A strange antichrist

Throughout the centuries, few Biblical characters have captured the imagination and fostered speculation more than the antichrist. Everybody wants to know who the antichrist is. Some of the most common suspects are the head of the United Nations or the European Union. Lately there's been a lot of speculation that the antichrist will be an Islamic cleric (go figure). I've heard everything from Gorbechav to Ronald Reagan to Oprah Winfrey, but historically the most common suspect is none other than the head of the Catholic Church.

It's not too difficult to guess why Martin Luther might have thought of the Pope as the antichrist, given the power of the papacy at the time, but even in our modern era where the Papacy no longer holds the position as the head of the Holy Roman Empire,the idea of the Pope as the antichrist still holds resonance with a lot of people. Who knows how many books have been written to prove that the Papacy is the Whore of Babylon. Even Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkin's Left Behind series portrays a future pope as head of a one world religion during the period known as the Great Tribulation. Or how about the Jack Chick publications that show the Pope with horns and a pitchfork?

I'm about halfway through reading Pope Benedict's book "Jesus of Nazareth" and all I can say is if the current Pope is the antichrist, or is in someway preparing the world to receive the antichrist, then that would make for a very strange antichrist. The antichrist I learned about in Sunday School is supposed to rise to the top of the political food chain by wooing the world with promises of peace and prosperity. It doesn't seem like this Pope is all that interested in building a utopia.

Here's a sample of his writings:

"Moral posturing is part and parcel of temptation. It does not invite us directly to do evil-no, that would be far too blatant. It pretends to show us a better way, where we finally abandon our illusions and throw ourselves into the work of actually making the world a better place. It claims, moreover, to speak for true realism: What's real is what is right there in front of us-power and bread. By comparison, the things of God fade into unreality, into a secondary world that no one really needs. God is the issue: Is he real, reality itself, or isn't he? Is he good, or do we have to invent the good ourselves?"

"The Christian Empire or the secular power of the papacy is no longer a temptation today, but the interpretation of Christianity as a recipe for progress and the proclamation of universal prosperity as the real goal of all religions, including Christianity-this is the modern for of the same temptation."

"No kingdom of this world is the Kingdom of God, the total condition of mankind's salvation. Earthly kingdoms remain earthly human kingdoms, and anyone who claims to be able to establish the perfect world is the willing dupe of Satan and plays the world right into his hands."

"The temptation to use power to secure the faith has arisen again and again in varied forms throughout the centuries, and again and again faith has risked being suffocated in the embrace of power. The struggle for freedom of the Church, the struggle to avoid identifying Jesus' Kingdom with any political structure, is one that has to be fought century after century. For the fusion of faith and political power always comes at a price: faith becomes a servant of power and must bend to its criteria"

Is it possible that the head of the Catholic Church (aka the devil incarnate according to many) might have a thing or two to teach us Protestants about the marriage of the Church and political power?

What is this world coming to?

A Biblical butt kick!!

I got my butt kicked the other day. No, it wasn't by a guy named "Biff" (think Back to the Future) and neither was I cage-fighting with Kip (think Napolean Dynamite) , rather it was by a guy named Paul, more specifically the Apostle Paul. Here's the verse that's given me my Biblical butt kick for the week:

Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God

When I read this word immediately it seemed to leap out from the page and grab me in the gut. Paul didn't waste any time telling people about Jesus. After his conversion, he immediately launched out with a single-minded vision to save as many souls as possible. He didn't wait on the more "mature" Christians like we have today who would have told him, "Now Paul. We know you're a baby Christian, but before you go out trying to save the world, you should remember to wait on the Lord for His perfect timing. Once you grow and develop in the things of the Lord, you will be better prepared to let your light shine to those who haven't heard."

God forgive us for losing our sense of urgency!!

The God of Aaron

I know it's been a while since I've written. Don't really have an excuse, just been busy being busy even if the business hasn't accomplished all that I've liked-but that's another story.

I had another late night last night. For some reason, when I can't sleep I like to go out to my living room and lay on the couch. I'll usually either spend a few minutes with the Lord or fall asleep within the hour-or both.

As I was focusing my mind on the Lord, I began to reflect on the awesome privilege it is to claim that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David, all of these great heroes of the faith-is my God as well. The same God that inspired Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, the same God that called David when he was just a shepherd boy and inspired him to the throne of Israel, the same God who always stuck up for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, no matter how naughty they behaved at times, that is my God.

In the Old Testament, God often identifies Himself with His people. I am the God of Abraham or "the God of Jacob" is my refuge. Jesus picks up on this point to say that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Isn't it awesome that God chooses to identify Himself with human beings? That's the one thing that sets Biblical faith apart from every other religion. God isn't distant, but intensely personal.


I started saying to myself "God is the God of Aaron" as if "God of Aaron" belongs in the same category as "God of Abraham" or "God of Moses" or "God of David." As I began to say this, I felt a warmth and acceptance that I haven't felt in a while, realizing that God isn't ashamed to identify Himself with me.

Isn't that what the gospel is all about? God identifying with people?

As jumbled as these thoughts are, I have a feeling that if you meditate on this a while, it'll increase your faith.

Still fighting the good fight,

Aaron

General Butt Naked

Here's another interesting story from Mission News Catalyst.

One of Liberia's most notorious rebel commanders, known as 'General Butt Naked' for charging into battle wearing only boots, has returned to confess his role in terrorizing the nation, saying he is responsible for 20,000 deaths. But in the middle of this, he had an encounter with Christ.

The atrocities he and his men committed during the Liberian civil war included magical rituals that involved slaughtering children and eating their hearts. Joshua Milton Blahyi spared no details as he told Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) last week of his years with one of the most feared militias of the war.

He also shared how in the middle of this he had a head-on encounter with Christ, that marked the beginning of his ministry as a pastor. "Jesus appeared to me and asked me to stop being a slave." It was this experience, he said, that prompted his religious conversion and his life since then, travelling the country preaching his Christian message. Blahyi, 37, said it was for the TRC to decide whether he should be given an amnesty or prosecuted. "I am willing to go to court if necessary," he said. "And I will repeat just what I said here."

A chief's vision leads 1,000 Muslims to Christ

The following report is from Caleb Project's Mission News Catalyst. Enjoy!

They have seemed harder to win because until recently, so little of the church's material or personnel resources have been focused on them. But many Muslims are spiritually hungry, and the Lord is drawing them to himself. But it is hard for individuals to make a commitment to Jesus Christ, unless they are the head of the family.

Recently, in one country, a Muslim leader of a village of over 1000 people began praying to Allah for help in leading his people. One night he had a dream, telling him to go to the house of a certain believer in Jesus, who would tell him about "the straight path." So he did, and the believer explained the gospel. The Muslim then asked this believer to come tell the gospel to his whole village.

It seemed everyone believed. The leaders then held a meeting, and decided to ask for Christian baptism. So the visiting Christian baptized the Muslim leader, who then baptized all his leaders, who in turn, baptized the men under them. Then the men baptized their wives and sons, and the wives baptized their daughters. Over 1000 people came into the kingdom that day!

Kenyan prayers

I got this story from Caleb Project's Mission Catalyst Newsletter. I think it serves as an excellent example of applying a spiritual solution to a political problem.

A group of children runs up a muddy path, drenched from an unexpected downpour. A five-year-old boy speeds in front of the pack when he suddenly spies the perfect puddle.

He waits until his older sister and friends are almost parallel with him and then practically "cannonballs" to get the biggest splash. He giggles and dashes in the church's front door as the eight-year-olds squeal and chase after him.

I laugh at the scene and follow the kids inside the small, tin shack of a Baptist church. After three weeks of post-election violence, it's good to hear the sounds of children laughing and playing - especially in the hard-hit slums of Nairobi.

Inside the church, it's wall-to-wall children. My heart overflows with emotion as I hear a sound even more precious than laughter - a child's sweet, innocent prayer.

"Father, our country is in trouble. We pray for peace to come," an 11-year-old boy prays. "Protect us, Father. Teach people to love one another and not to fight anymore."

For the last two weeks, children in this small slum area have gathered to pray for their country. The church's pastor says the children started gathering on their own, so he let them in the church. The daily prayer meeting now attracts more than 200 children ranging in age from three to 17.

Ever since the children started praying together, the pastor says there have been no deaths, houses burned or even violence in their section of this slum. Adults recite this fact in amazement. The children, however, don't even mention it because it's exactly what they expected to happen.

"Pastor told us that there is power in prayer. He said we can change the country through prayer," 12-year-old Boniface explains. "So that is what we are doing, changing the country."

I'm amazed at the depth of understanding these children have of the issues surrounding the Kenya post-election chaos.

The 12-year-old prays for President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to sit at one table and talk peacefully. Votes cast in the election for these two candidates are under contention. The two leaders have yet to talk to each other in an effort to bring the strife in Kenya to a peaceful resolution.

Caroline, 16, shows her concern for the 250,000 internally displaced people around the country. She prays they will be able to go to school somewhere and that they feel safe. UNICEF estimates that more than 40 percent of the displaced are children. Parents put their children on trucks headed to the camps for displaced people but stayed behind to protect their houses and belongings. Many sit in camps, unable to attend schools that just opened mid-January.

Another young boy prays for the people hurting others who are not from the same tribe, referring to reports of ethnic animosity throughout the country. He asks God to help them all be brothers and sisters and one people.

The pastor smiles and whispers to me, "A few days ago that one asked if I knew what tribe he was. I told him no. He didn't know, either. So he told me, 'I think I belong to the tribe of Kenya.'"

When it's time for the "babies" to pray, a fearless four-year-old clasps his hands and closes his eyes so tight that his entire face scrunches up. "God, people die," he says in prayer. "Please do not let anyone die in front of my house."

More than 600 people have died since elections December 27. The number increases daily as violence and protests continue.

It's now my turn to pray and close the meeting. There's not much left to say, so I thank God for the innocent prayers of children and their faith in his answers.

As soon as I say "Amen," the church buzzes with little voices and bottled-up energy spurts out freely. Laughing and holding hands, the children rush into the rain and head home.

Even though it's dry season and the rains are not supposed to come for another month, no one complains about getting wet or muddy. The rain is an answered prayer.

The children had prayed about a three-day countrywide protest called by the opposition party. They had asked God to take control and keep people from dying.

Because of the rains, turnout for the protest was much smaller than expected. While there was still a lot of property damage, it was much less than predicted. Death tolls for the week were the lowest since the incidents started.

"See," seven-year-old Natasha whistles through her missing two front teeth. "God answers prayers."

May Christians everywhere learn from these children. True power flows from Calvary's cross, not from Caesar's throne.

Meeting the Jesus Campers-revised

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend of mine who pastors a small church near a military base in rural Missouri. Although I’ve spoken at this particular pastor’s church before, a lot has changed in my life since the last time I visited him and his family. Since my first two visits, I’ve spent a year and a half in West Africa, traveled to Pakistan twice, debated a radical jihadist in London, and participated in a peace delegation with a group called Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank.

Last Sunday when I met up with the pastor and his family, I knew full well that I wasn’t the only one whose life had changed within a few short years. When I first met the pastor’s son Levi, Levi was 10 years old and virtually indistinguishable from every other 10-year old boy, except for the tail on the back of his neck and his unwavering conviction that Jesus has called him to be a missionary in India. This time around, when I introduced myself to Levi, who didn’t remember me before, I knew I was in the presence of a movie star…sort of.

The Levi that I’m talking about is Levi O Brien and the pastor that I’m talking about is Pastor Tim O Brien. The church I am referring to is Rock of Ages, the spiritual family of Levi and Rachel, two of the child stars featured prominently in the documentary film Jesus Camp. The film follows Levi, Rachel, and one other girl as they spend the week at a summer camp for Christian youth led by the charismatic preacher Becky Fisher. At camp, the children speak in tongues, dance around in war costumes, stretch forth their hands to pray to a cardboard cut-out of President George Bush (in actuality, the children were praying “for” Bush not “to” him), prophesy to each other, preach to each other, fall out under the power of the Holy Spirit, and pour out their souls in passionate intercession for the spiritual fate of our nation.

When I actually watched the movie Jesus Camp for the first time, I had very mixed feelings. On one level, I was glad to see young people passionate about their faith, but on another level I was thinking “Oh my! I hope there aren’t too many non-Christians who will actually see this. They’ll think we’re all nuts!” It turned out that my fears were justified. Most of the reviews I read all but charged Becky Fisher and the O Brien family with child abuse. Some condemned them to hell for preying on the minds of the innocent and turning them into brain-washed psychopaths. One reviewer called it the scariest movie of the year. Another reviewer compared the children to Islamic jihadists in training.

Before I give my impressions of the O Brien Family and the Rock of Ages Church, let me start off by saying there were several aspects of the film that concerned my wife and I. In the film, Pastor Tim’s wife Tracy teaches her children the literal six- day creation theory as if it were the only possible interpretation of the creation account in Genesis, implies that Global Warming is a left-wing conspiracy, talks about America being a Christian nation in a manner that many secular Americans and even a good number of Christians would consider naïve. My wife and I also felt that much of the political activism in the film was inappropriate for children who were too young to understand the complexities of the issues they were dealing with (such as 6 and 7 year olds placing red bandanas around their mouths and protesting the evils of abortion). The most disturbing aspect for me was the filmmakers’ portrayal of evangelical Christians as a monolithic entity that by definition votes Republican and supports the Iraq War.

When Pastor Tim invited me to speak at his church, I have to admit that I was shaking in my boots. Not only did I know that I would be preaching a message on the radical non-violent nature of the Kingdom to a church where nearly every member worked for the U.S. military; but with images from Jesus Camp rolling around in my head, I expected my message of refusing earthly power as a means to advance the purposes of God on the earth would meet with cries of blasphemy. Not only did I not get booed off the stage, but afterwards I had several meaningful discussions with the members of the congregation and, most importantly, with the O Briens themselves.

You wouldn’t get this impression from watching Jesus Camp, but the O Briens have absolutely no interest in turning the U.S.A. into a Christian theocracy. During the potluck after the service, Pastor Tim shared with me his views concerning the pursuit of earthly power to advance the Kingdom of God and referred me to other preachers who were also speaking out against the national and political idolatry often associated with the Christian right. Pastor Tim’s wife, Tracy, was even more forthright in her views. Given her comment in Jesus Camp, I was surprised to hear her say that she agreed with me on my points that much of what constitutes as American Civil religion is based on the founding myths of the early pilgrims who believed they were establishing the Kingdom of God by settling the New World. Tracy also shared with me how she has come to realize that the Constitution is not a religious document, that much of what she learned about American history as a child was candy-coated, and that the founders of America, though they were brilliant, were fallible just like the rest of us. To my surprise, Tracy went on to tell me that, although she loves politics and considers herself a conservative, she hasn’t considered herself a Republican in two and a half years!

As far as the O Brien children, I don’t think I can stress enough how normal they are. Levi is now 15 years old and still dreams of living in India as a missionary in the near future. He loves to read books on history and has a part in a theatrical production in cooperation with other home schooled kids in the area. As much as I appreciate Levi’s authenticity, I think the proof of the normalcy of the O Brien children isn’t so much with Levi, but with Luke. With Levi’s passion for ministry and his Jesus Camp fame, you would think that Luke would be the bitter younger brother starving for parental approval (if indeed the O Briens were the stereotypical domineering type everyone seems to think they are). Not even close. Evangelical haters may be disappointed to hear that Luke is a happy, well-adjusted 14-year old kid who loves Jesus, loves his parents, and wants to chase tornados when he grows up. With his long hair, I told him he looked like he could be one of the characters from the movie Twister. This drew laughs from mom and dad.

Do the O Briens want to kill Harry Potter? Actually no. Jesus Camp viewers may be surprised that the O Briens actually let their children read the Harry Potter books and watch the movies. Do the O Briens want capital punishment for homosexuals? No they don’t. They believe homosexuality is a sin, but it’s no worse than other sins, such as pride and greed. Do the O Briens want to overthrow the government? Again, the answer is no.

The problem with our media saturated culture is it’s far too easy to draw conclusions based on images and 15 second soundbites, especially when the images and soundbites are divorced from their broader context. In today’s pessimistic culture, it’s hard to believe that children can be passionate about their faith and even harder to believe that human beings can behave so strangely in a religious meeting and retain their intellect. But just because it’s hard for people in the post-modern West to accept the strange behavior associated with revivalism, that doesn’t means this type of behavior is all that unusual. Not only is American history filled with examples of religious revivalism, much of the non-Western world today experiences manifestations associated with religious ecstasy on a regular basis.

Jesus Camp may have frightened American critics, but I bet if I showed the film to a group of Africans or Brazilians, they’d likely jump for joy and shout hallelujah. This isn’t to say that I don’t have my own reservations when it comes to unusual behavior associated with religious revivalism. I just happen to know that, from a cultural and historical standpoint, the skepticism in the modern West against behavior associated with religious phenomenon is culturally and historically unique-not the other way around. Trust me. Neither Levi nor Luke is the next Ted Kazinski. You can sleep soundly tonight.

Meeting the Jesus Campers

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a friend of mine who pastors a small church near the military base in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. For years my cousin has been the worship leader at this man’s church (up until last week when the army relocated him to Germany). Although I’ve spoken at this particular pastor’s church before, a lot has changed in my life since the last time I visited him and his family. Since my first two visits, I’ve spent a year and a half in West Africa, traveled to Pakistan twice, debated a radical jihadist in London for a feature length documentary, and participated in a peace delegation with a group called Christian Peacemaker Teams in the West Bank.

Last Sunday when I met up with the pastor and his family, I knew full well that I wasn’t the only one whose life had changed within a few short years. When I first met the pastor’s son Levi, Levi was 10 years old and virtually indistinguishable from every other 10-year old boy, except for the tail on the back of his neck and his unwavering conviction that Jesus has called him to be a missionary in India. This time around, when I introduced myself to Levi, who didn’t remember me before, I knew I was in the presence of a movie star…sort of.

The Levi that I’m talking about is Levi O Brien and the pastor that I’m talking about is Pastor Tim O Brien. The church I am referring to is Rock of Ages, the spiritual family of Levi and Rachel, two of the child stars featured prominently in the documentary film Jesus Camp. The film follows Levi and Rachel (and one other girl from another church) as they spend the week at a summer camp for Christian youth led by the charismatic preacher Becky Fisher. At camp, the children speak in tongues, dance around in war costumes, stretch forth their hands to supposedly pray to a cardboard cut-out of President George Bush (in actuality, the children were praying “for” Bush not “to” him, something that insiders like myself would know but outsiders could easily misinterpret), prophesy to each other, preach to each other, fall out under the power of the Holy Spirit, and pour out their souls in passionate intercession for the spiritual fate of our nation.

As a Christian reared in the Pentecostal/charismatic tradition, there was very little I saw in Jesus Camp that I couldn’t relate to in one way or another. I can remember speaking in tongues for the first time at an Assembly of God summer camp during one of the evening services and then waking up the next day to go swimming and horse back riding. I remember singing “I’m in the Lord’s Army” in children’s church (which I understood figuratively even as a seven year old). I can remember attending a Christian school when I was between the ages of 12 and 14 and the highlight of my week was attending a voluntary prayer meeting with my youth pastor on Thursdays afternoons. In these prayer meetings, my peers and I would pray in tongues, prophesy, interpret dreams, and cry out to God for revival. The church of my upbringing was also the spiritual center in my city of a very controversial revival movement in which the signature manifestations were Holy Laughter, falling out under the power (also known as getting slain in the Spirit), shaking, and a sensation of drunkenness associated with the arrival of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the congregation.

When I actually watched the movie Jesus Camp for the first time, I had very mixed feelings. On one level, I was glad to see young people passionate about their faith, but on another level I was thinking “Oh my! I hope there aren’t too many non-Christians who will actually see this. They’ll think we’re all nuts!” It turned out that my fears were justified. Most of the reviews I read all but charged Becky Fisher and the O Brien family with child abuse. Some condemned them to hell for preying on the minds of the innocent and turning them into brain-washed psychopaths. One reviewer called it the scariest movie of the year (perhaps the creepy background music throughout the film got to him). Another reviewer compared the children to Islamic jihadists in training.

Before I give my impressions of the Obrien Family and the Rock of Ages Church, let me start off by saying there were several aspects of the film that concerned my wife and I. In the film, Pastor Tim’s wife Tracy teaches her kids the literal six- day creation theory as if it were the only possible interpretation of the creation account in Genesis, implies that Global Warming is a left-wing conspiracy, talks about America being a Christian nation in a manner that many secular Americans and even a good number of Christians would consider naïve. My wife and I also felt that much of the political activism in the film was inappropriate for children who were too young to understand the complexities of the issues they were dealing with (such as 6 and 7 year olds placing red bandanas around their mouths and protesting the evils of abortion). The most disturbing aspect for me was the filmmakers’ portrayal of evangelical Christians as a monolithic entity that by definition votes Republican and supports the Iraq War.

When Pastor Tim invited me to speak at his church, I have to admit that I was shaking in my boots. Not only did I know that I would be preaching a message on the radical non-violent nature of the Kingdom to a church where nearly every member worked for the U.S. military; but with images from Jesus Camp rolling around in my head, I expected my message of refusing earthly power as a means to advance the purposes of God on the earth would meet with cries of blasphemy. Not only did I not get booed off the stage, but afterwards I had several meaningful discussions with the members of the congregation and, most importantly, with the O Briens themselves.

You wouldn’t get this impression from watching Jesus Camp, but the O Briens have absolutely no interest in turning the U.S.A. into a Christian theocracy. During the potluck after the service, Pastor Tim shared with me his views concerning the pursuit of earthly power to advance the Kingdom of God and referred me to other preachers who were also speaking out against the political idolatry often associated with the Christian right. Pastor Tim’s wife, Tracy, was even more forthright in her views. Given her comment in Jesus Camp, I was surprised to hear her say that she agreed with me on my points that much of what constitutes as American Civil religion is based on the founding myths of the early pilgrims who believed they were establishing the Kingdom of God by settling the New World. Tracy also shared with me how she has come to realize that the Constitution is not a religious document, that much of what she learned about American history as a child was candy-coated, and that the founders of America, though they were brilliant, were fallible just like the rest of us. Tracy also told me that liberal historians write some of the books she has her children read. To my surprise, Tracy went on to tell me that, although she loves politics and considers herself a conservative, she hasn’t considered herself a Republican in two and a half years!

Were the O Brien children psychologically disturbed? I don’t think I can stress enough how normal the O Brien children are. Levi is now 15 years old and still dreams of living in India as a missionary in the near future. He loves to read books on history and has a part in a theatrical production in cooperation with other home schooled kids in the neighborhood. He loves Jesus with all his heart and, though an independent thinker, he loves and respects his parents in a way that is refreshing to see considering the disrespect that so many other children his age have for their parents. I think the proof of the normalcy of the O Brien children isn’t so much with Levi, but with Luke. With Levi’s passion for ministry and his Jesus Camp fame, you would think that Luke would be the bitter younger brother starving for parental approval (if indeed the O Briens were the stereotypical domineering type everyone seems to think they are). Not even close. Evangelical haters may be disappointed to hear that Luke is a happy, well-adjusted 14-year old who loves Jesus, loves his parents, and wants to chase tornados when he grows up. With his long hair, I told him he looked like he could be one of the characters from the movie Twister. This drew laughs from the entire family.

Do the O Briens want to kill Harry Potter (as the film seems to suggest)? Actually no. Jesus Camp viewers may be surprised that the O Briens actually let their children read the Harry Potter books and watch the movies. Do the O Briens want capital punishment for homosexuals? Again, the answer is no. They believe homosexuality is a sin, but it’s no worse than other sins, such as pride and greed. Do the O Briens want to overthrow the government? Again, the answer is no. As Tracy explained to me, Becky Fisher’s comment to the liberal radio talk show host that “democracy is set up in such a way as to bring an end to itself” was not about anarchy. Becky was simply saying that democracy is useless without a moral foundation.

The problem with our media saturated culture is it’s far too easy to draw conclusions based on images and 15 second sound-bites, especially when the images and sound-bites are divorced from their broader context. In today’s pessimistic culture, it’s hard to believe that children can be passionate about their faith and even harder to believe that human beings can behave so strangely in a religious meeting and retain their intellect. But just because it’s hard for people today (particularly in America and Western Europe) to accept the strange behavior associated with revivalism, that doesn’t means this type of behavior is all that unusual. Not only is American history filled with examples of religious revivalism, much of the non-Western world today experiences manifestations associated with religious ecstasy on a regular basis.

Show the film to a group of American journalists and they’ll likely be horrified. On the other hand, show the film to a group of African or Brazilian Christians and they’ll likely jump for joy and shout hallelujah. This isn’t to say that I don’t have my own reservations when it comes to unusual behavior associated with religious revivalism. I most certainly do. I just happen to know that, from a cultural and historical standpoint, the skepticism in the modern West against behavior associated with religious renewal is culturally and historically unique-not the other way around. If all of us could approach life with a lot more understanding and a lot less judging, I have a feeling that films like Jesus Camp wouldn’t be so frightening after all.

Forgetting my lines

Picture this. I'm standing in front of a crowd of hundreds of people. I'm an actor in a theatrical production that all my friends and family have paid good money to see. Just when I'm about to say my lines...I freeze. With the eyes of hundreds of people staring straight at me, I realize all of the sudden that I don't know my lines. I've either forgotten them or I've never seen them before. I run back stage frantically looking for a copy of the script only to find that when I actually look at the script, I have no idea what I'm reading. The words appear on the page but my brain can't make sense of what I'm reading.

And so the dream ends. I probably have this dream at least two to three times a year. Yes, I used to be in theatrical productions when I was in high school, but that was a long time ago.

Can anyone think of how this could be used in a sermon illustration?

Perhaps me exposing my fears and insecurities to the global cyber-shrink population will yield some sort of redemption.

Be gentle.

Which one should I choose?

I receive e-mails from a lot of different ministries that want me to support or join their cause. Today I received an e-mail from two different ministries. In order to show the contrast between the two ministries, I decided to show the two e-mails side by side and ask my readers which cause I should support and why?

Below is the first e-mail sent out by Jay Sekulo from ACLJ.

Dear Aaron,

You are invited to join me and the ACLJ as we journey to the Holy Land this summer!

Jay Sekulow in Israel This is truly an unprecedented opportunity to experience Israel in a way that is not available to most visitors. You will not want to miss it.

Click here to review the itinerary, Frequently Asked Questions, and pricing for this special trip.

This is going to be more than just a 10-day tour. From June 17 through June 27, 2008, you can EXPERIENCE the rich history of this beautiful land.

The theme of this trip is ''Stand with Israel - in Israel.''

Walk where Jesus walked. Spend time with government officials, military leaders, and members of the Israeli Parliament. Get in-depth analysis and up-to-the minute information on what is taking place in the Middle East.

I will also provide you with an ''insider's view'' on how the ACLJ and our worldwide affiliates are showing support of this crucial Middle-Eastern State ... and why it is so vitally important.

Jay Sekulow in Israel Travel to one of the most strategic lands in all of history. Learn first-hand about life along the borders of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. Witness the impact of events in Iraq on this region. Be baptized in the Jordan River. Experience the holy places where Jesus taught, and absorb the rich history of this amazing land. Make your plans NOW to join me for this unprecedented opportunity! Visit our website for more information or to put your deposit down.

The price of $3,999 per person, based on double occupancy, includes round-trip airfare from New York, hotel accommodations, all meals, sight-seeing tours, entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities. (I encourage you to book your trip before February 15. After that day, another $150 fuel surcharge per person will be added to the $3,999 fee.)

The best way to stand with Israel is to stand IN Israel. Don't miss this life-changing tour, June 17 - June 27, 2008.

Now that you've read an e-mail asking me to join a political agenda, I'd like to compare it to another e-mail I received from an Iranian evangelist named Reza Safa. Here is Reza's letter to me.

Dearest Friends,



I have just returned from a ministry trip to Las Vegas, where I ministered at the only Iranian church in the area. The Lord touched many people there. About ten people accepted the Lord and many were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and the Lord delivered and healed several people. One man approached me the first night and asked me to pray for his deliverance from alcohol addiction. After my preaching, when I gave the altar call, he and his wife came up and accepted the Lord. That night he asked his wife to throw away all beer and alcohol from their house. He used to drink two cases of beer every day. The following night he came back and told me that when he woke up that morning, he was completely free from alcohol. “I feel like a brand new man,” he said to me. That night he also brought his daughter, who is facing a marital problem. She also accepted the Lord and received prayer. To God be the glory, Jesus is still in the business of delivering people. During the services, a tall and strong elderly man, who used to be a wrestling champion, helped me catch people as I prayed for them. Talking to him afterwards, I realized that although he never missed any of their church services, he was still a Muslim and faithfully prayed his Islamic prayer five times every day. I encouraged him about faith in Christ. “Every blessing of God is only in Jesus,” I said to him. I told him that God will not operate outside of Jesus, for in Him all things sustain. He kept insisting that he loved Prophet Jesus, and I kept insisting that he didn’t believe in Jesus—not the Jesus that the Bible talks about. I loved on him and told him the truth. People must know the truth, even if the truth offends them, as long as we speak it in love. He called me yesterday and left a message on my cell phone. He said that the following morning when he woke up, for the first time after fifty years, he did not do his regular Islamic prayer, and that he asked Jesus to come in to his heart. I called him back and asked him if he called Jesus Khodavand (Lord). He acknowledged and told me that he hadn’t missed his daily Islamic prayers since he was six years old. He said that he wanted to be baptized. I asked him if he felt a change in his heart. He did and he said that he felt peace for the first time in his life. To God be the glory.



Christianity used to roar with conviction and solid revelation knowledge that shook the known world of its time. Unfortunately, Christianity today appears to be a more refined version of human philosophies. It lacks conviction and persuasion. It has glamour but it lacks glory. It is bound by self-interest and fear. “Why should we confront, when we can all live together in peace!” That is the philosophy of the hour. Interfaith and political correctness are invading our societies. It is all mixed in a grey mesh. Jesus said it well, "If the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Did you know that salt raises your blood sugar? But without it, food has no taste. Truth is hard, but without it men like this wrestler will continue to turn toward Mecca and pray to a dead god five times a day for fifty years.



I have received criticism by several Christians about our upcoming debate with the Islamic Society of Tulsa. Most of their reasoning is based on fear of confrontation by the Muslims. In other words, let us not tell them the truth because we are afraid of their responses. Isn’t that what the Sanhedrin said to the Apostles? “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (Acts 4:18)



Jamal Badawi, the Egyptian Muslim scholar whom the Islamic Society of Tulsa invited, often argues in major events that the Bible is a corrupted book, that Jesus is not the Son of God, and that Jesus did not die on the cross for the sins of the people. While he is hindered from receiving the salvation of God through Jesus Christ, he is also hindering millions of others from hearing about that salvation. While millions of Muslims are damned for hell because of the efforts of Mr. Badawi and his organization ISNA, Christians are afraid Muslims will react and hurt them. My Bible says, “… they loved not their lives unto death.” Isn’t that what Apollos did? “For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.” (Acts 18:28 NIV) Isn’t that what Paul often did? Isn’t that why he was stoned in Iconium? Read Acts 14:1-5. Paul caused uproar almost everywhere he went. Read Acts 13-20. Read about the public debates Paul had with the Jews every day for two years:



“Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Acts 19:8-10 (NIV)



If Paul lived in our day, many Christians would curse him and possibly take him to court, accusing him of creating hatred between the Jews and Christians.



No, we will continue speaking the truth boldly and lovingly because we desire to see millions of Muslims delivered from darkness and set free, just like our Iranian wrestler friend from Las Vegas who prayed in a foreign language (Arabic) to a false god five times daily, bending up and down toward Mecca. But today he is free because I told him that God would never answer his prayer as long as he is a Muslim! Wow! That is harsh! But that is the truth. And that set him free.



You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.



I hope to see you all next Friday, January 25th. I am asking our church to fast and pray that day that God would open the eyes of Jamal Badawi, hundreds of Muslims who will be there, and tens of thousands of Muslims who will watch this video on the internet. Would you also commit that day to the Lord by fasting and praying for the salvation of these Muslims? Also please be there early, the doors open at 6:00 PM.





Loving Him Forever,



Pastor Reza F. Safa

Let's see here. The first e-mail wants me to advance a political agenda. The second e-mail wants me to advance a spiritual agenda.

Which one should I choose?

Is there really any contest?

Me and Mr. Potter

What do these phrases have in common?

1. I wish I had a million dollars. Hot Dog!

2. What is it that you want Mary? Do you want the moon? I'll give you the moon.

3. Well why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?

4. Look Burt! My mouth's bleeding! My mouth's bleeding Burt!

5. I've been saving this money for a divorce if I ever get a husband.

6. Look, daddy! Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

7. You once called me a warped-frustrated old man.

These are just a few of the one-liners in what is arguably the best loved film of all time, "It's a Wonderful Life." The movie follows the story of a man named George Bailey, a man who had great dreams for himself, but found himself stuck in his hometown of Bedford Falls running the business/charity Bailey Building and Loan, the company he inherited from his father.

Like all good movies, "It's a Wonderful Life" has a villain, and the villain's name is Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter represents the corporate villain who cares for no one but himself and tramples on the poor like garbage. One of the most poignant scenes in the movie is when Mr. Potter offers George Bailey a job, promising him the pie in the sky but basically asking for his soul in return. In classic hero fashion George Bailey gives Potter a piece of his mind and calls him a warped-frustrated old man. Potter's position throughout the film is that of condescension. Potter says that George Bailey isn't a business man and that he's made life too easy for his borrowers.

Here's my problem. Every time I watch the movie, I have this struggle between my head and my heart. In my heart, I'd like to believe a man can do business like George Bailey, but in my head, I find myself agreeing with Mr. Potter that a man can't run a business like a charity.

Think about it. Have you ever met a George Bailey? Can you imagine Country-Wide mortgage telling you "Oh..that's okay. I know you've been having a hard time lately. Just pay me when you can." That's basically how George Bailey ran his business and that's precisely what makes him such a stark contrast to the evil Mr. Potter.

Throw the teaching of Jesus into the mix, "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away" and it seems we have a real dilemma. If anyone typifies the spirit of Jesus in these words, it's George Bailey. The problem is that George Bailey is a fictional character, not a real person.

Here are a few questions that I think are worthy of reflection.

1. Have you every met a real George Bailey? If so, did he or she remain in business or did they have to close shop eventually?

2. In our impersonal capitalist economy, is it even possible to be a George Bailey?

3. How do you run a genuine business, especially one that affects people's livelihoods, without becoming a Mr. Potter?

4. What would Jesus say to a guy like George Bailey, a man who cares for the poor, but happens to be their lender?

5. Does the fact that it's very difficult to imagine a real live George Bailey tell us something about the economic system that we've taken for granted? Are there other macro-economic systems that would make it more viable for people like George Bailey to survive in the real world?

Discuss!

What the TV advertisers think of me

Last week I was having trouble sleeping on a Friday night. So, at about 12:30 a.m. I turned on the T.V. and happened to catch a few minutes of an episode of Friends. To my utter amazement I saw an advertiement for a gay dating service in St. Louis. The thought suddenly struck me....why do the advertisers think I'm gay just because I'm watching Friends late on a Friday night?

The following Monday I was doing my exercises in my living room and I noticed how many advertisements there were targeting senior citizens on medicare. Apparently, the advertisers also believe I am an old man.

Put it together and, according to the advertisers, I'm an elderly gay man in desperate need of a scooter.

In actuality, I'm a physically active 29 year old married man with occasional insomnia.

The next time you turn on the T.V. ask yourself who the advertisers think you are. The exercise can be fun....and a bit disturbing.

My Most Embarrassing Moment

One of the things I learned in Bible School is that today’s ministers are supposed to be transparent. Very few people can connect with ministers who seem to have it all together. Even fewer can connect with ministers who like to talk about how they have it all together. Growing up my mom used to always say to me, “Aaron, you need to learn to laugh at yourself.” In an effort to please my mom and my Bible School instructors, I’ve decided to start the year off with revealing my most embarrassing moment to you, my loyal readers.

I was 21 years old and working full time as a waiter at Steak N Shake, a popular restaurant here in the Midwest. For those unfamiliar with Steak N Shake, think of a restaurant that resembles a 50’s diner-a step above fast food but not as high on the status scale as an Applebee’s or a Houlihans. Due to an extremely short staff that evening, one of the managers called me in to work at the last minute. I didn’t want to work on a Sunday evening, but I decided to go in anyway since I needed the extra cash…and because the manager on duty really needed the help.

I’m not sure whether God was getting even with me for breaking the Christian Sabbath or whether it was just plain bad luck, but I’ll never forget how it seemed like the entire state of Missouri showed up to eat at Steak N Shake that evening…with only me and one other guy waiting tables. (Note to hypercritical theologians…the above sentence regarding divine retribution for working on a Sunday is a literary device, not a doctrinal statement). There must have been at least 50-75 people all wanting service at the same time. Put that in combination with an individual such as myself who gets really flustered when he’s in a hurry and who happens to be gracefully challenged…and you have a disaster waiting to happen.

One table in particular started out with two shakes, a side of coleslaw, and a cup of soup, a coca cola and three glasses of water. Nothing unusual. I’d filled hundreds of orders like this before. Why this had to happen on a day when the entire restaurant was full, I’ll never know but just as I was getting ready to hand my customers their order, I slipped and fell flat on my …note to editors…derriere. The tray went flying and there was broken glass everywhere. I even managed to get a good portion of the chocolate shake in a female customer’s shoulder length hair.

If this were where the story ended, it would be embarrassing enough. Unfortunately for me and my customers, the story doesn’t end here. After cleaning up my mess I had to go back to fill the customers order a second time. As I walked out onto the floor, I could feel the intensity of every eye in the restaurant staring straight at me, wondering what was going to happen. With every eye glued on me and me alone (at least that’s what it felt like at the time), I attempted to deliver my customers’ order a second time and, what do you know, my foot slipped again and I landed flat on my back with my arms sprawled across the floor. Again, glass went flying everywhere and, again, the same lady received the same amount of chocolate shake in her hair as the first time.

After I fell the second time I went to my manager and begged him not to make me go back out and face the same crowd. “For the love of everything sacred and holy please don’t make me go back out there,” I pleaded. Even as I was pleading with my manager to let me go on break, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. We were too short-staffed and there were simply too many people in the restaurant. For the third time I had to take the walk of shame, only this time people had literally cleared the aisles to prepare a path for me to walk. They were fleeing for their lives. Thankfully, on my third try I was able to deliver the order to my customers and to my utter amazement, the lady with the chocolate shake in her hair even left me a sizable tip on the way out.

A very wise king once said, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again,” (Proverbs 24:16). While I hope and pray that everyone reading these words are doing wonderful and feeling great, I know that for some, perhaps many, that is simply not the case. Perhaps you’ve reached a place in your life where it feels like everything you touch turns to sand. Maybe you’re attempting for the 7th time the same New Year’s resolution. Maybe you’ve suffered a failed business, or a failed marriage. Maybe you’ve fallen away from God and feel that you’ve been out of the race for too long to get back in. Perhaps you’ve dropped out of church because of a root of bitterness you’ve allowed to take hold in your heart. Whoever you are and whatever your situation, know that you are not alone. It’s not the fact that you’ve fallen that defines you. It’s whether you get back up. If you feel like you’ve fallen too many times to be able to hold your head up high, perhaps your Heavenly Father has led you to read the words of this clumsy, flustered preacher to deliver this message to your soul at the start of 2008.

Happy New Year!

Your race isn’t over yet.

A Christmas message from Aaron

I hope this post finds you happy and in good health. Rhiannon and I have just finished opening our presents and are looking forward to going over to my Aunt Rose's house in a couple of hours to enjoy the annual Christmas Turkey and gift exchange with the extended Taylor family. Rhiannon will start making her world famous corn casserole in a few minutes-world famous at least in the Taylor household!

As we're all supposed to do this time of the year, I've been reflecting a lot about the true meaning of Christmas over the past few days. My heart goes out to the worlds pastors who have to find new shades of meaning and spiritual insight every single year as they prepare their Christmas sermons to deliver to their congregations. Being that it's Christmas day, this message may be a little late for pastors and missionaries looking for last minute enlightenment, but it's not late in terms of relevance for the new year.

First I'll start with what we all know and understand. Unless your last name is Scrooge and your first name is Grinch, you probably realize that Christmas is about the generosity of giving and not the vanity of commercialization. With the slew of Hallmark and ABC Family Christmas specials this time of year, I find it odd that even Hollywood sells the message of faith, family and values this time of the year.

This next thought may be a bit Pollyanna-ish, but I think that both sides of the "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Holidays" war need to lay down their arms and take a breather, if not for political and theological reasons, then at least for practical ones. Having to correct people every time they use a holiday greeting that you don't like can get exhausting after a while. As much as I would like to continue my soapbox on this one, you can consider that a freebie.

The real message I'd like to share with you this Christmas is this. In light of my debate with a radical jihadist in London and my recent trip to the West Bank, one of the ideas that has turned my world upside down and caused me to reevaluate nearly everything I have held dear in terms of my identity and values is the idea that one of the central themes of the New Testament is a complete and utter rejection of the value of exercising earthly power and authority over others. When Jesus said, "The meek shall inherit the earth," the people of His day knew exactly what He meant. On the day of judgment, those who will be left standing are not the Caesars and the centurions, but the cooks and the carpenters. Practically the entire life and ministry of Jesus conveys the idea that the Kingdom of God belongs to the powerless, not the powerful.

Jesus said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them." In an age where politicians, even sincere politicians, are all-too-eager to invoke the name of Jesus as a stamp of divine approval upon their bid for the White House, I think a re-evaluation of the role of the Church, and how the Church interacts with earthly power is in order. Just as not everything that glitters is gold, I have a feeling that not everything that calls itself Christian is truly Christian.

Jesus was born in a stable and raised the son of a carpenter. He never levied a tax and He never waged a war. Although He could have used His birthright as heir to the Davidic throne to "restore the Kingdom to Israel", He deliberately chose not to. Instead, He put the priority on taking on the form of a servant and establishing God's true kingdom in the hearts of men. He had no earthly agenda but to love and to serve, especially those who lived with a different set of values than His own. Jesus managed to befriend the tax-collector, the zealot, the Samaritan, and the prostitute alike, calling them to repent.....without pursuing an earthly agenda to push them to the fringes of society.

As we head into the new election year, I think it would be wise for us all to remember that the world's only true "Christian" king (or ruler or politician or whatever term you would like to insert to denote earthly power) died on a wooden cross, suffering for the souls of the very people who were crucifying Him. May the example of Jesus be the true inspiration for us all to build a better world as we head into the new year.

Merry Christmas,

Aaron

Good news in Iran

I just received a report from Caleb Project's monthly newsletter. Here is what it said about Iran.

It is estimated that at least two million Farsi-speakers watch SAT-7 PARS in Iran regularly. In the nine months SAT-7 PARS has been on Iranian television, countless people have come to Christ in this predominantly Muslim nation.

Many believe this Christian station is the most watched satellite channel in Iran. One listener said, "I have not read the New Testament, or the Torah, because there is none in Iran, but Jesus Christ has made a home in my heart. I beg you to tell me how I can leave [my religion] and come to the religion of Jesus Christ because besides him, no one else has my life in their hands."

Too often we in the West tend to think of the Muslim world as a monolith, as if everyone is locked in their beliefs with little desire to change. The reality is, more Iranians have turned to Christ since the Ayatollah seized power than at any other time before.

It helps to keep things in perspective when we watch the daily news. There is hope for the future.

Governor Huckabee: Will you go on record?

It's been an exciting past few weeks for Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist minister turned Governor of Arkansas. Just a few short weeks ago, Rudy Guliani and Mitt Romney were the undisputed frontrunners of the GOP with Senator John McCain and Fred Thompson trailing closely behind. With Guliani's marital problems and Romney's Mormon faith, evangelicals haven't had a candidate they can call one of their own. As every political commentator knows, this has been a huge problem for the Republican Party since evangelicals form the largest voting block of the GOP base. If Karl Rove and the nation's 60 million evangelical Christians have been silently praying for a savior, it seems the savior has arrived in the form of another southern governor with humble beginnings.

Now that Governor Mike Huckabee is a frontrunner in the race along with Guliani and Romney, it seems that everyone is talking about religion-again. What is the role of religion in public life? What is the meaning of separation of church and state? What is the definition of a religious test? While all of this may seem like deja vu, it seems that leaders of the Christian Right are singing a different tune this time around. Case in point. Did you ever think you would hear the late Jerry Falwell endorse a Mormon for president with the words, "We're not electing a pastor in chief, we're electing a commander in chief"? Or how about the same words coming from Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptists' religion and ethics commission? The other day I even heard Richard Land use the words "pluralism and diversity" on CNN when asked about the Mormon question. Even more bizarre, did you ever think the day would come when Pat Robertson would endorse a man twice divorced and Catholic in name only? Aside from the occasional Christian Reconstructionist or Patriot Pastor in Ohio, it seems that the leaders of the Christian Right have finally conceded that separation of church and state isn't a tool of the devil used by liberals to undermine the Christian faith, but is, in fact both Christian and constitutional.

While I'm glad that Christian Right leaders are taking a softer tone on the role of faith in politics, there's something that is still bothering me. With all this new talk about not putting political candidates through a religion test, it seems that the important religious questions are being overlooked or shall I say....Left Behind? To illustrate my point, let's look at the religious differences between Huckabee and Romney. If Romney is true to his Mormon faith then he believes that God once started out as a man, that Jesus and Lucifer were once brothers, and that good Mormons will be populating celestial planets in the afterlife. Huckabee, on the other hand, if he is true to his Baptist faith, believes the Bible is the Word of God, that salvation comes by grace through faith, and that Jesus is coming back soon. If I had to pick which of these two belief systems I'm most comfortable with occupying the Oval Office, I'd have to pick the first one-and I'm saying that as a committed evangelical Christian who also believes the Bible is the Word of God, that salvation comes by grace through faith, and that Jesus is coming back soon. Does this sound a bit bizarre? Let me explain.

If a Mormon occupying the White House believes that God started out as a man, that Jesus and Lucifer were once brothers, and that good Mormons will be populating celestial planets in the afterlife, how much would these beliefs affect his or her policy decisions on things like the Middle East conflict, nuclear disarmament, or America's role in the U.N? . If, on the other hand, you have a president that subscribes to the Left-Behind version of Christianity made popular by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, how would that affect his or her foreign policy decisions? Given that Tim Lahaye has recently endorsed Governor Huckabee, that Governor Huckabee has publicly stated that he "enjoyed" reading the Left Behind novels, and that Tim Lahaye recently sent letters to pastors in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina inviting them to an all-expense paid trip to hear Mike Huckabee speak, this question is far from theoretical.

Let's review the Left Behind Series. In Tim Lahaye's Left Behind series, the anti-christ seizes power by taking over which institution? You guessed it-the United Nations. Who allows the evil anti-christ to rise to power in the Left Behind novels? You guessed it again. A weak democratic president. Where does the evil anti-christ set up his headquarters for his evil empire? Modern day Iraq. How does the Anti-christ seize the reigns of power? This should come as no surprise....an international nuclear disarmament treaty. Combine this with the idea that Jesus can't come back until the dream of Greater Israel is realized and that will give you a fairly accurate picture of the Left-Behind world view.

This, by the way, is not an endorsement of Mitt Romney. When it comes to foreign policy, Romney can speak for himself. All I'm saying is that when it comes to analyzing a candidate's religious beliefs, we should be asking the questions that really matter. So here are a few questions I would like for Governor Huckabee to answer.

1. Governor Huckabee. Do you support the expansion of Jewish Settlements in the West Bank?

2. Governor Huckabee. Does your particular interpretation of Scripture preclude a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

3. Governor Huckabee. What is your view on the role of the U.N. in international affairs?

4. Governor Huckabee. Do you believe the Bible prophecies an imminent attack on the state of Israel by an alliance of Russia and Iran?

Will Governor Huckabee go on record regarding any one of these issues in the near future? Will anyone be asking him these questions in the next debates? For the sake of us all...Let's hope so.

The Christian Right and the Pledge of Allegiance-Is There a Contradiction?

This is a revision of an earlier post I've written.

Imagine a grade school student from China who goes to a public school and is asked to swear an oath to the Chinese state every day along with the rest of his or her class at school. Imagine that the young boy or girl refuses to participate due to the fact that he or she is a Christian and does not want to declare allegiance to anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ. I wonder how the average American Christian raised in a conservative evangelical church would view this scenario? I imagine that millions of Christians in America would not only admire the grade school student, but would probably use him or her as an example in Sunday School on how to take a stand as a Christian against a godless secular culture.

Now let's imagine another scenario. Imagine a young boy or girl in America attending one of the thousands of Christian schools throughout the nation. Imagine that a young boy or girl decides one day to politely decline in saying the pledge of allegiance along with his or her classmates. I wonder how the average American evangelical Christian would view this scenario? Given the political firestorm over taking "under God" out of the pledge, I imagine that the reaction of the same millions of Christians who thought the Chinese boy or girl was a hero would be decisively different than over the Christian child refusing to participate in the American pledge of allegiance. I further imagine that many would even question if the student was a Christian at all. After all, so the thinking goes, America is a Christian nation.

Does anyone else see a problem with this? To many American Christians, a child who pledges allegiance to China is considered idolatrous, but a child who pledges allegiance to America is considered a patriot. Speaking as an American evangelical myself, I have to ask what does this say about how we as American Christians view ourselves? For many Christians, the idea that America is not a Christian nation is tantamount to blasphemy. I find it odd that the same people who would applaud a Chinese or a Russian for refusing to swear an oath to a secular state see no problem with wrapping an American flag around a cross in the front yards of their churches.

For the record, I'm not saying necessarily that it's a damnable sin to say the Pledge of Allegiance, although I do think the issue should be looked at more carefully. Although it's true that the Bible says, "Give custom to whom custom is due," it's also true that the New Testament repeatedly prohibits taking oaths. Given what the New Testament actually says about taking oaths, (namely, that a Christian isn't supposed to be making them) isn't it a bit odd that one of the key issues of the Christian right involves keeping the words "under God" in an oath to a nation/state?

Why does this contradiction exist? I think it's because the average American Christian from a conservative evangelical background associates patriotism with following Jesus. To confirm this truth, we need look no further than "Christian" talk radio. I actually heard a "Christian" talk show host one time tell a U.S. Marine "Remember, when you serve in the U.S. Military, you're serving Jesus." As odd at this statement might sound, turning Jesus into an officer of the U.S. Marines, for many of my friends and colleagues, the statement "soldiers in Iraq are doing the will of God" seems to flow off their lips without a second thought.

Should a Christian associate America's cause with God's cause? I don't think so. The truth is that America is a mixture of good and bad, just like many other nations. We can't claim a special relationship with God more than any other nation can. Although our pilgrim forefathers believed they were making a covenant with God when they entered this land, we have no reason to believe that God entered a covenant with them. Biblically speaking, any alliance between the Kingdom of God, which always looks like Jesus taking on the form of a suffering servant, with a version of the Kingdom of this world, (however new and improved the version of the worldly kingdom is) is an unholy alliance-and for good reason. Ask a typical native American Christian whether he or she believes that God gave the continental U.S. to white Europeans for the purpose of advancing the cause of freedom and liberty and you might get a totally different answer than you would hear from one of Ohio's Patriot Pastors.

As a missionary who has traveled the world many times over, I've met many Christians from other countries who have asked me why so many American Christians associate patriotism with Christianity. Not being one who likes to mix words, I tell them the truth. Americans read the Bible with cultural blinders on.....just like everyone else.

As for those who would venerate a Chinese student for refusing to pledge an oath to China but marginalize a Christian kid for refusing to pledge an oath to America, I'm not sure if they'll like what I have to say, but for a Bible believing Christian, the response to this anomaly should be obvious. Our first and foremost loyalty should be to Jesus Christ. Although we need to honor and serve our country as good citizens, to equate love for Jesus with love for country is nothing short of idolatry.

Releasing my inner sissy-revised

Now that I’m married and no longer collecting manly points to attract the opposite sex, I can finally bare my soul to the world regarding a long repressed childhood memory. Here’s the scene I’d rather deny than reveal. I am 11 years old. I go to a small private Christian school that throws parties for sixth grade graduations. I’m in a limousine with my 11 classmates and the girl that I’ve had a crush on for the past three years is in the arms of another man… who happens to be the most popular kid in my class.

Want to guess what I did in that limousine? You guessed it. I did exactly what jolted love-sick romantics should never do….at least according to the rules of Hollywood. I released my inner sissy and balled like a baby… in front of every single one of my classmates. It was the most humiliating experience of my life up until that point. Here’s the part that makes the story even more embarrassing. Another girl in the class felt sorry for me and decided to "go out" with me (Going out was the term used for a steady relationship back then. I have no idea what the term is today). It wasn't until several weeks later that I realized our “relationship” was a sham. Come to think of it, that was a really nice gesture on her part….even if it was a little misguided. After that summer I never saw my first “girlfriend” again.

What could possibly motivate me to share this story with you? Well, apparently, confession is the "in" thing right now. All over the country, people are sharing their stories through websites, blogs, coffee-houses, and various other venues. Some are confessing their most embarrassing moments, others are confessing their deepest, darkest sins. Still others are confessing their disappointments and frustrations in life. I saw on the Today Show a letter a man sent to a confession site that said, “I wish my father would love me for who I am, not for who I’m not.” It seems that everyone is telling their secrets. The question is-why?

Well, I can tell you one reason-it's Biblical. The Bible says that Christians are supposed to, "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." It seems that the secular world is catching up to what the Bible has been saying all along. As a Bible-believing Christian, none of this comes as a surprise to me. In an age where the most-often repeated phrase is, "I'm a spiritual person, but I don't believe in institutional religion" should we expect anything different?
As much as our generation rejects “institutional religion”, the truth still remains that none of us were created for isolation. All of us need to have people around us who love us and won’t judge us for who we are and what we have done. As imperfect as the institution of the Church is, a place for soul confession is exactly what Jesus and the Apostles had in mind. The Apostle James had it exactly right when he said, “Confess your sins one to another that you may be healed.” If the Church really is an institution of redeemed sinners, what better place could there be to bare your soul?

Calling all Christians! Let's give the world a run for its money. It’s confession time!

Willfully blind

Once a month I get a newsletter from Christ for the Nations magazine. Receiving this magazine is a mixed baggage for me because, while most of the magazine focuses on the work of CFNI graduates and the great things God is doing around the world though them, in nearly every issue there is commentary on Israel and the Middle-East conflict.

This issue is no different. In Jeffery Seif's column O Little Once Christian Town of Bethlehem
Dr. Seif, a former instructor of mine, laments the fact that so few Christians remain in Bethlehem. Not only is Bethlehem becoming barren of Christians, it's also becoming barren of people.

As to be expected, Dr. Seif puts the blame for Bethlehem's economic depravity squarely on the Muslims. The Israeli army is, of course innocent.

Just so you can see what I'm up against, here is Dr. Seif's evaluation of the situation.

As is to be expected, many blame the Jews for those statistics-even the victims. As with just about every other problem on planet Earth, Jews are seen as the principl culprits. Demonic-inspired Jew-bashing aside, unreported-or under-reported anyway-are the abuses that Christian Arabs suffer under the administrations of their Islamic Arab overlords, pressing them to seek better lives for themselves outside of Muslim jurisdictions. This is the real problem. The Palestinian Authority seems either unwilling or unable to assist Arab citizens of Christian persuasion.

While we remember Jesus' birth and sing tunes anticipating "peace on earth and goodwill toward men," let us all remember how Christian brethren are suffering in the land of Jesus' birth, and let us pry for them. Mindful of that, let us not delude ourselves with the popular, politically correct fantasy that by ceding more and more real estate to Muslim terrorists, we are purchasing peace for the peoples of the Middle East. It may sound good in theory, but is not borne out in practice; it, in truth, is just another ploy to detach Jews from their ancestral homeland.

Dr. Seif, has it ever occured to you that the economic starvation and mass exodus from Bethlehem might possibly be due to the gargantuan-sized wall the Israeli military has built around the city? The problem with Dr. Seif's thesis is that it doesn't reflect the views of the average Palestinian Christian. During my trip to Bethlehem, I talked to many Christians and all of them put the blame on the Israeli military occupation for making their lives difficult. Not one Christian I talked to said their primary problem was with their Muslim neighbors. What I heard from them was, in fact, the opposite. Every Christian I talked to, even evangelical Charismatic Christians, identified their struggle with the struggle of their Muslim neighbors. While I don't deny their could be some discrimination between Muslim overlords and their Christian subjects, every Christian I talked to agreed that Christians and Muslims live together peacefully in the West Bank.

Even more disturbing is the length that Seif goes to automatically rule out the view of anyone who questions his thesis....as if criticizing the Israeli military's heavy handed policies is equivalent to "demonically-inspired Jew-bashing."

Such rhetoric is typical among people who only see what they want to see. Instead of reasoning with someone sees a situation different from you, all you have to do is say he has a demon.

Works every time for the ignorant.

Between ordinary and extraordinary

I've been thinking a lot lately about the phrase, "God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things." While I've written on this topic before in my post, "In Defense of Ordinary" in which I make the point that God uses ordinary people to do ordinary things, but ordinary things really matter. This time I'm coming at it from a different angle and I'd like to enlist my readers for some input.

The problem with the "ordinary people...extraordinary things" idea is that once ordinary people do extraordinary things, then they are no longer considered ordinary, which begs the question whether they were really ever that ordinary to begin with. Another problem is that the examples are so far removed from the every day Christian experience, they hardly seem relevant. Case in point...when was the last time you or I walked on water or healed a crippled person from our shadow? I don't think any of us, at least not anybody I know personally, can call Peter ordinary. If we are honest with ourselves, we'll probably have to admit that normally, God uses "extraordinary" people to do "extraordinary things." In my mind, people like Moses, David, Peter, and Paul fall into this category. This doesn't mean that extraordinary people don't have ordinary faults or don't often come from ordinary beginnings, it just means that extraordinary lives come from extraordinary people.

What I'm lookin at now are examples in the Scriptures in between ordinary and extraordinary. Examples where an ordinary person does something either extraordinary or something just a cut above average, and, yet remains ordinary.

The first example that comes to mind is Ananias. Here is an ordinary disciple who God uses to baptize the Apostle Paul....and then we never hear about him again. To me, Ananias is a perfect example of an individual who falls into the category somewhere in between ordinary and extraordinary. Ananias did something extraordinary, but remained an ordinary person. Could it be that the Holy Spirit put this story in the Bible to show us that even people who are truly ordinary can occasionally do something extraordinary and remain ordinary at the same time? I don't know about you, but I'm glad there are characters like Ananias in the Bible. If all we had were Peters and Pauls and Davids, there really wouldn't be much hope for the vast majority of the human race who long to transcend run-of-the-mill ordinary existence.

I'm sure there are many, perhaps better, stories in the Bible to illustrate this point. Can you think of any?