I struggle with depression...

A New Yorker was down in Texas on business. He rented a car and was out in the country. There was a collision between a farmer in a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer. The trailer was overturned and the New Yorker was thrown out beside the road.

Several months later he tried to collect damages for his injuries. And the lawyers from the insurance company protested and said, “But we have the police report and you said at the scene of the accident that you didn’t have any injuries.”

He said, “Let me explain. There was the collision. I’m laying there on the side of the road and shortly a Texas Ranger shows up. He walks over to the farmer who is kneeling by his wounded horse. The farmer says, ‘It’s hopeless. His leg is broke.’ The ranger pulls out his pistol and shoots the horse. Then he walks over to me and says, ‘Are you okay?’”

Well a lot of us feel like that guy. When it comes to talking about sickness and our injuries and our illnesses and healing, we don’t exactly know how to articulate what we believe.

Let me begin by saying this: I struggle with depression. That little sentence is hard for me to write. It’s hard for me to write and admit on many levels. I am a guy. I am supposed to have it all together. I’m supposed to not let things get to me. I’m a pastor. I am the answer guy. I am the guy that people come to when they are depressed and are asking for help.

I am not supposed to be dealing with this. But I am. I have been for many years. And only a couple years ago did I actually sit down with my doctor to talk about it. She ended up prescribing a low dose anti-depressant for me that I take every day.

It has certainly helped but it still hasn’t taken it all away. There are days (and sometimes weeks) that are very hard for me. Now listen, I have become a master at putting on a good face. I know how to do image management.

But when I am alone in my thoughts or in quietness for too long, I am all too aware of wanting to sink low. Why is that? Why have I battled this for so long?

Shouldn’t I be above such struggles? Is my faith not where it should be? Is there some secret sin in my life that is unconfessed? Am I a hypocrite?

I preached a sermon series on healing a couple years ago because of this struggle in my life. I believe that God always answers the request for healing, but sometimes the answer is no. I also believe that God uses the skilled knowledge of doctors and medicines to heal as well.

So a couple of thoughts on depression that I have come to terms with:

1.     Dealing with depression does not mean that you have a weak faith or hidden sin. Of course, those things may be true but you cannot make that conclusion based on the fact that someone has depression. Christians of all theological backgrounds and different faith levels still get sick or struggle with depression. And most Christians die of disease. Most Christians do not live to a ripe old age of 100 and die peacefully in their sleep. Most Christians I have known in my life died of disease. This was true in New Testament times. And the early church never rebuked the sick for their failure to name and claim their healing. There are sick saints all throughout the New Testament.

In Philippians 2, Paul mentions Epaphroditus. He was so sick Paul thought he was going to die. No doubt that Paul had prayed for him several times. In 2 Timothy 4 Paul writes that he had to leave Trophimus on the island of Miletus. That’s interesting because Paul is very lonely at the end of 2 Timothy 4 and he’s begging Timothy to come quickly. Paul wanted company but one of his dearest coworkers he had to leave on an island because he was too sick to travel. Timothy is told in 1 Timothy 5 to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake and for your frequent illnesses.  

And even Paul said in Galatians 4:13, “As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.” (NIV) This is very interesting to me that so many of Paul’s coworkers dealt with sickness especially when you read Acts and you know that Paul had a healing gift. Just because someone has depression does not mean that they have a weak faith. 

2.     Don’t miss out on the lessons. There is much evil in this world. Often God blesses his children not with the absence of trials but with the presence of more grace. I am not prepared to say, like some, that God always wills or predetermines our sicknesses. I think most of our illnesses are just the fallout of a marred creation. But I am quite prepared to say that God can accomplish his will in spite of and even through the random evils we encounter. 

The way he does that is by granting us spiritual strength in the midst of temporal weakness. So for example, Paul says of his thorn in his side, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:8-9, NIV) 

I have learned to look for the lessons in this struggle with depression. God hasn’t taken it away from me (not for lack of prayer on my part) but I do want to be able to see what it is He still wants me to see. I know that in my struggle He is made strong in my weakness. So I trust. 

Let me ask you a question, is it possible sometimes that we want healing more than we want God? That’s something I really asked myself. Remember when Satan came to God regarding Job? Satan said that all Job cared about are the handouts. God said, “Not Job. Job will love me even if he is not healthy. Go ahead and touch his body because Job will still look to me.” God knew Job wanted the Lord more than he wanted healing. 

Deliverance is a wonderful and gracious gift of God but so is perseverance. The ability to persevere on a strength greater than you have yourself is a wonderful gift of God. So sometimes healing does not come so that you can get something better. That’s what I am trusting in. 

Sometimes it is our hope that most gathers the attention of the world. What did Peter say? He said we better be ready to give an answer for the hope that we hold dear. 

We have a God sovereign and gracious who will give us whatever we need in the moment to be able to keep holding on no matter what we are facing. I need to remember that. He’s already proved enough. So I will give Him glory in the light or in the dark! No matter what, He will be glorified!

 

 

 

 

So what exactly is the Pastor's job?

I passed by this church sign in Des Moines today. For some strange reason, I pay close attention to the messages I see on church signs. This one struck a nerve with me.

I understand the intent of the message of this sign, at least I think I do. But I think there is a problem. The problem is NOT pastors telling people WHO to vote for. The problem is pastors never speaking about voting in the first place.

Our beautiful America has been so richly and abundantly blessed by our great God. But the silence of our pulpits has led to the innocent being slaughtered in an almost 40 year holocaust that has seen nearly 55 million little boys and girls brutally done to death.

 The silence of our pulpits have led to families being fractured and marriages broken while self-obsessed people pursue the immediate gratification of their every desire. It has led to militant homosexuals pursuing absolute approval and the redefinition of marriage. It has led to the nation’s leaders wallowing in decadence and deceit while the people look on in apathetic indifference.  

We tell pastors to not talk about politics from the pulpit while the killing goes on and the nation is led down the path of destruction and the church and her leaders stand silent and afraid.

 

This country that we love, our America, is fighting for her life. Not against the military power of a foreign enemy but against the principalities and powers of this dark age. You and I as sons and daughters of the Lord Jesus Christ are being called upon to take a stand in this moment of crisis.

 And let there be no one among us who doubts the urgency of this hour. To compare what is happening in America today to Nazi Germany is no mere flight of rhetorical exaggeration. This nation is heedlessly stumbling toward third millennium darkness.

Look around you. Chaos, corruption and confusion reign throughout our culture. We live in a society where passions are riderless horses…uncontrolled and unbridled. There is a desolation of decency in which love has become a jungle emotion. Men and women in the modern age are no more enlightened in this sex saturated society than a fly feasting on canine feces in the sun.

 

And all the while, we want to make sure that the pastor dare not breach certain "political" topics for fear of offending some. Oh, where were these souls to give counsel to John the Baptist as he called out Herod for his sin? If only there had been some modern American wisdom to be bestowed upon the Apostle Paul before he spoke to the rulers of his day!

 

The problem is not the pastor telling his people WHO to vote for, friends. The problem is the pastor not preaching the whole counsel of God's Word on every living topic we face! We need to have America's pulpits thunder again with the TRUTH of God's Word. (That would make for an interesting sign message!)

 

 

 

I've been Gronstalled...

Today, while I was at the Capitol, lobbying our State Senators and Representatives concerning important bills before them, I had an interesting interaction with a well-known Iowa Senator. One of the bills that has passed the House of Representatives and is now in committee in the Senate is HF573. It is a bill that would require a young woman who is seeking an abortion to have a sonogram prior to having the abortion.

The reason this bill is so important is because statistics have shown that a woman who sees the image of her baby on sonogram is significantly less likely to go through with an abortion than one who does not. Also, it gives the mother more information when making such a heavy decision. Who wouldn’t want all the facts when having a medical procedure?

This bill was sent to what has been dubbed a “graveyard committee.” So in essence it is sent there to die and never see the light of day again (a phrase that was used with me concerning this). So the two committee heads that are holding this bill hostage in committee until it dies (this Friday) are Bill Dotzler (D) from Iowa Senate District 31 and Joe Bolkcom (D) from Iowa Senate District 43.

I had sent slips for both men and was waiting for them at the door to the Senate Chamber when none other than Senator Mike Gronstal (D) from Iowa Senate District 8 walked right by me. I stuck out my hand and said very cordially, “Mr. Gronstal.”

He stopped and shook my hand. I told him that I appreciated his hard work and service to the state (merely out of respect). Then I said, “I would like to encourage you concerning HF573, the ultrasound bill, to allow that to come out of committee and to the floor for debate and a vote.”

Something in Mr. Gronstal’s demeanor changed. He instantly scowled at me and pointed his finger right at my chest and said, “Do you know what you want? You want to rape a woman twice! That’s what you want. That bill means that a woman who is raped would have to undergo a trans-vaginal ultrasound and be raped all over again. That’s what you want!”

I was taken about by his tone and his demeanor because I had only been respectful and cordial with him. I responded, “No. That is not what I want. I do not think that is a fair characterization of the bill, sir.” And he simply said, “That bill will never see the light of day!” To which he abruptly turned and marched up the steps into the Senate Chamber.

I have heard all these stories from individuals about Mike Gronstal and how horrible he is. Honestly, he is a very small man. Not only in stature but in effect as well. Gronstal runs his little empire at the Senate and makes sure that no bills, like the ultrasound bill will be allowed to survive for a vote. But one day, his reign will end.

Twenty years from now, Gronstal as a Senator will be the faintest of memories to many in Iowa. But if he does not change his course, I am afraid for this man’s soul. He does not know the Lord. He will be held accountable for all the spilled innocent blood that occurred at his leading. My prayer is that one day, before he breathes his last, that he will repent and come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Because he will know Jesus as Lord. It is just important for him to make that discovery before he dies.
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For clarification, Mike Gronstal is dead wrong on what he said. There is no language in the bill that says anything about a trans-vaginal ultrasound.

What does it take to grow a church?

The following account is purely fictional and is intended to be taken as satire with a point...

There once was a young Bible College graduate. He wanted to know how to grow a church and what was the best method to employ. So he sought out all the nation’s biggest churches and pastors to ask them this question: What should I do to grow my church?

Rick Warren said, “Start with the unbelieving people in your community and ask them what they would want to do at church if they were to come.”

Craig Groeschel said, “Make the trendiest, hippest videos you can that will reach the lost in the most relevant way.”

Perry Noble said, “Have your worship band play AC/DC’s Highway to Hell on Easter Sunday and you’re sure to draw a big crowd!”

Andy Stanley said, “Don’t get focused on teaching doctrine, just teach Jesus. And you will grow your church.”

Joe Osteen said, “If you think it can happen, it will happen. You can do this! You have the power within your own mind to accomplish it!”

Francis Chan said, “Forget about growing your church! Have some homeless people move in with you and love them!”

Bill Hybels said, “I am sorry about the way I used to grow my church. I want to really learn to do it differently now.”

Finally, after hearing so many different and conflicting views, he asked his home church pastor of a small congregation of under 200. Here is what his wise old pastor said, “Son, you grow in your own fear and wisdom in the Lord. Teach whoever will listen to you to love God and His Word and to look to His Word for all the questions in their life. You help them understand His Word. You do that, and after a lifetime, God will grow everything the way it needs to be grown.”

Why I no longer support the Pro Life movement...

Tomorrow, January 22, 2015 marks the 42^nd anniversary of United States Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. I was just a little over two years old when that decision came down so I am glad that I was born before this Herodian ruling came into being. After January 22, 1973 the lives of young children in the womb were very much in jeopardy.

For the past 42 years the Pro Life movement in America has championed the cause of the unborn. I was happy and proud to consider myself a part of that movement. I believed compromise and incremental approaches to winning at the Pro Life movement were the way to see ultimate victory in ending abortion in America.

That is, until I began to think through my position and seriously question the tactics of the Pro Life movement. You see, we have had 42 years of unfettered access to abortion on demand. 42 years of the Pro Life movement telling us that we have to be patient and take what we can when we can.

So, when we were able to see a partial-birth abortion ban passed in Congress in 2003 (only 30 years after abortion was made legal) this was hailed as a major victory for “the cause.” But I began to think about that. So, killing a child out of the womb is bad…but it isn’t as bad if it is still in the womb?

The Pro Life supporters would say, “Even if one life is saved, it is worth it.” That sounds so noble and altruistic. But the problem is how can we say ANY child should not be saved? I found myself beginning to reject the idea that incrementalism and compromise were the proper approach. Now that we’ve had 42 years of that approach and philosophy leading the charge, we can truly measure the results.

It has done nothing to stem the tide of the slaughter of innocents. It has merely equipped and empowered those who want abortion on demand to continue and it has gravely softened our position and resolve.



I now consider myself a supporter of the Personhood movement. What the Personhood movement is attempting to do is to frame the debate of life without compromising the life of any child. If a baby in the womb is indeed a person, then that person is afforded all the protection of the laws of our land.



Justice Potter Stewart

Justice Potter Stewart (one of the ruling Justices on Roe v Wade) said during arguments for Roe v Wade, “The basic constitutional question, initially is, whether or not the unborn fetus is a person, isn’t it? That’s critical to this case is it not?” He continued to say, “If it were established that an unborn fetus is a person within the protections of the 14^th amendment, you would have almost an impossible case here, would you not?”

Since I have embraced the idea that an unborn child is indeed a person, what I have found is criticism and harsh treatment from the unlikeliest of sources…those in the Pro Life movement. Because they reject this uncompromising position, what usually results is ad hominem and invective being injected into any discussion on the topic.

I feel their arguments for compromise and incrementalism are no different than those who would argue against abstinence. The line of reasoning goes, “Teens are going to have sex anyway, so let’s make sure they are safe…and maybe we’ll cut down the numbers of teen pregnancies in the process.” But the fact is, abstinence, when practiced has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing pregnancy.

I can no longer stomach the incrementalist’s idea of compromising and saving “some” lives over others. For me, this is an all-out, no compromise issue. No child deserves death for any reason. And the moment we justify one child dying, we have lost a 42 year battle.

If you want to know more about Personhood in the state of Iowa, follow this LINK:

http://personhoodiowa.com/

Tough Questions

At our church’s most recent elders meeting we discussed vision and leadership. I had brought out some old material I had from a lecture from current President of Lincoln Christian University, Don Green. We had a brutally honest conversation about where we are as a church and where we need to be.

I believe those kinds of conversations are critical as you strive to honor God in your service to Him in a leadership position. According to a study a few years back 27% of Christian Churches/Churches of Christ are growing while 73% are either static or declining. Declining churches tend to be more maintenance-minded while growing churches tend to be more mission-minded.

So we examined whether or not we are more mission or maintenance-minded by discussing these questions. I would encourage you to do the same with your leadership team.

·       Is your church maintaining a tradition or fulfilling a mission?

·       Is it more inward-focused (serving ourselves) or outward-focused (serving others)?

·       Are its paradigms (ways of viewing and doing things) oriented to the past or to the future?

·       Is it more concerned with being efficient (doing things right) or being effective (doing the right things)?

·       Is it preoccupied with programs or people?

·       Is it a Sunday church or a seven-days-a-week church?

·       Is it more concerned with making decisions or making disciples?

·       Is it more committed to satisfying the saved or to seeking the lost?

·       Is it becoming older and smaller or younger and larger?

As we assessed our situation we realized that we currently lean a little heavier on the maintenance side than we do the mission side. So we began discussing how to correct that. What steps do we need to take?

Let me first say this, our leadership must have absolute, unwavering integrity. We must be aligned in what we are and what we believe and what we do. We need to clearly understand our mission as a church. Our purpose is not merely to meet on Sundays. It is much more serious than that. We are tasked by God Himself to proclaim His truth in and out of season and to help rescue sinners from perishing.

An old adage comes to mind when I consider this: Methods are many, principles are few. Methods always change but principles never do. Our message can never change but the way in which it is proclaimed can definitely have room for improvement. We want to reach young families with the Gospel. It is our heart and soul. Everything we do this new year will be directed toward meeting that end.

Meeting With Governor Jindahl

On Tuesday evening, January 6^th I sat in a conference room with approximately 100 other faith leaders, mainly pastors, to listen to Governor Bobby Jindal speak. He came at the invitation of Brad Sherman, a pastor from Iowa City who coordinated this event with David Lane’s American Renewal Project. This was an invitation-only event and the press were definitely not on the invite list.

Governor Jindal shared about his upbringing and how he was led to faith in Christ through a friend that had given him a copy of the Bible. At first, the gift seemed odd to this young Hindu-raised man, but after the death of his grandfather, Jindal turned to that Bible in seeking out answers about what happens after we die.

The answers did not come quickly for Jindal. He started reading the Bible from Genesis and found many stories captivating and some of it difficult to understand. It wasn’t until he met a young woman he was interested in, that he started attending campus ministry meetings at LSU. That is where his faith in Christ and his understanding of God’s Word truly ignited.

Jindal shared that he believes that the greatest need in America currently is the need for spiritual revival. He is hosting an event called The Response on January 24, 2015 in Baton Rouge, LA. This event is a call to repentance, prayer and fasting. Governor Rick Perry of Texas did this same type of event in 2011.

David Lane, with the American Renewal Project, is hoping to replicate this prayer event in all of the key states in the political process. Governor Jindal quoted Winston Churchill when speaking about this event and said, “’You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they've exhausted every alternative,’ “That's where we are as a country," he continued, "We have tried everything and now it is time to turn back to God."

I found Governor Jindal to be a sincere breath of fresh air. With temps hitting negative zero outside, it truly warmed my heart to hear this Governor from Louisiana speaking about his relationship with Jesus Christ. He wasn’t pandering either.

I know this because I met him once before. Earlier in December I was part of a delegation that flew down to Baton Rouge to the Governor’s Mansion to meet and discuss the upcoming event The Response. Our goal was to also begin working to have the event in our home state of Iowa.

At this event, I heard Governor Jindal share his same story about coming to a personal faith in Jesus Christ. But what impressed me the most was not so much his story, but afterwards during a time of prayer. All the ministers gathered around him and prayed over him and for him. That was a powerful moment, honestly.

But then Governor Jindal prayed as well. His words were not the carefully scripted words of a political pundit. His words in his prayer were words that came from a long-standing intimacy with his Savior. Jindal doesn’t just say the right things in the right setting. He knows Jesus and it is obvious in his prayer language.

I don’t know what the future holds as all the candidates for 2016 begin to line up and whisper sweet nothings in our ears here in Iowa. But I do know that the Governor of Louisiana is a brother in Christ. He is a true Christian statesman.

There are others as well. And it may be a difficult task ahead for us. I think that Jindal and Huckabee and Cruz and Santorum are some of the strongest champions we have currently. It will be very interesting to see how it all unfolds. But to my brothers in ministry, I would challenge you to hold these candidates’ feet to the fire and vet them through and through. That is our responsibility as leaders in this state!

Why I don't drink

With New Year’s Celebrations looming and alcohol consumption rising I thought I would share with you six reasons why I don’t drink alcohol.

We can all agree that the Bible speaks against getting drunk (Ephesians 5:18) but I believe abstaining from consuming alcohol is a matter of wisdom. Here are my six reasons:

1.      It doesn’t take much alcohol to become intoxicated.

For many people all it takes is a very small amount and they are intoxicated. That’s why trying to define what “getting drunk” really is can be very difficult. Just a small amount can dramatically impair physical and mental abilities of certain individuals. That can also be easily manipulated by how much/little an individual has had to eat. So I just don't drink.

2.      There are plenty of other choices.

Some justify drinking by saying, “Well Jesus and the disciples drank wine. And Jesus turned water into wine.” This view needs to consider that the choices for drink in the first century were very limited. Sometimes the choice was only between rancid water or wine. In our day there are numerous viable, less-dangerous choices at our discretion.

3.      Alcoholic beverages are not necessary for medicinal purposes anymore.

In the first century and earlier alcoholic beverages were used to help individuals for many ailments. But in our time there are many available medicines that can help with precision any ailment. So the idea that I must drink alcohol to help me medicinally is just not that strong of an argument.

4.      Alcoholic beverages are addictive.

Many studies have shown the addictive nature of alcoholic beverages. I know my own personal propensity toward addiction and I most certainly don't need to tempt this arena in my life.

5.      I don’t want to set a bad example.

What I choose to do in moderation my children or others might do in excess. Even though this is a danger with any behavior, given the destructive nature of alcohol consumption I choose to not partake.

6.      It hinders your witness.

As I already stated in setting a bad example, I must be cognizant of the witness I am portraying to others. In all honesty, if people in the community or the church that I served saw me and my wife sitting at a bar drinking, it would have a very bad effect on the lives of others.

Not drinking alcohol is a wise choice. I am not saying that one should never drink alcohol…but I am dictating why my wife and I choose not to drink. We do not want our mental faculties to be impaired at any level. We always want the freedom to make sober judgment.

As an anecdote, almost every horrible ministry situation I have been involved with where there were broken relationships or a fractured family…without exception, alcohol was involved in the process somewhere along the way.

The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “Everything is permissible for me"-but not everything is beneficial.” Can a Christian drink? Sure. Is it beneficial to do so? My conclusion is that it is not. Paul also tells us, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Maybe this New Year ahead might be a great time for you to choose the wise path and to not drink alcohol anymore.

What's going on with our Bible Colleges?

I’m not a mega-church pastor. So take what I say with a grain of salt. I don’t speak to tens of thousands each weekend. I speak to a faithful flock of under 200. I have stood in the same pulpit for over 800 Sundays. In that time frame I have come to some conclusions that I know are echoed by some of my other colleagues in ministry as well. 

It seems that our Bible Colleges have lost touch with churches like mine. You see our basic problem is we are a church of under 200. That’s it in a nutshell. We don’t have much to offer apparently. 

We don’t have a phone book full of ministry options for people. We don’t have staff that equal the size of our church. We don’t have a worship band that cranks out CD’s that we sell in our in-house bookstore.

You see, we are who we are. And the dirty little secret is, we like it that way. But as far as our Bible Colleges go, it would seem, we are definitely the type of church to avoid. In fact, as horrible as this sounds, we have become very comfortable in our own skin. You see, we don’t want to be a church led by Rick Warren or Craig Groeschel. We just want to be who we are…warts and all.

Now every Bible College President would probably put his hand on my shoulder and let me know how off-base I am. He would assure me that my assessment is not an accurate reflection of what is happening in our colleges in relationship to the church. But I can’t shake what I am seeing and hearing.

It would seem that many of our colleges are more concerned with being in step with the progressive tendencies of our culture that they have little time to properly focus on the fact that the majority of our churches in America are just like mine…under 200 in attendance. It is almost as if you would think the message being received by students in our colleges these days is if a church is under 200 the only thing it is good for is to help you get to a bigger and better church.

Which is another issue I have noticed over the years, there is an entitlement mentality amongst our Bible College graduates that runs counter to the servant spirit required to do practical ministry. Many of the young people entering ministry are more focused on what the church can do for them than what they can do for the church.

There are so many young people graduating with a fractured focus of ministry (youth, small group coordinator, children’s, worship, etc…) that they have adopted a “that’s not my job” mentality and heart. Sometimes a clogged toilet just needs to be unclogged. It could care less about your degree focus.

I have a friend who served an area church in Iowa that decided for budgetary concerns and a growing need with their young families that their current youth minister would need to focus on children’s ministry as well as youth ministry. Which translated practically into him overseeing the Jr. Church program and making sure that children’s Sunday School classes were properly facilitated and had good curriculum. This young man quit his job in protest rather than help pick up slack in a needed area of ministry.

I have had similar experiences as well. We have had young men serve as youth minister with this very same “what’s in it for me?” mentality. And the church is no better off.

Increasingly this is the product that is being turned out of our Bible Colleges. I understand much of what I have said is anecdotal but my experience keeps being echoed in my ears from so many of my colleagues. There is a problem. And there is a disconnect in what is needed in our churches and what our Bible Colleges are producing in leadership for the church.

Many of our Bible College graduates do not ask of a church: Here are my gifts, can you use them? But they ask: Here are my needs, can you meet them?

As I said, I am not a mega-church pastor, so I certainly am not hip, but I have learned this in my time in ministry: If you’re too big to clean a toilet then you’re too little to do anything else.

Some of us need to repent of thinking too highly of ourselves. If you’re too big to do something small then you are too small to do something big. In fact, the smaller you are, the more room you leave for God. But I don’t know if that can be found in any of our Bible Colleges’ current text books.

It’s over…don’t try to contact me again…

I just can’t take it anymore. The way you tell me over and over the things I want to hear. You try to sweet talk me with all your talk about God and family…but I know the truth. You don’t care about God! You use Him! Just like you use me. You only seem to care about me when you’re interested in the one thing you always seem to be interested in. I am not something just to be lied to so you can get what you want out of me. I cannot take the abuse anymore. I have reached my breaking point. So I am letting you know once and for all that it’s over between me and you. I’m leaving you forever Republican Party! 

I can’t believe the freedom I feel in saying that, honestly! I have convinced myself for so long that you really do care about God and truth and life and marriage. But it was all a lie. You don’t care about any of that! We have had no significant change in things except you have aided in the death of more babies and now marriage is crumbling all across America. 

All the Republican Party has ever wanted from me is my vote. They want me to just shut up about God and life and marriage and just cast my vote for team “R” but I can’t do it anymore. In fact, the last time I voted for team “R” I felt like I needed to take a shower afterwards because I felt dirty for doing it. I just can’t do it anymore.

I am finally taking control. I am no longer listening to the lies. I am empowering myself to walk away from the Republican Party. I am only going to be concerned with doing what is right before God…and the only time I will ever vote for another Republican will be when that person can unequivocally prove that they are going to be a servant of the Most High first and a true statesmen second.

By the way, I tried. I tried for a long time to make things work. But your disdain for all that I care about made our relationship impossible to maintain. How can two people stay together who are headed in different directions? The Republican Party I first fell in love with used to care about all the things I continue to care about (life and marriage and religious liberty) but now all that the Republican Party cares about is making sure that they are not much different from the Democrat Party. And they have done a wonderful job at that!

Now it really is hard to tell the difference between a Republican and a Democrat anymore. Most of the “electable” Republicans love the murder of babies and destroying marriage as much as the most ardent Democrats.

You’ve been telling me for a long time now that I have to change if we want our relationship to progress. But I’ve told you for so long that these are things in me that will never change. You want an “open” relationship…where we are inviting anyone and everyone in. I don’t. I want your exclusive allegiance. I want to know that you care about the things that really matter.

But I don’t know who you are anymore. You have become everything that I hate. And I will not tolerate it anymore. So it is over. So go find someone else to climb into bed with Republican Party…it’s what you seem to be very good at these days. With your lack of standards you’ll find someone else, I’m sure.

Fifteen Years...

In three weeks I will have been the minister of Fort Des Moines Church of Christ for fifteen years. That’s one and a half decades for those of us that went to public school. This very morning I went to the hospital early to pray with an older gentlemen that was one of the very first men in the church to “show me the ropes” after I arrived here.

For the first week I was here, he would come pick me up and drive me around so that I got familiar with the city. He went calling with me. He just made sure I felt comfortable in my new role as the preacher of the church.

I did. At least, I put on airs that I did. I was still young and dumb. I was arrogant and too proud to realize how risky some of the decisions I made were. I believe, overall, that I have had a successful ministry. If you are measuring success by the size of the church…to be honest, it hasn’t changed a ton.

Well, that’s not entirely true. The first Sunday I preached at The Fort there were 45 people in attendance. Since then we have grown. But we’re no mega-church. We are who we are. A small church with imperfect people and an even more imperfect preacher.

I do have some regrets, mind you. There have been times I have said things I wish I could have taken back. But like toothpaste squeezed out of a tube, once you say it, it is pretty hard to put it back where it came from. In anger I have intimidated people, I have pushed and manipulated for things that I wanted to happen at the church…sometimes at the expense of other’s feelings.

When I encountered relational struggles in my ministry, I was all-too-quick to point out their “issues” but very, very slow to see any of my own. At times, honestly, I really blew it. I genuinely wasn’t there when people needed me to be there.

There have been people that I just didn’t care for and I wouldn’t go see them. Not that I didn’t know I should…but I didn’t want to. So I didn’t. And I am no better for it.

There have been people that I liked too much, and I might have smothered them with my insatiable desire to have more and more affirmation that I am a good preacher.

There were times when, preparing for a sermon, I just got lazy and I copied someone’s idea or I just didn’t really put any effort into the preparation at all. And it showed.

But in spite of all of that…in spite of me…God has been good. He has helped people to move to places they did not know they could spiritually and I was allowed to be a small part of that process. He has brought people from darkness to light, from addiction to freedom, from desperation to hope…and I got to witness it up front and close.

Fifteen years is a long time. I am definitely not a perfect person…but by God’s grace He still chooses to use me. What a God!? Who could think that someone as messed up and imperfect like me could be used by God in such a way?!

I can’t promise I won’t blow it again. I can’t promise I won’t be a little person at times scheming to get my own prideful way. I can’t promise that every sermon is going to be something I put together with my whole heart. But I can promise that I will be available for whatever is next and however God chooses to use me.

What about tongues?

So you’ve made a new Christian friend. The two of you sit down for coffee. He asks you, “What do you believe about speaking in tongues?” Have you ever given that question any thought? What do you believe the Bible says about this topic?

Other than acknowledging that we all use our physical tongues to communicate while we speak verbally, you may not have given much thought to this topic. But understand that Christians have debated this issue for a long time. Even back in Paul’s day, the topic of Christians speaking in tongues was a contentious one (1 Corinthians 14).

We haven’t gotten any better in our day. There is still a lot of disagreement on this topic. Let me begin by saying that as I address this issue I am not professing to be the foremost scholar on this topic. I also don’t believe I understand everything there is to understand on this issue. I am simply a student of the Word in a perpetual state of learning and growing.

The first time we see an occurrence of people speaking in tongues is early in the second chapter of Acts. The 120 who were gathered at the end of Acts 1 were all in one place and the Spirit of God came into that meeting with both physical and spiritual phenomena (Acts 2:2-3).  It says in Acts 2:4, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (NIV)

That word translated “tongues” in this verse is the Greek word “glossa” (pronounced glow-sah). Variants of this term occur over 50 times in our New Testament. It is translated to refer to the tongue in a literal sense; as a bodily organ (Revelation 16:10) or to any particular language or people group that speak a language (1 Corinthians 13:1) or to the spiritual gift of communicating in another language at the direction of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:2).

The correct translation for Acts 2:4 is the spiritual gift of communicating in another language at the direction of the Spirit. This is confirmed because of the context (Acts 2:6). The miraculous nature of this gift was that it was more than ecstatic utterances or babbling or gibberish…it was ordinary individuals speaking a known language that they had never studied or been trained to speak.

What is practiced today in many modern church buildings across this country is in no way an example of the gift of tongues that we see in Acts 2. And yet, there are those in Christendom who would declare that you are not actually a Christian if you do not practice “tongues” all the while never actually having done so (in a biblical sense) in their own life. For most “tongue-speaking” churches in America are merely practicing ecstatic utterances or babbling or gibberish.

This is to say nothing of the fact that even the Apostle Paul acknowledged that tongues is an inferior spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 14:5). Paul even emphatically states that not every Christian was given the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28-31). So for any man or institution to claim that every believer in Christ must utilize this gift are teaching the direct opposite of what God’s Word states.

There are also many who conclude that tongues has ceased to be used by God in the modern age. They base this off of what Paul said toward the end of 1 Corinthians 13. In that passage Paul says:

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:8-12, NIV)

So Paul says that when “perfection” comes tongues will be stilled. What is the “perfection” Paul is speaking of in this passage? The Greek word translated perfect is the word “teleios” (pronounced te-lay-ahs). Variants of this word occur 20 times in the New Testament.

Some would say that the “teleios” in 1 Corinthians 13 is referring to the completed canon of Scripture. Once that came together the church no longer needed these other minor gifts like tongues and spiritual healing. Some would say that it is linked back to the apostles and the “laying on of hands” to impart these kinds of spiritual gifts like tongues. Once the apostles died, there was no one left to impart the gifts, so they just naturally died out.

This, in my opinion, does a great disservice to the context of 1 Corinthians. For starters, no where in the New Testament does “teleios” ever refer to a document or an inanimate object like the canon of Scripture. It is more than just a stretch to make that word apply in such a way, it is poor scholarism. Second, to apply “teleios” to the laying on of the apostles hands again makes no sense contextually.

Of the 20 uses, “teleios” is used to describe a matured spiritual state. Jesus used it this way (Matthew 5:48; 19:21). Paul used the term elsewhere this way (Philippians 3:12; Colossians 1:28). It is used by the author of Hebrews to refer to Jesus (Hebrews 2:10; 5:9; 7:28).

I believe this definition of “teleios” best fits the context of 1 Corinthians 13 as well. When you examine how Paul addresses the issue of tongues with the church in Corinth in his first letter, it is very clear that it was a problem in that church. The way the gift was being used (or abused) was creating controversy and Paul goes out of his way to point out that tongues is a lesser gift.

When we mature in Christ we do not need that kind of a spiritual pacifier. We mature when we begin to love like Christ loved.

I do not want to say unequivocally that tongues do not exist. I know that what is claimed as tongues in many American churches is not a biblical practice. But I can see how God can still utilize such a gift on the mission field. Tongues was a contentious issue in Paul’s day and it still is in ours. Let’s simply abide in what we know…God’s Word and not anything else.

Divorce and Remarriage

I have been contacted recently by a couple different individuals regarding a teaching about divorce and remarriage. The individuals were attempting to get me to agree with their position that any person who divorces his or her spouse and then remarries another person is in fact committing adultery.

This is based on a faulty understanding of the original language and how the word "divorce" is translated. The main passage applied on this is from Matthew 19:4-9. In this passage Jesus affirms first, and foremost, that marriage is between a male and a female. Even though this does need to be clarified in our current day, those who think it is hatred to preach such a message (that marriage is solely between a male and a female) hate Jesus because he is the one who preached this first.

Jesus continued with stressing that once a couple become one flesh then no one should separate that union because God is the One who has joined them together (vs. 6). The disciples then challenge this with the question, "Then why did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" (vs. 7)

That word translated "divorce" in verse 7 is the Greek word "APOSTASION". It is the word that refers to the legal process (where a written certificate is issued) of divorce. But it also refers to "sending her away." That is the Greek word "APOLUO". This is merely a physical separation. One mate leaves the other's presence for a period of time (or maybe for good).

As Jesus responds to this question by the disciples he does not use the word "APOSTASION" (the legal process of divorce where a certificate is issued) he refers to physical separation.

Look closely at verse 8. Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce (APOLUO) your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning."

The word is translated "divorce" in the English text (except the KJV does a very good job translating this "put away"). Remember, this is a physical separation.

Jesus is saying that because of man's hard heartedness, because of our sin, Moses permitted for couples to separate when issues arose that they believed were irreconcilable. But Jesus takes this permission to a new level.

This wasn't uncommon for Jesus. He defined adultery as more than simply having sex with someone other than your spouse. If a man looks at a woman lustfully then he has committed adultery with her in his heart.

Here Jesus gives a very high view of marriage, in my opinion. There is no problem, no issue, no circumstance that couples cannot work through with God's help. So look at what Jesus says in verse 9...

"I tell you that anyone who divorces (APOLUO) his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

Look at the word employed. He uses the word that refers to physical separation. Which makes perfect sense. If my wife separated from me and then she married another man, she would be committing adultery because she would still be legally married to me!

The goal of "APOLUO" is reconciliation. And the fact that Jesus says that the only reason a couple should separate is for marital unfaithfulness (the word is porneia in Greek which is adultery) means that Jesus believes in the permanency of the marriage covenant.

What could very well have happened in Jesus' day was that a legalistic Pharisee could "APOLUO" his wife but not necessarily go through the whole process of "APOSTASION". And then that same Pharisee could travel to another town and "marry" a prostitute and sleep with her. Then in the morning he would "APOLUO" the prostitute and go back to his home and take back his first wife. And he would feel proud that he never broke the law.

That is clearly wrong. Jesus made it abundantly clear that marriage is a permanent covenant between a man and a woman.

But we have preachers and teachers today who wrongly interpret this passage from Matthew 19 to state that the only way a person who has been divorced and remarried can right themselves with God is to leave their current spouse (and potential children) and go back to their first marriage.

It is a damnable doctrine in my opinion that only brings hurt and pain to those who have already been through the pain of divorce.

Let me state a couple of things VERY clearly. Divorce is not God's will. It is not His design. As Jesus teaches in Matthew 19, marriage is something that is to be permanent. It is something though, that God permitted under Moses due to man's sinfulness.

That hasn't changed. Divorces still occur. And in many churches, divorced Christians are treated like second-class Christians. This should not be. Divorce hurts people in a very real way. And the church needs to help people understand a Biblical view of marriage and the power of Yahweh Rapha (the God of healing).

There is so much more that can be said and written on this topic by men greater and smarter than myself. But I am convinced that we need to understand our Bibles better than we do. Because it is lack of understanding Scripture that only bring hurt into peoples lives.

I want to pay a note of respect and gratitude to my Uncle Scott Sheridan for his study on this topic.

 

My Hero

This is Mabel Harper. This picture was taken in 1940 for her graduation. Mabel was the youngest of three children born to Frank and Missouri Harper. The Harpers were not Christians.  

Mabel married a handsome young man and they started their life together. But Mabel and her new husband weren’t Christians. Mabel decided she needed to find a church because she was pregnant and she wanted her kids to go to church even if she never went when she was a kid.

Mabel tried a church in their town in Ohio but it was a Pentecostal church and it was a bit too crazy for her. So then she thought she’d try the little Church of Christ in town.

After the first Sunday the preacher met with her and showed her a simple illustration with a pencil that had been all chewed up and he took a napkin and covered the pencil. He told her that is exactly what Christ does to our sin. He covers our sin.

That clicked with her. The very next Sunday she went forward and was baptized. She never looked back. A few weeks later her husband was baptized as well.

This is Mabel from just a couple years ago. Mabel Irene Sheridan. My grandmother, my hero. She is a beautiful person both inside and out. And listen, Sunday after Sunday, month after month she took her kids to church. Year after year, decade after decade my grandma went to church with her family and she did the very best that she could. She is the reason I stand up to preach every week.

My grandma is one of the most beautiful women I have ever known and she is the reason I will be in heaven one day. Her health is now failing. I feel helpless but not hopeless. I have no doubts about my grandmother’s eternal destiny.

I am grateful for my grandmother’s ceaseless prayers for me and all of her grandchildren. Her deepest desire is that her children and grandchildren will be in heaven. She won’t see all of them, but she will see this one again someday.

My prayer is that her children and grandchildren will desire to see her again someday as well. They can but they have to enter through the same door that she did. It is only through faith in Christ Jesus that anyone can go to heaven. The same faith that I hold on to in a sincere manner…the faith that was first in my grandmother. (2 Timothy 1:5)