Putting My Money Where My Mouth Says My Heart Is

Usually one of the biggest complaints against the church today is that all preachers ever do is ask for money. Whenever the sermon on tithing rolls around (actually we try and make it more palatable and sophisticated by calling it "stewarship sunday") people are looking for the exits and tuning out. On the one hand I do not blame people for thinking that the church is just one big holy money-laundering scam. Thanks to the Benny Hinn's; Tammy-Fay Baker's; Peter Popoff's (yes he is a real guy - you can find him selling viles of holy water on late night TBN paid-programming, when I first saw it I honestly thought it was an SNL sketch) and Dr. Dollar's (also an actual person - there is absolutely no way that his last name is Dollar and he also happens to be a cheesy, heretical, prosperity theologian - I think a comical coincidence of that scale would tear a whole in the universe - but you can find his books in the Christian bookstore) of this world it is no wonder that many people think all we do is sing breathy worship songs in dim lighting and ask for people's paychecks.

And so although TBN and that lady with the purple-Marge Simpson--shaped like one of those termite nests they find on the African plains on the Discovery Channel-haircut may have ruined any opportunity for Christians to talk about money, the truth is that much to our chagrin Jesus actually talks a whole heck of a lot about the subject. It has been said that Jesus actually spends more time addressing the issue of money than any other topic when he was on earth. I do not know if this is true but I do know that when reading the Gospels it does seem to come up more than I like to admit and he speaks far more bluntly on the subject than I tend to realize.

And the thing is it wasn't like Jesus gave Christian Businessmen seminars or busted out a pie-chart during the Sermon on the Mount that told us how much money we should put where in order to be Godly, it just came up all the time in conversation. The disciples ask him about it, the Pharisees ask him about, he hung out with tax-collectors so the topic was never far off and he engages with rich people over the topic. And to me this indicates that the statement "money makes the world go round" may not be entirely true but it certainly carries some merit. For thousands of years, money has been at the focal point of kingdoms - it was in the Roman empire of Jesus' day and it is true in the American democracy of our day. For some reason - and I don't claim to know why and I don't even think Jesus explicity addresses it in the Gospels - money, more than almost anything else on earth besides maybe sex, has this all-consuming, addictive, powerful allure over our psyche's. And I think Jesus addresses it because since it is such an integral part of the kingdoms of the world, he wants to clue us in - as citizens of His kingdom - on how exactly we should view and handle this stuff that makes the said world go round.

The passage that made me begin to ponder all of this was the end of Matthew 6 when Jesus is in the middle of his Sermon on the Mount and after addressing weighty topics such as adultery, murder and vengeance he touches on finances and materialism and warns us not to store up treasures on earth- where they will only one day decay - but to store them up instead in heaven. From there I began to think of other passages where Jesus addresses these issues and I was reminded of the story in Matthew 19 where upon dialoguing with a rich young man who is too wrapped up in his wealth to follow him, Jesus exclaims, "It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven...it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God..." And as I thought about these words I was reminded of two things. One was the sermons I have heard where people try and tell me that there was a gate in Jerusalem at that time called "Needles Eye" and that it was so narrow that a person could barely enter through it into the city, let alone a camel. Second, I pictured all of those TV preachers, sweating and yelling and maybe even getting choked up for effect, in their $1000 suits and on their million dollar sets informing me that if I gave to their ministry and sent it to the P.O. Box on the screen that God would make me indepenently wealthy, healthy and wise.

I am fairly sure that neither one of those applications can be taken from such a passage. What I am fairly sure of is that I don't think God in his Word gives us a set income bracket to stay within. I am fairly sure that I don't think Jesus hates the rich, and I am fairly sure that we all need to search our own hearts and convictions when it comes to this matter but I do think that in Matthew 19 and other places God issues us a warning. And the warning is not that we must live in ghetto's and starve in order to be spiritual but that in many ways those who live in such situations are more likely to see the truth of the Gospel. See, when we have every luxury, comfort, appliance, automobile, vacation home, watch, gadget and desire that money can buy and we pursue more and more and surround ourselves with such things it becomes increasingly more and more difficult to hear the cry of Scripture that we are broken, sinful, helpless, weak, inept, defunct, lifeless, poor people who are in need of a Savior. And the reason that in America and Western Europe the Gospel has become an afterthought while in places like Latin America and Africa the kingdom of God aquires members daily is because in places where there is less stuff and more soul the promise of the Gospel of becoming spiritually alive and provided for in Christ is the greatest thing ever heard. But here in America we must turn off our TV's, unplug our iPod's, get out of our cars, turn the radio down, wash the makeup and self-tanning cream from our faces, dock the boat and cancel the reservations at the club sometimes before we hear the invitation of Christ to seek his kingdom.

Oh, that I may not be caught running after money when Majesty is before my eyes. May I not seek clothing of every new trend when I can be clothed in righteousness. May I not run after that which is fleeting when the eternal lies ahead. May even the places where I put my money indicate that I have been bought, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.

E-brakes, Donuts and the Christian Life:
More random thoughts as I read 1 Peter

Sometimes living the Christian life feels a lot like driving a rental car. When you drive a rental car its like stepping into a fantasy world - not that the cars places like Budget and Enterprise offer are that fantastic - its because you can do things that you never would in your own car. In your own car you're telling people to dust off their shoes before entering, go easy when closing the door and to finish their food outside. As soon as you get behind the wheel of a rental car you're hopping medians at red lights, poppin' the E-brake sliding into the driveway and doing donuts in the parking lot all while your buddy's eating baby back ribs in the passenger seat. And the reason for all of this is because it's not your car, its only temporary, at the end of your trip you'll give it back and return to your car where once again you'll insist people watch the paint job and clean their shoes.

As Christians we hear all the time that we are special people. We hear that we are loved by God, that we are saved, forgiven, redeemed, sealed, sanctified, justified, bonafide, revitalized, reborn, bought and liberated. That we are the people of God, the sons and daughters of God, the children of God, the elect of God, the chosen of God, the flock of God, the sheep, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people formerly in darkness but now in light. We hear that we are aliens, strangers, not of this world, temporary residents, called to citizenship of another kingdom.

All of this is entirely true, completely amazing and should be preached - but because we are still sinners sometimes I think this unwittingly goes to our head and we lose sight of the hear and now. We subconsciously think that because we are driving these rental car bodies and that one day we'll be outta here and in heaven that the here and now is kind of a wash. We forget that what we do hear on earth does matter. That how we live here, how we treat people hear, where we put our money here, who we date here, what we consume here, what we endorse here, what we say here - it all matters.

And it matters because how we live is the direct indicator of what we really think about the God we claim.

I think Peter speaks to this in 1 Peter 2:11-12. Peter basically spends the previous 35 verses uber-encouraging a distressed people that they are the wonderful people of God who have recieved the marvelous salvation of Jesus Christ. He has boosted their spirits to the clouds but as he ends his train of thought he brings them back to earth by reminding them:

"Dear friends I urge you , as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which
war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing
wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visit us."

Living a Godward life is our weapon in the war for our soul and the Godward deeds are our most effective evangelism to a lost, dying, finger-pointing world.

Watch the paintjob would ya?

The Enduring Story

St. Columba of Scotland was recorded as saying, "Since all the world is but a story, it were well for thee to buy the more enduring story rather than the story that is less enduring."

This quote begins one of my favorite novels, The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead, but I cannot help but apply the wisdom behind such a quote to the timeless treasure of Scripture as well. We've all seen or heard at one time or another the many arguments to support the validity of the Bible. History Channel documentaries featuring beared British men in dusty khakis roaming around in the desert looking for Biblical city locations; fragments of manuscripts that look like ancient treasure maps; the Dead Sea Scrolls bit; the whole nine yards. Now I am not knocking anyof these methods, they are fascinating and heaven knows the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery to this day is still one of the milestones in the legitimizing of Christianity. But for me there are more practical arguments, that may seem ignorant (too bad), but speak to the validity of the Bible.

One, the Bible is simply too ridiculous, honest and unappetizing to have been some sort of prophetic propoganda. If I was making up a "god" and a "religion" it would certainly probably feature the classic carnal paradises and the whole shebang. There is a reason why all of the wacko's who start cults and move to the midwest write somewhere into the doctrine that as the leader they must sleep with many women very often. It evidences the fact that some dude who was a little unstable and a lot horny one day decided to make up a religion. Not so with the Bible. The God of the Bible does things like loving an entire race of beings unconditionally and when they screw it all up and need to be saved - he pays the debt for them with his own life. Some egomaniac looking for people to follow him so that he can sleep with the women doesn't make up stuff like that.

Secondly, the Bible is too honest and unpalatable. The Bible is a collection of books, written about thousands of people, over thousands of years that tells one central story: Human beings while created perfect, screwed things up royally, defiled themselves and their planet, sinned against their perfect Creator and are in dire need of salvation that is found in the Christ. The Bible paints a picture of the world and of mankind that is simply too uncomfortable, too personal, too revealing, too unnerving, too convicting, too pride-shattering, too counter culture, too un-MTVish, too humbling too...doggone accurate...too real...to be made up. Think about it, if you were to go to the trouble of making up a religion and a god and the whole deal wouldn't it be more like those Coor's Light commercials where the silver train comes out of nowhere and delivers a frigid-cold, unlimited supply of free beer to everyone and they all instantly begin back-slapping, high fiving and enjoying life like they are millionaire supermodels? Isn't that more palatable? If you were to make up a religion and a holy text but you actually wanted people to come into it would you throw in the whole blood-sacrifice, atonement, take up your cross and follow me deal? Would you tell people to deny yourself, to not look at women lustfully, to turn the other cheek, to treat others like you want to be treated, to not talk about religion but live it, to hate your father and mother in comparison to your love for God, to be happy and joyful when people ridicule, mock and exclude you for your beliefs?

Then on top of it all, taking all of the above into consideration, when you actually live as the Bible teaches, it actually works and is in the best interest of every person alive. Because, the truth is many of the aforementioned things regarding made up religions and true religion could also be said about Islam or Buddhism, etc. Neither Islam or Buddhism are like the Coor's Light commericals, in fact in some ways they may be more rigorous and unappealing than Christianity but the honest truth is that they don't work. None of the other religions completely and without exception improve upon the identity and self worth of every individual. None of the others across the board make society a better place when lived out to their fullest extent - somewhere someone is left out or marginalized. Christianity as the Bible teaches is the only religion that when lived out restores the God given identity to every man, women and child. Period.

The story of Scripture is the enduring story, there is no other. The story of God redeeming man through Jesus Christ is the mother of all epics. It is the story, the stage, the setting of which we all are apart of. The greatest apologetic for Scripture is Scripture itself. It speaks, it teaches, it changes lives and instructs lives.

As cliche as it sounds, it simply is and always will be the greatest story ever told.

U2, the Florida Marlins and Good Works:
What Dolphin Stadium taught me about 1 Peter 1

I am one of the six actual Marlins fans in existence. This is for good reason. First, I didn’t start following baseball until the end of high school so I didn’t have to suffer through the years when the Marlins wore the turquoise uniforms that made them look like Miami Subs employees. Secondly, I was born in south Florida so I don’t have a history with any other team and therefore don’t know any better.
I tell you this because at Marlins games I have experienced some interesting moments. The first was in 2003 when they won their second World Series. It was the year where out of nowhere the Marlins went from typical “I think my high school team could beat these guys” to “Holy crap they might make the playoffs” and like everyone else I jumped head first onto the bandwagon. I watched every playoff game and even got to attend a game from each playoff series as the fan attendance went from 16 (including 12 popcorn guys) to like 25,000. The crowning moment for me was when they were playing the Cubs in the second round and at one of the games they showed a highlight reel of the seasons best plays but the kicker was that “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2 was playing in the background and they timed it so that just as they showed Pudge make the tag on JT Snow at the plate, Bono went into his trademark "screaming passionately and somewhat incoherently but still hitting notes" voice and right there in Outfield Reserve seat 109 I actually shed real, salty tears. I kid you not. It was a moment that every sport fan lives for. We’ll return to this in a moment.

As Christians I think one of the biggest subconscious, yet daily, practical struggles is why exactly do we live holy lives? If we truly adhere to justification by faith alone as so adamantly preached by Paul how do we live holy lives without a) growing legalistic and prideful or b) falling into a works-driven salvation whereby we rely on our good deeds?
1 Peter 1 is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. As Peter writes to a scattered people who are undergoing persecution and are in need of encouragement he begins his letter by laying forth a beautiful description of salvation. Jesus Christ has come in “great mercy” (v.3); “he has given us a new birth into a living hope” (v.3); an “inheritance that can never perish” (v.4); “ a faith greater than gold” (v. 7); in Christ is “inexpressible and glorious joy” (v. 8); the salvation in Christ is so great that prophets of old longed to see it and even angels longed to have a peek (v. 12). Peter’s goal is to remind the people of the magnitude of their salvation, that Jesus Christ was such a great gift that he overshadows any trouble we encounter. But Peter goes a step further, while the magnitude of salvation is indescribable, the price is too precious to neglect. Such a salvation was bought at a hefty price – the blood of Christ. After Peter describes the great salvation he reminds them of the cost. In verse 18 he says, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

Price Tag Living

We are a people motivated by price. Just look around. Thing that we own that are expensive we treat with much more care. I also learned this at a Marlins game. For a short time last season I had the privilege of sitting in the owner’s box (you should have seen the look the owner’s bodyguard gave me when I tried to tell him my U2-outfield-highlight reel-crying story). The bottom line is that these tickets were really expensive, way out of my league (pun intended) and I knew how much they cost the guy who let me use them. So during those frequent times when the Marlins were getting pulverized I was tempted to duck out early – but I didn’t – and the reason I didn’t was because I knew the cost of the tickets and the message it sent to the guy who gave them to me regarding my gratitude. And it was right there – in a turquoise plastic chair, covered in peanut shells, drinking a $13 Heineken, and watching overpaid athletes that 1 Peter 1 clicked. Our motive for Godly living is not found in our pride, our sense of self righteousness, our motive for Godly living is found in gratitude. And it’s not that we are trying to repay Christ (for that cannot occur), its simply that we understand the cost of our great and glorious salvation and we live in response to it. Peter wanted to remind his discouraged flock that salvation through Christ is a mind-blowing experience to which all else pales in comparison, and that when we truly grasp the cost of such a salvation our lives will scream it. When we don’t pursue obedience – when we duck out of the game early – we show contempt for the precious blood of Christ that purchased us from our sins. As Peter exclaims – it’s not like we were bought with gold or silver (we ain’t sitting in the upper deck) we were bought with the divine currency of Christ’s shed blood (we’re sitting in the owner’s box baby) and we should live accordingly.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect…For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God…Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
(1 Pet. 1:17-2:3 in part)