In the Likeness of the Creator

Genesis 5:1 

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.

Why is it so easy to forget that I was lovingly made in God's likeness?

My human frailty, the thorns in my flesh, the insecurities that fall around me like ashes - they all try to detract from the Creator of all who made us and said it was good.

I run and work and toil to be the image of something that will still be in the likeness of my God.

I ignore and beat down and overwork (and overfeed) this body that was created in His image.

He knows every name within long genealogies of people in the Old Testament - generations of humanity. He cherished them and knew the years of their lives. And He knows me. He cherishes me.

When I wordlessly insult me, I insult His likeness, His creation. He made me and it was good. 

My Brother's Keeper

Genesis 4:9

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

I walk on rocky dirt paths and pass huts made of the clay that also paved this road. People call out to me, delighted to see a visitor, and say, "Greetings, sister!" 

Sister Emily. I know this title and give friends similar ones. Brother Francis. Sister Ruth. Brother Lawrence. 

"Greetings, sister," I say warmly to the mother who has lost three small children from preventable diseases. 

So long ago, Cain asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?" We echo this day-by-day. 

Brothers and sisters in Syria, Nepal, Congo, Haiti, Mexico. Our brothers and sisters in Christ and of this earth - but do we keep them? Do we intervene when access to basic human rights have fallen away? Do we even care to intervene? Will these be questions of accountability from God one day? 

I am my brother's keeper. I may fail at this duty often, but the responsibility has been given to some degree. A union set forth by God and His tender heart for His children. James 2:16 says, "If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?"

Ultimately, the Lord is our keeper and our provider, but He has charged us with the task of feeding His children, of loving His little ones. 

Are you your brother's keeper?

Wanderer

 

Genesis 3:9

But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

The Lord knows all, but still He whispers: urgently, fervently, persistently.

"Where are you?"

These are the times I am hiding, or think I am. Covering my wretchedness with dirty leaves and cowering behind a threadbare bush like it offers any protection.

"Where are you?"

He finds me because He had me all along, and I show my muddy face and tear-streaked cheeks and swollen eyes. Sometimes I blame, like Adam. Sometimes I deny, like Peter. Sometimes I crumble.

And sometimes there is discipline for my wandering and my waywardness. But always there is relentless, abounding grace. Forgiveness that clothes and protects and restores me, that knocks me to my knees.

"Where are you?"

Here I am.

One Flesh

Genesis 2:18

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

I am the helper suitable for my husband. I am the bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh. The Lord put us together for His glory, for companionship, for unity. We are the reflection of Christ's love for His Bride: the Church. 

I left my father and my mother to become one with my husband. The transition is not an easy one. Our sinful flesh so easily rebels against what God created. I ache for my parents some days; we forget that we are no longer two independents but rather one.

One flesh.

The Lord rejoices in this union. It is He who said, "It is not good for man to be alone." It is He who brought Eve from a rib and Adam from the dust of the earth - put together in union. It is He who placed me at Lance's side and he at mine.

Even when my flesh aches for worldly ways and stubbornness, my heart and soul delight in a union given by my Father. 

One flesh. Never again alone. 

The Darkest Darkness

In Carlsbad Caverns, a memorable experience of any cave tour is when you have ventured deep within the caverns and it is time to turn out the lights. We were hiking by lantern. When our ranger asked us to blow out each candle that illuminated our path, our pulses sped up.

The flame of my lantern flickered and went out. One after another, our lanterns snuffed into smoke and warm wicks and darkness shut around us.

I've never been in such darkness that I could almost reach out and touch it. This darkness seemed to have a texture. Breathing it in felt thick and shaky. Standing within it was overwhelming.

The most interesting part of standing in total darkness over a thousand feet underground was the human brain's reaction. Although there was truly no source of light in this cavern, my mind played tricks on me.

"Can you see each other's outlines in the dark?" the ranger asked us. "Wave your hand in front of your eyes. Can you see it? The truth is that you can't see your hand. You can't see each other. But your brain is compensating for the total darkness by imagining that it sees these shapes." Stunned, I waved my hand in front of my eyes and felt certain I could see the outline of my fingers.

When the first candle flickered and light slowly made its way back into the depths of our cavern, I realized that the ranger was speaking truth. People weren't standing exactly how I thought I had seen them. I had stood in such overwhelming darkness that my mind had made up light.

Sin is like the true darkness deep inside Carlsbad Caverns. The more immersed you are in the overwhelming darkness of your sin, the more you are blinded to the reality of how lost you are, at how absorbed you are in that darkness.

Justification is one way that we blind ourselves to our sin. "I'm looking at photographs and not videos, so I do not have problems with pornography." "I'll pay her back, so this isn't really stealing." "Stretching the truth isn't lying."

Comparison is another way. "My friend has one night stands all the time; sex with my girlfriend isn't like that." "She is an actual gossip; what I'm doing is really just expressing worry." "I'm barely a bad person compared to him."

Ephesians 5:8-13 and 15 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light... and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness. ...Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity." Even as Christians we will find ourselves blinded (by our own sin and our own decisions, yet blinded all the same). We must intentionally put aside justifications and comparisons until our sin struggles are visible in our own eyes and we can work to make the most of every opportunity to live more like Christ.

The truth of Jesus is like that flickering flame that turned a dark cavern into a warm and visible space. It changed everything about that room - even the structure of how my mind comprehended what was around me. Light changed everything.

1 John 1:6-7 says, "If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

Do not allow yourself to walk in the darkness of your sin, imagining that you can clearly see the right way to go. What might seem like the faint outline of a road at your feet may very well be your mind playing tricks as you teeter at the edge of a chasm. Ask the Lord to reveal your sins and guide you in wisdom and truth. Let him shine a light into every facet of your life.

His Schedule

Every year I lead a team of both first-time and seasoned travelers on a trip to Kenya. Before we go, I give everyone a packet with preparations for the trips: packing lists, tentative itineraries, cultural tips, and more. It can be difficult for a first-time traveler to accept that the daily itinerary is always tentative and it will always look different than what I first planned.

The American culture is one of control. When I look at my upcoming work week on Sunday night, I know what to expect. I'll be working from nine to five, sitting in the same room, in the same chair, at the same desk. On Wednesdays I eat lunch with my grandparents. On Friday evenings, I meet up with my boyfriend. I plan my weekends days in advance. There are certainly unexpected emergencies that might come up, but for the most part, Americans plan things and things go how we plan them.

This is not the case in Africa.

When I make an itinerary for a mission trip to Kenya, it must be flexible. And the happiness of a group depends on the team's own flexibility when things change up to the very last moment.

We might be waiting for our bus driver, who overslept by three hours, and drastically miss our tea-time with a friend in another village.

We might be driving down a dirt road when our matatu gets stuck in the mud and suddenly we are faced with a mile walk... with a blind girl who can't maneuver her way across the uneven roads now carried on my brother's back.

We might have someone ill... or stop to pray for a widowed mother... or take a random trip to a new village where none of us has ever been before, simply because someone we trust asked us to go.

Mission trips aren't predictable. When the schedule suddenly changes, I see two kinds of people on my team. One has accepted the reality of being in another country with a totally different culture (that does not value timeliness in the same way that ours does). When things change, they laugh and see the joy in the spontaneity. The other type of person struggles desperately to maintain the control they thought they had back in the United States. When things change, stress tightens their faces and widens their eyes. Tensely, they examine and re-examine what was changed instead of enjoying what is new and unexpected.

Every year I tell my team to be willing to embrace change or else the third world will be a truly stressful experience.

When I am on the international mission field, my perspective on time and schedules change. Our car breaks down? I laugh and prepare for a hike. We pick up three people to fit in an already over-crowded vehicle? This is Africa. We visit five schools instead of three? The more the merrier.

But in Texas, when my schedule changes very radically, my heart can seize in my chest. The other day, I became lost on the way to visit a new church in a new city where I'll be moving soon. We ended up fifteen minutes late and I hated that. My blood pressure rose, my pulse raced, and my hands shook with nerves as we had to walk into a new building and feel curious eyes on us as we stepped into the building a few minutes after the songs began.

See, as much as I tell my summer teams to focus on the Lord's plans instead of their own plans, I like my control too.

I want my time to be the Lord's time. If I don't allow him to make changes in my carefully organized day-to-day, then I am not leaving room for him to work in my life.

Recently a single mom contacted me and told me how overwhelmed she was feeling. With three kids under the age of four, she was running on almost no sleep and she felt like she couldn't parent in the state she was in. It was a work night for me. The control part of me screamed, "They are her kids, you have work, you need to pack to go to Kenya, you have your own plans," but the Spirit in me whispered, "You have the ability to take some of her hurt and stress and fears. What's holding you back?" That night, I kept the youngest children to give this single mama a break. With two babies crawling around my living room floor, my week looked drastically different than how I had planned on Sunday night. But it was beautiful.

When I let the Lord take control of my schedule, my life is more joyful, more selfless, and more purposeful than what I ever could plan on my own.

Psalm 91

Tomorrow the CRF team leaves for Kenya. I have enjoyed sharing 40 stories with you and I’m sure I’ll have more to share when I return. Please pray for our safety in the air and for our ministry on the ground. 

For my final story I simply want to share a passage in the Bible. When I first traveled to Kenya in 2009, Psalm 91 seemed to appear everywhere. It was spoken aloud on the radio as I drove to the airport, it was the page I saw when I let my Bible fall open, and it appeared in notes and sermons and seemingly everywhere I looked. 

And so as I return to the country I now consider with as much love as I would a second home, here is this precious chapter of the Bible that seems to fit a long journey so well. 

Psalm 91

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. 

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

A Christian's Response to the Duck Dynasty Fiasco

Duck Dynasty has flooded social media over the last couple of days.  Facebook, Twitter, email, and dinner conversations are consumed with discussions about Phil Robertson, his statements about homosexuality, and his indefinite suspension by A&E from his television show Duck Dynasty. 

In an interview with GQ, Phil Robertson made some controversial remarks about homosexuality and race.  If you have somehow escaped reading what Phil had to say, his suspension, and his family's response, this shorter article pretty much sums it all up. 

When I first read the GQ interview, I honestly cringed at Phil Robertson's comments.  I may not agree with the delivery of Phil's message, but I also was not really surprised by what he said.  He is a 67-year-old conservative from Louisiana with a history of speaking his mind.

However, I am appalled by my Christian community's fiery reaction to Phil's suspension from Duck Dynasty.  I've seen a whole lot of status updates from my conservative friends and relatives, most of them stating things like: "Freedom of speech is dead."  "If Miley Cyrus can twerk on television, why can't Phil Robertson share his faith?"  "This is yet another example of how badly Christians are being persecuted in America today!"

Why is this such an explosive issue?

For one, freedom of speech isn't even the problem here.  Phil had total freedom of speech when he made those comments to a journalist for a popular secular magazine, which brought realistic consequences from his secular employers.  Phil may no longer have freedom to speak out on A&E, but he is a rich and famous man; he will have many opportunities to publicly speak his mind via other outlets.

Two, this is a reality TV show.  As Christians, our goal should not be to stay popular on television.  Duck Dynasty portrays godly morals, but the show has very little meaning in and of itself.  It's about a family of wealthy duck hunters who love Jesus.  Entertaining, family-friendly, but does it have eternal value?  Not really.

If you have lapsed into a public rage over Duck Dynasty today, then I encourage you to check your heart right now.  Why have you not become this angry over the 21,000 people who will die today from malnutrition-related causes?  Or the 153 million orphans worldwide?  Or the 633,000 homeless people in the United States? 

Why is the outcome of a reality TV show more upsetting than issues that break the heart of our Creator?  Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

In the Bible, God calls us to share the Gospel, to love people, not to judge, to serve the needy.  We are never asked to rage against our government or to have heated arguments over Facebook.  Rather, we are commanded to respect our authority (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13, Titus 3:1) and not to engage in quarrels (Proverbs 17:19). 

One of my favorite passages from the Bible is 1 Peter 3:14-15, which says:

"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.  'Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.'  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect."  

Let me also include 2 Timothy 2:23-25: 

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth."

Christians, go back and look over your conversations, online and in person, and see if they follow the two Scripture passages above.  Were you gentle?  Were you respectful?  Were you kind?  Were you not resentful?  

Personally, I wouldn't consider Phil's suspension persecution.  There are Christians in other countries who are being killed and jailed for their faith, and Phil Robertson will certainly continue a very successful career until the end of his life.  But even if you view his suspension from Duck Dynasty as persecution, why is the Christian community displaying so much indignation and defiance?

The disciples and early church did not react with anger when freedom was torn away from them.  They endured persecution with thankfulness and rejoicing because they were counted worthy to receive the same treatment as that of Jesus (Acts 5:41, Luke 6:22-23).

We should not come to expect the freedom of sharing our faith and preaching God's Word without persecution, whether or not we are American.  As long as we live on this broken earth, we will receive opposition in return for our faith in Christ.  If we are being embraced by the world, something is wrong.  In John 15:19, Jesus says: 

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." 

Christians, our response to the Duck Dynasty fiasco is being observed by the entire nation.  And they are laughing at us.

So let's turn down the drama when it comes to Phil Robertson and his reality TV show.  Instead, let's focus our passion and energy on things of eternal value, like loving people like Christ, extending grace, and feeding the hungry.  

One year ago: It's okay to ask why.
Two years ago: The Chilly Winter Air
Three years ago: Curious George put me to bed.

Social Activism: Trending

A few days ago, I was reading an article called How Art Can Be Activism by Dan Haseltine, the founder of Blood: Water Mission and singer of Jars of Clay.  He made some great points in this article.  As one who shares his heart for humanitarian work, I decided to add to some of his thoughts.

In the American culture, activism is stylish.  Invisible Children's "Kony 2012" campaign exploded into awareness for a brief and astounding few weeks.  TOMS, a brand of shoes that offers a pair to a needy child for each pair purchased ("one-for-one"), are everywhere on my college campus.  I have yet to attend a Christian concert without a break in the middle to raise awareness for Compassion International or World Vision.

I'm a college student, and I don't go a day on my university campus without seeing some sort of social activism taking place.  My closet is full of t-shirts that raise awareness for causes: "This Shirt Feeds Starving Children," "Pray for Haiti," "Life is Greater Than Comfort: The Wells Project," "TWLOHA," "Kenya, Feel the Love," and I could go on and on.  Activism is certainly trending right now. 

A perk of young, artistic students becoming interested in activism is the display of art that arises.  Dan Haseltine says, "Art draws people into a conversation- a powerful tool in the world of aid.  A skillfully communicated story, a compelling photo, an infographic or video montage can capture the compassion of those who otherwise might not have taken that second look.  Art can show people the humanity of a justice cause and so engage their support."  Something I learned from one of my communications classes last semester is that art brings conversation, whether in your own mind or by bringing you into discussion with people around you.

The photographs and t-shirts and shoes and paintings all create awareness for real issues.  TOMS are attractive shoes, but they remind wearers to some extent that there are children in the world at this moment who have no shoes and need them.  A piece of writing or a painting can spark conversation that could ignite change.  This world needs educators and problem-solvers to create solutions to the huge magnitude of troubles that currently exist.

If art is creating conversation that needs to happen, then it's a good thing, right?

To an extent.  Much of activism today seems to create art focused solely on pop culture.  Would broke college students students spend $60 on a pair of TOMS if they weren't stylish, even if kids in Africa still needed shoes?  Would someone really have donated $20 to that organization if they didn't offer a cool t-shirt?

"So what?" you might be thinking.  "As long as funds are being donated, who cares if motives are in the right place or not?"

The biggest problem with this is that it creates no accountability.  Perhaps one organization is selling awesome merchandise to raise funds towards their cause while another has a shortage of young, trendy artists to help them keep up.  Even if only 30% goes to the first cause and 93% goes to the second, the organization with the coolest t-shirt is probably going to win, and the donator will feel just as good about what they gave.  The same goes if the first cause has people causing more harm than good, and the second is making a big difference.  The cool t-shirt will probably be chosen because the buyer won't bother to do their research. 

At my university, people sell t-shirts and bracelets on the sidewalks, raising money for all sorts of causes.  And I've done exactly what I'm talking about, seeing a shirt or water bottle that I think looks cool, justifying my purchase with the excuse, "It helps hungry kids in Zambia anyways," and I never look up the organization again.

As Haseltine said in his article, "What if they are resented in the communities they attempt to serve? ...It has become a problem in the fragmented rise of mini nonprofit aid organizations that have big hearts and cool t-shirts yet poor practices."  When we support an aid organization focused more on pop culture than the actual solution, we are falling into a practice of no accountability and failed motives.

A final quote from Haseltine I would like to share is: "Art loses its 'good' when it fails to honor and dignify its subjects.  There's a difference between portraying people to humanize them and market them.  ...If you wouldn't show your art to a person in the community you serve, that's a pretty good sign that the art should change." 

Check out this blog article by Hugh, the founder of Love Wins Ministries about the recent campaign called #FitchtheHomeless.  You can read about it all here.  Hugh writes about this same issue.  People are giving Abercrombie & Fitch clothing to homeless people as a way to get back at the "elite" and snobbish brand.  Most people say it's a good thing; homeless people are getting clothes, even if the motives behind the giving are a little twisted.  However, while homeless people may need clothes, they are being dehumanized through this campaign and that is completely wrong.

Hugh says, "Consider how you would feel about this story if, instead of 'homeless people', the story was that a man shot a video that sought to offend the brand by giving its clothes to black people or gay people. The internet would be in an outrage, rightfully calling the video racist or homophobic.  ...It is never okay to stigmatize people in the defense of your cause - no matter how just or good it is. It is never okay to use poor people - or, in fact, any people, as props or object lessons or teaching tools. Ever."

In the joyful chaos of social activism, it's easy to think about the cause and not the people behind it.  The malnourished children are more than award-winning photos and conversation-provoking t-shirts.  They are children.  Africa is more than starvation and poverty; it's a continent filled with diversity, beauty, and love.

There is meaningful change in the trendy social activism that I've seen springing up all around me during my college years, but there is a danger too.  Before you go out and support an aid organization simply because of its trendiness, I challenge you to check your motives.  Do some background research.  Remind yourself of why you're donating and who you're really trying to bring relief.

Three years ago: The Dreamer

#blessed

Credit for this photo goes to Coca-Cola

I am a college student, and in one of my communications classes last semester, we spent a day discussing Coca-Cola's revolutionary advertising strategies.  Coca-Cola was the first to equate happiness with a drink... at least, with a nonalcoholic beverage.  Their "Open Happiness" campaign was hugely successful. 

Our society is desperate to find true happiness, and when we can't, we seek to have the appearance of being happy.  If everyone else looks happy, then we should do whatever it takes to look even happier.  If happiness is buying a bottle of Coke, then so be it.

We tend to fall into bragging by pretending to share our blessings.  I have sure done this.  How many times have you captured a picture of a yummy cup of coffee or a laughing group of your friends and posted it online with a hashtag like #blessed?  How many times have you taken to Facebook or Twitter to announce how fantastic your day is going?  It feels great to use social media as a tool of showing everyone around you that you're happy.  You're successful.  You have friends.  Your life is just as good as anyone else's, if not better.

It's easy to forget the difference between temporary happiness and joy.  The Lord sustains and provides.  He gives all joy, and no material thing, no relationship, no accomplishment can ever be enough without Him.

I'm not saying it's wrong to share about your good day on social networking sites.  It's great to be happy.  It's great to share your happiness with others.  It's great to praise the Lord with a joyful and sincere heart. But it's not great to boast, and it's not great to seek joy from anything other than the Lord, whether it's through a bottle of Coca-Cola or the number of likes on a Facebook status.  

Joy comes from the Lord.  Psalm 63:5 says, "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips."  He gives every good thing. 

Christ is joy.  Nothing else of this earth really matters.

Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

Psalm 73:25-26

Two years ago: Apology
One year ago: Ways you can win my heart.

A Christian's Response to the Christian's Response to Same-Sex Marriage

The United States is on the brink of a monumental decision as the Supreme Court gathers to potentially re-define marriage.  On Facebook and Twitter over the last few days, I've read some heated discussions about the topic of legalizing gay marriage.  You may have noticed more than a few profile pictures changed to the equal symbol at your right in support of same-sex marriage.

There are proper times and places to discuss the legalization of same-sex marriage and how this should fit into an increasingly secular nation, but an argument on Facebook is not one of them.  Shouting from a street corner will not change someone's political beliefs.  A cup of coffee, a listening ear, and a gentle voice are great tools to create a fruitful discussion about the topic of gay marriage.

Readers who share my faith, let me remind you of what the Bible says about arguing.  1 Timothy 2:23-26 says, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of truth."

Examine your words and actions, friends.  If your conversations have reflected something other than what the passage above says, then how are you shining the love of Jesus Christ?  You do not have to approve of the legalization of gay marriage.  You do not have to approve of homosexuality.  You do not have to approve of someone's religion or lifestyle.  But you should be living in love, kindness, and peace. 

As long as we do not follow the ways of the world, people will speak against us.  However, we are not called to argue with them; we are called to love them and respond with gentleness and respect as we remain steadfast in the Lord.  1 Peter 3:15-16 says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason of the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander."


Do not be afraid to pursue conversations with people who engage in and approve of homosexuality.  I encourage you to do so!  Show the world that you can sincerely love someone without approving of everything they do.  With whom did Jesus spend His time?  He had dinner with prostitutes and tax collectors, beggars and thieves.  He loved the people that other religious men of the day turned away.  He loved people like you and people like me.  He spoke in truth, but He also spoke in love.

Many Christians I know have forgotten one or the other.  Often, I will meet a Christian who is so focused on speaking truth that he speaks fiercely against all who oppose his values, using sarcasm and anger to back up each point; or I will meet a Christian who is so focused on love that he forgets that our God is never-changing, and so he approves of everything when he should love without faltering in what the Lord has spoken as truth.

There is a balance, my friends.  Instead of engaging in pointless quarrels, let's live peacefully and sincerely.  Let's speak in love and friendship while we live in truth.

My dad sent me an article this morning by Doug Hankins over this same issue.  I encourage you to read it and open your heart.  Let's love today.

What does it mean to be saved?

This is my third and last post about Brother Jed's visit to my university campus this year.  Today I would like to share a little more about Jed's teachings and my arguments against them.  I blogged about this last year as well, if you would like to read that here.  I don't want to share the exact same verses again, so today's post will be a continuation of that one.

A smaller group surrounding Jed

After listening to Jed and speaking with him in a smaller group for a few hours over the last few days, his "Gospel" message seems to be an odd amalgamation of both truth and lies, which is often how the enemy works.

Brother Jed believes that Jesus died for our sins.  However, Jed also believes that after putting your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you must never sin again.  If you do, he says you clearly weren't a Christian in the first place.  Many times, the "quotes" I share on this blog are paraphrases as close to truth as I can remember, but after being asked by a student, Jed said, and I quote word-for-word, "No, I don't sin."  Last year, he stated that he hadn't sinned since 1971.  This time around, he said he doesn't remember the last time he sinned, but that it has been a very, very long time.

A key difference between what I believe and what Jed believes is this: I believe that after putting my faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), I am seen as pure and righteous in the eyes of God because of the sacrifice of His Son (Isaiah 1:18).  Jesus took the place for my sin (John 3:16).  However, I am still living in an earthly body (1 Corinthians 15:40-44) in a broken world (Romans 3:23), and I must strive daily to die to myself and live in obedience to the Lord.  I am now a child of God and an heir who has been given eternal life because of His grace.  I have been justified (Titus 3:7-8).

A girl in discussion about the Gospel. Click to enlarge.

Brother Jed says that after receiving salvation, we must live perfectly.  Paul the Apostle discusses the issue in Romans 7, saying, "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ... Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me."  And in this same chapter of the Bible, Paul rejoices in the Lord's salvation, saying, "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

As long as we live on this earth, we will fight the war within ourselves, against the former master of sin and for a life of obedience and purity.  And sometimes we will make mistakes.  We will falter.  This is why grace is so necessary.

Brother Jed believes you must live a life of perfection on top of faith in order to achieve salvation.  I disagree. 

Titus 3:5
"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." 

Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast." 

One student praying; others dressing up before protesting.

Salvation is not determined by righteous works.  Romans 9:16 says, "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy."  To say that we are kept from hell because of our sinlessness is a mockery of the sacrifice Christ made for us on the cross.  We cannot achieve salvation from our own effort.  He gave us the opportunity to be made sinless through Him, but because we are still human and still live on this broken earth, we may still fall under temptation.

If we have been redeemed from the consequences of sin, why then don't we turn back to sin, simply because we can?  1 John 5:3 says, "This is love for God: to keep his commands."  We strive to live righteously because we love Him who first loved us, and we should want to be more like Him.  But even if we stumble and fall, we will not be condemned.  Romans 8:1 says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

John 3:17
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Students praying for our campus a small distance away.

To believe that anything other than the grace of God offers us salvation is purely arrogance.  Jesus Christ died for us, sinners, to make atonement for our sins, so that we might have salvation in Him through faith.  This, my friends, is the Gospel.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to comment below, as long as you are respectful.  And, as always, please keep my university (as well as Brother Jed) in your prayers.

Who deserves respect?

Yesterday I talked about my surprise at the return of Brother Jed, a false prophet who spent a week on my university campus last year, proclaiming condemnation and judgment over our students.

On Wednesday, I discovered that Jed, his wife Pat, and a third woman were back in full force, shouting at shockingly massive crowds of college students, holding up signs that said, "YOU DESERVE HELL," and drawing jeers and shouting from Christians and members of both the Atheist/Agnostic and GLBT clubs.

Basically, my university campus has been a madhouse this week.

Atheist Club Invitation

I actually don't see a lot from the atheist/agnostic club at my university, other than the occasional respectful and civil "Ask an Atheist" booth placed in central locations.  But when Brother Jed speaks, they come out in anger, holding up signs, chanting, jeering, and even taking "Donations for Damnation" from the surrounding crowds.  Many Christians don't do much better, as they engage Brother Jed directly in heated debates that often end up in shouting.

Brother Jed sometimes allows questions, but he often does not answer them.  In fact, if a question comes up that he is unable to answer, he goes off on something else entirely, and when a disagreeing student speaks to him, he disrespectfully stares at his shoes or looks off into the distance to show his lack of attention until they are finished- or he interrupts them and moves on.

In fact, Jed's purpose on our campus seems to be to rile students as much as possible, to draw shouts and jeers from them so that he can condemn them all the more, leave, and then say, "I tried to evangelize, but I was persecuted."

Students waving condoms and holding signs.

I spent about four hours total in the Academic Plaza over the last few days while Brother Jed has spoken, and I have been both encouraged and discouraged by what has gone on.  I've been encouraged by the believers who have stood on the sidelines and lovingly shared the true Gospel to those who have been willing to listen.  I've been discouraged by the rowdiness and chaos and judgment coming from so many people on my campus.

For some reason, this year, about 85% of what I heard coming from Brother Jed's mouth was tactless commentary on sex and fornication.  Last year, he spent much of his time talking about hell and sinlessness; this year seemed to have a brand new approach.  The names used by Jed and Pat were "whores" and "fornicators" and a few more that I'm uncomfortable typing.

I disagree with Brother Jed's message and his approach, and I'll go into that more tomorrow.  But I also disagree with the approach of many of my fellow students.

Protesting members from the GLBT Club.

Brother Jed is searching eagerly for responses of anger.  He is deceived.  Don't try to argue with him.  Don't shout and jeer at him.  Don't treat him with disrespect, even though he treats you with disrespect. Our university takes pride in the honorable and respectful behavior of our students.  In football games, we put so much effort into acting classy and respecting the often hateful members of the other team.

Brother Jed and Sister Pat are human beings.  Aggies, I challenge you to treat them with respect, no matter what undeserving things come from their lips.  When our students wave condoms in their faces, call them names, and join in shouting matches, we are not reflecting the values of our university.

Whether or not you are a Christian, I challenge you to treat every single person who enters our campus with honor and respect, no matter what names they call you, no matter what they say.  We are Aggies.

If you are a Christian, then I encourage you even more to act in love and avoid arguing with Jed and calling him names.  2 Timothy 2:23-25 says, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth."  Take these words to heart.  When unbelievers see Christians reacting in anger and unkindness to Brother Jed, they will not see Christ; they will only see division.  React in love, as hard as it can be. 

People like Brother Jed and the members of Westboro Baptist Church will always be around.  Instead of letting them win and fighting them, I encourage you to reach out to those they have hurt.  Love on the people being affected by their words.  Offer grace to the broken.  Share the Gospel.  And be sure to spend time in prayer for men and women like Brother Jed and Sister Pat.

Be sure to also remain in prayer for my university campus as well.

Brother Jed is back!

Some of you may remember the story of Brother Jed coming to my university campus last February.  If you don't remember, catch up on what I wrote:

• Part 1: Brother Jed
• Part 2: God took the victory!
• Part 3: Good conversations.
• Part 4: Are Christians Perfect?

 

Much to my surprise, I arrived on campus this last Wednesday afternoon to find Brother Jed and his wife, Sister Pat, drawing a massive crowd in the Academic Plaza.

One scowling woman from their group was holding a sign that said, "YOU DESERVE HELL."  Brother Jed was apparently resting, sitting in a chair, while his wife stood and shouted at the large group of college students gathered around.  The first words I heard from her lips were, "Ladies, you do not have to be whores!"  Immediately, my eyes filled with tears.

I have met multiple girls who have made mistakes and slept with more than one partner throughout the course of their college career.  They are so often filled with shame and humiliation.  The idea that someone could so callously use the word "whore" when talking to any person on this earth is outrageous.  A girl may have walked onto campus that day, aching from the hurt of rejection and shame, and seen someone condemn her so harshly.  She may have left the scene thinking, "Wow, the Christian Church clearly will never accept me because of the mistakes that I have made."  And this is what makes me cry.

Almost immediately, I stumbled across a friend of mine named Jack.  He updated me on the subject of conversation.  Apparently, Jed and Pat had been educating our campus about sexual sins for the last hour or so... and there had so far been no mention of the Gospel or grace or love.  Only judgment.

A young man soon approached us, asking, "Do you know what's going on?"  We told him a little bit about Brother Jed, and the young man explained that he was not religious, that he had actually never even thought about where he would turn up after he died.

In a calm and clear way, Jack began to share the Gospel with this young man, who listened attentively.  The conversation lasted about ten or fifteen minutes.  After it was over, I was filled with joy.  What a great reminder that Satan may try to use men like Jed and women like Pat to turn people away from the Church and from our faith, but God is more powerful.  The Lord brings Gospel-focused conversations that are filled with love and grace and His truth.  He is faithful.  And no matter what madness happens on my college campus, His love is bigger.

Girls holding signs: "Jesus loves you"

I stayed in the Academic Plaza for about two hours.  Someone new soon approached me with some questions.  He was a freshman and agnostic.  He was very interested in the difference between my beliefs and Brother Jed's beliefs.  We had a great conversation.

Another young man joined us; he said he'd been raised Mormon.  He said he now was an atheist and had many resentments built up against the Christian Church.  This young man began to question me very attentively about my faith, asking specific questions.  After I answered that I was a non-denominational protestant, he shook his head.  "Did you know that the non-denominational church stopped using the Christian Bible a few years ago?  You actually believe in New Age.  That's why you believe in love and grace.  I challenge you to take the time and read some of the Bible.  When you do, you'll see that the God in that Book is completely different from the one you say you believe in."

Baffled, I said, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you.  I've read the entire Bible, and what I saw throughout it was a just God who is loving and faithful and merciful."

The young man looked astonished.  "You've read the Bible and you still believe in God?" he asked incredulously.  "You've even read Leviticus?"

"Yes," I said.  He wanted to know why I didn't still follow the laws of the Old Testament, so I was given a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel, explaining that we were once bound by an old covenant and living under a law that was a burden. When Jesus came to earth and died for our sins, He overcame the old covenant and broke our slavery under the law and under sin.  Now salvation doesn't come from trying to live under thousands of laws, but rather from faith in Jesus Christ.

 Atheist club: Bro Jed also believes in Manti Teo's girlfriend!

I'm a little shy at first, and I'm often intimidated by the idea of approaching complete strangers on campus and asking to share the Gospel with them.  However, God is faithful.  He knows my weaknesses and He is bigger than each of them.  Every single Gospel conversation I had this day was initiated by an unbeliever.  What a testament to God's glory.

Another interesting rabbit trail from this conversation was the atheistic young man asking if I believed homosexuality was alright since I didn't follow the Leviticus laws anymore.  "No, I still believe homosexuality is wrong," I said, "but the Bible talks about it in the New Testament too."

"No it doesn't," the boy said, clearly surprised.  "Where?  I don't believe you."

"Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6," I replied.

The boy still wouldn't believe me.  "Prove it," he demanded, thinking apparently that I had made up those passages off the top of my head.  I was happy to show him, as I had my Bible with me. 

Catholic students praying on the sidelines.

At this point, a young girl with short dark hair and a friendly smile joined our conversation.  "I am agnostic and I believe homosexuality isn't wrong," she said, "but I have some questions for you, Emily.  Do you think the Christian Church has persecuted homosexuals and judged them?  Doesn't your Bible say that all sins are equal to God?  Why do you treat pastors who have committed adultery with more grace than someone who is gay?"  She asked these questions with complete sincerity and gentleness.  There was no anger or accusations in her voice.  She simply wanted to know what I thought.

The way that the Church treats homosexual individuals has made a big impact on my heart in the last few years, so I was eager to respond.  "You're right.  The Christian Church has definitely made mistakes in the way we have treated homosexual people.  And it breaks my heart to see Christians turn homosexuals away.  I believe homosexuality is wrong, but for me to ever offer someone living in homosexuality something other than love and grace, then I am not living like my Jesus."

This girl beamed at me and said, "Thank you for answering.  I am so appreciative that some Christians aren't as judgmental as that man over there," and she pointed to where Brother Jed had begun to loudly preach.  The girl turned to the young man who was listening with increasing agitation.  She said pointedly to him, "I think homosexuality is fine, but it's okay that Emily doesn't.  She believes in the Bible and if it says that homosexuality is wrong, it's natural for her to believe that.  That's her moral code.  And as long as she isn't being hateful or judgmental, we need to be okay with that."  It astonished me that someone who did not agree with what I believed could turn and defend me.

After this conversation finished, I felt overwhelmed by the mighty love of the Lord.  Completely through Him, I was able to have a civil and loving conversation, share the Gospel, and leave respectfully.  Seeds were planted.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite passages in the Bible, 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect."

I have more to say about the last two days, particularly about the issue of Brother Jed on our campus, but considering the length of this blog post already, I'll continue tomorrow and the next day, breaking this into three parts.

I would appreciate your prayers for my university.  There is clearly a spiritual war taking place on my campus.  Hearts are being won for the Lord and hearts are being turned away from Him.  I know that God has the victory, but if you could pray for the boldness and love of the followers of Christ on my campus to outshine the anger and lies, I would be so thankful.

Using your voice this Election Day.

Everyone seems to be posting about the election on Facebook and Twitter.  Every single news outlet is exploding.  Politics has to be one of the easiest way to raise conflict.  Mention a few trigger subjects: abortion, gay marriage, racism, feminism, the economy, and everyone seems to feel an overwhelming compulsion to share their personal opinion.  The American people have been given a voice and we certainly like to use it.

Today I am asking you to use your voice beyond Facebook and beyond even your vote.  Before you turn to a word war on a social media site, before you call a friend and complain about the state of our nation, before you engage in one of the thousands of heated conversations about politics and who you're voting for (a conversation that most people will probably have today), I challenge you to spend time using your voice in prayer.

If you have not spent time on your face today pleading with God to place His hand on the election, then you are doing something terribly wrong.  Kneel with me in prayer right now and ask God to:

1. Bring wisdom and discernment to the heart of every voter
2. To allow the candidate who will best govern our nation be elected as president (and to bring the much-needed truth of the Gospel into the lives of both candidates)
3. That the Lord will help His people reflect a love and respect so foreign to this election process that everyone will wonder what makes us different so that the Gospel will be spread to every corner of our nation.

Spend time in prayer today, not in useless arguments.  Titus 3:8-9 says, "I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.  ...But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless."   

1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect."  

Remember that the focus of today should not be the election or being right in a debate or pledging allegiance to a nation.  The focus of today is to share the Gospel, to serve Christ, and to love others.  In the frenzy of election day, don't forget that. 

Regardless of the outcome of this election, we can rest in the assurance that our God is sovereign.  Our God is good.  Our God will provide for us.  Everything will be okay because we have been rescued and redeemed by the Creator of the world.  His plan is so much bigger than the next four years.

Trust Him.  He is good.