Daniel Darling's Blog, page 78

Shouldn’t Gratitude Should Be Our First Language?

Yeah, yeah, of course we’re supposed to be thankful on Thanksgiving. But it occurs to me that we’re not very good at this. By we, I don’t mean the editorial “we” by which I’m pointing the finger at the rest of Americans for being ungrateful while I ignore my own ingratitude. By we I don’t mean the “Church” by which I think the problem is the rest of those ungrateful brothers and sisters in the Lord while I silently pretend I’m not full of unhealthy entitlement.

No, I’m talking about me and my own ingratitude. And of all people, shouldn’t it be me that’s the most thankful? Whose first language is one of thanksgiving? After all, it’s me who was sovereignly chosen to salvation, who was brought from death to life by the mercy of God at the cross. It’s me who is the recipient of God’s resurrection power, giving me new life, endowing me with the Holy Spirit, gifting me to serve God, and securing a beautiful eternal city where I’ll dwell with God forever.

It occurs to me that, of all who should be grateful, Christians are at the front of the line. And yet it is us–it is me–who are the least grateful. We belly ache about the state of our country, posting our beefs on Facebook and Twitter, muttering them at the coffee shop and the water cooler. We complain about our jobs, our marriages, our children, our in-laws. We rail against the faults of the Church worldwide, the church local, and that cranky old neighbor next door. When we’ve exhausted these complaints, we moan about the weather.

But our lips should resound with praise. Of all people, we who have been touched by the gospel, should know the depths from which we were rescued. We, of all people should recognize the simple gifts of beauty from a gracious God. Sunlight, oxygen, green grass, rows of harvested corn, breath, blood, life, and community. We, of all people, should enjoy the fruits of American prosperity: political stability, food, order, money, iPhones, clean shirts, education, books, coffee, and a warm coat.

God’s people should speak first the language of gratitude. We should treasure, rather than bemoan, our closest relationships. We should overlook rather than highlight the flaws of those we love. We should embrace, rather than run away from, hard work and accomplishment and purpose.

I wonder the effect on our culture if Christians first simply expressed the unadulterated joy of a man in prison: The Apostle Paul. Where others would complain, he said, “Rejoice.” Where others would give up hope, he said, “I’m content.” Where others would rail at God, he said, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.”

Imagine the impact if this attitude prevailed among God’s people. Imagine the impact if it simply prevailed in me.

The careless soul receives the Father’s gifts as if it were a way things had of dropping into his hand yet is he ever complaining, as if someone were accountable for the checks which meet him at every turn. For the good that comes to him, he gives no thanks—who is there to thank? At the disappointments that befall him he grumbles—there must be someone to blame!- George MacDonald

The Gospel Versus Nostalgia

This summer I had the privilege of travelling to Eastern Europe to attend my brother’s wedding. His wife, Annette, is a native of Krakow, Poland. After the wedding, I continued on to Slovakia to visit missionaries we support near Bratislavia. Jason and Adele Rice and their three young boys have just got to the field and are busy learning the language and culture of Slovakia.

There is something about the mindset of an overseas missionary that would be good for us American Christians to learn. It struck me that missionaries don’t go into a country and try to change the entire governmental structure all at once. That’s not even on their agenda.Over time, their work may lead to positive changes in the country’s culture (See Hudson Taylor, William Carey, Adoniram Judson). But missionaries don’t complain about a country’s culture, but seek to minister in it as it is.

I wonder if American Christians need to start thinking of themselves as missionaries in their own cultures. We’ve had the privilege of growing up in a country that at least acknowledged Christianity even if it was in a national, generalist, fuzzy form. In other words, in America, we generally have gotten back pats and attaboy’s for being Christians. We are accustomed to that so much that when the greeter at Walmart doesn’t automatically belt out a rendition of “Silent Night” after scanning our items, we throw up our hands in horror at the new “War on Christmas.” Most of the Right’s “War on Christmas” meme is hyperbole. But it acknowledges a reality we must get used to if we are going to take the Great Commission seriously: we are missionaries in a culture that is less supportive of biblical Christianity.

We can respond to this reality in two ways: a) We can operate out of fear and continue to try to “take our country back” or b) we can recognize what the Bible recognizes: followers of Christ will always be a misunderstood minority. We’re missionaries. And missionaries don’t complain about the culture they are called to serve. They simple learn the culture and get busy faithfully sharing the good news of the gospel.

What kills our witness is nostalgia. Nostalgia, I’m afraid, is against the gospel. Nostalgia says that there was once a time, maybe its the 1950′s, where we got everything right and America was golden. Nostalgia says, “This is the worst time ever. Sin has never been more rampant.” I can’t tell you how many books I read that appeal to this. There are statistics about how many marriages failed in the early 20th century compared to now, as if adultery and sexual sin are a new invention. But then I open my Bible and find that the same sins that plague us in the 21st century plagued the very first generation of humanity. There was brother-on-brother murder in the second generation. And the pages of Genesis, pre-Flood, read like a transcript of the Jerry Springer show. And consider the book of Judges. Consider the sins the book of Romans describes. Consider Paul’s rebuke of the Corinthian church.

The point is this: sin has always been rampant among humans. There was never a golden age where life was all beautiful. Why do we think this way? Personally I think there is a part of us that longs for utopia–and tries in vain to create it here on earth. Perhaps its our sorrow at being kicked out of Eden and our longing for the eternal home of Heaven.

Here’s how the gospel differs from nostalgia. The gospel instructs us to look back, but not to the Eden we’re missing or to some mythical golden era, but to the cross, where sin and death were defeated, where the enemy of our souls was crushed once and for all. The gospel is always pointing us, not backward, but forward. Hebrews reminds us that we are a people who are not looking backward, but forward to a “city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10).”

We can learn from other eras, we should drink deeply from history, we should imbibe the best of the Reformers, the Puritans, the ancient church fathers. But we must always seek to bring the gospel to today’s world, to live missionally in the culture that is not lament a culture gone by.

Because real missionaries don’t complain about the country that isn’t, but serve the country that is.

Five Responses to President Obama’s Relection

Much has already been written and said by conservative Christians in response to President Obama’s reelection. I found the reflections of Al Mohler and Russell Moore to be among the best. Needless to say, most evangelicals are disappointed that Mitt Romney didn’t win. So where do we go from here? I’m suggesting five responses:

1) Honor and Pray for President Obama (1 Peter 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:17) 

Seriously, the command to both honor the President and pray for him is not optional for followers of Christ. The election is over. The votes have been counted (well, probably not all of them!). So now our job as believers is to pray for God to move in the heart of our President and lead us with moral conviction, courage, and grace.

2) Relax (2 Timothy 1:7)

Elections are dramatic, tense moments in American life. They’ve always been that way. And if you’re on the losing side, you fear America becoming what the grainy, ominous 30-second ads said America would be if your guy lost. Relax. God has not given us the spirit of fear. We don’t place our ultimate hope in a President, but in a King whose authority is not challenged and whose coming reign is sure. And we know that we will never find utopia on earth until the King consumates His kingdom. So relax. If Christians under Nero could trust God, you can surely trust God under a Democratic president, right? If Christians in China and Sudan and Saudi Arabia could bravely live out their faith, I’m thinking we’ll be just fine. America is still a great place to live. People are literally dying to get in here.

3) Don’t be ashamed for standing up for your principles, even if you lost (1 Corinthians 15:58)

I voted for Mitt Romney based on three issues: sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage, and free-market principles which I believe better alleviate poverty. I didn’t agree with him on every issue. But I lost. However, I don’t feel badly about voting the way I did. Christians should be wary of over-involvement in politics, but we should never be afraid to stand up for what we believe is right. This is one way we love our neighbors and our communities and our countries. In the end, if we were on the side of justice (prolife) and we lost, at least we were on the right side. I don’t believe this labor on behalf of the defenseless is in vain.

4) Dispense with the doomsday stuff

One thing I’d like to see Christians abandon is the doomsday prediction business. Like clockwork, every time a politician who doesn’t embrace our values gets elected, we churn out lots of poorly written apocalyptic doomsday books. Want to get a good chuckle? Read one of these from the 90′s. You’ll find that most of the doomsday scenarios didn’t happen. Let’s find creative ways to engage on the issues about which we care, to write thoughtfully about vexing social problems, but retain the blessed hope of the gospel through it all. I’m not saying we should adopt Joel Olsteen’s positive gospel of nothing, but let’s also not be merchants of fear. Let’s point people to the eternal hope of the King.

5) Realize that most of the best culture-changing work happens outside of politics. 

Elections are important. Good leaders are vital for a thriving society. But politics is not the only means of affecting change. In fact, my next book will be on this very topic. Together with my friends, Dillon Burroughs and Dan King, we put together a book that addresses 12 key cultural issues (abortion, the environment, poverty, etc) and ways individual Christians and churches can make a difference. Consider abortion. I’m grieved that President Obama will likely appoint two Supreme Court justices who will likely ensure that Roe versus Wade is affirmed. I wish that heinous law was overturned yesterday. And yet, I can actually save babies from being killed by supporting my local crisis center. In fact, what if all the wasted money wealthy conservatives through at Super Pac ads was redirected at establishing more of these very effective crisis centers? We may not need new laws restricting abortion because girls would choose life. This is just one example where ordinary people of faith can get involved, right now, in their local communities. So if you are hacked off about the way the election went, roll up your sleeves, get involved in your local church and in local organizations making a difference. Christians are not called to serve the world they wish existed, but the world that is. Let’s get involved in applying the gospel to the brokenness of our very fallen world. 

 

The Sin About Which No One Will Speak

Envy is like a fly that passes all the body’s sounder parts, and dwells upon the sores. 

There is a sin that nobody in our world really wants to discuss. It’s the fashionable sin, that fuels our great social movements and has become an engine of our politics.

It’s the sin of envy. We love to talk about greed. I mean if you google the word, “greed” you’ll get a thousands sermons, news articles, political speeches, blog posts, etc. We assume that anyone who is wealthy is greedy, simply because we attach greed to success as if the poor can’t have bad attitude about money.

Now, to be sure, greed is a horrific problem. And there are some in positions of power and wealth who have money as their god. But greed’s cousin, envy, is just as powerful a master, only it is disguised in more noble clothing. Envy masquerades as populism. Just listen to some of the way we talk today. If a certain CEO makes a lot of money, we call it injustice because WE can’t have it. If a politician is in a position of power, we hate him because he is where he is and I am where I’m at. If a popular pastor gets more popular, we have to go digging for doctrinal sins so discredit him and thereby bring him to our level. We can’t abide someone else having something we don’t have.

Envy is an insidious sin. And yet we don’t preach about it. We don’t warn of it’s dangers. Instead, we let it have its reign in our culture, because it drives our economy. Watch the commercials on prime-time TV. What is at the heart of every single one? Is it not envy? Is it not the lie that “You deserve this new thing. You’ve worked hard. Why shouldn’t you have what others have?”

As followers of Jesus, we should rightly eschew greed. And we should promote justice, we should get our hands dirty and serve the poor. We should work hard to alleviate human suffering. But we must make sure envy doesn’t fuel our activism. We must ensure that we are not preaching a false gospel to the downtrodden that says: “God has been unfair to you. Others have what you don’t have. Jesus will even the score.”

The real gospel offers something richer than envy. It offers new and abundant life in Christ. It offers a hope that transcends the cheap, plastic euphoria that earthly possessions promise. It offers God Himself, in the Person of Jesus. It offers an “eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:7). When we get to Heaven, no blood-bought, ransomed sinner will every say, “Wasn’t it a shame I didn’t have as much money as Bill Gates?” No, likely, we’ll say, “Can you believe we longed for such fleeting idols?”

Let’s not stop preaching against greed. But let’s also not forget to preach against envy. Let’s be glad for the wealth God has granted to others. Let’s be thankful for what we have, whether great or small. Let’s welcome the rich into our churches without assuming they are criminals. Let’s give our money to the poor without attaching the soul-destroying bacteria of envy. Let’s find our pleasure in Jesus only. Let’s point people to that pleasure and not temporary pleasures in other’s possessions.

Yes, let’s ask the Spirit to eradicate this sin, the one about which no one will speak.

The Surprising Fruit of Balance

It would be hard to find a more boring word in ministry circles than “balance.” There is a lot of talk about being “radical”, “edgy”, “relevant”, etc. But balance sounds rather unhip. But I’m finding this word may be the key to lifelong, steady, sustained ministry success.

There is a part of all of us in ministry that desperately wants to be noticed. And our American culture seems to celebrate such unbridled ambition. We want to be though of as being successful, even if we cover it with a nice Jesus gloss and call it impact. And so pastors are on Twitter crafting statements they hope will be retweeted. Or we are coming up with more outrageous ways to have our message rise above the cultural noise. I’m guessing most of the time this comes from a pure heart: we want to see a lost world embrace Jesus and we’ll do anything to get them to notice.

But there is a cost to a sort of pragmatic, no-hold-barred, entertainment-is-the-answer approach. There’s a cost to pastors being outlandish, carnival barkers, a bit crazy. Sure, you’ll be seen as a different kind of pastor and you’ll likely get written up in the latest ministry magazines. You might get a lot of traffic to your website or land that coveted speaking engagement. But the cost is something valuable: credibility. Maturity. Pastors, as God’s representatives to His people, should, at the very least, be the adults in the room. We should be sober-minded, steady, strong. This is the kind of leadership every generation needs.

Now, to be balanced isn’t necessarily the same as being “safe.” To be “safe” is to shy away from the hard call of the gospel, it’s to seek our own comfort, it’s to bend our ear more frequently to the applause of the culture. To be safe is to do the same things, over and over again, without new results. To be safe is to preach only of the culturally acceptable parts of the Bible (love, forgiveness, justice, unity) and ignore those that sound like fingernails on a cultural backboard (Hell, sin, repentance, God’s wrath, morality, forgiveness, grace). In it’s own way, being the most obnoxious, radical, attention-seeking preacher is, in a way, safe. It’s safe because you create a lot of easy heat without much light. It’s safe because building a ministry by scheme and flash is a shortcut through a  lot of hard, faithful, tireless ministry work.

There is something inside all of us who do public ministry that has to die. It’s the desire to be someone, something. I must fight this regularly with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in me. We must make Jesus Christ the story of our ministries. We must work hard to create cultures where the gospel, not the leader, is celebrated. We must ask ourselves, with every new, creative idea we have: is this to make me more famous, is this to get other Christians talking about me? Or, does this have the intent of edifying the body of Christ and bringing those who don’t know Jesus to Him?

This is why balance matters. One of my best friends, a ministry mentor, Dr. Rich McCarrell of Byron Center Bible Church, says, “Balance is the elixer of ministry.” He has always cautioned me not to make one issue, one controversial position, one methodology the main thing. Keep Christ the main thing, he says, and that will give you wisdom in leadership.

As I look around the Church, I see that God has granted some of his servants favor and prominence. But mostly the Church is built by ordinary men and women, serving faithfully, day in and day out.

I know balance and maturity and boring old faithfulness are not the hot stuff of the Christian conference and publishing circuit. But they are vital, I think, for lifelong gospel ministry.

 

5 Things Leaders Can Learn From the Presidential Debates

So the Presidential debates are about a week behind us. This election is heading toward it’s conclusion (Thankfully). Unlike previous election years, the debates have had a dramatic effect on the race. Personally, I have found them fascinating and interesting. And I wonder if Christian leaders can draw some lessons from these debates as we lead God’s people. Here are five things that were obvious to me:

1) Leadership invites incredible scrutiny. Regardless of your political persuasion, you have to give both President Obama and Governor Romney credit for stepping forward and offering to serve America in the highest office in the land. In this 21st-century, the scrutiny of public leadership is every so tight. You have journalists and bloggers paid to extract the most inane of details, down to what a candidate orders at Wendy’s and how that reflects upon what he’d do in the White House. Pastors don’t face near the scrutiny of a President, but are accountable to our people and to the Lord. And if you think the searchlight of our 24hr news cycle is penetrating, the searchlight of the Almighty is more thorough. But the good news about Christian leaders is that the Almighty knows all we do and are and still loves us. On a practical, leadership level, I think this means we should be transparent, real, and authentic in our approach to leadership.

2) Public Leadership is a Mix of Both Competence and Communication

Some of the debates got rather snippy, sharper than I’ve ever seen in a presidential debate. But candidates seemed to lose “points” in the public eye when they crossed the line and became overly aggressive or condescending. There is a really delicate balance, it seems, with projecting leadership without coming across as an arrogant know-it-all. In other words, you can have the right policies, but if your tone is off, if you’re demeanor and the way you carry yourself is off-putting, you will lose votes. In other words, the voters want to see a bit of humanity in their candidates, rather than seeing robots who spout focus-group-tested talking points.

For a Christian leader, this is important. There are things about which we cannot compromise, such as the authority of the Word of God, spiritual and moral issues, and the centrality of the exclusive gospel message. And yet, it matters not only that we have the truth, but how we communicate it to our hearers. In other words, we may turn off people who are willing to listen to the message by simply carrying the message in a way that offends. Humility, charm, graciousness, self-discipline–these are important traits for a Christian leader. They allow the good news of the gospel to go forward without a human barrier. People may indeed stumble over the cross of Jesus, but let it not be me they stumble over.

3) Mature, Adult Leadership Still Matters. We live in an increasingly shallow culture, where we reward the young, the sexy, the beautiful. We pay big money to celebrities whose only accomplishment is being famous, on a reality-show or some kind of moment in the sun. But there is still a yearning for adult leadership. During the presidential debates, there was much talk of “who looked the most presidential.” In other words, people might even be willing to bypass their political preferences to vote for the man who most looked like he could occupy the White House, who looked most real behind that famous Rose Garden podium. And this is good, because the President is supposed to represent the best of America to the world.

I think Christian leaders, especially pastors, would be wise to discern this need in the culture. There are very few adults left, it seems. Very few folks willing to stand up, be faithful, act wisely, know when to shut up and when to speak, and know how to offer calm reassurance in a crisis. Pastors, of all people in the community, should be among those kinds of leaders. There has been so much emphasis in ministry circles about being relevant and cool and hip. We’ve got pastors putting beds on top of their church, pastors who work hard at looking adolescent, pastors who pat themselves on the back for their “coolness.” I think this is foolish on the part of my generation. In a crisis (and that’s when most people turn to the church), suffering people need a father figure, a grown-up, someone who can calmly bring God’s Word to bear on their situation.

4) Thinking on Your Feet is Really Hard

After every debate, there were the super annoying fact checkers on every station, at every news site. I found them annoying because even the fact-checkers seem biased and it was often hard to separate what someone labels a “lie” and what may be, if you looked at it a certain way, “true.” But I also thought we are pretty hard on our candidates. We expect them to stand up for an hour or more, with no notes, and perfectly recite figures and facts. And for every discrepancy, we say, “You lied.” Imagine if you or I had to go through the same exercise? We’d likely fail as badly as the candidates if not worse.

The lesson? We are all human and frail. And if you parsed every single word I every spoke or wrote, you’d undoubtedly find errors. So perhaps we should go easier on each other? I’m not saying churches shouldn’t hold their pastors accountable or that Christian leaders should get a pass if they are not truthful. But, to the bloggers who spend their entire day finding fault with Christian leaders, who parse sermons and grab clips simply to criticize them: stop it! Leaders are humans. Preaching, writing, speaking is a difficult excercise. Most who do it do it because they want to edify God’s people. And most, I’d imagine, have the humility to admit when they’ve been wrong. So, let’s give them grace.

5) Our Version of Reality is Skewed by Our Own Preferences

After every debate, surrogates for each candidate go to the “spin room” and try to tilt the post-debate media coverage in favor of their candidate. But in reality, Twitter and Facebook is one giant spin room. I’ve got friends on both sides of the aisle. It was funny to see who their political ideology shaped what they saw happen in a given debate. I suffer from the same malady. Regardless of what happened, after the debate I thought my guy won.

Life is this way as well. In a way, our realities are skewed by our desires. We see what we want to see. Paul said it best when he wrote to the Corinthians: “We see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). So not only do we live in a broken reality, we also view that broken reality with broken vision. This is where we need Christ to continually reshape our vision. Only the gospel can change the way we look at life.

As Christians leaders, we must be careful to not rely on our own fleshly vision. In other words, we must not trust what our eyes tells us they see. This is why prayer and godly counsel are so important in the life of a leader. Good books, conferences, blog posts–new spiritual content that stretches and shapes our thinking. Most of all, we must cultivate that inner life with Christ through prayer and Scripture so that the blinders begin to peel away from our eyes. In this way, we won’t be living in an alternate world of shape-shifting spin, but in the reality of God’s presence. This helps us lead well.

Why I’m Voting, Who I’m Voting For, and Why

We’re heading down the homestretch of this election. There are a lot of questions for American Christians. Should we vote? Who should we vote for? Should we place so much trust in a political party? We’ve seen both candidates endure months of grueling campaigning, be ridiculed about gaffes, and we’ve read enough tweets and Facebook posts to fill a book (a really lame book, at that).

I’d like to share with you where I’m at. I’m only one person and I’m not the first or last word on this subject. But I’d like to share just why I’m voting, who I’m voting for and why. I write this to hopefully help my fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Why I’m Voting

There are some well-meaning Christians who, not liking any of the candidates, wonder about the efficacy of voting. Why settle for a “lesser of two evils” role when there is not anyone that matches your values. And so they abstain. Here is my thought: I believe voting is a stewardship that both honors the sacrifice of soldiers who died to gives us this freedom and allows believers to shape the culture to which they are called by God. It’s an imperfect system. We have flawed candidates. And we are flawed people. But the sinfulness of all of this is no excuse to not get involved. I’m convicted by the verse in 1 Corinthians 4:2. “It is required of stewards that he be found faithful.” At the end of the age, I will be asked by God, “What did you do with the opportunities and life I gave you?” I think this includes my vote as an American, a privilege few humans in history have ever enjoyed. And so I vote. Plus, voting is a small way of loving our neighbor.

Now, I vote knowing that nobody on the ballot will be my hero. I’ve given up on finding a Messiah-like figure as a national leader. And this is good, because all those hopes and dreams I may project on a President can only be fulfilled in Jesus. The longing for utopia, for the righting of the empty places in our society–this will only be consumated in Heaven. Until then, I’m tasked, as a faithful American citizen, with choosing between two sinful men (or perhaps a woman someday). When I look at it this way, my political disappointments are drastically minimized. And so I pick a President, knowing my guy may win or he may not win and either way, I’ll find some things about which to be disappointed in the man God appoints as President.

Who I’m Voting For and Why

Now to who I am voting for and why I’m voting for him. First, let me share what I believe are the areas of agreement and disagreement with President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney that are important to me.

President Obama - There is much to admire about our President. Though I didn’t cast a vote for him, I was proud and shed a tear or two on election night when I saw the first African-American man ascend to the Presidency. When you consider our long and shameful struggle with first slavery and civil rights, it was a profound achievement for our great country.

I also deeply admire him as a husband and father. Having grown up without a father, he takes his role seriously and has championed fatherhood in our culture. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, you should read some of what he has said about this crisis in our country.

I also happen to agree with the President on immigration. I wish for a solution to the crisis of undocumented immigrants and I’d like to see a humane solution. I was in favor of his actions to enforce provisions of what is called The DREAM ACT to allow the young undocumented to go to college and find a path to citizenship.

I also like how the President (until the Bengazhi tragedy) has executed the War on Terror, bringing many terrorists to justice, including Osama Bin Laden.

Lastly, I like that the President sought a solution to the many millions who don’t have health care, though I disagreed with the final result of Obamacare (top-down, no cost-control, etc).

Now there are three main areas where I disagree with the President: 

I’m troubled by his commitment to the pro-choice position. To be clear, this is a position that says it’s okay for a mother to kill her baby in the womb. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the President has been the most radically pro-choice president we’ve ever had. As a state senator he refused to support a bill that simply provided safety for babies who survived an abortion. And I was deeply, deeply troubled in my soul when I watched the Democratic convention and thousands of people lustily cheering the right to kill innocent young children. I believe this violates Scripture. God alone is the author of life. To be sure, I don’t blame the President for the abortion culture, it existed before he took office and will exist after he leaves. However, as the leader of the nation, he has only encouraged abortion on demand. And his Health and Human Services department has infringed on the rights of religious employers, forcing them to provide abortion-like services against their convictions. This is wrong.

I’m also troubled by the President’s abandonment of traditional marriage. He has reversed his position on this from what he previously held. In my mind, this is not as serious an issue as the abortion issue, but is still very important. Marriage and family are the bedrocks of a civil, functioning, orderly society.

Lastly, the President’s language of “share the wealth” troubles me. I heartily agree with this empathy for the poor, but I feel that class warfare and envy not only divide the country, but lead to solutions that end up hurting the poor.

Governor Mitt Romney - Like the President, there is much to admire in Governor Romney. I admire his family values, his commitment to his wife and his family. He seems to me to be a man of great character and integrity. I also admire his business acumen and his knowledge of economics. He’s been a fine steward of institutions large and small. He’s also proven to be a very generous, giving man. As a Christian, I cannot say Mr. Romney’s Mormon faith is the same as Christianity, but he gives us much to admire.

Where I agree with Governor Romney: 

I agree with Romney’s position on the need for serious, long-term entitlement reform. I believe his moderate instincts will help him work out solution with members of the other party. I have found his plans a bit sketchy at times, but I trust his judgement on economic theory.

I agree with Romney’s position on abortion. He has admittedly experienced a change of heart–and for that I’m grateful. I’m glad he now sees life as precious, beginning at conception. I pray he remains a champion of life for the rest of his public life.

I agree with Romney’s conservative, capitalistic approach to the economy that says providing an environment where entrepreneurship can thrive will give the best chance for the poor to have the dignity of a job.

I agree with Romney’s desire to provide a long-term solution to the health care crisis. His track record in Massachusetts tells me he is pragmatic about finding ways to get everyone insured.

Where I disagree with Governor Romney

I’m troubled by Governor Romney’s inconsistencies on immigration. In the primaries he adopted the most radical, “kick them out” policies toward the undocumented that are both inhumane and antithetical to a pro-life position. He has since moderated his position on this, but his willingness to throw immigrants under the bus like this troubled me.

I also would like to see the Governor adopt a solution for a simpler tax code, rather than slice and dice tax cuts, etc.

I also disagree when Governor Romney says that he “won’t apologize for America.” I think much of this is just campaign rhetoric, but while I don’t feel America should apologize for good, core beliefs or be weak in the face of terror, however there are times when we as a nation do wrong and should apologize. The idea that we are never wrong just seems antithetical to the great Christian values we claim to espouse.

Who I’m Voting For: 

In the end, I’m going to vote for Governor Romney. There are a few reasons, but for me, the deal-breaker is the issue of life. I believe abortion is injustice, it’s the targeting of the most defenseless in our society.

Now, this doesn’t mean that I’m necessarily a Romney fanboy, that I’m a defender of all things Republican or that I hate Democrats or despise the President. Ultimately, I make a choice and leave the rest to the Lord, who rules in the hearts of kings and who is the only sovereign worth worshipping.

When We Add Stuff to the Bible, We Hurt People

Orthodox evangelicals believe in something called a “closed cannon.” In other words, we believe the Bible as it is presently constructed-39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament-are the complete, written, inspired, inerrant Word of God. This matters for lots of reasons, but two big ones: a) we have all we need for faith and practice (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:16) and b) there is no new revelation, no new Scripture. The latter point takes seriously Revelation 22:19 in that we feel it dishonors the Word to add to it.

In practice, most conservative evangelicals believe this. It’s in our statements of faith, its part of our creeds, and we will not be ashamed to say we believe this. But in practice, we often say something different. We can do this in a variety of ways, but one big one for conservative, inerrantists is this: We often add lists, rules, and ideas to the Bible that just aren’t there. This is a very subtle, yet dangerous thing to do, in my view. And I think it hurts the people we pastors are called to serve. Let me explain: 

I’ve often had people approach me, as a pastor, and ask me, “Why don’t you tell us what entertainment we should enjoy in our homes?” They want a list, the sanctified, sanitized, pastor-blessed list of acceptable movies and okay music. But I can’t do this with integrity. I can’t get up in the pulpit and say, “Thus saith the Lord . . .” when really the Lord has not spoken specifically on that subject. I can preach the broad ideas when it comes to entertainment. But mostly what I’m tasked with doing is simply preaching, clearly, the text of the Word of God, nothing more and nothing less. And I’m to trust the Holy Spirit who uses that Word to shape the hearts of my people.

To be sure, there are areas where the Bible gets very specific, particularly on morality, gossip, honesty, etc. And on those I can, with confidence, preach what the Bible says. But when we as pastors parachute our preferences into the Word of God, we are dishonoring the text. It’s subtle. And our motives maybe pure, but if we are, on Sunday, mixing our opinions with truth, we confuse our people. We communicate the idea that the Bible is like putty–it can be shaped to our whims.

Most people who come to church on Sunday assume that what a pastor says in the pulpit is from God. That’s the dangerous rhetorical power of a pastor. This is why James 3 strongly warns those who would be teachers to take their responsibility seriously. Words spoken in the pulpit, under the authority of God, have power to uplift mens’ souls or to destroy them. Consider how many millions of people throughout the centuries who have been led tragically astray by bad teaching. Consider the destructive impact of legalism.

Our job is to simply preach the text of the Word. We ought to make it abundantly clear when we give our opinion that it is our opinion. Our preaching out to answer the question, every time ,”Where is that in the Bible?” My opinion my be sound, it may be good, it may even be based on my interpretation of what I think the Bible says, but at the end of the day my opinion has now power. Only the Word of the living God has power.

How You Can Best Help Your Church

If you’re a Christian, whether you realize it or not, you are called, by God, to be on mission in the world. This is the essence of the gospel call, that you were not simply saved from death but also saved for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10). That purpose is to make disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). And the way God has called you to make disciples is through the local church, His expression of His body in your community.

So how do you help your disciple-making, evangelistic, Bible-preaching church with its mission? You might think I’m going to say something really cool like: “go to another conference with a well-known speaker” or “read and then pass along to your pastor that best-selling book” or “get your pastor to do this or that new, innovative church ministry model.”

Those are all good efforts. And if you are in a position of influence, please use that to move your church forward. But there is one, very uncool thing you can do to help your church be all that God desires it to be in the community.

Be dependable. If you were to give your pastor a shot of truth serum, he’d probably say his biggest frustration is to find dependable people. Of course he won’t say this publically, because he’s very grateful for the few in his church who are dependable. I think of my own church, Gages Lake Bible, and the band of people who give of their time (mostly volunteer) to make the church function smoothly. They are awesome.

There is a verse, 1 Corinthians 4:2, that I memorized while in Christian grade school. It’s simple: “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” In other words, what God is most looking for from His people are not necessarily spectacular gifts, stunning talent, or amazing personality. Those are wonderful traits that can be leveraged for God’s kingdom, to be sure. But what God is mostly looking for is faithfulness.

Faithfulness is really not a sexy term. You don’t see too many big conferences on faithfulness. I’m guessing none of the political candidates are running on a faithfulness platform. And it’s a subject that is not going to wow your Twitter and Facebook followers.

But wow is it valuable in a church, especially most churches that are, like our church, small and limited in resources. One faithful person or a faithful family can really move a church forward.

And by faithfulness I mean:

Attending the services and functions whenever possible. Even when you don’t feel like it. Even when you’d rather be watching football. Not simply because you may get something out of it, but because your presence says something about what you value. Doesn’t mean you don’t go on vacation (I encourage our families to travel–do it, please do it.) Doesn’t mean you don’t ever get sick. Doesn’t mean you don’t travel for business. But all in all, are you someone who is in church whenever you can be?
Signing up for jobs nobody wants, like the nursery. Believe it or not, if you want your church to be a family friendly church, somebody has to volunteer to supervise the children. Even if it’s not “your thing.” I’m pretty sure nursery is not anyone’s thing, really. Neither is setting up for an event, mowing the grass, or other such mundane stuff. But these faithful tasks are what makes a church function. And they are acts of worship and sacrifice that please the Lord.
Being on time and being someone that your pastor and the church leadership can count on. There are two kinds of church members, in my view. Those who we all know will be there and those whom we wonder if they will show up. Don’t make your attendance and/or participating in a ministry commitment a game-time decision. Don’t make it depend on your faulty alarm-clock or whether or not you spent Saturday night playing Halo. Be there. Be faithful. Be committed. Be consistent.
Committing to a regular pattern of giving. Yes, I know you are tired of hearing this from pastors. Yes, we often ask for money in ham-handed ways. But, there is hardly a better measure of your heart than your wallet. (I didn’t say that, Jesus did.)

Why is faithfulness so important? Because it tells yourself, the world, and your Lord what and whom you value. God loves His Church, His Bride. And he calls us to love Her too. I dare say your faithful participating in a local, gospel-preaching church for a long-lifetime will do more for the Kingdom than that winsome blog post, witty tweet, or Facebook rant.

So, to those who faithfully attend, do nursery, hand out bulletins, volunteer, cook meals, tithe, and other church things, I salute you as Christian heros. To those who are not as faithful, here’s your chance: commit this week to being faithful to the local church where you are called.

Why You Should Tithe To Your Church

One of the hardest message a pastor is tasked with giving is the message on giving. I don’t like talking about giving at our church. I don’t like urging people to give. But giving is clearly a concept that runs through the Scriptures. And if we don’t talk about, we miss an opportunity to learn and discover the joy it brings.

And I’m not simply talking about giving of time or giving to worthy charities (which you should do). I’m talking about giving consistently, faithfully, cheerfully to your local church. I’m talking about the word we hate to use: tithe. Yes, we know we are not under the law and we don’t have to tithe. Yes, we know 10% is not a legalistic number. Yes, we understand that tithing won’t get you any closer to Heaven than giving nothing.

Yet for a Christian, redeemed, rescued, sanctified, and called–tithing is important. Here are three compelling reasons why:

1) Tithing reflects a minimum level of sacrifice. Giving was required under the Old Testament law, but that’s not the first time it was introduced in the Scriptures. Way before Moses, Abraham tithed a portion of his war spoils to Melchizidek, King of Salem (Genesis 14:16). So giving was seen, even in the earliest days of God’s revelation, as a practice of faithful followers of God. In the NT, we are called to give our lives as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). This means we no longer offer, as the children of Israel did, a blood sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is the perfect and final sacrifice which satisfies God’s wrath against sin. Instead, we offer ourselves, our bodies, as the sacrifices. We offer our lives. Giving of our money is one very demonstrative way we do this. And so when we look at a 10% monthly gift, we are essentially subscribing to the “bare minimum” that was required in the OT. What I typically tell people is to find a percentage that works for them and work their way up. We at least want to be at the minimum, but because we’ve been saved by God’s grace, we ought to push past that as we can and be people of generosity toward God.

2) Tithing reflects a consistent commitment to God’s local work. There are often opportunities to give generous gifts, both in special projects at your church or to charities or Christian organizations you support. But giving faithfully on a consistent basis to your local church is a profound statement. You are saying that you are “all in” with that local expression of Christ’s body. You are committed to that local body, through thick and thin. You are saying, “I’m with this local church. I’m standing by them.” IF you only give when prompted or when you feel good or when there is a special fundraising drive, you’re not really committed. You’re saying you’ll be there when you feel like it, when you’re emotional itch has been scratched. You are communicating, by your sporadic, non-consistent giving patterns, that you are not interested in being as committed to the Lord’s work locally as Christ is to you. Real sacrifice, real obedience, real commitment involves long-term, consistent, faithful giving. And, on a more pragmatic note: your church needs regular, consistent givers to fund the Lord’s work. Sure, you shouldn’t give only because your church needs money on a regular basis. You should give from grace, out of pure joy in your Savior. But that should be part of your calculus.

3) A life of consistent, sacrificial giving results in spiritual blessings. I can’t say with any biblical authority that you’ll be rich if you give faithfully and consistently. I’ve known some of the most faithful givers in the world who endured financial ruin. So there is no one-to-one correlation. And you shouldn’t give to get anyways. We should give because we’ve already gotten Christ, Who is enough. But, I will say that you will never look back at a life of consistent tithing and wish you hadn’t committed to this practice. You’ll never say on your deathbed, “I should have given less to my local, bible-believing church.” You never will. Angela and I have been faithful givers since we’ve gotten married. We’re certainly not rich, but we’ve seen God provide our needs over and over again.

The most important blessing of faithful, consistent giving is spiritual. There is a joy in giving God your money. There is a wonderful sense of release and trust. Giving sacrificially is a form of worship.

Summary: Don’t miss out on the joy of regular, sacrificial, consistent giving to your local church. It’s a sacrificial act of worship you won’t regret.

Here’s a helpful video of Ray Pritchard explaining the importance of tithing: