When Men Become Expendable - Conclusion

So, if you're like me, after reading this series you may be asking, "Well what in the world is the purpose of all of this bad news? What am I supposed to do about it all?" Well, I wish I had the perfect answer that was more elaborate than "become a real born from above-living conformed to the image of Christ-non-mold fitting Believer that hears the voice of the LORD!" I just desire for people to see that the cookie-cutter Christian agenda just won't cut it anymore. Things are getting worse, as they will continue to and the Body of Christ needs to wake up! So many seem to want to just push their head into the sand and say prayers that ask God to do things here in America that completely oppose His Word. "Oh Lord, let us defeat our enemies in Your name as we embark on another war in the name of 'Christian' freedom". "Bless this nation with prosperity, abundance and wealth". "Turn this nation back to God!" (You cannot turn back to where you've never been, my friend.) "Destroy our 'enemies' (ie: terrorists, anyone who opposes us, etc.) as you did in the Bible" – on and on it goes and it's in every denomination and movement, on some level. Mainstream Christianity continues to say, with their actions, "Be like us or you're not allowed in the clique" and it continues to turn away generation after generation. And even within this generalization, there are inner circles. Whites, go here. Blacks, you gather over there. Hispanics, you have your own services after we're done with ours. Separation and division lead the way in Christianity as much as, if not more than, in any other culture that exists. It's no wonder we never see unity within the Body of Christ!

Half of the Scriptures that I hear preachers and self-defined prophets use to declare blessings and prosperity upon the US don't even apply to this nation! Scriptures are twisted and incorrectly explained to fit an American-Jesus, militarian agenda. Western Christians embrace it because it benefits them – forget everyone else! It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever! We all must be careful to not fall prey to this mindset and elevate ourselves above others.

So, as I always seem to say, who will hear what the Spirit is saying in this hour? Who will tune out all of this feel-good nonsense that ignores the obvious and seek the Scriptures? Who will see every man, woman and child as the beautiful creation that they are? Who will get down in the dirt with the lowly and listen to them in their despair? Who will live a life of taking the lower place and let the world rage on in pride and arrogance? Who will see the futility in all of this worldly kingdom building and seek after the eternal? Who will see that the majority of this Christian-patriot agenda is fueled by pride, elitism and kingdoms of earth? Yes, there is a kingdom to be established here. Yes, we are Ambassadors for Christ. Yes, we are to desire on earth as it is in heaven. But we must know what this truly means! We can no longer use the name of God to advance our own agendas. We can no longer continue to see any man as lesser than ourselves. We can no longer ignore the cries of the hurt, the broken and those in need. Will we, the representatives of the Father, have the same elitist and bigoted attitude that this world has? A worldly kingdom is a worldly kingdom – period. It doesn't matter if it's labeled "Christian" or not. If it is in place to advance a worldly, flesh-driven agenda, it opposes the LORD.

Regarding this world and its ways - there is no corner to turn. There is no valley to be climbed out of. There is no upswing just on the other side of said valley. That is, unless you look past all of this temporal nonsense and see the eternal. It's time my friend to keep your eyes on things above. It's time to see all of the events of this hour with wisdom and discernment that can only come from the LORD who knows it all and how it all will unfold. Take off the Christian-American glasses and see as He sees. In what, in whom does your identity lie? Let's all level the playing field and see every man, woman and child as ourselves. Even the LORD of all Lords humbled Himself and dwelt among all of us. He made Himself low and interacted with people many of us would consider detestable. Surely, surely if He can do it, we can as well! I'm becoming more and more convinced that love really is the revolution - the only revolution that will bring hope to this desperate and dying world.

When Men Become Expendable – Part Four

War

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men." Luke 6:35

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." Matthew 24:7

I’d like to preface this part of the series with the fact that I don’t believe it’s accidental that this part is being posted on Veterans Day. I did not plan it that way at all as this article was written in its entirety a couple weeks ago. Perhaps some will feel that posting such an article on this patriotic holiday is in poor taste. Please understand, the issue is not who is patriotic or not – it is much deeper. What is within the next paragraphs in no way overlooks or takes for granted what so many have sacrificed and gave their lives for. However, the issue is why? For what? Does it fit the calling to set up the Kingdom of God that has nothing to do with kingdoms of men?

If what I've brought up so far has brought any sort of offense in you to the surface, you'd better buckle up because this next topic is much more likely to rub many the wrong way. This subject is a broad one and I will only barely even scratch the surface here.

What about all of these wars that the US fights in the name of God? We're blasted with all of the images melding Christianity and war. The Cross of Christ overlaying American flags, "God Bless Our Troops" as they go off to fight in wars that they don't even understand. Sermons and hit "Christian" songs that praise this great nation as self-proclaimed crusaders for God abound. So many are riddled with a patriotism that states that God is somehow pleased with our slaughtering of one another all over the globe. We fly in, kill, get the leaders to kneel to us and we leave - all in the name of freedom. And this somehow is equated with God as people stand and cry over fighter jets flying over as "God Bless America" blares over the sound system. I, in all honestly, do not understand this whatsoever. I have tried and tried but just cannot justify it and connect the two.

I understand that people get all warm and fuzzy about it all, but I urge you, before you get all riled up, step back and look at it from a kingdom of God standpoint and please explain to me how this fits any godly agenda. We've been duped to believe that this somehow "Christianizes" other countries or something if America goes and establishes "order". It's all about us getting what we want – period (oil anyone?). If it were about the "innocent civilians" that need our help, then why aren't we in all of the other third world countries raging wars against the regimes bent on slaughtering entire villages in one week's time? Because what would a place like Rwanda have to offer us? Nothing. So let's let some people make some commercials that guilt us into sending them some lunch money now and then. I'll turn the spotlight on me for a moment. Why aren't I doing all that I can to aid in the feeding of the starving and clothing of the naked? Why do I have a refrigerator full of food that may or may not even be eaten before it expires? Because I'm too often self-centered and too often see my own need first. This must change.

One of the most frustrating things to me personally is how we rally as a nation to send innocent young men and women into battle in order to further an agenda that they have nothing to do with. Over the last five years, I have developed a dear relationship with a Vietnam veteran. Each and every time I have ever got together with him, without one exception, he brings up his experiences there. What he has seen, done and carried with him for the past forty years is far from patriotic. There were no hymns playing and flags waving beautifully in the wind in the war that he lived. You see, that's all for show for you and I back here in our comfy living rooms. What did he experience in the name of patriotism and justice? Holding comrades as they bled to death in his arms, women and children pulled from grass homes and slaughtered, arms being blown off by enemy gunfire, stacks of bodies of the fallen… I could go on for hours and barely explain what he has told me over the years. Please, anyone tell me what my God has to do with any of this! Please! Explain to me how the things that have tortured this man since he was twenty years old had anything to do with carrying out the will of the LORD as a "Christian" nation! We have somehow justified whatever we (the US) want to do as righteous and some high calling that God somehow approves of. Who decides this? Who is it that hears the LORD give such commands? It must be some personal revelation because the Bible that I study instructs me to live much differently. Of course verses are thrown around that the LORD spoke to Israel in the times of the Old Testament. But I have a news flash, the US is not the Israel of the Bible and therefore using these types of passages to justify "defeating our enemies" is pure hogwash and complete misuse of the Scriptures! (GW Bush was the best at this in recent years.)

So if people want to throw up images on "church" big screens that have verses overlaying images of war, perhaps they should look into the teachings of Jesus. What do we do with Scriptures that say we're to "overcome evil with good" or "bless those who persecute us"? What about "don't repay evil for evil" or the simple, yet somehow discarded as childish and impractical, "love your enemies"? Instead we misuse the Word of God and use verses that have nothing to do with the US as some executive order from God to America – conquer the world and annihilate your enemies! It is not justified and this country has no more right to stand up and declare itself as "God's nation" than any other, outside of Israel.

To me the deeper issue is, in light of what the Word of God tells us, why do we want to kill our enemies? It absolutely opposes the kingdom of God mindset and order!

So much of this warring that the US leads across this globe is seemingly all about the furthering of this form-of-godliness Nation, placing its stake on more and more property in the name of doing global good. It's nonsense and it places no value in human lives. The civilians? Expendable. They're just the innocent bystander of an ugly situation. The enemy soldiers? They're not like us, right? They're just animals – ruthless tyrants who, in our arrogant minds, somehow deserve to die… in the name of freedom of course. Our own soldiers? Well, it's just their duty - a sacrifice that must be made. We'll tie some ribbons on trees and make sure their bodies get counted for the nightly news reports. I ask, for what? The ones we label as "evil terrorists" or "oppositions of peace" are living and breathing people with souls just like you and I. The men and women, who daily wake up to fight and do as their countries tell them have value, they have purpose, they have life – they are all, no matter what “side” they are on, all men and women created in the image of God. They are not expendable.

The conclusion will be posted Friday.

When Men Become Expendable - Part Three

Race

"[The God who made the world and all things in it] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation." Acts 17:26

"Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?" Malachi 2:10

Oh boy, you talk about a touchy topic. Let's get right to it. We likely all have relatives, friends and acquaintances that seem to be hung up on this issue, I know that I do. In an unintentional pun, it really is a black and white issue. You either see all men created in the image of God or you think you are somehow elevated above another – period. I could stop here and my point would be adequately made. Again, the issue is the same - each person creates classes and sects with levels of value and importance. I'll turn the spotlight on myself. I recently had the opportunity to spend a small amount of time with some guys that were of different nationality than me. They barely spoke any English and would be what I would deem as poor. They were beyond kind. They were servant-minded. They were likely as helpful as any persons that I've ever met. But, I felt like I saw them as different than me. I talked to the LORD and my wife about it. I didn't like how I viewed them. Why would I see them as any lesser than me? Because they live and work in dirty, run down conditions? Does that somehow define one's value and importance?

What I'm discovering more and more as I grow in the LORD is the simple fact that we are absolutely all the same. Whether you're an Asian field laborer, an Iraqi brick maker, an American CEO, it is all completely irrelevant in the eyes of my Father. It is we who place labels and status on others, not Him! In reference to bigoted comments, racist attitudes or slurs, I often hear, "oh well that's how he was raised" or "well they come from a different generation". While these may be completely accurate statements, they are sad excuses, especially if one claims to be a Believer. Perhaps we could analyze the depth of this issue by how many people would hang out with a dark-skinned Man that sat around talking with hookers and demoniacs after He denounced the religious order of His day. As an adult, I'm responsible for who I am, not my parents, grandparents or what part of the country I grew up in.

No matter the color of skin, geographic location or social upbringing, all are created in the beautiful image of the LORD. All are equal in His sight and should be in ours as well. All have value and purpose. None are expendable.

NEXT: Part Four - War

When Men Become Expendable - Part Two

The Homeless

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27

"Open your mouth, judge righteously and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy." Proverbs 31:9

Several months ago I remember reading an article about homeless men and women being corralled and flown out of New York City on one-way flights – paid for by the government and taxpayers. Are you kidding me? Response after response over it online was how great of an idea it was as it would save the city money on costs for shelters. After all, who wants bothered by them anyway, right?

I'll personally admit that I've had little history with the homeless. Even the reference to them as such turns my stomach as it automatically categorizes them in people's minds and somehow deems them as lesser. I have however had enough interaction with several over the years to get the gist of many of their circumstances. I'd say that all of them that I have personally met had one major event that went horribly wrong and set off a chain of events that changed everything. They had no one there to help them and the end result was that they lost all that they had and ended up on the street. Whether it was their own fault or not is irrelevant really. We all make bad mistakes and thankfully, don't always reap the bad benefits due us. Despite most people's willingness to believe this, it could easily happen to any one of us within a very short time frame, should the circumstances be right. How are they viewed though? How do you see the homeless? They're often dirty and disheveled with few, if any possessions and generally understood to be somewhat mysterious. In this culture, if you're dirty and your abode is a city park, then you are automatically a lesser man. I would assume that we have all felt this at some point. Some figure out that these men and women are no different than any other and leave that prideful mindset behind, others will go to their grave avoiding them at all costs and assuming that they are somehow unworthy of respect, love and attention.

I will tell you, in absolute complete honesty, I don't know that I have ever been moved so deeply as when showing the love of the Father to a certain homeless man two years ago. I've only seen him three times since I met him two years ago (he lives in another city), but the day that I picked up Jerry and simply spent thirty minutes with him will forever be etched in my memory. He has value, he has purpose, he has life – He is a man created in the image of God. My time with him taught me more about the Gospel in minutes than years of evangelism courses and Sunday School classes ever did. These who we call "homeless" are our brothers and sisters in this world. They have value. They are not expendable. (I encourage you to stop and find the dozens of times that Jesus referenced the poor and the forgotten in the Scriptures. You might be surprised to find when reading His descriptions of them, they are more likely closer to God than any of us.)

These that society has cast aside and heaped insult upon their already dire circumstances are men and women of value. They were created in the image of God. Their lives have purpose and destiny. They are not expendable.

NEXT: Part Three - Race

When Men Become Expendable - Intro/Part One

"But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8

I rarely ever write anything that would be remotely considered a commentary on current events or circumstances. I didn't write this piece in order to long for the good 'ol days or to wish for some utopian dream world that will never exist within this fallen world. I feel that I have a pretty firm grasp on reality and why things are the way they are. It will continue to worsen and I fully understand that, it's all told to us in pretty clear detail within the Scriptures. However, my role in the midst of it all is important. What side am I on? Are there even sides to begin with? What do I see? What do I do about what I see? Should I do anything? How do I respond to what I see unfolding upon this earth? Do I ignore it? Do I attempt to pray it all away? Value and love for mankind are dramatically on the decline and I just don't want my life, in any way, to be a part of it. If you're looking for a deep doctrinal discussion piece, you'll be disappointed in this article. If you're interested in reading one man's opinion on what he sees, then you might just be challenged. Hopefully we can all continue to seek the counsel of the LORD about the circumstances forthcoming and be the people that He desires us to be in our generation, despite how troublesome all around us often seems. This is more or less an opinion piece, so please proceed with an open mind and heart, with the title in mind throughout.

In this piece I briefly examine four key areas that I believe show the modern-day insignificance of mankind. We have allowed each other to become expendable and it's imperative that we, those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, realize this tragedy and make adjustments to properly love, cherish and value one another.

Murder/Abortion

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13

These topics really get me. Nothing, in my opinion, declares the obvious rise of darkness over this age than these two issues. If one were to pick any given day and watch only one hour of the national news, you'd hear of people cutting open pregnant women's stomachs in order to steal live babies, stabbings, decapitations, mass murders, mass suicides, dismemberment, assassination attempts, neighbors killing neighbors and stuffing them into closets – we could go on forever. And where is this again? In this fine "Christian" nation? Surely not! Yes my friend, it's all right here in our own backyards and it has nothing to do with value systems and the loss of morality alone (I'll be looking much more into this issue soon). I urge you, stop and think about this – hard. Husbands are butchering their wives and kids in their own living rooms… in rural Minnesota! This is the reality that we live in each day. And people casually seem to think that it's just the way things are. So few seem to remember the biblical rule of principalities and powers – instead it's just "good people" doing "bad things".

Just as the Word predicted, brother is turning against brother, wars are literally coming into suburban neighborhoods and violence is getting eerily strong. They may be in the form of a lesser organized killing campaign, but it's all the same. Men hating men. Covetousness. Territorial pride. And I'm not talking about gangs here, I'm talking about blue collar CEO's doing the unspeakable next door while you bake cookies in your kitchen and wonder if you should invite them to "church".

In the name of abortion and women's rights, approximately 49 million babies have been killed in the US since the year that I was born, 1973. Today as I sit and write this, it is November 2 and as of this moment, 34.8 million human lives have been legally killed around the world since January 1^st of this year. Do you understand that? Do you comprehend this? Estimates are that around 50 million have been reportedly aborted in the US alone since abortion became legal in 1973. The number is nearing 4,000 per day within the US alone. We willingly murder our own children, yet millions say, "please save the starving polar bear from global warming!" (sarcasm intended). I just don't get it. Oh yes, I forgot, it's all our choice. It's all about what we deem as convenient, easy and personally acceptable.

These babies, who are never even given a chance, have purpose, they have been given a life and are created in the image of God. They are not expendable. The men and women murdered each and every hour on the streets and in their homes, deemed by society as guilty or innocent, have purpose. They have been given life and are created in the image of God. Whether they are violent killers or innocent victims, none of them are expendable.

NEXT: Part Two - The Homeless

Intimacy vs. Intimidation – Part Three (Conclusion)

What did we see Jesus primarily do in the Scriptures? How did He draw others to Himself? What was His main focus and motivation? I believe that time and time again we see that He desired all too willingly lay down their lives and follow Him. I don't see what He did ever motivated by using coercion or fear. Time and time again we see in Scripture Jesus often saying, "Do not fear, only believe" and "why are you so afraid?". Unhealthy fear (what is aside from the Hebrew "yir'ah") is of the flesh - belief is much deeper. Fear sees the sin, belief sees the Saviour. The immeasurable love of the Father exposes my flaws and sin, but I am compelled to see my need by seeing His great love and compassion. Let's go back even further to the very beginning and look at Adam and Eve. Did God say, "Don't eat of this tree or else you'll go to hell and suffer eternally?" Of course not - it was all about losing interaction with Him immediately. Losing fellowship with God is what mattered then and I believe it is what should matter today. A vibrant, interactive relationship is what should fuel us to move toward Him and this will be a spiritual roadmap for others as well.

The reality of His great love for me that I have found should compel me to share with others, not how wretched and hell-bound they are! Just like it's always been, we get all worked up over things and Jesus is calmly resting in the midst of all the hoopla (see Mark 4:35-41 if you don't understand). I think just like back then, today He is saying "why is everyone so fearful and full of such dread?" Perhaps our ability to love others and capably speak of God's great love with them can be measured by our level of personally experiencing God's love. In short, perhaps we can only speak of what we've tasted and seen. This is, in my opinion, why fear, anger, wrath and judgment abound within the Body of Christ. Few have experienced the height and depth of God's unconditional love. My life has been wrecked by the love of God. He continues to change me and mold me – allowing me to incrementally understand His abounding love. My mind can simply not fathom its abundance. I am not worthy in myself, yet He graciously poured out His love for me. Romans 5:5 states that "hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." A friend recently pointed out to me a simple truth within this passage – His great love is not being poured out, it has been poured out. It is already poured out. My task, my purpose, my goal is to be a catcher of the love He has poured out. I want my life to be a reservoir of God's love. Not to store it up and horde it for myself but in order to pour it out into others so that they too might see and know my LORD intimately.

Aside from the redemption of Christ, I am no different than what we would deem as the worst of the worst. No one, apart from Christ, is any more deserving of eternal damnation and separation than I.

God's mercy, God's grace, God's love and patience have won me over. His sacrificial gift has drawn me to Him. His incomparable love continues to keep me. No decision or fear of hell ever moved me to intimacy with Him. This may differ for some, but for me, I didn't truly experience new life until I chose to fix my gaze upon His face. When I began to grasp His great love, no fear of hell or decision to be made could hold a candle to this new life! To summarize, I just want to urge us to be purveyors of God's awe and wonder - His great love, first and foremost. Yes, there is a place of eternal separation from God. Yes, the only way to spend eternity in the presence of the LORD is Jesus Christ. But what is our motivation when we speak to or about others? Does Christianity wield a sword of hell and damnation to manipulate "the lost" in order to win them over? How long will the religious organizations rally to increase salvation counts, baptisms and memberships in order to be deemed successful? (Imagine a VBS where only one child accepted Christ! Oh the horror! The pastor would surely demand a recount!) I think perhaps the biggest underlying issue is that we seemingly don't trust the LORD enough to draw people to Himself. A "He won't do it, or they just won't go willingly, so we'll scare them to Him" Christianity is a dreadful beast to embrace. I rest in the fact that He is pouring out His Spirit and that He will continue to use others who know Him intimately to draw others to Himself. We can yell, scream, give the most scary account of hell that we can muster, blast the greatest altar call of all time…it is all in vain unless the LORD is the One doing the drawing. I say we just all take a deep breath and see what God would desire us to say on the matter. Until we hear and heed, perhaps we should all just shut our mouths – I'll go first.

So, I guess if corralling 50 youth into a 95 degree, pitch black room, complete with a soundtrack of people screaming in pain as a church deacon dressed up like the devil holds a flashlight under his pointy chin is your way of explaining the love of Christ, so be it. If standing on a corner and holding signs about how God hates homosexuals and how they'll burn forever is your way of telling others how Christ has changed your life with His overwhelming, unconditional love, OK. If hellfire and brimstone messages every… single… Sunday… morning is producing biblically-defined, maturing followers of Christ, you go right ahead. But I just don't see it – the fruit of these approaches are all around. I have to wonder, just what if we really did simply start with explaining the awesome majesty of the LORD and how He has changed our entire lives? What if we wept uncontrollably when we spoke of His mercy and grace that has been poured out upon us? Not because it's part of the rehearsed outreach shenanigans but because I am generally moved when I think of His mercy! What if the simple reality of the awesomeness of God in our own personal lives could win others over? What if there was so much Christ exuding out of my life that people just had to know what it is that makes me radiate? Could that be enough? Is there enough of a radical salvation evident in my life that His living in me is sufficient evidence to "convince" others to see He is real?

I choose to keep my gaze fixed upon Him. I will speak of His marvelous acts! I will keep my mind set on things above. I will continue to see the innumerable facets of my salvation that has come from Him. I will see all others as no different than I, for apart from Christ we are all the same. I will trust and expect Him to draw others to Himself. I choose to believe that His overwhelming love will continue to win people over until He returns to set it all straight… just like it did me. Jesus Christ and Him crucified is enough.

Intimacy vs. Intimidation – Part Two

There's a great difference between cowering in the corner riddled with fear, and reverence. God can, without question do as He pleases, but I sure wouldn't desire a personal relationship with someone that I expect to eagerly wait to punish me all the time. Would you? I believe it's time we see all of the attributes of our Father God. Now I'm not speaking of an "anything and everything goes" perversity and taking advantage of Him, but rather a healthy, balanced understanding of His incredible love and compassion. Fear and intimidation can no longer be the tools used to "win souls". If God drawing someone to Himself is the only way anyone ever comes to Him anyway, why do we go to such great lengths to "make them" come to Him? I believe we have greatly over-stepped our boundaries in this area. We have moved from being a "tool" for God to use to being do-it-ourselves soul-winners. When intimidation and fear become recruiting tools for Christianity, the Christian faith becomes no different than any other oppressive religion that exists today. Coercion, fear and intimidation simply have no place in properly spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After all, the most widely known verse of all time states that "God so loved the world that He gave". His great love moved Him to give His only Son so that we might live! He gave so that we might know Him intimately, not just so that we'd escape hell and damnation.

I guess it's likely always been this way, but I think it's interesting how so many Christians have some odd hell fascination. Such dread and "what if I'm really not going to make it into heaven" mentality so greatly grips many Believers today. So many Christians are so unsure of their salvation that it's no wonder really that fear abounds. Fear, without question, plays such a major role in lives today, even within the Body of Christ. Because I understand what has taken place at my salvation, I know that hell has nothing to do with me now. I don't wonder about it. I don't think about it. I don't ever ponder, just what if my name's not found in the Book of Life? Hell has no hold on me! Why in the world should it? My salvation has no relevance to hell. I now set my mind on things above, not on earthly things… and surely not on things below.

Let me say that again. My salvation has nothing to do with hell and everything to do with Jesus, The Christ! If we promote a Gospel that says the primary focus is that Jesus died to keep me from going to hell, we've missed the entire point of God's wonderful plan!

Jesus, God as man, died a physical death as the second Adam, reconciling me to God – period. Now, of course, rescue from hell is one result of that death, resurrection and return, but it is just one facet of many! Despite this simple truth, it seems to always be the primary catalyst for modern-day evangelism. Repeat after me, "If you died today, where would you…..?" Spend eternity, that's right. We have all likely heard this many times. (sigh) The majority mindset is the fact that so many people are dying each day without Christ. I say the more important issue is that so many people are living each day without Christ. It is the here and now life in Christ that people are missing as well, not just eternity that is to come!

It would seem, by examining much of Christian evangelism, that the beauty, the majesty and the reality of Christ is seemingly not enough. It would seem that the mindset of far too many professing Christians is, "the love and mercy of God just isn't 'producing' what we think it should, so let's attempt to scare everyone into salvation." After all, religious guilt and oppression have kept pews filled for eons, has it not? Why does "church" attendance spike on holidays? Guilt. Why does this nation "turn to God" when tragedies arise? Guilt. Why does nearly every message and altar call end with, "You need Jesus to bail you out of 'x'… and by the way, if you're not interested, you're going to hell."? Guilt. Now I'm not debating the validity of this truth in any way whatsoever. My issue is that it seems too often to be the primary catapult and focus. I personally believe that if the origin is fear and escape, it skews the Christian life that may or may not follow. There is such pressure to "make a decision" everywhere you turn within Christianity. It would seem that, even if you have no idea what you're getting into, just make a decision, say you don't want to go to hell, and you're good to go. Is this what we're told biblical salvation is?

Let's look at it like this, since I believe that so much of our love relationship with the LORD is depicted in our earthly relationships. Let's examine a healthy marriage - I'll use my own as an example as I feel like the LORD is teaching us how to love as He loves. I love my wife greatly. I am compelled to spend as much time with her as I can because I love her -I absolutely long to spend time with her. I never worry about her leaving me or disowning me, for any reason. I'm never motivated to show her my love out of fearing that her love may fade for me if I don't. If I screw up, which I know that I will, it's OK because I am secure in her love for me. I long to lavish my love on her. I long to show her how I cherish and value her. My motivation is rooted in love, not fear of what might happen if I don't do it good enough. Although time and time again I fail, her love for me is sure, unwavering. I rest in her love for it is unconditional. This is how I see my relationship with my Father. I long to see His face. I desire to please Him. I set my mind on doing what pleases Him. Just like I fell in love with my wife over twelve years ago, I also fell in love with my Saviour. Nothing changed in me spiritually, when I "chose" to become a Christian out of fear of God's wrath and hell. My "decision" only briefly gave me a false hope that I outgrew because it held no relevance to my everyday life. Sure, many labeled me as a "good Christian" but all that meant was that they didn't really know the real me. Whether I truly experienced salvation or not by my confession is debatable, but my point remains the same. I never embarked on being conformed to the image of Christ until I fell in love with Him. I personally just don't believe that fear alone can produce a healthy spiritual relationship with the LORD. If this is true on any level, then why would anyone in the Body of Christ put so much effort behind the use of scare tactics and intimidation? Sadly, many religious endeavors only offer to have non-Believers trade in one form of bondage for another. Give up your guilt over alcoholism and exchange it for guilt over not tithing enough or attending enough services. Throw in your addiction to worldly entertainment and dive headlong into "Christian" entertainment (ie: modern-day "worship). Trade in your fear of men for a fear of the "clergy", as if this is somehow any different. You see, people in fear and bondage are easily controlled and manipulated and sadly, a lot of the church likes to keep it that way. My Bible says, "If the Son sets [me] free, then [I] will be free indeed." (John 8:36) And, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) There is only one yoke to be around a true Believers neck and that is the yoke of Christ (Matthew 11:30). Not guilt, not coercion, not manipulation. Christ alone.

* Part three will be posted Sunday morning.