Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

Ask someone to really define legalism and you are likely to get a dozen different approaches to the term. As one who previously lived in the suffocating world of legalism and has been wonderfully evacuated from its graceless and arrogant grip, I love to read the thoughts of someone who really “gets it” when it comes to a topic that has the potential to really set people off when we handle it carelessly.

Many offer a knee-jerk reaction to even the term legalismand would deny that it is ever appropriate to use the term to describe a system of rules other than when appliedto the issue of salvation. Indeed, one definition of legalism does involve a system whereby salvation is earned by adherence to some concocted list of “do’s” and “don’t’s“. But like many words, it is possible to have more than one definition for the term. And one, very valid definition, involves an effort to achieve God’s favor or spiritual status byone’s adherence to a list of rules or regulations. Whereby, one definition damns the soul, the other definition diminishes grace and creates bondage (not to mention createsa high-likelihood of pride, arrogance and pharisaicism in the life of the legalist).

Some try to accuse those who oppose a rules-driven system of Christian living as being against personal holiness, Biblical separation and/or standards of conduct. Such an accusation is often the first defense of the intellectually lazy. Few who are alert enough to recognize the devastating affects of legalism are sotheologically shallowand spiritually libertine to justify an absence of Godliness in the life of the truly converted. By using the false dichotomy of “rules — you are either for’em or against’em” they are simply refusing to acknowledge a position that proposesthat the problem is not with rules in general or per se.

Those who oppose legalism have myriad problems with what it produces in the life of the adherent.They have problemswith systems that make rules the standard by which godliness is evaluation.They oppose the arrogance that goes hand-in-hand with any of our efforts to live in self-attained righteousness.They have issueswith the hyper-critical and controlling nature that frequently corresponds with those who are externally oriented toward those who believe in the Believer’s Liberty (not to be confused with “License”.)The have problems with the hypocritical attitude of those who would elevate external compliance to what are often extra-Biblical standards to near-doctrinal levels of importance while ignoring the clearly Biblical admonitions of Scripture against such practices that are of a more internal (not to mention eternal) nature such as pride, disharmony, disunity, contentiousness, critical spirits, competitiveness and personal self-control.They rejectan atmosphere thatlegalism creates when institutionalized that leads to pervasive assumptions of distrust,an eagerness to assume theworst in others anda willingness tobelieve the negativereports of others without firstgoing through aBiblical process.The strugglewith a harshness that is often demonstrated wherein it is more convenient to “separate” than dialogue or even agree to disagree agreeably over non-essentials.They resenta spirit that squelches individual soul-automony/liberty and often elevates those who are in positions of authority to unBiblical levels of controland influence on matters of questionable significance.They rejectthe oft-used tactic of manipulation by guilt or misuse of Scripture.They oppose anytendency to try to make the Bible say things that it simply does not say. THESE are the real matters which drive many of us who oppose the presence of legalism in so many corners of historic fundamentalism and conservative evangelicalism. (And perhaps I should note here that I did not exhaust my personal list ofproblems with legalism in the paragraph above.)

Many who would oppose legalism are as conservative followers of Christ as you would ever find. It’s not that they reject Biblical standards of holiness. It’s not that they are theological liberals. It’s not that they are committed to a journey or even a drift toward Christian libertarianism in regards to holiness. Such accusations are bogus and the tired and cliche’d tactics of those who lack the intellectual stamina to truly debate the fundamental issue at stake. Holiness is a product of devotion, not duty and not discipline. When we love God first, best and most, when we allow Him Lordship in our life, when we yield to His Holy Spirit, when we inculcate His Word into our hearts, character and minds — holiness is produced. And it’s not artificial, superficial or temporary. It is a work of the Holy Spirit — not of man.

So with that introduction, might I invite the readers of “Whirled Views” to visit an article that was posted at SharperIron.org with the permission of the author, Martha Peace (who is a blessed and gifted author that has influenced many ladies to godly living) entitled “I Just Love Rules, Don’t You?”. You may find the article by clicking HERE.

There is rarely a week that passes when I don’t have to get involved with some kind of problem with a student, husband, colleague in the ministry or marriage in crisis that involves Internet Pornography. To say that this is a crisis in America would not be an overstatement. I believe that most of us have no idea how insidiously pervasive this has become in the lives of unbelievers and unprofessing believers alike.

It has long been common knowledge that hotel operators, who earn vast sums of money by offering pornographic movies for a fee in their rooms, claim to look forward to Pastor’s conferences, men’s religious conferences and events like Promisekeepers due to the significant uptick in business they receive from Christian men away from accountability with access to porn. Some might use this report as an opportunity to point out the hypocrisy of evangelical men yet again. While that may well be the case, one might also note that it might be explained by the fact that those who have access without guilt or accountability to pornography all the rest of their time don’t find a particular thrill in shelling out bucks for the latest pay-per-view fare at the Holiday Inn. But make no mistake, pornography is a problem in Christian homes, schools and churches as well as the rest of the world.

If you don’t believe me, check out these statistics…

• The average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 10 years old.
• The 12-17 year old age group is the largest consumer of Internet pornography.
• Nearly one third (31%) of kids age 10-17 from households with computers) 24% of all kids 10-17) say they have seen a pornographic website.
• According to NetValue, children spent 64.9% more time on pornography sites than they did on game sites in September 2000.
• 20% of children aged 9-16 frequently use online chat rooms.
• 50% of those children have participated in sex-related chat.
• Over $12 Billion is spent on pornography annually; more than on theNFL, NBA and MLB combined.
• More than 2,500 new porn sites come online each week.
• Recent studies point to pornography as being more addictive and harmful than cocaine or crack (Ap, 11/19/04, www.msnbc.msn.com id/6525520/)
• Teenagers use chat lingo to communicate when Instant Messaging and parents don’t know the meanings of some of the most commonly-used phrases. 57% did not know LOL (laughing out loud), 68% didn’t know BRB (be right back), and 92% didn’t know A/S/L (age/sex/location).
• Nine out of 10 children between the ages of 8-16 have viewed pornography on the Internet. In most cases, the sex sites were accessed unintentionally when a child, often in the process of doing homework, used a seemingly innocent sounding word to search for information or pictures. (London School of Economics - January 2002)

(Sources: www.bsafehome.com; www.internetfilterreview.com, www.xxxchurch.com)

Here’s what Christian school administrators and pastors are discovering — Most parents are either ignorant of the danger of internet pornography or foolishly believe that their child would not view or participate in obscene IMing (Instant Messaging) or in the viewing of pornography. This state of denial and being asleep at the parental “switch” is leading to destructive and dangerous exposure of perverse and prurient images and to substantial risk from internet predators.

What are some practical ways in which parents may protect their children from this danger? Let me offer a few…

1. Keep ALL computers in a central room with no locked doors. Internet pornography is appealing for three reasons that begin with “A” — it’s available, affordable and anonymous. Putting all your computers (no exceptions) in open spaces and high traffic areas increases accountability. Do it.

2. Use some sort of filter. Yes, they are a pain. Yes, there are ways around many of them. Yes, go ahead and install them. Have your spouse put in the 1/2 of the password and you put in the other 1/2 so that no one person can change the password which alters or overrides the settings. Even if someone figures out how to go around the filter, it will require extra work and another opportunity for the Holy Spirit to convict the one who is determined to cross into dangerous territory.

3. Remove all Instant Messaging Software from the computer. There is NO good reason to use Instant Messaging. None. If you need to talk to someone, call them. You can use Vontage and actually call someone over the internet for free. I’ve discovered teens using language on IM conversations that they would NEVER have used in any other venue. It brings out the worst. AND even if your child wouldn’t use such language, there is a high likelihood that others joining in on the conversation will. In addition, internet predators routinely “surf” looking for IM conversations in which they join for solicitation.

4. Block all Chat Rooms. See Number 3.

5. Check the history of your web browser regularly. If you find the history erased, consider it evidence that somebody was trying to hide something and take appropriate action. There is no reason to erase your history in most cases unless you are trying to get rid of something. If there is a need to clear the cache, agree that it can only be cleared with someone else’s knowledge or permission.

6. Put a time limit on the computer. Like any good thing, it is possible to spend too much time or attention on the computer. Internet surfing can become an addiction that robs families of interaction, conversation and other important family connections. How can you tell if someone is becoming too addicted to the internet? If you ask them to get off the internet or reduce their time and they become hostile, you’ve got a pretty good sign.

7. Consider installing monitoring software. There are several good packages of software that can be installed which will record all the key strokes, take “screen shots” of whatever is on the monitor every so many seconds and place them in a file, etc… Don’t tell your kids you’ve installed the filter either. For those who worry that monitoring your kids email and browsing is some sort of “invasion of privacy”, may I make this gentle suggestion….”Get Over It.” Love your kids enough to stay involved in their lives and be protective of them as long as they live under your roof. You can be a careful monitor of your child’s influences without being a jack-booted jerk about it. But don’t buy into the whimpy parenting philosophy that allows your child to live independently of you while they are still dependent upon you.

8. Block and Forbid all access to MySpace.com. This website remains the number one most dangerous and destructive website most Christian school administrators deal with in terms of exposure to pornography and evil (not bad, not unhealthy, not inappropriate — EVIL) influences. Your child’s site might be perfectly fine. But start chasing the links to the other linked “friends” who interact with your child and I will GUARANTEE you that you will not be more than a few clicks away from pornography, vile language, wicked music and lyrics and other rubbish. There are other social sites that aren’t as bad. None are as pervasive and dangerous as MySpace. It’s simply poison.

The frustrating thing about being a pastor and school administrator in the midst of a culture with this problem is how many times one hears or sees the same response from parents whose kids are caught with pornography problems or internet impropriety. It’s always shock — as in I can’t believe my child would do this! Then it’s the excuse — I don’t even know how to turn on my computer and had no idea that this was out there. (Yeah right, I’m not buying that.)

Let’s be honest. If you got kids, you’ve got sinners in your house. If you’re a man, you know that pornography is appealing. If you have teenage daughters, you know that when they get to yakking with their friends that common sense flies right out the window sometimes. If you have teenage sons, you know that they are going to constantly struggle with the lustful images of this age. If you have small children, you know how quickly they can leave your protective oversight and end up somewhere they shouldn’t be. So let’s quit playing ignorant. Let’s stop being lackadaisical. Let’s start taking protective steps. Let’s get serious about protecting our hearts and the hearts of those we love.

Pornography is dangerous, deviant and destructive. Let’s not treat it casually in our own homes.

I’ll be writing more on this in the future….

With fear and trepidation, I want to share a few thoughts that emerged in my mind after a lengthy conversation with Dr. Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Seminary, former-President of Southereaster Baptist Seminary and one of the architects of the conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Patterson spoke at Northside Baptist Church, where I am the Senior Pastor, in August and we were able to have an extended one-on-one conversation over lunch at the local Hilton.

I had never met Dr. Patterson personally prior to that day and I really had no idea what to expect. He was absolutely fascinating in the pulpit, giving a clear expositional message from memory without a note to be seen. It was filled with Scripture, history, philosophy and practical application.

Within seconds of being seated over lunch, I was mesmerized by the intellectual energy and amazing grasp of theology, history and worldview he holds. I had read where some had tried to insinuate that he was an intellectual lightweight by contrasting him with the cerebral Al Mohler. Meaning no disrespect whatsoever to Dr. Mohler, I can say with great confidence, Dr. Patterson can hold his own with anyone including the President of Southern Seminary.

I, of course, had many questions at the ready and at times, Im afraid I might have come off as an interrogator or interviewer, rather than a conversationalist, but these chances are not frequent and I had some serious brains to pick here. Eventually, I was able to move toward a topic that was being frequently discussed on the web (still is) and in other places the role of Calvinism within the Southern Baptist Convention, now and in the future.

It had been just a few weeks before that Dr. Patterson and Dr. Mohler had appeared in what some had (according to Dr. Patterson, mistakenly) characterized as a debate. Dr. Patterson referenced it as a public conversation instead. The conversation had been held as part of the annual meeting of the SBC and some had left the meeting disappointed that there had been no blood left on the platform or heated barbs exchanged between the two. Not being a Southern Baptist, I hadnt attended the meeting, hadnt heard a recording of it and didnt know much about the exchange. But I did ask Dr. Patterson about it.

When I called it a debate, Dr. Patterson gently redirected the characterization and explained that it was rather a conversation. I asked him what the purpose of it was and he explained that he and Dr. Mohler wanted to demonstrate that it was possible for two men who love and respect each other could discuss the topic, disagree substantively and still walk away as deeply-committed friends and brothers. He flatly refused any suggestion that it was or ever intended to be a full-blown debate over the merits of Calvinism. He repeatedly emphasized his immense love and respect for Dr. Mohler.

I asked him if he thought, (as I have often considered) that the issue of Calvinism could ever become so divisive that it would create a schism even a split within the SBC. His reply and the follow-up conversation fascinated me.

To the thought of a split he adamantly declared that it didnt need to [cause a division]. It was there that he explained the motivation behind the public conversation that had been held. But beyond this, the conversation took a turn that left me with a profound respect and an encouraged spirit toward the whole Calvinist vs. non-Calvinist debate going on within conservative Evangelicalism in general and the SBC specifically.

Without quoting him directly, heres what I learned from Dr. Patterson on the matter

God can use the Calvinists and the non-Calvinists conflict to strengthen the Family of God and to be a blessing for those holding either position. In fact, this Holy Tension that exists between the two groups can serve to help us maintain our balance and perspective on some very essential truths.

Calvinists are notoriously orthodox scholars. Lets face it From Spurgeon to MacArthur to Piper to Mohler these men are brilliant students of the Word. They LOVE the intellectual exercises within theology. They are great expositors of Scripture. They are dedicated to sound exegesis. They represent the brains of the family of God. But with rare exceptions (D. James Kennedy comes to mind), they are rarely known for their evangelistic fervor. They have rightly pointed out the destructive consequences of some of the methodology of the renowned Revivalists including Finney, Moody and Graham. They have stood for orthodox doctrine on key Biblical truths such as Gods Sovereignty, Repentance, Election and the Depravity of Man.

Conversely, non-Calvinists (notice that I have conscientiously avoided using the word Arminians as I find the term to be too-broad and confusing) have often been the zealous prophets of the Gospel showing an unflinching commitment to the proclamation of the Gospel to every creature with a sense of passion and urgency that stirs and motivates believers to join them and non-believers to listen to the message they preach. To continue with my analogy, they represent the heart of the Family of God. They care about the fulfillment of the Great Commission on a personal level. While many/most will give lip-service to the concept of Election, they preach with the energy of those who truly believe whosever will means whosoever will.

Now, let me place a few caveats here before someone has an aneurysm. Im not suggesting that Calvinists dont care about evangelism any more than Im suggesting that non-Calvinists dont care about doctrine. Im just pointing out a rather obvious difference in the emphasis between the two positions and I think the anecdotal record strongly supports my opinion. I know of many Calvinists who have a fervent desire to see souls come to repentance and I know many fine non-Calvinists who are as doctrinally orthodox as they come. Im simply suggesting that the bulk direction of the two positions lends itself to my hypothesis.

Dr. Patterson referred to this as a Holy Tension in our discussion and thats a term I believe is accurate and important. As we discussed the topic, heres how the concept unfolded. There does indeed exist a Holy Tension between the two sides in regards to the amount of attention given to their particular positions and as to the implication of their individual positions.

Calvinists tend to pull the more evangelistically-minded non-Calvinists to doctrinal orthodoxy. Lets be honest there HAVE been some very egregious lines of pragmatic methodology throughout the history of American revivalism and of that tendency, Charles Finney might well be the poster child for that error. This pragmatic attention sometimes directed toward decisions, results and statements has muddied the understanding of repentance, conversion and Lordship. The Calvinists have been a check on the mass evangelisms that produce huge numbers of people responding to an emotional appeal, but result in far fewer changed lives and genuine conversions. As they well challenge, true evangelism is based on good theology and you cant have one without the other.

Conversely, non-Calvinists have been a constant prod to those who would rather debate the nuances of the plethora of definitions related to foreknowledge or predestination by pointing out that some questions may well not be answered with absoluteness this side of the Eternity. But the Great Commission is a very clear command to the church and individual believers and the Gospel presented with clarity under the movement of the Holy Spirit is how God draws the Elect to repentance. Evangelism is to be a part of the spiritual disciplines of the mature believer and Election and predestination are no excuse for failing to preach the Gospel wherever we go. Indeed, some Calvinists have become so coldly orthodox that they would deign to celebrate the New Birth of one who answers the call to Salvation thinking it merely a pre-ordained event among many and hardly worthy of an expression of joy or other emotion.

Thus this Holy Tension calls out to the non-Calvinist, Doctrine matters! and to the Calvinist, Evangelism matters!. When non-Calvinists have become doctrinally sloppy, the orthodox scholars have called attention to the Queen of all Sciences Theology. They hold the feet of the pragmatists and the emotionally-driven to the fire of sound doctrine. To the Calvinists, this Holy Tension demands works borne of our faith and a heart that burns as the Apostle Pauls in that he desired to have fruit wherever he went. Each position pulls the other to an important balance of the heart and the head wherein we would emphasize both sound doctrine and evangelistic fervor.

Im often asked if Im a Calvinist and I always ask if I might explain any answer that I might offer rather than just say Yes or No. I sometimes laughingly say that I am a 2.7 point Calvinist as long as I get to define the terms. I find the extremes of some (A.W. Pink comes to mind particularly his latter works) to be beyond where I stand. Indeed, at one point, I laid down my reading of Pinks works as I felt it interfering with my prayer life based on how I was interpreting what he had written to relegate prayer to a fatalistic exercise in futility. (I know some will accuse me of missing his point and that might be the case, but it WAS messing with my prayer life and there was no denying that.) I completely reject the easy-believism and decisionism that has plagued evangelicals for the last century or more. Indeed, I believe that the Holy Tension to which I have alluded has kept me balanced. I love studying doctrine with all its implications. I also rejoice with every new believer who accepts the invitation of the Holy Spirit to become part of Gods family even if they do so while a choir sings I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.

My two hours spent conversing with Paige Patterson were absolutely stimulating and I hope and pray that Ill be able to repeat the exercise in the future. I also look forward to doing the same with Al Mohler. Im not really a Big Tent kind of guy on a lot of issues. But on this particular controversy, this kind of tension is something Ive grown to appreciate. Im glad there appears to be plenty of room within Fundamental and Conservative Evangelical Christianity for both tribes.

My good friend and mentor, Dr. Charles Wood recently wrote something in his email journal and commentary that I found to be very challenging and convicting. I share it with you below:

TRIVIAL PURSUIT, ANYONE?

More than fifty years ago God called me to preach the Gospel and made it quite clear that my venue was to be the local church. This calling has been a consuming passion throughout all the years (and remains the “main thing” even now). Somewhere along the line, I read a simple statement that has guided me for many years, “Always be sure to make the main thing the main thing.” Now, Satan is wise enough to know that all preachers aren’t going to turn intoTed Haggards, so he alters his approach accordingly. One of the most subtle forms of temptation against which I have struggled over the years has been the temptation to substitute the good for the better and the better for the best. If Satan can’t get us to fall into major sin, it is my sense that he will then switch tactics and get us involved in things that are not wrong in themselves but which draw us away from making the main thing the main thing.

For a long time I had a reader who regularly (just about every time I wrote anything) corresponded with me to point out where I was wrong, why I was an idiot, how he couldn’t believe that anyone who had as much education as I could be so incredibly dumb, and such. He simply could not allow anything that he disagreed with to pass without responding in an effort to set me straight. At one point I removed him from our mailing list. He then wrote, apologized for much of his attitude and asked to be reinstated. Within a relatively brief period of time, however, the “same old same old” began again. We don’t normally eliminate readers simply because they disagree with my position, but I was about to eliminate him again when he wrote and said that he had seen all he could stand from me and requested removal himself (praise the Lord!). The frequency and nature of his attacks (and they were just that) made me curious. I did some research and found out what I expected. To be kind (and not to respond “in kind”), it appears to me that time invested in his church and in reaching his community might accomplish far more than trying to correct the uncorrectable (and appears to be even more needed). If you want to be known as “Mr. Letter To The Editor,” that is your business, but be sure you aren’t pursuing trivia rather than your calling.
There are a thousand “good causes” that cry out for our attention (and participation). Most of them are worthy and involve positive contributions to our culture. Throughout the years, however, I quite consistently declined to become involved because such involvement - to my way of thinking - did not fit with my philosophy of making the main thing the main thing. I was at one time, however, deeply involved in a successful effort to ensure religious liberty for the churches and Christian schools of Indiana. When that goal was reached, the group involved decided (and it was absolutely their right to do so) to become involved in tax abatement and other fiscal issues. Fiscal conservatism is simply not within the boundaries of my calling, and I decided my retirement from the pastorate was a good time to terminate that relationship (on the very best of terms). If you are a crusader type, that’s fine, but be sure the crusade doesn’t draw you away from you primary calling. If we were more ardent at preaching the Gospel and more deliberate at discipling our converts, some of the current causes might not be nearly so urgent as they really are.
Along the same lines, political involvement is always a great temptation. The forces of “Secular Progressivism” appear to be overwhelming Biblical values in our land, and we may well be under some forms of specific attack in the near future, but I still stand convinced that political action is not the answer to the problems we face. Again, a better job of evangelism and - especially - discipleship will likely accomplish far more than “getting out the vote.” God is still in control, and He can even overrule the Supreme Court. I was always wary of the smiling person with the microphone in hand. I not only knew that I would almost certainly be misquoted (even though recorded), but I also knew that I was probably being led into something that would take time, effort and energy away from my primary calling.
“The internet will get you if you don’t watch out!” What a mixed blessing! There is a plethora of useful Bible study tools accessible in seconds without charge. There are Christian “blogs” and web-sites that are very worthwhile, and libraries full of research are available to “google” or check in Wikipedia. On the darker side, there are tens of thousands of porn sites (many of which are available at no or minimal charge). Yes, the internet can be a valuable source of information and thought-provocation, but it can also be a wasteland of time and morals. Assuming you stay away from the porn and chat rooms (how many marriages and ministries have been damaged or destroyed in those places I can only imagine), the temptation is to waste large amounts of time simply surfing and tracing down hyper-links, many of which are little more than “rabbit trails.” Even in retirement I have to limit legitimate use of the internet, or it consumes chunks of time that I really should be devoting to ministry. I haven’t even mentioned on-line games. They are sometimes nice diversions and stress-relievers, but they can also easily become addictive. I know I should stay out of your personal space in this regard, but could I at least appeal to you to give some thought to the possibility the internet is causing you to substitute the good for the better and the better for the best (or even causing you to sin seriously)?
Finally - for now, at least - there is the tendency to do the things we like to do rather than the things we need to do. What a battle this is in retirement! After all, I’ve earned a bit of leisure, haven’t I? But I am still reasonably well and healthy and have some skills and an enormous store of Biblical knowledge (in brain, on disc and in filing cabinet) so I think I should keep on serving Him. I was always known as a good delegater when I was in the pastorate, but there were certain things that I simply liked to do, and I had to battle with myself to give them up to someone else capable of doing them, so I could do things that others were not able to do.
Really, I’m not trying to live your life for you. I’m just sharing the observations of all these years in ministry. It would be awful to get to the end of the course and discover that one has been a champion, but the championship was in trivial pursuit.

“This is a message from the voters that we really need to step up and reclaim the mantle of reform that propelled us to power 12 years ago.” —Rep. Eric Cantor

So NOW you seem to get it.

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“The House has just engaged in runaway spending for far too long… [T]he one thing we could have stopped, but didn’t, was runaway spending.” —Rep. Jeff Flake

And the President let you get away with it.

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“I don’t care how many times the news programs, papers and magazines tell us the blowout last night was because of the Iraq war. It wasn’t. It was because the American public has decided that Republicans are no longer good stewards of the U.S. Congress and threw them out.” —Rich Galen

Ding, ding, ding, ding….someone was paying attention!(But as a side note, it was also about the war.)

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“I think a fairly good case can be made that the story of Election 2006 is more about poorly-led House Republicans losing than Democrats winning.” —John Berthoud, president of the National Taxpayers Union

Fairly good case? Fairly good case? Hello????Mr.Clueless, meetMr. Obvious.

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“Republicans have made matters worse by abandoning the reform agenda that animated their capture of Congress in 1994 and helped George Bush win the White House in 2000 and keep it in 2004. With scarcely a fight, Republicans gave up on Social Security reform in 2005, immigration reform in 2006, and never really got started on tax reform.” —Fred Barnes

That’s what happens when political parties worry more about keeping power than advancing principle.

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The numbers from every corner of the country make it clear that the American people meant to send a message to their leaders, and the future of the conservative movement depends on an accurate reading of the substance they meant to communicate, and a realistic reassessment of the current state of our politics.”—Michael Medved

Or in other words, the Republican base is not nearly as stupid as the Republican leadership thought it was and the Democratic leadership was a lot smarter than the Republic leadership thought it was.

Quotes taken from the “Patriot Post”

One of the most memorable commercials I’ve ever seen was one in which the CEO of a company calls his management team into his office and tells them that they just got fired by a long-time friend and major customer. He said it made him realize that they had taken people for granted, had lost touch with those they served and that they needed to do something about it. So he pulled out a sleeve of airline tickets and began passing them out telling the managers that they were to go visit their customers. As he handed everyone their ticket, he had one left in his hand and one of the managers asked him who that one was for. The CEO replied, “It’s mine. I’m going to visit an old friend.”

After the drubbing the Republicans took in this year’s mid-term elections, one can only hope that Ken Mehlman, Karl Rove and other Republican leaders have already filled their pockets with tickets. They’ve got some listening to do. They need to get out of the beltway, off the east coast and back here in flyover country where the real people live. They need to by-pass the people they’ve been listening to for the last 2-4 years. They need to skip stopovers that would bring them into contact with all the pundits and talking heads and go sit in a mainstreet cafe. They need to drive on past the James Dobson’s and Pat Robertson’s and go to church in the clapboard sanctuaries nestled in small towns and mid-sized cities. They should skip the captains of industry and titans of finance and head for the people who’ve been pumping three dollar a gallon gas into their minivans and SUV’s. They should ignore Rush and Sean and Bill O’Reilly and talk to some small town newspaper reporters and some local community columnists. And they should come with their hats in their hands.

A message was sent to the Republicans this year. Let’s hope they hear it. Here’s what they need to hear.

You all smell corrupt. Deny it all you want, but the power of being in charge has polluted your character and you got used to the stench. So while you all made excuses over Foley and DeLay and the many other lesser scandals, it was hitting our gag reflex out here in the real world. We KNOW politicians make mistakes and are stupid and are sinners just like everyone else. It would have been nice if you’d admitted it was a problem and stopped pretending like it was no real big deal.

You all got cocky and deaf. People love self-assuredness and confidence. They hate arrogance and aloofness. Guess which one the White House has been portraying the last several years? The question is do they get it now?

When you call yourself Republicans and act like the Democrats, voters notice. Thanks for giving our children and grandchildren hundreds of billions of dollars in debt in the name of Medicaid Prescriptions and No Child Left Behind — two HUGE government giveaways.

When Democrats start putting up moderates and even a few conservatives in the South and Midwest, voters notice. What does that say? When there’s little difference between the Dems and the Republicans, people are going to vote for both. Add to that they are ticked off at Republicans and the Dems sweep both houses. Does that sound familiar? I’d like to think that the Democrats are generally moving to the right on some important issue. I’m still a little too cynical to believe that right now. But here are some Democrats with checkmarks by their names tonight that I’m glad will be sitting in Congress. I couldn’t care less about party titles. I care about personal principles.

American’s don’t want to lose the war on terrorism. The problem is that mostquestioning Americans don’t see the connection between Iraq and the War on Terrorism. If there is a link, the Administration has done aLOUSY job of showing it. They seem as lost as a termite in a yoyo when it comes to the war and it’s lasted long enough now that most of us know of someone who has been killed or maimed for lifeto support a nation of people that, at their core, loathe us andthe Godmost of us worship. No WMD’s, nooccupation or transition strategy, no exit strategy. It’s not that American’s want to lose the war. It just appears to many of them that the current administration doesn’t realize we are already losing the war. And they’ve done a lousy job explaining it.

This election wasn’t won by theDemocratsbecause the Democrats had a better plan. No one has any idea what the Democratic plan is. This election was won by the Democrats because the Republicans were arrogant, incompetent and out-of-touch. This blogger called this election months ago and the political landscape only got worse.

I predicted publicly as recently as last week that there would be a 25-30 seat shift in the house toward the Dems and that the Senate would end up 49-51 and I didn’t know which would be the majority party. I was pretty close in my assessment.

So what don’t I feel smug that I was right? I really don’t.

Which reminds me.

I’m not a politician, I’m just a citizen.

And my American citizenship is temporary. In50 years or less, I’ll be leaving it behind. My permanent citizenship is in Heaven.

My calling isn’t politics. It’s a private interest and occasional hobby.

My calling is the Gospel of Christ. So tomorrow some will be lamenting the election.

Me? I’m going to be rejoicing in the factthat I can rest in the sovereignty of God. And nothing, and that means NOTHING, can separate me from the Love of God.

So,until I vote again two years from now or until somebody in elected office tries to do something incredibly stupid that will mess up my family or my ability to practicemy faith, I’ve got a church full of really great people to serve.

Politics is fascinating. Ministry is fulfilling. I’ll take the latter.

Every where I turn today, someone is asking me what I think about the news that has emerged about National Association of Evangelicals President, Ted Haggard. First, as a way of disclaimer, let me emphasize that I belong to no groups (to my knowledge) that come under the NAE banner. I have significant theological and associational differences with both Haggard and many within the NAE.

Nonetheless, to those on the “outside” looking “in” at the religious right in general and evangelicals specifically, there is little or no differentiation in the various streams of non-Catholic/non-liberal, mainstream denominations found in Christianity. Thus, Haggard is to Bob Jones is to Tony Campolo is to Rick Warren is to John MacArthur. The broad brush of their perception paints us all.

And because of that, many of us who would have little time for Haggard and the NAE pre-scandal, are finding themselves embarrassed and wanting to define our pre-existing differences to folks who look at the whole of conservative Christianity and see a putrid mess (which isn’t ALL that far removed from the truth.)

With that said, I cannot add any superior or more inciteful thought or evaluation to this sad story than has Phil Johnson over atPyromaniacshas already offered. Take a moment and read his assessment HERE and imagine me saying “Amen” in your mind.

Yesterday, the Charlotte Observer published an article in which I was quoted sharing my decision to participate less in political activism during this election cycle and for the forseeable future. You can read the article HERE. I’ve often been criticized over the last 20 years for being involved in political issues by folks on the left. Having rethought my involvement in recent weeks, I’m now being soundly spanked by those on the right.

In a nutshell, I am disillusioned with many things within the Republican Party, politically active evangelical organizations, pro-family political organizations and much (if not most) of most of the members of the current administration and Congress. Without going into all the reasons here or now, I just simply have reached the conclusion that while I will still exercise my civic duty and right to vote for candidates that match my political views, I’ll not use whatever miniscule influence I have as a spiritual leader to help people gain political power considering what I see as a lack of integrity, lack of passion and lack of principle among this current generation of political leadership. Instead, my focus, attention and energy will be on doing those things which will still matter in 1,000 years and none of those things have anything to do with eiher Republicans or Democrats.

Perhaps when I’m more inclined, I’ll delve deeper into my opinion on these things, but I don’t think the appropriate time to do so is now.

The publication of the article, which I feel fairly reflects my views for those who COMPLETELY and CAREFULLY read my statements in their contexts. However, it has caused no small stir among many of my friends in positions of elected office, the media and to a smaller extent people who know me more personally and intimately like friends and church members. Some think I’ve “gone wobbly”, others seem to think something has made me cynical, some have suggested that I’m over-reacting to various scandals, etc… and others are just generally scratching their heads.

As a result, I received a lengthy and most interesting phone call from a member of the US Congress whom I personally appreciate and respect trying to convince me that I’mjust dead wrong and should reconsider. I received a letter today from a State Senator that I again respect and value. I got word that some of my local political friends are a little ticked off at me thinking that my statement will push down the support for local conservative and Republican candidates (I think their opinion of my influence is highly overblown, btw.) I just completed an hour-long session on Stu Epperson’s Truth Talk Live Nationally-Syndicated radio show which is on some thirty terrestrial stations and the Sirius Radio Network which was guest-hosted by my good friend, Warren Smith who probably sees this issue differently than I do. Tuesday, I’m scheduled for the Danny Fontana show which is also on Sirius Radio. I’ve received a few emails and phone calls from others expression varying degrees of support or disappointment.

In all honesty, I really was just answer a reporter’s question last week when she called to see what I was doing to help with the “get-out-the-vote” drive among values voters. When I told her “nothing”, that’s when it got interesting and the whole direction of the interview shifted. She even attended Sunday services to ask some Northsiders what they thought. I’ve not mentioned politics in any substantive way this year and don’t know that I will in the future. It’s as much a desire on my part to reach people without the interference of political involvement as it is my disillusionment with the political process. They just happened to dovetail nicely at this time in our history. I believe I would have the same position and thoughts evenif the Republicans were hitting on all cylinders and Franklin Graham was in line to win the 2008 nomination for President. The pathetic mess that is the Republican Party leadership just made it easier to finalize in my mind.

I do want to clarify a few things. I think every believer should vote on Tuesday. No doubt about it. I do not agree with my friend who is voting Democratic just to poke a stick in the eye of the Republicans. I would also point out that one does not have to vote in every single race. Pick and choose and vote for those candidates that are good choices (of whatever party) and if there isn’t a good choice, you may want to just not vote in that election if voting for the “lesser of two evils” is noxious to you.

Secondly, I have never suggested a boycott, a ‘fast’ or voting for the opposite party to teach anyone a lesson. Period. End of discussion. It hasn’t happened. Read the article folks. It’s not in there. The reason it isn’t there is because I don’t believe we should do that. If I did, I’d have no problem with saying it. I didn’t say it because I don’t believe it.

Finally, I DO believe there are some good and sincere people running for office that are deserving of our votes. Just don’t expect me to spend any time calling people, promoting candidacies, rallying support. I’m not interested in that. I live in Mel Watts’ district. Mel Watt is as dangerous a liberal extremist as I know of in the Democratic Party and Congress. But his artfully gerrymandered district ensures him re-election, so there’s no need for me to get all worked up over that. He despises me. I care about his soul though I don’t like his politics. Other than that, we have no interest in each other. So there no sense in wasting energy opposing him. BUT….if I lived in Sue Myrick’s Congressional District, I’d sure vote for her. I’m less enthusiastic about Robin Hayes, but I’d still vote for him. We have no significant statewide races in NC this year. On the local level, I think the Mecklenberg County Commission has a major values choice this year and I plan on voting for my friends Jim Puckett and Dan Ramirez — both of whom I know to represent values that are important to me. I hear good things about Kaye McGarry, but I do not know her. Of course, I’ll be voting against anything that will raise my taxes one penny. Other than that, I don’t see anything that much excites me.

What does excite me is the fact that we’re breaking ground on our $4.5m parking and road project for the church this Sunday at noon. I’m mighty excited that I’m baptizing 5-8 people this Sunday who recently accepted Christ as their Savior. I’m really excited about the fact that our teens are hitting some local football games tomorrow evening for the purpose of evangelism. I’m quite excited about Enrique who trusted Christ last Sunday. I’m truly excited that I’m teaching a new member’s class on Sunday and I expect a couple of dozen people to join the church during it. I’ve got lots of things that are exciting that have to do with the ministry, the Lord and things eternal.

Wednesday morning, when I wake up, someone will havewon and someone will have lost. Regardless of who controlsCongress, God will still be where he’s always been and my mission in life will not have changed one whit. So with a smile on my face, a spring in my step and a lilt in my voice, I’ll be thrilled to be doing what God wants me to do and I’ll have every reason to anticipate His blessings as I do.

And that knowledge allows me to sleep like a baby at night….regardless of which way the political winds might be blowing. And for the record, I’m not talking politics this Sunday from the pulpit — even though it’s the week-end before the election. So come on by and get fed from the Word without worrying that you’re going to get hammered about politics. It’s going to be a great day and it might be the only two hours you’ll have for two weeks that doesn’t include the words “…and I approved this ad.”

War is hell. It is devastating. It’s a product of the fall of man and the curse of sin. Sometimes, that reality hits us right in the face.

Pray for 23-year-old Andrew Kinard. Six weeks into his tour of duty in Iraq, he was severely wounded by an IED. He’s lost both legs. One at the hip and the other above the knee. He has massive pelvic injuries and intestinal injuries. As I type this, he’s on a plane being flown to Dover, MD from Germany for additional treatment. He’s in a drug-induced coma and on a respirator (due to the sedation). We know more about his condition right now than he does.

Andrew is the brother-in-law to my friend and long-time Northside Member Charles Gouch (son of Dr. John and Betty Gouch). He and his wife, Catherine now live in the Greenville/Spartanburg, SC area. Andrew is a graduate of the Naval Academy who took a commission in the Marines. His Christian testimony is well-known throughout his hometown, his church (First Baptist/Spartanburg) and wherever he’s been. He is excellence in uniform and his family is one of those all-American, bedrock families that make churches and communities proud and strong.

God is Sovereign. If the Lord spares Andrew’s life (and even if he doesn’t), Andrews may yet make a greater contribution to the world that he would have without an injury. But these have to be incredibly difficult and confusing days for his family and will be for Andrew as he emerges into his new reality. Let’s pray for him and the thousands of others just like him who are serving this nation in uniform.

Here are two news stories about Andrew.

News Story One.

News Story Two.

I’ll keep you posted on this blog as I receive more information.

I had been seeing the advertisement and reading stories about the movie, “Facing the Giants” for several months. I’m a fan of football movies of just about any genre, so I gave the articles and ads more than a passing glance. In addition, the story of how this movie came to be was intriguing to me as well.

In short, a member of a Baptist church in Georgia had a dream of producing a Christian movie that would get play in regular theaters. His first attempt went straight to video. But his second try, Facing the Giants, was picked up by a distributor and started appearing in mainstream theatres in October — mostly in the South and Southeast areas of the so-called Bible-belt. The movie was funded as a missions project by the church to the tune of $100K. They’ll now be reaping millions of dollars in profits and they’ve said they plan on using it to fund more positive family and spiritually-positive movies.

I read several reviews by multiple Christian movie reviewers and frankly, the reviews were as I expected. Negative, critical — at times, almost dismissive and mocking. Filmed on a tiny budget of $100,000, the movie has no special effects, no professional actors and none of the traditional trappings that make Hollywood movies popular and expensive.

Now, let me just interject here that I’ve come to expect some pretty unsatisfying movies springing from the imaginations of well-intentioned believers who fancy themselves breakthrough or breakoutartists in one of the most corrupt industries in the world today. In addition, there’s the whole sad library of Christian movies that were shown in church basements on New Year’s eve throughout the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Some of the worst were “The Burning Hell” (you aren’t really a true fundy unless you’ve seen an Estes Perkle film replete with maggots and the most AWFUL acting in the history of theatre including “Jews” with terrifyingly Southern accents.), “A Distant Thunder/Thief in the Night” (Rapture scare movies that made the Left Behind movies look like Shakespeare.) and the ridiculous “If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?” which asked the burning question “Will you survive as a genuine believer when the communists take over America?”. Somewhat better, but so over-shown they became cliche’ jokes were the movies by “Unusual Films” (from Bob Jones University) like “Flame in the Wind” (starring BJII), “Wine of Morning” and my all-time favorite — “SHEFFY” which I saw at every watchnight service I attended for about 10 years straight. The recent LaHaye/Jenkins/Cloud10 movies based on the “Left Behind” series were so laughable and ridiculous (from the theology to the special effects) that they were the cinematic equivalent of a Jack Chick comic.

I don’t really consider “The Passion” a Christian film, though I saw it and it moved me. It was truly a Hollywood production like the 10 Commandments, Ben Hurand The Robe and other Hollywood religious-themed movies.

So, let’s just say that my expectations were pretty low. I almost skipped going to see “Facing the Giants” completely, but I kept hearing people who had gone say that a) they really enjoyed it and b) they thought magazines like “World” and “CT” that trashed it were way off base.

So last week I took my gang to see it. I’m glad that I did.

Let me say up front, this is not Lord of the Rings or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. To the professional critic and the artistic elitist, there is plenty to “diss” on this, I’m sure. But I didn’t go in as a critic. I was just wanting to spend an evening with my family.

In a nutshell, this is the story of a Christian high school football coach who faces multiple professional and personal obstacles and through prayer and character, sees God provide amazing reversals and ends up victorious.

Let me say up front, this movie is Christian idealism plain and simple and unapologetic. It is completely formulaic in the finest of “Rocky” traditions. The acting is by amateurs, but I will also say that as the movie goes on, the acting gets progressively better as the actors find their feet and relax. It goes right up to the brink of being schmaltzy, but never quite crosses it. There’s “preachiness“, there’s humor, there’s contrived drama and there’s just loads of idealism.

But here’s what I noticed and experienced. Everyone in the theatre that was nearly 3/4rds full, really got “into” the movie. Throughout, people laughed, cried, clapped, cheered, hooted and at the end applauded soundly. (Something I’ve never quite experienced before in a movie of any kind.) It made it fun. And this cynical old coot found himself with a lump in his throat and a tear in his eye several times during the movie as some of the experiences of the coach (both personal and professional) hit just a little too close to home to my own life experiences.

I expected to hate the movie and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. In fact, I’ve recommended it to multiple people and I’m recommending it to the readers of this blog. Go see it. Have an open mind. Relax and just enjoy it.

Here’s why I think I liked it so much. First, the characters were totally relatable to believers. I KNEW the people in this movie — not personally, but because I’ve worked, worshipped and walked beside these folks all my life. These fresh-faced kids on the football teams have been in my classes for the last two decades. The slightly eccentric prayer warrior has been in every church I’ve attended or pastored. The coach — he’s worked for me before and sometimes he’s BEEN me. Even the fickle fans and player parentsI’ve seen in church pews and bleachers all my life. Unbelievers might mock these folks, but I’ve loved and ministered to and with people like them for years.

Secondly, it was idealistic and I like idealism. Christianity is all about idealism. We all know that life always falls short of utopia and the ideal, but the message of the Gospel and Heaven and Salvation IS an ideal. I’m OK with that.

Thirdly, I liked the messages. Perseverance, faith, worship, character, integrity — they were portrayed positively and upfront. Simplistic? Yes. Accurate and important? Yes and yes. I didn’t have to see a hypocrite or a failure or a realistic depiction of negative outcomes in order to make the movie more realistic. Life does that for me every day. I liked the fact that everything turned out positive in the end. I mean, it’s JUST a movie. It’s OK if the good guys come out on top.

I’m more than a little irritated at the artistic snobbishness that trashed this movie in many Christian magazines and websites. You know, I don’t particularly care of the schlocky paintings of Thomas Kinkaide or the cheap porcelian collectibles of the “Precious Moments” collections. But I sure know a LOT of people who do like them. They represent values and messages and memories that mean something to a lot of people. So what’s the harm in letting them enjoy it. Of course they aren’t Rembrandt’s. They aren’t the equivalent of timeless hymns or sculptures by Michelangelo. But not everything has to be worthy of the Louvre or Academy Award-worthy to be an OK evening out with the kids.

I also really like the fact that this Georgia church took a leap of faith and invested $100K in a project that will become an inspiration to millions of believers in this country. We sent our junior high kids to see it as did several other Christian schools in the area. I told our head football coach to go see it and he did and I believe he’ll now be using this to teach some values to future teams.

So, here’s my recommendation. Take a look at the trailer by clicking HERE. Then, if it comes to your town in the theater and if you go to movies, then load up the fam, get the large popcorn with extra butter and sit back and enjoy it. It’s worth it. Oh, and take a couple of extra kleenexes. You might just need them.