After our break for Mother’s Day we’re jumping back into our study on “Discovering Authentic Church” this Sunday at the Crossings.  Over the next two weeks we’ll be looking at the two major Churches highlighted in the book of Acts.  The first one is the original Church in Jerusalem that is described primarily in chapters 2:42-47 and 4:32-37.  The second Church in consideration is the Antioch fellowship found in Acts 11:19-30 and 13:1-4.  Both of these Churches leave a lot that we can learn from today.  However, the goal is not to legalistically or mindlessly follow each point in detail, but rather to look and learn from the overall picture of what God did and how they responded to Him in the first century.  As we begin to wind down this series, I really believe that the authenticity of the first century Church really can be a reality in the 21^st century today.  So for everyone who lives in the Northwest Houston area, be sure to grab a friend and come by one of our services.  For everyone; how are you going to “BE CHURCH” this week?  In the mean time, check out this guy whose life was changed by “Discovering Authentic Church.”

Most of you know that I have a love hate relationship with politics.  Mostly hate.  But yes, there are times when I get all hot and bothered and want to run for office.  Then I calm down and get refocused on eternal matters.  The grab for me has never been on issues like taxation or economic policies, but rather the social issue hot buttons. Today with all the comments in dessent of North Carolina voting to ban Gay Marriage coupled with President Obama’s announcement on his position of Gay Marriage is just another one of those examples.  As a follower of Christ I have to remind myself that America is not my first home, the Kingdom of Heaven is.  But we do live in the here and now and intersect with the world around us.  Even the first Christ followers addressed social ills of their day.  During the Roman Empire people would leave unwanted babies at the city dumps.  Today, we abort unwanted babies.  The Christians in the first century would save those babies from the trash heaps and care for them.  Today Christians can work to stop the killing of infants and support women with unwanted pregnancies in ways other than abortion.

Ok, I’ve wrestled with the question of how to surf the wave of social issues on this blog for a long time.  On one hand I don’t want to get distracted from our mission.  On the other hand I don’t want to pretend that the Bible or Kingdom citizens don’t have anything to say on the social issues.  The fact of the matter is that the Bible is very clear on these issues.  The problem is that at times Christians can be “jerks for Jesus” and blow the whole discussion apart even before it is started.  The real answer for followers of Christ is first to pray, and then speak the truth in love.  Are there Christians who are called to run for office and attack these issues in public?  Yes, I believe so.  But the real answer is one of heart change and not policy development.

So with that I’ll make a few statements to consider on the present social issue of the day.

1. The Bible is very clear about Marriage and gay and lesbian acts:  Consider a few texts a friend just posted:

Genesis 1:27                      God created male and female in His image.

Genesis 2:18-25                It was not good for the man to be alone, so God created “suitable” helper.

Matthew 19:4-6                 Jesus affirmed God’s plan for one man and one woman for lifetime.

Leviticus 18:22                  “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.”

Leviticus 20:13                  If a man lies with a man as with a woman they were to be put to death in Israel.

Romans 1:26-27                Homosexual and lesbian acts are unnatural and outside of God’s plan.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11         Unrepentant homosexual offenders will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

2. The real rub here is in the redefinition of terms.  The idea of marriage being of one woman and one man has existed since recorded history.  Even during the Roman Empire when homosexual practice was rampant, it was never equated with marriage. As American citizens, gays and lesbians should be allowed to do what they want in their own homes. I believe it is sin, but I will not go into their homes and stop them.  I see no legal problem with their creating civil unions for the purpose of insurance or whatever they deem necessary.  But the redefining of the term “marriage” will have negative ramifications for every walk of life.

3. The linking “Civil Rights” to this issue is a sad move.  This has nothing to do with a person’s skin tone, but a sexual preference.

4. “Gay” and “Lesbian” should not define who a person is, but the practice they are pulled to engage in.  If we are merely a product of evolutionary chance, then ok.  But if we are purposefully created in the image of God, then we are more.  A good article on this subject was actually done by one of my professors in college.  I even commented on it when it came out.  So enjoy.

5. Even if a person does have an inward pull toward homosexual behavior that does not mean it is a good or normal thing.  A man or woman may have a strong pull toward multiple heterosexual partners but that does not mean they should engage in such practices.

6. This issue should not be treated differently than any other sin against God.  It should be called what it is.  But it can be forgiven just like any other sin.  Those who engage in this activity can find forgiveness, healing, and a hopeful future in Christ.

7. I alluded to this above, but in everything, followers of Christ should always act and speak in love.  Even on this issue, we should speak the truth in our spheres of influence, but we should do it in a loving and non-judgmental manner.  We also need to look into our own lives. Yes, gay and lesbian marriage is sinful.  But so is gossip which so many of us seem to forget.

Ok, well sorry if all this came across too “Preachy”.  That was not my intent.  I’m not sure how this section of Kingdomology will evolve.  But I do know that kingdom citizens are called to be Salt and Light in the world around us.  So that was my first public stab at it. How would you respond?

At The Crossings this past Sunday we started a new series called Discovering Authentic Church.  I love the Church and so do many of you.  But I also know that some of you really don’t resonate with the whole idea of Church.  Some of you have been burnt or jaded because of something someone did while wearing the name Christian.  Others have experienced things in the name of Church that don’t feel too much like Jesus.  I get that.  It reminds me of a book that Dan Kimball wrote in 2007 entitled They Like Jesus, but not The Church.   I’ve met Dan before and have heard him speak, so I know where he’s at on the issue.  He loves Jesus and the true Church.  He just points out that a lot of folks have simply been presented with a counterfeit model of the Church.  I get that and have probably felt some of that pain in my own pilgrimage.  I know I have.  But my hope is that in this study we can see a picture of what the authentic Church really looks like.  I hope we can clean up the mess of misunderstanding.

The true CHURCH is seen in scripture as a beautiful creation of God.  She is loved by God.  No, the Church is not perfect, at least not now.  That’s because it’s made up of imperfect people.  But she is still the “Bride of Christ.”  Because of that significance, I hope everyone can take a second look at this mystery called the Church.  As we continue through this series I hope you’ll ask questions and open up to what it means to experience Authentic Church.  Yes, I love the Church and hope you will too.

What are some of your stories of experiencing the counterfeit?  What are some of your stories of finding the authentic?

Ok I’ll admit it; I’m a Tebow fan.  Yup, despite all the hype, I’m in.  Is he the best quarterback in the league?  Probably not.  Is he good enough to even be in the league at all?   Some of his fans say yes even though they don’t know a thing about the game.  On the other hand some of his critics say no even though Tim is better than other quarterbacks already in the NFL.  If I had my pick, I’d trade him off to Dallas instead of NY.  Then my favorite team would now have my favorite QB. Sorry Romo; nothing personal.  Just business you know.  But with the huge divergence in opinions on the guy, it would seem that there’s more to the story than just football.  Even if he’s not that good now, he’s still early on in his game with time to improve.  So why the fuss?  The answer is obvious; he’s an “outspoken” Christ follower. Yes, there are other Christians in the NFL.  But Tim seems to have taken the spotlight because of his starting in the 6^th game of the 2011 season for the Broncos and winning while still living for and speaking out for Christ in a public way.  That’s the rub that people don’t know how to handle.  People ponder about how outspoken a Christian should live today.  Some believe he ought to just keep it to himself as this is a “private” matter.  Unfortunately those who believe and teach such things really don’t understand the essence of being a disciple of Christ at all.  Actually, the actions and spoken message of Tim really illustrates for us the second part in this study of Ancient Evangelism. 

Lifestyle evangelism is a big deal these days.  But while it’s true that your life must have a positive influence on the culture, the overwhelming picture in the book of Acts was the spoken word and not merely actions.  Referring to this ancient evangelism, the theologian Michael Green noted that, “Christianity is enshrined in the life, but it is proclaimed by the lips.  If there is a failure in either respect the gospel cannot be communicated.”  In other words, no matter how noble our lives may be, the saving message of Christ cannot be known by the lost unless we speak up and out. This imperative call is first seen in Acts 4:20 where Peter and John state before the Sanhedrin that they “cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  They were moved by what they had witnessed in Christ and thus were compelled to speak.  But what was it that they “spoke”?  Glad you asked.  Grab some java or a diet coke and let’s look at a few of the foundational truths that must be spoken to effectively proclaim the message.

1. The first and foremost subject of evangelism is the person of Jesus Christ.  While speaking to the Ethiopian in Acts 8:35; it was the good news about Jesus that Philip taught.  The focus was on who Christ is and therefore what he was able to do for the lost souls of women and men.  It’s interesting today that we can almost always get away with talking about “God’s love” in general, but once we bring up the name of Jesus pressure can begin to mount.  I saw this up front the last time I was asked to give prayer for a city council meeting back in California.  I closed my prayer then just like I always do; in the name of Jesus.  I was not making a scene.  I was just doing what I naturally do.  But I was never asked back.  Some may take offense at the name, but without Christ as the central focus, we are not proclaiming the message, but a placebo.

2.  In all his teaching, Peter always included the death and resurrection.  Note Acts 10:39-40.  The death and resurrection are crucial to the message.  Because of the death of Christ we can know there has been a perfect sacrifice for our sin.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, we can trust His claims to deity and that the Father has accepted His sacrifice.

3. Following the proclamation, the message always included a deliberate plea for the hearers to respond positively to what was presented.  With the ancients, simply hearing the message and then casually discussing the highlights was not considered a healthy conclusion.  Rather, the New Testament illustrates at least three areas of response called for from those who heard the message.

• Paul exhorted the Philippian jailer to “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.”
• Beyond mere intellectual assent, the message called for the believer to turn from his old life in repentance.  In Acts 2:38, the believing Jews were told to “repent and be baptized.”  In 3:19 the audience was called to “repent and turn to God” while in chapter 11 verse 21 states that a “great number of people believed and turned to God.”  
• In the book of Acts, each of these occasions of turning to Christ was immediately followed by being baptized.  For the ancient Christians, there was no hesitation between a hearer accepting of Christ and his being immersed.  In fact Herbert Kane states that it “was not until the post-apostolic period when the church was beginning to substitute ecclesiastical power for spiritual power, that candidates for baptism were required to undergo a period of probation and instruction.”

I suppose the best way to emphasis the necessity of proclaiming the message of Jesus is to look directly at his own words.  Matthew 28:19 and following record some of the best words of Christ on this commission.  Jesus said, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

Remaining in the book of Acts, Jesus said to the first Christ followers that they would be his “witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  That is exactly what the apostles and first followers of Christ did.  Because of their faith, the message of Christ has come all the way down to us today.  They took Jesus and his message seriously and changed the world.  For us today, when we “proclaim the message” we are indeed following in the steps of Ancient Evangelism. 

The thing is; you don’t have to be a star quarterback to speak up for Christ.  You just have to be yourself and speak.  A great picture of this is seen in Acts 11:20 where we find average Hebrew Christians who “began to speak to Greeks also.”  They weren’t star athletes.  They were just everyday people like us.  But maybe Tim can be an encouragement to all of us to take up the torch wherever we’re at.  Who is it in your sphere of influence or friendships that have not yet heard the full message of Christ?  Who is it that you could share the story with today?  You might be surprised at who will be receptive when you’re sharing as a friend.  Who knows, you might even be the one who throws the pass they need in order to find the love of Christ.  So, take a deep breath, say a quick prayer, and then jump up off the bench and share the message with a friend today.  Then write me a note and share how it went.

I’m getting excited for Easter this year and looking forward to preaching Sunday at The Crossings.  While “sermonizing” this morning I spent some time thinking through a list of famous Easter Songs.  Here’s a short sampling of what I came up with.  If you’ve been following Christ for a while, you’ll recognize a few of these tunes.  If you’re still exploring Christ, then check them out and enjoy.

Because He Lives is probably one the most famous classic hymns on the subject of the Easter.  Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote the  song out of a realization that no matter how hard life can get at times, there is still hope because of the resurrection of Christ.  Next to that is an old vintage hymn by Robert Lowery entitled, Low in the Grave He Lay.  While not really one of my favorites, the Easter Song by Keith Green still resounds with a lot of folks today.  But just about anything Keith Green did was profound.  When I was in High School, Sandi Patty sang Was it a Morning Like This which took off and for a while was being sung by countless soloists across the world every Easter morning.  I think my wife even sang it a few times.  More than likely, she probably did a better job than Patty did though.  I’d say that my all time favorite Easter song is He’s Alive by Don Francisco.  If you’ve ever denied Christ, this one’s for you.  The focus of the song is from Peter’s standpoint after dealing with his denial of Jesus and then acceptance by the risen Christ.  Sometimes I still get choked up a bit toward the end of the tune.  More recently, Nichole C Mullen sang My Redeemer Lives which also has a powerful ending.  I’m going to show that one on Sunday.  A new favorite of mine is In Christ Alone by Stuart Townend.  Definitely my favorite rendition of this song was done by the News Boys. Not sure it’s only an Easter song, but some of the closing words are really pertinent.  So those are some of the Easter songs that minister to me.  Now what about you?

I turned 43 this past week and frankly it was a bit difficult to deal with at first.  Honestly, I think the issue was probably just the fact that I had expected to have accomplished a whole lot more by this stage in my life.  You know; saved half the world, published nine or ten books, served a term or two in Congress, and created at least one fortune 500 company.  Well, maybe not all that, but some of you know what I mean.

Some of you are in the same boat.  Maybe you have the t-shirt and wonder about the stage of life you’re in.  The funny thing is that this feeling is not reserved for the retired.  I remember one of the young guys on our team back in Nor Cal worrying about life when he turned 20.  He thought his age was getting away from him.  Yup, I laughed with him and then told him to chill out. The young warrior had no idea. But what is the best course of thought when the years seem like they are slipping away?  Solomon advised young men to ““Rejoice” in their youth.  But what about when you’re not as “youthful” as you once were?  What do you do then?

We can remember that we are as “youthful” as we feel; which is something I do a lot.  We can be still and look back at all that we have accomplished and rejoice in the victories that have belonged to us.  We can count our blessings as an old hymn puts it.  I think those are all great starting points.  But I also discovered another strategy recently in a book by John Eldridge entitled Fathered by God.  This is a great work for men who grew up without a godly father speaking into their lives as boys.  In the book Eldridge guides the reader through various stages of a man’s life with the purpose of showing that God can “father” these men into the great leaders he created them to be.  I took particular note of the “King” stage in the chronicle and began to see that in many ways that is the realm of life I’m approaching.  In one sense these stages do overlap.  I still find myself in the Warrior stage quite a bit with some voyages into the Sage season at times.  But considering all the experiences I’ve had and the things I’m continuing to grow into, the King stage seemed to make sense and that was a very pleasant thought on my 43^rd birthday.

Yes, I don’t have the same amount of brute strength and stamina as I did when I was 23.  But I feel like maybe I have a whole lot more wisdom now.  The ideal situation would have been to have the wisdom of a 40 year old in a 20 year old body.  But it doesn’t work that way.  It’s like I tell my kids, “Nothing will be perfect until we reach heaven on the other side.” 

So what do we do with that in the here and now Kingdom of God?  I would suggest for all of us that we simply “rejoice” in whatever stage of life we’re in and serve in that capacity today.  We all have so much to offer the world and God is not done with us yet.  It’s like I told one of my older friends this past week, “He’ll take you home when your work is done.”  So consider what stage of life you’re in and rejoice in it.  Use the advantages of that stage of the journey to serve others.  Remember that this life is indeed a journey and Christ is preparing a home for those who love him.  For now, what special piece (or peace) can you offer the world at this stage in your life?  Feel free to share.  We’d love to have your input.

On the lighter side, check out an old clip from the Three Amigos as El Guapo celebrates his 40^th birthday.  Wow, talking about age?  I was in High School when that came out and now my boys think it’s a blast.

It’s been fun to watch the evolution of Kingdomology.  This pilgrimage also includes the recent partnership with the ministry of Healthy Pastors.  Having a call on my life for full-time Christian service, I understand the joys and challenges of such work.  I believe in this ministry cause.  But in order to narrow the audience of both sites for better service, I’ve created a new blog just for Healthy Pastors.  So if you are in some form of Christian service, then check out the new site as it unfolds.  Feel free to dive into Healthy Pastors anytime you want to encourage others or be encouraged yourself.  Kingdomology will of course still be here.  In fact, I’m hoping to make the site even better.  We’ll continue to explore what it means to live out the Kingdom of God in the here and now while spreading the love of Christ as far and wide as we can.  Feel free to send me any questions or suggestions as I continue to make this site better and expand the ministry.  I’d love to hear from you on other issues you believe could be discussed here.  Your thoughts and ideas are an encouragement to me and everyone else in the Kingdomology family.   The weekend is coming.  So make sure to dive into a worship service and pray for the preachers.

“Lighten up; it’s only a book!”  Have you ever heard that about the Bible?  Have you ever thought that about the Bible?  For me, I’ve actually based my whole world view on the Bible.  Why?  Because I have an assurance that “All scripture is God- breathed” and therefore I set eternity and all that I do and teach on that truth.  I know that everyone doesn’t agree with this.  A lot of folks question the validity of scripture and speculate whether it can be trusted or not.  Many people suggest that “because the Bible was written such a long time ago and was translated so many times” that it just can’t be reliable for us today.  If that is true, then the Bible rightly should be questioned.  But there are many good reasons to trust the authenticity of the Bible and its inspiration by God.  Below I’ve posted a summary list a friend and I put together which offers 8 major proofs for the authenticity of the Bible.  What else would you add?  How does this affect your view of scripture?  How does this affect your view of God and His Kingdom?  How does it affect the way you do life today?

 1. Fulfilled Prophecy.  There are thousands of prophecies that were made in the Bible centuries before their detailed fulfillment.  There are more than 300 concerning Jesus Christ.  Only God can accurately foretell the future.

2. Unity of the Bible.  The Bible is a collection of 66 individual books that were written over a period of 1600 years, in three different languages, on three different continents, by numerous men, most of whom did not know each other.  Yet there is complete unity and harmony from beginning to end.

3. Historical Accuracy.  Although the Bible gives countless thousands of historical facts, it contains no historical errors.  Such perfection could not even be approached in a mere man-made historical record.

4. Archaeological Confirmation.  Hundreds of Bible facts have been substantiated by the science of archeology.  In every case where archaeology and the Bible have come together, the Bible has been confirmed without exception.

5. Reliability of Scriptures.  From the New Testament alone there are 5,366 manuscripts to draw from, with many of those being from the second century.  That figure does not include additional fragments and other random portions.  That is compared to only 643 copies of Homer’s Iliad, which is the most famous book in ancient Greece.  There are only 10 copies of Caesar’s Gallic Wars and no one in the ‘educated’ world questions those, even though the earliest copies we have date 1000 years after the event.  By contrast, we have some sections of the New Testament that were written within 70 years of the original events. The John Ryland’s fragment is a perfect example of this reality.

6. Preservation of Scripture.  Although unbelievers have attacked the Bible throughout its existence, they have been unable to discredit it.  Although it has been legally banned by civil governments, it has been preserved and remains the world’s bestselling book.  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31)

7. Influence in the World.  The transformed lives of millions of Christians is an irrefutable argument for the Bible being from God.

8. Testimony of Jesus Christ.  The Son of God who died for our sin and rose again from the dead, repeatedly quoted the Scriptures with authority and attributed them to His Father.

Tikhon 1865-1925

I was thinking about politics again this morning.  Not to worry though, I’m not planning to announce my candidacy or anything like that.   Rather, my political bemoaning really had more to do with a cultural concern than a particular platform.  At the heart of my frustration was a feel that a whole lot of folks are more concerned about gold than good.  Indeed, self-security, self-preservation, and self-glory have become the master.  The truth is that the US Presidential election will more than likely be decided by what the economy is doing around August or September above anything else.  If the jobs are up, then there is a good chance President Obama will be in the Oval Office for a second term.  If the employment and economy stinks, then the Republican nominee will probably be in.  Yes, the economy is important.  But my sadness comes from the sense that apparently money is the central theme for most Americans.  Example; while many Americans like me are pro-life when it comes to the issue of abortion, some of them will rather vote simply based on who gets more jobs rolling in the country than who stands for what is right.  Honestly, I have to say to my lefty friends that the same is probably true for them as well.  Whatever their particular social sacred cow is, it will probably be trumped by the economy.  In thinking about this present culture, I just wondered when was the last time we had a Statesman or anyone who actually stood for the things he or she believed in no matter what the cost.  So somewhere in my mental malaise this morning I remembered my time in Russia and reading about one of the great Patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church of the early 20^th century.  His name was Tikhon and the words from this past saint that came to mind were; “At one time we had wooden churches and golden men. Now we have golden churches and wooden men.” I remembered that quote and thought it was so appropriate for today.  I’m sure a lot of people would agree with that assessment when it comes to politics and business.  But the more I chewed on it the more I felt a need to apply it to the CHURCH and myself as well.  In my role as a visionary evangelist and pastor, I’ve seen this played out in a number of ways.  Sometimes we have a tendency in the CHURCH to glorify the big and “successful” while we quietly ignore those who don’t show up on the Christianity Today radar screen very much.  Yes, I’m just as guilty as the next guy.  But when you think about the Kingdom of God, the greatest guys and gals are the ones who duke it out in the trenches everyday without anyone noticing.  These are the real golden people who will probably never be asked to speak at a convention or be honored with a great award.  These are the type of people that Tikhon was longing for those years ago.  These are the type of people we need today. 

So, when it comes to politics, I want to ask; “where are the true men of God who will rise up no matter what the cost might be to their public popularity?”  When it comes to the Kingdom, I’m asking; “where are the saints who will follow Christ and serve as He did even if no one ever sees it on this side of eternity?”

PS for reference:  “These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  (1 Peter 1:7)

I’m not a fan of the growing church campus movement.  Yes, I know there is some value in these works and Deb is quick to remind me that there are indeed a lot of people getting connected to Christ through some of these campuses.  I have a great friend that works with the campus model in my area.  My brother; have mercy on his soul, attends one of these campus churches.  Yes, there are people being saved and discipled at these campus churches.  Yes, I know all the positive arguments for campuses.  But I still just don’t like the idea.  At its worst, I feel like campuses are more about Empire building than Kingdom expansion.  I sense at times that much of this simply comes down to control issues.  On my bad days I even want to liken the whole phenomena to the BORG from Star Trek.  You know; assimilation of all worlds is the plan and resistance is Futile. 

Before you get the idea that I’m just a scrooge, please know that my caution is not just emotional.  In my sober moments, I do see at least two legitimate concerns.  To begin with; is it really the best use of funds?  My wife and I were shocked a few years ago when another friend who leads a mega church told us how much money they were putting into their next campus.  After we picked our jaws up off the floor and quickly crunched the numbers we realized that we could have planted at least 10 autonomous churches for the same chunk of change in different parts of the world.  One campus church recently was on life support and many “experts” would have recommended shutting it down if it were a traditional church plant.  But the reason the main campus didn’t close up shop was because they had sunk so much money into a building purchased for the campus and they didn’t want to lose it.  I wonder if they would have had that same amount of passion in keeping the doors open if the body in question were merely a daughter church meeting in a school.

But my main concern really deals with reproduction and further expansion of the Kingdom.  It may be that campuses actually put a lid on exponential possibilities as the outreach and vision can only go as far as the control of the mother ship.  But on the other hand, in simple church planting, when a mother church recognizes the calling of leaders, trains them, empowers them, blesses them, and releases them, then there is no end to the expansion. 

So while I do see the benefit of a campus and probably just need to lighten up a bit, I’m still cautious about the whole philosophy.  It may just be a passing phase anyway.  But what about you? Have you researched this issue and come to a conclusion on the matter?