The Value of One

I began my spiritual journey of 2015 with two personal desires.  One, to begin a three-year in-depth study of the Gospel of Matthew.  And, two, to come to an understanding of what God was saying to the Hebrew people, and to us today, when the prophet Micah was inspired to state these words:

"He has showed to you, o human, what is good and what the Lord does require of you.  For to do justly and to love mercy (lit. - covenant loyalty) and humbly walk with God."  (my translation)

I was told by a well-known and respected teacher and writer, "Don't write beyond people's attention spans!"  Therefore, I will attempt to share with you my understanding of Micah 6.8 in three separate writings.

The Hebrew word used by the prophet Micah to communicate God's first requirement is mishpat.  Mishpat occurs over two hundred times in the Old Testament and its most basic meaning is to treat people equitably. 

Unfortunately, mishpat if often translated  as "justice" which conveys only a partial meaning and limits the implications this word has for the members of God's family.  When we hear or read the word "justice," we typically think of our legal system.  "To do justly" (mishpat) has little to do with our legal system but everything to do with how we judge others.  And how we "judge" others is rooted in the fundamental belief that "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them" (Genesis 1.27). 

Acknowledging that all humanity is made in the image of God coupled with the mandate "to do justly" (mishpat) instructs believers to "judge" others not by the color of their skin, the clothes they wear, their origin of birth, their sexual orientation, their belief or non-belief, or their socioeconomic standing but by recognizing every human as being an "image bearer of God" (imago dei).

In a sermon entitled, The American Dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: The whole concept of the imago dei, as it is expressed in Latin, the "image of God," is the idea that all men have something within them that God injected.  Not that they have substantial unity with God, but that every man has a capacity to have fellowship with God.  And this gives him uniqueness, it gives him worth, it gives him dignity.  And we must never forget this as a nation.  There are no gradations in the image of God.  Every man from a treble white to a bass black is significant on God's keyboard, precisely because every man is made in the image of God.  One day we will learn that.  We will know one day that God made us to live together as brothers and to respect the dignity and worth of every man.  (Emphasis mine.)

I can't help but compare Dr. King's remarks to those of scientist Stephen Hawking - "the human race is just a chemical scum on a moderate size planet." 

So, let me ask you a couple of personal questions.  Do you see everyone as being created in the image of God regardless of their race, gender, their origin of birth, their sexual orientation, or their socioeconomic standing?  Do you see everyone as being worthy of respect and dignity - even those outside the church; those who don't believe what you believe?  Or do you see "others" as nothing more than a "chemical scum on a moderate size planet?" 

If you see others as being an "image bearer of God," will you be content being "nicer, more pleasant, and more bland" or will you become "absolutely revolting"? 

***As an aside, all humans are made in the image of God but not all humans are members of God's family -- see John 1:12&13. 

Absolutely Revolting!

Philip Yancey in his book, Vanishing Grace, writes that he had church described to him as a place where "a nice, pleasant, bland person stands in front of other nice, pleasant, bland people telling them to be nicer, more pleasant, and more bland." (p. 94)

So, the question is: Is your church "bland" or is it "absolutely revolting"?

Here's a few "revolting" ideas for a church to become absolutely revolting:

One.  Become a place of grace for individuals battling substance abuse.  Be a sold-out sponsor for a recovery program such as Celebrate Recovery or Remedy.  In addition to the recovery program, offer classes to the addicts and their families that focus on "learning to live life differently" - anger management, forgiveness, handling stress, keeping promises, etc.   Offer marriage, parenting, and money management classes.  Purchase and manage a ranch or farm for addicts to learn responsibility, gain self-confidence and self-respect.

A church sold-out to addicts and their families!  Talk about revolting! 

Two.  Become a church committed to social justice in your community by radically living out the requirements set forth in Micah 6.8 - "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God."  "To do justly" for the poor and disadvantaged would include implementing elements of RELIEF - monetary provisions for immediate needs; food drives; adopt a family outside of your church for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, etc.,  DEVELOPMENT - parenting, marriage, and money management; assistance to obtain education - a GED or financial assistance for undergraduate studies or technical school.  And, REFORM - work with local leaders to help refine or reform existing programs that assist the disadvantaged.  Work with your community's existing relief organizations to further their mission instead of creating a duplicate service.  Too many times the church appears to be trying to duplicate already existing community programs! 

How revolting would that be to witness a church working in cooperation with a secular organization! 

Three.  Become a church that not only has a youth group but one that provides one-on-one mentoring.  The object of mentoring must be to help develop a teen's character - not to get them to attend your church or to "save" them.  Either of those may happen but it should not be the primary reason for mentoring! 

How revolting would that be??!!!

Four.  Become a church that intentionally and intently reaches out to the elderly in your community.  Work with your local assisted living facilities to discover how your church could help provide moments of joy and companionship for their residents.  Even a ministry to senior saints can be done in a revolutionary, revolting way! 

Five.  Become a church that is a shelter in the storms for the homeless.  Use your church building as a shelter for the homeless during those wintery nights when the potential for loss of life is high.  Develop a criteria that would dictate when your "storm shelter" would be opened.  Work with local shelter employees and police department to develop safety and behavioral parameters for your "storm shelter."  (As many of you know, a friend of mine who was homeless froze to death because there was no place for him to go.  A loss of life that could have easily been prevented!) 

How revolting would it be to have "those people" in your church for one, two, or three nights where your church body would provide food, a bed, and shelter for the "least of these" ???

Another quote to close this out:  "I'm looking for a second reformation.  The first reformation of the church 500 years ago was about beliefs.  This one is going to be about deeds.  It is not going to be about what the church believes, but about what the church is doing."  Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life.

Will your church be part of the "absolutely revolting" second reformation or will it remain "bland, pleasant and nice"? 

If you, your pastor, or your leadership team would like to discuss these "revolting ideas" with me or if they need assistance in creating an "absolutely revolting" church, contact me and I will offer any wisdom, resources, or leadership I have to launch a "revolution." 

Double Doubt

There are two kinds of doubt:  One is the doubt that seeks answers; the other does not. 

I have encountered both "doubters" along the path of my spiritual journey.  I encourage the doubter that seeks answers; I attempt to be graceful to the doubter that is simply being recalcitrant.

Have I doubted the writings in the Bible?  Absolutely!   I believe every serious student of Scripture will experience doubt as he or she digs deep into the Bible.   

Honestly, God has used doubt in my life to drive me deeper into His word to discover answers that both challenge and transform me --- and change the way I think (Romans 12.2/nlt).  Is it easy or comfortable?  No.  Is it life changing?  Yes. 

In the first two chapters of the gospel of Matthew, a student of the word encounters three "doubt-causers." 

The first two are in the genealogy of Jesus.  Matthew writes:

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth (1.5/niv)

 

No big deal, right?  Except that Rahab would have had to have been 250 to 400 years old when she gave birth to Boaz!  Or, if Rahab truly is Boaz's mother, then Boaz would have had to have been nearly 400 years old when he married Ruth. 

The second one is found in 1.11(niv). Josiah is listed as the father of Jeconiah.  Unfortunately, the name Jeconiah is not found in the Old Testament.  And to further complicate matters, 1 Chronicles 3.15(niv) states,  - The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second son, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth.

Where did Matthew get his information? 

More confusion is probable when the prophecy of Micah 5.2 is compared to Matthew's quote of it in chapter 2 verse 6 (niv) --

 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’

This is the prophecy from Micah 5.2 --. 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

Why the difference?  Is Matthew like so many preachers of today that bend Scripture to fit their agenda? 

Many individuals, believers and non-believers, have brought these apparent contradictions in Scripture to my attention over the past few decades.  And I, for one, don't simply dismiss their doubts as so-much-baloney.  I don't simply "blow them off." 

So, let me ask you:  How do you resolve these apparent contradictions?  Or, are you like a recent politician who recently said, "What difference does it make!!??" when asked about a very important issue. 

(I have resolved these and others similar "problems" in Scripture; have you?  If you want to know what I discovered and how I resolved my doubts, contact me and we'll do coffee.)

What's that "tithe" thing?

A few years back, I had a conversation with some parents whose son had made some very bad choices and was addicted to prescription drugs.  They told me about going to their pastor to ask for help and prayer.  The first question asked of them was, "Do you tithe?"  They confessed they did not.  The response from the pastor was a shock to them .. and me.  He said, and I quote what they told me, "God will not answer your prayers or help your son if you don't tithe."  Do you find that as disgusting as I did and do?!?

And we wonder why so many people are disgusted with church and its apparent "lust for money"?    

In America, there are several hundred different Christian denominations.  The one thing they have in common is that every year the denomination's main office spends thousands of dollars developing materials to help "their" churches conduct a "successful stewardship campaign."  A churchy way of saying, "GIVE US YOUR MONEY!" 

Whenever a church asks for your money through a stewardship campaign or sermon, they are quick to talk about the Old Testament principle of tithing. 

I once heard a preacher shout - yes, shout - that tithing was what God's word commands Christians to do.  Really? Where?  Paul is not referring to tithing in 2 Corinthians 9; he is writing about the offering he is collecting for the poor, starving Christians in Jerusalem.  (Guess that "selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need" in Acts 2.46 didn't work out so well!)

So, "shout-real-loud" preacher man --- I have news for you. Tithing is not found anywhere in the New Testament!  It is commanded in the Old Testament along with the Festival of Booths, the Year of Jubilee, the Year of Cancelling Debts, the Sabbath, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Sabbath Year, the gleaning principle to help the needy, and the Festival of Unleavened Bread.  Why aren't those "commands" preached in the American Christian church as well?  Why is it that only the Tithe is preached?

Have you ever heard a preacher "shout-real-loud" about the Festival of Booths?  Or the Year of Cancelling Debts? 

Allow me to lead you on a journey of discovery about the tithe as it is presented in the "second giving of the Law" - known by most as Deuteronomy.  

Deuteronomy 14:22-27 states that each year a tenth (a tithe) of one's crops are to be set aside and eaten in the presence of the Lord.  If the Temple (the place where God placed His Name) is far away, one is to sell the tithe for gold or silver and purchase whatever that person desires to throw a party for one's family to celebrate what God has provided in the past year.  (Of course, this is my paraphrase, you will have to read it yourself to get the exact wording.)

Deuteronomy 14:28 goes on to state that at the end of three years, the year of the tithe, give the tithe to the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless, and the widows. 

Deuteronomy 26:12 defines the third year as the "year of the tithe."  The tithe given on the third year is for the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless, and the widows. 

My question is, and has been, how is the American church doing in keeping the commandment about tithing in its entirety?  I'm not questioning an individual's giving; I'm wondering how the churches (the Levites) are doing in their responsibility to share the tithe with the poor and disadvantaged  ("the aliens, the fatherless, and the widows").

The answer I discovered in a Google search was disheartening.  An organization given the task of church financial accountability on a national level reports that 82% of the money given to churches in America goes toward buildings and staff expenses. 17% goes to "programming," which includes Outreach programs, Vacation Bible School, Sunday school materials, advertising, etc.  Simple math indicates that only 1% is shared with the poor and disadvantaged.  If these figures are accurate, why isn't the church being challenged to justify their actions.

Now, don't misunderstand what I'm stating.  Please, continue to give to the church or charity of your choice.  I think it is an honorable and God-pleasing thing to do.  And I do believe, as the apostle Paul states, that "God loves a cheerful giver."  What I'm suggesting is that perhaps the church in America needs to comply with the entire principle of the tithe by increasing the dollars given to the poor and disadvantaged in their communities.  And please notice I stated in their communities .. not "over there somewhere."

And, believe me, God will answer your prayers and strengthen you in the storms of life even if you don't tithe! 

Ok With Gay

 

 

I wholeheartedly support a civil union – “marriage” –  between same-sex couples who are not followers of Christ.  They are entitled to happiness and fulfillment in their lives and all the legal benefits given to the traditionally married couples.  What business do I have to hold someone accountable to a set of standards they never signed up for; don’t ascribe to?!!? 

 

The apostle Paul when writing to the church in Corinth stated: What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside.

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 (NIV) 

Perhaps Christians should study 1 Corinthians 5 and Romans 1 and 2 before shaking their heads in disgust when gays or non-Christians get married! 

Here’s what C.S. Lewis penned back in 1942…“My own view is that the Churches should frankly recognize that the majority of the British people are not Christians and, therefore, cannot be expected to live Christian lives.  (Let that sink in before you continue reading ….)  There ought to be two distinct kinds of marriage: one governed by the State with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the Church with rules enforced by her on her own members.  The distinction ought to be quite sharp, so that a man knows which couples are married in a Christian sense and which are not.”

Can Christians honestly say their marriages are “governed by the church” and that the “distinction is quite sharp”?  The primary indicator of the "distinction" would probably be the divorce rate.  The latest numbers I have seen indicate a divorce rate of little or no difference between “Christians” and “non-Christians.”   And, I can say with a certain degree of confidence, that the divorce rate among gay couples will be virtually the same within the next 5 to 10 years when reliable data is available. 

The recent Supreme Court decision declaring gay marriage legal not only granted gay couples all the legal benefits they are entitled to but it also opened up a whole new source of revenue for divorce lawyers! 

My primary concern is the gay community’s agenda that for a gay person to be happy and live a fulfilling life they have to be married and, in a vast majority of the cases, it has to be a church wedding.  (Why in a church??!!??  Does that add to the happiness factor?)  Before activist groups make broad, inclusive statements of “fact,” they should consider and listen to opinions other than their own. 

Dawn and I know two gay individuals who are very happy and live fulfilling lives.  They are both followers of Christ and, as far as I know, have remained single and "unattached."  They both had a bitter spirit toward the church; toward Christians.  They both had severe struggles with self-worth and often had thoughts of self-destruction from being beat up and bashed by Christians.  But thanks to a few disciples of Jesus who simply loved them, they are at peace with themselves and understand that not all followers of Christ are “judgmental, homophobic moralist.” 

De-Churched

 

According to the projections based on a recent study completed by the Barna Research Group and presented in the book Church-less, in 2014 53% of American adults were "de-churched." 

 

What does "de-churched" mean?

A small percentage of the "de-churched" are those who attend church on Christmas and Easter only -- often referred to as CEO's.  The majority of "de-churched" individuals are those who were once significantly involved in a church but now do not identify with any particular established church.  Lots of reasons are stated as to "why" they have become "de-churched."  The one that really grabbed my attention was that they no longer sensed the presence of God; that church had become more about the "smoke and lights and the awesome band" than facilitating a connection with the "holiness of God." 

I am the first to admit that the "entertainment factor" became very important to me in my tenure at The River! 

Before you "churched" people get huffy and start making judgments about those "de-churched" individuals, please consider the facts that they still make decisions based on biblical values, still serve in their communities, still gather in small groups for Bible study, donate financially to non-profits in their communities, and consider spiritual growth as a priority in their lives! 

The question, then, for the American church is how to reach out to the "de-churched" and invite them back.  The "de-churched" individuals had a variety of responses to the question: "what would make you consider returning to an established church?"

Here's a list of the top 4 responses given: A church that: 1.  Is intentionally and intently serving the poor and disadvantaged and were addressing the issue of poverty in their community (notice the "their community" and not "somewhere-over-there"). 2.  Is serving the youth, families, and elderly.  3.  Is cultivating biblical values.  And, 4.  A church that is assisting those in recovery. 

So, if you are "churched," the question I have for you is: "What is your church doing to invite the "de-churched" back to church?" (And, fyi, only 8% of American adults are truly "unchurched.")

And, if you are among the "de-churched," would you like to have coffee with a fellow "de-churched" individual?  Message me on Facebook.