Tag: Christian

The Gospel and the Poor (Part 1)

On By pastorjonathanIn Just Thinking, Ministry2 Comments

the gospel and the poorYou have seen their faces on the television. You have heard their pleas come through the voice of a spokesperson pleading with you that for just around a dollar a day you can make a difference for a child in a third world country. You see them standing in the major intersections of the city, holding their signs up and their hands out. You may even have members of your own family who come by for financial help and assistance from time to time. They are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and they are the poor. This week we will be exploring the issue of poverty and the gospel.

The ancient Israelites were fully informed by Old Testament law on how to deal with poverty.  Special instructions were given to make sure the widow, orphans and aliens who lacked economic power were to have their needs met with their dignity intact (Deuteronomy 14:29).  Property laws were established in such a way that would ensure a families economic viability from generation to generation via a special lease program (Leviticus 25:18-55).  Farmers were to leave the corners of their field un-harvested so the community’s poor could glean enough food to fill their empty stomachs (Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22).

In a similar way the New Testament contains many teachings of Jesus and direct application from the Apostles on how to deal with poverty.  Jesus indicated that the poor, lame and crippled were to be the honored guests in the homes of his followers (Luke 14:12-13). Jesus spent considerable time healing those with handicaps that would have by nature been economically disadvantaged (Matthew 11:4-5). The Apostle Paul unashamedly laid out the measures by which an offering was to be taken to help the poor saints in the Jerusalem church (1 Corinthians 8-9). The epistle writer James was especially stringent on noting that no partiality was to be given to the rich over the poor (James 2:1-9) and proclaimed a dead faith to anyone who saw his brother in need and turned him away (James 2:14-17).

While the culture has changed one thing remains clear, God has a heart for the poor. The task left before us is to discern how the American church both as an institution and as individuals should set about to alleviate poverty.  Join us as for the next few days as we explore the issue of poverty and the gospel.

What are your thoughts on the gospel and alleviating poverty? Are they related? Are they unrelated but both are necessary? Who is responsible to alleviate poverty? The Church, individual Christians, the government? Feel free to weigh in and share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.

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Why I’m Not Bitter About the Church

On By pastorjonathanIn About Jonathan, Ministry1 Comment

I guess I should hate the church. I’ve seen hypocrites. My dad got fired from a church and I was treated badly by the church members. I was ostracized by part of my youth group growing up and I saw my family suffer financially because my dad was in a ministry job instead of something else. I’ve had unrealistic expectations placed on me my entire life by people from church. In the ministry I’ve had good friends stab me in the back. Hurting people have spread vicious rumors about me. I’ve had people slander me endlessly for making what I know to be the right decisions.  I’m used to getting second guessed at every turn and I realize by now nobody likes to be told they are a sinner. I guess I should hate the church… but I don’t

The determining factor is that through it all I saw something real. Growing up my family was far from perfect but I did see a sincere faith in my parents. I was challenged to memorize scripture. I still remember the day out on the swing when I was about four years old and my dad challenged me to memorize John 3:16. I remember walking by my parent’s bedroom and hearing them pray for my siblings and myself (they didn’t know I was listening). I remember the family prayer time where we discussed the bible. It never seemed like we were just going through the motions. There was always something real there.

Then there were the times that my parent’s faith just seemed to bleed out in everyday living. Like when my dad picked up a rough looking hitch-hiker with me in the car. Later I asked him if he was scared and he said something like you should never let something scary stop you from doing the right thing… God is in control. (Years later I would pick up a rough looking hitchhiker named David who would pray to receive Christ in my truck as a result of seeds planted by my parents).

Then the advice my parents gave always seemed to revolve around the scripture. During my passage into manhood my dad encouraged me to read the bible for myself and believe what it said rather than what he or any other man would say. This gave me freedom to form my own theology dependent from my father and have a ready defense for my faith that wasn’t based on a family tradition. Similarly when I went into the ministry my mother said that there are a lot of distractions out there and to keep it about the book. She freed me to love God by loving his word and the singular focus on his word in the ministry lead to my own conversion.

Through the years I’ve learned and continue to learn to forgive people. That church that fired my dad… I walked in one Sunday night a few years later and shared the hurt I suffered and forgave them. Then I laid hands on their pastor and prayed a prayer of blessing over him and the entire congregation. The financial suffering I learned was all a matter of perspective, we were richer in the things that mattered than I had realized. I pulled aside the folks spreading rumors and told them that I forgave them. And the folks who slandered me, I had a conversation seeking reconciliation. With every major hurt I have sought the uncomfortable conversation of reconciliation and by God’s grace, He has won every time. And I remember the words of my father, “don’t let something scary stop you from doing the right thing.”

Yes the church is full of hypocrites and some of them really do have unrealistic expectations of pastors and their families, but none of that negates the work of Jesus Christ in my life. You see He’s real no matter how church people behave. And if we’re telling the truth the best place for hypocrites and backstabbers and people with unrealistic expectations to be, is church. They need to be reminded of the gospel. I know I do and though I wouldn’t like to admit it, there have been times in my life when I’ve been the hypocrite, back stabber and imposed unrealistic expectations on others.

So I’m not bitter about the church, I’m hopeful. I’m hopeful that all of us will be presented complete in Christ one day. All these little things that have caused so much pain will be purified in the presence of Christ the king. We’ll carry only the scars to remember how the gospel came to us through nail pierced hands and feet. No more pain, only rejoicing.

Zombies in your Neighborhood?

On By pastorjonathanIn FictionLeave a comment

Zombies are making a huge comeback and according to at least two Christian authors, Zombies are real!  What’s interesting is that both authors claim that you might even have zombies living in your neighborhood.  Hiding in plain sight. Maybe even looking you back in the eye when you look in the mirror?

Both writers are using zombie allegory to proclaim biblical truth. Each author has his own slant and one author doesn’t even stop with zombies, he goes all the way into figuring out how to fight the ill effects of the rest of the monster world. Both books are exceptional in their own right and well worth a read. I’ll be posting reviews on them next week here on the blog, but in the meantime check out what Amazon has to say about Matt Mikalatos’ book Night of the Living Dead Christian and Jeff Kinley’s book The Christian Zombie Killer’s Handbook.

Check back on December 15th for my review of Night of the Living Dead Christian and a chance to win a voucher for your own free copy.  What can I say, I love to give out free books (and especially books about zombies!).

Oh and be looking for Zombies in your neighborhood and in the mirror, you might be surprised at what you find.

“Be The People,” by Carol M. Swain (A Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

To be sure, Be the People by Carol M. Swain is a political book. Ms. Swain writes from a solidly conservative and solidly Christian view point.  My interest was piqued when I learned a bit about Ms. Swain’s background from her website, Carolmswain.com. She has experienced childhood poverty, being a high school drop-out, and a teenage mother, yet found a way to overcome her obstacles and writes now as a Vanderbilt University Law Professor and accomplished writer.

The book is fascinating in its own right. Swain does a fantastic job of fleshing out the positions held by conservatives with Christian values.  She does a great job providing the facts while maintaining a journalistic edge making the book both easy to read and informative.

Generally speaking both conservatives and liberals overstate and oversimplify issues.  I was glad to see in that in this book Swain went through great rigors to avoid oversimplifying and overstating.  I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to gain insight into the political system and reasoning from the conservative side of the issues.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson as part of the BookSneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

PFHS Baccalaureate Service

On By pastorjonathanIn Ministry, Sermon, VideoLeave a comment

A Review of “The Treasure Principle” by Randy Alcorn

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn is a quick and easy read that addresses the issue of giving from a Biblical perspective.  I really appreciate Mr. Alcorn’s candor and straightforward style.  His transparency is ultimately what makes the book so good.  He is asking the reader to join him on an adventure that he has already undertaken.

Throughout the book Mr. Alcorn manages to artfully prod at the heart of the reader on how to give from a biblical perspective.  The material is both factual and persuasive, theological and practical, sensitive and pointed. Overall it is a fantastic non-fiction book with just the right amount of motivation and practicality.  The fact that it is about giving with a biblical mindset makes it even more stunning.  I was both convicted and challenged to follow God more surely with our finances through this book and I highly recommend this book to you.

The Treasure Principle is only around 120 pages, small, and hardcover making it an excellent gift book even for those who don’t read much.  This is one of those books that I wish someone had handed me at 18. The retail price of The Treasure Principle is $9.99 (Hardcover), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com. I gave it five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

You See My Update, but God Sees My Heart: Twittering Our Righteous and Unrighteous Deeds

On By pastorjonathanIn blogging3 Comments

Matthew 6:1  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

I’m guessing that if Twitter were around back in the first century that the Pharisees would have been all set.  I mean who needs a trumpet to announce your giving when you can just update your twitter feed with a picture of you giving to the poor.  Twitter would have been the ultimate tool to shape public perception.  No good deed would go unnoticed.

And maybe that is what bothers me so much when I reach in my pocket to pull out my phone and I begin to type in my latest update.  More often than not I end up putting my phone back because I realize my desire to tweet isn’t always born out of a pure motive.  I want you to see all the good things I have done.  I want you to know that I disciple my kids, that I have gospel conversations with people in the community, that I exercise, that I’m losing weight, that I pray for our missionaries. Perhaps sometimes my motives aren’t bad, I truly have a passion to see people grow in Christ and part of that comes by seeing an example.  But to be honest, more often than not I just want your affirmation. 

Then there are times that I’m not searching for affirmation.  I just had a conversation with someone about something and we left a bit of a disagreement.  So I reach in my pocket and pull out my phone with thumbs ready to type in a quote, re-tweet an authority on the subject, or even lay out a blanket statement that 99% of the twitter world won’t recognize as a backhanded jab at the person with whom I had a disagreement.  Then I pat myself on the back for not blatantly telling someone off directly like a more immature person would do… No I’m sophisticated.  I publish my jabs covertly into the stream of public consciousness (I hope you noted the sarcasm there).

Then there are the times that I don’t use my twitter status in a passive-aggressive way.  I settle instead for plain old aggressive.  When I pull out my phone and with great passion start to type my angst.  Usually this comes out against a company or unnamed person (such as the driver who cut me off in traffic or passed by on the median during a traffic jam).  In a sense I feel like I’m justified in sharing this information with the world since I was the victim of a great injustice (sarcasm there as well).

Thankfully I stop before too much really gets out.  I have never been able to publish so much unfiltered content before and it has taken me a while to realize that not everything is worth publishing.  Here lately thought, I’ve been thinking about forming guidelines on how I use twitter, facebook, my blog etc.

So I came up with 3 basic guidelines for how I want to use the social media publishing platforms at my disposal. I drew them from 1 Timothy 1:5 where Paul charges Timothy to correct those who are in error.

1Timothy 1:5  The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

  1. A Pure Heart – Do I have an ulterior motive? Am I publishing this to get affirmation or to jab someone?
  2. A Clear Conscience – Am I about to call someone out on the very things I’m guilty of myself?
  3. A Sincere Faith – Am I trusting Christ in this moment?

I have a long way to go.  Hopefully when I publish content it will be to build you up in Christ, not to boast in myself or tear down others.  To be sure there is still room in there to weigh in on a debate or share an opinion, but hopefully it will be evident that my thoughts are tempered by love.

Psalm 19:14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Are you frustrated with Christian Fellowship?

On By pastorjonathanIn Devotional, Kingdom of GodLeave a comment

I ran across this convicting Bonhoeffer quote this week and thought I’d pass it along here.

If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty;  if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.

This applies in a special way to the complaints often heard from pastors and zealous members about their congregations.  A pastor should not complain about his congregation, certainly never to other people, but also not go God.  A congregation has not been entrusted to him in order that he should become its accuser before God and men.  When a person becomes alienated from a Christian community in which he has been placed and begins to raise complaints about it, he had better examine himself first to see whether the trouble is not due to his wish dream that should be shattered by God; and if this be the case, let him thank God for leading him into this predicament.  But if not, let him guard against ever becoming an accuser of the congregation before God.  Let him rather accuse himself  for his unbelief.  Let him pray God for an understanding of his own failure and his particular sin, and pray that he may not wrong his brethren.  Let him, in the consciousness of his own guilt, make intercession for his brethren.  Let him do what he is committed to do and thank God.

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together

An Open Letter Advocating the Rights of Arrogant People

On By pastorjonathanIn blogging2 Comments


I want to be honest with you.  Gut level honest.  I’m tired.  I’m tired of people throwing out words on the internet that lack substance.  Words that attack character instead of the issues.  Words that avoid the issues.  Words like “You’re arrogant,” “You’re full of Crap,” “You’re an idiot,” Etc.

1st. Those are empty words because they are an attack on character. I don’t log onto your blog and call you an idiot for your beliefs.  I will, however, debate your beliefs and point out how inconsistent it is to say “science” as if there were a collective authoritative body of work that always agrees and never disagrees with itself. That’s an issue.  Calling me arrogant is an attempt to move the argument from issue to my character.  You may feel like you don’t have to substantiate you position if I let you assassinate my character.

2nd. In most cases arrogance is a generalization.  I get called arrogant or full of crap just because I’m a Christian and I publish views that reflect my beliefs.  If you have called me arrogant, you probably don’t know me.  By generalizing me and others that are similar into a category of arrogance you are again are avoiding the issue.  You create a rule for yourself in which it is okay to treat me and my opinions as sub-par because you have placed me in a category of “full of crap.”  I dare you to argue the issues with me.

3rd. I know where this goes.  You are not the first one to level this kind argument (that isn’t an argument at all).  Its been used throughout history.  Perhaps the Nazi’s exploited this tactic best when creating propaganda against the Jews.  How do you discredit an entire race that for a large part enjoys culture and status with in your country?  You create a stigma about them and assassinate character. The saddest part of the story is that otherwise decent and moral people stood by while awful things were being said and done to their Jewish neighbors.

My only question then is how long?   How long until you deem that those that are “full of crap” don’t have a right to express their opinions on the internet?  How long until the “idiots” should stop using up earth’s precious resources?

To all my Christian brothers and sisters who feel the need to comment on someone else’s blog.  Arrogance is not an intelligent argument.  Nobody has ever been won over to a cause be being called arrogant or stupid.  Just because someone is an atheist, agnostic, etc. does not mean that they are arrogant or ignorant.  Politely argue the facts.

Just a commentary on the obvious here: arrogance is when someone believes that they are smarter or superior to you.  To claim that someone else is arrogant (to a 3rd party… like the audience of a blog) you are claiming to be smarter or superior to them.  In essence to claim the arrogance of someone else (to a 3rd party) is in a very real sense to present yourself as arrogant.  Satan is a perfect picture of this.  He argues to Adam and Eve that God is in a sense arrogant because he is keeping them from being like him.  The irony here is that Satan was kicked out of Heaven for trying to arrogantly usurp the throne of God.

The only one who has the right to judge arrogance is God.  He sees the heart clearly.

Time and space won’t allow for further comment so let me just make a few points of context.  There is a difference between being called arrogant and being called full of crap.  Perhaps as time permits I’ll handle the “crap” issue.  This blog post comes in response to several comments that I have received in the past and will receive in the future.  I do not publish all comments to this blog.  I hold back the really negative ones and don’t allow people to attack the character of the people who write comments on my blog.  There are a few instances where I have allowed personal attacks on myself (never on those supplying comment) that are mild in nature. I include a link to one here.  Most are deleted.

A Must Read for Christian Parents

On By pastorjonathanIn books, discipleship, Family, parentingLeave a comment

Rock-Solid KIDS by Larry Fowler is a must read for Christian parents, Children ministry directors, Pastors and even youth pastors.  The book outlines a Biblical premise for ministry to children starting in the home and supplemented by the church.  The book is full of biblical wisdom and key insights.

The author didn’t share anything new or unfamiliar to me as a father, but did reaffirm several things my wife and I have sought to do as parents. That being said, I do highly recommend this book for three reasons:  It is brief, It is well written, and It contains the best chapter on sharing the gospel with children that I have ever read.

The book is only 142 pages, yet it packs punch.  You won’t find any wasted words or long diatribes.  Author Larry Fowler has done an outstanding job of  keeping the message simple and straightforward. The 8th chapter on sharing the gospel with children is one of the clearest and most straightforward I have ever read.  The 8th chapter alone is worth the market price of the book.  As a parent I’m grateful to our Minister to children for putting it in my hands.

I  highly recommend Rock-Solid KIDS to anyone who has influence in the lives of kids.  I can see it being especially helpful and encouraging for parents and ministers to children. The retail price is $17.99 (hardcover), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $14.03.  I gave it five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”