The Blog is Moving!

As of April 1, 2008,
The Revolution Blog will be closed.
all future posts will appear at
A Manifesto
I don't have the time to maintain this blog and keep up with all my other responsibilities.
Please feel free to add the newer blog to your blogrolls, as that will be the one I will be posting to from here on out.

~tim

Christian Labels

As I have previously stated I am somewhat Reformed in my soteriological thinking.
As I was reading J.I. PAcker, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God i cam across this quote, which I found quite appropriate in light of many recent controversies over the subject.
For your enjoyment and edification:

"It is instructive in this connection to ponder Charles Simeon's account of his conversation with John Wesley on Dec. 20th, 1784:"

"Sir, I understand that you are called an Arminian; and I have been sometimes called a Calvinist; and therefore I suppose we are to draw daggers. But before I consent to begin the combat, with your permission I will ask you a few questions....
Pray, Sir, do you feel yourself a depraved creature, so depraved that you would never have thought of turning to God, if God had not first put it into your heart?" "Yes," says the veteran, "I do indeed."
"And do you utterly despair of recommending yourself to God by anything you can do; and look for salvation solely through the blood and righteousness of Christ?" "Yes, solely through Christ" "But, Sir, supposing you were at first saved by Christ, are you now somehow or other to save yourself afterwards by your own works?" "No, I must be saved by Christ from first to last." "Allowing, then, that you were first turned by the grace of God, are you not in some way or other to keep yourself by your own power?" "No."
"What, then, are you to be upheld every hour and every moment by God, as much as an infant in its mother's arms?" "Yes, altogether."
"and is all your hope in the grace and mercy of God to preserve you unto His heavenly kingdom?" "Yes, I have no hope but in Him."
"Then, Sir, with your leave I will put up my dagger again; for this is all my Calvinism; this is my election, my justification by faith, my final perseverance: it is in substance all that I hold, and as I hold it; and therefore, if you please, instead of searching out terms and phrases to be a ground of contention between us, we will cordially unite in those things wherein we agree."'"

~To God be the Glory~

Religion

I often wonder what it means to live in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Recently I had a disheartening conversation with a close friend who had no conception of what it means to know and love Christ in a real way. This friend thought that by following a list of rules and regulations someone was following Christ. Though I do not know my friends heart it saddened me when it apeared that my friend had never experienced the life changing encounter with Jesus Christ that I have. Here are some excerpts from a recent comparison of the Gospel with Religion.

"Religion says, if I obey, God will love me. Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.

Religion has good people & bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.

Religion values a birth family. Gospel values a new birth.

Religion depends on what I do. Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.

Religion has the goal to get from God. Gospel has the goal to get God.

Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin. Gospel sees hardship as sanctified affliction.

Religion is about me. Gospel is about Jesus.

Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key. Gospel believes that being honest is the key.

Religion has an uncertainty of standing before God. Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus' work.

Religion sees Jesus as the means. Gospel sees Jesus as the end.

Religion ends in pride or despair. Gospel ends in humble joy."

Genocide

gen·o·cide - n.

The deliberate and systematic destruction of a national, racial, religious, political, cultural, ethnic, or other group defined by the exterminators as undesirable.

Webster's New World Encyclopedia, Prentice Hall General Reference, 1992

American Genocide

What right do we have to fight the good fight, when we gave up the right to prevent genocide?
How can we say that we are the best, when the streets of America run red with their blood.
Its an American Genocide that we are promoting, when we sit idly by and do nothing

Its an American Genocide, and I’m not going quiet.
Its an American Genocide, and we stand by and watch.
Its an American Genocide, and try to save Africa.
Its an American Genocide and its time to make it right.

What are we doing, in a country not our own, while the blood is running in our own dooryards?
Why are fighting for rights in the East, while our very own nation murders four thousand a day?
Its an American Genocide that we are promoting, when we sit idly by and do nothing

Its an American Genocide, and I’m not going quiet.
Its an American Genocide, and we stand by and watch.
Its an American Genocide, and try to save Africa.
Its an American Genocide and its time to make it right.

My Emerging Christianity

The Emerging Church has, in many ways, polarized the American Church. As I have begun to ponder the significance of the things that are being said by the likes of Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Don Miller and Dan Kimball; I see a pattern beginning to "Emerge". While I would not consider myself an Emergent necessarily, I often have more problems with the conventional church than I do with the emergent crowd, so I will take the term if I must. Simply put, I agree with more theology of the conventional church, but I agree with the practice of the Emergent church.

I see so much religion in the conventional, denominational church that I wonder if the denominational church will survive. I see hypocrisy, even about our own hypocrisy. I see churches that preach that the Gospel changes lives, then in the same breath reject newcomers who aren't white, middle-class republicans. As the son of a white middle class republican, I am hurt by the way in which so many treat this emerging generation.The role of the church in social ministry has troubled me, as I see the church casting a passing glance on the problems of the poor, oppressed and broken. Any church that isn't intentionaly reaching its community in visible ways has no business calling itself a church. When an emergent church invites homosexuals into its midst, those same people from the conventional church cry foul, pretending that homosexuals aren't people. While I am not saying that homosexuals acts are OK, I find it troubling that the same people who say that Jesus loves "me" are the ones who condemn these who are sinners of the same nature.

As I look at the dogmatics that characterize the conventional church I see so many people who blindly hold to beliefs, not because they are based on Scripture, but because the pastor told them. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and as such contained no errors in the original form. However, I find it troubling that often, the Bible is used as a weapon of humiliation. People take some verses (which are often true, in context) and use them to prove their point.

When a pastor gets up in his pulpit, and says that (his) God supports the Republican party, I literally want to throw up. While I have no problem with a Christian holding to federalism and small government, telling people that God supports the Republican party is not legitimate.God does not choose sides in this issue. If we say that God likes Republicans, how are Christians supposed to interact with those of us who are not Republicans? Are there no Christ followers among the Democrats? What about the Green party?Politically, the Christian should be known for the moral issues on which he stands , and not for which party lever he pulls.

The future of American Christianity is clouded. If Evangelicals can grasp a sense of unity in Christ as they let go of some of the things which are holding them back from being authentic in their communities, then they will shape the future. However, as this new reformation starts, it is difficult to foresee the church responding in a biblical manner to the questions raised by the Emerging Church. We must reach the culture, because we have already lost touch with the ways postmodern people think. If we love them, we must find new ways of presenting the unchanging Gospel.

And that is my goal, and hopefully the goal of every emerging Christian. We must be authentic, real-life, little-Christs, if we are to see the Gospel truly transform our culture.

The more I consider the kingdom of God, the more I wonder what i should do with my life. One of the prof's at SEBTS spoke in chapel on Wednesday and spoke of how each person should be willing to go overseas to share the gospel. While I have no problem with missions, or even the possibility that I could end up as a career missionary, it troubled me that he presented the missionary calling as the highest possible calling. It seems to me, that rather than telling everyone to go to a foreign country (though it is a legitimate need), he should have spoken instead of the missionary life of the Christian in the world around them. The missional life of the Christian then becomes the highest calling.
It is my firm belief that the missional calling of the Christian, is the only calling of the Christian. No matter your vocation, no matter your status, if you believe that Jesus Christ died on a cross to save you from your sins, than you will tell people about it.
While their are many vocations in life, there is only one calling for the Christian. We are called to go out and make disciples of all peoples. As far as i can tell, all the world is all around you. You and I are called to live the Christian life according to Matthew 28, no matter our vocation.

Who Would Jesus Kill?

In listening to some awesome pacifist music (Derek Webb) It has come to me that I have not decided by views on the use of force.
I thought I would support the use of "necessary force", till Derek webb asked a question that I couldn't answer.
"Tell me, Who would Jesus Kill?"
You see, logically it seems that as a Christian, we can support our country going to war, or executing a murderer, because as Romans 13 says, the government does not hold the sword for nothing. However, the question remains unanswered. If we are "little Christ's" how can we support the killing of any human being? These are tough questions, to which I do not (yet) have a satisfactory answer. Any helpful comments would be appreciated.