Whatever It Takes

Jeremiah was his slave name. He towered at six feet five inches, broad shoulders, powerful arms, and hands as rough as a gravel road. Jeremiah was strong, and worked like a horse; no, a team of horses. The hot sun didn't slow him, difficulty didn't discourage him, and pain didn't stop him.

But there was another side to Jeremiah. Deborah had given him two rambunctious boys and one little princess, and Jeremiah was putty in their hands. His hard work gained favor with the slave owner, therefore providing safety and security for his little family.

Nonetheless, Jeremiah's strength and work ethic made him valuable in trade. And one fateful day in the fall, the news of such a trade had come. He was given a day to say goodbye to his family, but instead Jeremiah retreated to the barn. He paced back and forth across the dirt floor, fighting back the tears, shaking his head, his pulse thumping in his ears. Perspiration poured from his body, his hands shook violently, then he collapsed to his knees.

Jeremiah raised his head to spot the axe hanging on the wall. Surely it hadn’t come to that. It went against everything he believed as a man, but he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. He couldn't allow himself to be taken from his family who depended on him for everything.

He took the axe from the wall, tested its edge with his thumb. He laid his muscular forearm across a stump used to kill chickens. With his other arm he raised the axe over his head.

He looked toward Heaven. “Lord, forgive me, but I see no other way to keep my family together.”

Enough said.

Generational Tension

I suspect there’s always been a social gap between the young and the old, then the Sixties turned that gap into a canyon, and the technological explosion of the Eighties and Nineties widened that canyon to an abyss. Now, social welfare by and large relieves immerging generations of the burden of caring for the needy, including the elderly, while Facebook immerses them into a sea of fellow youngsters with keystroke empowerment.

The New Testament’s vision of the church is a place where different age groups could come and celebrate a common salvation (see 1Timothy 5). Yet the modern church, like most of the world, is often riddled by warring generations.

Young enthusiastic leaders see the old guard as unteachable, under-educated, and unable to communicate without sounding snooty and snobbish, while often accusing them of grasping for ecclesiastical control and failing to keep first things first.

Seasoned steadfast leaders see the young up-and-comers as intellectually proud, untested, and disrespectful of treasured belief systems, while often accusing them of ignoring time-tested wisdom and failing to listen more and speak less.

And to an extent, borrowing D.A. Carson’s words, “both sides are right.”

Since I’m a young leader, I will share a word with my fellow green-hands. Technology has no doubt facilitated theological research, while possibly providing a broader access to theological education. Yet receiving such a grace should contribute your our humility, not our pride. In other words, precision of knowledge does not make us better than, or smarter than, or superior to the generation that came before us. We are just recipients of a particular grace, and there is no room for personal arrogance as all good things come from God. Besides, a big reason we have access to such a quality education is because of the fierce battles the older generation fought against theological liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, and the like.

Carson also gave some practical pointers for narrowing the gap between generations. First of all, both sides need to listen to criticism without becoming defensive. No one is beyond the scope of learning, and we will regain lost ground if we recognize wisdom when we hear it, even if it comes by way of hostile analysis.

Secondly, both sides should be prepared to honestly evaluate what the church is doing (or not doing) while asking if scripture mandates it. If not, then could it unwittingly be hindering ministry, particularly outreach? Answering this question will bring to light the extent to which tradition has overridden scripture.

Thirdly, give the best attention to that which, according to Paul, is most important—this being the very gospel itself. Though we may belong to different generations, the heralding of the gospel is what has knitted our ministries and hearts together.

Fourthly, build relationships with members of the other generation intentionally. This will require the public support of each other, praying for each other, and spending time with one another. And most of all, it will require grace, understanding, and love for one another.

Carson summed it up nicely: “It means that younger men will listen carefully in order better to understand the past; it means that older men will listen carefully in order better to understand the present. It means humility of mind and heart, and a passion for the glory of God and the good of others.”

Reflections on Pain and Redemption

Barrels of ink have been poured out on the topic of pain, and I’m hardly qualified to express profound thoughts on the matter. Nonetheless, its perplexities baffle the minds of those contemplating it, while its simplicity crushes the hearts of those touched by it.

I suppose one could divide pain into two categories. There’s injury to the body, and then there’s wounding of the soul. Though both strike fear in our hearts, one is arguably superior. Job’s response to losing his family was markedly different from when he merely lost his health. His physical pain was no doubt excruciating, but the wounding of soul led him to despise his own life.

“May the day I was born perish…” Job 3:3

A child may feel the physical pain of a spanking, but the absence of love and instruction will produce loneliness of heart. A teenager may get beat up at school, but the constant humiliation of being bullied will push him to despair. A man may scream as his arms are severed, but no longer being to hold his wife or provide for his family may be the ache that keeps him up at night.

Did Jesus not come speaking the language of the soul when he said: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," or "He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted." The Savior recognized that mankind's deepest needs were much deeper than mere physical afflictions, but they stemmed from a heart not only wounded by the unjust circumstances of life, but also darkened by its own wickedness. Jesus came, died, and rose again to provide healing and restoration at our deepest level.

"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" Acts 3:19

A Homily on Religious Addiction

I drank plenty of alcohol in high school. Not sure if I was dependent, but I did relish the opportunity to find shelter from the constant barrage of a worried mind. Later I used methamphetamine, inevitably being pulled into the unholy sanctum of dark addiction.

Interestingly, people with emotional baggage, mental disarray, and social phobias are most susceptible to substance abuse. The power to alter brain chemistry can create the illusion of escaping the reality of a tortured mind, taking control of their emotional health, and feeling accepted into so-called normal social arrangements.

Man-made religion (similar to substance abuse) is primarily about three things: escaping the reality of one’s own sinful heart, attempting to take control of spiritual health, and finding acceptance with so-called normal, religious social arrangements.

The religious person attempts to escape the reality of their sinful heart on the inside by focusing on and obsessing over appearances on the outside. They wear their Sunday best, maintain visible morality, give outward service, articulate Bible knowledge, and attend several religious meetings per week.

In addition to external pieties, they attempt to take control of their spiritual health by going above and beyond biblical exhortations and creating buffer zones between them and sin. To avoid moral compromise, they avoid immoral people at all costs. To avoid worldly contamination, they refuse to wear Calvin Klein jeans. To avoid spiritual apathy, they boycott Disney. And on it goes.

These external pieties and buffer zones naturally gain the acceptance of the religious social class. Therefore, man-made religion allows one to escape reality, take control, and achieve status among those of normalcy, or so it seems.

Yet, (similar to substance abuse) religion is teeming with deception. The religious person feels spiritual, but is blinded to the reality of a desperate, sinful heart. They believe to be in control, but are actually pulled into the fellowship of religious addiction. They feel socially accepted, but instead are enslaved by the quick-to-judge peer-pressure of fellow religious addicts.

The key is understanding religion as a man-made attempt at reaching God, binding oneself to external morality, extra-biblical codes, and the expectations of others. On the other hand, true Christianity recognizes mankind as completely sinful and utterly incapable of approaching God on the basis of personal merit. Therefore, God, at great personal cost, came down to mankind in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

When one chooses to follow Christ by faith, he or she is free from religious bondage. They face the reality of a sinful heart, give Christ control of all spiritual health, and find contentment with God’s love and acceptance.

”Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” -John 8:36

Persecution of Christians (video not for children)

Pain of Rejection

I was too young to remember my real father, Douglas Kaminski. While I was still playing with rattles, He left my mother and I, never to be seen or heard from again. The man I learned to call “daddy” was Dewayne Troxel. He raised me from toddlerhood, taught me to ride a bike, and took me fishing everyday, or so it seemed. He bought me my first BB gun and taught me to shoot. And by watching him I learned to skin fish and rabbits.

Daddy taught us how to slide down the watershed dam on flattened cardboard boxes, and on rare occasions he took us bowling. He taught us how to raise chickens and collect eggs, and how to build a well house from logs and red clay. And when things broke, Daddy fixed them.

When I was about ten years old, Daddy left. I didn’t understand why, but for the first time my young soul was wounded with the pain of rejection.

It’s quite profound how pain can etch itself into our lives, creating fears, insecurities, and ill patterns of thinking. It can create an unhealthy desire to be accepted, and then unreasonable suspicion when acceptance arrives. These tragic expressions of an inferiority complex almost inevitably lead to damaging relationships.

This realm of pain and heartache is one of many spheres where Christ created a new perspective. For it was He who endured crucifixion, being suspended between Heaven and Earth on a piece of timber hewn for the sole purpose of creating rivers of pain, while communicating utter rejection.

Yet this One we know as God-the-Son turned his gaze toward Heaven and said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Though Jesus had need of relief from pain and rejection, his executioners had need of grace and forgiveness.

Recovery of spiritual health often begins here, setting our own needs aside, and looking after the needs of others.

This Is Not The Real Jesus

Anders Behring Breivik killed at least 76 campers on an island off the coast of Oslo, Norway. He says in his online manifesto, “As for the Church and science, it is essential that science takes an undisputed precedence over biblical teachings....Regarding my personal relationship with God, I guess I'm not an excessively religious man. I am first and foremost a man of logic. However, I am a supporter of a monocultural Christian Europe.”

Obviously Breivik was not a true Christian, yet he craved the cultural benefits of Christianity. This murderer’s misguidings are an exceptionally extreme example of a belief system which plagues many who name the name of Christ. They don’t truly love Jesus, but they are quite fond of their idea of Jesus. However, the idea of Jesus they are in love with doesn't accurately represent the Christ who actually existed.

Michael Horton points out how even the 19th century philosopher and atheist Friedrich Nietzsche saw in his day the tendency of professing Christians to desire “the fruit of Christianity (i.e., moral culture) without the tree itself (i.e., the actual doctrine and practice).”

The Jesus of history as recorded in the gospels brought a specific plan of salvation (doctrine), which resulted in the formation of a true disciple (practice). The Jesus of scripture spent three years calling his followers to embrace the doctrines of the gospel, and how that gospel would transform them into men and women with a growing, Christ-like compassion for people.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” The benefits of Christianity come not by embracing an idea of Jesus, but by becoming a follower of the one true living Savior, Christ the Lord.