The Salty Peanut Gallery

Last week the Chicago Sun-Times reported on the resignation of a local area church pastor due to misconduct. Members of the congregation were told, “He admitted to sexual impurity and has taken full responsibility for his sin [and] has expressed a desire to participate in a restoration process.” No details have been reported, thankfully, but such stories always give me pause to reflect on my own vulnerability.

My old college buddy, Matt Willmington, recently wrote a great post on Locking the Rooftop Door, citing 2 Samuel 11:

“One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.”

Matt writes:

“I once had a pastor who built some specific fences in his life. He’d tell the congregation ‘if I’m driving in a rain storm, and one of you ladies is broken down along the road – I’m not stopping for you!’ We all laughed, and it seemed a little extreme. But we knew what he meant. He dearly loved his wife, and would err on the side of caution to stay away from temptation.”

I knew that pastor well. My wife and I had the privilege of calling him our pastor for many years. I remember hearing that wise man sharing his fences and I can tell you this. No one ever questioned his integrity. Matt goes on to share some “fences” of his own:

“These ‘rooftop door deadbolts’ may seem a little legalistic – that’s ok, because they are MY deadbolts.

1. What Internet pictures/content am I viewing, lingering on?
2. Am I following or connecting with any women inappropriately on Facebook, Twitter?
3. Am I communicating inappropriately with any women through email?
4. Am I communicating inappropriately with any women through texting?
5. Which women have my cell phone number?
6. Am I socializing singularly, or growing a close friendship with any women?
7. Am I spending time counseling any women alone?
8. Am I working too closely with any women on staff?
9. Am I looking at, or thinking about women inappropriately?
10. Who are the men who hold me accountable spiritually for my moral life?
11. Is my wife aware of my struggles, weaknesses?
12. Do I look at my wife when we talk, do I watch her?
13. Do I daydream about my wife?
14. Do I listen to my wife when she is sharing her thoughts?
15. Do I show physical affection to my wife?
16. What plans, visions do I have for my wife’s life?
17. Do I work to help my wife grow spiritually?
18. Do I work to add value to my wife’s life?
19. Do I empower my wife to pursue her dreams, passions, interests?
20. Do I pray with my wife?
21. Do I serve my wife?
22. Do I help my wife parent our children?
23. Do I protect my wife?
24. Do I lift, carry my wife’s burdens?
25. Do I build my wife’s self-image with affirming words?”

Thanks for the “rooftop door deadbolts” analogy my friend. It’s a great reminder to all of us.

Are decisions made in the heat of emotion really life-altering? I’m involved with a group of guys in another forum participating in an interesting discussion that centers around the movie “Fireproof”. The discussion has been going something like this:

“Has everyone here seen the Fireproof movie? I saw it last week and I will never look at marriage the same. The movie was amazing! I highly recommend it for married people or people who wish to be.”

“Saw it the weekend it came out. Bought the DVD a couple of weeks ago and showed it at our couple’s Bible Study on Wednesday. It was warmly received by all, and it opened up some good discussion.”

One commenter had a little bit different take on it, however. Here it is in nutshell:

“Mine is not the voice of dissent so much as it is the voice of an observation that I think ought to come into this discussion. Isn’t the Word of God the place where we go to have our lives changed? Isn’t the Holy Spirit the primary change agent? I don’t doubt that He can work through movies; fair enough. And I know that some of the movie’s plot draws upon Scripture. But I’m concerned when we take our cues for life-change first from a Hollywood production, and not from the Bible.”

That commenter was our good friend Byron Harvey. And it should be pointed out that this movie is not a Hollywood production, but rather was created by the good folks at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, who brought us “Facing the Giants”. Nonetheless, he raises a good point.

Now I haven’t seen “Fireproof” yet, so I can’t comment on its content. But I tend to agree with Byron’s concerns. Have we really become so shallow that something as superficial as a drama or a novel is what is required now in order to move us? Not to compare the two, but I hear some folks making similar “life-changing” comments regarding “The Shack”, a story that may offer much that “is good and even helpful” as Tim Challies writes, though, sadly “there is much bad mixed in with the good” in that it clearly misrepresents the person-hood of God. Still these stories are heartwarming. They make us feel good and we tend to respond to the emotions they stir up inside us. But can we really say that decisions made based on emotion are truly life altering? What happens when that feeling of well-being subsides? What then? Do we still maintain those commitments? History tells us that by and large we do not.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 that life changing transformation comes “by the renewal of your mind.” What he is referring to is a total change from inside out by the power of the Holy Spirit as it illuminates the truth of God’s Word, so that it impacts our attitudes, thoughts, feelings and actions. Now I’m NOT saying that God can’t use a film to capture someone’s attention. If God can use an “ass” (Numbers 22:28) he can certainly use anything He wants as long as it doesn’t contradict His nature to do so. In fact under the right circumstances I would even consider showing this particular film myself at a church sponsored activity (though I’m pretty sure I would NOT show it in place of a Sunday morning message). But here’s the thing. I maintain that real life-altering transformation is best attained through an ongoing infusion of God’s Word. And I’m not just talking about more Bible studies either. I’m talking about being “doers of the Word, and not hearers only” – James 1:22. I’m sure “Fireproof” is a great film, but if we’re really serious about changing our lives, then let’s commit ourselves to diving in a little deeper, shall we?

Author Ted Kluck has written a brilliant review on a runaway theological bestseller:

…Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Shaq receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, but actually from Pat Riley, inviting him back to that shack, actually a 14,000 square foot Miami mansion, for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at a gated community, in a Cadillac Escalade, and walks back into his darkest nightmare. A nightmare which includes the movies Blue Chips and Kazaam! as well as recordings of all of his many ill-fated rap albums including Shaq Diesel and You Can’t Stop the Reign. What he finds there will change Shaq’s world forever. The three members of His Trinity include The Father, Pat Riley; The Son, Shaq Fu – the Orlando Magic/Bad Movies/Rap Music version of the current Shaq; and the Un/Holy Spirit, Kobe Bryant. The growing and bonding that they do will astound you. There’s lots of crying. And hugging. And understanding. And hope. And food. And pain that like, sort of, eases at times. Lots of loads lifted. Loads lightened. That sort of thing.

That is why one day I said my game will be like the Pythagorean Theorem – hard to figure out. A lot of people really don’t know the Pythagorean Theory (sic). They don’t make them like me anymore. They don’t want to make them like that anymore. – Shaq

Commenters have been tearing up the blogosphere in response to President Obama’s recent remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. Addressing a gathering of lawmakers, dignitaries and world leaders, Obama announced Thursday the signing of an executive order creating the White House Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. This is meant to expand and redirect the faith-based office established by President George W. Bush. “The goal of this office will not be to favor one religious group of faith over another or even religious groups over secular groups,” he said. “It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities and to do so without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state.” Here’s some of what he had to say:

I always love it when politicians use religion to bolster their political agenda. Obviously there are several things that are particularly troubling about the President’s remarks. The focus of the greatest attention was Obama’s obvious duplicity on the issue of life. He states, “There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being.” Frankly it’s astounding how he can even make this statement with a straight face given his clear pro-abortion stance, although apparently there’ve been plenty of other instances where he has made similar comments. The question we’re left asking ourselves is how can there be such a disconnect on this issue? Does President Obama seriously think that unborn life is NOT considered innocent life? Let’s recall for a moment his previous response to the question of when life begins, an issue raised during the presidential campaign. “Whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.” So his thinking seems to be that he is unwilling to consider unborn life as innocent life because he doesn’t feel qualified to make that determination? Excuse me for saying so, but if that is true, that’s some pretty twisted logic if you ask me.

Next is Obama’s message of ecumenicalism. I have to tell you, it goes against every fiber of my being to hear Obama suggest that “The Golden Rule” is not only a Christian tenet from God’s Word, but rather it is some sort of universal teaching that binds all religions together. While it may be true that similar teachings exist in other religious texts, one thing must be made perfectly clear. There is only one God of heaven who is the only author of truth and there is only one authoritative source for communicating God’s revealed truth. That is the divinely inspired Word of God which is the Holy Scriptures. Other religions may try to adopt certain biblical principles as their own. Satan is a master imitator. But when all is said and done, there’s only one path to righteousness, only one way to heaven, only one true message of salvation and that is the message of the gospel. To claim that all religions are somehow united is just plain wrong. “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed,” Paul says (Galatians 1:9).

Obama goes on to explain how people of differing religious beliefs can attain this spirit of ecumenical cooperation. He urges his listeners to “allow God’s grace to enter into that space that lies between us.” Mr. President, sir, with all due respect, this too is completely contrary to scripture. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?”

Yes, Mr. President, God’s grace does indeed bring unity, but not in the way that you might think. God’s grace unites us through the person of Jesus Christ. By placing our trust in Him we identify with the same Lord and we each share in the same Spirit that binds us together in one accord (Ephesians 4:4-6). But make no mistake. The only grace that the nonbeliever can ever hope to receive from God is His saving grace through faith. And this leads us to the next issue, which is the president’s conversion experience:

“It happened not because of indoctrination or a sudden revelation but because I spent month after month working with church folks who simply wanted to help neighbors who were down on their luck, no matter what they looked like or where they came from or who they prayed to. It was on those streets, in those neighborhoods that I first felt God’s spirit beckon me. It was there that I felt called to a higher purpose, His purpose.”

Here’s the biggest problem with Obama’s so called testimony. There is no indication of any understanding on his part of the message of the gospel. No mention of any need for a Savior. No acknowledgment that he ever believed or received Jesus Christ as God’s provision for his salvation. Mr. President, God’s purpose isn’t some lofty social agenda. As Paul explains, “You were called to the one hope that belongs to your call” (Ephesians 4:4). That “one hope” is the call to eternal life. Our purpose then is to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29). Any service that we may render is in response to that calling and is as a result of that purpose done in a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). Serving our fellowman, while noble, is only secondary to surrendering our lives to Christ and serving Him for His glory.

As I said, there’s a lot here that believers should find troubling. President Obama is not the Christian leader that he likes to portray himself to be. It appears that religion is little more than an implement in his political arsenal. Unfortunately for him, the more he talks about religion and Christianity, the more he reveals just how little he understands of what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.