Is the church totally defeated? Maybe yes

The church in Corinth was so deeply divided that they were almost a lost cause.  “The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already.” I Corinthians 6:7

Lawsuits aside, I believe that that may be a description of much of American Christianity.  We have been completely defeated. 

I am greatly distressed by the nonsense that is being spewed out by both sides of the political divide and that has taken a strangle hold on the church in America.  It seems that the church is little more that the religious arms of the two political camps.  As a Christian you are asked or even expected to side with the left or the right.  For some there is the expectation that your political convictions will trump any and everything else.  It seems to be the same for either side.

Has the church lost its ever-loving mind?   EVERYTHING has become political.  So, for all you Diotrephes wannabes that insist on having a fight on every political subject let me explain something to you.

DBR. 

If you want to run to a tattoo parlor and have that inked on to your neck, forearm, face or lower back go ahead, I will wait.   It is ALL ABOUT DBR.  Ask yourselves in 10,000 years will it really matter if the President twitters about employment in the NFL?  In 10,000 years will it matter if there is a statue of George Washington, Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln or Teddy the Wonder Lizard on the town square?  Will it matter if an Asian American by the name of Robert Lee is not broadcasting a football game because his name sounds like a long dead officer from a losing army, or that a school library rejects a gift of Dr. Seuss books because it was claimed that they had racist themes?  In 10,000 years, none of the skubalon (go do your Greek home work) we are getting excited about will matter.  But DBR will matter.  In 10,000 years, everything we are getting so juiced up about will be as meaningful as the chatter of 12-year old girls at a Justin Bieber concert.   ZERO importance. 

Once upon a time there was a wise, brilliant, teacher who got hooked up on DBR.  He lived at a time of social injustice that would shock us by its intensity.  In literally every area of the culture it was rotten from top to bottom.  The head of state was a pervert; the ruling parties had the moral integrity of a pimp.  The sports and entertainment industry was flooded with sex, violence and greed. The religious systems were driven by money, power, ego and one-ups-man-ship and were seen as a way to get ahead and get what you want. (Some things never change).  No part of society was exempt from moral rot.

This great teacher apparently never lead a protest, never wrote a directed attack on the political powers of his time, and said only a little about how evil the world was. 

But here is what he did write:   

^“But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” 

And

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith…” 

And he wrote this:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 

That is what matters, DBR.  DBR!  The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

I hear Christians, left and right, complaining, especially in social media, about the mess this country is in and how evil the other side is, how Christians must support the President or the players for not standing for the National Anthem.  Articles contrasting Colin Kaepernick and Tim Tebow have been used by Christians to argue their side of the story.  (Please see blog below)

If I may paraphrase Paul: “What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Kaepernick”; another, “I follow Tebow ”; another, “I follow Trump”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided?”

Stop talking about how bad things are and how bad the other side is.  Instead talk to someone who is a non-Christian about the amazing grace of Jesus.  If ½ the energy Christians expend on political wrangling were directed toward making disciples, we might be experiencing revival.  Yes, there is a social aspect to the Gospel, but that change will come from the Holy Spirit, not your social media post.  So, let me offer a suggestion.  SHUT up! 

 If you think I struggle with misguided priorities then look me up in 10,000 years and tell me then about how important it was to protect a statue or support NFL players’ protest.  

Take this test

Answer yes or no to each question:

Part 1

1. Do you daily pray for lost people to come to Christ?
2. Do you daily pray for ministers/evangelists/ missionaries to be effective in the work of making disciples?
3. Do you see your recreational and social outlets as opportunities to engage lost people with the goal of loving them into knowing Jesus?
4. Do you believe to the core of your being that a person who dies apart from grace will spend eternity in unspeakable misery?
5. Do you have the ability to clearly and concisely show a person how to become a Christian?

Part 2

1. Do you daily engage in social media on social political issues?
2. Do you degrade or ridicule people with whom you disagree in hostile, aggressive or unloving ways?
3. Do you keep to Christian groups (in real life not virtual) for all your religious conversations and activities?
4. Are you unbothered by the idea of people who are lost going into a hopeless eternity?
5. Are you content with not sharing the Gospel?

Beware of the Trolls in sheep’s clothing.

In the Sermon On the Mount Jesus said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”   In the digital age that warning needs to be especially heeded, though today we might call them trolls.  Not everything that is purported to be from a Christian is Christian.  Christians need to be very discerning and test what they find on line against the Scriptures.  (This essay included)

In the blog I spoke of articles posted by Christians that contrast two football players.  These articles are drawn from such faithful Christian witnesses as the Washington Times and the Huffington Post.  (Let cynicism ring)  The major media outlets are not interested in making disciples, or leading the church of Christ toward unity.  In fact, many of the major media outlets have a bias against the Christian faith and conflict, division, and uproar serve their purposes.  Additionally, the author of the article is a bit unorthodox, even questioning in one of his blogs Jesus’ support for what we would call the traditional family.  Without taking the time to read the back ground material from an author you may not know if he is more like Franklin Graham or Ernst Bloch.

Jesus advises that by their fruit we can identify and distinguish between wolves and sheep.  In the digital age that is hard to do.  One thing I have found useful is to try to engage the person privately via email or private message.  Those that only want to communicate in a public forum where a wider audience can see their message are likely trolls.  They are often self-interested blowhards that are best avoided.  If they are not interested in solutions but only ranting and raving you have a troll on your hands.  In one of the forums I follow an individual, whom we will call Dennis, was consistently posting edgy material about repression, class, and making inflammatory comments to those who disagreed.  He struck me as a character from Monty Python.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtYU87QNjPw

I asked him to tone down the comments.  I was ignored and later when I asked him to join me in a few, simple, practical steps to work toward unity; it was as if I did not exist.  The best treatment for a troll is to ignore them.  You may even un-friend them, not because you disagree with them, but because they are disagreeable.  If you happen on a troll, suggest he/she study I Thess. 3:11-12.  Paul knew how to deal with trolls.

Loving the Small Things

Grandpa Lymon and June Bug
Grandpa Lymon ran a store because he loved to socialize with folks.

As you may know I have a book coming out this winter.  The Adventures of June Bug Johnson is the result of many years of hearing, collecting, and embellishing funny stories.  Writing this book was a labor of fun, the editing and other things that followed were more a labor of love.

Emotionally, I feel like this book ought to be the center of literary universe; it is almost like seeing your child do well.  Other writers may feel differently, but I have become deeply invested in these stories.  In my mind I know this book is no Gone With the Wind, Great Expectations, or That Hideous Strength but that doesn’t change the way I feel.

The problem is that as a no-name author of a collection of funny stories the well-read world of fine literature is not beating my door down asking for interviews, movie rights or book signings.  I would love to have Barnes and Noble or Books-a-Million sign me to a book tour that would guarantee large turnouts at every store.  So far, I have not been able to get past their phone tree and talk to a live person.

I am, however, booking tours, and so far there are no events scheduled at major players in the book industry.  For example, my first retail outlet event is at a gift shop/drug store in a little town in a rural county.  This county is so rural there is only one traffic light in the whole county.  This store still delivers drop orders, the pharmacist calls customers by their first name, the clerk at the cash register chats with folks about their kids, grand kids, and great grand kids.  It is the kind of place where the heart is larger than the numbers.

While I would certainly like to book an event that would sell 500 copies, I think I will enjoy a casual, easygoing afternoon in a small town, drug store more.  This is a book about stories, with one of the central characters being a storekeeper name Grandpa Lymon (pronounced Lemon) who runs a small community store.  It is about being a part of a caring community and the relationship that guide us through life. 

From chapter one about the worst Klan rally ever:

Lymon felt that the real value of a store was the friendship between the customer and the shopkeeper.  He would treat a man with a $75 order no different than a child buying a penny candy, except that he would occasionally give the candy away.    Lymon loved people and the general store was just a way to be around people.  When taking an order he would let folks talk as long as they needed; both by disposition and habit, he did not rush.  Among the shelves of canned meats, chewing tobacco, string, pistol and rifle cartridges, the one thing folks came for most was the friendship. 

I believe Grandpa Lymon would be right proud that I am launching this book tour at a store in a small community where people are what matter most.  I may end up doing a book signing at a major outlet, but the chances of making a long-term friend  are much better in a small store than in a book signing frenzy.  So, I am going to make a point of loving the small things.

If you want to schedule a book signing for you event large or small email me dirently or go to the book’s website www.JuneBugJohnson.com, look around, and drop me a note.

Prayer and Faith before and after Irma.

In Luke 17:11-19, we find a Bible story staple.  It is the stuff you learned in Sunday School back when that was a thing.  But like most Bible stories it is much deeper than we realize with a casual reading.  It is the story of 10 lepers who meet Jesus as He is going to Jerusalem.  As Jesus enters their village they cry out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  

They had heard of the healings of Jesus no doubt from the comings and goings of the villagers.  As Jesus approached, word would have spread that the great miracle worker of Galilee was coming their way.

Three points need to come first.  First, they all had enough faith to position themselves in such a way as to meet him, even if it was at a distance.  Second, they all had enough faith to ask for mercy.  Mercy means to take action based on sympathy or pity.  It is the word that describes action to alleviate the suffering caused by life in a sinful world.  Third, they all had faith enough to, at the command of Jesus, take off to find a priest that could declare them clean.    Clearly all of the lepers had faith enough to receive God’s mercy for their need.  But only one, when he saw that the cure was affected, returned to give thanks and glory to God. 

There is a level of faith that can ask for God’s help in the time of the crisis.  When the hurricane is bearing down and we can see the trouble we can have enough faith to say, “God help me”.  God, to quote the Anglican liturgy, “whose property is always to have mercy” often grants us help and rescue.  We often live at this level of faith, never considering that there is a deeper kind of faith.  Sadly, many preachers today proclaim this level of faith as if this is all there is to faith, and never talk or teach about a faith that is much deeper.  God has rescued us and we feel that that is enough and we are content.  In one very shallow way it may be enough. 

But that kind of faith is like drinking warm water out of a garden hose.  For a person in danger of dying of dehydration warm water from a water hose is pretty wonderful.   But when we are comfortable, the AC is running, and the hurricane has passed we don’t really need faith, unless it is to be more comfortable, have a cooler AC and need perfect weather for our weekend.  Faith that God will rescue me from a storm and take care of me in a crisis is a faith that I will only practice when I have a want or a need.  It is not a very practical faith except in the storm.

One of the lepers had a different kind of faith.  It was the faith that was deeper, richer, and stronger.  It was a faith that returned to give glory to God.  Nine men had enough faith to go and enjoy the blessings God had given them.  One had the faith of submission, love, and relationship.  Nine men went away healed, one man stayed in the presence of God.  Nine men had their bodies changed; one man had a change of everything. 

As Irma was bearing down on Florida last week multitudes of people were praying.  They were asking God, “Whose property is always to have mercy” to rescue them, their loved ones, or even strangers.  I believe those prayers were answered.  But now that the storm is passed, now that the AC is humming in the background do we worship God?  And what about those people for whom God’s answer to their prayers of rescue was, “No, you must walk through this suffering.”  That is the great thing about this deeper kind of faith.  The shallow faith is shattered if the rescue doesn’t come.  If the storms destroy, the cancer kills, the condition is unrelenting, the relationship is never restored then their faith is wrecked.  But the deeper faith will survive.

Lazarus died again; Mary and Martha stood at the tomb and cried again.  This time there was no rescue, this time Jesus didn’t show up four days later and do His thing.  But this time they didn’t need it; they had moved to a deeper faith.  

There will be another hurricane that will pound the coast.  The names have already been picked out.  Maybe it will be hurricane Debby, Gordon, Isaac, Leslie or Oscar.  In 2019, one of the names picked out is Hurricane Wendy (I think that is in bad taste).  If not a hurricane there will be a crisis from which there is no earthly rescue.  When that happens will we have the deeper faith that worships?  Or will ours be a faith that only whines because we didn’t get what we wanted when we wanted it?