Tag: new creation

Posted in Different Scriptures, Different Thoughts

Valuable Kingdom

Posted on by Wick

As we begin these thoughts, I want you to imagine with me. You’ve been given a large amount of money, and commissioned to find an amazing artistic masterpiece for a large wall in an important public building here in town. Experts pointed you the direction of a world-famous artist, and you’ve come to her studios to ask about what she might be able to offer you. You tell her about the large wall you’ve been asked to help fill. That you want something beautiful, awe-inspiring, with colors that jump off the canvas. She smiles as if she knows just what to do next. She opens a catalog of artwork she’s done in the past, and tells you to pick out your favorite. You are naturally drawn to one in particular, and you point to it. With a smile again, she guides you to an enormous room where you see a giant laser printer that just about takes up the space of the side wall. She punches in some numbers, and slowly but surely, the print you’ve just pointed to begins to come, inch by inch out of the printer. She smiles, tells you the price is only a small portion of the money you’ve been given, and asks you the sign the bill. But something doesn’t feel right, and you ask her… “Wait…couldn’t you do an original work of art for us, of the same size? How much would that cost?”

She presses pause on the printer, and looks you directly in the eye. She says, “Well of course I could. Sorry, I didn’t know you were open to that. I’d love to create something just for your wall. But that requires a bit more.”

She pulls you into a giant room with a canvas hanging against the far wall. It’s enormous. The floor is lined with all shades of the rainbow, and colors and textures you’ve never imagined. In a pile near them are brushes…some as small as a paperclip, and others as large as your head. She begins describing to you the process of creating a new work of art. How she spends weeks learning about the location, and who visits. How she then does research into how different colors evoke unique emotions to the residents in that area. Next she travels to remote locations to find ingredients that bring out the particular colors, and textures she’s looking for….and to help ensure this is a painting that can never be reproduced anywhere. You know the people who have sent you will be more than pleased by all of this. She then warns you, this may take several months to complete…and will definitely take all of the money you’ve been given. Possibly more.

But as she offers you the contract to sign….you quickly find your pen….knowing this will be exactly the kind of fine art you’ve been asked to locate for display.

The scripture we’re diving into this morning is a short one, and one that most of us have heard before. Here we get to be a fly on the wall in some of the most important conversations between God and humanity about this “new thing” He’s beginning in Christ, and what it’s all moving toward.

Jesus has just given the parable of the sower, and then the parable of the weeds among the wheat. He’s using parables to explain the Kingdom of Heaven in a way that anyone hearing his words would understand, even if they can’t explain it theologically.

We have the benefit, now, of knowing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet still, these parables hold truths about the Kingdom of God that are great for us to think about. I think we often sell the Kingdom of Heaven short…and God needs us…God needs YOU to help get the message of the Kingdom out today.education_pearl

This past week, I asked my daughters what thoughts came to their mind when I said “Kingdom of Heaven”, or “Kingdom of God”.
Before I tell you their response, it’s probably important for us to take a look at what scriptures say regarding these phrases.

First, we recognize that even though they sound different, they usually mean the same thing. Most of the time, the New Testament refers to it as the “Kingdom of God”…but in the book of Matthew we find both being used interchangably. In Matthew 19:23-24 for instance, Jesus tells his disciples “It will be hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”

So now that we know these are talking of the same thing…lets see what scriptures tell us about this Kingdom:

For example, in Luke 7:28 – “Among those born of women, none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.” – Based on this verse, where Jesus says “is”, and not “will be”…we realize the Kingdom is a present reality, not simply a future occurrence. This goes well with the parable of the weeds found here in Matthew 13. Jesus has sown good seed in his field, and in verse 41 Matthew writes “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his Kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers.”

Then in Matthew 18:3, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” – So even though it’s a present reality, it’s not one we naturally exist within with no participation of our own. It’s something we need to “enter into”.

So it’s here already, though not everyone is living according to it, and it will yet involve something more arriving as the parable of the weeds says, “the end of the age.” The fulfilling and completion of what has begun in Christ.

Once again, it’s a concept so much larger than we can simply contain in a phrase that starts with, “See, God’s Kingdom is this….” So we say many different things, all pointing at what God is up to in different ways. We understand this, even on a human level…when something incredibly beautiful or special happens.

When someone gets married, or has a child…inevitably, a question they’ll often be asked is, “How’s married life?” or “How’s the life of a parent?” These questions can’t be answered simply in a short response. The only real way to answer the question faithfully would be to invite that person to join in experiencing your life in a given point and even then….it’s tough to fully know the experience without being involved. A bystander will never know.

Thankfully, we’ve been invited to do much more than hear about, or look forward to this “Kingdom of God”. It has arrived, is arriving in and through our lives all over the world today, and will arrive completely someday in the future. So by now we’ve realized, this Kingdom is less about a castle, and golden streets, and walls surrounding a specific physical domain….and more about the King.

So we find perhaps a better way of speaking about the Kingdom of Heaven/God, is to say “Where the rule and reign of God exists”.

But that still leaves some questions, and Jesus is offering a response to some of those questions in these parables. The first question he addresses is, “Why is God waiting for the Kingdom to arrive completely?”

We can, and probably often do, echo that same question in our own lives. Why is God allowing such horrible things to happen? Why is such suffering and loss being allowed to exist in a world that God desires to bring healing and restoration to? Where is the light in the darkness?

To that question, he tells the parable of the weeds. That the sower of seeds allows the weeds to grow, because if he came down to remove them right away, he would destroy some incredibly beautiful and precious things that are growing as well. So he allows them both to grow, and when it’s time he has his reapers go out and collect the weeds first, from out of the fields…leaving only the wheat.

He then tells two more quick parables on the same topic of waiting. Parables that we hear often, but usually it’s for some other reason, like encouraging us how something small can make a large impact. But that doesn’t seem to be the main purpose of these illustrations, however true it may be. What Jesus is alluding to here, are some amazing things take time and careful consideration as they grow.

Just as a mustard seed must have time and resources in order to grow from a tiny seed, sprouting roots and branches over time so that it’s large enough that the birds of the air might come and make nests in it.

In the same way, bakers are familiar with the time it takes, sometimes days, for a small amount of yeast to mix itself into what he says here is about 60 pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough. Jesus is acknowledging….yes…we are waiting. Yes, it seems like something should be done much faster….right away, in fact. But this is not about God swooping in and punishing as many people as possible. This is about the Kingdom growing, and having time to spread throughout the world, and all the precious and important ways the Reign and Rule of God is breaking through even now.

Then Jesus switches gears. Yes, he admits, the Kingdom is taking a while to come about completely. But that’s okay…you know why? Because what is happening, and what is coming….is so incredibly worth the wait. In fact, it’s more valuable than anything you can imagine!!

The first way is easy for us, It’s like a treasure hidden in a field – found, and hid – joyfully worth selling all you have to buy that field.  Like I said, this one’s easy. The return on our investment is larger than what we put into it.  It seems like he could go back and buy whatever he gave up originally to purchase the field.

The second is not as easy, and yet just as important. A merchant in search of fine pearls, finds a pearl of great value – worth selling all you have to buy it.  This one is a little harder for us. Once you’ve sold everything, all you have is this pearl. You have nothing else. But the Kingdom is such that once we recognize it, and know our life is all about this sort of thing…we are willing to let go of everything else we once declared valuable for it’s sake.

So to God’s people in the midst of suffering then, and still today, the words of Jesus are coming as a comfort and encouragement. God isn’t denying our world is feeling the impact of being broken by sin. He admits there are weeds growing among the wheat. But He is declaring that the ways His Kingdom is growing in our world today is worth the wait we patiently endure. It’s worth it!!! That can be hard to imagine, but when we have God himself saying it…it becomes a bit more believable.

But it’s not all great news, Jesus continues. Not everyone will accept that what God is doing is “good news”. It’s like a net thrown into a sea, catching all kinds of fish. The net was drawn in, with every fish imaginable within it. But some were not good, and were thrown out.

At the end of the age – the same thing. Chapter 13 says, “Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire.”

We know that not everyone will accept the reign and rule of God in their lives, or for the world. Some will fight it with everything they’ve got. Some will set their hearts and lives against it….some will built entire empires and ways of life completely in the opposite direction. God’s net of the gospel goes out intending to draw all of mankind unto Himself that we might be a part of the coming reign and rule of God….but not everyone will be able to accept Jesus as Lord. We see that happening even today, unfortunately. But it’s not yet time for the sorting to be done…and that’s not our work anyhow. At the end of the age, the angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous. Those accepting and thriving or suffering to live in the reign and rule of God, and those who live for the reign and rule of other forces. For those denying God’s reign and rule, it will be suffering like never before as their complete foundations for existence are ripped away.

Then Jesus closes with an incredibly important word that we do not want to miss. In verse 51, he looks at his followers as a youth pastor might look out over his teens. He asks, “Everyone still with me? Everyone tracking and following what I’ve been saying?” They respond enthusiastically, “Yes!”

He smiles, and tells them that every scribe who’s been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven is unique. They are like the owner of a house who brings new treasures and old out of storage. Jesus is pointing out that one of the best ways to spread news of the Kingdom of God is to point out what God has been doing already for hundreds of years. What God has been up to, both in the Old Testament, through the new testament and even today. Treasures both old and new. He is bringing redemption, dwelling among his people, transforming lives and healing creation. Making all things new, and already we see New Creation breaking through those who are in Christ.

And so we have the secret that’s not so secret. The truth that Jesus died to proclaim. The thrust of the gospel that we can sometimes miss. Ready to hear it?

When we live out the reign and rule of God, we are not only proclaiming but we are ushering in the very real existence of the Kingdom of Heaven here and now.

The movie “Heaven is for Real” came out on DVD this past week, and people all over the country are thinking about this topic. They’re looking forward to golden palaces and streets, and escaping the suffering of this world. But we recognize once again this morning, that a “Heaven” of golden streets and castles is not all we look forward to. If you’ve ever traveled I-80 around Walcott, Iowa, then you have a good picture of what I’m talking about here. The “World’s Largest Truck Stop” features several restaurants, convenience store, arcade, movie theater, dental offices, pet grooming, laundromat, barbershop, chiropractor, church services, auto repair, oil changes, and of course….gas. It’s an incredible place to stop and rest. Even spend some quality time. But it’s not intended to be your final destination. So it is with Heaven. God has promised it’s a great place to be. Jesus declared he’s gone to prepare places for us there, and it has many rooms. But it’s temporary housing, as we all look forward to the New Creation that will be brought about as God’s reign and rule come fully like never before.

When I asked my daughters this past week, what comes to mind when I say “Kingdom of God”, can you guess what their responses were?

“A golden castle” was the very first response. I don’t know whether to blame Disney or simply smile and be okay with that level of understanding. But somewhere along the way, I have got to help my daughters understand the Kingdom of God is less about a castle and streets and more about who our lives proclaim as Lord even today.

The Kingdom of God becomes a present reality we are not only enabled, but called and commissioned, to live within here and now. As we do so, we are in the same place as the physically resurrected Jesus Christ. We are declared “New Creations” in Christ, and transformed so that our very being is no longer of this age, but comes to us from a future age when God has completed all that He has begun long ago.

This is incredibly valuable stuff! There’s nothing our world has to offer that can compare to it. It’s worth more than anything your life might be tempted to wrap itself around. It’s a greater pursuit than any achievement your world sets before you. It’s worth waiting for, and there are beautiful things happening even now.

So I ask you the same question Jesus asks his disciples in verse 51.

Have you understood these things?

Will you go out into the world this week, proclaiming a new understanding of the Kingdom of God? Because there are people in your life who need to hear what God is saying this morning. God is not waiting for some cosmic mathematical equation to finally arrive so that his mysteriously decided date arrives and he can finally move on to the next phase of his plan. The reign and rule of God is breaking through in your life and mine RIGHT NOW, and is transforming as the treasures of His Kingdom are bearing fruit in our world….fruit that tastes like New Creation. Fruit that points to the ways and experiences we will share with our Lord and with each other, for an eternity when all things have been made new completely.

The world is full of suffering. You hear voices of doubt, asking where God is in the midst of it all. Will you allow the mustard seed the time and care it takes to grow? Ask God for patience.

Maybe sin has impacted your life. You’ve been on your knees in desperate prayer, calling out to God in the midst of darkness. But you are not in a dark room waiting for a candle to be lit. The sun has risen, and you are watching it ascend to the brightest time of day. Will you trust in Him through the suffering in your life this week?

You struggle with the temptations of our world. Focused on self, or pleasure, or losing control to anger or greed. You’ve chosen things other than God lately. Will you set down all the things of this world, and stop chasing after the false values and riches this world offers – and trade them for pursuing the valuable treasures of God’s Kingdom? That is the beginning of His call on our lives this morning….may our lives be our response this week…

Posted in Uncategorized

Living a future reality…today.

Posted on by Wick

Many of us already know the story of Matthew 15:21-28…check it out really quick if you need a refresher. I’ll wait…

Ready? K. The Canaanite womans’ faith. The Gentile woman who approaches Jesus because her daughter is tormented by a demon. At first glance, it seems to be an example of Jesus being a bit prejudiced, telling her “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” (“dogs” here being a slang term for Gentiles) It feels wrong to read about Jesus denying a woman the healing of her daughter, based on where she was born. But as we realize the grand scheme of what’s happening here, I believe it brings us a new challenge…one that’s illustrated well here.

Jesus talks often about why God has sent him, and we see Him fulfilling all that God has been doing throughout the Bible up through this point in the story. He chose a people, Israel, and it was through Israel that God salvation was coming to all. The entire life of Jesus was pointing to a dramatic transformation that was going to happen as the Kingdom began to arrive on Earth as it was in Heaven.

IMGP9182But none of that had happened yet. As Jesus gives instructions to His disciples in Matthew 10:5-6, he tells them to “..go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” We know that Jesus did not come to abolish the law, or this group of people living by it. He came to be the fulfillment of that law, and those people.

So here in chapter 15, we have a Gentile woman approaching Jesus, asking for consideration of her daughter. Something any of us could understand. But God’s Word and promise in the Old Testament proclaimed that salvation would come to all but it was to be through the people of Israel…the people of the covenant. They had to hear the good news, and be reminded of the promises of God…and it would flow out from them for all. For Jesus and his followers to do it any other way, would be to make God into a liar.

And even though that’s the message going out from Jesus and His followers, we see there are moments where people buck the system. The excitement about what God is doing has already begun leaking beyond the people of Israel, and people want to know more about it. They’re thirsty to experience it. Sometimes they’re even more thirsty than the people God made His promise to a long time ago. Maybe that’s why the scriptures include stories like this, and the story of the centurion in chapter 8. Maybe that’s also why these stories stayed in the scriptures even as God’s activity did spread out as the Spirit of God was poured out over all, and going out to all nations. Today, we’re all considered descendents of Abraham (Galatians 3), and yet this story is still an important one to remember.

The question from the story of this Gentile woman comes to you and I as we begin a new year together: You see, God has promised a new way of life is coming and has now come. That He will make a New Heavens and New Earth – a complete “New Creation” for us to live within someday. But He’s also leaked a bit of it into our existence today. The ways of New Creation are not something we have to wait for. Like this anxious woman, the full realities and explanations are not what concern us….what we know are the simple facts: God has made new creation life possible even today. Our lives and our world are desperate for people who live from God’s Love, mercy, grace, faith, and Holiness. Will you live from a reality that will be fully present someday – NOW? Just as Jesus responded to the woman here who was stepping out on faith….He responds to you and I….when we make decisions to live as New Creations even today…

Posted in Uncategorized

my brother, Phil.

Posted on by Wick

There’s been quite a buzz lately on the words spoken by “Duck Dynasty” star, Phil Robertson.  In a recent interview by GQ you can read here (warning, offensive content by both Phil AND the writer….I didn’t realize reporters used so many curse words….but anyway…), Robertson obviously said some things not realizing the stir they’d cause once published.  Perhaps he didn’t even realize they would be published, as he spoke candidly in ways A&E won’t allow him to.  This entire occasion has brought many things to the surface, if we’re willing to confess & repent (as Phil himself calls us to)…here’s just one:Phil Robertson in his sophomore year (1966-1967) as quarterback

1. Manifestations of Christianity aren’t always as loving as Jesus.  When our focus is on “getting souls saved”, and Jesus becoming the magic pill that society needs to swallow to make everything better…..we end up saying and doing hurtful things.  This is an adventure in missing the point.  A reason this often happens is found in Robertsons interview, toward the end.  He asks his GQ interviewer if he and his family are “Bible people”.  This response is, “Not really, I’m sorry to say.”

Phil’s response is, “If you simply put your faith in Jesus coming down in flesh, through a human being, God becoming flesh living on the earth, dying on the cross for the sins of the world, being buried, and being raised from the dead—yours and mine and everybody else’s problems will be solved. And the next time we see you, we will say: ‘You are now a brother. Our brother.’ So then we look at you totally different then.”

What’s interesting here is how we interpret that final sentence.  In scripture, we see the same thing in Jesus…when someone becomes a follower, it changes our relationship to them…but quite different than our approach today.  You see, Jesus lavished huge amounts of love on people right away.  Nothing was required to earn his affection, and nothing could purchase the grace He offered.  The tax collectors.  The prostitutes.  The Roman soldiers.  But when you became a follower…then He looked at you totally different.  The teachers of the law.  The disciples.  You were expected to follow.  Your life was to begin bearing the fruit of someone being transformed by the Love of God.   Before you followed Jesus?  Love.  After you follow Jesus? Accountability to a life transformed by that Love.

But not so with Phil and much of Christianity today.  It’s like we want people to give thumbs up to Jesus before we can “really” love them.  But I guess this is where I, as Phil’s brother, should call him out.  I doubt he’ll read this….but just in case:

Hey Phil,

I’ll start out by confessing, I’m not perfect.  I’ve messed up a thousand times.   Thankfully, there was never a reporter or television camera around.  I’ve turned away from those choices, and toward all that God invites us to.  I live as part of a community seeking Christ, and am kept accountable to my words and actions.

Recently, you’ve said some things that were hurtful to a lot of people that Jesus loves. I know you didn’t intend to hurt anyone.  The truth is, we need to be careful when and how we speak on certain topics.  There are confused and lonely people out there who you’ve just accused of being one step away from beastiality.  There are people still wrestling with the impact of racism, whose long & transforming struggle you’ve just reduced.   Accusing people for being everything that’s wrong with our society is not a good path for helping them feel how loved they are by God.  Looking at years of racial segregation, slavery and hatred and saying “It wasn’t that bad.” is not a great path for showing God’s love to those who’ve endured suffering.

James 3:9-10 reminds us both, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

From hearing your words, I know that you know…when we mess up, we repent.  That means turning away from what was, and toward God.  I pray that God can bring redemption to what has happened.  Already it’s obvious, evil would love to see this transformed into something that injurs not only your witness, but the entire body of Christ.  But in the midst of it all, as with anything in life – when offered to God, it can bring beautiful experiences of God’s Kingdom.  I look forward to how all of this…can be offered to all things being made New.

Your brother,

Wick <><

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(just in case you missed the discussion on Facebook)

Sara: I think this is great. I think the biggest frustration in christianity is that we overlook people who are really actually hurt and struggling to forward our cause. that does WAY more harm that good to actual people, and to whatever cause we’re trying to forward!

Stori : Great letter! Thanks for sharing!

Randi : So good I love your blog

Steve : There aren’t going to be enough buses in the world for Christians to throw this Robertson guy under. They’ll probably crash notalllikethat.org like an Obamacare website.

Matt : This was fantastic! Thanks for writing this and sharing it! “Before you followed Jesus? Love. After you follow Jesus? Accountability to a life transformed by that Love.”

Molly : Thanks for not bring a jerk. Lots of people who also call themselves Christians can’t wait to be nasty and the blogs I’ve read make me just as sad as his interview. You’re approach is loving and not condemning. Like the world needs us to be.

Rod : So you are saying Jesus never called out sin? I think you are wrong here. Although I don’t agree with everything Phil said, he was pointing out sin, something Jesus did on occasion. When Jesus did see sin, he showed love. I think Phil tried to show love, but wasn’t allowed to (like I said I didn’t agree with some of the words he used). I am surprised how Christians continue to support Main Stream views and not support Christian views. I think Phil did the best he as a human could do. No where did he say he hated people. He just pointed out sin. Too bad more Christians don’t stand up for the bible (hopefully in a more loving way).

Oleta : I understand what you are saying but Phil began a dialogue that needed to be brought forth. What you said also needs to be said from a very public platform. Write to Mr Robertson ,and I think you will find a humble Christian who will take correction and do something about it publicly.

Matt : Phil’s statement released today after the fact should have been his first response. It was more clearly thought out and it was certainly more loving and Christ-like than what he originally said. Here’s his statement: “I myself am a product of the ’60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”

Chadwick: Thanks Matt. I’d just seen that also. May God continue to transform Phil and each of us into New Creations as we Love in a way that brings/proclaims the Righteousness of God. Rod – I don’t think we disagree on much here. Oleta – glad God can use this to bring about a healing conversation…praying those happen more often than the opposite from it.

Tyler: Not gonna lie Chadwick, from your letter it feels like you didn’t even read the entire interview. I see nothing wrong with the way the interview went…other than the interviewers language. I agree with Phil and believe he did Christians proud in how he handled the interview. Christians need to stop tip toeing around the issues.

Michael: How as a pastor can you Biblically back not pointing out sin? The way the interview is reported has been totally twisted. That’s what’s wrong with the church today we are afraid to stand on biblical principles for fear of offending someone. Jesus offended the mainstream throughout his entire ministry by preaching the truth, his truth. Phil merely stated that homosexuality along with bestiality, promiscuity, drunkenness, swindling….. Are all sinful. The church needs people to stand and not sit back fearing political correction, we’re to further Gods kingdom and point people to Christ and that includes pointing out sin that is in very nature the opposite of Christ. Any attempt to downplay it is simply not biblical. Of course people are offended, sin engulfs and twists and this political correctness by the church is only an excuse to continue in sin.

Ward: I think Phil is a true believer, but not a theologian. He was sharing off the cuff & he is a straight shooter. I still think he has been treated poorly. If you are brave enough to speak the truth about the sin of homosexuality you will be censored. It will get much worse yet unless we stand up for the truth of the Word of God.

Rod: Chad – We do disagree here. I believe Christians should stand on the bible with love. Jesus pointed out sin but did so with love. I don’t agree with everything Phil said, but agree when he refereed to scriptures to point out the sin. It seems in your blog you disagree with Phil on this as you wrote….. But not so with Phil and much of Christianity today. It’s like we want people to give thumbs up to Jesus before we can “really” love them. But I guess this is where I, as Phil’s brother, should call him out. I doubt he’ll read this….but just in case:
The truth is, we need to be careful when and how we speak on certain topics. There are confused and lonely people out there who you’ve just accused of being one step away from beastiality.

Rod: Chad – Phil wasn’t asking anyone to give a thumbs up to Jesus, he just pointed out sin. He didn’t say he hated people so your comment regarding “love” is way off base. You can’t mix the 2 here, if so you are saying Jesus never pointed out sin in love.

Chadwick: Tyler & Michael & Ward- not worried if he “did Christians proud”…our concern is how Jesus would respond. His vulgar comparison of how desirable a vagina/anus are (reducing loving relationships to sexual acts…which offends me even as a man in a heterosexual marriage), how “logical” a decision heterosexuality is (implying anyone who chooses otherwise is obviously illogical), quickly connecting homosexuality to beastiality, claiming blacks were happy/content before civil rights, etc…did not take into account the individual lives and struggles of those he was talking about. I’ve read the entire interview, and realize he was speaking candidly – not as a religious leader. Conversations like this probably shouldn’t become summaries of all we do or think.

I agree with my brother Phil regarding the scriptures he quoted. Scriptures meant to convey God’s Love just as much as to bring that Love to life in our lives being transformed. Phil has clarified….he didn’t mean to show disrespect. He encourages us all to love God, and love each other. Let those be the words we remember from him in all of this.

Chadwick: Eek. Sorry all…this is probably why I didn’t want to step out into the madness. But I did. I think my main beef was…many Christians seem to be responding as if all Phil said was “I think homosexuality is a sin.”  He said quite a bit more than that…on more topics.  Rod – I agree….he never came out and said he hated anyone. So I suppose my letter to him is less an accusation of hate, and more a reminder to live more from the love Phil has already confirmed has always been there. A love each of us can do well to live from….even when pointing out in our brothers and sisters (and ourselves) where we’re allowing anything other than Christ and the ways of His Kingdom to reign in our lives.

Michael: There’s more to Christianity than love though brother, there’s right and wrong, biblical truth and sin, heaven and hell. I agree you love everyone but that love ultimately encompasses pointing out sin. Following Christ is love but out of this we we are to love as Christ did.Homosexuality like bestiality is a sexual sin on par with all sexual sin and sin in general, no greater or lesser. If you think that’s not the future of sexual sin your mistaken. History shows that sexual sin is rampant and in many forms as with all sin. Its the issue for this generation and being called to evangelical ministry needs to be addressed point blank. We all need Jesus and the church needs to support everyone in Christ, voicing belief is not bigotry its merely disagreement and the church is in a period of trial and truly needs revival. Jesus would’ve loved them agreed but he would have taught them as well and that’s where a Christians we need to stand pointing out all sin that separates from God.
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Whew. If you read all of that….I’m sorry. I’ve closed comments on this post, and stopped responding on my FB. Hopefully my voice is heard in the midst of it all. I meant to call a brother to more clearly reflect God’s love, even when calling out the sin in our world. Now I’m gonna go eat Christmas cookies.