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Tongues of Fire

Do I have your attention? Do you think this article is going to be about speaking in tongues? Sorry, not going there. But I do want to address the issue of the power of the tongue when it is used for either edification or destruction within the church. As James said, “The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” (James 3:6).

I think it is pretty clear that when we gather corporately to worship and sing songs of praise, worship and adoration, it is a very beautiful and moving experience. Yet isn’t it something that with the same mouth which pours forth praise, comes malicious talk, gossip, and slander? Sometimes things that wound and destroy others lives are said with such ease; it is shocking. “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” (James 3:10).

It is clear from the scriptures that God hates gossip. Check out the context in which gossip is included by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Rome: “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips…” (Romans 1:9).

If gossip is that powerful, that evil, that destructive, then it can have no place in the church. If it “corrupts the whole person” then it has to affect our worship. That said, it has been my experience all too often that we tolerate and allow gossip to go unchecked and undisciplined. When is the last time that you heard of someone in leadership being disciplined, or confronted for being a gossip? In my 43 years in the church I certainly have never seen a leader or pastor removed for gossiping like I have seen them removed for other sins; it appears as if we don’t take this as seriously as Scripture does.

Our praise has to go beyond singing songs: our worship needs to be expressed outside of our gatherings by freely blessing our brothers and sisters with words of encouragement. In other words, we need to stop bad mouthing other churches as well as each other. “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other” (Galatians 5:5).

Let our tongue be used for edification, not destruction; for worship not division; for a blessing, not a curse.
“The tongue has the power of life and death…” (Proverbs 18:21).

YouTube

I have a couple of videos posted on YouTube.  The first clip is the first part of an interview with Desert Christian News. The second clip is the song I sang at the end of the interview---Oh Lord, Have Mercy On Me.

Politics and Christians

I'm not going to delve into this deeply. I’m just going to share a couple thoughts as I listen to the rantings on the Left and the Right, neither of which I have found across the board to be rational or objective.

First of all, it seems to me that most Christians I meet are more influenced by their politics than by their faith. They seem to allow their political views to shape their faith, rather than allow their faith to shape their political viewpoints, which to me would mean one would have a tough time aligning oneself with either party completely. I sit and watch people on the Left and the Right say such thoughtless things, and rather than admit that their candidate is misstating something or simply wrong in their position, they will find some way to spin it in a partisan fashion. I'll be honest; I don't know how you can be partisan and not be in conflict with your faith. Our ultimate allegiance is to the 'Kingdom of God' and the values of the kingdom, which no political party embodies.

We live in a democratic society and we have the freedom and right to participate in the political process, and we should do so. But developing hatred for the men and women in politics themselves, not just their views, seems completely contrary to the words of Jesus when He says, "Love your enemies." Many see those who hold opposing views on political issues as the enemy.

Scripture tells us two interesting things that apply here. One is that “there is no authority in authority, that God hasn't placed there.” Two that we are to “honor and pray for those in government.” These things were written to men and women who were not living in a democratic society, but under the rule of Rome and the emperors. There are Christian men and women throughout the world who live under tyranny and oppression; they read the same Bible as us and they are instructed to do the same thing. Yet I have a sneaking suspicion that if the wrong party wins this election, those whose candidate failed to win office will have a really hard time with these instructions.

Years ago I was pastoring a church that had a Christian school ministry. In the school entryway there was a photograph of the then U.S. President, George Herbert Bush. Some time later he lost his bid for re-election. Long after he left office, the photo of Bush still was there. I talked to the pastor who was over the school, and I made it very clear to him that I wanted to see a picture of the current President, Bill Clinton hanging in that spot. It took months for that to take place. I felt that the children were being exposed to something completely contrary to what the scripture teaches and was a perfect example of “politics influencing faith versus faith influencing politics.”

I'm not saying you shouldn't be be passionate and concerned; just don't fall into the extremism and fear mongering that fills the airwaves and especially the Internet.

Just remember this: if your candidate wins or loses, God is in control. Oh yeah, and remember in your conversations with others to demonstrate honor and respect for the man or woman in office, whether you care for them or not. And pray for them as the scripture instructs us all to do. By the way the Apostle Paul goes as far as to say that we are to “give thanks” for them.

Worship Together

“Church” basically means "the assembled," "the gathered," or "congregation." Take your pick. By this very simple definition it’s hard to think of anyone being able to defend the individualistic and independent attitude that is expressed by so many who call themselves followers of Jesus, yet are not connected to the local church on any level. 

Of course I understand the personal part of our relationship with God. Spending time alone before Him in prayer and meditation is a given;  I will stipulate that as being a valuable and practical aspect of our walk with God. But I am absolutely convinced, by scripture, history and experience, that the life that we have in Christ is worked out in community, in relationship with one another, and not in independence and isolation.

Frankly, I empathize with those who point to one horror story after another about the failure of the church, the abuse that has taken place, or the lack of consistency in relationship to our stated values that leaves so many disillusioned and disconnected. It is a complete and total shame that this happens, but it still doesn’t excuse dropping out and trying to work out our relationship with God alone. That simply isn’t an option.

The fact is here in our community and in thousands of others around the world, there exists every possible expression of "church" that one can imagine--- some incredible, some not so good and everything in between. We cannot know or express our call, our purpose, or God’s plan for us outside of "the gathering." Our faith is expressed and worked out within a context of togetherness. It’s how we are made. It’s how God set it up. 

For those of you committed to the local church, I would encourage you to examine the level of that commitment. Are you marching in and out every Sunday? Are you known or unknown by others? If you aren’t there, is the church missing something?  

If you aren’t a part of a local church, I would encourage you to find someplace where you can plug in, be a part, contribute and express the gifts God has given you. Notice I didn’t say anything about finding a place that meets your needs. I will say that it needs to be a place that expresses values, priorities and practices that resonate with you; a place that builds you up, strengthens you, and encourages you in your faith. If this is happening, then your real needs will be meet.   The writer of Hebrews wrote to "not forsake the gathering of yourselves together as some are in the habit of doing, but consider how you may stir one another up to love and good deeds." It can happen in a home church or a megachurch, but I am certain of this: "church" cannot happen alone, separate from connectedness, anymore than one of your limbs can function unattached to your body.

We worship, we live, we find life in Christ together.

P.S. I fully understand that church can happen in a home without incorporating, without hierarchy, without institutionalizing.

Glory in Weakness?

I do not want to go down the path I have been on for a while, but simply want to highlight a characteristic that I have noticed in the church. We know that the Apostle Paul stated that he 'gloried in his weakness'. We know that in Romans 14 he encourages us to 'prefer the weaker brother' yet it doesn't seem to me that WE, I include myself in this, do this very well. We really like winners, we love 'success stories'; we like the strong, we only like hearing of failure in the aftermath of it, once someone is on the other side of failure and are reporting it as a past event. But embracing people, who have failed or never really succeeded, is something we don't really do.

In thinking about it for myself, I have thought of the challenge of loving someone who isn't winning, isn't overcoming, and doesn't have it together; it's not an easy thing to do. If I think about people I know who have been very successful, admired, well-liked, popular, all the good stuff, then they fail, and it is absolutely amazing to see how quickly all their admirers peel away. They no longer call. They no longer return phone calls. They no longer extend invitations to fellowship or just hang out, and it is really something.

I want to be the kind of person who sticks with someone who is no longer popular, or in good standing. I want to stay in contact with my friends throughout the ups and downs of their lives. That has been one of the great things about the Internet; so many people have contacted me and expressed encouragement and love. I have people contact me thanking me for things from the 70's and 80's and beyond; it is really nice and a great source of pleasure for me. Not just receiving encouragement, but being able to give it as well; sometimes just staying in contact, sometimes hearing of someone going through a tough patch and just letting them know I am thinking of them and praying for them. Sometimes I haven't met them, but I know of them through their ministry and they have impacted me.

Hopefully people don't get callous to this sort of thing. I know it always blesses me that someone would reach out to me now that I am not 'somebody'...don't worry I don't feel that or believe that today, but I know it's the way it works. I guess this comes back to the issues related to friendship and relationships that reflect a heart of compassion and true empathy. I just know experiencing it and watching others experience it causes me to doubt just how much we really 'glory in weakness', or how we see others as something other than 'the weaker brethren'. What is it in us as individuals and as communities of faith that allows for this sort of behavior? Embracing others in strength and success and then jettisoning when people fail to meet our expectations. It's almost as if a person ceases to exist if they no longer are visible or popular. I think that's a very sad thing.

The only way it will change is if we change as individuals and begin to see those who have been left by the wayside and reach a hand out to them, one person at a time. It certainly isn't going to happen institutionally. When I resigned from a very visible position in ministry, there were a handful of people who remained close and sought to be a support to me, but one guy in particular, apparently made it a point to make sure he contacted me every week for at least a year. He heads a very large growing church, has tons of demands on his schedule and plenty of others responsibilities, yet he called me at least once a week for over a year. I could tell it was a priority for him; it was simple, 'How you doing?' 'Anything we can do for you?' 'Hang in there, buddy, we love you.' And you know what? I believed him, and it was a wonderful lesson. That's the kind of thing I'm encouraging us to do. Don't let fear or discomfort keep you from doing this.
It's easy to love the lovable...(Luke 6) not so much the weak or even ungrateful.

Todd Hunter's Visit

Recently Todd Hunter came and shared with our church. Todd and I go back a long way. It was so refreshing to see how he treated our little church like it was 3,000 people. As to the content, it really was powerful and thought-provoking. There is no doubt that things have changed dramatically over the past couple of decades; the environment in which we seek to communicate the Gospel is more challenging than ever. All the things that we took for granted years ago, people believing in God, believing the Bible is the Word of God, believing Jesus was the Son of God are no longer viewed in the same way. As the song says, “Well that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone.”

I became a Christian long ago and witnessing was a big part of our agenda. I would walk up to complete strangers at the beach or parks and witness to them, many times praying with them. It was easy compared to today; back then it was like fishing at a trout farm. To gain a fuller understanding of some of the changes that have taken place, I will direct you to a couple friends of mine, Jason Clarke (http://www.jasonclark.ws) or Todd Hunter (www.3isenough.org). They will help you increase your understanding of where things are today.

Today when you talk to someone about God, they want to know which ‘god’ you are speaking of. They may point to a telephone pole and tell you that's their god or higher power. It’s one of the effects of pluralism, the melding together of diverse cultures and their systems of belief. If we are to gain respect of others, there is no lecturing them, or dismissing their belief systems. Evangelicals have been guilty of this sort of attitude and have been resoundingly rejected by our culture. We need to be ready to listen to them and answer their questions. Todd referred to a book, The Fall of an Evangelical Nation, by Christine Wicker, part of which lays out the attitude toward Evangelicals in America; it is not a pretty picture. They don't like us and they don't want to hear from us on Larry King Live lecturing them and telling them what they are doing wrong. Years ago when the evangelical talking heads began to appear on television news programs, I would cringe. I didn't want them speaking for me. I didn't want to be identified with their smug and condescending manner, but nonetheless, we have been. You and I have been lumped together, and we have a lot to overcome if we seek to communicate the gospel in this new atmosphere. I'm not sure if Todd was quoting someone else or this came directly from him, when he said, 'many people feel we won.....but we lost' and I think it's true; we broke onto the national scene and proceeded to come off arrogant, the purveyors of all that is true. One of the problems was the Christ that was expressed was affiliated with one particular political party. Let’s face it, it’s as if Jesus was a Republican. After a disaster these people would appear on the television screen and do what I call reverse prophecy. That is to say, in the aftermath of such an occurrence, they would let the world know why it happened, for the most part because of the sin of a particular city, state or country. What city, state or country where a natural catastrophe happens is going to be free of sin? I think these voices would be much more credible if they tell us before something happens, when, where and way, and how, then it people might listen. But to come out in the aftermath of some disaster and appear to be pleased that ‘they’ got what they deserved, is so disheartening and so unlike the heart of Christ, in my opinion.

So we, evangelical Christians, got the visibility we wanted and we blew it. For the most part we, and yes, I say we, because people in general see Christians through the images they have seen on television. Of course they also have formed their opinions from knowing and interacting with Christians in day to day life. They appear to have a difficult time with the fact that in many cases we don’t walk what we talk.

But even with these negative view points held by a large percentage of people in our society, there is another study that indicates that these same people, who have a negative view of evangelical Christian, would be open to and willing to have a discussion or dialogue with a Christian; a dialogue that would not have their belief system ignored and glossed over while we wait for our chance to 'preach the gospel' to them. If we communicate in ways that they don't understand, what good does that do? Are we afraid to listen, to look at things from a different perspective? Could we be afraid that our faith may be influenced? Or is it that we just aren't interested in people. If that’s the case, I think people will pick up on that. Todd used a phrase, 'Anchored to the rock and geared for our times’. It's not a matter of abandoning our beliefs at all; it is learning the language so we can clearly communicate the message we have and have it be understood. At that point a person may still reject it, but at least they understood what you were saying.

One of the other things that Todd pointed out was regarding the way we see people. Do we really care about that person? Do we really want to understand what they believe? Are we even willing to take the time to listen and understand them? Do we care about them because they are created in the image of God, or do they represent another scalp on our belt? I am really not trying to be cynical here. I am just reacting to what I have seen and known to be true.

What Todd did was put it into a context so it is more clearly seen. Is the goal to communicate or simply preach? One of the examples Todd gave was of a person having a favorite spot they fish in, but because conditions change, the fish relocate, yet the fisherman is unyielding and stays in the same place waiting for the fish to come back to where he is. I wonder sometimes if we lose sight of the goal. John Wimber used to talk about 'doing what the Father was doing' in reference to Jesus ministry model. Jesus said he was on his Father’s business and that he restricted himself to do only what the Father is doing. I'm always asking myself what the Father is doing in any situation and if I need to be on standby. Other than that, I try to love people because God does. How can we not love what we believe God created?

So the weekend with Todd was stimulating and thought-provoking. I think it helped us see the current picture more clearly, and we were certainly struck by the challenges we face today in making Christ known to the world in which we live.