Lifestyle of Peace | Christian Living & Discipleship

Thursday, September 14, 2017

My Top Ten Favorite Christian Speakers to Listen to on YouTube

1. Joe Sweet - truly a teacher of holiness and the sanctified life, on fire for the Lord, thoroughly biblical theology.

2. Derek Prince - One of the greatest preachers I've ever listened to, absolutely powerful and excellent theology. He passed away in 2003.

3. Frank Turek - straight forward jersey talk on Christian apologetics and cultural/political issues. Leans Calvinist in theology sadly.

4. Timothy Keller - His apologetics were excellent, but Tim Keller's description of complex overarching themes of scripture was really quite exceptional. He passed away in 2023.

5. William Lane Craig - Intellectual, deep apologetics based on a solid framework of logic laced with cosmology, history, and scriptural references.

6. Ray Comfort - this prominent evangelist never fails to urge us to reach people with the living gospel, true deliverance from sin.

7. Joshua Giles - Joshua is a powerful prophetic voice in our world today. A truly humble and faithful modern day prophetic voice to the body of Christ. Must listen, for sure.

8. Kevin Zadai - Pentecostal, revelatory, deep, powerful speaker. Has written numerous excellent books, and his organization Warrior Notes has a major impact in modern America.

9. Michael Ramsden - famous Christian apologist, international speaker, and co-founder of The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics

10. Eric Metaxas - engaging, entertaining, thoughtful, and passionate speaker for Jesus. His work on Socrates in the City and the Eric Metaxas show are excellent. He's written numerous excellent books as well.

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Thursday, September 7, 2017

Messengers of Compassion: How does the concept of compassion play out in the Scriptures?

Let me preface this brief post by saying I of course can't speak for the messengers of compassion or the Salvation Army overall. These are simply my viewpoints, and my opinions and they do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the Salvation Army.

I'm part of a session at the college for officer's training in the Salvation Army called "The Messengers of Compassion." Each session of "cadets" in the Salvation Army seminaries worldwide are given an official title, and flag. I'm part of this group.

At first I felt somewhat troubled by the title of my session, not exceedingly so, but I feel such a strong call toward truth, grace, and the gospels. But what about compassion? Compassion is in fact, a powerful concept in the holy scriptures. Perhaps I hadn't fully understood the significance of compassion in Christ, the gospel, and my own life.

The gospels are full of verses where Jesus was moved to compassion for the people he served. If compassion moved Jesus in His life so many times, if this fundamental emotion was to prime to God himself, shouldn't it be exceedingly prime to his servants?

It's an incredible honor I don't deserve. And a massive, massive responsibility. In fact, if it's true that God is real, and that heaven and hell are both real, and the souls of all humanity on Earth hang in the balance, then the responsibility of a pastor to carry the word is definitively the most important job ever. Literally.

In the gospel of Mark it is recorded: "When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things." -Mark 6:34

The needs of the people near Jesus caused an emotional reaction in his soul, he felt the emotion of compassion and this spurred him to teach the people. Compassion triggered action.

Again in the gospel of Luke, chapter 7 Jesus was approached by a woman. She had lost her husband, he died at some point in the past. And she was carrying her first born and only son in her arms. He was dead. And Jesus saw her.

It says: "When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." -Luke 7:13

Jesus was moved with compassion, and his compassion moved him to take action. That's what being a Christ-follower is all about. Our hearts are turned from stone cold darkness to soft warm flesh. And when we see suffering instead of apathy, we're moved by compassion, to action.

If you combine the OT and NT there are 93 instances of the usage of various words for compassion in ancient Hebrew and Greek (Racham in Hebrew, 45 times, and Eleos in Greek, 26 instances.)

In the epistles, the letters to the early churches and church leaders we see instructions, specifically from the apostle Paul indicating that we must make use of compassion as a primary character trait in our new lives: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience..." -Colossians 3:12

Out of the heart can come great evil, but for the regenerate believer out of the heart should come compassion amongst other key character assets.

This compassion is evidenced in an outpouring of love for those in need. It's such a cliche' thing to say, but it is true that actions speak louder than words.

The primary scripture verse linked with my session is Ephesians 4:32 which states: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Amen to that. Compassion is the emotional response we as Christians have to the suffering and despair of the world, that moves us to carry the gospel and meet human needs in the name of Jesus, without discrimination.

So I'm a messenger of compassion, and rightly so. I'm not a messenger of law, judgment, or harshness. That's what I looked for in Christians when I was an atheist. I looked for hatred, because that's what I thought Christians were, haters. But it was the love of people like Marion, the priest who visited me at my bedside when I was near death in the hospital. And it was pastors like my pastor at New Day church who presented a gospel of total forgiveness, of total grace, that won me over.

I realized that God didn't want to punish me. God wanted to offer me forgiveness if I would receive His son Jesus Christ, and allow Jesus to transform my life into something better. That's the essence of the gospel message, radical compassion to people who have lived in a dark, dank underworld of sin and human selfishness so long that they've gotten used to being treated like a hunk of meat, like something to be used and abused, they've become so cynical in darkness, that when selfless love wells up in the Christian, it's like a river that shatters the rocky surface of their soul and fills them with something as radical and transformative as hope. Hope, flowing out from pure compassion, compassion unmixed with anger or cruelty, a radical, excessive compassion laced with abundant grace, scandalous grace, grace that covers over terrible sin, washing it away completely in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ who has paid the debt for all our sin. It's that gift, that passion of Christ Jesus on the cross, which in fact is the ultimate expression of the compassion of Jesus Christ, his willingness to go to the cross, because he was moved to compassion, to come on a rescue mission to save people who rebelled against him, to save them. To save you and me. Amazing.

I'm honored to be a messenger of compassion, because ultimately it was the compassion of the messengers who came to me, that won me over to the love of Jesus. To do that with my life is the dream I could hardly dare to dream. I can't deserve it, but I will receive it, and God willing I will be found faithful in this journey of service to our living savior. Amen.

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Monday, September 4, 2017

Sky walking Russian Kids and the Meaning of Life

Have you ever heard of those Russian kids who climb extremely high buildings and bridges, as well as equipment and videotape themselves at extreme heights? Google it. I've seen some of the videos, crazy stuff. Have a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loGM3VvpsOE

It's sort of an internet phenomenon. It's a bit dated now, but I came back to it recently out of pure curiousity These kids live in small towns in Russia, with nothing to do, I assume. So this is what they resort to... I can't help but wonder if lives like these are a result of a lack of understanding of purpose and meaning in life.

I'm sure its entertaining, a rush. I'm sure it's stimulating. They're looking for adventure, joy, and excitement in their lives. And they have none, so they turn to the very extreme of cheap thrills, risking life itself in defiance of all life's value.

I understand the appeal of that, though many reading may not. I understand putting it all on the line, and escaping death by a hair. As twisted as it sounds, it was appealing to throw in the face of life itself by risking it in utter foolishness. That is my spirit outside of Christ. My cause is nothingness without the Savior. My mission becomes death and darkness without Christ. So it is best to remain with Christ.

But I can relate to this desire, before and after conversion. I used to rock climb at night. I used to take a lot of risks. I still do take risks, but different risks. Risks are important in a meaningful life. But I used to take risks simply for the enjoyment of being risky. There is something liberating in denying the value of your own life, for some reason. Maybe it's the height of rebellion, though maybe, just maybe it boomerangs around to something more honest and profound: A declaration of the freedom of life in a world of rules, regulations, and subtle tyranny. Or maybe it's not so much a reaction against tyranny, but a reaction against the systematized way the modern world is, charts, graphs, roadways, businesses, all lined up just so, and requiring a conformity that is just so. And the human mind, made in the image of God, knowing it's made for liberty, and freedom, rejects this construct in it's various restricting forms.

The modern world starves us of legitimate spiritual expression. And it cuts us off from ourselves and from those around us, through screens and substances and prescriptions and to do lists. So perhaps the young break free by dangling from massive objects, skyscrapers over looking cities full of half asleep people who can't see God in the shadows.

I used to be the ultimate self destructive person. I took enjoyment in slowly destroying myself through drug use. I was lacking meaning in my life. I had been told in the higher education institutions that life had no meaning, that all truth was relative, that my truth was up to me, and no one has the truth because there is no truth. That led to despair, and meaninglessness. But the self destruction I lived out was a natural consequence of the post-modernist garbage I was fed.

I'm here to tell you now: Post-modernism is a lie and moral relativism is a lie.

It's garbage, total nonsense puked out by college professors who can't stand the idea of moral accountability. But there is meaning in life. And there is a real God out there who made this universe, and designed this structure of nature, space, oxygen, animals, plants and us. It's so painfully obvious now that I think about it. All this complexity, all this harmony, even with all the problems and evils of our world tell me that there is a God, but something went wrong in this universe. And what went wrong is you and me. We've fled from God and tried to remake the world in our own confused image. And it's led to meaninglessness and moral chaos. It's led to pain and confusion in our hearts and souls. We ache after something greater, our minds reach out for something beyond us, and when we realize one simple fact it all begins to make sense: We're the ones who are lost, confused, sad children who ran away from home and are now lost in the wilderness. And we can't see right. We don't understand. We're afraid and hostile like a caveman on the streets of modern day LA.

So if we can come to realize the reality of God, this is the key that opens the ancient doorway, on a new path, away from the ledge, away from the self destructive thrill seeking, away from chaos, and to a new road, a journey through a beautiful labyrinth that leads to a nazarene peasant, two thousands years ago, named Jesus Christ. Yes, it's true.

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Sunday, September 3, 2017

Reflection on the Journey of Life: A Mysterious and Beautiful Christianity

The simple act of going for a walk can be such an engaging experience. I need it after a long day. So many days are spent doing mindlessly repetitive tasks. t's like my mind unleashes during the long night walks. I wish I could do it more often. But winter is coming. And the nights will be cold.

It's beautiful out. Darkness is beautiful. The trees are beautiful. The moments are often quite beautiful. There is so much work to be done. And so few to do it.

Life is so mysterious. There are so many paradoxes. It's so easy to get sucked into the daily go, go, go. And there are so many screens. There are so many glowing screens that we all stare at. What I wonder is really going on here? How can I understand the world from my Christian worldview, through the Bible? How can I perceive the truth in a world full of screens?

What's really happening out there? Yes, out there, on the streets, in the world? What does everything really mean? I know what I've been told it all means. I was brought up into a naturalistic view of the world. Now I realize and understand that materialism is a veil, it's not the truth about life. Christianity is the truth about everything, I've come to believe. How does that impact literally everything? Because assuming it's true, it does affect literally everything.

I can't put it in any box. I can't get close enough to God. We act like we can see God in his fullness now. But we can't. Christ is given freely, the Spirit is given, but the fullness of the presence and dominion of God is shrouded. So we live indirectly in the presence of God now, with the promise of the completeness of His presence later. And a remade universe, a remade Earth. One thing is certain: More will be revealed.

It's a fight to remain in the truth. The world has many allurements. At times, especially when I feel frustrated or depressed, I can feel the call of it... The call to do what feels good in the moment. It's so powerful at times. The temptations are real.

The temptation hangs out there. And it's like I'm starving in the desert, sun scorched skin, and a mouth as dry as the Sahara desert. That temptation looks so sweet, like a jug of fine Swedish spring water. Or a decadent cupcake. Or a beautiful woman in her prime. It's insanely alluring. And I'm exhausted, physically, mentally, frustrated, half-awake, pessimistic, and I just want something, anything to feel good for just a moment. But that temptation is a lie. It is not water in the desert, it's poison in the desert. It's a spiked waterhole, it's salt water to hasten my demise.

I may find myself in the desert like Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. Let us not forget that it was the Spirit who led Jesus into the desert. It was a time of testing that would end with angels gathered around to tend to his wounds.

The temptation in the desert is offered as a permanent stay in the desert, disguised as a temporary escape.

Let's continue.

Rebuilding a broken empire (myself) is in fact quite difficult. But I have help. The struggles are very visceral and real. Life becomes very real on this journey. It's too real. The best way to describe it is that it's like the gnashing of teeth. It's like gritting my teeth, grinding them hard, when they shouldn't be grinding at all, just to get through everyday. Everyday... oi vey, full of awkward moments, difficult decisions, tense situations where I could just crawl out of my skin. It's very tough. Too many moments I feel filled with a sense of discouragement. Perhaps more so, a sense that things won't work out as I want them to. Which happens to be true, they won't work out how I want them to, they'll work out how God wants them to.

Yet a general sense of discomfort haunts me through life, a sense of unease. Discomfort with life I suppose is what it is, with how things go everyday, discomfort with society, media, and the crumbling culture around me.

Better strap on the armor of God, because it ain't gonna get any easier! The darkness descends. The dark rift. We live in a time in history when western man turns away from God. We live in a time of corruption, starvation, human trafficking, unborn child sacrifice, and utter confusion. Things seem to be falling apart don't they? But often in history, when things seem to be falling apart, they are actually coming together.

I sat in the home of a retired minister, asking her about her copy of the works of Josephus. She said that she doesn't envy the difficult times that are ahead for my generation. I thought for a few moments, and I said, "Well, maybe we're made for the times we're in."

I'm not the first to say that, but I think it remains true today. I find myself in times of discomfort, it's true, yet I also find myself in times of great encouragement. And I find myself caught on fire with the very Spirit of God. You see he has built me up, and made me new. The broken kingdom that was my soul is come back to life.

I've entered a new phase of my life now, and it's come with many changes, good and bad. But my faith has grown a great deal. I expect that God will get me through all that I encounter. And there is the feeling of being held up above the fray in many ways, in my soul and in my heart. God makes the impossible, possible. That's not a pithy idiom to me, but a fact of life. There is great depth to that statement that we can miss if we toss it aside too quickly as a cheesy remark.

Whatever your facing in your life, I'll hope you'll be encouraged in that God makes the impossible, possible. I hope you'll take time for quiet reflection in your own life, to walk the dark streets, or doing the day, and reflect on the glories of God's greatness in your life.

Think about the world, and think about what it means that God is behind everything. Think about how Christianity changes your view of the world. Because it does impact everything. It really does. I'm amazed at that simple fact.

His impact on us personally though, is perhaps more provocative than comprehending his evidences in the natural world. He has put to work a comprehensive process in my life which is quite startling. He has saved me, justified me by the blood of Jesus. That's the first big move. Second he gets me clean from all the drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, lustful thoughts, over-eating, and anxieties of the past. Next he puts me to work in the world, in a good job. Then he puts me into college, and brings me through with honors.

Then He brings a sacred realization, what we in the holiness movements call "second blessing." We realize as William Booth did: "God must have all there is of me." God must not have simply 80% or 92% or 99.4%, but 100% of who we are.

God then implores us to say "no" to sin.

God then implores us to say "yes" to holiness.

Next God called me to full time ministry. Called, and consecrated, meaning entirely given over to the calling He placed upon me.

What amazing transformations and challenges are ahead on this journey? I'm really excited to find out. Fundamentally though whatever happens, I'll never forget, God is good. He gives and He takes away, so blessed is His name.

People need Jesus, so I better tell them, if I'm not too much of a coward to do that. I'm so afraid. But I also believe. And I'm learning to be bold. But what about those others? The only thing worse than fear or cowardice would be to not even care about the lost souls out there... Don't be afraid to care. And don't be afraid to look like a fool.

I've seen broken souls transformed, like my own. In this short time, to watch so many people changed, to watch so many people grow, and to watch so many things changed based on prayers I've personally prayed, it says to me: Wow! This is astonishing, and I don't deserve it. So I better get to it.