Friday, August 28, 2015

He's Pulled The Curtain Back


The curtain has been pulled back and the insidious and ugly nature of sin has been exposed. In the last few weeks, we have seen the unraveling of many people's lives, families, and careers. Josh Duggar was exposed for being a client on Ashley Madison. This public figure and representative for Christian family values was exposed as a fraud. There have been pastors, seminary professors, and presidents of Christian colleges exposed for affairs. 

In addition to giving a black eye to the church and staining the name of Jesus, it devastates lives. Families have been ruined. Years of labor have been tainted with scandal that it can never be disassociated with.

But in the midst of all of this, I believe something else is happening. God is giving us a gift. This may sound bizarre upon first glance, given the above devastation noted, but it is true. God has given believers a gift. 

What is that gift? Clarity

If there were any pockets of uncertainty, any shred of doubt about the heinous evil of sin, that has been blown up in the face of these sexual scandals. In the event that you had any fantasies swirling around in your mind about the excitement, freedom, enjoyment, and allure of an extra-marital affair, it should be lying in worse ruins than Hiroshima after the atomic bomb. 

We have crystal clear clarity about the darkness and devastation of sin. We see the secret sex stripped of all illusions of grandeur when we see a son confronting his father's adultery saying, "It's over dad." There's nothing to fantasize about with that, is there? There's nothing exciting about imagining Josh Duggar having to face his wife, his children, or his family, is there? The allure of sex outside your marriage, and all that comes with it, may look so appealing and so amazing, until you see the lifetime of devastation it leaves for the two minutes of physical enjoyment it gives.

Oh friends, God has graciously pulled the curtain back on the evil of sin. He has shown us sin's true colors. We should heed the warning. We should thank God for the clarity. The capacity to do evil lurks within us all. We are all five minutes away from a moral disaster in our own lives. 

Follow the words of the Hebrews writer in Hebrews 3:12-14

"12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end."

Take care, Christians. You have evil and unbelief that lurks in your heart that threatens to pull you away from the Living God. So surrender daily to Jesus. Find believers to surround you who can get in your business and exhort you. The deceitfulness of sin is real. But it is a liar. God has given us the gift of clarity. Receive it. 

Monday, July 13, 2015

Gender Reveal Parties of the Future: A Parable

Once upon a time, in a very advanced and evolved land, they threw parties. They were unique. They were parties of great celebration and anticipation. For these parties were no mere marking of time or remembering an event, these parties were a revelation. They were called: gender reveal parties.

These parties had been happening for centuries. Previous generations in the land - strange, primitive ancestors - would throw these parties while the fetus was still in the womb. Some - a few of the wackiest - would even call the fetuses babies, as if they were really human until they were out of their mother's body. They had these parties, gathering everyone around, and then the parents would tell everyone the gender of the fetus. This would be followed by a symbolic gesture like releasing blue balloons for boys or pink balloons for girls - I warned you they were strange creatures. 

They were savage people. Parents were preposterously oppressive and barbaric for determining the gender of their children instead of waiting to let the child choose for themselves. They acted as if gender was something biological instead of something you have to feel out on your own. They eventually evolved. Thankfully.

In the new and evolved land, these parties were great celebrations where grown people gathered around with friends and family to reveal their gender. The age of discovery varied for each person. Some knew early on as children, others later in life, and some went back and forth frequently before truly settling down. It was such a liberating thing. 

This does not mean that everyone evolved. Some were stuck in the Stone Age with their insistence that gender was biological and determined by God. They made their arguments. They said things like, "If gender is not set, but is fluid, why do you act as if gender based names are set? Why does a man named "Mark" feel the need to change his name to a girl name like "Christy?" Why not just be a girl named "Mark?" Gender based names appear more set than gender itself." 

Or they said things like, "If people can be born as the wrong gender (i.e. they have XY male chromosomes but are convinced they are a woman), then how is gender a social construct? You cannot be born the wrong gender (implying that gender is set) and simultaneously say it is a social construct." They really were clever, these barbarians and their cute arguments, but the people learned how to shut them up. They called the Dissenters unloving and hateful. This usually caused them to wilt like flowers. 

In this gloriously evolved land, you could no longer disagree with other people's beliefs or you were labeled intolerant; literally, you were labelled so everyone knew you were a Dissenter. Yes, it was a small problem that the word "tolerant" inherently means to put up with people who hold different positions than you, but consistent beliefs were not nearly as important as feelings in this land. The tactic of the moral majority of shutting the mouth of the Dissenters was perfected. People were convinced it was unloving to challenge people's ideas and make them feel uncomfortable. Love and disagreement were no longer compatible. 

It was truly an incredible country. The apex of human evolution. A land where Love Wins (as they would say) and truth was written by the feelings of the day - but could change tomorrow if necessary. If only previous generations would have let go of all their primitive ideas quicker, they would have become great sooner.

Monday, July 6, 2015

A Voice In The Wilderness


There is quite a stir happening in the United States right now. We are a very unsettled nation. We are experiencing a moral revolution unlike any other in our nation's history. Whether you like it or not, it is happening. 

Many are cheering the revolution on; others are pumping the brakes, but discovering the brake line got cut somewhere along the way. 

It is possible to both oppose this shift and to see the potential benefits. The Church of Jesus, committed to the authority of Scripture, on a mission to reach people with the gospel, must continue to declare the will of God for all of mankind. We do not bow to public pressure or rejection. We keep proclaiming the truth. We do so with mournful hearts and lamenting over the devastation sin causes in people's lives.

The question the Church is going to have to answer is this: are we willing to stand as a voice of truth in a world that rejects it AND us? 

When John the Baptist stepped onto the scene, he came preaching for people to repent and turn from their sins - which is never a popular message, for those wondering. Many began questioning him, "Who are you?" They kept pressing him for an answer to the question. In frustration, they finally told him they had to give an answer to those who sent them and they demanded for him to say something about himself. John's answer then should be the answer of the Church now. He said, 

"I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.'"

John's statement deserves several points of emphasis and highlighting. 

First, he is a voice. John is not going to try and accomplish his mission through his actions alone. His mission involves being a voice. The Church's mission, and the Christian's life, must involve our voice. It is a vocal mission.

Second, he is crying out in the wilderness. He is standing alone. He is swimming against the stream. He is going against the culture. The Church in America today must learn to be a wilderness people. This does not mean we load up on canned goods and ammo and build underground houses in Montana. It does mean we are prepared to stand alone if necessary. 

Third, he is proclaiming a message of Christ's coming. John was preparing the way of Jesus' coming. He was calling people to repent of their sins and prepare for the coming of the Lord. Church, this is still our mission. We are making straight the way of the Lord. We are crying to people: "Jesus is coming, repent of your sins, and put your faith in Christ."

As Christians will soon learn, if you have not already, it is not always fun being on the opposite end of popular opinion. Being a voice in the wilderness and proclaiming God's message eventually cost John the Baptist his life. His head was put on a platter at a party for entertainment. Sometimes that is the cost of being voice in the wilderness in a culture that hates dissenting voices.

May the Church stand boldly in our culture, proclaiming with confidence the truths of God, no matter the cost. May we stand firm as we become the entertainment for the culture's party raging around us, even when it means being the hors d'oeuvres.




Monday, June 29, 2015

There's Nowhere To Hide

In many ways, some things haven't changed. In other ways, everything has changed. We are living in an unprecedented time. With the Supreme Court's ruling last Friday, same-sex "marriage" is now legal in all 50 states. This is not surprising considering the recent trajectory we have been on as a country. What is surprising are the number of people who do not seem to realize where this is heading. 

Friday was not the end of the homo crusade, or jihad (I'll let you pick your flavor of word choice since that is the kind of society we are now). If you believe the finish line was reached with the new court ruling, I have some swamp land in the Everglades I would love to sell you. The finish line was not reached, the starting gun sounded. 





The secular, liberal, gay, - and many other adjectives - agenda is driving down a mountain with no brakes and no intention of pushing them if they did. There will be no satisfaction until they are not only allowed, but applauded for their actions. Full acceptance is the goal. Those who resist will become the target.

Here enters the Church. 


For the first time in my lifetime, it has finally hit me that Christians are not the moral majority. It may have been that way for a few years, but Friday's ruling solidified it. The moral/sexual revolution in the United States is quickly changing the landscape of our country. I suspect that I will never witness Christian morality as the majority again. This could be the best thing for the Church.


"Whatever do you mean, Erik?" Well, let me explain. There are no rocks for Christians to hideout under. We will be pressed now to answer the question on where we stand on this issue. It will become the litmus test of our social standing. If you believe, as a Christian, you will be able to keep your view on this sealed, you are wrong. If you believe you will be allowed to simply "agree to disagree," you are wrong. If you believe this is an inconsequential issue that is not worth all the fuss being made about it, you are wrong. 


There are a lot of ripple effects that could come from this decision. I will address them in future posts. The goal of this little soirĂ©e is to make clear to Christians that putting your view in your back pocket, hoping you will never have to take it out, is foolish. Are you going to submit to the authority of God's Word or surrender to the authority of the Correctness Police? Are you willing to go against the mob and intolerista? They are coming. 


The Church will thrive from this. It may not be reflected in our numbers, but the Church will become clearer about its mission and calling. The Church will be pruned of those who have half-heartedly associated with Christianity. The Church will be pruned of those who claimed Christianity because it was the socially acceptable thing to do. Only genuine believers will claim Christ and stand on His Word when it is socially unacceptable. This issue is going to forcefully shake the tree of the Church and I am imagining a lot of debris is going to come raining down. But good news, friends, the church will shine. The gates of hell will not prevail against her (Matthew 16:18).


Now is the time to solidify your position, friends. The world is going to call your hand and make you show your cards. There's nowhere to hide. 


*I proudly have my name attached as a signatory of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission's declaration "Here I Stand" evangelical declaration of marriage, read it here

*A great resource on the Bible's teaching on homosexuality and an answer to the popular arguments for same-sex marriage is Kevin DeYoung's What Does The Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality (a short, but important book)  


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

God is in the Camp

The last several months at TJC have been unbelievable. We have experienced remarkable growth. In just four months we have witness attendance shoot up from 400 to 600. We are moving from 2 services to the 3 services, beginning March 22nd (8/9:30/11). We anticipate 750-800 people to visit on Easter (April 5th). We are witnessing salvations, baptisms, people signing up to serve, people joining Gospel Communities, folks becoming covenant members, and endless stories of people inviting, serving, and meeting the needs of others. It has been incredible. 

If I am being honest with you, all of these incredible things excites me beyond all belief, but it is also scares me. It scares me because I do not want us (the church and me personally) to do anything that hinders what God is doing. It is evident that God's presence is with us and is moving in our midst. So I keep humbly praying, "Oh God, thank you for making Your presence very real to us and showing Yourself to us, please don't let us blow it." While you may think I'm playing, I'm not. 

As I was thinking about this phenomena we are experiencing and my own heart's yearning to not mess it up, the phrase, "God is in the camp" came to mind. As I google searched the phrase - as all pastors do when they are trying to remember where that verse they vaguely remember is - I came across a passage. 

Deuteronomy 23:14 - Because the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you.

Moses is giving a vital reminder to Israel, the people of God. He sets their minds on the reality that God is with them. His presence dwells with them. God walks in the midst of the camp. This leads Moses to declare to them that they must be holy. Because God is with them, they should strive for holiness so He does not turn away from them. If they want to dwell in His presence, and if they want Him to continue to remain in the camp, they must be careful to walk in obedience. 


Oh friends, this is the tug my heart was experiencing. I cherish God's presence in our "camp" and what He has being doing in our midst. I've visited and experienced many churches, and I can tell you, not all of them have God in the camp. I want Him to remain with us and do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), but we must walk in humble obedience to Him. We must submit our lives willingly to Him. 

With humble and hungry hearts, we cry, "God is in the camp! Let us walk in His ways." 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

A Simple Reminder

If you had the power to write the story of your life and submit it to God for execution, I highly doubt you would script any trials, struggles, or pain. We are creatures of comfort. We don't want to hurt or experience suffering. We are as adverse to pain as Cousin Eddie is to a job or James Harden is to a razor.

In fact, this aversion to pain has led many to believe the blessing of God in our lives is incompatible with suffering or loss. The idea goes like this: God's blessing in my life equals relatively pain-free living and smooth sailing. Pain and struggle must mean God is displeased with me.

This could not be further from the truth. This false thinking has come into our minds from poor teaching in churches and pink-haired ladies on TV.

God's love for you is not measured in your level of pain.

God's blessing and favor is not determined by your trials.

I was reminded of this truth when reading from Genesis this week. In Genesis 35, we see God protects Jacob as he travels through rivaling cities who could try to plunder Jacob's possessions. Jacob does not fear and describes God as "the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." (vs 3). This is an incredible promise and hope that Jacob clings to. And it was true.

But later in Genesis 35 we see that Jacob's wife, Rachel, is having their son Benjamin, Rachel dies in childbirth. In an instant, Jacob's wife is dead.

Though God's blessing and favor are clearly over Jacob, Rachel dies giving birth. Trials and tribulations are a part of life for all of us. Trials in our life and God's presence and favor in our life, are not two separate lives, but one.

I don't know what you are going through today or what trials are consuming your thoughts and emotions, but I know God wants you to seek Him in them. I don't know what hurt you are processing, but I know that Jesus wants you to process it at His feet. 

A simple reminder today: God's pleasure with you and His favor in your life is not indicated by the trials you suffer. When you face trials of many kinds, rejoice, for God is working in them to mature you and grow your faith (James 1:2-4). Remember that Jesus' grace is sufficient for you in all things (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Never mistake trials for God's abandonment or displeasure of you. The world is broken due to sin. In this world you will experience trials and tribulations. But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).