How to feed your faith and defend it:

 

First of all, thank you to everyone who has already bought a copy and thank you to those who have shared my new book on your social media.  

Every age or generation presents challenges to our beliefs, but one common difficulty we all encounter is the rejection of absolutes that apply to everyone – everywhere.  People who do not agree with you spiritually speaking will simply say something like “that’s true for you, but not for me...” as if that settles the matter.   Is that statement valid, are there ways we can respond to this, and more important why does it even matter?  Top this off with the momentum that a rapidly advancing A.I. has generated and the challenges and opportunities from A.I., and this is where my book comes in.  I hope you’ll look it over on Amazon and consider how this book can help you clarify what you think you know about truth, absolutes, and the tools provided within in this book for defending your faith in the age of A.I. 

Click here to find my book on Amazon

Why do bad things happen…

 

Like a one-two knockout combo punch, recent events have floored me.  First, a hugely influential mentor I once depended heavily on for guidance left his family in disgrace, and secondly and even worse, a cherished friend who suffered years of estrangement from his children after his divorce just lost his 18 year old son in a tragic motorcycle accident.  I have plenty of tears, but I have no words.

Many years ago I suffered through deep perplexing questions I couldn’t answer.  That existential crisis led me to pursue my first graduate degree where I studied Christian Apologetics. Apologetics isn’t about saying you’re sorry, it’s from the Greek word “apologia” meaning “defence,” it’s the word we see in I Pet 3:15, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you...”

Yet, after years of listening to lectures, reading books, and writing papers, I still hadn’t found a satisfactory silver bullet to explain all the evil and suffering in the world.  I re-read the Book of Job sometime after graduation and though it offers no explanation, I thought to myself, its conclusion sufficed.    

I am still at a loss to explain away “why” bad things happen but I still see the value in my studies.  It was one of the best courses of action I took, Seminary was life changing, it opened my eyes and expanded my mind on so many levels and I am extremely grateful for the experience, but the fact that I can’t explain away the evil that pervades this world doesn’t disprove God’s existence or His love, instead it points out in my mind our limitations.  

Whether you subscribe to the idea it’s from our misuse of our free-will or that it is built into the fabric of the cosmos to teach some esoteric lesson, like C.S. Lewis thought with his “soul-building universe” where Lewis thought sufferings developed our character, we all demand answers.  In case you were wondering, “Theodicy” is the fancy theological word for the mental gymnastics we do to justify why God allows the worst to happen -- God doesn’t ask us to make excuses for Him, nor does He need us to.

It is humbling to admit we don’t know, we don’t have an answer, we can’t explain it away.  God has His reasons, and we simply can’t comprehend those reasons.  To say God is all-loving and all-powerful yet the world is filled with evil, suffering, and a lot of pain seems like a contradiction or the ultimate cliché.  Understandably so, many people walk away from the faith or flat out reject faith based on this problem.  

You might find this interesting though.  The brightest contemporary atheists who study philosophy and debate these abstract intellectual ideas have abandoned the argument of evil to support their views, giving up on that line they themselves have concluded that pointing out ultimate evil required admitting there was a standard for ultimate good.  

Once I proudly thought I could rationalize, explain, and then offer wise words to comfort or heal pretty much any situation.  No longer.  These days I find it’s better to listen than to try to talk.  Asking those devastated “How are you doing?” is, well, not always helpful -- obviously the folks who are suffering are in pain, so that nervously asked question is more for us than for them.  Maybe instead ask, “What can I do/how should I pray -- for you?” 

Should Christians carry firearms?

Created in God’s image, human life is necessarily precious. Death is irreversible — taking a life is a serious matter, under any circumstance. Should Christians carry firearms, owning guns not just for sport but for self-defense as well?

I asked a couple of friends in law enforcement about this topic. A former Kingsport police officer said, “In terms of gun ownership and use: There is no moral superiority to being a victim. Were we not called to protect the weak? If you believe so yet feel using firearms is immoral, what arbitrary standard are we using to determine what means are acceptable to use to defend the innocent? Certainly all reasonable means to avoid confrontation should be exercised; discretion is the better part of valor. But to suggest faith requires we not prepare to defend ourselves and others would be like not buying groceries to prove that God will provide (when he’s already provided you access to grocery stores and currency to make the purchase).”

A current Kingpsort policeman said, “Self-defense may actually be one of the greatest examples of human love. Jesus said, ‘Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:14). When protecting one’s family or neighbor, a Christian is risking his/her life for the sake of others. I think this applies to police and military as well. And when Jesus said, ‘And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.’ I think that can be applied today too. If Jesus was here today, he might say sell your watch and buy a gun. Also, I think Jesus’ command to ‘turn the other cheek’ has to do with our response to personal slights and offenses, not self-defense. Some situations may call for self-defense, but not retaliation.”

What about turning the other cheek? “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” Many assume turning the other cheek means never defending ourselves, remaining passive in the face of any threat — i.e., actions protecting ourselves resulting in their harm is sinful. Jesus actually teaches that turning for another slap requires them to slap you properly. They either backhanded your right cheek or slapped you with their left hand. Historically, their left hand was “unclean,” you weren’t allowed to touch people with your left hand back then; backhanding was undignified as well. Jesus is saying, “Treat me like an equal” during conflict.

If our premise is that the Bible forbids drastic defensive measures therefore I won’t shoot the bad guy, because if I kill him I will go to hell, we have placed more value on preserving our soul than protecting our family who God has entrusted to our care. Similarly, most people do not give a 10% tithe at church, but if you are willing to give 100% of what you have in your possession to a demanding thief, what does that tell us? Allowing evil people to harm you/your loved ones is not only cowardly, it is a poor stewardship plan.

Your family needs you. As a Christian, which is more responsible, protecting yourself and your loved ones or allowing wicked people to wreak havoc? How virtuous is it sparing a dangerous attacker from their own risked consequences in the face of an imminent threat?

Christianity is about love and peace or it’s nothing at all. We are to love as we have been loved, to forgive as we have been forgiven, we are called to imitate Jesus. Does this mean we allow evil people to rape our children or kill us — is it loving to idly stand by while thugs violently abuse our loved ones?

If you do not like guns, don’t own one, but let’s not twist the Scriptures to say that using guns for self-defense is sinful. It seems like a sick perversion of Scripture to teach that we should sit by idly watching harm befall our loved ones — it seems like your heart is more wicked than the rapist or the killer if you’re willing to sacrifice your family’s safety on the altar of self-righteousness.

I rarely leave our house unarmed, and I sleep with a .45 on my nightstand. Based on my understanding of the Bible I have concluded that carrying a firearm is actually virtuous and appropriate.

Christians do not carry guns to commit crimes or to promote violence, we carry our firearms to safely provide for and to protect those God has entrusted to our care.

Published originally in the Kingsport Times News:Click here to read original version

Are Christians blocking "church growth"

How do you feel about the lack of enthusiasm most people seem to display when it comes to church?  Many Christians lament the fact that, overall, North American church attendance has been steadily dwindling for years.  Some church-goers blame this decline on our decadent/depraved culture, others blame technology and our resulting lowered attention spans (read: church is boring), and others fall back on the Bible passage that says in the end-times, things will go from bad to worse.  

But, could we as believers be to the ones to blame for the universal lack of the church's growth? Perhaps where we've traditionally focused our attention has been detrimental to the Kingdom's growth.  So much of our "in-house" arguing/disagreements on the part of modern-day believers has relatively little to do with what Jesus taught about, or what lost people focus on.

Part of maturing spiritually is growing in the ability to reflect on our transformation and to see areas where we need to submit even more to the Spirit's leading.  It's my opinion that far too many of us waste time and energy on fruitless pursuits which will not win people to Christ, in fact I'd go as far as to say our corporate passions have pushed people away.

For starters, too many believers politicize church.  Regardless of your political affiliation, folks on both sides have merged politics and faith.  And, if you don't vote their way, you aren't voting for God's candidate.  An honest survey of the Bible will quickly reveal that there weren't many Godly leaders and most of the governments listed in the Bible were not led by believers.

How does our unhealthy obsession on politics damage our testimony?  Think about the strife & separation it's causing amongst believers, and then step back and think how outsiders view our insane divisiveness.   We have to stop allowing our political views from spilling over into our churches, and we need to quit this fantasy that we know is best for the world when it comes to the realm of government.  We can't even "govern" our congregations very well, how could we be so arrogant to think we can influence a less important organization like a temporary earthly government?   

The next area we might be faltering in is our immature attachment to church-property.  If you can’t imagine church without the church building, then we should stop and think.  If your faith, energy, and time are consumed by a church building and your rituals are constructed around programs, you might suffer from a case of religious pietism.

The question becomes then: Are you more in love with your religion than He Who reigns -- have you become more attached to the form of your religion than He Who forms us?

But, one might think, so much good happens within this structure.  Is it helpful, or is it a crutch we've become overly dependent on.  The age old church battle over change is a joke.  We argue over the color of the carpet while lost souls perish.  We’re acting like the staff on the sinking Titanic, rearranging the deck furniture while the lifeboats remained empty.  

If you can't imagine practicing the Christian faith apart from programs and parking lots or if the building dictates the majority of your decisions, there might be a problem.  I know these are unpopular opinions I'm sharing, but how much longer can we continue down this path before we realize what we are doing is counterproductive?  

But Craig, you are wrong! you may say. There are several churches with fabulous foyers and positive programs that are growing!  Actually, what we are doing in Christianity is shuffling the deck.  We've simply moved one herd from one location over into another pen, but the flock isn't expanding.  What's happening? People leave one church and go to another, without any net gain for the Kingdom.  Sure, maybe we are retaining Christians in the Kingdom, though that's doubtful, but are we reaching really lost people?  Nope, not really, not like we should be.  

What we win people with is what win them to.  In other words, what we try to attract people with is what they become.  If we win over their hearts with God's love and grace, then we help them to attach to Jesus.  If we win people over with programs, rituals, and stained glass, then we have lost our purpose and we have missed the mark because their loyalty will last only as long as the facade we've won them to does.

The church I read about in the New Testament never got involved in politics, they didn't own church buildings -- instead they focused on being disciples sharing the story of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus.  They were Spirit led people who believed the return of Christ was eminent.  And somehow, all of that was attractive to a debased culture that deified their Emperor.  

Are we reaping the fruits of an embittered and estranged culture?

I’m being vulnerable here -- I’m really struggling with our culture’s current milieu. Basically, lately, I’m feeling spiritually exhausted by our extremely divisive circumstances. I think our actions, attitudes, and what we are doing to ourselves collectively, is taking it’s toll on us.

We’ve entered an emotionally dark and cynical cycle. We are distancing ourselves from people we disagree with and we’re losing our ability to dialogue. It’s hard to find peaceful examples of people offering respect and tolerance to others who happen to think differently.

My observation is, we are hatefully funneling people into “silos” as we easily jettison them, casting them into opposing camps and applying derogatory categories to people with opposing ideologies. Just like strip-mining leaves a barren landscape in its wake, and just like harvesting grain leaves a field full of empty stalks, America is truly at risk of looking far different than any of us dreamed of or wished for because of our major disdain for people who aren’t “just like us.”

Lately, our polarized nation has been castigating and hurling insults across political party-lines and across our liberal-conservative spectrum. It seems like we can’t find any middle ground anywhere in our country, and everyone labels everyone else as a threat or an enemy.

This world is draining us of our compassion and joy whenever we find ourselves positioning people as winners and losers, or, when it comes down to an “us versus them” mentality. As good as many people are in the world around us, and with the many blessings we experience, there is still a great amount of evil and suffering we are exposed to, and sadly many Christians are adding to the vitriol too. Just check in on social media if you doubt that last sentence.

We cannot sustain this hatred and animosity forever; something has to give. What will give first? More than likely, our faith. Faith can survive persecution, pain, and destitute times. But faith can’t endure for long when it’s being poisoned or when it’s not being fed and nurtured. These are toxic times. We are in a spiritual famine.

Our capacity for faith is like a sieve, therefore, our faith “reservoir” needs to be replenished often. For example, simply participating in a worship service or two every year (like only going to church at Christmas & Easter) isn’t sufficient for sustaining spiritual growth. We need to pray consistently, sing often, share in the Table together as we take the bread and the cup continually, etc.

The difficulty is, anything we do repetitively/habitually has the danger of becoming a mindless act and we tend to go into autopilot mode. Or worse, mandating that people attend services every time the doors are open, becomes deadly and legalistic. Yet, the repetition of all things spiritual is what we need most when the world changes all around us, albeit with balance.

Here’s where it gets difficult, because we have a situation of sorts that supersedes all of the anger and slander our culture is propagating. We, as believers, seem to have grown apathetic and we need to grow spiritually, particularly if we are going to be a beacon of hope to a lost world. So, it looks like we need more maturity. How do we do this? How do we develop further as followers of Christ?

We need to be challenged. But we resent being told what to do, and we resist being challenged.

The Church is a multifaceted, supernatural miracle, it is God’s chosen people, His bride, His redeemed flock. God gives us the church to shape us, encourage us, bless us, and also to stretch us, to wake us up, to help us see the eternal. Sadly, what happens when a church begins to challenge us to see the world through a different lens, we balk and get offended and we, like an ill mannered rebellious child, we pout. Therefore, the very avenue or channel that helps us grow in our time of need is shunned.

Here’s where we in the church kind of fumble things. We don’t have a great track record at motivating people gracefully; we tend to shoot our wounded. Part of the problem is, many churches forget that contending for the faith doesn’t mean being contentious. We don’t need to be mean, combative, negative, or sour to get our message across. You know, we don’t have to be hateful to spread the message of love.

These truly are desperate times. You might be thinking therefore, maybe we need to be more aggressive, and if we offend someone, well then, the ends justify the means. After all, didn’t Jesus offend people? And, isn’t it true, there’s no sugarcoating some truths, and handholding only goes so far. My dear friend Bruce once shared a quote with me which I’d like to pass on to you, “Jesus offended the mind, in order to reveal the heart.”

Jesus wasn’t cavalier when dealing with with people’s hearts, and carrying a Bible doesn’t give us licence to run roughshod over the people we disagree with. Jesus was known to embrace the whores and thugs while simultaneously chastising the religious crowds filled with self-righteous people who thought they knew their Bibles. Which brings me to my point, let’s not ever hammer people with our Bibles. Consider John 5:39-40, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." If the doctrine you follow isn’t life-giving, or if your Biblical stance doesn’t elevate love and help draw people to Jesus, you need to rethink your theology.

May we hold to the integrity of the Scriptures, while humbly approaching people we aren’t aligned with, with the goal of unity, peace, and love for everyone. Go out of your way to let the Bible shape you and let God’s Holy Spirit guide you as you let down your guard and let other people into your circle.

Is the movie Silence significant?

Many Christians will hesitate to see the movie "Silence" because they distrust Scorsese after his movie, "The last temptation of Christ." I chose to ignore those types of concerns.  In fact, earlier today, my wife & I watched Martin Scorsese's "Silence."

Silence was heavy.  It's not a warm-fuzzy, feel-good movie by any stretch.  It covers you like one of those protective lead-aprons radiologists have you wear during an X-ray, and it can be just as uncomfortable too.  Still, I highly recommend watching the film.

There are several reasons why people of faith should see this film, if not simply to be relevant in talking about our faith with people who remain distant.  Silence holds great value, there are deep truths enshrouded within this movie, real lessons for people of faith, if they will watch it.

This movie exemplifies the power of community, comradeship, and the necessity of partnering with other people whenever we want to accomplish anything good or worthwhile. Early in the plot, the two 17th century priests who will eventually travel to Japan in search of their favored teacher, leave as "an army of two."   It's a powerful metaphor, and a lesson we've seemingly forgotten in our modern-day quest for independence.

This movie is based in the challenges of taking risks, along with the power of relationships.  For example, the initial underlying desire for the two young priests to travel to a dangerous land where Christians are being tortured and martyred, is driven by their ferocious loyalty to their mentor who has been missing and hasn't been heard from in years.  Then there are the Japanese villagers who place their lives in jeopardy sheltering these two priests, which fuels the tension in the plot even further.

The combination of real risks, overwhelming fear, and the concern for the well-being of others is the trifold-thread that holds the tapestry of Silence together.  Without these factors, there is no story here, and this tension seems like a true reflection of real life.

And this is where the questions enter in, as you watch the movie.

The biggest question the story raises isn't necessarily, "why is God silent in our sufferings," even though that's the meaning behind the title, and the story-arc depends on that question.  God does seem silent during horrific situations and that can rattle the faith of the strongest, there is no doubt about that.  The question that's larger in this story, and in real life, seems to be, is redemption possible.  Can even the apostate (one who turns away from the faith) find hope.  Can we be forgiven?  Can we be pleasing to God and others when we fail?

This story will also cause you to question what true devotion consists of.  It will cause you to be more cautious in the burdens and expectations you place on others.  You'll see the limitations of religion in changing people's hearts.  You will ask yourself, what have I done in my life for the Gospel, what am I doing for the Gospel now, what will I do for the Gospel?

You'll also question what happens when we spread the Gospel cross-culturally and you'll grapple with relativism along the way.  Does missionary work help or hurt people?  What happens when we place to much hope in religious leaders?  What is the church?

You'll walk away from the experience of this film, realizing the difference between what true persecution looks like, compared to culturally biased view that North Americans have when they feel their rights are being threatened and they think that's what persecution is.    

You'll also face the question of why is Christianity deemed so threatening and apparently dangerous to certain people -- until we can answer that question and alleviate those concerns in others, we will remain less effective than the Silence we are all so worried about.


 

  

Confident people are less.... judgemental

Recently my wife and I went out for lunch, it was right after church and when we pulled in the restaurant parking lot, it was starting to fill up.  I dropped my wife off at the door to get in line to find a table for us.  It took a while for me to find a parking spot since the lunch rush was just about to explode, and all I could think of as I parked was how long it would take for us to be seated.

As I walked to the front door of the restaurant, I saw an elderly couple approaching too.  I hurried ahead of them and opened the door for them.  Even though I wanted to join my lovely wife as soon as possible, immediately I saw another couple walking up, so I held the door open for them.  Then a young family was walking to the door too, so I held the door open for them too.

I’m not bragging about being polite.  Trust me, normally I would hold the door open for an elderly couple anyday but then I would follow and simply walk on in.  I certainly didn’t plan to hold the door for that many people.  But it struck me as I held the door -- it’s easier to hold the door open for others when you know your seat is being secured.  Maybe that’s why Jesus tells us in John 14 He’s going to prepare a place for us, maybe it’s to help us feel secure, even confident.  

I don’t believe in the doctrine of “Once saved, always saved,” but here’s the spiritual overlap to holding the door open during the lunch rush -- when people are confident in their relationship with God, I think they feel less threatened by other people.  Whether it’s by new ideas or by doctrines they don’t agree with, when you are confidently close to God, you stop seeing other people as your competition.  And, overall, confident people are less judgmental.  When we trust God loves us and has forgiven us, we are free from the mental trap that God will accept me as long as I’m better than others or when I have a better understanding of the Bible than “they” do.  

There’s a problem with thinking your church/denomination is the only group of Christians going to heaven -- none of us are perfect in our knowledge or how we practice our faith.  Of course there are cults and yes there are groups who claim to know God, but really don’t.  Even so, with the imposters and the false teachers out there, this doesn't’ mean there’s no one else on the right path besides your tribe.

Even Jesus’ closest disciples seemed to wrestle with this.  I don’t know if they were overzealous, or if they were insecure.  But one thing is certain, even though they didn’t want other people to make claims on Jesus that they thought were theirs exclusively, Jesus didn’t agree with their position,  “38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.””  (Mk 9:38-41)

It’s one thing to be blessed, it’s quite another to be blessed and to know it.  Those who are blessed but ignore the fact they are blessed are usually thought of as being snobbish or as whiners.  A lifetime of reading has filled my head with priceless treasures; having a great wife to share life with has filled my heart with immeasurable joy; serving a God who has set my heart on fire has brought me endless gratitude.  The more blessed I feel, the less worried I am.  And, the more blessed I am, the easier it is to smile when I see other people walking through open doors or pearly gates.