The Green Mile movie review and various other thoughts

It was a brutal day at work today. I was on shift doing my rounds as security guard at Escondido Charter High School and was stuck outside for most of the day. The temperature winded its way on up to 96 degrees F. Thankfully, a friend and coworker pointed out to me that the weather report said it only felt like it was 91! What great news! The slight breeze that the weather report must have been citing for its "chill factor" made it feel like I was not only in a furnace, but in a blow dryer as well. Another coworker tried to cheer me up by offering to have his students fry eggs on the cars in the parking lot. I believe an ice cold beer would have made a better offering.

After driving home in a pool of my own sweat I managed to slide out of my car and crawl to the front door; the only evidence of my arrival being a cloud of dust that erupted from my parched throat when I coughed out the frog that would not stop croaking every time I tried to speak. I recovered only by the liberal application of cool libations to my crusted body and a long nap finally interrupted by the cruel ringing of my cell phone at around 7:00 pm mountain standard time. I am unable to recall who rang but will hopefully have my phone repaired soon so that I may check.


Unwilling to go back to sleep, I turned the telly on and saw that one of my all time favorite movies was playing on FX. I was surprised by that because, generally speaking, I think the station should change its initials to ZZ(zzzzz). Anything else on that station and I would have been sawing logs all over again.

The rush of static and zinging noise that brings a CRT to life opened onto one of the most intense segments of "The Green Mile." The miracle worker and falsely accused killer, John Coffey, was in prison with William "Wild Bill" Wharton (a singularly evil being); Percy Wetmore, the belittling and depraved keeper, was on the prowl for easy blood; the simple and repentant Cajun, Eduard Delacroix, was keeping to his pet mouse and was soon to "ride the lighting"; Paul Edgecomb, the warden, was working to hold together a system of justice that could be brutally wrong in its execution of justice.

Delacroix is enjoying one of his last conversations on the earth with wardens Edgecomb and Howell while his mouse is playing with the wooden spool on which thread is packaged. His last concern is the ownership and care of his mouse so Edgecomb and Howell spin a yarn about a mouse carnival in Florida where the little guy can perform tricks and be well-cared after. While gently discussing the care of Delacroix's beloved mouse, the creature runs out onto the green mile (central corridor) and is stomped under the vile boot of Percy Wetmore who states only that he knew he would get him eventually.

The anguished cry that pours from the soul of Delacroix is simple to understand: Death was looming before his eyes and the last measure of joy in his life had just been crushed. Wetmore, a man who delighted in destroying what was good had won an evil victory in ruining Delacroix's spirit. At this point, Coffey urgently beckons for Edgecomb to place the dead mouse in his hands and, for the sake of all that is good, resurrects it back to life and denies Wetmore his wicked triumph. Be forewarned that I mean to describe how I see the beauty of Christ in all of this.

The scene described is amazingly powerful because it reflects the desire of the human heart to see justice done. Yet, justice is ultimately impossible for creatures of flesh and blood. The throbbing wounds and open cuts dealt by the hand of the evildoer remain even when the perpetrator is held accountable before the law. Even when the wounds for the victim heal over there is oftentimes a deep scar. Thus, we see that the law has no ability to save and maintain life. All it does is point to the failures of those who come before it and punish them. The life giving ingredient that is missing from the law is mercy which cannot be given arbitrarily lest justice be ignored.

Nothing of flesh and blood can stand clean before the law and that is why the gift of life that Coffey gives is one of mercy and compassion. He resurrects Delecroix's mouse to show compassion towards a fellow man who was condemned under the law and about to be put to death. He resurrected hope by giving life. Did not Christ do the same thing when, in His miracles He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and raised the dead from the grave? In this respect, Coffey is a Christ-figure in this movie.

Whereas the natural man, like Wetmore, is condemned before the law because of a desire to withhold justice and steal from others what is good, the supernatural and supremely innocent man (or man of the Spirit whom Coffey represents) is justified before the law because of a desire to restore life and love. Coffey does this willingly through his own suffering when he sucks the sickness and death out of the infirmed and pulls it into himself. He renews life, hope, love, joy and peace through his compassionate gift. Thus, in a sense, absolution is found for those whom Coffey heals when he hides their sickness within his own frame and suffers for it.

Christ does the same for those who love Him. The ability to give life is the most powerful force in the universe and when Christ takes the condemnation of those who fail the test of the law and buries it in His own body, the One who must judge that wickedness now finds no fault in the one from whom it was removed. In fact, the fault now lies with the one who holds it (Christ) and He suffered the blame.

We can see a type of the injustice of Christ's guilt when Coffey willingly suffers death by electricity. Yet, that death is only for himself, so that he might escape the pain that he holds within and the suffering that he sees "all around." How much more unjust was it that Jesus, who died willingly as well, should die a death on the cross to save us because of the pain that we suffer through? This is how God's mercy triumphs over law's judgment. Read John 17 if you wish to investigate for yourself. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2017&version=NIV

The deep truths I am trying to convey in this writing are thus given:

1) Without grace and mercy everything we gain in this life will be lost.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart." Job 1:21

"...the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!" Ecclesiastes 2:16

2) Death and wickedness are thieves and an offense that God has overcome.

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54-57

3) God restores life and love in a state uncorrupted and beautiful.

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:3-4

A prequel to my series on keeping others from God's love (part two).

Below is my letter to a church in San Diego that was supporting the San Diego Gay Rights Parade in 2007. Again, I notice that the way in which I approached that church is forceful like my letter to The City Church though perhaps not winsome and loving.

_______________________________

Dear Pastor,

I am happy to hear that you have reached out to different "communities" in the San Diego area. It is the place of the Church to reach out to the world. We reach out in love by not judging those outside of the church. They do not have Christ so, of course, they will live according to their sinful natures. We inspire them to glorify God when they see our good works. However, in not judging, we should not come to the support of unrepentant sinners. In this regard, I noticed that your church had helped sponsor the San Diego Gay Rights Parade.

It is just as wrong for the body of Christ to sponsor any kind of worldly behavior as it is to judge it. We should support Godliness within the body and only judge the sin of those who call themselves believers.

Please, consider the Holy Spirit inspired words of Paul when he writes in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13,

"9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

Please, focus on judging those in your midst who call themselves Christians. You would not sponsor your own congregation in it's sin would you? Why would you sponsor the world in it's sin and tarnish the name of Christ? Thank you very much.

Grace and peace,
Evan Bryan

A prequel to my series on keeping others from God's love (part one).

Being interested in knowing how I've changed through the way I try to communicate with other people, I recalled that I had previously visited a church in Ranch Bernardo. I had many disagreements with their theology and discussion about the Lord's "favor." The Lord brought into remembrance that I had actually written them a letter after attending. When I wrote it I did not try to make it full of mercy and grace. I trusted that my forceful words would change hearts rather than the Spirit of God, alone. The Lord has definitely worked in my heart to make the delivery of His word more loving and useful. In the meantime, I'm looking for a third letter I wrote to a church that sponsored the gay and lesbian parade here in San Diego in 2007. I'll blog about that one in my next post. Here's the letter to that church:
_______________________________

Dear Pastor,

I was excited to hear about how you would unwrap the Scriptures and reveal the love of Jesus and His favor last weekend. I was startled that you made the claim that "He [Christ] wants to get you into favor" through meeting in the temple and breaking bread in homes. I have to disagree with you. If saved, we are already in favor and the true place of unity is in Christ. Are not God's children already favored through the gift of salvation in Him?

The word for favor that you drew from Acts 2:47 is "Charis" in Greek and its Strong's number is 5485. Its definition is, in part, "a kindness granted or desired. A favor done without expectation of return; absolute freeness of the loving-kindness of God to men, finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor." None of God's favor is merited by our works as you made it seem by going to church and community groups.

Your concept of favor did not include the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Christ was crucified so that His children would have peace with God as well as the peace of God in their hearts. That is favor and I was very troubled that you did not preach this. You spoke of favor as living according to the "pattern" revealed in Scripture. You did not mention Christ's desire for a broken and contrite heart in that pattern but instead spoke at length on a concept of "unity." The only pattern you gave was "go to church and join community groups." Did not the Pharisees do the same thing and more (Luke 11:42) and were they not cursed? We are the church and Christ is our head. As the Church, we don't enter into the presence of God by going to church or community groups. He has made our heart His tabernacle and we enter into His presence because He has tabernacled within our hearts already.

You spoke of receiving better finances, family life, etc. but did not speak of how having faith in Christ may not lead to such things. In James, we read that we are to, "...count it all joy when [we] fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of [our] faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Can we graduate to higher levels of unmerited favor when we are already lacking nothing in Christ? If we have everything the world can give us but have not Christ we have nothing. If we have Christ and nothing that the world can offer we have everything. Christ Himself states in John 15:20 that, "No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." What of God's favor that comes through suffering? These truths did not resonate with the sermon on favor you gave yet they are the key to a life of hope in God.

You gave the quote to, "Set your hope on the divine favor that's coming to you." How is it coming? Through church and community groups? Our hope is founded on nothing less than Christ and His sacrifice, resurrection and ascension and it came to us already in the form of an innocent baby! Why could you not proclaim that we are favored simply because that baby was stricken, afflicted and judged in our place? We cannot gain favor with God which is why He sent Jesus.

Lastly, you were speaking of those who have "been there, done that" with community groups and how they were considering a "detour to get to favor" rather than attend. You said that there "Ain't one." Yet, favor does not flow out of community groups but from the wounds of Christ, alone. You are adding to Scripture and placing burdens on your flock by enshrining the attendance of church and community groups in law! We don't live by law but by grace and the perfect life that Christ already lived! Jesus is God's favor that was given to us. Do not make your congregation one of white washed tombs, for Christ looks at the heart of man and not His actions.

Isaiah 53 states:

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

...it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

Please consider these words that the Spirit of God has given to me, Pastor, for Paul's warning states, "...even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!"

Truth in Christ,

Evan Bryan

To keep others from His love (part four).

This is the letter I wrote to a church concerning their practice of communion:

Dear Pastor,

I attended your service on Sunday, July 16 as a visitor and was thankful for your preaching. You taught very well of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am close with many people in your congregation and their love for the Lord brings me great joy. It is also good that your church takes communion seriously and desires to protect those who would take it from eating and drinking condemnation upon their own heads, yet, I do not find the qualifications issued forth in the interview sheet entitled "Visitor Participation in the Lord's Supper" in scripture.

Thus, as I meditated upon your message of grace, I became greatly troubled over how I had been pulled aside to be interviewed on the issue of communion. I was told to avoid taking communion for lack of church membership though my conscience and faith says I may do so. The biblical qualifications for taking communion are a heart that is grounded in Christ and self-examined to determine personal worthiness according to the word and one's own conscience. The scriptures tell us in Romans 10:9-13 that,

"...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.""

Also in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 we read,

"...whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."

With such a clear description of salvation and communion laid out, denying communion on grounds of baptism, church membership and a public proclamation of faith rings of taking people back to Mount Sinai (though public proclamations should be encouraged and baptism taught). Communion is not meant to determine who the sheep and the goats are but to have fellowship with our Savior and remember His love for us apart from our works of righteousness. Thus, I can find no where in Scripture where it is given to an elder to bind a person's conscience when we are told that whatever is not from faith is of sin. Your teaching was so good on Sunday that I have no doubt people should be able to make a well-informed decision about communion every Sunday. God alone judges the heart and allows for a personal choice.

Jesus offered Judas, His betrayer, communion. He was willing to share with the "son of perdition." He did not withhold the bread from the man who planted the kiss of death on His cheek. Scripturally, how do you get from Christ sharing the meal with His betrayer to a system of denying the meal to those who mirror Romans 10 and 1 Corinthians 11? Is it wise to deny communion when Jesus Christ Himself did not prohibit Judas? It is a burden of the law for one to add works of righteousness upon a foundation of grace that alone gives former enemies of God the right to partake in Christ's communion. Thus, we must "examine ourselves" based upon the scripture. If one is not a believer, has not reconciled with a brother or sister, or is living in unrepentant sin then they should be encouraged to refrain, yet even Judas could have refused the bread though it was offered to him. Again, it is not the elder's responsibility to determine the sincerity of a person's heart and so approve or deny the meal for God judges the heart.

Lastly, Satan is called the Father of Lies and his name means "tempter" and "deceiver." We must understand that a slave to such a swindler could easily fake sincerity in his/her interview or qualifications and thus penetrate the visible church. That person (a wolf in sheep's clothing) would be allowed by your policy to take the Lord's Supper because of three works (baptism, public proclamation of faith and church membership) and those who have been cleansed by the renewing of their minds would not be for lack of works. That is why partaking in the Lord's supper must be an act of faith, grounded in the word and ultimately informed by one's conscience.

Thank you very much for allowing me to write to you, Pastor. Again, I greatly appreciated the preaching of the word and the hospitality of your congregants. The Lord has obviously put His blessing upon the work that it has pleased Him to allow all of you to partake in. May we all continue sharing the good news of the resurrected Lord!

Your brother in Christ,
Evan Bryan

The day is coming! Can you feel it?

- The return of Christ resembles the dawn: We can see the light of the coming sun but have not yet seen its rising.

Revelation 22:16-17

Jesus said, "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."

- The day draws near when we shall cross the final river and pull our boats up onto God's heavenly crystal shores.

Psalm 116:15

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."

- The night will end forever in Christ's presence when when He runs down the shore and pulls you deep into his embrace.

1 Corinthians 13:12

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

Christian Persecution.

"If I had stayed in Ohio, I wouldn't be alive," Rifqa Bary, a Christian convert whose parents are Muslim immigrants from Sri Lanka said. "In 150 generations in family, no one has known Jesus. I am the first — imagine the honor in killing me."

"There is great honor in that, because if they love Allah more than me, they have to do it. It's in the Koran."

The video is a powerful testament to what it means to follow Jesus. What would you give up just to know God more?



As for Rifqa, Christ died so that she could have eternal life! Though there is much in her life that seems fearful, the Lord has conquered death so that her death, however it may come, may be swallowed up in life!

To keep others from His love (part two).

According to many churches there are three basic requirements that a believer must meet to take communion. These are enforced to different degrees within separate congregations. I grabbed the form that labeled these qualifications from one church that tried to deny my participation in the Lord's Supper. It is transcribed below. I am currently working on a letter to send to that church and will post it as installment four of this series when I send it:

Visitor Participation in the Lord's Supper

The elders _____ have the responsibility to supervise participation at the Lord's Table. If you are visiting us today and wish to partake, we must, as much as possible, be assured of your biblical church membership, of your proper profession of faith, and your godly walk. To that end, are you able to answer yes to the following questions:

1. Have you been baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (as an infant or an adult)?
2. Have you publicly professed your faith in Christ alone for your salvation in agreement with the articles of the Christian faith as outlined in the Apostles' Creed?
3. Are you a member in good standing of a Protestant congregation that bears the marks of a true church, that is, a local church wherein governing elders insure that:
a. the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached;
b. the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ are maintained;
c. and church discipline is exercised.

If you are able to affirm these things sincerely, then we welcome you to the table and ask that you print your name below, along with the name of your church and its location.

If you profess faith in Jesus but are disconnected from his church because you have not been baptized and/or received as a member of a true church, or if you are unsure, please abstain and speak with Pastor Brown or an elder after the service to discuss your relationship to Christ's church.

To keep others from His love (part three).

Though I have many disagreements over the church policy given in part two of this series, I will articulated only a few of them for now.

The governmental system of many churches is corrupt and Catholic in conduct. It places burdens of the law upon people and lacks grace. Elders have no authority that Jesus Himself did not use but claim to by their actions. For instance, whereas elders may seek to deny a person communion, Jesus GAVE Judas (the person He said would betray Him) the bread and wine. Jesus SHARED in communion with Judas (the son of perdition)! He did not WITHHOLD the cup from the man who planted the kiss of death on His cheek in the Garden of Gethsemane! The man was allowed by the Lord to eat and drink condemnation upon his own head!

Thus, as I understand it, we "examine ourselves" based upon the scripture and "eat and drink condemnation upon our own heads" if we eat the meal in an unworthy manner (as Judas did). It is a matter of one's own conscience. Nowhere does it say that it is the elders responsibility to determine the sincerity of a person's heart and so approve or deny them the meal. Read the passage from 1 Corinthians 11 for yourself:

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

²⁷Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

As for examining others for communion it is important to remember that Satan is called the Father of Lies and his name means "tempter" and "deceiver." Who are we to think that a slave to such a swindler could not easily fake sincerity in his/her oaths of membership and thus penetrate the visible church? That person (a wolf in sheep's clothing) would be allowed to take the Lord's Supper and I would not, though I am a believer who simply, by my conscience, does not agree with membership. Yet, Jesus will build His church and even the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it! He has broken Satan's power.

Lastly, according to Romans 14:23, "everything that does not come from faith is sin." How ironic then, that in the very act of "protecting" those who would take the meal in an unworthy manner, some are encouraged to deny their own conscience! By my faith, I am clean and worthy before God to remember His sacrifice for me and eat the Supper. If you trust in the righteousness of Christ alone to save you from your sins and have a repentant heart then the meal is for you, as well.

To keep others from His love (part one).

I had a watershed moment in my life as a Christian today and what it means to be denied worship. For years I have supported organizations that provide for the persecuted church around the world. My favorite and probably most well known is Voice of the Martyrs. I actually got to visit their U.S. headquarters in Bartlesville, OK and meet their director, Tom White. He's the author of God's Missiles Over Cuba. My aunt who worked there introduced me to the man. It was quite an experience meeting someone who had been tortured in a Cuban prison camp for years simply for dropping Christian literature on the island. It is horrible that he was persecuted by non-Christians for his beliefs. How much worse is it when Christians try to deny the worship of other Christians?


I visited a church today and was told that I should not take the Lord's Supper because I am not a member of any church. I didn't obey the request and simply said that, according to my conscience, it would be wrong not to partake in the Lord's Supper and that regardless of what they believed I would take it anyway. To wit, I was told that I should, "respect the desires of the church" and refrain. What about their respect towards my conscience? Had I bowed to their pressure I would be sinning by doing something I thought to be wrong! I could only reply that I could not obey unbiblical desires of any church. The wine never tasted so sweet!

I'm reminded of the movie "Chariots of Fire" when Eric Liddell (a Christian running in the 1924 Olympics) is told by many of England's most powerful and influential men to run the qualifying heat for the 100 meter dash on a Sunday. He believed that doing so would be against God's law of resting on the Sabbath. When Liddell refuses these men, Lord Cadogen spits, "Don't be impertinent, Liddell," to which Liddell retorts, "The impertinence lies, sir, with those who seek to influence a man to deny his beliefs!"

As the situation is resolved and upon this vein, the Duke of Sutherland says to Lord Birkenhead, "The "lad", as you call him, is a true man of principles and a true athlete. His speed is a mere extension of his life, its force. We sought to sever his running from himself."

"For his country's sake, yes," responds Lord Birkenhead.

The Duke's final response is, "No sake is worth that, least of all a guilty national pride."

I find that, among many churches, the "pride" is not guilty so much as it is arrogant. It is similar to national pride yet infinitely more grotesque. Does it not serve to divide God's universal children? It reveals a gross split from the life of grace that Christ teaches and the life of works that is preached. To tell a man how to worship is to deny the condition of his heart and make him a liar. Christ changes us by writing His law upon the flesh of our own hearts and makes a broken and contrite heart an inward reality for those who love Him. Thus, obeying the law written on stone at Mount Sinai does not save; trusting in Christ who obeyed that law and gives us His obedience by coding it into us does.

It is so important that the gift the founding fathers gave us was the ability to live according to our own conscience in liberty, free from oppression. It is so easy for us to oppress! As for myself, my conscience is directed by the Holy Scriptures and I will spit in the face of any man-made institution that desires to add to or subtract from the principles upon which Christ builds His children.

I was shocked and incredibly angry from all of this but the Lord redeemed the experience and made it very good. I am blessed to be able to worship according to my own conscience as taught in the scriptures. The Lord's Supper is something amazing, for I am able to physically enjoy my relationship with the God of the universe. I have never truly appreciated the gift until today when others tried to strip it from me. Ultimately (learning from those who have been persecuted to the point of death), had they been successful, it would not have mattered. We feed on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and the Spirit of the Lord is with us wherever we go. As Romans 8:31-38 says:

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Weapon of mass destruction.

Below is a picture of my gun that my buddy took. It's a popular XD40 handgun and he's teaching me to be a tactical shooter with it. Hopefully, I don't ever have to use it against someone but if I do I plan on being prepared.

Also, I will soon begin loading my own cartridges so that I can make shooting a lot cheaper. Below is the Lee progressive 1000 loader I will be using. I set it up last night and for every pull of the handle a bullet pops out. It's an impressive machine! I've got my brass and now I just need to buy some bullets, primers and gun powder and figure out some adjustments so I can begin using it.

I'll post some pictures of me in front of it later.

How shall we boast?

As I've continued to consider the issue of elders and the authority they are given I thought about Paul and the sort of authority he took. After all, being a follower of Christ (with the mind of Christ), what he teaches in the scriptures comes from the Spirit of Christ. What I found gave me a rare insight into Paul's character: He was not above using LOTS of sarcasm to convey deep truths. Read 2 Corinthians 11:16-21 and tell me if you agree.

I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!

Paul is talking as a fool when he likens himself at the end to one who is "too weak" to have taken advantage of the believers of Corinth. He could have easily done so but, having the mind of Christ, it was not his desire to force action from people when their hearts would not be in it. Christ wants a heart that willingly serves him. Actions are a byproduct of a changed heart. Paul could not be a fool and ask for the actions without the heart change and still be Christ's ambassador! Be wise and go with the spirit of what Paul is saying: In your wisdom, do not "put up" with fools.

Good food makes her clothes fall off.

This video is a must watch. A crazy woman discusses why Adam and Eve stopped walking around naked then segues into the transgendered mayor segment and blasts into various other topics such as how Oregon would rather pay to euthanize a woman rather than paying to treat her cancer. I will focus on the crazy woman.



The crazy lady (Rae), says, "Adam and Eve were naked and everything was just fine until they ate bad food and then they got really self-conscious." Perhaps Adam and Eve became farty and bloated when the bad food fermented in their bellies. In light of this, I'm sure that their first clothing was, in fact, a thick diaper woven from fig leaves and animal pelts. Praise Gaia that this woman purged the mysterious "bad food" from her diet and shed her FigSkin Depends.

A friend of mine said to me, "Now I know to keep eating bad food so my clothes don't decide to fall off..." Her hilarious comment reminded me of the country song by Joe Nichols, "Tequila makes her clothes fall off." In place of Tequila, substitute what Rae says about bad food and you'll understand her shining brilliance (PBUH). Oh, how like a laxative it penetrates even the deepest of dark places within diapers to release the flood gates of "truth!" To put it bluntly and with less sarcasm we would say in the Marines, "If it looks like crap and it smells like crap it must be (you guessed it) CRAP!" I mean, at least Joe Nichols gives a probable reason for why a person would disrobe, but bad food? Give me a break!

Defying reason, Rae manages to construct an unholy union between good food and nakedness and becomes, herself, a great, stinking love child of twisted thoughts and lies. My wisdom would be on par with her's if I stripped after drinking grape juice. After all, it could have been wine, right? I would just be looking forward to the promise of fermented liquids in my belly to release my inhibitions... Although, in actuality, the inhibitions I would be releasing (like Rae's) could only be contained in the largest loin cloth of Adam and Eve's invention described above.

Like the king in Hans Christian Andersen's famous fable, "The Emperor's New Clothes," this woman is clothed in shame that she can't even see. She does not wish to appear stupid and so, to avoid the shame of her private fable, she has gone public with her nudity and is laid bare. Though the proverbial child has pointed out her nakedness, she holds her lofty head up high and flaunts her foolishness for all to see.

I write this only to point out the absurd claim of this woman. I mean to judge her words and conduct because it is proper to unmask the lie. To be honest though, it is a perfect mental picture for me of what I am like before God. I have lived in a world that to one degree or another has been contrived by my own lies. I subconsciously live by the famous mantra that "if I repeat a lie often enough it becomes my truth." I am just more skilled than Rae at hiding my heart from those around me.

There is One whose eye has pierced every layer of my clothing and knows even my innermost being. I shall one day stand before His judgment seat and He will demand that I give an account of my life. Will He see that it was built upon the lie of my own desires or, as Rae says, "whatever feels right"? Every one does only what is right in their own eyes. Thus, how worthless my gifts will be to God when I stand before Him naked with my heart fully exposed. As Paul says in Romans 7:24, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

Thus, it was not "bad food" that made Adam and Eve "self-conscious"; it was their disobedience and sin towards God that made them ashamed. However, God, in His love, covered their shame (or nakedness as it were) because He took compassion on them. The covering He provided for them (animal skins) was a sign of Christ's sacrifice which alone could cover all sins perfectly and remove their shame. He was naked on the cross when He suffered the shame of our sins. He was exposed and laid bare so that in a very real way we could approach God without guilt as "naked" ones. He bore the wounds of our iniquities so that we could be healed in truth (unlike Rae's healing lie).

In Christ, we have nothing left to hide and can close with the rest of the thought from Romans 7:25 where Paul writes, "Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

A conversation on church elders and their responsibilities (Part two)

This is a continuation of the conversation I have been having with my friend about elders. You will find part one posted on 8/3/09. I feel in these two letters that we are getting to the heart of the matter, however. We are given elders as people worthy of being followed for their Christ-like comportment. Should we consider our own conduct as non-elders in the same way as we consider theirs? I don't think so.

In short my friend writes:

...the roles of elders are subject to debate because I don't think the Bible is super specific as to what tasks are their responsibilities. I definitely think they need to be prayer warriors, check on members, continue to live righteously and lead their own families, be available to talk to people/ counsel them. I also think they need to meet as a group and pray and plan the vision of the church, hold the pastors accountable among other things. I think they should oversee the ministries of the church...

...I'm not disagreeing with you in the qualifications. I think it's great that you want to hold people accountable, Evan... I think it is important to ask yourself though if you know the whole story. Have you made an effort to get to know the elders? Or have you invited them over for dinner? Maybe their wives are burnt out with family responsibilities. I bet if you made your desire known to them you would get a different response.

My response to her, in short, is:

Hold with me on this because it is important. It's not my responsibility to get to know the elders. My hospitality is not significant to our argument. They are given as an example for me to follow, not vice versa.

The critical point of my argument stems from the definition of hospitality. In its Greek meaning it describes a great love to entertain guests and especially strangers. It is not loving simply to entertain those you love. Christ extended His wedding feast to strangers on the street after all! What I mean to say is that if a man does not love or entertain strangers he should not even be considered to be an elder! Begging the question, why is it so important for elders to love strangers? Would the church pull in desperate people if the elders who are given as an example for us to follow did not pull those people in themselves?

I'm saying that hospitality is a duty to be fulfilled by many rather than a joy that overflows from a grateful heart. Am I just supposed to assume that strangers are ministered to when I don't even see such love towards the believers? How could I ever be expected to put myself under such a system? Is submitting to the elders not the focus of our discussion?

Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Is blaspheming the Holy Spirit possible?

This question bothered me a lot when I first came to Christ. One passage in Matthew 12:31-32 states, "And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

I was mortified that I would, in a fit of anger, speak wickedly of God and lose my salvation. Of course, this begged the question of whether or not I could regain it...simply to lose it again! What if I died after a moment in which I had lost my salvation? My "religion" had become one of fear because I knew that I could not live up to the goodness God demanded of me. For this, I was thankful to have friends who pointed me to Christ in order to reassure me that once I was saved I could not lose my salvation or reward in heaven. My salvation is not built upon the foundation of my works but upon the foundation of God. My ability to blaspheme has been nailed to the cross.

The word of God provides our comfort, brothers and sisters: "Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:3)

One might say that the given verse is talking about cursing Jesus so it doesn't apply to blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Remember though, Jesus said that he (the Son of Man) could be blasphemed and would forgive the blasphemer. Even then it is not possible, as we read above, to speak against the Christ through the Spirit. If we cannot curse Jesus with the Spirit, then how could we curse the Spirit with the Spirit? A house divided against itself cannot stand.

In the ways of God, love and hate are mutually exclusive emotions and though we sometimes disdain those we should love, God's love is perfect. As 1 John 4:10 states, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." We are saved by His perfect love for us; not our shifting love for Him. He cannot, by His very nature, redeem us and then turn His back on us and judge us. Though we sin against Him, His love is so much more powerful than our sinfulness. He has separated us from our sin as far as the east is from the west. Jesus destroyed death for those who would call Him Father. He has buried death in the grave for us.

Eight Christians burnt to death in Pakistan after Koran is ‘defiled’

In the face of death it is necessary to inject the hope of the good news that saves us. Before posting the actual story of the murder of at least eight innocent Christians I will give some scriptures that the Lord has given as our promise of comfort.

Romans 8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 11:24-27

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.

The article from www.timesonline.co.uk:

Paramilitary troops patrolled the streets of a town in eastern Pakistan yesterday after Muslim radicals burnt to death eight members of a Christian family, raising fears of violence spreading to other areas.

Hundreds of armed supporters of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an outlawed Islamic militant group, set alight dozens of Christian homes in Gojra town at the weekend after allegations that a copy of the Koran had been defiled.

The mob opened fire indiscriminately, threw petrol bombs and looted houses as thousands of frightened Christians ran for safety. “They were shouting anti-Christian slogans and attacked our houses,” Rafiq Masih, a resident of the predominantly Christian colony, said. Residents said that police stood aside while the mob went on the rampage. “We kept begging for protection, but police did not take action,” Mr Masih said.

Police and local officials said that at least eight people, including four women and a child, were killed in the fires. Two others died of gunshot wounds. Residents said that the casualties were much higher; one claimed that the number of dead could be in the dozens as many bodies were still buried under the rubble.Shahbaz Bhatti, the Minister for Minorities, said that 40 Christian homes were torched in rioting. He said there was no truth to allegations that a Koran had been defiled, and accused the police of ignoring his appeal to provide protection to Christians.

Tension started mounting last week after Muslims accused three Christian youths of burning a copy of the Koran. They denied the allegations, but clerics called for their death. On Saturday hundreds of supporters of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an outlawed Sunni sectarian group, poured into the town from surrounding districts. The group is believed to have close links with al-Qaeda and has been involved in several terrorist attacks targeting security forces in recent years.

Television footage showed armed men running through the streets, gunfire, and women and children wailing. Blackened furniture lay outside burning homes, while a group of people rushed a man suffering from burns on a cart through the streets. Rehman Malik, the Interior Minister, said that the paramilitary troops were sent after police and the local administration failed to control the situation. Security forces were also placed on high alert to prevent violence from spreading to other towns of Punjab.

Security in Gojra, which has a Christian population of about 50,000, was tightened yesterday as funerals were held for the eight victims. Christians make up a small minority of Pakistan’s 160 million people and have been the target of attacks by Islamic extremists before, particularly in eastern Punjab.

Christians also face intimidation because of discriminatory blasphemy laws, including one that carries the death penalty for defiling the Koran and images of the Prophet Muhammad. The law is often misused to settle personal scores.

Just as the world was not worthy of Christ, the world is not worthy of those who suffer like Him in anticipation of the promise that awaits them at the resurrection. The Christian's hope is not in this world but is stored in Heaven where it cannot be defiled or destroyed. Those who store up their treasures there will be rewarded with an eternal life that does not fade with the passing of time. We are safe only in the hands of Him who loves us.

God, Guns, Guts and American Pickup Trucks!

The issue being discussed was whether or not it is irresponsible to be selling guns along with cars. It quickly turned into a discussion on how God's love corresponded with the need for peace-loving people to use guns. I think the reporter and car dealership owner got a little bit confused on what the actual interview was supposed to be about!

The greatest line was when the reporter says, "What would Jesus do? Would he carry a gun?" The dealer responds by saying, "They didn't have guns back then but I do believe He'd carry a sword if He needed it but He was so powerful He didn't need any weapon."

Christ's power came from wielding no other weapon but the Truth. He was so confident in His mission to save His children that He became sin for us and entered into the grave. In a very real way, Jesus did exactly what a man with a gun would do to protect his family. He took the fight to His enemy and defeated Him. He defeated Satan and led death into captivity. Thus, any Christian who desires to save life from the evildoer is scripturally taught to defend others even if it means using an AK-47 to do so!

A conversation on church elders and their responsibilities (Part one)

I've been writing to a friend of mine for a couple weeks on the topic of elders. I feel like the last exchange we had was particularly good if you would care to read it. In it, my friend is discussing how we show grace to others and how we are to call out others (even elders) on their sin. What should the consequence for elders be when we do so? My response follows these lines of thought as well. Some thoughts are not fully fleshed out in this post so if you have any questions feel free to ask! Enjoy!

My friend writes:

I definitely agree that we can see Christ in others. I have been so blessed by the people God has put in my life, and I think the Lord speaks through people too. But, I think we can also get into trouble if we depend on others to show Christ's love, because we are so imperfect. That's why so many are turned away from Christianity...because of the hypocrisy. I do agree that elders are called to very important responsibilities but that does not mean they don't need the same grace we do. Yes, they should be awesome examples of what it means to live a righteous life, but does that mean if they aren't perfect they should be kicked out of their responsibilities?

It's kind of hard to talk about this so broadly because there are so many circumstantial situations, but I guess I struggle with calling people out on their sin because I have so much of my own, and most of the time I don't know the whole story. That's not to say I shouldn't at times, but I would rather error in grace and love and let God deal with convicting hearts. Again, this is a very broad comment I am making and sometimes, yes, we do need to stand up for what we know is right in order to protect and uphold a righteous church.

You asked to what capacity are they called to lead? Well I guess that is subject to debate which is why there are so many denominations today, and why it is neat that we can choose a church. Ultimately I think we need to ask ourselves, is it a salvation issue? So many little things can be argued over when no one really knows! Everything will be revealed one day in heaven.

My response:

Many people are turned off from Christianity because of the hypocrisy in the church. There can be no argument there. However, this is where the need for healthy elders is so important and why it is absolutely necessary to hold them to a higher standard of conduct than non-elders. They are to reflect Christ and be able to contend for the faith.

We are given qualifications on how to choose elders precisely because they are held to a higher standard to effectively represent the church and feed the flock. Do you know any elders who are forced to take that responsibility? They should accept the standard to which they are held because they are already holding it! That being the case, if an elder no longer meets the qualifications laid out in scriptures they should no longer be an elder. Otherwise, why would we need them (scripture and elders)?

Of course elders need the same amount of grace as other believers but that grace is not given in relation to the position they hold. It is given in the love we have for that person. Consider this for instance: Would you show the same amount of love to a new believer who committed adultery as you would show to an elder who committed adultery? Would you allow the elder to maintain his position after such sin?

In such a case, it is absolutely necessary to call people out on their sins. It is loving to do so and unloving not to. Remember, the church was called to cast from their midst the man who took his father's wife in order to eventually restore him to a faithful walk instead of condoning his sin within the body of God's visible church.

If you had little kids and an under shepherd were leading them what standard of conduct would you hold that man to? If you found out that he was/had been a sexual predator would you be comfortable having that man around your kids? If you approached that elder and he shrugged his shoulders and said, "We're all sinners" would you agree with that sentiment? I ask these questions in order to call you to figure out what you believe in. Don't be content to say that for these reasons churches have fractured into different denominations. Don't give room for people who shepherd you to excuse their sins. We may not be talking about a salvation issue concerning ourselves and those we call out on sin, but we are talking about a salvation issue for those who consider God and turn from Him because of the misconduct they see in His children.