Casting Crowns Announces Imminent Release of Surprise Double-Album Titled "People & Steeples"4/1/2017 Today, much-loved and much-lauded Christian Adult Contemporary group Casting Crowns announced the imminent release of their first double-album, dubbed People & Steeples. The announcement comes as a pleasant surprise to the CCM community, which has widely acclaimed almost every release the band has made since their hit self-titled record back in 2003. Lead vocalist and founding member Mark Hall had this to say: Since the release of 2016's The Very Next Thing, I and the group have been hard at work trying to distill what makes Casting Crowns special and make some thing truly defining for the group; something that really connects and resonates with people; something memorable and poignant that communicates the message of the Gospel. God led us back to some of our earlier works, like "Can Anybody Hear Her," and "Stained Glass Masquerade," and I truly believe He's shown us what made those songs so relevant and accessible. There was no other title we could have used, and we're both humbled and excited to announce the imminent release of our double-album People & Steeples through Reunion records! People & Steeples is a massive, epic two-hour, 23-track double album, available digitally and physically next Tuesday, both on dual compact discs and on dual 33-RPM vinyl record. This magnum opus features music that ranges from prayerful worship, ("Fall on this people / Light up our steeple") to tear-jerking moments of painful honesty ("As I sit under this steeple / Have I truly loved these people?"), to musings on practical theology ("I'll never forget that this steeple / represents the gathering of Your people"), to convicting offers of invitation ("Come kneel beneath this steeple / and become one with this people").
Christopher Smith of Jesusfreakhideout.com gave the album four and a half stars, and says in his review, "People & Steeples is the most comprehensive and diverse work on the subjects of both people and of steeples. It may sound at first like this would be extremely limiting for a huge double-album, but I was frankly astonished at just how deep, rich, and complex the commentary was... A tremendously thought-provoking work." Contributing editor Matt Conner from CCM Magazine gave People & Steeples four stars and wrote, "Never before have I listened to a work of such magnitude that had such a clear and concise focus. It's accessible musically, but there's a well-defined artistic direction that most similar groups lack." As a recipient of an advance press copy, I have to personally agree with what has been said - it truly is a remarkable work of artistry, an absolute must-listen. My favorite tracks are easily "If We Are the People" and "I'll Praise You Under This Steeple." The only misstep comes in the song, "Every Man (Of the People Who Love Steeples)," which controversially uses the approximate rhyme "ripple" in one line, which breaks the flow of the song and frankly stands out awkwardly. Parents might find this baffling lyrical decision to be too much for young children, who might not yet be old enough to practice biblical discernment between true rhyme and approximate rhyme. Otherwise, People & Steeples is a phenomenal release that every music fan should check out. The news comes soon after the surprise announcement that fellow Georgia-based Christian rock supergroup Third Day would be releasing a new trance-electronica project soon, called c0m3 // 2GEt|-|3r in Q3 2017. In case you can't tell, this is a work of satire. I love Casting Crowns and Third Day and highly recommend you listen to their music loudly and often. Happy April Fools' Day!
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And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. - Romans 1:28, ESV Friday, March 19 of 2017 was mine and my wife's fifth anniversary. It also happened to be the opening night of Disney's much-discussed live-action remake of their 1991 animated classic, Beauty and the Beast. As a massive Disney fan from childhood, my wife had been excited for months for this movie, and despite the avalanche of controversy stirring among the internet and social media, we went and saw the movie anyway. It was everything that she had hoped and dreamed it would be. As for me? It met expectations, which were that for two hours I'd get to sit in a relatively comfortable seat and try to tune out the sounds of squealing kids and annoyed parents.
But about that controversy: openly homosexual Director Bill Condon touted in an interview with magazine Attitude his inclusion of an "exclusively gay moment" in the movie, and it's been revealed in a much earlier interview with Passport Online that he wishes he were like Ian McKellen and "immediately go rip pages out of the Bible, but there don't seem to be any Bibles in the hotels I stay in these days." Needless to say, these sorts of statements did not sit well (and deservedly so!) with a number of evangelical Christians, many of which boycotted the film or even signed petitions to let Disney know of their displeasure with the inclusion of homosexual propaganda within the film. Armed with this knowledge, I watched the movie firsthand and can say with certainty that the amount of sexually-charged content in Beauty and the Beast has been greatly overblown - by both sides (it's unfortunate when a controversy starts before people have had the opportunity to even objectively observe what the controversy is over). The much-maligned content is as follows: Near the beginning of the film, villain Gaston discusses his infatuation with Belle, while the character LaFou (mockingly) says, "Who needs her when you've got us?" During the song, "No One [Does Anything] Like Gaston," a visual gag has LaFou wrapping himself in Gaston's arms before asking "too much?" Gaston replies, "Uh, yeah." Afterwards, Gaston asks LaFou, "Why hasn't a girl snatched you up yet?" To which LaFou responds, "They say I'm too clingy." The two look at each other awkwardly before the scene cuts. Later, during the storm of the castle, LaFou tells Mrs. Potts, "I used to be on Gaston's side, but we are so in a bad place right now." Mrs. Potts tells him, "You're too good for him anyway" (which could be taken in a strictly platonic way, given the context of the line). Three men are then attacked by the wardrobe and made to look like women, with dresses, wigs, and makeup. Two of them run screaming, while one looks at himself and smiles, seeming pleased with the result. Finally, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene at the end of the movie, LaFou and the aformentioned cross-dressed man wind up together on the dance floor, looking somewhat surprised and perhaps a little uncomfortable - the "exclusively gay moment," that lasts less than two whole seconds. If that sounds like a lot of pro-homosexual content, remember that all of these situations constitute a handful of seconds in an hour-and-a-half long movie. And in all of them, the characters are played for laughs - LaFou is a weak-willed and confused fanboy, and Gaston seems comically ignorant to any attraction on LaFou's part. The other (unnamed) man probably gets a whole thirty seconds of screen time throughout the entire movie, meaning there's no character development for him at all. Most of the kids laughed at these scenes. If anything, they didn't normalize or promote homosexuality - they seemed like a mere extension of the characters in the cartoon, and if anything, made them look decidedly abnormal - these are the weird people in the movie whose antics are supposed to amuse us. If this was Disney's attempt to normalize homosexuality, it's a strange one indeed - making the two "gay" characters punchlines to be laughed at. It's true that getting people to laugh at a person's moral failings is one way to disarm them from getting angry at or decrying them, but at the same time, it's equally destructive as it teaches the audience to point and laugh, which reduces them to freaks and weirdos. That's an equally un-Christian-like response as it would be to approve of homosexual behavior. We don't watch movies and say, "Ha! It's so funny that man is divorced!" or "Isn't it hilarious how that woman just cheated on her spouse with another man?" or "Hysterical! That guy just got caught in his pornography addiction!" Why would we then laugh at homosexuality? We should accurately assess the gravity of the sin and be appropriately appalled by it, but never reduce the person to anything lower than the beloved creation of God that he or she is. Beauty and the Beast makes homosexuals little more than a joke. I would have rather Disney removed the offending scenes altogether - and I feel strongly there will soon be LBGTQ+-affirming groups that wouldn't disagree for that very reason. But even if the regressive Left decided that this was, in fact, a triumph of pro-LGBTQ+ propaganda (spoiler alert: it's not), should we be surprised at this from a vehemently secular corporation like Disney? I think we should respond with a yawn and a shrug, because, in fact, this movement is just one point on a much longer line of cultural Marxism that Disney has been pushing for decades. Let's consider some of the animated films: The Lion King presented us with a subtext of aggressive secular naturalism. Pocahontas escalated by using pantheism as a key plot device. Hercules and Mulan understandably incorporate mythological religions into their stories, but nonetheless have to be approached carefully by Christian families. Most recently The Princess and the Frog frequently depicts the practice of animistic Voodoo as a crucial part of New Orleans culture. So, we're offended by a maybe-not-maybe-so gay supporting character, but not by a main villain who is granted magical powers in exchange for offering a blood sacrifice to a clutch of mask-wearing demons? Let me be clear: I would trust a young child with this remake of Beauty and the Beast long before I would find it appropriate to show them The Princess and the Frog, a movie that made me slightly uncomfortable even as an adult. This is not to diminish the discernment practiced by conscientious Christian parents who plan to do otherwise; this is an individual decision that shouldn't be taken lightly, and most importantly, we need to be respectful of each other's decisions. As Paul writes in relation to eating previously "forbidden" meats in Romans 14:3 (ESV), "Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgement on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." We all are on a journey, being sanctified in Christ, and many of us are at different points and may have different convictions. Despite that, we (of course) should never be approving of sexual immorality in the church - but we cannot expect the world to practice the same discernment. In 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 (ESV), Paul writes, "I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would have to go out of the world." Disney is not and will not be the only worldly institution to hold moral positions we disagree with, and we should not be shocked when it does. Ultimately, restraining ourselves or our children from watching a relatively innocuous fantasy film does little to establish a strong foundation of biblical morality within the family. We should not be scared of Disney, because it's not Disney's job to teach Bibical morality. Sure, many of their films have a message to them - most of them positive (Beauty and the Beast's main plot, included). And while it is dangerous to take as a firm promise, Solomon's words in Proverbs 22:6 are certainly wise to consider: "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (ESV). Families that are grounded will not be taken by surprise at the few moments of Beauty and the Beast that go against Biblical morality, and I think those moments would, even then, elicit little more than an eye-roll. However, I applaud those that feel convicted to quietly refrain from taking part in viewing such movies, and I wholeheartedly respect that decision. Although I would caution those people to be consistent in their practice. There is a tendency for us to draw lines in the sand we're not tempted to cross, just so we can feel "holier" when we've already compromised in so many other ways. You who refuse to watch two men dance for two seconds: do you watch movies of action heroes that bed women indiscriminately? Do you watch sitcoms where talk of immoral sexual relationships are a frequent topic of conversation? Do you listen to music or engage yourself in video games that treat women as less than the wonderful creation of God that they are? Paul warned the church about such legalistic practices in Colossians 2:23 (ESV): "These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh." This sort of hypocrisy is not lost on the world around us - and neither will it be lost on our children. Be alert, be knowledgable, be vigilant, be consistent, and be holy, for our Father in Heaven is Holy, Holy, Holy. As for my thoughts on the movie itself - it was actually very good. I enjoyed the seamless mix of live-action and computer-generated cinematography and the more mature, fleshed out story behind Belle and the Beast, but I don't think it does quite enough to distinguish itself from the animated film before. It's a project for the fans more than it is a must-see for all audiences. However, the best part is this: I can now use this as leverage when I ask Courtney to go see Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi... If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you... Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. - John 15:18, 20 ESV One of the most troubling practices that I see all too often is that of people, often not even marginally aligning themselves with any sort of Christian-esque religious affiliation, using Jesus' words to subvert the moral authority of God and attack Christians who would use the entirety of the Bible's teachings as a basis for moral order. Seeking to demolish a Scriptural foundation for righteous living in order to establish relativism as a universal moral principle, these people continue to diminish and condense Jesus into a one-dimensional personality with a few good talking points about being merciful and accepting and tolerant. They see Jesus as a mere prophet wandering around, riffing on themes of love and peace endlessly with pithy maxims. They reduce Jesus' teachings to nothing more than a self-help seminar.
Of course, the same people who would defend themselves with such go-to phrases such as "Judge not, that ye be not judged," (Matt. 7:1, KJV) "First, take the plank out of your own eye," (Matt. 7:5a, KJV) or "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Mark 12:31b, KJV) would be wise to understand that Jesus spoke many other things than these. It's true that He meant every word of those previous sayings, but they are all parts of much longer and more complete thoughts. Jesus' life and ministry is complex and multi-dimensional, as are His teachings. In fact, by taking Jesus' words out of context, we could almost paint any picture of Jesus that we want Him to be. Did the same Jesus who told a woman caught in adultery "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more" (John 8:11 ESV) also tell the religious leaders of the day, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are filled with dead peoples' bones and all uncleanness"? (Matt. 23:27, ESV) Could it be that the Jesus who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matt. 5:9, ESV) is the same Jesus that said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword"? (Matt. 10:34, ESV) The fact that Jesus said all of the above does not discredit His teachings or make His messages contradictory. All of the above were spoken at different times to different people under different circumstances, and all of them appear in passages where much, much more was said. These are perfect examples of how taking Scripture out of context can be so devastating to the teachings of Christ - or for the rest of the Bible, for that matter. The passage in the block quote heading this entry indicates that Jesus Himself recognized that the world hated Him and would also hate those who followed Him. The world has absolutely no problem feigning piety for the sake of throwing Jesus' words in the face of Christians to discredit their position. This is no different than what Satan himself did to Jesus in Matthew 4 when he used Scripture to tempt Jesus. This kind of deception and infiltration should not be surprising for a society that willingly follows "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2b ESV) The world hates Christ. The world hates Christians. If they can use the words of Christ to discourage or defeat Christians, then they will absolutely do so! The Christian must not make excuses, or deny the words of Christ, or feign ignorance to the subtext or context of Jesus' words whenever they are used by the world to attack his beliefs. We have to understand that there is only one Jesus - the Jesus of the Holy Bible - and that His message is complete, clear, and powerful. We must know His teachings thoroughly and completely - and be ready with a powerful, loving, and truthful response whenever presented with a dilution or adulteration of His message. We have an ally - the Holy Spirit - that all of mankind and all of hell cannot defeat. If we know His Word, then through the Spirit we are equipped to combat every ill-intentioned use of Jesus' teaching and to turn them into an opportunity for the gospel's true and indomitable message to be presented. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) For three quarters of the fifty-first National Football League Super Bowl title game, the Atlanta Falcons built up a healthy lead. In one of the greatest "chokes" in history, the Falcons gave up 19 points to the New England Patriots in the very last quarter, sending the game into a short overtime where the Patriots drove downfield almost effortlessly to win the game. It was a comeback for the record books; a tense and entertaining game that will undoubtedly be watched and replayed and analyzed for years to come.
Yet for most of us Americans, the game's outcome was inconsequential. We may have picked a side (I pulled for the Falcons, if you're curious - Juuuuuulio!), but today, life goes on, and Super Bowl LI was just a good excuse to hang out with friends and family and watch good football. Today is another Monday. But Super Bowl LI also marked a reprieve from the nearly incessant political discussion inundating social media and has - quite likely - invaded our places of work and even our houses of worship. Many of us have probably picked sides much more passionately in American politics than in the NFL, and many of us have been guilty of airing our grievances with other viewpoints much too aggressively (I am chief among them, I must admit). Yet there are many believers, seeking to "reach across the aisle," that will "agree to disagree" with other believers on wrongful political views on biblical morality as if they are merely two different football teams inconsequentially playing a game. These people unfortunately mistake blind acceptance for unity. While their intentions may be noble, the result is not "unity" or "diversity" or "multiculturalism." It's division. I hold many political opinions that are not expressly handled in Scripture. I could give data, research, or concrete figures to bolster my argument in favor of them, but that does not mean I always have a legitimately scriptural or moral responsibility to do so (in fact, aggressively arguing these points may in fact serve to drive others away when we are actually given the opportunity to share God's truth). On many others, however, I certainly must vocally stand in opposition: abortion (Psm. 139:13-16), the sexual revolution (1 Cor. 6:12-20) and the indoctrination of amorality through the "science" of evolutionary hypothesis (Gen. 1-2), just to name a few. On these issues, I will continue to strengthen my stance and refuse to compromise one inch. That's not to say that I encourage or condone verbally attacking or belittling or actively discouraging other believers who have compromised in those areas - they need prayer and loving correction through the Holy Scriptures, not condemnation. And far be it from me to encourage anything other than long-suffering, forgiveness, and love toward unbelievers! I weep with mothers caught in the shame and guilt of abortion. I show kindness to and extend grace to the gays, lesbians, and trans-gendered. I hurt with those lost and wandering in moral relativism, drowning in meaningless philosophies, constantly-shifting societal norms, and illogical politics. These people are deluded by society, by media, and by their sinful nature. The Holy Spirit is the solution to their spiritual condition, which is a result of the saving work of the gospel, not a well-formed political argument or needless anger and judgment. However, on God's Word and its truth we cannot disagree. With those who would try to "agree to disagree" on its power, rightness, holiness, and completeness, we must continue to disagree. Perhaps on some political issues we could stand to be more open to listen and more apt to research, but on issues that are handled directly within the words of Scripture, we must always obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). We must remain careful of our tone, our approach, and above all, our own flesh; but we have an obligation to "preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Tim. 4:2, ESV). To my brothers and sisters in Christ who have taken political stances that normalize sin as right and good, and either practice it themselves or approve of it in others who do, I will forgive, I will love, I will pray, I will encourage. But in a spirit of gentleness and of love, I will continue to disagree. As we have said before, so I now say again; if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:9-10, ESV On November 29, 2016, left-leaning infotainment website Buzzfeed published a now-infamous article calling out a sermon delivered by pastor of Antioch Community Church Jimmy Siebert - notably because the church is attended by HGTV star couple Chip and Joanna Gaines. The article quickly made its rounds on social media, instantly outraging masses of websurfers, who made haste to either defend the television stars or to tear them down verbally for the perceived "homophobia." This prompted a response from Chip Gaines on January 2 that was both a non-apology as well as a non-stance. While the message contained within is one of positivity and feel-good energy, it fails to satiate the need for a hard-line stance on this troubling and controversial issue for so many on both sides of the argument. However, Gaines concludes, almost damnably, "The bottom line is, I'd rather be loving than be right."
There's little mistaking the words of Scripture when it comes to homosexuality. It is a grave sin, one of many, as Paul addresses in Romans 1:24-32, or in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. All attempts to resolve homosexuality in light of these passages must be done through a theologically liberal point of view, either assuming Paul's writings to be uninspired, or by drawing far-reaching conclusions through extremely suspect interpretation of language, verbiage, and syntax. There's also little mistaking the personal risk Chip and Joanna Gaines would be taking by standing firmly on a literal interpretation of the Bible, considering their employer, which frequently both features and stars homosexuals front and center in their shows. So, was this compromise in writing acceptable, given the circumstances? In a word, no. It was not. I will be careful not to discredit or condemn the Gaines, as Paul wrote in the aforementioned passage: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1. Cor. 6:11, ESV) Remember, this was written to church actively embracing such sins as incest (1. Cor. 5:1-2). The Gaines' response was indeed a poor and ill-advised compromise, but it signals an opportunity for spiritual growth in their lives and the need for prayer. I should hope and pray that God continues to work in the Gaines' lives during this certainly difficult time and strengthen them for the future. Nonetheless, the Gaines' are clearly on the wrong side of history by altering or watering down the message of the gospel to make themselves appear more attractive to a fallen world or to make it more easily palatable. For one thing, the message of mankind's natural, fallen state and its propensity to sin is a core part of the gospel message as a whole. The love and grace of Jesus Christ is that He came from heaven as a Man and died and rose again as the kind of acceptable sacrifice for the debt of sin that we could never adequately repay (John 1:1, John 3:16, Rom. 5:18, 1 John 2:2). That debt of sin ranges from the minute - a hasty, critical word or an otherwise innocuous lie - to the massive - murder, thievery, and yes, sexual deviance. The end result of all of mankind's sins is that every individual is destined to an eternity apart from his Almighty Creator, unless one is merely called out by God, repents and turns from his sin, and believes in the person of Jesus Christ as His eternal Savior (Rom. 3:10, Eph. 2:4-10, 1 John 1:9). While no one really likes to be told that the lifestyle they live in is contrary to the eternal moral authority of God, that truth is central to the message of Jesus Christ. However, the other reason that the Gaines' compromise is just not acceptable as a defense for scriptural truth is that compromise will never be enough. In a society that has long held to a generally Judeo-Christian set of ethics and has started to crumble internally, a compromise might be seen as acceptable - for now. But the inevitable conclusion of this societal breakdown is that the world will desire to see the message of Jesus in its entirety eradicated. It is already more than evident in the media's treatment of Christians that believe that Jesus Christ is the only Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6) that such exclusivity is totally unacceptable to a society that ironically sees itself as "tolerant" and "loving." Jesus even prayed for His disciples and every successive generation of followers in his prayer in John 17:14-17: "I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of this world, just as I am not of this world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." (ESV) The truth is something the world never has tolerated - if it did, Jesus would not have been crucified almost two millenia ago. We are sanctified through the holy Word of God, which, as Jesus said, is the truth. When our mostly comfortable and tolerant society gives way to progressively more aggressive and intolerant generations of non-believers, we cannot afford to compromise on the Word of God - we must be, more than ever, willing to stand up for it. References: (1) - Kate Arthur, "Chip and Joanna Gaines' Church Is Firmly Against Same-Sex Marriage," Nov. 29, 2016, Buzzfeed Entertainment. Accessed Jan. 29, 2017. (2) - Chip Gaines, "Chip's New Years Revelation," Jan. 2, 2017, Magnolia Market. Accessed Jan. 29, 2017 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. - Matthew 13:45-46 (ESV) Every electric guitar enthusiast knows about and dreams of one day coming into ownership of one very specific instrument - the famous 1959 Gibson Les Paul in a cherry sunburst finish. Early Les Paul guitars were known for their meticulous and made-in-USA hand-crafted construction, gorgeous finish, immaculate neck- and fret-work, and amazing sound. The relative rarity of these instruments, as well as the legendary status they have gained over the years through use on some of the largest stages in music performance history, have made these into highly sought-after collector's items. A well-kept model can easily bring hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, pushing one million for models owned by famous artists. So imagine, if you will, an enthusiast stumbling upon one of these 1959 Les Paul guitars while casually browsing an estate sale, and being offered the antique instrument for "only" a few thousand dollars - would he not immediately do whatever is necessary to scrape up the funds necessary to purchase it that very day?
Scenarios such as this one are what many hobbyists dream of - art aficionados may dream of discovering a previously-unknown original Picasso, or a car gear-head may dream of finding a Ferrari 250 GTO covered up in an old barn. Regardless, when something of significant and life-altering value is found, a person will go to his absolute limits to own it. "Indeed," the apostle Paul writes, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I might gain Christ and be found in Him." (Phil. 3:8-9a) Infinitely more than any material possession, a life spent knowing Christ and being known by Him is of incredible, exceptional, and all-surpassing value. In the culture of materialism that our society has created, many see their presumed walk with Christ as a means to fill some need or want in their lives. It's a cultural "Christianity" espoused by millionaire television personalities, "spiritual" self-help authors, and successful musicians - follow after God, they might say, and He will bless you with everyone you could ever need or want. They might quote Jeremiah 29:11 as a promise of financial prosperity, or use Proverbs 22:6 as irrefutable proof that good parenting will result in righteous living by their children, or twist Philippians 4:13 into an assurance that God will bless every business and employment endeavor. The problem with this kind of thinking is not that God is unable to bless those who love Him financially, or with good health, or with a strong family. He most certainly is. But we are not guaranteed such luxuries, nor are we owed them by our Heavenly Father. "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves... They will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues," Jesus said. (Matt. 10:16a,17b ESV). God spoke to Paul in his chains, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2. Cor. 12:9b ESV) Paul responds, "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2. Cor. 12:10 ESV) Moreover, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness," Jesus said, "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:10 ESV) Could it be that this very same kingdom of heaven, one which seeking may result in "weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities," is the same one characterized as a pearl that a merchant would sell all his possessions to afford? Absolutely - but it is because the kingdom of God is so worth everything that we can give for it, that living in and serving it is infinitely more satisfactory and fulfilling than anything else the world can offer, persecution or not. God may very well choose to bless us financially, or with health, or with fame, or with any other material blessing. He also may not. Regardless, we should "count everything as loss" in lieu of the value of serving the kingdom of heaven - because this pearl is not one we take hold of and then turn around and sell to make a small fortune, or to show off to receive praise from others, or to lock away as future financial security. No, it's a pearl we share, so eagerly, in fact, that we are willing to endure any hardship necessary in order to do so. We know that it is more than enough that God saved our souls from hell, and how much more that He chooses to have a relationship with us! Who cares about fleeting pleasures and petty luxuries in our short lives? We should only find our pleasure in seeking and serving His kingdom - it is truly, entirely, and wholly worth it. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:8-9 (ESV) In 2016, I had the honor and privilege of becoming the interim director of music for Ezra Baptist Church in Oak Grove, AL, a church my father-in-law pastors and my wife and I regularly attend. Beginning 2017, I have opted to step down from that position and turn the majority of the music program over to our youth pastor, in order to free up time in anticipation of a new arrival in May (our Lord willing), and to focus on this blog and building this online ministry.
If there is anything this year has taught me, it is that there is great uncertainty for the majority of the American people going into the 2017th year of our Lord. Following one of the most emotionally and spiritually brutal election cycles in American history, I feel it is only right that I refocus my blog to tackle more specific political, societal, philosophical, and historical issues that the past year has brought into view. To that end, starting no later than February, I will plan on doing the following to this blog:
The year of 2016 has had me thinking on spiritual matters more than ever, and yet the constant tug-of-war between scriptural truth and societal influences has left me exhausted and spiritually stagnated. I pray that God give me greater wisdom and insight into His Word, and give me greater energy and desire for reading His word, communicating with Him in prayer, medidating on truth throughout every hour of every day, and in being the righteous person He desires me to be. Truth is truth, now as it was when the words of each part of the Bible was penned. I just want to be used to help proclaim it, Lord willing. References: (1) - Switchfoot, "Selling The News," Vice Verses 2011, Atlantic Records / lowercase people records For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.' - 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (ESV) Even living in a nation that, for the most part, protects its citizens from religiously-driven persecution, a Christian needs thick skin to live joyfully in the center of God's will. As secular, worldly philosophy permeates our society and shakes the moral core of America, the church here is becoming more and more prone to snark, ridicule, and even accusation from those around us. Let's face it - the unbelieving world loves to label the Bible's teachings and Christians as "antiquated," "irrelevant," and "unreliable." Many even blame Christians directly for society's problems, claiming that we spread hatred, violence, and terrorism by our exclusive and intolerant beliefs.
Those accusations could not be farther from the truth. God "desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4, ESV) Jesus commands us, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44, ESV). Paul instructs us, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (Romans 12:18, NASB). Peter writes, "Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." (1 Peter 2, NASB). James commands, "Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." - James 1:19b-20, ESV). These aren't teachings of hatred and violence. These are the teachings of a God Who, out of His own love for us, wishes to have an active relationship with His created people and wants His children to carry the hope, peace, and love of Christ in all they do in this life. Anyone who uses the Holy Scripture to justify hatred, violence, prejudice, or terrorism towards others is grossly misled and lives in a state of apostasy. But this is not what the world wants to hear. It's quick to blame Christianity because Christ is fundamentally opposed to the selfishness of man. Man seeks spiritual enlightenment in, as I see it, three distinct ways - in believing that they can appease God, in believing that they do not need God, and in believing that they are or can become God. Almost all monotheistic and polytheistic belief systems throughout history are works-based - requiring that their followers do something or do many things to gain favor with a god or with many gods. They believe they can appease God and earn salvation. Agnostics and atheists alike follow a belief system that either suspends their belief in a deity or else denies that a deity exists altogether. They believe they do not need God and therefore require no salvation. Mystics and universalists either follow someone else's way to spiritual enlightenment or determine themselves what criteria are necessary to reach a state of enlightenment. These people believe that they are or can become God and therefore are their own salvation. In all of these scenarios, man is at the center. Man is perceived to be sovereign over his spiritual state and eternal destiny. The understanding Christian knows that God is completely and totally sovereign. We are not justified by the works of man; we are justified by the grace of God. We are not sanctified by the works of man; we are sanctified by the works of the Holy Spirit. We are not glorified by the works of man; we are glorified by the saving blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. God saves us. We do not carry, or even share in, the responsibility of salvation. We are utterly incapable of saving ourselves. "None is righteous, no, not one," (Romans 3:10, ESV) says Paul, and "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, ESV) "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Ephesians 2:4, NASB). This is, by all the world's accounts, complete and utter foolishness. By nature, mankind is proud. Mankind does not naturally desire to be saved from itself. And even when mankind desires to submit to a deity, it tries to do so under it's own authority. So when Christians subvert this pride by preaching that others repent of sin and confess Jesus Christ - born, crucified, resurrected, coming again - as Lord, Savior, and Sovereign God of all, it should be no surprise that the world counteracts with ridicule, attack, and even persecution. But we need not fear or become discouraged. Acts 4 recounts a story: the apostles John and Peter were arrested and were threatened with their lives. The prideful, legalistic Jewish leaders loathed the teachings and the followers of Jesus, and sought to make an example of these apostles through persecution. They were afraid of the crowds, who had just witnessed them performing an incredible miracle, and released them, threatening them further. When they had gathered together again with other brothers and sisters in Christ, they began to pray - not for less ridicule or threat or persecution, but for boldness: "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness."(Acts 4:29, ESV). The result? God granting them exactly that: "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31, ESV). God wants to give us boldness and courage in preaching the Word of God. He has given us the Holy Spirit in such a measure to His church that we are guaranteed His assistance in carrying His Word to others. After all, this is exactly the purpose for which we have been given the Holy Spirit. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV). We are not called with a spirit of timidity, but with one of power and of authority. The Holy Spirit gives us the boldness and courage and faith to be His witnesses to the world. When the world surrounds us - jeering, scoffing, sneering, mocking - then the Holy Spirit will give us strength and faith to stand amidst it all. If we are to be labeled as fools, then we shall be bold and courageous fools who carry with them the awesome and powerful message of Christ. Whether we are to suffer to death or merely to endure ridicule, the Holy Spirit will give us in that moment the faith to continue on - not barely so, but overwhelmingly so. Incoming persecution will not weaken us; it will instead strengthen us. It is a great blessing to live in a country still so protective of our right to live openly as Christians, but it is equally a privilege to suffer for Christ's sake and endure as a testament to the overcoming power of the Holy Spirit. Pray today that we do not face ridicule with fear or timidity, but that we approach it with faith and steadfastness. Pray that the Holy Spirit strengthens us and emboldens us to take the Word of God to the world despite its unwillingness. Pray that we never think ourselves wiser than we are or seek to dilute the pure truth of Scripture with mankind's selfish philosophies when we are derided as foolish, intolerant, and irrelevant. Most of all, seek that God give us the utmost joy in serving Him, no matter the personal cost we face. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) "My beliefs are personal."
I've heard this phrase countless times before, and I completely understand why. It's tempting to say this when confronted with both conviction and opportunity - conviction from the light of the gospel exposing the darkness of our hearts, and opportunity to shine the light of the gospel into the darkness of the world. As fleshly, worldly creatures, it's easy for us to justify all of our actions when we make the light of the gospel about salvation for us instead of salvation for the world. If we're not careful, we can totally internalize the power of the gospel and prevent it from making any external changes to our lives. This leads to a shallow, fundamentally broken understanding of grace - that we believe, God saves, and that's it. There's no further action required of us. The problem is that the Holy Word of God was never meant to be strictly personal. Our command is not to merely know the gospel, but to act on it. In a sense, the gospel of Christ is interpersonal - it demands that we actively communicate it when we engage every person. Yes, Christ changes us from the inside, but like cleaning a dirty window in a dark room and setting a lamp behind it, those on the outside will unquestionably notice the change. The Scripture is abundantly clear on this. While many people love to endlessly - and rightly - quote Ephesians 2:8-9 ("For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast"), few quote verse 10 with the same enthusiasm ("For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them"). When Christ works His grace in us, He takes us off of the path of sinful works and places us on His path of righteous works. Salvation will undoubtedly produce good works in our lives. James takes this a step further in the second chapter of his book: "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?... So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:14, 17, ESV) Works are the evidence of salvation; they are not evidence only to ourselves, but to the world around us. Notice the way that Jesus phrases His command in Matthew 5: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works." I believe the fact that He commands that we let our lights shine before others before He suggests that they will see our good works is completely intentional. The light comes before works, but the works inevitably follow. He does not say, "Do good works that others see, so that you may find the light," or, "Let your light shine before others, and if you do any good works, make sure others see them." When we have the true light of the gospel of Christ, we will take it with us in all of our endeavors, waving it as our banner, sharing it as our mission. When we submit to that call and mission, good works are absolutely sure to follow. Furthermore, we will not be doing these good works solely to be noticed; we will be doing them out of a sense of devotion to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - and that's something people will certainly see. Note that there is a significant difference between "good works" and what I would call "not-bad works." Many Christians strive to simply live "not-bad" lifestyles: maybe they avoid swearing too often, they don't use the Lord's name in vain, they don't watch movies or listen to music or partake in activities that they would deem to be wrong or sinful. Taking care how we lead our lives and what we allow into our minds, our hearts, and our mouths is important, but to see that as the end-all, be-all of a holy Christian lifestyle is both short-sighted and dangerous. We are called to do so much more than avoid taking part in evil. We are not pacifists in spiritual warfare, knowing on which side we stand but refusing to take up arms with Christ. His call is clear: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20a, ESV) This is the most important and highest priority good work to which we've been called as believers. This is how we shine our light before men. If we take this command seriously and devote our entire lives to fulfilling it, we will certainly be presented with many opportunities to accomplish other good works (giving to the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, loving the unloved and unlovable, etc.), but with the power of the Holy Spirit going with us, we will succeed in walking in the good works that Christ has laid out before us. Pray today that God would help us to shine our lights brightly before men. Pray that He would reveal to us the good works He would have us walk so that we would be effective in sharing the gospel with others and building His kingdom. Pray that we would strive for so much more than a "not-bad lifestyle" that avoids performing evil works but also evades the opportunity to perform good ones as well. Pray, most of all, that He would make us effective witnesses for Him that shine brightly with good works in the midst of this dark world. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:3 (ESV) I'm rich.
That may sound immodest or even somewhat untruthful ("c'mon, Clifton, you drive a Toyota Camry and live in a house built in the 70s with numerous electrical issues and a basement that floods when it rains!" you might respond), but it's true. I look around this room, right at this moment, and I see four guitars on the wall, three amplifiers, a keyboard, two bookcases sagging with books, and three laptops and a desktop computer in addition to the one I'm typing on. There are drawers full of gadgets and gizmos collecting dust. There are shelves and stacks of music, movies, and games. And that's just the office. And one moment yesterday, while studying on the story of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-30), I came to a rather ugly and convicting realization: that person is me. It's not because I'm the wealthiest person in America. Indeed, most of the stuff I just mentioned was either acquired cheaply or secondhand. Three of my guitars were made in China. Two of those computers are over five years old and were bought at rock-bottom prices when new. Many of the movies and books were bought on clearance or used. I know many people who have much more money than I do, and what I have was acquired with money left over after my wonderful wife (who is infinitely better with handling finances than I am) has calculated and appropriated all of our monthly expenditures, including both giving and saving. But in comparison to the world, I certainly cannot make the argument that I am poor. In fact, a large majority of the world's population would see me as filthy rich. I have no idea what it's like to live without electricity, clean and running water, or go without food and shelter. Hundreds of millions (and possibly billions) of people live like this each day, every day of their lives. Yet, I barely know what to do with myself when the internet goes down. Jesus commanded the rich young ruler, after inquiring how to inherit eternal life, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." (Luke 18:22b, ESV). The instructions here are not to sell possessions to inherit eternal life, but to follow Christ. Jesus only wanted the rich man to purge himself of the inherent distraction of riches so that his heart could be fully set on following Him. He knew the man wanted to hold onto his wealth more than he wanted to taste spiritual restoration and guidance. Indeed, the Scriptures say that "he became very sad, for he was extremely rich." (Luke 18:23b, ESV) The problem here is not necessarily possessing things. The problem is prioritizing things over following Christ. If I were in the correct, Spirit-led mindset, I would see all these things I own, be thankful to God for them, but follow Him regardless of what it might cost me. As the book of Job eloquently states, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21b, ESV). Money, and the things money can buy, are not guaranteed to us in this lifetime. They are temporary; impermanent. It is a blessing to have plenty, but it is no less a blessing to suffer lack - while the former is infinitely more desirable and pleasurable than the latter, we can easily fall prey to "greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, NIV) if we fail to have the right heart attitude towards God when we experience plenty. Sadly, like many fellow Americans, I tend to place my hope in things and can "become very sad" when I find myself needing to give up things to instead focus on following Christ. I'm not going to suggest that I or anyone else pray that God strip us of all material blessings and leave us with nothing. Sudden and abject humiliation would do nothing to feed the hungry or clothe the impoverished or spread the good news of Christ to the world. I'm also not going to suggest that every Christian go and sell every last belonging they own so they can move to a poverty-stricken nation and live among them (though that may, in fact, one day be your calling or my own). What I am going to suggest is that we carefully analyze the things we spend time thinking about, talking about, doing, and spending our money on. Are these things our idols? Do we place them ahead of God? How would we respond if God were to suddenly remove these things from our lives? Would we be willing to give these things up if God were to require it of us for His service? Would we respond with anger and sadness? Or would we be at peace and have joy in our hearts knowing that we can serve Christ both in plenty and in need? If a fellow believer, wanting to serve in some capacity, needed a computer, would I be willing to give them my own out of my excess? If a family suffered genuine need for money to put food on the table, would I be willing to sell off a guitar or two to assist them? And if God revealed to me that His plan was to move me and my wife far away from these things to serve in a totally different capacity than I do now, would I be willing to leave it all behind, boldly trusting that I will find true pleasure in serving Christ? Would I, too, be "poor in spirit," seeking out every opportunity to build the eternal Kingdom of God at any personal cost to me? Jesus says in Matthew 6: 19-21 (ESV): "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Jesus was asking the rich young ruler to give up what he valued above all - the treasure of this earth - in order to experience the lasting, eternal value of following Christ - the treasure of heaven. It was required of him that day to let go of all the materialistic things that he held dear so that his heart would be adequately prepared to fully follow Christ. It may be required of us someday, too - let us have hearts that are not burdened by the weight of things but are overjoyed at the opportunity to exercise faith when serving God. Pray that God would remove the psychological and emotional distractions of earthly things from our spiritual journey so that we can better follow Him. Be thankful for the many material blessings He has so richly provided to us, and pray that we never forget that they are temporary gifts given by an eternal, sovereign God. Pray that fully following Christ would be our highest priority by far and the ultimate source of our joy and happiness in this life. As Paul wrote in Phillipians 3:7-8a (ESV), "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Pray most of all that we would value following and serving Christ above all else that this world has to offer. |
Clifton J. Gardner lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, Courtney. He is a Registered Nurse, musician, and writer, as well as an active member of Ezra Baptist Church in Oak Grove, Alabama. Archives
January 2017
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