David Tarkington

The Salvation Army's Internal Battle Over Abortion

The Salvation Army is most known for their red kettles and programs that help the underprivileged and those facing natural disasters. I have discovered that many do not realize that The Salvation Army is actually a Christian denomination founded in 1865 by one time Methodist minister William  Booth and his wife Catherine. The movement was founded in London's East End and has grown through the years to become one of the world's foremost ministries focused on charity work.

I have often wondered if the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys have ever connected that their annual Thanksgiving game featuring large red kettles and promoting The Salvation Army's "Doing the Most Good" message is actually an endorsement of a Christian ministry (and you thought Tebow was the only Christian-NFL story)?

Being from the Wesleyan tradition, The Salvation Army holds to certain doctrinal beliefs, as do all churches. Unfortunately, as is the case in many denominations over time, the biblical foundations tend to be ignored or excused as liberal theology overtakes churches. The Salvation Army seems to be facing an internal battle over theology and the biblical stance on life and the sanctity of it.

A few days ago a friend forwarded an article to me from WorldNetDaily titled "Salvation Army Marching Toward Abortion Suppot." The title struck me as unfortunate. While as Baptists, we would differ on some of the theological beliefs of our brothers and sisters in the Army, the foundational doctrines have allowed us to serve together in the past. 

Would The Salvation Army's acceptance of abortion as OK be a deal breaker? It would be for me. While some would say that abortion and abortion-rights are not theological, I disagree. Pro-life and pro-choice (i.e. pro-abortion) advocates have been battling for decades and have turned the battle into political fodder, the fact of the matter is that we cannot pretend that the life issue is irrlevant.

In the Baptist Faith and Message (2000), our doctrinal statement as Southern Baptists, article XVIII states. . .

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

That phrase "from the moment of conception" is intentional. Life matters.

The article on The Salvation Army and their abortion stance stated this. . .

"The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life. Humankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). All people – without exception – are of value to him, holding a special place in his creation (Psalm 8:5), irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, health or social status, or their potential for achievement."

But it also states, "A serious commitment to the protection and care of the unborn calls us to a commitment to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control, safety in relationships, and societal respect of women."

Specifically, it says the Salvation Army "believes that termination [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

This open door for denominationally approved abortion, even in the case of rape or incest, provides a slipperly slope to full-blown abortion support. Being from a Christian denomination, some will see this as a biblical affirmation.

While some argue that there are certain instances where abortion should be affirmed, I disagree. There's always the catch-phrase "when the life of the mother is at stake" that is thrown out there, but as former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop stated long ago "Protection of the life of the mother as an excuse for an abortion is a smoke screen. In my thirty-six years in pediatric surgery I have never known of one instance where the child had to be be aborted to save the mother's life."

Koop makes some very pointed remarks about the tragedy of abortion here.

I understand my position on abortion will put off many, but then again, my stance is not devised to get votes or the approval of man. I am anti-abortion. I am pro-adoption. I am pro-life. Unapologetically.

Back to The Salvation Army predicament. Many, after reading the article cited above have determined to no longer place any of their change in the red buckets or shop at the thrift shops. While that is certainly a person's right, I want to point out that The Salvation Army here in the United States has taken exception to the denominational stance on abortion.

"That statement is not the Salvation Army USA's position on abortion," said Jeff Stanger, development director of the Salvation Army, Indiana Division.

Stanger said the commission's website is connected with the Army'sinternationalheadquarters and directed WND to the Salvation Army USA's position statement instead, which, indeed, makes no exceptions in asserting the sanctity of life.

"When I read [the international group's position] I was stunned," confirmed Major George Hood, chief communications officer for Salvation Army USA. "It appears that the International Social Justice Commission worked on a position statement through the London office that does not reflect the position we've taken in the U.S. on abortion.

"When I saw the language," Hood continued, "there was smoke coming out of both my ears."

You can read the entire article here.

The "life" issue is one that is not going away. It will continue to rear its head among Christians. We must remember that life matters. While protesting may not be the best way to promote life (pro-adoption and Christian foster care are better options) Christians must come to grips with this issue personally. 

I fear that too many read of these things and immediately go into protest or boycott mode. I'm just not convinced this is the best response. However, don't hear what I'm not saying. This is a big issue and must be addressed.

Pray for leadership of The Salvation Army. They must address this. They know it. It appears they are.

Who's Your Jesus?

A few weeks back a friend of mine shared a book on Nook (nice app - you can share books for up to 14 days.) The book is titled Imaginary Jesus and is written by Matt Mikalatos. It's hard to classify the book. It's not really non-fiction. It's not a novel. One reviewer said it was C.S. Lewis meets Monty Python. Perhaps.

The book description on Amazon states this:

Imaginary Jesus is an hilarious, fast-paced, not-quite-fictional story that’s unlike anything you’ve ever read before. When Matt Mikalatos realizes that his longtime buddy in the robe and sandals isn’t the real Jesus at all, but an imaginary one, he embarks on a mission to find the real thing. On his wild ride through time, space, and Portland, Oregon, he encounters hundreds of other Imaginary Jesuses determined to stand in his way (like Legalistic Jesus, Perpetually Angry Jesus, and Magic 8 Ball Jesus). But Matt won’t stop until he finds the real Jesus—and finally gets an answer to the question that’s haunted him for years. Be warned: Imaginary Jesus may bring you face-to-face with an imposter in your own life.

 

Since I haven't had the time to sit and read this book for hours on end, I'll probably end up purchasing it because the free 14-day borrow will end soon. I am about halfway through and I must say the concept of the imaginary Jesus is intriguing. It echoes things I have thought and said for years. I even find myself guilty of creating my own imaginary Jesuses at times.

As a believer, I stand firmly on the Word of God believing that it is inerrant and that the Jesus described within those pages is the authentic man (Son of God & God the Son.) Yet, culture has a way of leading us to re-create Jesus in our own image.

This has been the case for years. That's why the short Jewish man from Nazareth is depicted as a tall, very white, European man, sometimes with blue eyes, in many classic works of art. While it's easy for us to identify these depictions of Jesus to be wrong, it become more difficult to clearly see how the Jesuses we create are just as wrong.

Mikalatos introduces and describes many imaginary Jesuses in his book. You may recognize some of them. 

• KJJ "King James Jesus" - This Jesus speaks only in King James English. There are many "thees" and "thous" coming from the mouth of this one. 
• Harley Jesus - This one wears a leather vest and has a tattoo or two. He's not just a biker, he's a "holy roller."
• Liberal Social Services Jesus - This one has arms and legs and works hard to clean up areas and serve the community, but has no mouth. That's because he never says anything about why he does this. He just lives in the social gospel. There's also a Jesus on the other end that has no arms, but has a really big mouth. All he does is talk down to people, but never serves them.
• 8 Ball Jesus - This one is like the Magic 8 Ball toy that has been around for years. Ask this Jesus anything and he'll answer like the 8 Ball. It's all chance with fortune like answers.
• Patriotic Jesus - This Jesus is "red, white and blue" and loves America (more than any other nation) and basically wraps the flag around everything.
• Political Jesus - Yes, he's exactly what he sounds like. This Jesus is intent on changing the world by electing the "right" people into office. 
• Testosterone Jesus - This is my favorite. This is the "men's retreat Jesus" who talks grunts like Tim Allen on Home Improvement and spouts lines from Braveheart whenever he gets the chance. "Free-e-e-e-e-e-e-dom!!!!" He also cries alot and tells men to be better husbands and fathers all the time (when he's not quoting Braveheart.)
• The Secret Society of Imaginary Jesuses - These guys are basically like the Jesus Seminar, only imaginary.

There are others scattered throughout the book like CEO Jesus, Hippie Jesus, Legalist Jesus, Health Nut Jesus, iPod Jesus, and others. This reminds me of the Buddy Christ from the film Dogma (no I didn't see the film, but I have seen the "Buddy Christ" figure - pictured to the right.) It's funny how Christians were so upset about the "Buddy Christ" imagery and the film (and rightfully so) but many continue to create their own personal caricatures of Jesus.

 

As I read (the portion I had the chance to) this book, I couldn't help but  do a little self-evaluation. What Jesus have I created in my own image? Am I guilty of this? 

Unfortunately, I believe I have been at times, and to be honest, so is just about every believer I have ever met. I guess since we are image-bearers of the Creator, we tend to create. It's just in this case, we create what we feel is right, but it's, oh, so wrong.

The authentic, biblical Jesus does not need to be recreated into our image or for our cultural acceptance. While we lament that many unbelievers truly do not know who Jesus is, the reality is that many church-attenders and "Christians" tend to see a Jesus who is not truly the real deal. Even true believers can slide into this.

While this is not really a review of Imaginary Jesus (I can't review a book I haven't finished,) the subject matter did cause me to question. Questioning is not a bad thing. Isn't it the Truth that sets us free?

So. . .who's your Jesus?

Is he one listed above? Is he the Patriotic Jesus, the Political one, or maybe the Liberal Social Services one? Maybe he's a mixture of some or a creation yet to be listed.

Is He the One revealed to us through Scripture or some other version?

Stick with the real one. You can read Mikalatos' book. It's fun, but I recommend you spend more time in The Book. Read the Gospel accounts of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.) The truth is there. It's evident who He is, what He came to do and what He is doing now. Don't settle for a cheap imitation.

John 14:6(ESV) 

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." 

Can You Believe What These School Employees Did?

The stories continue to pop up every year or so. It seems that teachers, principals, school employees and coaches are doing things that literally threaten to destroy western civilization as we know it. It's hard to believe that all around our nation, parents willingly allow their children to be taught by these heinous people. How could a sane mother or father even consider putting their child under the tutelage of someone such as this.

That's right.

It's happening all over.

Teachers, coaches and sometimes even principals are daring to . . .are you ready for this? They are bowing their heads.

What!?!

I know, I know, you're upset. You cannot believe this is happening. Thoughts like "What is this world coming to?" run through your mind. It's a travesty.

The latest evil culprits were football coaches in Sumner County, Tennessee. This is the county where my brother lives, so he alerted me to this story last night. Apparently, the players on this local public middle school team gathered for a student-originated, student-led prayer time. The coaches were there as well, not leading, but they dared to bow their heads while the students prayed.

That's right. Bowed their heads.

That's it.

And that's what started the fire.

Channel 4 (WSMV) in Nashville covered the story. Here's a portion of their coverage. . .

During a student-originated, student-led prayer, four coaches bowed their heads. They didn't say a word.

But the principal and the district found out.

"We've been telling our principals to kind of be looking for those things, because that is kind of a shift in how things have been done," Sumner County Schools spokesperson Jeremy Johnson said. "It can in no way appear like it's endorsed by Sumner County Schools personnel."

Channel 4 asked if bowing one's head qualified as endorsing.

"It depends on what it looks like," he said. "That's where you kind of get into the gray area that we're having to deal with."

Each coach had to sign a letter stating he understood the district's revised policy.

Staff can be there when students pray but can not appear to take part, even outside school hours.

Of course, people in the community were shocked. Some are angry. Some who haven't stepped foot in a church for decades will claim to be Christians just to have something to argue about, no less.

This is just the most recent story. There are high-profile stories similar to this every year. Now, public school employees and legal advisors, even in our county, are instructing coaches and teachers to step back, not close their eyes and not to bow their heads for fear of being sued. The Sumner County policy was put in place following a lawsuit brought to the district alleging violations of the "separation of church and state" by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU.) 

I am a supporter of our local schools. I support our teachers, administrators, coaches and all in our community committed to serve and lead our children. Our church has been supportive for years and connected with our local schools strategically as a "business partner."

The initial reaction when I read stories like this is to get angry and to focus too much on the politics of the battle. The focus I must have, and we must have as children of God is the Gospel. 

David Landrith is the Pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, located in Sumner County. On his blog this morning, he shares some solid truths regarding this story.

Regarding the ACLU lawsuit, I believe the school system is headed in the wrong direction.  In my opinion, they have made two serious mistakes:

First, they have over-reacted out of the fear of a lawsuit.  Because of this fear, they are instituting policies that are unnecessary and that I believe are unconstitutional.  The irony is that in responding to the ACLU’s claims in an excessive way, they may actually be violating the First Amendment rights of teachers and students.

The idea that a coach or teacher cannot bow their head out of respect for student-led prayer is, quite frankly, ridiculous.  Additionally, to tell the teachers that they cannot attend “See You At The Pole,” which occurs before school hours, just doesn’t seem to be constitutional.  Maybe the ACLU should represent the teachers!

Secondly, there is a lack of clarity in what the actual policies are.  As the rules are handed down the line, there have been all kinds of prohibitions communicated. The student pastors of our county were told one thing in a meeting that is not always the practice at schools in the county.

I don’t know if these are official policies or not,  but teachers have expressed to me that it is being communicated to them that they cannot do certain things; things like to wear or display a cross, have a Bible on their desk in their office, have scripture verses displayed in their personal work space, listen to Christian music in their office, or participate in a prayer at a Christian organization such as FCA or Bible study.

Maybe this is official policy and maybe it is not.  If it is, again it seems to be a violation of the teachers’ First Amendment rights on the free exercise of religion.  If it is not, someone should make clear to the teachers and the community what teachers can and cannot do.

This the United States of America!  You can’t ban people from practicing their faith in the marketplace – whether it’s a Muslim, Buddhist, or a Christian.  Christianity should not be favored over other religions. However, Christians should have the same rights as everyone else.

I agree with David and he spells this out more in his blog post here. 

While I read this stories and think "Wow! That's unbelievable!" the realization comes to me that it will just be a matter of time when we are facing the very same thing here in our county. Remember, it wasn't that long ago that Bartram Trail High School in St. Johns County was in the news for similar reasons. There was also the story out of Pensacola regarding the athletic director and school principal.

Now, I'm not hoping this happens. I know our school district leaders are praying, oops. . . hoping it never happens. I'm no prophet, but . . . it will happen. This is more than a political battle. It's more than a Constitutional issue (BTW - the separation of church and state is not in the Constitution.) It's a spiritual issue. 

Pray for our schools, our teachers, administrators, coaches and all employees in the school district. Those who are believers in Christ cannot just "turn that belief off" when they go to work. Pray for them.

Makes you wonder if men like Tony Dungy or Joe Gibbs would have been able to coach high school football, doesn't it? The photo above is of Dungy and his Indianapolis Colts praying together in the locker room.

Baptists and Immigration - About People Not Politics

This year's Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix was the least attended since 1944. As happens every year, there were some significant decisions and important statements and, as always, items that cause a level of confusion among messengers and member churches. It seems the mainstream media, and even some religious media outlets and bloggers, watch for the annual "controversial" issue. This is what sells papers and draws people to blogs.

We, Southern Baptists, have had our share of interesting resolutions over the years. Of course, there were the years of internal strife among Baptists in the days of the conservative resurgence. During these days, it seems that Southern Baptists were regularly in the news. Then there were the resolutions of boycotts that seemed to come  regularly each year that moved us to being described as the denomination that known more for what we are against rather than what we are for.

You have probably heard it said that any publicity is good publicity. I think that was stated by someone trying to convince himself. There are numerous examples where publicity has not been good for the one receiving it. Recent news stories about certain politicians prove this to be true.

The problem with stories and Tweets and reports on denominational meetings, especially from mainstream media outlets, is that often the story as reported seems totally foreign than what happened at the event. 

This year, there were a few items deemed newsworthy by the media and have, thus been reported over and over. There's the issue of the NIV 2011 translation and the resolution on immigration and the election of Fred Luter as First Vice President. (Luter is newsworthy due to the fact he is the first African-American pastor elected to such a position within the Southern Baptist Convention.

After finding ourselves ahead of schedule over and over again throughout the meeting, we slowed down at the point of discussion of the resolution on immigration. You can read the original resolution here - http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/amResolution.asp?ID=1213.

The resolution was questioned from the floor after presented. The question focused primarily on the portion that stated:

RESOLVED, That we ask our governing authorities to implement, with the borders secured, a just and compassionate path to legal status, with appropriate restitutionary measures, for those undocumented immigrants already living in our country;

The apparent issue was that, in the opinion of the questioner and apparently many in the room, this statement appeared to support the concept of political amnesty for those living illegally within the American borders.

Shortly after this question was raised and the Resolutions Committee attempted to address it, the Twitter-verse lit up with Tweets by frustrated Baptists and some who saw this as just another religious group dealing with politics. Many were posting such things as "Reserve this discussion for Washington" or "Where's the mission-mindedness we were just talking of?"

My friend, who had traveled with me to Phoenix, asked me why there was so much ado about this resolution? We both know that immigration is a hot button political issue. We did not miss the irony that we were discussing immigration in Arizona, which has been in the news for months regarding immigration issues. Yet, it did seem out of place that the following discussion and debate ensued at the Southern Baptist Convention. 

I guess the phrase in this part of the resolution that caused so much concern and is getting the hits in the mainstream media (and to the disdain of many Southern Baptists is being compared to President Obama's stated policy) is the portion that states "a just and compassionate path to legal status."

Pastor Wiley Drake, never one to shy away from the floor microphones at the SBC, stated in an angry tone that this would be known as "Southern Baptist amnesty." What? Really? When he said this, I was wondering if he was reading the same document I was and had heard the presentation as stated. 

The aforementioned statement, in my opinion, does not promote amnesty. In fact,the committee added an amemdment to the resolution that clearly states the opposition of amnesty.

When Christians begin to talk about the immigration issue, opinions grow and voices increase in volume. Some will state the love for the alien within our borders as the ultimate guideline. Others quote Romans 13 as the reason for deporting all illegals. However, what is troubling is that the biblical standards and reference verses often never come out in the discussion. Rather, the proof-texts seem to come more from statements by politicians, talk radio hosts and party faithful. 

When it comes to the reporting of this resolution at the Convention in the mainstream media, it seems that no one is happy. Some state that Baptists have no right making political statements (which, if you read the resolution in full, it's not a political statement, but a biblically-based one.) Others are offended that Baptists would make a statement that doesn't line up with their preferred pre-determined political view. Others just like to not like Southern Baptists, so this gives them fuel for their distate, regardless where they land on the issue.

I'm not opposed to Christians being involved in the nation's political process. Nor am I opposed to being informed of vital news issues of the day. We cannot just put our heads in the sand and say "It'll all work out for good." We know that left to our own devices and man-made understandings, we do not drift toward good or right.

I'm glad the Resolutions Committee presented this resolution because it is forcing us to dig deeper to address the issue. However, the issue I am referring to is not the legal ramifications of illegal immigrants, but the church's response to people of all backrounds, nationalities, cultural differences and skin colors.

While not evident in the printed media or sound-byte comments, the committee's heart was understood, at least by me, at the meeting. The desire was not to make political statements about immigration and amnesty, but rather to focus on the international mission opportunities that are upon us here within our borders. Our ultimate motivations must never be simply political, but biblical.

As Reggie McNeal always says, "Don't hear what I'm not saying."  I'm not advocating the breaking of immigration laws, nor the blanket forgiveness or amnesty for breaking such laws. My primary concern is that we, as Baptists and Christians, realize that our first priority is glorifying God by living according to His Word and obeying the Great Commission to make disciples of Christ and to love God and others.

Those of us at the Pastors' Conference and Convention heard message after message about reaching the entire world for Christ. The messages at the Pastors' Conference were great reminders of the reality that this life is not about us, but about God. These were inspiring messages by church planters and pastors regarding the global mission. (You can listen or view them here.) Our North American Mission Board presented true statistics regarding the state of church planting and lostness in the United States and Canada. The International Mission Board urged the adoption of unreached, unengaged people groups and even led us in the appointment of new missionaries. These were the highlights of the meetings for me and many others. Yet, the message the world hears is that, even though we elected our first African-American First Vice President, we must still like being a predominantly white-only denomination and want to remain such.

What a travesty.

I read numerous Tweets that said as much during the debate on immigration.

Fortunately, I was able to attend this year's meeting. The heart of the meetings, and the heart of our denomination, is to glorify God and reach every person, from every tribe and nation with the life transforming and saving message of Jesus Christ.

Love God. Love people. Make disciples.

These are primary. 

Welcome to the Table. . .Just Don't Talk

 01 18 - The Christian and Social Ord

There's been much debate regarding the role of Christians in the public forum when it comes to what is deemed as "social issues" (i.e. abortion, euthanasia, etc.) Some take the stance that Christians should remain neutral in the realm of politics and societal discussions. That sounds very tolerant and accepting, but in actuality is the very opposite.

In June 2006, then Senator Barack Obama made this statement. . .

Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. What do I mean by this? It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons. . .but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I can't simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all. (Senator Barack Obama's "Call to Renewal" speech - YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOwzy-vKaFI)

This quote and link from President (then Senator) Obama is not meant as an attack, but to illustrate a point. Believe me, President Obama is not the only American holding to the beliefs that religious (i.e. mostly Christian) beliefs can be divorced from the public forum. 

Yes, I do realize that our nation is a melting pot of cultures and has people with a wide variety of religious beliefs. I understand that our elected officials are set there to govern over all people in the nation. The issue isn't political. The issue has to do with the divorcing of one's deeply held beliefs with one's actions or inaction. Wrap it in the guise of tolerance if you will, but the truth of the matter is that one's beliefs determines ones actions and, in truth, one's beliefs cannot be fully ignored or set aside, even in the sense of "fairness." 

Dr. Al Mohler calls this "secularism with a smile" and Democrats, Republicans, Tea Partiers and every other political flavor fall prey to it at some level. Mohler says "This is secularism with a smile - offered in the form of an invitation for believers to show up, but then only to be allowed to make arguments that are not based in their deepest beliefs." (AlbertMohler.com - June 30, 2006)

The question that must be answered is "What role should we as Christians play in society, and do we have a responsibility to stand for what we believe, even though it may be at odds with others in our society?"

Our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) speaks on it this way in Article 15 - The Christian and Social Order. . .

All Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in human society. Means and methods used for the improvement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men can be truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regeneration of the individual by the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. In the spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready to work with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to act in the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

The attached audio session goes into greater detail regarding social issues and the role of Christians. Using the Sermon on the Mount as our text and focusing on "salt and light" we are able to see that as believers, we truly do not get a pass on this. There's no sitting on the side-lines.

Here are some things to ponder, especially in our culturally saturated Christian experience. . .

• Some people are very religious about their politics. Others are very political about their religion. Both are wrong. Amazing and unbelievable as it may seem to some, God is not registered as Republican or Democrat (or Green Party, Libertarian or any other party.) This is not to say don't register as a specific party. I'm registered. My party affiliation was determined after prayer and consideration of platform issues. If platform issues change or the pendulum swings further away from my deeply held biblical beliefs, then party affiliations will change as well.
• President Richard Nixon coined the term "silent majority." His circumstances for coining this phrase was different than my point here. As Christians, we are not to be a silent majority (or even minority in some cases) when it comes to moral and righteous issues.
• The issues laid out in our statement of faith cause some consternation among many believers. Some believe these are "social issues" that the church should avoid. The thing is, while the BF&M is a man-made document, it is based on the Truth of the infallible Word of God (Scripture references are given under each article. Check them out online here.) The points brought to light in this Article: racism (which we as Southern Baptists have ashamedly admitted and since repented of the great role this played in our founding and for many years) greed, selfishness, vice, sexual immorality, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, etc. all are biblically named as sin. We should note that they're not graded as "worse sins than others" . . . just sin. 
• We must remember that we are citizens of heaven (and as I said last night, "We're just here on a work visa.")Our prayer is that "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" and therefore, we come to understand that in many cases God has chosen us as His vessels to work His will "on earth." This also means that we had better spend more time in the Word of God and in prayer to be able to discern His will. Believe it or not, His will is not a secret.

There's more here to cover, but you're better served listening to the audo file or downloading to your iPod as a free podcast.

Reading Old Maps

Last Friday I was sitting in a junior high geography classroom before school talking to a group of five guys that I mentor. We were talking a little about how their Spring Break went and re-hashing the session of the day. The talk turned very serious as I explained that I would only have about six or seven more meetings with them in this program and wanted to make sure they understood the real purpose of my time with them - to help them see what it means to be a real man, but to ultimately help them understand that a life apart from Jesus Christ results in futility. This was a good day. I was able to share plainly from the Word of God about the Way, Truth and Life that is Jesus Christ.

As we sat there, I began telling some stories about people I know who are believers from throughout the world and a little about their struggles. I turned around and saw a large map on the wall. . .this is a geography classroom, remember? I looked at the map and was going to point out some of the areas these friends are from. It was a map of Europe and the Middle East. I recognized the area, but something wasn't quite right. Then, it hit me. This was an old map. I hope this was a map used by the teacher to show where boundaries used to be, but who knows? These maps are expensive. Maybe the school doesn't have enough money to upgrade the maps. Maybe they just project maps from Google Earth and don't want to spend the money on the paper maps. That makes sense. Perhaps, since the maps are still in pretty good shape, the teacher just can't throw them away. 

Anyway, I noticed some nations that brought me back to my high school days. There was West Germany, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and this large nation called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. I immediately thought of the Cold War and Red Dawn (Wolverines!)

Old maps. 

It's kind of like the GPS I bought a few years ago. For the most part, it's accurate, but I haven't yet upgraded the maps. This means that when I'm driving in certain areas of Jacksonville, the Oakleaf area or parts of St. Johns County, the GPS is totally confused and thinking I'm driving through fields. I need to break down and buy that upgrade.

Old maps can be interesting. There are many of them framed in the Jacksonville Public Library. I've seen them used as decorations in Red Lobster. They're interesting in that that show how things used to be with old boundaries, less developed areas, etc.

Old maps just aren't very useful if you're relying on them to get you where you need to be today.

In the Bible, this discussion developed among Jesus' followers. There were questions about John the baptizer's role, the Pharisees interpretation of the law and what Jesus' message meant.

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." (Matthew 9:14-17 ESV)

John was seen as a reformer by many, and a threat by the religious establishment. He was seen as one who was seeking to reform by bringing about repentance among those steeped in the traditions of Judaism.  Jesus came not to just patch an old system. His purpose was to bring in something new.

What was new? The new covenant, new life. . .a new chapter in the story.

A new map.

I wonder how often we forget this? How easy is it to fall back into a works-based, legalistic religion? Religion that is lifeless? How often do we, even as Christians, find ourselves sounding more like the Pharisees than Christ?

We like the old maps. They're comfortable. They're still in good shape. There's no reason to throw them away. It's just that the old maps don't quite get you where you need to be.

This plagues the lives of individual believers. It affects the health of churches. I'm sure you've heard it all before. . ."The message never changes, but the methods do." It's true. While Christ offers new life, we become comfortable with the familiar. Familiarity leads to stagnation at times. We must guard against this. 

It's not about programs, events or church traditions. Those can all be good and even add to health, but they can also become "old maps." The new map, by the way, isn't new technology, new programming, new events, or new ideas. The new map isn't even that new.

The new map is Jesus. 

Let's make sure we remember this.

Inauguration Day 2011 - The Role of Prayer in Desperate Days

I was invited to join a group of pastors and other conservative leaders in Tallahassee for a small get-together with Governor Rick Scott and Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll and their families. Following the small breakfast in a crowded room at Florida A&M we then went downstairs for the Inauguration Prayer Breakfast.  This event had approximately 1,500 in attendance and featured my friend Bill Bunkley, the Legislative and Government Consultant for the Florida Baptist Convention and the host of Drive Time with Bill Bunkley that airs in the Tampa area, offering invocation as well as Bishop Vaugh McLaughlin of The Potter's House Ministries here in Jacksonville and other Christian leaders, a rabbi from south Florida and Imam Enrique Rasheed from Jacksonville. (I found it interesting on some news posts that the only featured guest listed as praying was the imam.  Some had no mention of any of the Christians on the agenda even though all were bold in their prayers and statements and overtly prayed "in Jesus' name.")

The prayer breakfast was emceed by Pastor Kirt Anderson of Naples Community Church who is the pastor for Governor Scott and family.  The FAMU Honor Guard presented colors and then an eight year old young lady named Gina Marie Incandela sang the national anthem.  Since she was on the floor, most people could not see her (of course, I was a head above most everyone so I could see her a little.) I mention this little girl because once she started singing, I thought we were on America's Got Talent.  Gina Marie has an incredible voice and hit notes I didn't know were humanly possible, reminiscent of Jackie Evancho of the aforementioned talent show.

Ann Scott, wife of Rick Scott, congratulates Gina Marie Incandela, 8, after she sang the national anthem at a prayer breakfast at FAMU today. (AP)

The keynote speaker for the breakfast was author and founder of Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson. Colson founded Prison Fellowship years ago and has written over twenty books on church and culture.  He is featured regularly in the Florida Baptist Witness and other papers and is an active member at First Baptist Church of Naples.  Yet, he is probably more well known in our nation for a title he earned decades ago - "Nixon's Hatchet Man."  As Colson alluded, his story is now taught in US History classes in our nation as part of the story of "Watergate."  In 1974 he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Daniel Ellsberg Case and consequently was sent to prison.  It was there where he came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and was transformed and born again as a Christian.

Chuck Colson speaks at the governor's prayer breakfast. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

From Colson's talk, a few things struck me as key.

• Governor Scott & Lt. Governor Carroll require our prayers.  This is a biblical mandate.
• The political culture we have today is worse than ever in his view, and this includes the Watergate era.  This really grabbed my attention.  This statement came from a man who went to prison on Watergate-related issues and was on the inside of the Nixon White House.  For him to say that our current political culture is the worst he's ever seen speaks volumes.  This, too, is why our new Governor and other elected officials need our prayer.  (BTW - we, as believers, are to pray for all our governmental leaders regardless of political party and personal likes and dislikes - see 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
• In an anti-government culture, we must remember that God ordained government.  I believe this may have come as a surprise to some in attendance.  Colson mentioned that God first ordained marriage between man and woman with the creation of Adam and Eve.  This obviously was a statement about the sanctity of biblical marriage in a culture that wishes to redefine the boundaries.  Secondly, God ordained government.  He mentioned the angel with flaming sword at the gates of Eden as the first "cop on the beat."  Government, Colson stated, was created for justice as a result of the fall of man.  Third, God ordained the church.  
• Though many are anti-government it seems, and many were recently elected on a "let's fix government and kick the 'bums' out" platform, it must be remembered that God created this concept.  I believe that our grand experiment of a republic in the United States is the greatest form of government around.  However, reform does need to take place and that is what has led to the birth of the Tea Party and other groups.  Governor Scott and others who are new to the political world (including US Senator Rubio and a couple of friends of mine from other states) have a lot ahead of them.  It is a daunting task.
• Then, Colson quoted some very interesting statements from Alexis de Tocqueville.  I wish I had written them down.  While this probably wasn't an exact de Tocqueville quote Colson used, it sums up the point he was making "Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith."
• These quotes were made by Colson. . ."Freedom can never be sustained apart from the cultivation of virtue. Who cultivates virtue? The government? No. You can’t have a virtue commission (though they tried that in California.) Can you teach character to kids? No. Character is learned, not taught. Aristotle was right 2,500 years ago. It’s learned in associations. It’s learned in your family, in your little platoons in your society, the Boy Scouts, the YMCA, and all the structures of society, primarily in the church it’s learned."

I met Governor Scott and his wife for the first time today.  They are good folks and present themselves with a calm spirit and a humbleness that is honorable.  I also had the opportunity to meet Lt. Governor Carroll and her husband Nolan.  Most in our community know of the Carrolls.  They live in Fleming Island and I have had the privilege of knowing their youngest son Necho for the past six years.  He is a senior at Fleming Island High School and plays on the basketball team.  I first met him when I volunteered with the girl's junior high team at Green Cove Springs.  Back then, Necho was volunteering as the team manager.  Even as a young man, I recognized good character in Necho.  Now, he's not perfect - no one is, and he is still a teenage boy, but in my opinion, he's a good guy and presents himself with integrity and humility (and when I saw him today, he looked surprised and said "It's good to see you here Mr. Tarkington."  Nice.  Respects his elders.)  What's my point?  Based on what Colson said, virtue is learned in the family, society and church.  Necho and his siblings are testimony to the character of his parents.  

When Lt. Governor had the opportunity to greet the crowd at the breakfast, she made her beliefs very clear.  Here's what she said, "Rick and I, to the core, believe that God is our rock and our foundation. And what’s most important is that we are not ashamed to publicly admit it."

Following the breakfast, we made our way to the Old Capitol Building for the inaugural ceremonies.  You may have seen it on television.  We had great seats and the opportunity to experience everything up close and personal.  It had the feel of a good old fashioned political rally, as I guess it should have, complete with a military band (playing songs such as "The Army Goes Rolling Along", "Marines' Hymn", "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Dixie") introductions of former governors in attendance (It was very obvious that Jeb Bush is still very popular.  The round of applause he received was almost as loud as Governor Scott's), introductions of other political office winners from the past in attendance, and Lee Greenwood singing "God Bless the USA."  

Then, the oaths of office were taken by our new Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, Attorney General Pam Bondi (she must have had the second largest cheering section), Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll and finally Governor Rick Scott.

Governor Scott took his oath.  The crowd cheered loudly.  He then gave his acceptance speech.  As a businessman, it was apparent that his primary goal is to help create jobs for Floridians. Obviously, this was a hot button that led many to vote for him.  About halfway through his speech a heckler could be heard shouting from the back.  I don't know what he said, but it brought me back to Chuck Colson's statements about the political climate we have today.  

It was a day of celebration and pomp and circumstance.  Flags were waving.  Bands were playing. Statements were made that were greeted with cheers.  Hugs, smiles, pats on the back, congratulations were offered. . .all in all a positive day for most.  

Governor Scott completed his speech with the statement "Let's get to work!"  

Now, the hard part.  Just like any inaugural day, the expectations are high.  Yet, when it comes to the state of problems in our government and state, we need to remember that it is just a reflection of the problems within our own lives and hearts.  We live in desperate times.  Perhaps moreso now than ever before.  I close with Chuck Colson's response to why these are desperate days.

“So what’s desperate for us today? Yes it’s desperate that we get good men and women like the governor and lieutenant governor being inaugurated today. It’s desperate that we get people in government that really want to do what’s right,” Colson said. “But even more it’s desperate that in our country there be a revival, a surge of righteousness.”

Pray for our Governor and other governmental leaders on the state level, local level and of course on the national level. Pray for the hearts of people in our nation that there will be a surge of righteousness and a revival of heart (and I mean a real revival.) God is still in control.  God bless America and Florida and may Florida and America bless God.

How To Make International News With a Bonfire. . .Not a Good Idea

Well, it's been in the news for over a week and Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville is, at least at this moment, still planning to burn copies of the Qur'an on Saturday.  The Washington Post says that Jones may have postponed the burning following a call by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and a potential meeting with the NYC Ground Zero proposed mosque imam (though we hear conflicting reports about this proposed meeting.)  Regardless, the little church of 50 (that number is dwindling we hear) is still the top national and international news story.

Do you remember when the most newsworthy thing happening in Gainesville was that the Gators were playing football?

Now, according to the Drudge Report, there is a pastor of a church near Fort Campbell in Tennessee, a church in Topeka, Kansas and a group in Wyoming planning to have their own Qur'an burnings.

Anyway, since this has been all over the news, I have been asked by church members, folks in the community, people in the barber shop and the local elementary school where my wife subs what my thoughts were on this.  

I have avoided blogging about this just because there were so many other posts out there, but for those four or five of you that actually read this blog, I thought I would share my point of view.

Simply put - I think it's a terrible idea.

My personal belief is that Pastor Jones and these others are receiving exactly what they desired - publicity.  You've heard the old adage "Any publicity is good publicity."  Well, not in this case.

You may think by stating this is a bad idea, I'm saying that the Muslim religion is valid and equal to Christianity and that the Muslim holy book should be viewed as equal to the Bible.  I'll be clear here - I do not believe that at all.  There are Christian churches in Gainesville who have stated as sign of solidarity and tolerance that they will read from the Qur'an during their Sunday worship services.  There is even a Jewish Synagogue in Gainesville that will read from the Qur'an during their Sabbath gathering.  They are doing this, they say, as a sign of tolerance and support of all religious beliefs.  In fact, they are doing this as a sign of protest to Pastor Jones.  Is this the response Jones wanted?  "Christian" churches reading from the Qur'an.  I have problems with that and fear that if a church will teach from the Qur'an as a "holy book" during a Christian worship service, then they apparently do not hold the value of the Bible very high.  That would be a discussion for another post.

I do believe that the Qur'an burnings will do nothing to lead others to Christ, open doors to reaching Muslims in this world with the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus and will definitely put American military men and women, Christian missionaries in Muslim countries and Christian natives in predominantly Muslim countries in harms way for no good reason.

I am all for using different methods for reaching people with the Gospel, but not at all for changing the message.  Some lean to becoming more liberal in their teachings of the Word of God for fear of insulting or turning off people.  Others lean to becoming more legalistic and start looking more and more like the Pharisees of the New Testament.  Both extremes are tools the Enemy uses to divide and attack churches.

Rather than just restate what others have said so well, I am going to link to a few blog postings here regarding the issue.

Terry Jones - Founders Ministries Blog:  Terry Jones, Qur'an Burning and the Way of Jesus

William Rice - Calvary Baptist Clearwater Blog: Gainesville Pastor Has It All Wrong

Charles Colson - A Bad Idea: International Burn a Koran Day

Inauguration Day

Well, it's finally here - January 20th - Inauguration Day.  This inauguration has probably received more publicity, both positive and negative, than any in recent history.  In a nation so divided on political ideology, there are some who will have a very difficult time watching the proceedings today, while others will rejoice. 

It seems like record crowds of up to 2 million will be in Washington DC today for the event, with millions more tuning in to watch online or on television.

Regardless how you voted last fall, Barack Obama will become our 44th President today.  With the responsibility of the office and high profile globally he deserves our prayers.  He will be under the microscope moreso now than even during the election process.

A number of years ago an organization developed called "The Presidential Prayer Team."  A group of believers felt the need to organize concerted prayer for our nation's leaders.  Following the crisis of September 11, 2001, this group developed and is still serving the Lord by praying for those in authority over us nationally.

Here's an excerpt from their website (www.presidentialprayerteam.org) regarding this week's prayer focus:

Pray for President Elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, Vice President Elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden, as they now step up to serve our nation, taking leadership at a crucial moment in our national life. As the two men take the oath of office, pray that the Spirit of God will be there, reminding them of His indwelling power and grace for every situation.    

Pray for the National Prayer Service that will be held on Wednesday, January 21 in the National Cathedral, asking that God will be honored and glorified and that Americans will commit to pray faithfully for President Elect Obama and his administration.

Pray for confirmation hearings taking place on Capitol Hill, asking God to guide each subcommittee charged with this great responsibility into His wisdom and insight. Pray for each cabinet appointee as they make rounds of members of Congress seeking to build strong relationships that will serve our nation. 

Pray for members of our military, serving faithfully in difficult situations and conditions, asking God to protect and safeguard every one. Pray for the 5,000+ troops who will work to keep our nation’s capital safe throughout next week’s Inauguration festivities, giving thanks for their great sacrifice and dedication.

As you may know, President Elect Obama has caused some controversy in his selection of Pastor Rick Warren from Saddleback Church in California to voice his inauguration prayer.  He then went to the other end of the spectrum by having Bishop Gene Robinson voice the prayer at the pre-inauguration event held at the Lincoln Memorial this past weekend.

In an e-mail I received from Rick Warren, he speaks of this opportunity he's been given.  I respect Warren and his vision for reaching people with the message of Christ.  His conservative views are what makes his selection to pray "controversial."  His e-mail was to pastors as an encouragement to keep shepherding each flock and love the Church during these days.  His heart for pastors is evident.  Here's what Warren says:

Praying for other co-laborers in ministry is far more important than many of the things I do, because your ministry of pastoring - the calling to care for a local Body of Christ - is the greatest responsibility one can be given on earth. If you understand what life, the Cross, the Church, and the future are all about, you know that nothing else compares in significance. Period. 

Today, our culture idolizes entertainment, sports, business success, political power, and prosperity. While these have their place, Jesus did not die for any of these things. He died for the people that you care for, feed, and lead.

Nothing matters more than the Church. We forget that the reason God created the entire universe is because he wanted a family, and that family is the only thing that will last forever with Him. Everything else on this planet is temporary, no matter how much attention it gets.

The upcoming U.S. presidential inauguration on Tuesday has received so much attention, and regardless of how each of us voted, we all can celebrate the historic installation of our first African-American President.  To live in a free nation of unlimited possibility where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of leadership is a privilege we must never take for granted.

But, in God's eyes, and in the perspective of his eternal purposes, what you are doing will actually last longer than what any political leader will do. Your ministry will impact eternity. Think about that!  While no nation lasts forever, God's family will. Remember, prominence and significance are not synonymous.

Why am I writing?  To urge you to keep on, no matter what you're facing right now.  30 years ago this week, as a 25 year old, I started Saddleback with a public commitment to stay 40 years. It's never been without it's challenges, but God-willing, I'll fulfill my commitment to pastor this local congregation that I love so much.

Please pray that I'll bring glory to God and represent all pastors well on Tuesday.

2 - My Christmas Playlist - The "It" Gift

Every Christmas there is that "Gotta Have It" gift out there.  In the past, it's been the Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo and others.  This year, it's probably the Nintendo Wii.  But, really, what is that ultimate gift that people need?

Download 01 2 - My Christmas Playlist - The _