on scooters and heresy

these days, the scooter pictured is my transportation means of choice. well, choice, sort of. four drivers live in my house and i can't afford another car, much less the gas - so i ride the scooter. i do love it - it's the ultimate convertible: wind in the face and all that. and i love spending only about $7 a week in gas.

but then there are days like today...

i knew the weather was coming when i headed out around noon. i was just hoping that the rain wouldn't get here til about 2:30, since i was going to be about 10 miles from home for a lunch appointment. so much for hoping. by the time i was done it was raining pretty well, so i ordered up a triple espresso to wait it out a while. by the time i finished the caffeine fix, the rain had let up some - down to a sprinkle. i had a light jacket and my helmet, so i headed home.

the first 7-8 miles weren't so bad. it was raining lightly, but the windshield blew most of the rain over or around me. little did i know that i was just about to ride into the teeth of the storm. 

the last 2 miles soaked me! better rain gear and my full helmet sure would have helped. and paying a little more attention to what i was up against...

before i left for the appointment, i received an email asking me why i dissed a book last sunday in my talk. the book is called, "a new earth: awakening to your life's purpose," by eckhart tolle.  maybe you've seen the stacks of this book in the stores. if you watch oprah, you know it's her new 'bible.'

i did dis it. to pick up this book and buy into its message is like riding a scooter into the teeth of a rainstorm. there's plenty there that looks and sounds good - and frankly, i agree with some of the premises. the author freely speaks of god and quotes jesus. but if you're not watching, you're headed into the teeth of a storm.

on one hand, i hesitate to dissuade you guys from reading things and making up your own mind. after all, if you follow Christ, read the scriptures, pray, etc., you can see the heresy on your own.

on the other hand, in my ordination vows, i agreed to be a shepherd to my people, to sound the warning when danger approaches. the scriptures call me to this. so that's why i'm writing this. in case any of you might just buy into "a new earth" as truth.

the book teaches several things that oppose biblical Christianity: it sets up each of us as gods; it equates Jesus with buddha and others as merely a good teacher; it uses bible verses out of context; and minimizes the effects of sin and the need for a savior. and that's just for starters.

if you want to read further, i recommend you check out this link: http://biblicalspirituality.org/newearth.html

to some of you, all of this may seem like much ado about nothing. may be. 

but at the risk of being redundant, i remind you of a quote from last week's blog:

what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

knowing what the bible teaches about God is so crucial. for that reason, i will be teaching a series on sundays in june called, "GOD."

riding a scooter in the pouring rain isn't a real good idea. but if you're gonna do it, be prepared.

same goes for what you read these days...

the pursuit of God

on may 18, luke recommended a book for those who really want to put God above all else.

this book, the pursuit of God, by a.w. tozer, is available to be read for free online.

click on the title of this post to go directly to the site.

what are you reading?

this morning over coffee, matt asked me, "what are you reading?" he's the third person this week to ask me that. do you people really lead lives so dull that you need a pastor to recommend a book to you? dude!

but actually, i am thankful for the question. i read. all the time. and you should too. reading is an age-old, but never-old way to fill your brain, and ultimately your spirit, with things that matter. in reading for the next sunday series, i came across these words: 

what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

if these words are true (from a.w. tozer, in his book, the knowledge of the holy), then that alone is a good reason to read. maybe we all know this instinctively - and maybe that's why so many people ask me what i'm reading.  so, why don't i tell you. but rather than give you the books in my current reading stack, let me give you some titles that will help you think a little more deeply - and a little more orthodoxly - about God. when i head for the beach for a week each summer, i take a mindless novel, since theology is pretty much everyday stuff for me. but maybe your week at the beach would be a good time to think a little more deeply about God. if anyone is really interested, then, here is a summer reading list to consider:

A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy

John Piper, Desiring God

John Piper, The Pleasures of God

J. I. Packer, Knowing God

J. I. Packer, Concise Theology

Brian McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus

N. T. Wright, Simply Christian

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

(why do all these guys use their initials?)

note: these are not for the faint of mind - you may find yourself reading many of these paragraphs more than once. 

if you're looking for something a little lighter, but still significant, try one of these:

Josh Mc Dowell, More Than a Carpenter

Andy Stanley, Am I Good Enough? (formerly How Good is Good Enough?)

Paul Little, Know Why You Believe

Lee Strobel, The Case for Christ

followers of Jesus lead others to become followers of Jesus. it's not just the job of pastors, teachers, and elders. it's the call on each of our lives by the same God who created us, who saved us, and who sustains us. we are supposed to make noise about our faith, just as we are to live according to the beliefs of our faith. but a lot of the time, we are not sure exactly what that faith really teaches below the surface of Jesus loves me this i know. books like this will give you the assurance and the confidence to live according to God's will and to speak to others about the truth.

so i invite you to dig into one of these titles this summer. grow your faith. focus your mind. strengthen your convictions. wrestle with God. 

oh yeah, and have fun!

600? are you serious?

you caught that, did you? the challenge to grow our sunday morning attendance to 600? yep, i actually said that. in public. on a sunday morning. and why not? what we have for people is far more important than great coffee (not many other things are, i know, but this is Jesus we're talking about!)

ps - if you're already lost, you might want to review my talk from last sunday...

in fact, maybe we ought to up the ante a little. what about 600 by easter? why in the world shouldn't Threshold double in size? after all, we worship in the YMCA with the largest membership in the united states! and they're building neighborhoods around us like mad. people are moving into our backyard by the hundreds. God has uniquely positioned us - both geographically and stylistically - to be able to reach a ton of people with the best message ever proclaimed. if we're not proclaiming it, then we're being disobedient:

go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. teach these new disciples to obey all the commands i have given you. (Jesus' last words - see matthew 28.19-20)

who do you know who isn't experiencing the joy of a relationship with Jesus in the context of a loving and accepting church? there's gotta be at least one. who is it? can you get someone in mind? will you commit yourself to pray for that person? and for yourself, to be ready to invite them, or to answer them when they ask what's different about you?

people are dying out there. they are facing an eternity of separation from God if they don't hear and receive the message of God's love in Jesus Christ. and even now they are dying. but in the community we love, the community of Threshold, they can find acceptance, caring, meaning, purpose, and strength. you have, right? so let's not hog it. let's share it. let's welcome in all who need what we have to offer. let's grow this thing!

600.

by easter.

seriously.

three talks every sunday

during my seminary days, my preaching professor used to say that there were three talks every sunday: the one the speaker planned, the one the speaker gave, and the one the people heard. that has been true more sundays than i care to remember. however, this past sunday wasn't one of them. the text was 2 corinthians 8 & 9, and the topic was giving. in the context of our current series, the point was simple: christians give. so together we walked through these two really cool chapters and i shared with you frankly, honestly and humbly. when it was all said and done, i left the stage feeling that at least this week, i had given the talk i had planned. but is that the one you heard? many of you over the past few days have let me know that the answer to that question is yes. 

so i just wanted to use the blog this week to do two things. the first is to say thanks. i can't tell you how awesome it is to be a part of a group of people who would allow me to give the talk i gave. your response has been amazing, not only with your kind words of affirmation about the talk, but also as it affected your giving. sunday's offering was terrific! thanks for responding so quickly to the need that was laid before you. on one hand, i'm not really surprised - that's who you guys are. but since i know how hard the economy is hitting some of you, i guess i was surprised even so. all in all, i am so very thankful to God for his faithfulness, and to you for hearing him, for obeying him, and for stepping up so that we can continue to be a strong and vibrant church that is absolutely determined to see the kingdom of God expanded right where he has planted us.

the other thing i want to say this week is that while i don't mind talking about money - it's a very prevalent topic in the bible - i hope that i won't have to lay out our needs in such detail very often. of course, you are always entitled to know where we stand financially. if you ever want to know how we're doing, contact one of our leaders and we'll be happy to let you know how things are going. but on sundays, i still want to be sure we never come across as a church that only seems to be asking for money. as each of us grows in our relationship with God, and in our obedience to him, i have no doubt that the necessary money will continue to come in, especially if we will all remember the truth we heard and the feelings we felt this past sunday.

before i wrap this up, as promised, here are the elements of a giving attitude as we looked at them sunday in paul's letter to the corinthians, chapters 8 and 9.

followers of Jesus give:

1. eagerly (8:11-12)

2. proportionately to what they have (8:11-12)

3. with balance between their own needs and the needs of others (8:13-14)

4. willingly (9:5-7)

5. cheerfully, hilariously! (9:7)

6. trustingly (9:8-10)

and when we give, two things happen:

1. needs are met

2. God is glorified

again, thanks for stepping up. i'm glad that we all enjoyed the same one talk this week.

next week? well, we'll just have to see...