins to turn its focus outward after looking inward for so many years.

I realize there are many churches doing outstanding work in reaching out to the world. The problem is that these fellowships are the exception and not the rule. It should be the other way around. Instead of accepting it as the norm, we should be cut to the bone whenever we see a church that is spending dollar after dollar in updating their buildings and facilities. The Lord has chosen to bless the Western Church with unbelievable resources in this season of history, and we must not squander that with which we have been entrusted. Are we multiplying the talents He has given us, or are we burying them within our own congregations so as to not lose what we already have?

What if this year we channeled our funds to reach out to the poor, the lost and the dying? What if instead of preaching against the scourge of AIDS we actually started providing medicine and healing to those inflicted with this disease? What if instead of preaching about how God intends us to be rich we begin to divest our wealth to give to those living in poverty? What would happen if instead of huddling together among ourselves we instead dispersed among the streets of our cities and throughout the world, going and telling others about the love of Jesus and what He means to us?

We have this opportunity to determine right now what our legacy will be over the coming year. We cannot accomplish our mission unless we first become clear about where it is we want to go. Each of us can play an important role in determining the course of the American Church this year; we all can make an impact. Turning from the empty religion of the past to a vibrant life of purpose in the future begins with you and me. For those who live in America, we can immediately begin pursuing Christ in our own lives, and sharing our journey with those in our fellowship. We can begin petitioning our pastors and elders to make 2011 a year of revival, a year of returning to living life as authentic followers of Jesus. If you don’t live in America, please pray for the Church here. Pray we will be good stewards of the blessings entrusted to us, and that we might use our abundant resources to reach the world with the love of Christ.

It’s up to us, Church. We can continue the status quo and build our impressive buildings while further isolating ourselves from those in need or we can repent and turn again to the work that is the mission of Jesus Christ. The change will not be easy, but it is necessary. Let’s not let another year pass while we sit on the sidelines, enamored with our wealth and oblivious to the world around us. Let’s build a legacy of love and zeal for the name of Jesus Christ. The work begins today.

How (Not) To Grow a Church

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My Dad was a pastor so I grew up very aware of the inner workings of churches in America. I was privy to the strategies and techniques used to grow a church and the plans to attract more people each Sunday. It is both interesting and sad that church growth has traditionally been about the number of bodies in the pews rather than the actual development of the individual; but I digress. As an avid reader I have consumed many books on the subject of the Western church, megachurches, emerging churches, evangelism, church growth, etc. With that in mind, I believe I have discovered the one sure fire way to impede church growth (as defined by adding members): preach the Gospel. Most Christians I have talked to in my life attend their particular church because they preach the Gospel, or they leave a church because it does not. It makes me wonder exactly what Gospel they are talking about. Let’s take a quick look at a few teachings of Jesus to determine whether or not your church is actually preaching the Gospel.

In Luke 18:18-23, Jesus told the young man that if he wanted to follow Him, he would have to sell all of his possessions and give the money to the poor. When was the last time your preacher told the congregation they needed to start liquidating their material possessions and donate that money to care for the less fortunate in their town and around the world? How well do you think that sermon might go over? This isn’t some vague notion or the opinion of a learned scholar, these words came directly from the mouth of Jesus. How convenient that we have chosen to either ignore or explain away this teaching. This is part of the Gospel of Jesus. The good news is that He has come to bring life and justice, and sometimes justice means selling what we have in order to give to those who are hungry or homeless.

In the book of Matthew (chapter 8, verses 21 and 22), a man says he will follow Jesus, but first needs to go bury his father. Jesus rebuked him and told the man that if he wanted to be His follower, he would need to forget about his family. In fact, Jesus went so far as to say we must hate our mother, father, brothers and sisters if we would follow Him (Luke 14:25-27). I have heard more sermons preached on taking care of one’s own family than I have on hating them. The point is we must be so consumed with Jesus that everything we do in life is with Him in mind. All other obligations and responsibilities must be set aside when it competes with following Jesus. If a scheduling conflict forces you to choose between a kid’s soccer game and feeding the hungry at a soup kitchen, it has to be the soup kitchen every time. This is not going to be a popular message on Sunday morning, and I can only imagine the email the pastor would receive after preaching it. But this too is the Gospel. Our mission is to tell the world about Christ, to make disciples of all people. Everything we do must revolve around this purpose.

Finally, Jesus told another man who wished to follow Him that He had no home (Matthew 8:19-20). The implication is that if we would follow Christ, we too will be homeless; so much for the American dream. In the era of the “prosperity gospel”, this is not a popular topic. Western Christianity has come to be taught as some sort of slick panacea, a comfortable existence lived with a dose of compassion. The modern church has planted itself in the suburbs and consumed itself with programs to entertain and cocoon its members. Many churches have become nothing more than large social clubs where one must maintain a certain look and lifestyle in order to gain admittance; the homeless are often not welcome. Yet, the Gospel of Jesus, the true Gospel, states that if we would follow Him, we will have no place to lay our head at night.

Do you really want to attend a church that preaches the Gospel? The Gospel is amazing news indeed; it is the story of God’s love for His creation. It is the story of His redemption of our fallen and wicked world. It is the story of Jesus giving up His own life so that we might gain eternal life. There is more than this, however. The Gospel is also about our responsibility to spread the message to all nations. We are called to give up everything we own or hold dear for the purpose of furthering the Kingdom of God. We are called to sell our possessions, to renounce our earthly relationships and to live a life of utter dependence on Jesus. Not all will be faced with these trials, but all must be willing. If God chooses to bless us with even more than we give up, then it is for His glory. If He chooses to not return abundance to us in this life, it is also for His glory and we will be lavishly rewarded in the life to come. Are you willing to live your life in total surrender to Jesus? Are you willing to live out the whole Gospel, not just the comfortable parts? Your answers to these questions will determine whether or not you are a true follower of Jesus. Don’t get left behind.

Kicking the Christians Out

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What are you concerned with in your life? What drives you to get up each day? Who are you becoming? These questions shape our character, the essence of who we are. Over the past couple of weeks I have found myself among Christians, yet I’ve never been so frustrated or heartbroken. Call me naïve, but I used to think that Christians and followers of Jesus were one in the same. That illusion was shattered several years ago, but it has become magnified of late for me. Let me explain what I see as the difference.

A follower of Jesus is one who is passionately in love with Christ, the Son of God. They will go anywhere and do anything for Him. Their hearts are broken by the dependency of the widows and elderly, by the desperation of the single mother and by the hollow eyes of the homeless. Followers of Jesus show compassion and love to everyone they meet, doing so in the name of Jesus. They share the good news of Jesus whenever they have opportunity to do so. A true follower of Jesus is humble, thinks of others first and possesses impeccable integrity. People are drawn to them because of the light that shines from them, a light that is the very reflection of God. This is what a follower of Jesus looks like, because this is what Jesus looks like.

In contrast, a Christian appears to be one who prayed a magic prayer at some point in their life, probably went forward in a church service to proclaim their faith, and more than likely got baptized in some water. If they are a really good Christian, they then become involved in a ministry or two at their church and eventually teach a Sunday school class or become an usher. The really super Christians may even become deacons or elders in their church. Their speech, dress and attitude are always wonderful for an hour or two each Sunday. Catch them during the week, however, and you’ll find a different story. These types of people compartmentalize their life. One compartment is neatly packed with their Sunday life, while another compartment is stuffed and bursting at the seams with their lives outside of church. Even at church you will hear conversations of negativity, jealousy, rumor spreading and disenfranchisement. Ephesians 4:29 states that, “No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need.” In verse 31 of the same chapter we see that “All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slander must be removed from you, along with all wickedness.” Does this sound like the folks at your church? My guess is that it does not because our Western churches are filled with Christians instead of followers of Jesus.

When I was younger, churches and towns had “revival meetings” every so often. For the uninitiated, these were generally week long meetings held in churches or tents where an out of town speaker would visit and bring a message of repentance. I must be honest, as a youngster I dreaded being dragged along to these meetings. The purpose of the meetings was to shake the local Christians awake, to remind them of their true calling, and I think, to scare the daylights out of those in attendance. Perhaps we need to start having these meetings again. Christians in our churches are in such a malaise that it’s about time that they were shaken awake and scared back to the reality of the seriousness of their choices. We need to rekindle the flame of passion for loving God and telling others about His love. We need to repent of the religion of Christianity and turn to a life of following Jesus.

Let’s kick the Christians out of our churches. Let’s not be afraid to see our numbers drop until all that’s left are true followers of Jesus. Just as He stated in Matthew 12:30, we are either for Him or against Him. A religious life of platitudes and bickering is not a life that is for Jesus. It’s not why He came, and it is not a life to which we’ve been called. These are the salt that has lost its savor; these are the lukewarm. Do everything you can to never fall into that lifestyle. Instead, renew your commitment to Jesus today; determine from this moment forward that you will follow Him wherever He goes, and that you will imitate whatever He does. God has no use for meaningless religion and neither should we. Repent, follow Jesus, love God and serve people. Surrender all that you are and become a true follower of Jesus.