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4 Things to Have on Ye Olde Radar...

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: One of the best books I've read of recent is Paul Miller's A Praying Life. I love it because Miller, who is a counselor by trade, has taken prayer and woven it through life's disappointments and joys. Miller has an autistic child, which forms the backdrop for this book. It is personal, deeply theological, and very practical. He is not afraid to tackle the hard questions about prayer, but does not get mired in mind-numbing theology that often discourages prayer. It has really amped up my prayer life and my confidence in prayer! The book is the source of such gems as:

• "You don't need self-discipline to pray continually, you only need to be poor in spirit."
• "You cann't really believe the Gospel without also becoming the Gospel."
  

'THE NINES' ONLINE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: Tomorrow, 09.09.09, beginning at 9:09. 9 minute clips from some of today's leaders. Somehow I got invited to contribute. It's all free, but you do have to register.

TOMORROW NIGHT, SEND RDU Our first forum of the fall for SENDRDU. Topic for the evening: "How to Know if You are Called." SENDRDU is the church planting arm of the Summit Church, commissioned with planting 1000 churches in the next 40 years. Forum is open to all. In the Bay, Brier Creek Campus, 7:00. More info here.

AL MOHLER ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO STUDENTS: A balanced, thoughtful, reflection on (on one side) some conservative over-reaction over the presidential address to students and (on the other side) the some legitimate concerns about the president's behavior. I found it helpful and filled with biblical wisdom. It is here.

A Link Extravaganza

1. Ehrman’s latest book, ‘Jesus, Interrupted,’ is discussed here. Darrell Bock makes some great points.

2. D. A. Carson, one of my favorite theologians, did 2 talks, available through this blog at the “Different By Design” conference. He talks about the counter culture nature of the Biblical teaching that men and women are different, by God’s design, and what the role is for both in the home and the church. If you want to get behind the “tag lines” and are interested in what the Bible really teaches on this issue, you’ll find this very helpful!

 

3. Congratulations Raleigh and Durham. We are #1 and #3 respectively for best places do do business and career in America according to Forbes. Check out our Summit Evening Campus' blog for a brief but great thought on what this means for us as a church.

 

4. A link to the ABC Nightline debate with Pastor Mark Driscoll, Annie Lobert, Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson on whether or not Satan exists...Here.

 

5. Be watching for a great new film coming out, “Collision.” It is a fairly unedited version of debates between two brilliant minds, Christopher HItchens (atheist) and Douglas Wilson (Christian). Here’s the video:

 

 

One pastoral note to those watching the games tonight and tomorrow, as I will, with rapt attention… remember that few things go deeper than the Duke vs. UNC rivalry. Only Jesus’ love is one of those, and that just barely. Be nice to each other on Sunday.

My Thoughts on the Election

I am still in South Asia (thus the sparce blog updates). I plan to return tomorrow.

Well, it's over and Barack Obama is our new president. As you (at the Summit Church) know, I have refrained from giving public support, either explicit or implicit, to either candidate. As I have explained before, I have chosen not to do that--not because I don't believe the Christian worldview applies to politics or because I don't think Christians should be in politics (they very much should!). It is just that God has called me to the preaching of the Gospel and the leading of a local church. As a pastor, I represent a Gospel community and that one identifying mark must remain crystal clear to the community I am seeking to reach. If I obscure that one thing with the overtones of political partisanship--even if it's good politics--I will have failed to live according to the mission God has given to me for now. Personally, I have to say no to many good things that would keep me from the fulfilling the one thing I have been given to do.

I do not intend to renege on that commitment here. What I do want to do is make the following observations concerning our role as Christians in the culture in light of this election:

1. Whether you personally like it or not, Barack Obama is our president now. As such, he deserves the prayer, support and respect due to someone in that office. Paul commands us to honor and serve our rulers as the ministers of God (so far, of course, as conscience allows) Speaking disrespectfully of them is an offense against God and a bad testimony to the name of Christ. (1 Peter 2; Romans 13). He is our president and he has my prayer and respectful support.

2. Politics aside, I rejoice that our nation has elected an African-American man as president. In a nation scarred with the hideous sin of slavery, it marks an important milestone of healing in our country.

3. There will be a peaceable transfer of power, even though opinions on how to govern are at a fever pitch. Being here in S. Asia makes me realize just how rare that is in the world. That is a blessing we probably take for granted.

4. Abortion is an horrific practice, which, as John Piper says, "the true horrors of which are recognized by very few of us." It is an unmitigated slaughter of the weak, and a worse scourge on our country than was slavery--it is more evil, and just as racist (it affects more African-American children than others. 12 million murdered African-American children since Roe vs Wade in 1973!)

I am troubled by President Obama's stand on this issue, as up until now he has been the most pro-choice member of Congress and most pro-choice candidate to ever run for executive office. While I am grateful he is committed to reducing the number of abortions, I am troubled that he will not speak with conviction about the full humanity of the unborn baby and that he has pledged to ensure that the willful disposal of human life shall remain an option in our culture. I pray Obama will change his heart on this issue.

Abortion is something I believe we must unequivocally condemn as murder. For both those who voted and who did not vote for Obama, we must pray and work to bless our country by bringing an end to this great tragedy. Ending abortion will include not only seeking justice and legal protection by law for those who cannot protect themselves, but also praying for our leaders; working to end the poverty that sometimes makes abortion seem like a good alternative; being clear on the immorality of the pratice; loving and sharing the forgiveness of Jesus with those who have had an abortion; offering hope to those who are considering abortion; and being involved in adoption. You can be involved right here locally, through our church and our partner, Pregnancy Support Services. For more info, click here.

5. Our citizenship as Christians is not ultimately in the United States of America, but in heaven. Our hopes and our loyalties lie first and foremost there.

The work of the Gospel is not dependent on who is in office. I love our country and I desire her peace and prosperity. But I care more about the spread of the Gospel, and my first prayer about this election has been that it will result in the spiritual prosperity of the churches in America and the promulgation of the healing Gospel of Jesus into all the world. Paul told us to pray for freedom of speech (1 Tim 2:1-4) that we might freely teach the Gospel. Jeremiah tells us to pray for the prosperity of our city (Jer 29:7), which also contributes to the preaching of the Gospel. I pray for both continued freedom in our country and prosperity, not just as ends unto themselves, but as means to spread the Gospel. Ultimately, because I am a citizen of heaven it is the spread of the Gospel to which I am most committed. God promises that, to that end, He that begun a good work in us will complete it regardless of who is in office (Philippians 1:6).

If you are one of the ones that was discouraged by this election, don't be. Our true King is always on the throne and His purposes He promises will go ever forward.

A much more eloquent and insightful articulation of these points and many others can be found here, by John Piper. While there are some things in his analysis I might have said differently, or maybe not have said at all, it is full of biblical wisdom. (I love the statement he makes right toward the end: "Christians sometimes talk as if God will judge us as a country if we elect a President who supports gay marriage and abortion. Those things are the judgment of God." Our country's greatest need is not new laws, but to return to humility before God. Church, we must pray that our nation comes back to Jesus so that we might be delivered from these judgments. Abortion alone has been a sign of judgment to us that we must return to Jesus, and that starts first in the church.)

I have turned the "comments" function on this blog off, because I do not wish for this to become a political forum. Thanks for respecting that (i.e. don't wait until I post something else tomorrow and then post your comment under that.)

Now, church, let's get on with our work of preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and bringing the healing of Jesus in every nation on earth, starting in RDU.

California's Gay Marriage Law and Praying for our Country

The WEEK OF HOPE for RDU is coming! Want to know how others are serving through Hope For Durham? Visit www.hopefordurham.info to read the stories and post your own!

Today is a significant day in the life of our country and I want to ask you to pray with me for God to have mercy on us. Today was the day California's new "law" opening up marriage to people of the same sex went into effect--against the will of the people of that state, mind you. You say, "Haven't people been able to get married in certain states before?" Yes, but there were always residency requirements and throwbacks. Under this new law, people from anywhere can simply go to California and get married and carry that marriage anywhere they please.

Before I comment... a little context: Those of you that go to the Summit know that I have made a decision, as a pastor, to stay out of politics. That's not because I don't think political things matter or they are somehow "beyond" the scope of the Christian worldview. They do matter, and they are not beyond the scope of Biblical thinking. As a follower of Jesus, I must look at EVERYTHING through the lens of the Christian worldview. Nor is it because I am short on opinions. Anyone who knows me knows I have 9 opinions on any 1 subject.

My decision to stay out of politics, personally, has to do with my own personal calling as a pastor. My primary calling is to the Gospel, and I refuse to entangle myself in anything that keeps me from that one thing. The Gospel, and not a particular political persuasion, is the "main thing" at our church. We have both Republicans and Democrats on our staff and in our congregation. We have both McCainiacs and Obama-mamas in our congregation and on our stage each Sunday.

I will do my best to teach biblical principles about all areas of life, but applying them to various political situations I'll usually leave to you. You may disagree with me on how I apply a biblical worldview to situations--say, the war in Iraq, taxation, theories about climate change, etc. That is OK. I don't want to let that divide us. Plus, I know I might be wrong in my opinion on the war in Iraq or the proper role of the government in education. But I KNOW I'm not wrong about the Gospel, and I don't want to let my opinions on the former keep you from hearing and believing me about the latter.

There are exceptions, however--times we must be involved politically. For example, if I were a pastor in Richmond, VA in 1860 I don't think it would please God for me not to preach against racism just because it was a "politically charged issue" (nor should I avoid talking about it today!). If I were a German pastor in 1939 I don't think I should keep my mouth shut about anti-semitism. Today, I can't call myself a follower of Jesus and keep my mouth shut about the mass-murdering of an entire generation of children, particularly the children of minorities, in the name of "freedom of choice."

In the same way, I believe we must speak out about the redefinition of marriage. I know you may ask "Why is this an issue of such critical importance? Why can't people be free to do what they want and marry whom they want?"

When you redefine marriage, you unweave a crucial thread in any stable society. Marriage was established by the Creator to be a crucial building block for a healthy life. Part of our self-identity is found in our gender. We understand who we are and the roles we play by understanding the distinctions of gender. If you don't understand who are as a male or female, you don't understand yourself. God intended marriage to be a union of the two genders because in that union we have the loving union of the two contrasting genders. Marriage between people of the same sex skews that understanding and, consequently, our view of ourselves. Further, same sex marriage mars our image of God. God said that His image was revealed in the "male and female" union in marriage (Gen 1:28-29).

Thus, when you redefine marriage as something other than between one man and one woman, you distort your view of yourself and your view of God.Even though no marriages are perfect, and divorce and immorality skew the picture God intended to give us, the structure of marriage itself is a compass that adds definition to our lives.

Furthermore, there has to be SOME definition of marriage we are operating on. If we begin to say that same-sex marriage is ok, what stops us from polygamy? What about an older man and a consenting adolescent? How about a man and a horse? I'm not trying to be silly, I'm just saying that at some point somebody has to define marriage. The whole "lowest common denominator" thing won't work very long.

Government has not seen it to be their role to define marriage. What "marriage" is, is written into natural law as well as spelled out in God's word--both of which are the basis of our societal laws. Government doesn't, and never has, define marriage, it recognizes the definition written into natural law.

Of course, not all of our biblical convictions should be made into laws that apply to all people. We have a pluralistic society which is free to, in many ways, recognize and pursue their own morality, even when it is very offensive to us. People can choose to worship God or not. They can choose to be immoral or not. But when marriage itself is redefined, then the entire society is redefined. It will soon become mandatory to recognize and teach the normalcy of both types of marriages in our public schools. It may become illegal to criticize same sex marriage. This will be a major blow to the stability of our society and how future generations of boys and girls come to understand themselves and their gender identities. (If you don't believe all of this, check out "Act 2" of this news story from NPR. The trajectory is not hard to plot.)

For the sake of future generations--future boys and girls who will learn to understand life, God, and themselves by looking at the structure of family--this is an issue we have to be clear on. Out of love, and self-righteous judgmentalism, we must work to maintain the family structure in our society. Loss of the family structure will do nearly irreparable harm to millions of future boys and girls. I hope you will pray with me for God's mercy and blessing on our society. We are the church and this is why we are here--we are salt and light. Let's cry out to God for mercy on our community.

We love homosexual people and they are welcome in our church on Sunday. In no way am I calling for self-righteous judgmentalism. We are massively fallen people ourselves, and we are a community of people experiencing healing and forgiveness. I am not a judge, just a fellow sinner pointing toward a redeeming Savior, arguing that His ways are always best. I've been forgiven of more than I can tell you about. I am inviting you to trust God with me.

This has not been an attempt to provide a full apology on the institution of marriage--just a reminder to fellow believers that we need to pray (if you're looking for a more definitive treatment, check out stuff by one of my favorite authors, J. Budziszewski, such as this). I know not every Christian will agree with me that this is an issue worth speaking out on, but I hope you at least the reasoning I'm using in getting there...