I’ll save you The Tales of a Twentysomething Faith Healer (I’m actually writing a a book about it – follow updates here!), but long story short, turns out that saving the world isn’t quite as straightforward as it is in superhero movies.  Through years of traveling, gathering crowds at flea markets, and miscellaneous interesting encounters, I’ve gone through quite a few pivots on my journey of learning what it means to make a difference.  One such pivot was to put this blog into semi-retirement and devote more energy towards my singer-songwriter project.

However, two years ago I started to see something rather ominous on the horizon which I’ve realized I couldn’t fully articulate with my music. I started to wonder if there was, in fact, something I could yet contribute to the topic of saving the world. Coming from a conflict-averse Canadian Mennonite background, I’ve been procrastinating for years about saying something that might be considered controversial. But it feels to me like the situation has grown to such monstrous proportions that, out of respect for my mental well-being if nothing else, I’ve decided to bring my blog out of semi-retirement in order to articulate it.

So can we talk about climate change?

Now, statistically speaking, 20% of you rolled your eyes at the mention.  And if you’re a White Evangelical Protestant, actually, only 28% of you didn’t roll your eyes.

But that’s kinda why I think we need to talk about this.  Just for the record, I didn’t consider myself an environmentalist even just a few years ago.  Like, sure, trees and whales are nice, but as far as topics worth bringing blogs out of retirement for, it didn’t rank super high.

That is, of course, until the 2018 IPCC report came out.

A little background: the International Panel on Climate Change was created by the UN back in 1988, and reports on climate findings every four years.  The 2018 special report was created by 91 coordinating scientists and experts from 40 countries, who analyzed existing research and used 6000 scientific references in the report. 

Here’s the main thrust of the 2,000 pages of data: we have a deadline to get climate change figured out.  And it’s very soon.

Maybe you know this already, but since I’ve heard from more than a few folks who haven’t, I’m gonna run through the details.

According to the report, there’s a temperature threshold earth is approaching, which, if passed, will be irreversible.  That threshold is likely to be 2 degrees, upon which time we’ll see a lot of dramatic things.  Here’s a few definites: 99% of coral reefs die, sea levels rise 3 feet, extreme weather would be exacerbated especially in the Southern Hemisphere, and something like 1 in 8 plant/animal species will go extinct.

Right now, the planet is on track to see fisheries decreasing in catch by 1.5-3 million tonnes; giant populations of plants, insects and vertebrates losing over half their geographic range; 153 million people dying of air pollution alone this century; potentially whole regions of Africa, USA, Australia, Patagonia, and Asia uninhabitable by heat, desertification, and flooding.  Flooding would cause a number of American cities to be uninhabitable in the next 80 years: Miami Beach, New Orleans, Charleston, Virginia Beach, Atlantic City NJ, and large swaths of NYC – especially in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

And it’s not like we haven’t seen preludes to this already.  Whether it’s the disappearing glaciers or record-breaking fires in California and Australia due to drought or the fact that Indonesia is moving its capital away from Jakarta due to the fact that 95% of north Jakarta will be underwater in 30 years, it’s clear something’s up. We are currently on track to heat the world 3.1 degrees – more the double the safety threshold.

The question that’s haunted me is: how is it that nobody from the churches I grew up in seem aware this is even happening? Now that we’re talking about hothouse earth scenarios and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapsing and Florida going underwater-type stuff, it would seem logical that a people commanded to steward the earth and care for the poor would be tremendously concerned about something that’s threatening the majority of humanity – especially the people we’re sending most of our missions groups and NGOs to!

Turns out there’s an interesting story behind the church and climate change, and I’m gonna share a little of what I’ve researched.

Of course, with gargantuan claims like “we might be ending the world” (which is not quite what scientists are saying but not too far off), it can be easy to write off as a liberal hoax. And it didn’t really help that An Inconvenient Truth was produced by Al Gore. But the politicization of climate change goes back further than that. From my research, I found that in the 80s and 90s, climate change wasn’t actually a partisan issue. Since Earth Day and Silent Spring helped introduce the idea, global warming was a growing concern among everyone – Evangelicals included. So what happened?

Around the year 2000 a number of conservative think tanks (CTTs) funded by Exxon and other gas companies started publishing books contradicting the general scientific community’s findings.  130 of the 141 books published since 1972 denying the seriousness of environmental problems were created by these CTTs.  For comparison, there were 928 scientific journals published between 1998 and 2002, and zero of these contradicted the idea that humans were to blame.

Evangelicals, of course, were already generally aligned with conservative politics due to the Moral Majority movement in the 80s. Which was long before global warming became partisan.

So correct me if I’m wrong, but to me it seems that climate change denial somehow crept into the church – not because “we’re not into pagan earth worship”, or “Jesus is coming soon anyway”, or “God’s in control, He can figure it out” – but largely because it just happened to be part of the political package deal (for more info, check out the helpful 20-min doc The Climate and the Cross!)

We all, to some degree, have beliefs that are simply convenient to us. It’s unavoidable. I wrote a blog on this here. And often the way we come to those beliefs is through factors that have nothing to do with the actual truth behind them. I wrote another blog on this here. I’m not sure how to fix this, or if it can be fixed, or even if it needs to be fixed. But I’d at least like to make sure we don’t get this one wrong. Because if the science is right, what we do in the next decade is going to have irreversible impact on every generation to come.

Of course, I’m far from the first (or most qualified) to be sounding the alarm on climate change. Two weeks ago was TED Countdown, where we heard from the Pope to Priyanka Chopra Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Don Cheadle, Cynthia Erivo, Prince William, and the heads of Apple, Amazon, IKEA, and TED sharing a desperate need for action. Also, David Attenborough just released his witness statement on Netflix. And there are plenty of organizations speaking up – from Extinction Rebellion to 350 to even some Christian organizations like Climate Caretakers, Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, and C4.  Not to mention millions of other less famous folks whose opinions matter no less, and who will be much more affected. But we’ve still got a lot ways to go.

And what exactly are we being asked to do? The IPCC report says that in order to stop the worst effects of climate change, we must limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. And the only way we can do that is by tackling our CO2 emissions. The report calls for a 45% reduction by 2030, and to reach a net zero by 2050.

If you haven’t heard that statement before, I’d encourage you to read it again. 45% in a decade. Net zero by 2050. That’s a tall order. For reference, the USA alone is going through 37 billion tonnes a year right now, and while emissions have dropped slightly, we’re still nowhere near close to being on track. In fact, only two countries are currently reaching the goals set in the Paris Agreement.

So what would it take to pull this off? Well, that’s the zillion-dollar question. On the one hand, it involves doing things we’re mostly familiar with already. Recycling. Driving less. Changing our diets. Buying more locally. Joining organizations. Supporting climate legislation. Helping fossil fuel companies change how they operate. And, as Christian climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says, “Talk about it!” There’s plenty that can be done.

But at the same time, I honestly don’t know of many people who are confident we can reach our goals and avoid the hothouse earth scenario. To actually have victory over global warming would take worldwide mobilization larger even than WWII. It would be unlike anything we’ve seen before in history. All for future generations that we likely won’t get to see. In short, we need a miracle.

And that’s why I’m writing this to the church.

I started this blog ten years ago to show the world that anything was possible. You, the church, made me believe that. You taught me that what’s seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. You taught me that the whole world was my neighbor, to care for “the least of these”, to fight for our children, to follow the truth no matter how weird it sounds. You taught me to believe in miracles.

So I’m coming back to ask this. For those who are passionate about healing the sick, could we perhaps see the opportunity here to bring healing to the millions who die of air pollution every year? For those who are passionate about foreign aid, could we see the logic allowing Africa our carbon budget to help them develop?   For a people called to not store up for themselves treasures on earth, but instead to take up their cross and offer themselves as a living sacrifice, could we learn to reduce our food waste?  Our dependence on plastic? Our need to consume things in general?

No matter what – even if we this somehow ends up being an overreaction – I somehow don’t think we’ll apologize to future generations for making a cleaner, healthier, and more equal world. Sounds to me like it could be another step towards making earth a little like heaven!

Of course, nobody is doing this perfect – myself included. A lot of my journey has proven to show me how little I know. But I was sent out from Bethel to make a difference, and I hope this article in some way is still contributing to that end – even if it is just the beginning of a journey we take together. After all, history has proven time and again that when people collectively recognize a need and take action, anything is still possible.

Ten years after starting this blog, I’m still contending for miracles. Only this time, it’s for us to not set the world on fire. May we, together, rise for such a time as this.

Podcasts:

No Place Like Home

Outrage and Optimism

How Screwed Are We? from Ask Science Mike (this is the episode that began my reckoning with climate change)

I was walking down Market Street near Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia one day last spring, and happened by a man whom I assumed was homeless by his attire and position on the sidewalk.  As I walked by, I realized out of the corner of my eye that he was working on a project.  I paused after passing him, weighing whether the expected request for spare change would be worth satisfying my curiosity.  My feline-killing feelings getting the better of me, I turned back and found myself looking at a table of intricate sculptures.  What was even more intriguing was that the man not only didn’t ask me for change – he took no notice of me at all.  Anyone who knows the streets of Philly knows that THAT’s unique.  In fact, I was the one who started the conversation.

“What are these made out of?”

“Sand.”

“They’re really cool.”

“Thanks.”

And he kept working.  If he was concerned about selling me his stuff, he sure didn’t show it.  It wasn’t as though he wasn’t friendly, he was just very engaged in his carving.

This made me all the more engaged in what he was doing.  After asking him a few more questions, I realized that I actually wanted one to give to a friend.  So, I paid him the price he asked (only ten bucks), shook hands with him and left with my new treasure.

About 20 minutes later I saw a man limping badly near City Hall.  He too may have been homeless.  I have seen Jesus heal people of this stuff before, so I thought to ask if I could pray for him.  I lightly touched his shoulder…

“Excuse me, is your foot in pain?”

“Don’t touch me again or I will f***in’ beat you up.”

“Sorry, I just wanted to know if I could pray for you!”

“You f***in’, what?  I’m gonna, I don’t need none of you.  If you touch me again I will stab you.”

As he backpedaled away, I tried to explain that I didn’t mean any harm and that he was awesome, but I could see it wasn’t really getting anywhere.  He just kept threatening and cursing me out till he had made his way around the corner and out of sight.

Two encounters.  Same day.  Very different outcomes.  And I learned a very important lesson.

You see, you can have exactly what someone needs, but they may never realize it unless you let them come to you first.  I, the “needy” one, was the one who approached the guy selling sand sculptures, and he not once tried to convince me I needed something of his.  Whereas from my perspective, when the limping man was the “needy” one, I, the “giver”, approached him with my offer, and because of whatever preconceived notions he had, this made him immediately defensive and threatening.  This is also why telemarketers, creepy stalker men and pop-up ads aren’t generally all that successful.  They try to tell us what we need, and this kills trust.

You’ll notice Jesus didn’t chase people down nearly as much as the other way around.  He was actually trying to get away from people half the time (Mark 1:45, for example).  Why?  Partially, because he KNEW that he had something valuable.  He could cure sick people, cast out demons, and preach stuff that gave people life.  He didn’t have to sugarcoat it.  People were already crowding him to the point of him sometimes having to preach out on a lake from a boat (Luke 5:3).

Jesus never said to feed someone who isn’t hungry.  Or even someone who is hungry but doesn’t realize they’re hungry.  He actually said the opposite – “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17).   Who were the “healthy” he was speaking of?  The Pharisees – probably the most spiritually unhealthy people that Jesus dealt with!  The point is, if someone doesn’t think they have a problem, you can’t really help them solve it.  Cuz they sure ain’t asking you for help, and if you offer, they ain’t gonna take it.

The goodness of God may sound like a scam – I wrote an article about that here – but if we can truly just make ourselves available to people with what we’ve got, it won’t take long before they’ll come knocking.  That isn’t to say that we should ignore God when He tells us to step up ourselves and go “knocking”, but we shouldn’t just do that because we think we have to.  Bill Johnson explained it like this in his May 22, 2011 message:

“The church has a habit of having the right answers to questions that the world isn’t asking. It’s true, people should be asking questions about eternity and their relationship with God, but often they don’t. So you answer the question they’re asking; in the Bible this looks like Samuel helping Saul find his lost donkey, in Solomon’s time it was dividing the two women’s baby.”

Grace is addicting.  We’ve got an eternity of riches within us.  Let’s just live our lives in such a way that allows people to see the beautiful sculptures that are being made.  In the end, it’s always up to the other person to make that decision.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Let’s face it.  Everyone is brainwashed.  no, I mean everyone.  I am.  You are.  Let’s just accept it.  You’re surrounded by messages of some kind or other.  Some are correct, and I reckon some are not.  Whether you’re into CBS News, Youtube, The Budget, National Enquirer, or those random political forwards you keep getting from enraged former acquaintances, you’re hearing something.

Curry Blake once said, “truth doesn’t follow crowds”.  And I’ve found that in university, it’s pretty easy to be in a crowd.  So I’ve decided to just embrace my brainwashing and optimize myself to be equipped with the stuff I actually believe – that God is alive, well, and wants to change the world with the incredible supernatural power that I have seen.  When people around me are depressed, I want to be giddy.  When they’re frantic, I want to be excited.  When they’re stressed and wrinkly, I want to be bubbly and ironed.  So, if you’re game, I’d like to give you a few resources as well to keep your head on straight when everyone around you is missing theirs.  So here they are:

1.  Facebook/Twitter.  I know, I know, they’re stalking us and using our information to sell to advertising companies.  And it can be a colossal waste of time if you have bad facebook habits.  But hey, I’ve seen some pretty legit stuff happen through the ‘book.  I’m part of a lot of groups that share supernatural testimonies intravenously, and even peopled getting healed through facebook.  Most notable groups for me: Healing Testimonies, Divine Healing Prayer Requests, JGLM South Africa, Miracle Testimonies….and the list goes on.  And subscribing to the right people is sure to fill your newsfeed with good cheer anytime (while unfollowing others can also be a plus).  Just add some people from those facebook groups as friends if you’re missing that sort of newsfeed action – we’re all family, ya know?

2.  Journaling.  Keep a track of God’s goodness and what He’s done in your life.  You don’t lie to yourself, so even if you don’t believe anyone else’s testimonies, you can believe your own.

3.  Podcasts.  I’ve appreciated the words of Andrew Wommack, Heal the Sick, Bethel Church Sermon of the Week, Kris and Kathy Vallotton Ministries, and the one podcast that Revival Lifestyle has put out (lol).  Just search them on iTunes.

4.  Websites.  The Greater News, Jason Chin, Neck Ministries, Escape to Reality, Saints not Sinners, and many others can be a consistent source of miracles.

5.  The Holy Spirit.  Actually, He should be involved with all the above-mentioned ones, and if He isn’t, then only pay attention to this one.  Romans 3:4 says “Let God be true and every man a liar” – so even if everything everyone’s ever said to you has been a lie, God the Holy Spirit will keep it real with you.  ALWAYS put this before the other stuff.

Hope this helps.  Sorry to be brief, but it’s incredibly busy at the moment for me.  If anyone can attest to this busyness thing, this list will be even more helpful, cuz most of it is is basically portable take-out happiness for while you’re on-the-go.  Till next time!

Fishing is an interesting sport.

You never know what you’re going to get, but the thrill of getting your line pulled beneath the waters into the unknown makes the fight of pulling in the prize exciting.

I wonder if Jesus was implying that fishing for people is kind of the same way.

You just have to throw your line out into the unknown. You’re not necessarily going to catch what you might be fishing for.

It’s a Jesus paradigm – maybe sometimes when you are out ministering and just living your life, you might get a tug on your line by a fish you never expected to catch!

Sometimes you might pull in an old boot, while other times maybe you’ll hook onto that treasure chest at the bottom of the ocean.

I don’t think it’s all about the catch, it’s the thrill of the unknown.  And you won’t always catch something either – but that shouldn’t leave you disappointed, it should just get you pumped for the next chance to cast out your line to the waves.

You don’t have to be a pro, and you don’t have to have all the perfect tools, you just have to be available to go and wait.  Patience is key.  It’s called fishing – not catching – and sometimes it takes time. If you try to rush things or if you pull too fast, you will lose your fish.

Just remember, you may not always catch what you expected or even wanted, but any fish that you catch is still a good catch.

This is not going to be a typical one-topic article, because I’ve realized that truth doesn’t always have to take a long time to say.  On my phone I have a section of notes entitled Random Thoughts, which I add to whenever I feel like the Lord gives me insight into something, so I thought I’d share with you some of the stuff I’ve been putting down in the past few months.  Enjoy!

(This one is for actors)  I was recently in a production where I was supposed to play a king who was symbolic of Jesus.  Method acting basically means you put yourself into the role you are playing, so that you can feel what they feel and naturally say what they would say; you have to look into what their objectives are, their obstacles, likes and dislikes, their past, their present, their future…I have always been apprehensive of trying too hard to get into the head of someone else, but I realized with this one that I had nothing to worry about.  Because, in fact, playing this part is simply a continuation of what I’ve been gunning for my whole life anyways – to be like Jesus!  So in this case, if I can be offstage who I am onstage, I know that I am living it right.

A danger of having too much technology is it increases the ability for us to become distracted.  Being connected to the entire world is not necessarily a good thing – we tend to stretch ourselves out too far, like butter over too much bread.  The bigger the playground, the less kids can do justice to it.

An area where you are gifted can become your greatest fault.

Ask God for strategy! He gave it to David when he fought his battles.

There is a lot of comfort in knowing that you did everything that you could do.

When you follow the Lord, you lose the need to ever know what people consider “normal”.

You can do spiritual things while alone and feel good about it, but if you only enjoy them in the moment and never commit to anything beyond that, it’s kinda like a one-night stand isn’t it?

How many of you have been in a relationship that is based entirely in emotions? That relationship is a mess. You’re allowed to think.

It’s not always about the method of doing something as much as the confidence that you put into that method that can get the job done.

Isn’t it a grand coincidence that all of the noble battles and great changes have taken place in the past, and now theres nothing more to fight for because everything is perfect?  The slave trade is abolished, we have freedom of religion, and everything’s been discovered.  I guess we’re off the hook…

I used to wonder where all these annoying, ridiculous jerks were that other people complain about all the time. But I’ve since realized that I have unknowingly already met many of them.  The difference is I just didn’t perceive them like that.  We are called as true servants to look stop looking at what others are doing to us, and instead ask ourselves what caused this person, this creation of the Most High, to act like a jerk.  Let’s instead be the ones to help meet that person’s needs.

Don’t go around fighting for Christian equality or rights. We’re called to reach people’s hearts and get the whole world saved…all that other stuff is just byproducts.

(And by the way…The third last one was sarcastic if you were wondering)

“Whoa there sonny.  I don’t do that religion stuff.  You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think you can accuse me of THAT.”

I’ve heard that before, or something along those lines.  But, being in a university where the idea of religion gets tossed around like a beanbag, I would indeed like to make a case for everyone being religious.  This is not an exasperated statement, nor is it a triumphant one – it’s simply a fact of life, in my way of thinking – the same as how we could say “everyone has two nostrils” or “everyone wishes they had my beard” (ok, maybe not that).

So what is religion, anyway?  Many of my friends define it as something that takes on the form of God but misses His power.  This is interesting and helpful in avoiding certain connotations (such as religious people being judgmental, boring, etc), but I think the majority of the world might find this confusing, and the Bible doesn’t describe religion as that anyways.  So, since we believe everything that pops up on Google, let’s take their definition:

religion:  /riˈlijən/     The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.

I’d say this is pretty close to what people I’ve talked to lately would describe religion as, which is exactly where I want to make my point: all you have to do to be “religious” is to believe in a superhuman controlling power.  Think about it.

Do you believe in gravity?  Yes.  I see it in action when stuff falls.  Do you believe in electricity?  Yes.  My fridge is running.  Do you believe in the sun?  Yes.  Even if it’s dark and I don’t see it for awhile, then it dawns on me.

Funny.  These are all powers, and they all control stuff.  One could even classify them as superhuman, I mean…Johnny Thunder and Magneto are fairly super.

“So…where are you going with this article exactly?”

Well, think about this.  What makes you get out of bed in the morning?  What do you strive to live by?  What burns on your heart?  Is it democracy?  Is it gay rights?  Is it saving the hungry?  Is it serving the love of your life?  Is it combining art music with Shakespeare sonnets?  Providing for your children?  Do you believe in serving another person above yourself?  Or that everyone should have equality regardless of race and gender?

I’d like to suggest that you cannot separate facts and science from beliefs.  And that everyone believes in something.  And that everything you do comes out of what you believe.  Science is merely an extension of beliefs, based upon research and experiments.  How would we know if, in a hundred years, half of what we learned in science class turns out to be wrong?  (The earth is flat, anyone?)  I’m not saying ignore science today.  I’m just saying, science requires faith.  History requires faith, too – faith that what’s written in the books is accurate.  Politics require faith – moral faith (or lack thereof).

What I’m saying is that everyone has a god or gods, they just may not call it that.  And I think that people need to stop putting those who believe in Jesus as singularly being religious, as if the rest of the world doesn’t believe in anything.  I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t believe in anything (everyone’s got at least one movie quote that they like), and if they did, they would likely become deceased shortly thereafter…It’s hard to live when you don’t believe in breathing.

I’ve observed this firsthand since starting university, where everyone supposedly doesn’t discriminate based on “religion”.  Because you know, I’ve heard ALL of my professors, at one time or another, preach their beliefs to us.  They tell us things such as “never to talk to strangers” (so we don’t get murdered).  This seems innocent enough, but think about it.  What if I want to talk to strangers?  Every man dies, not every man really lives.  What if part of what I believe is to share with the homeless and hurting?  I’ve been writing down these little sermon tidbits as I hear them; here’s some more examples: “The truth hurts, that’s how you know it’s the truth,” “people don’t change,” “Mendelssohn was converted from his Jewish heritage to Christianity…so there was that dark underbelly to his life,” “perhaps the universe is telling us to not study this subject,” and, “love doesn’t last forever.”  Whoa now, thought I had to go to church to get preached at!

I’m not complaining, I’m trying to make a point.  What I’d like to encourage you is to stop trying to run from the idea of “religion” (at least the way Google defines it), because you’ve already got one, like it or not – whether it’s atheism or scientism or whatever.  Everyone’s brainwashed into something.  THERE IS NO ESCAPE.  So let’s all admit we’re in the same boat and actually think for ourselves.  Might I add, not just think.  I think I’ve seen enough of intellectualism ruling people’s lives, and I don’t believe our brains alone hold the answer.  Look for a relationship.  That’s my religion.

So here’s a question: I know of pastors who are rich, popular, drive Lexuses and live in nice houses.  I also know of pastors who have nothing, are hated by the world, and are being tortured and killed for their faith.   So…who’s more like Jesus?

Believe it or not, depending on what kind of church you’re from, your answer might be different.  I’ve been a part of both sides and wrestled with this basic issue for a long time, and finally I think I’ve got a conclusion worth sharing.

If you think this issue is already cut & dried, contrast these ideas from the Bible below.

The Point

I’d like to get right to what my thoughts are, if that’s alright.  First off, If God’s ultimate desire was for us to live a sad, pathetic existence, He would not have started us out in a paradise. And He would not have provided a way back into it. This is foundational – God’s ideal of life is, well, heaven. In fact, our assignment on earth is to bring back that reality.

And that’s also the conclusion of this article. The end.

“But that doesn’t answer the questions you raised.”  Maybe – but if Jesus didn’t make it black and white, who are we to judge?  What if this isn’t the right question to ask?  Think of it this way: Jesus marveled at the faith of a centurion (Matthew 8:10). Centurions are rich. He also commended the poor widow in Luke 21:3 for her tiny offering. She was, um, poor. Jesus didn’t discriminate, did he?  Let’s explore this further.

A Rich Man Can Enter the Kingdom

So the Bible says that “a rich man cannot enter the Kingdom of God”.  But think of this: Was Jesus poor? You don’t know that. I mean, when Jesus told his disciples to feed five thousand men, the disciples actually implied that they had enough money to go buy food for the whole crowd (Luke 8:13). How are you supposed to throw a banquet and invite the poor and homeless (Luke 14:13) if you don’t have the means to do so? If you’re going to condemn rich people, take a look in the mirror. The fact that you have internet to read this article makes you a likely candidate to be in the wealthiest 20% of the world. Chances are you rank even higher than that.  How well-off do you have to be before it’s ungodly?  Just slightly better than yourself?

After Jesus’ statement about rich men, remember that he then goes on to say that it’s impossible for anyone to get saved – without God, that is.  Perhaps that was what he was driving at in the first place?  Keep in mind that God doesn’t bless you just for you – and He doesn’t have a limited budget.  Moses asks the Lord, “…Unless you go with us, what else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:16)  Is it possible that the rich could use their influence to change the world?

But It’s Not Guaranteed

But, to those who think worldly riches and relaxation are our lot as Christians, consider that Jesus said “he who loves his life will lose it.” He basically says we’re supposed to despise money, and NOT to store up treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19, 24). Jesus even refused to even feed himself miraculously because apparently God had not permitted him to (Matthew 4:4). Are you that in touch with the Spirit of God – that you can give it all away at the drop of a hat? Christianity isn’t a picnic as much as a war:

“May a physician in plague-time take any more relaxation or recreation than is necessary for his life, when so many are expecting his help in a case of life and death? Will you stand by and see sinners gasping under the pangs of death, and say: “God doth not require me to make myself a drudge to save them?” Is this the voice of ministerial or Christian compassion or rather of sensual laziness and diabolical cruelty?” -Richard Baxter

Being rich isn’t wrong, it’s just harder. Bill Johnson said, “The greater test is not whether you give something away, but whether you can steward it well.”

What “Persecution” is Not

I must point out that I feel that the church applied the term “suffering for Jesus” to a lot of stuff that God can’t take the credit for.  I do believe that God wants people to live free of sickness and disease.  Check out the differentiation in James 5 between “have patience in suffering” and “prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well”. If this thought is new to you, it’s piggybacking off of some stuff I shared here.

I also don’t believe we are ever to lose our joy or God’s presence in our lives.  Paul and Silas were in prison and still giddy, weren’t they?

Finally, I think there’s a big difference between being “hated for the sake of the Son of Man” and being rejected we are under the influence of the “spirit of stupid”, as Kris Vallotton says.  Here’s a good way to gauge this: ask yourself if you are actually preaching and demonstrating like the apostles did, or like John G. Lake’s missionaries did in South Africa in the 1900’s (in one year, Lake buried 37 people who died of hunger after they chose to return to their mission work knowing there was no food or money left).   Does your poverty and suffering stem from sharing the Gospel, or have you just not taken God at His word to provide everything you need (2 Corinthians 9:8)?

You don’t just get points for suffering – God isn’t sadistic, He’s a good Father.  Remember, soldiers bring glory to their commander by winning glorious victories over the enemy!  Victory takes sacrifice, that’s all.

If you want to hear about some people who I feel are a more accurate representation of suffering for the Gospel nowadays, subscribe for free to Voice of the Martyrs magazine.  Also, study these verses from one of my favorite fiction authors, Randy Alcorn – and read his book Safely Home too!  And if you want to hear more about how God can provide everything you need for every good work, you’ll be encouraged by the stories of George Muller and Rees Howells.

Wrapping Up

Again, our assignment is to bring heaven to earth. So if your wealth helps you fulfill this assignment, fine! If your poverty helps, fine! But don’t judge everyone else who isn’t just like you. J.I. Packer said “A half truth masquerading as the whole truth becomes a complete untruth”. Rich people may be more challenged with worldly distractions (and ponzi schemes), but nowhere does Jesus condemn being wealthy in and of itself, just as he doesn’t condemn the poor.  My concern is that, on one side, the church has reacted to the bad stewardship of many rich people and created a wrong idea of “suffering for Christ”, but on the other side, much of what the church calls “the blessing of the Lord” is simply selfishness and an unwillingness to sacrifice comfort in order to share the Gospel.

Paul had a great conclusion about this whole thing, and I’ll leave it to him to wrap up.

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12)

Change the world!

For the record, I am single, a virgin, and don’t exactly have experience in the topic I want to talk about today.  Which is kind of why I want to talk about it.  There’s a ton of young people out there who, I’m pretty sure, have the same questions and challenges that I face in an area that’s not generally addressed in a realistic way.  So I want to open up and join the discussion on sex, purity, and all the stuff that goes with what I’ve found to be a fairly taboo subject.  Why?  Well, as I heard once, “if we don’t teach about sex, the devil will.”  I’ve learned some good stuff that has really helped me as a guy understand this better, and I want to help out anyone else who’s in the same boat.

Original Conception

A lot of guys would be embarrassed to admit that they’ve had a thought or two about sex.  Well look guys, let me be the first to admit it.  I have, you got me.  If that seems weird to you, perhaps you haven’t heard God’s opinion of sex.  He actually thinks it’s a great idea.  So great that, in fact, His VERY FIRST command to our ancestors was to “be fruitful and multiply”.  Ya, seriously.  But hey, this idea was His conception, after all (Get it? Conception? I know, funny..).  And you owe your life to Adam and Eve’s obedience of this command.  Nuff said.

God’s never been afraid to say a thing or two about this stuff.  I mean, there’s some racy stuff in the Song of Solomon.  The Old Testament is pretty frank about the issue; check out Judah and Tamar, Hosea’s dealings with his prostitute wife, Lot and his daughters, and many other such stories.

Let us correct St. Augustine’s thoughts – sex isn’t just a “necessary evil”.  God made it for our pleasure.

Quick Thought on Waiting for the One

Does this mean then that this is something simply at our disposal whenever and wherever we’d like to do it?  I don’t think so.  I believe that once you’re inside a marriage covenant, go nuts.  But till then, it’s best to hold off.

I’m not going to spend a lot of time in this article on why I believe that.  If you  find having sex whenever or with whoever will bring you eternal fulfillment, I have no reason to stop you.  Even if I were to, I’d wait till I get married so I can relate my own experiences  All I will say about this for now is that I want to be able to give a gift to my wife that I’ve never given to another woman, and would be overjoyed that she would do the same for me.  Sure, it can be a struggle to wait – but that’s what makes the victory so great at the end.  Thomas Paine said, “The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.  What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.”  There’s generally little satisfaction in getting something that you didn’t have to work for.

http://youtu.be/IlJFvxad1_A

Tips for Single Guys Like Me

I’d like to address those of us who want to stick it out till we find the one we want to spend the rest of our lives with.  Just so you know, I’m 22 years old and have not yet had an official girlfriend.  The world may find this kinda pathetic, but I am overjoyed at the prospect of being able to save so much for my one and only.

There’s all sorts of stuff that gets thrown at us to keep us off-track – the media, masturbation, friends getting married (and then suddenly disappearing off the planet.  Kinda uncanny), and such.  I’ve been through it all, so I’d just like to offer some encouragement to keep on the road.  Since I am a dude, some of the following may be more relevant to other guys.  Girls, however, will appreciate this post – about being ferocious and beautiful – by Lindsey Blackmore: Dedicated to women.

So, a key for making it through: you gotta find creative outlets to channel hormonal energy.  The last thing you want to do is make a decision based solely on your sex drive.  Your sex drive isn’t bad, it just needs to be guided.  Go write something, or build something.  Think about what you can do to prepare yourself for meeting the one – get your finances is order!  Travel the world!  Work out so you have the sexiest body on the planet!  Make sure you and God are tight!  You gotta keep busy; sitting around by yourself will not help.  It’s not ignoring, it’s preparing.  Relationships take time.   Biding time is done best with your lover, from what I understand, but sitting around alone will only make you desperate.

http://youtu.be/B28zpGQNm5k

Also, don’t be in a hurry.  Talk to married couples and ask them if they miss anything about the single life.  Ask yourself if you are willing to give all those things up now for what they have.  You won’t be sole owner of your life anymore.  This is crucial to understand in finding the one – entrusting your life into someone else’s hands for the rest of your days is kind of a big deal.

Marriage will not be about you, it will be about the other person.  So enjoy the single life when you can.  If you know you can enjoy the single life, you know that marriage can only be better – because you can think rationally about what you will sacrifice.  But if you marry because you’re desperate, you know that marriage will only be worse – because you’re doing it only for you.

Sex and marriage are going to be great, but they won’t be be the destination of life.  Remember, you’re generally still alive after the honeymoon is over.  The end goal is always to know God, and if your lover doesn’t help you do that – contrary to most popular songs lyrics and movies – you will never be fully, completely, continually satisfied.

A Word for the Ladies

One final thing I’d like to say, it doesn’t entirely fit in with the theme here but I felt I should put it in anyways.  This is for the girls, as a brother in the Lord:

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.  So don’t think you have to perform to receive love from guys.  We’re not all just after your bodies.  In fact, the girls I find most attractive are the ones that just open up and share what’s really on their hearts.  We enjoy spending time with you, and it actually builds us up to know that we can be helpful to girls.  You are valuable to us, so don’t sell out to guys who don’t respect you or treat you as royalty.  Thanks!

I’m no marriage counselor, just wanted to put my two cents in on a topic that Christians seem to be terrified of talking about.  And hey, hope no one feels condemned from this article.  If you’ve messed up in the past, trust me – God isn’t holding it against you.  I’d love to hear thoughts from other people who have other thoughts in this area.  Just wanted to let anyone who’s been fighting through these things know they’ve got someone out there doing the same.  Be blessed!

For further thoughts on this topic, check out XXX Church’s website, read Kris Vallotton’s book Sexual Revolution, or check out Dennis Bontrager’s 5-part series on this stuff here.

It’s funny how many kids grow up in church, have a fun time in youth group and singing in choir, and then ditch out when they hit the “real world”.  Do they suffer memory loss upon flying the coop?  Or are there deeper problems, problems that run deeper than we may realize?

I am at that very stage of life where many of my peers choose to leave church.  And for that reason I’d like to share my two cents on a few reasons why I think that is, drawing from the experiences on my journey so far.  So let’s begin!

Not With Wise Words

Those who have been following this site for awhile may recall I talk often of miracles.  That is partly because one brought itself right smack into my family a few years ago.  If you haven’t read the story of my mom getting healed of a decade of chronic fatigue syndrome, I’d recommend you check it out before continuing.  Since the time of that healing I have seen many miracles – things like people being healed of heart conditions; babies that are paralyzed suddenly kicking their legs; and people who use canes throwing the cane aside and walk freely!

Why do I talk about them so much?  Because seeing God move in power is one of the main reasons I am where I am today.  It was not just nice sermons, Bible studies, or coffee and donuts after a church service that kept me seeking God.  When God unmistakably makes a change in someone’s life, no one can argue with that.  I think this is why Paul said, “My message and preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but the demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on man’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)  This combination of speaking and healing was evident in Jesus’ life as well – “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease” (Matthew 4:23).

I believe that God intends for the supernatural to be natural in the church, and not just healings of the physical body.  The book of Acts describes a range of supernatural things that are also meant to be normal: angelic visitations (when Peter was released from prison by an angel in the book of Acts, the people praying for his release expected his angel to show up at the door rather than Peter himself!), prophecy, speaking in tongues, and many other things.  Mark 16:17-18 sums this up well.  Amazing!

This is missing in so many churches, and this lack of power causes people to look elsewhere (ie the occult, reiki), and can end up giving up hope altogether.  But that’s not my main focus for today, so let’s lay this supernatural stuff aside for now.  I’d like to take a look at something more important.

Principles vs. Relationship

It’s like this: have you noticed how much information there is out there?  Really, we are pretty darn equipped in the church.  We could tell you all about how creation works and why the Bible is historically accurate.  We can tell you exactly what the Bible says about King David, homosexuality, and peacemaking, because we’ve got the whole book memorized.  We’ve got principles in financing, principles in church-planting, principles coming out the wazoo.  So shoudn’t the entire world be converted by now?  What’s missing?

Well…you see, all the above is based on facts, knowledge, principles, and the like; none of which can ever replace the entire point of God – a relationship with Him.  As my friend Ben Fitzgerald reminded me once, “All you need is 10 good principles without a relationship to destroy your Christian life.  The greatest endeavor in life is to be a friend of God, and you don’t get there by following principles.”

When a church makes its main goal to try to get people to understand facts and complete tasks, it teaches people to rely solely on their intellect.  And the smart ones, who perhaps could be most effective in the Kingdom of God, fall away – because they realize something doesn’t add up.  It’s not that the principals and knowledge we have are wrong necessarily – it’s just that they were never meant to be the driving force behind the church.  We don’t live just to follow a bunch of rules.

The point of it all is simply to know God!  And that’s something there is no formula for.  God is a person, He loves you uniquely, and He encounters us all differently.  Knowing God means learning to pray, learning to hear His voice, to experience Him and trust His promises, and to love Him in your own way.  The point isn’t to understand everything all the time (hope that releases you from that burden!).  God’s #1 priority is to simply have you love Him as He loves you!

Charles Finney said, “Unless [one] can preach the Gospel as an experience, present Christ to mankind as a matter of personal encounter, his speculations and theories will come far short of preaching the Gospel.”  Church must be conducive to this end – otherwise it’s all in vain.

Of course, if the lack of supernatural and the lack of emphasis on relationship weren’t enough, we could always talk about the hypocrisy, the power-struggles and scams and such that we’ve heard of in churches.  But there’s no sense in focusing on that, because we don’t need to glorify the schemes of the devil, the true enemy of all children of God.

Look Up

I think we’ve established that the church has problems.  But that’s them, and they can’t control you.  Can I ask where you’re at, personally?

Maybe you left church already.  Maybe you’re inside but you feel like you’re getting nowhere.  Maybe you were hurt – there was hypocrisy, you got dumped, or you just got bored of people who didn’t live in the “real world”.  So church messed you up.  You think there’s no life where you came from, and maybe you’re right.  I want to say I’m sorry, and I’m not trying to tell you to go back.  I’m just saying that I know that everyone has a need for God.  And I want you to know Him.  Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Even if no one around you is following the Truth (and I know there is), in eternity we all will face God alone.  So let God be true, and every man a liar (Romans 3:4).  His arms are wide open to receive you, perhaps in a way no one has experienced Him yet!  Who knows?  Perhaps you could be the next Martin Luther, who overturns the wrong religious establishments of the day just like Jesus overturning tables in the Temple, and establishing his Father’s Kingdom.  There are others like you out there; keep at it and you’ll find a home with His people.

Further Resources and Wrapping Up

For more on this stuff, there’s an interesting song by Brian “Head” Welch’s called “Die Religion Die” regarding the contrast between God and man-made religious establishments (check out his testimony too – he used to be a member of KoRn!).  Readers may also appreciate Darin Hufford’s article “Why I don’t Go to Church Anymore” and the book The Misunderstood God.  Jake Colson’s So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore (free on pdf) is along those lines too, and finally, for those who linked to this article through my Facebook and read the quote by Curry Blake, it’s from a pretty intense teaching of his on this topic called Somebody’s Right, Somebody’s Wrong, which you can download here.

My intention in this article is not to promote unnecessary anger towards people who just haven’t heard this stuff yet.  I don’t like it when people who make a career of slamming the church (not helpful, and just as hypocritical!)  Some in the church are doing the best they can with what they know; I’m in that boat too, so I don’t want to imply I know it all.  I just want to share the journey with you, and pray you’ll join me in this amazing adventure of learning to be a friend of God.  Be blessed!

(Understand this guy’s definition of “religion” though – a video response that I found interesting can be found here)

In the Christian life, we often hear things like “all things work out for the good”, “God will have his way”, “There’s a reason for everything” (Justin Bieber was quoted as saying this when interrogated on his views on abortion in the instance of rape – interesting tidbit for ya), and so on.  There’s verses for this, too – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28), and, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).  So whenever things happen that we don’t understand, I guess we can safely just quote any of the above verses and move on then…right?

Well, for those of us who live in a hole and haven’t seen what’s happening in the great wide world, I’ve got news: some pretty bad stuff has happened.  Genocides, famines, HIV, cancer, nuclear disasters…There’s plenty more.

What Christians tend to do is try not to think of this type of thing too much, cuz it can really mess with the idea of God being good, can’t it?  It’s much easier to sweep it under the rug of “it’s God’s will” and hop off that train of thought while we still can.

Well, let’s stay on the train for once.   As we chug along, we find we start to question God.  Vice Verses, a song on Switchfoot’s latest album, laments “where is God in the hurricane?  Where is God in the genocide?”

If you dare to go on, you’ll find the train track divides.  At this point you’ve got two choices – believe that God is not all-powerful, or else He is just not all-loving.  What else is there?

Well, I have one suggestion.  What if God isn’t exactly in control the way we understand it?

I explained this idea more in-depth a year ago, check out “In the Beginning” for details.  But let me quickly brief you on what I mean.  God created everything, and it was good.  Then, He put us in charge of the earth (Genesis 1:26), giving us free will to do as we please.  And we messed it up.  Did God do it?  No.  Did He want us to do it?  I don’t think so.  But because of the natural laws of the earth, messing the earth up with sin has taken its toll.  So who is responsible for earth being messed up?  Us!

God wants us to live happy – if He didn’t, He wouldn’t have started us out in a paradise.  But above all, He wants us to have the freedom to choose whether to serve Him on earth or not.  THAT is His will.  So you see, the issues I’ve brought up don’t so much involve His will as much as OUR will.

I mean, if everything that happens is just the way God likes it, why did Jesus tell us to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”?  Why do we pray at all?  Why are millions perishing around the world while 2 Peter 3:9 says “[God is] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”?

We are the hands and feet of Christ – He moves through us.  John Wesley went as far as to say, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer.”  Another famous guy (the name escapes me) said, “Don’t ask where God is in the world’s problems.  Ask where God’s people are.”

“Okay”, you say, “I get it – help people out.  But what about things that we can’t change?  Hurricanes, HIV, that kind of stuff?”

Well, according to Scriptures, Jesus said we’ve got authority over that stuff too.  Jesus never blessed a storm, and since all authority has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18, Luke 10:19), we go in His name and speak to things such as the weather, diseases, etc, and they must line up with God’s word.

Pretty straightforward…till we come to a rock that does not budge.  And this is the major issue I want to address in this article.

So this rock stays put.  We pray, we command, we fast and beg, we do everything we know to do.  And nothing happens.  Speaking from experience, recently three friends/acquaintances of mine died of cancer, one of whom I prayed for multiple times to be healed.  Many would say at this point, “I guess it must have just been God’s will.”

But was it?  Jesus healed all who came to him, and commanded us to do the same (John 14:12, Matthew 10:7-8).  He said if we had faith as small as a mustard seed, we could move a mountain (Matthew 17:20), and that Jesus would do whatever we ask in His name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father (John 14:13).

“So you’re saying if they don’t get healed, we didn’t have enough faith!”  I am NOT saying that.  “So you’re saying that God doesn’t use tragedies for His purposes and to teach us things?  Not saying that either.  “So you’re saying we’re never supposed to suffer on earth.”  I want to put a word out on this subject soon, but for now I will just say that’s ALSO not what I’m saying.  “So you’re saying I could have done something more!”  No…not even saying that.  My heart goes out to all who fight for a loved one – I know the urgency one feels, and that they spare no expense in attempting to save them.  No way do I want to tarnish someone’s sacrifice.

Here’s what I am saying: I’ve seen too many people encounter tragedies and create theology from them that Jesus never taught in an attempt bring comfort, instead of admitting they simply don’t understand why things happened the way they did.  I’m saying that it’s ok to say “I don’t know”.

In fact, I believe it’s the best response, as we only know in part.  That and to draw near to the Father of all comfort to get the peace that goes beyond all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  It’s better than making God out to be a sadistic father who hurts and kills His children to teach them lessons (or whatever other theology you fancy).  The point of Christianity isn’t to explain everything in existence – only God can actually do that.  And we are simply supposed to know Him.  A relationship is based on communication and and trust, not facts and knowledge.

I pray I would not be misunderstood here.  A conclusion that doesn’t explain tragedies isn’t the most satisfying, I know.  But I felt I had to put something out there to warn people not to attribute all problems they encounter to “the will of God”.  We are in a war.  We do have an enemy, and though we have authority through Jesus we don’t yet know everything about our enemy.  Let’s not make Job’s mistake of attributing his disasters to God (Job 1:21) – recall that although God did allow it, it was the devil who actually brought the tragedies to Job’s house (this could warrant a whole study itself, which I have not yet concluded myself).

So let’s understand the Father’s true heart to give life to the full – that’s what He wants to do, but He has willed to give us the earth – and now we’ve got to fight for it.   I want to encourage us to press in to what God does want to do.  Heidi Baker shares that she prayed for 200 blind people before she saw a single blind eye open – and since then she has seen much more success.  Draw your own conclusions, but I say we all could use some of her tenacity.  Rees Howells found that the Holy Spirit wants to answer all our prayers, but only wants us to pray the prayers He gives us.  So if we do not know God’s will in a situation, we must go to Him and ask, and when we get a response, pray until we have confidence that it will happen.

I love you all, and especially for those who are grappling with tragedies – this article was for you, so that you would be strengthened in your faith and keep marchin’ on.  If you have questions, Revival or Riots wrote a simpler article dealing more specifically with healing and the sovereignty of God here, which may help as well.  Bless ya all tons.