His Grace for My Heart

Gracism

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:49:00 +0000

I just finished David Anderson's book on inclusion called, "Gracism." He introduces a new term which, he believes, will help people understand a biblical perspective on the race concerns of our culture. In many ways, Anderson's book is a practical and honest consideration of Christian love.

Anderson has an agenda, of course, and uses grace to communicate his concerns. His idea of grace is that believers have been given something we neither deserved nor earned and we ought to give in the same way. He encourages us to reach out to those who are not included in our normal circles of affluence or influence, to deliberately cross any boundaries that have kept some people separate and disadvantaged. This reflects, in his mind, the grace of Christ.

While I wholeheartedly agree with the general thrust of the book, I found it to be too narrow in focus and too preachy for my enjoyment. I believe that grace teaches us that there are no barriers of race, gender, or life situation. I believe that the love of Christ is equally given to anyone. I believe that Christians ought to be the most inclusive and least bigoted people on the planet. A great deal of evil has been perpetuated in the church because of the narrow and unkind prejudices of believers.

Yet, I think Anderson steps into something less than grace when he suggests that we should actively seek out people who fit our definition of disadvantaged. It is a racial issue, for him. He admits that racial prejudices exist in all ethnic groups, but the message is clearly one of socialistic equalizing rather than simple love. Jesus welcomed all people and His welcome to the lesser esteemed people was noticed, but He was just as open to a Pharisee as to a prostitute. He found very few open hearts among the Pharisees or other advantaged people but His grace was equally available to them.

One interesting example near the beginning of the book is used to illustrate a "gracist" attitude. A woman standing in line at the airport sees a family from another culture trying to get into the line. She assumes that they do not understand the concept of lines because they are from a culture other than hers. They have children and are tired. The line has been established for some time and people have been very protective of their positions. So the woman allows the family to go ahead of her and she is lauded, in the book, as an example of selfless grace.

We might ask whether the people behind the woman were as blessed as she was by her action. We may ask how she knew that this family didn't understand that they should get in line like everyone else. We may also wonder why this woman didn't simply give her place in line to these strangers and go to the back herself, since that would have come closer to blessing both the family and the people behind her. But, instead, she decided that all the advantaged people in the line should be gracists.

I was hoping for something more than what this book offered when I considered the title. Racism, in any form, is abhorrent to the mind of Christ - but not because some can't get into the special clubs at the airport. Racism is abhorrent because it allows a person to consider himself better than another when, in truth, all that we have is what we have received. I am not better than anyone else, no matter whether I have more things or opportunities. If Jesus leads me to share with others, I should; but I will not fix the problem of racism by sharing. I will simply communicate love.

All that I have and all that I am have come from the Lord who loves me - who gives to me in spite of what I have deserved. I should remember that when I consider others.

That's grace!

Logic

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:57:00 +0000

Suppose I were to posit that all dogs eat dog food. What if I then suggested that you could become a dog by eating dog food? Would that work for you? Of course not. We understand that many things can eat dog food. Crows will eat it. Kids will sometimes eat it. Skunks will eat it. But eating dog food doesn't make someone or something a dog.

Simple logic. Most of us use it every day to keep us from foolish errors.

But if I go to church and hear a sermon my logic defenses may break down. Paul was a great man for God. Paul served with great sacrifice. Therefore if I serve with great sacrifice, I will be a great man for God. God loved Moses and Moses accomplished great things. Moses left the comforts of life. Therefore if I leave the comforts of life, God will love me and I will accomplish great things. Many preachers are guilty of making these connections and many listeners eagerly accept this kind of teaching as being helpful in living the right kind of life. After all, why are we told about these people if not for us to use their lives as examples? Right?

Well, not that kind of examples. Paul was a great man for God - because God chose to do great things through him. God loved Moses and God chose to work mighty things through Moses' life. These things are not the result of effort or wisdom from these men. The amazing events of their lives are the result of the choice and activity of God.

That's grace!

The Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:10:00 +0000

"Performance Spirituality" is the idea that spirituality is obtained and maintained by the performance of good works and the avoidance of sin. From time to time you will hear people refer to the kind of activity a "real Christian" will avoid. No real Christian, for example, could get a divorce. No real Christian could look at porn. No real Christian could steal, or skip church to go to a football game, or smoke. A real Christian will love going to church. A real Christian will tithe and be kind and memorize Bible verses.

You get the idea. There's a book out there with the title, Lists to Live By. I don't know that the book is about this, but the title certainly serves the idea of performance spirituality. All you have to do to be spiritual is to do the right things and avoid the wrong things. Just like the Pharisees.

But we teach that spirituality is found only in a relationship with Jesus, not in a certain kind or amount of performance. Believers are made spiritual, reborn to new and spiritual life, when Jesus enters into them and gives them His life. We are spiritual because He is spiritual - and for no other reason. Those who were dead in their sins are made alive as Jesus is alive in them.

In that way, we understand that no person is more spiritual than another. All are spiritual only because of Jesus. The ramifications of this are important. If you are going through life comparing yourself with others and finding them to be more or less spiritual than you, perhaps you are operating under a wrong assumption. Instead, look to Jesus alone. He leads the others and He leads you. Trust Him.

We're back!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:42:00 +0000

They say that the worst thing you can do online is abandon your readers. I apologize. That's basically what GFTH has done for the past few months. I have tried to work with the ministry from several angles and blogging/website management has suffered. So let me tell you what has been happening and what the future seems to be.

I have continued to work with Exchanged Life Ministries on developing a relationship as adjunct staff and northern area counselor. That has gone reasonably well and it looks like we will actually have office space for working with clients in the fall. The church I serve has graciously provided seed money for beginning an on-site discipling ministry and that will be used for office space. I look forward to working with clients in the months ahead.

However, the type of counseling I plan to do will be quite different than most. Rather than becoming a counselor for anyone, I would like to lead them to receiving counsel from Jesus. Yes, I believe that is possible. No, it has not been a part of church teaching and will be hard for some. Rather than me telling someone whether he or she should do this or that, it would certainly be better for the person to be able to ask Him and hear an answer. I'll write more about this later, but it isn't particularly mystical or charismatic or anything weird, just simple faith in a loving and active Lord. So, my goal would be to teach believers how to listen to and trust the leading of the Lord.

Will I do marriage counseling, family counseling, addiction counseling, etc.? Yes and no. Yes, I expect to encounter these and other real struggles that believers go through, but no I don't plan to provide traditional counseling. My goal would be to guide a couple or an individual to the kind of relationship with Jesus where they can actually be led by Him (not by me or any other counselor).

I led a powerful conference in Green Valley, AZ, early this year. Without giving too much of the content away, it was basically a grace conference for men. We had three sessions, each building on the previous, designed to show men that they truly need and have the activity of the living Lord in their lives. It went very well and I hope to do the conference in other cities. Over 250 men attended. Contact me if you would like more information.

Writing has been an important part of the past few months. I am working on a book to help grace teachers/students understand the problem and place of sin in the Christian life. So far the working title is: "I love the grace message, but what about sin?" In the book I gather many of the questions I have received over the years concerning sin. In fact, the general topic of sin is probably the most questioned area for grace teachers. Having a good Scriptural understanding is vital. The book will be practical and encouraging.

I also continue to communicate with people from around the world as they write and ask questions. Some of the questions are very personal; others are very general. These email conversations have been challenging and, apparently, very helpful to those asking. Please feel free to write me with your concerns.

Well, watch this space for much more over the coming months. The Lord loves you and provides all you need for your relationship with Him.

Just Follow Jesus!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:02:00 +0000

I was asked recently to speak to a homeschool group as they begin the new school year. I've done this before and it is always a blessing and a challenge. In the past, at least, many homeschooolers have been particularly bound by performance spirituality. It is great to have an opportunity to challenge that thinking, encourage moms who are frightened or overwhelmed, and to share the primary message of GFTH, that Jesus is real and active and wants to walk in relationship with us.

The meeting went very well and the message was generally well received. Basically, I used the following outline:

Starting Out to End Well

Three concerns of homeschoolers

1. The continuing challenge from the state and the precarious privilege of homeschooling
2. Getting results - preparing our kids for college and for life
3. Coping with the variety of pressures and expectations

The one way to accomplish all of these is simply to follow Jesus!

Jesus is real and active in the lives of His people, and He cares about our daily lives. He loves our children more than we do. If He leads us to homeschool, then we can trust Him. But, we have to let Him lead. Pray, then do, rather than do, then pray. Trust Him for results.

1. The strongest argument for homeschooling is religious conviction. Is Jesus leading you?
2. Let the Lord accomplish His results and give Him the glory.
3. If He leads, He provides the strength, wisdom, and everything else we need.

If He leads, we can say no to:

Comparisons (Next to unbelief, the most dangerous spiritual problem most face)
Fear
Condemnation
Limitations
Failure

Finally, it is possible to enjoy rest while on the homeschooling journey. Rest is not inactivity, but the lack of burden. We can trust the Lord as we follow Him.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”Matthew 11:28 - 30 (NKJV)

More on Recommending Books

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:40:00 +0000

Considering the last post, about recommending books, I thought someone might be interested in an exchange I had with another blogger on this topic. The whole thing started because I wrote to support his statements. I agreed with him! Then he proceeded to take me to task about the books I have reviewed.

The exchange is somewhat typical. This guy doesn't think of himself as legalistic or even narrow, but his whole attitude is one that focuses on the differences between his views and those of other believers.

The thing that amazed me was his plan to write about these books and the "false teachings" in them - even though he had no intention to read them!!! He says that he is content to accept the reviews of others. I presume that means he would write from those reviews. Fascinating!

Here's the link: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6043971967398769903&postID=1735327609351526368&page=1

Let me know what you think!

Dave

Recommending books

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:06:00 +0000

Many years ago a man told me that he would never recommend a restaurant to a friend because he could not guarantee that the same cook would be there when his friend visited. My family has learned to be careful of recommendations friends give for movies they have enjoyed and we always give certain caveats when we recommend movies. You understand the problem. The motel you loved may change management before your friend gets there. The car mechanic you recommend may have a bad day when your friend comes in. Recommendations are risky.

So I recommend books. I have some people who have dismissed my website and message because of certain books I recommend. It's a risk I have decided is worth taking.

For example, I really like Brennan Manning's books. I have heard him in person and was truly blessed by his message. I fully understand that he and I would probably disagree on some important doctrinal issues. But that isn't the point. When I recommend his books, I am recommending the primary message of those books - that Jesus honestly loves people. The unity of God's people, after all, is in Christ rather than doctrine.

I do understand that some teachers have misused books and teachings of others. One person who visited my website has rejected the whole message because I happen to recommend Watchman Nee's The Normal Christian Life. The cultic church this lady used to attend took Nee's teachings and used them to manipulate and control followers. Therefore, in her mind, anyone who recommends Watchman Nee must be in sync with her former cult. Not true, of course; but until she is able to step past her pain and fear, she will continue to dismiss anyone who fits her criteria.

So, is it worthwhile to recommend books when some are offended by those books. Of course it is. Books can connect with people in ways nothing else can. John Eldgredge has been used by God to touch hearts in unique and wonderful ways. The Shack is a book that can break through when other books cannot.

Recommending a book, in my mind, is nothing more than telling someone that the book's ideas are worth considering. You might decide that you don't like the teaching, the style, or something else about the book. That's ok. I just appreciate the fact that you were willing to listen and think. We learn and grow from each other.

Why guilt manipulation doesn't work

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:23:00 +0000

Ever been manipulated by guilt? Of course you have. I recently attended a meeting where the moderator began by telling all of us that the goal was unity and that strong individual opinions and disagreements were sinful. The moderator then proceeded toward motions that would force individuals to participate in group activities and even wear clothing dictated by the majority. Well, in short order, the meeting blew up because people were very unhappy. The moderator has since resigned.

What happened? The old saying is "a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." The parameters of this group were such that disagreement, even withdrawal, were defined as sin. There wasn't supposed to be any room for individuality (or even grace). But not only was that totally unnecessary (the group really didn't mind people being different) but the leader didn't have the position to mandate such control.

This was a Christian group and its identity was bound to a certain activity that broke tradition and celebrated the Lord's leading for individuals and families. The manipulation didn't work because many of the people had lived their whole lives being manipulated by guilt. They knew who could get by with what and this was something they could resist. The illogic of the situation pitted the "sin of individuality" against the "sin of group think". Because there was no center ground, the tactic didn't work.

So what does this have to do with grace and our message? We believe that Jesus desires intimate personal relationship with each of us and that He leads us differently. That doesn't mean that we abandon groups, in fact that would be against the teaching of Scripture. We are part of the church and He leads His church. What it means is that the Lord is quite capable of doing both. He leads us individually and corporately. Grace allows people to be different together.

But that is not the easiest way, is it? Unity yields to unanimity, or at least conformity, because it is easier to manage a group that looks like it is going the same direction. The difficult truth, for many leaders, is that people who look like they are going the same direction often are not. They may accept the herding, but their hearts chafe. Eventually, they move toward freedom or whatever feels like freedom.

Our goal is to present Christ's leadership as perfect freedom and to help people understand that they do not have to reject Him or His love in order to be free from the control of spiritual manipulators. Jesus is God's grace to - the individual - heart.

Did Evangelicalism Fail?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:09:00 +0000

I attended a conference recently on the "Emerging Church" in which the statement was repeatedly made that evangelicalism had failed to "deliver on its promises."

The charge appears designed to excuse the movement of the emergent church away from the traditional values of evangelicalism. The inerrancy of Scripture, the lost state of the sinner, the exclusivity of the gospel, even the deity of Christ: all are expendable for the sake of a new form of social gospel promulgated by the "emergents." Evangelicalism tried camping on these tenets and has failed. Of course, one of the strongest points of the conference I attended was that not all those who associate themselves with the emergent church would readily sacrifice any or all of these doctrines. At the same time, doctrine itself is given a negative connotation by almost all emergents.

But has evangelicalism failed? That statement alone seems worth challenging. No, the world is not saved. Where did we ever get the idea that it would be? No, my next door neighbors are still not saved. But don't we allow their choice? We have a new generation that may or may not be resistent to the gospel as presented by traditional evangelicalism, but that may simply suggest that new methods are called for, rather than a new message.

Evangelicalism, it seems to me, is neither a movement nor a denomination. It is simply a focus or a channel within the history of the church. Oh, I know that we have evangelical denominations and organizations, but I would submit that they do not define the term. The very amorphous nature that emergents claim for themselves they deny for others. Who would suggest that Ted Haggard defined evangelicalism? Or Jerry Falwell or Billy Graham? Not me. Instead, evangelicalism is simply a focus on the application of the gospel in the life of the individual. In the same way, we could say that Orthodoxy is a focus of the gospel in the broader organism of the church, Reformed thought is a focus of the gospel in our theology, mainline churches have focused the gospel on societal change, and on and on.

The gospel of Jesus Christ belongs to Him and will take a variety of practical applications within the Church. The important thing is that we do not forget our center. The center of the gospel is Jesus! Any time a group loses that primary focus in its desire to pursue the subsidiary focus, that group is in danger of becoming apostate.

Now if we wanted to discuss whether some parts of evangelicalism have wandered so far from the center in their pursuit of individual "conversions", that might be interesting. In fact, I might even suggest that the emergent church, in most of its forms, is doing just that.

The Exchanged Life

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:40:00 +0000

I found a great presentation of the ideas behind the "Exchanged Life". Listen to it here:

Grace Roots Video: 6. "The Exchanged Life"

D. James Kennedy

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:11:00 +0000

Word is that Dr. D. James Kennedy passed away yesterday. Back in the day when I was a Presbyterian, Kennedy was a great example of a Presbyterian pastor who stood solid on the Scriptures. He left the larger denomination, but he remained Presbyterian and carried a great conservative tradition forward. Even long after the denominational splits were history, Kennedy stood strong for the values of the church in a corrupting world. He took on abortion, evolution, and a lot of issues big name, high church, preachers wouldn't touch.

My wife and I took and, later, taught Evangelism Explosion. Yes, it was a canned approach and certainly had its faults, but EE gave people something to say when the opportunity to share Christ became available. I am not a person who believes we are to beat unbelievers over the head every chance we get. Instead, I believe we should simply be available. The Spirit who arranges connections and open hearts will also give us words to say, but it seems good to have some general idea of where to go as we share.

I think Kennedy's heritage is a message to all of us that compromise is not necessary. He was able to continue a great ministry without avoiding the tough and politically incorrect issues. A lot of people will be able to say more about him over the next few days, but I certainly appreciated his long and effective ministry.

Mother Theresa's Doubts

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 19:40:00 +0000

By now you have heard that the Catholic church has published letters or writings by Mother Theresa expressing her doubts over the years. I have three thoughts on this.

1. It seems to me that her wishes to have these things destroyed should have been followed. Sometimes we say or write things that express our feelings when situations are unresolved. Read the Psalms. Imagine that we cut off the last couple of verses. In many of the Psalms David is venting his frustrations. God eventually brings him to resolution. Did God resolve these feelings for Mother Theresa?

2. The Catholic system, being a performance system, sets people up for doubt. The hope, even expectation, is that faithful service will be noticed and blessed by God. When that service is not touched by Him in some concrete way, one is left to wonder why. Under grace, we know that the service itself is the expression (communication) of the Lord. When my life is a blessing to someone else, that's Him at work - not me. Grace focuses on relationship, rather than performance.

3. Lest we gloat: because grace is a relationship we can also be prone to doubt. In those times when the Lord seems distant, we often wonder about His love. It is important to guard ourselves against the performance thinking that is always with us and to trust that He is always present - as He says. (This is one of the reasons why the kenotic teaching is so harmful in my mind. If Jesus is not here with us, then how can any of it be true?) Doubts are resolved by a simple return to the truth.

Here's an exercise I have used in my life and have recommended to others: when you are faced with doubt, return to the simplest thing you know to be true. Begin to rebuild on the firm foundation. You know that there is a God. You know that the Bible expresses His purpose and plan. You know that He loves you. On and on. Always return to what you know to be true, no matter how simple it is, before you try to step into what you are not sure about.

For the record: I happen to be a fan of Mother Theresa. I have read some of her later words and have been impressed by her simple statements of relationship with Jesus. My guess is that her doubts were resolved (and that's why she wanted those letters destroyed!)

When Right Doctrine is Just a Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:20:00 +0000

Ok, I just spent the whole morning reading one of the most troubling stories of modern-day church conflict. I bounced from blog to blog, website to website, reading letters, comments, legal documents, and more. It was a situation of which I have had some awareness in the past and it is grievous enough to match some of the worst in church history. So far, no one has been murdered, but reputations and ministries have been destroyed and the stress has been the cause of some life-threatening illnesses.

No, I am not going to tell you who I was reading about, just that it is long and involved. Amazing - disgusting - deeply concerning. The question in my mind is this: Why is it so common/easy for people and ministries who claim to have superior doctrine and values to overlook their own sin and compromise?

Let me offer my own answer. Those who focus on sin and performance fail to have Jesus as their Center. When Jesus is not the Center, be sure that the flesh will find a way to prosper. It may be seen in the way money is spent or how people are treated. It may be seen in the inconsistencies of applying the Scriptures. But it will be seen.

Jesus is not a system of doctrines or lifestyle issues. He is a Person. He loves His people and He hates the sin that moves them to hurt each other. His love and grace are the message of the gospel. The gospel is not the establishment of some list of rules. Watch out for ministries and people who want to give you a list to live by. Chances are that they don't even know the Person who is our Life.

Pastor's Retreat

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:44:00 +0000

Just got back from a two-day retreat in Estes Park with several other pastors from our city. These guys have blessed me in so many ways. It was good to relax and enjoy each other. We prayed for each other and for some who couldn't make it. We also had some great conversations about God's grace.

This is a good group. Back in 1986 or so, we began a bi-weekly prayer time for the pastors in town. It is open to everyone, but is primarily focused on evangelical and charismatic churches. Our city is a little unusual in that there are several of us who have been here since the beginning. That consistency, and the decision we made to not have a set agenda other than fellowship and prayer, has enabled us to welcome new men and keep the group going now for over 20 years.

We have laid any competition aside and have opened ourselves to care for each other. Occasionally we talk about folks who travel from church to church or warn each other about scammers who ask for money. We share good things and struggles about both church and family. When someone is hurting, this group truly cares.

I wish everyone in full-time ministry could have such a group!

Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 21:01:00 +0000

Adrian asked:
>And, how did you get to a place where you left the "performance-based faith" to a more grace->filled one? Who are the mentors that helped you toward that?

I have spent many hours trying to understand the process God used to make His grace clear to us. In some ways it still isn’t clear, probably because the old ideas do die hard. In other ways, however, the message is so clear and our lives are being changed every day.

Somehow, very early in our Christian walk, my wife and I learned that Jesus is real and that He alone is our hope. We believed that Jesus is God and that His coming was the action of the Lord who truly loved us. We knew, firmly in our hearts, that our salvation was nothing of ourselves and everything of Him. I think that was what protected us from becoming overwhelmed by the performance spirituality system.

As we struggled with the legalism, we saw over and over that it denied the necessary activity of the Lord. It made our effort the active force for our sanctification and, by extension, our salvation. We saw in many of the people and even in the teachers, that Jesus was just nice to talk about but not particularly helpful in the Christian life. Instead, we were taught to have high standards, make sacrifices, and develop a repertoire of techniques and disciplines. If you did enough of these things, and did them just right, then the Christian life would work. If your Christian life didn’t seem to be working, you either weren’t doing these things correctly or you needed additional ones. Jesus was rarely considered to be a practical part of the Christian life.

That consistently bothered me. I heard it from the legalists and I heard much the same thing from most evangelicals. I remember sitting in a church growth seminar where Jesus was never mentioned at all – a three hour seminar! The church no longer needed Him, it appeared. I knew that wasn’t right.

(You can listen to the process I went through in an audio message on our website. The message is free to download and is called, “A Journey into Grace”. )

The more I struggled with legalism in the church, the more I studied the whole idea of the activity of the Lord and our relationship with Him. The more I struggled with the inconsistencies of my own life, the more I knew the answers were found in Jesus alone. Jesus was the Center.

A while into this, I visited with a good friend, a man whom I respect deeply named Bob Bingham. Bob has been bringing people to Jesus for years with a ministry called “CupBearers”. He spoke of the “functional” life of Jesus in us. As we talked about this, I understood that this was the key to the whole thing – this was grace. God came to us because of His love in the Person of Jesus Christ and exchanged His life for ours. Now His life functions in us. It isn’t about our effort; it’s about Him.

When I began to teach this from a more focused perspective, the legalist folks in the church became very nervous. They were so tied into their system, so invested in it, that they couldn’t imagine that Jesus was truly sufficient. They realized that this was different from the teaching they were getting from their teacher and began the process of destruction they seem to do so well.

There were others who blessed us along the way. I was able to listen to tapes and read books by Major Ian Thomas of Torchbearers. So helpful! Even though we were well along in the process, my wife and I were encouraged greatly by the books of John Eldredge. His perspective on the love relationship we have with God is so important. We have also been blessed by Brennan Manning’s books and we have had the privilege of hearing him speak. He puts the grace of God into a message of brotherly love in a way that challenged us and moved us closer to the heart of Jesus.

So, you see, it has been a journey, but Jesus has led us all the way. We have come to understand that His love for us does not change; that He does His work and we are only along for the blessing; and that we have nothing to fear as we walk with Him. He is real and He is active. His life is the functional life within us.

Legalism

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:59:00 +0000

Adrian asked:

>Can you share some of the "legalism" you're talking about from your past?

I have avoided identifying the particular teacher we were connected with because I know that he has many supporters and I would like to minister to them. Typically, any time someone speaks against him, that person is cut off and dismissed. Those who are loyal to his ministry are usually unwilling to hear any criticism or concern.

However, your question is good. So, here I go…

In many ways we were like the vast majority of evangelical Christians, perhaps more serious about our faith in some ways, but we believed and wanted to do right. We learned the reality of Jesus in our lives fairly early and believed that He was with us and loved us. However, the background of our faith, the way we learned to be Christians, was the typical “cause and effect spirituality.” If you do well, God will bless you; if you do not well, God will cause trouble to come. Basically that meant I was in control of whether good or bad came into my life.

I define this system as legalism, even though it is widely popular among believers, because the logical extension of that thinking is that my actions determine my eternal fate. You should be able to find an article on the website in a week or so called, “What is Legalism?” In that article I will give more of why I think this is an appropriate definition.

We really didn’t understand any of this until we had to deal with people who pushed the cause and effect thinking beyond what normal Christians are comfortable with. They drew all kinds of connections between behavior and results. If you watch TV, for example, you are welcoming the values of Satan into your home and will suffer. If your wife wears slacks or jeans rather than skirts, she exhibits rebellion which will destroy the love of your marriage. If you eat the wrong kind of bread you will become constipated and have relationship problems. I kid you not! These were real concerns for these folks.

We were never drawn in as far as some, but we found it difficult to ignore all of it because it was just the natural progression of the cause and effect thinking. If my spiritual life is affected by some of the things I do, why not by all of the things I do? If my spiritual life is affected by being lessened in some degree, when do I lose it? I might agree that if I murder my neighbor I affect my spiritual life, but Jesus said that murder isn’t really all that different from hating, or even calling someone a derogatory name. (But Jesus never said that these actions damaged my spiritual life – more later).

So, maybe watching TV will cause harm and wearing the wrong clothing and having the wrong hairstyle and on and on. These folks taught that we should live according to a certain pattern taught by this teacher I mentioned earlier. He was an expert at twisting Scripture to make it say what he wanted it to say. For example: David danced and it cost him the joy of his marriage. Therefore we should not dance. The list was incredible.

Again, we didn’t buy into a lot of this. We joined up with this teacher because his firm stance on Scripture was refreshing and many of the things he taught were good. The legalism slipped in more and more as you progressed in the system, however. It became difficult to see which teaching was good and which was not. We really didn’t like the Scripture-twisting, but the “mantra” was that the teacher was always proved right in the long run.

Eventually, we began to realize that we were seeing things that were just plain wrong. People were hurting each other with their judgmental attitudes and many lived in fear of being discovered as compromisers. The teaching seemed to become increasingly strange, although it may be just that we were beginning to see more clearly. We stopped participating in the “program” and began to share some of our concerns. That’s when we found out where the true loyalty was.

Remember that we were in a church and I was the pastor. These were our friends and our kids’ friends. When we began to share our concerns, we became the enemies. To make a long story short, the group that belonged to this teacher tried to take over the church and decided instead to leave. Our congregation lost 80% in just a few months. People we thought were friends not only left but said incredibly hurtful things on the way out. Our circle of friends was gone, my job was gone, my reputation damaged both because of my association with these folks and because of the losses in the church. Yes, my whole family was hurt.

But there’s good news! In the next post I’ll share the answer to Adrian’s next question.

Faith Online

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:52:00 +0000

A friend sent me this interesting link to a Washington Post article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/13/AR2007031301840.html?). It's about people across the world experiencing their faith online.

It seems that we have come to a place in our world culture where the internet is almost an extension of ourselves. It allows a sense of privacy, individuality, and creativity - all of which are valued a great deal today. My guess is that many people, especially young people, almost forget that the Web is a public forum.

Bearing witness to this is what we repeatedly hear about young people putting criminal behavior on YouTube or other sharing sites. Why would they do that? Why would people put pictures of themselves out there, pictures they don't want anyone to see? This doesn't make sense to my generation.

I think it is because the Web allows us to relax and simply express ourselves in a world where expression is valued but often controlled. When we have a question, we can go online and ask and no one in our "real world" will know. Yes, there are dangers, but think of the good uses for this freedom.

Almost every day our website welcomes visitors from countries where the Christian faith is unwelcome. We receive emails from people who are stuck in legalistic churches where they cannot ask questions without receiving judgment. Their worlds are almost closed, but the Web gives them a way to reach out for encouragement and answers. It is a huge responsibility to try to minister in this way, but I think it is great.

It's not church, of course, but church isn't so great for a lot of people. They want someone to care and give answers. We care and we point them to Jesus. Seems like a good plan to me.

The beginning!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:33:00 +0000

Let's see, a bi-weekly newsletter, a daily devotional, increasing email correspondence, an occasional article and four books in the works - when will I have time to write a blog?

Actually, I hope to use the blog to address topics that don't fit in the above categories. I have three primary areas of concern that I want to address more and more over the next few years. The first, of course, is the whole concept of grace as the work of God in, through, for, and with us. My family has been hurt by legalism and the "performance spirituality" taught by some of the more legalistic teachers. Along the way here I may provide some definitions so we are all on the same page.

The second focus of my concern is for pastors who are hurting. After almost 30 years of working 70 hour weeks as a solo pastor, I know the frustration and lack of appreciation pastors can suffer. I have experienced almost everything during that time, even though I have served small to medium sized churches. Hopefully, pastors will find a place here to be encouraged and appreciated.

Finally, I have done a great deal of study of the personality problem of narcissism. Those who have to deal with narcissists can find themselves very confused and damaged. I am convinced that this is a serious problem in the church and has a direct relationship with legalism and the broken ideas of grace that are presented. So, we may talk about that from time to time.

There are other topics that are close to my heart and may come up from time to time. My PhD thesis was on the kenosis and I love to talk about that. I have many concerns about the direction of the church that may come up from time to time. Who knows what might pop out?

So, welcome! I encourage you to visit our ministry website www.gracefortheheart.org, read some of the articles and other things that are there, donate some money ;-) , and drop me a note.