Category: Wildman Journey (Page 16 of 85)

The title of this blog is a rendition of Psalm 12:1 in the “God’s Word” translation. In the eight verses of this psalm, the Psalmist speaks to a community of believers living in a deceitful society filled with a prevalence of untruths and misinformation.  It seems as though the people of God were dominated by liars in positions of authority.  “The Psalmist asks the Lord to intervene, for society is overrun by deceitful, arrogant oppressors and godly individuals are a dying breed” (NET).   But “because of the Lord’s answer, the godly can face the future knowing that God protects them” (NLT Study Bible).  May this also be true of us today.  God is looking for “truth-tellers,” who will stand up and be heard. 

The Psalmist laments, “Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains; the loyal have disappeared from the human race” (v. 1). The godly and faithful are so rare it seems as if they have disappeared. “Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts” (v. 2).  This is a cultural snapshot of our dominating contemporary narrative.  Lies are being perpetuated as truths.  There is a lot of empty talk, including flattery in the guise of smooth talk.  We are asked, with a smile, to believe lies.  This kind of deception gives us a steady diet of “doubletalk.”  Many ask today, “Who are we to believe? What are their true motives?” 

The Psalmist prays for God to silence the flattering lips and boastful tongues. These individuals believe their power resides in their speech, convinced they can influence others with their words. “We speak persuasively; we know how to flatter and boast. Who is our master?” (v. 4). “Destructive gossip, undemocratic legislation, language devalued by political correctness, the media’s drowning of quality in quantity, are all examples” (Bible Speaks Today) of an arrogant attitude toward God in our day.  

But the Lord replies, “I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor” (v. 5 ).  In response, God “will rise up to rescue them as they have longed for me to do” (v. 5).  It might seem like lies and deception are having their way, but God gives fair warning: “Even though the wicked strut about and evil is praised throughout the land,” He will “protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation” (v. 7).  In our day, the wicked certainly “strut about” having captured the imagination of contemporary media. Be careful – we are being asked to believe a lie (II Thess. 2:10-12).

In contrast to the deception found in society, we can depend on the trustworthiness of God’s Word.  “The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over” (v. 6).  God means what he says; his words are completely pure.  “When we feel as though sincerity and truth have nearly gone out of existence, we have one hope: the Word of God, which is pure and flawless as refined silver. So listen carefully when he speaks to you through his Word” (Application Bible). 

What is a man to do today in a decadent society? 

• Accept the authority of Scripture. Earnestly strive to let Scripture form your worldview, not the cultural narrative. Remember, “the word of the Lord stands forever” (I Peter 2:25). 
• Fellowship with other true believers.  Allow your assumptions and opinions to be exposed to biblical teaching.  You cannot endure this battle on your own.   
• Above all, don’t fall asleep. Keep alert to deception. You are being lied to daily. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This title above is how The Guardian described The Case Against the Sexual Revolution, a new book by British feminist Louise Perry.  A 30-year-old “proud Feminist,” Perry has spent her working career helping female victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.  She explains, “It’s precisely because I’m a feminist that I’ve changed my mind on sexual liberalism.” Notes the Daily Citizen, “She writes as a feminist because many things are changing in our current debate over sexuality and new voices are feeling emboldened to speak out.”  

From her work with victimized women, Perry concludes that the sexual revolution was, “an ideology premised on the false belief that the physical and psychological differences between men and women are trivial, and that any restrictions placed on sexual behavior must therefore have been motivated by malice, stupidity or ignorance… The problem is, the differences aren’t trivial. Sexual asymmetry is profoundly important.”   

Perry believes women lost much in the “advances” of the sexual revolution. She hopes her writing will spark a new and different feminist movement. “I think,” she writes, “young women have been utterly failed by liberal feminism and have the most to gain from swingback against its excesses.”  She is hopeful that her efforts will help accelerate this swing.  

The Guardian noted that Perry’s book “comes as something of a shock to see a feminist writer with any new ideas at all.”  However, The Daily Citizen is hopeful.  “Maybe that is because Louise Perry is not proposing new ideas, but instead, rediscovering some very old and wise ones. And it is very good that she is gaining such a wide hearing in articulating these views to a new generation of women…”

Of special interest to me was Perry’s comment regarding men: “If a man isn’t willing to stand up in front of everyone you and he knows and promise to cherish you forever, then how can you be sure he’s really committed to your shared life?” In this regard Perry has some very traditional views about marriage.  

Critical of marriage vows that are “tailored by individual whims and sentimentalities,” Perry maintains they are “not rugged enough to honor what marriage itself is and is supposed to be.”  She explains, “Every time my husband and I go to a traditional [high church] wedding, we hear again the words we spoke at our own wedding and are reminded that we’ve opted into an institution that every other married couple is part of.”  

Perry believes that women are unique in their femininity.  She sees female sexuality is fundamentally more civilized and can produce life. “It requires more protection, being respected and honored by all.”  Rather than advocating freedom, which ended up in Perry’s view “enslaving nearly everyone, women especially,” she prefers “the ideal of restraint by both men and women over freedom.”

Men, I hear in these words a cry for men to be “protectors.”  I am reminded of the song by Sanctus Real entitled “Lead Me” (2010).  It has always been convicting to me:  

“Lead me with strong hands/Stand up when I can’t/Don’t leave me hungry for love/Chasing dreams, but what about us/Show me you’re willing to fight/That I’m still the love of your life/I know we call this our home/But I still feel alone.”

Men, rejoice in your freedom to be the protector of your marriage, family, and home. Don’t give up the fight.  Take the lead by protecting and showing your wife the respect she deserves. “Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them” (I Peter 3:7 – Message).  In a confused world, you can bring some order and peace.  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Have you heard of the Servant Foundation’s “He Gets Us” campaign? Because Christianity has received a lot of negative press lately, the campaign is “designed to create cultural change in the way people think about Jesus and his relevance in our lives,” seeking to start conversations about the authentic Jesus.

A booklet I received through Christianity Today states, “American culture is at a tipping point as younger generations are finding Jesus less relevant.”  The hope is to “help people meet the radical Jesus of the Bible who loves the unlovable and understands human frailties because he experienced them.  Simply put, He gets us.” 

What I find refreshing is the willingness to face squarely current skepticism regarding Jesus. “He Gets Us wants people to understand that Jesus experienced real human challenges during his time of earth.”  The church has not always been a safe place for people with doubts to ask questions about Jesus. Research by He Gets Us found “an overwhelming majority believe in God, and two-thirds believe Jesus existed.”  But they also found those with questions had, “no desire to be in conversation with Christians because they see Christianity as a religion of judgment and hypocrisy.”  

“The church has a unique opportunity to address these spiritual needs while people are open to enriching their lives through the gospel message.”  The campaign challenges the church, “to create safe places for people to explore faith and doubts based on mutual respect, vulnerability, and trust.”  Seekers need to be able to explore, ask questions and challenge perceived norms. Many live with fear. “At the root of fear is a belief that the world cannot be trusted.” Therefore, churches need to “create a safe place to explore their most challenging questions and biggest fears.”  

“Instead of viewing skeptics as the ‘other’, the church has the opportunity to embrace them as fully loved children of God…God does not call the church to operate from this spirit of fear, but he has given freely the gifts of power and love.”  The campaign believes, “people who are skeptical about faith can positively influence the work of the church based on Scripture, historical precedence, and evidence in the present moment.  From revising harmful doctrines to advocating for the vulnerable, healthy skepticism both within and outside of the church have catalyzed Christians to live as more faithful disciples.”  

The booklet concludes with this challenge: “In a world where cultural changes seem to take place at the speed of light, affiliation with Christianity is no exception. Seventy-five percent of Americans self-identified as Christians in 2011.  Just ten years later, that number…dropped to 63%.  America is hurling toward a tipping point – that is, if we haven’t already reached it.”

As a follower of Jesus, I am challenged by the He Gets Us campaign. First, in a day of political polarization and loud voices of dissent, I affirm the secure home provided by our Heavenly Father.  Jesus tells us, “My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). 

Second, I have absolute confidence in the truth of Scripture. In II Tim. 3:16, Paul says, “All scripture is inspired by God,” and Jesus himself declared, “My words will never pass away” Matt. 24:35).

Third, I belong to God’s Kingdom. I continue to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).  This is both revolutionary and counter cultural. 

Fourth, I need to avoid the “god box.” Lord, give me grace to see “outside the box” using Scripture and your Spirit to guide me.

 

 

 

 

Recently, David French shared a blog entitled, “Against the Extremism of the American Masculinity Debate.”  When it comes to maleness, I follow French.  On other subjects, I’m not so sure…

“Few debates,” observes French, “are more corrupted by extremism than the debate over sex, gender and masculinity.”  I agree.  I have been blogging on masculinity since 2009.  At that time masculinity was seldom mentioned in the national conversation.  Now it has become an intense topic of debate.

French quotes Derek Thompson on the crisis among younger men: “The statistics are stunning.  But education experts and historians aren’t remotely surprised.  Women in the United States have earned more bachelor’s degrees than men every year since the mid-1980s… This particular gender gap hasn’t been breaking news for about 40 years.  But the imbalance reveals a genuine shift in how men participate in education, the economy, and society.  The world has changed dramatically, but the ideology of masculinity isn’t changing fast enough to keep up.”

The result is confusion regarding the role of young men in our culture.  Men are caught between the extremes of traditional masculinity being either toxic or a cultural ideal.  French offers “five general truths” to help us deal with the extremes.  

First, “Men and women are different, and they’ll always be different.”  French rightly observes, “biology has consequences.” We cannot simply try to erase the differences.  Men are faced with an ever-present unisex cultural ideal.  You’ll, “…find yourself fighting against overwhelming biological currents.”  

Second, “The differences between men and women are value-neutral.”  We are not to suppress the expressions of traditional masculinity, but “shape and mold those manifestations towards virtuous ends.”  This can only be accomplished when younger men see masculinity lived out in older men. Women cannot do this. 

Third, “Each boy and [each] girl is still an individual.”  French cautions, “One of the challenges of recognizing general truths is that they tend to oppress or isolate those who don’t fit the mold.”   For example, I struggled for years as a young man, trying to fit into the macho stereotype – not knowing I was a “feeling, intuitive” male who happened to be left-handed.     

Fourth, “Core values are universal.”  The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are the same for men and women (Gal. 5:22-23).  The command to act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly before God (Micah 6:8) is the same for men and women.  “There is not one set of male virtues and one set of female virtues.”  

Fifth, “Because men and women are different, universal values will often manifest themselves differently.”  In French’s opinion, “This is how good men and good women – brought up in the same universal values – can still tend towards different temperaments and professions. ” Men, for example, will tend to be more courageous in danger because of their strength.  Women will be more nurturing because many bear children. 

The evolution of our economy and culture presents a challenge for men and boys.  “[But filtering] these changes through our polarized, extremist politics, and radical ideologies” makes matters worse.  French concludes by saying, “The goal isn’t to embrace or reject stereotypes, but rather to realize that no matter your son’s temperament, there is always a path to raising a boy to be his own version of a good man.” 

I must confess: In my early days I was more dogmatic about male gender and roles.  I have become more flexible in today’s cultural moment.  But God made men to be men. I am committed to stand with godly men in our day.

During a recent Sunday morning worship service, we sang “Turn Your Eyes.”  But as we sang, I began to weep.  I sensed God was speaking to me.  You may ask, “How does Al know it was God?”  I have walked with the Lord for over 60 years.  I have learned through trial and error how to discern the Lord’s voice.  Two factors were evident to me during the worship service:  First, I was in no way expecting to tear up. Second, when I shed tears unexpectedly, I have found it is of the Lord.  Your experience might be different from mine.  Remember: we all experience him uniquely.  

The words to the song start out with an old chorus: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” and then move into a contemporary arrangement.  I was moved by the chorus: “Jesus, to You we lift our eyes/Jesus our glory and our prize/We adore you, behold You, our Savior ever true/Oh, Jesus we turn our eyes to You.”  It goes on to say, “Turn your eyes to the heavens/Our king will return for His own/Every knee will bow, every tongue will shout/All glory to Jesus alone.” 

I write this post as a confession, in the hope that it might stimulate other men to see God’s faithful hand in their journey.  God does not want us to abandon our post in the coming battle.   I’d like to share three reflections with you:

First, when we sang “Turn your eyes upon Jesus,” the song took me back to the early days after my conversion at the California Lutheran Bible School from 1960 to 1962.  Those were foundational years in my spiritual formation.  My confession is this: I have lost my first love…  “Yet I hold this against you.  You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first” (Rev 3:4-5). 

When the above scripture reads, “Do the things you did at first,” I confess that the enthusiasm and excitement of those early days has waned.  I now see that my life must be all for Jesus.  I have let spiritual practices, theology, and my spiritual improvement projects get in the way of my first love.  I just need to seek to know Jesus better (John 17:3).” 

Secondly, I have come back full circle to my roots, which are in the warm-hearted, evangelistic movement of the Lutheran church.  I belong to a church of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations.   We are part of the revival movements within the Lutheran tradition.  I have spent much time “tasting” the rich spiritual fruit of other movements and traditions.  But God has brought me back home to my roots.

Thirdly, I must be willing to speak the name of Jesus in a culture that is fast becoming an “antichrist” culture.  This has happened throughout history in cultures that have forsaken the Lord.  I John warns us, “Children, time is just about up.  You heard that Antichrist is coming.  Well, they’re all over the place, antichrists everywhere you look.  That’s how we know that we’re close to the end” (I John 2:18 MSG). 

I share this confession with you because the enemy wants you to become lukewarm or even deny the Lord, like Peter did.  But we need to sing, “Jesus, to You we lift up our eyes.”  With the Psalmist we make it our confession. “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.  Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” (Psalm 131:2 NLT).

Recently Judy and I attended an annual gathering of friends we have known for a long time.  They all have been instrumental in our spiritual journey.  We always enjoy a rich time of fellowship as we share our faith journeys over the previous year.

While we were in prayer, I had a vision of a little, red, shiny wagon.  I have had visions before when I have been in prayer with others.  I have learned to test and discern if it is from the Lord or part of my overactive imagination.  When a vision sticks with me and is so vivid and relevant, I can trust it to be from the Lord.  

I wonder!!  Are visions going to be more frequent in our day?  With so much hostility and unbelief being expressed towards the Good News of Jesus and his kingdom, will God manifest himself in direct ways to let us know, “I am here, and I am at work?”  Could God be giving his people visions to awaken our souls, giving us a hunger to seek him with all their hearts?  May we not be hardened to the awareness of his presence.     

We read in Acts 2:16-18, “In the last days,  God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophecy.”  Peter included  these words in the first sermon preached in the book of Acts.  Could we be in the last days?  I don’t know.  But if people are having visions and dreams, it is time to pay attention (Job 33:14-17). 

Now for the vision:  It was a bright, red wagon, the kind youngsters would use in play.  I was pushing the wagon with much effort.  Then Jesus came along and told me to get into the wagon and let him pull the wagon by the handle.  So I got into the wagon and allowed him to pull it.  So, what is God wanting to show me?  And how might it be helpful for men reading this blog?

First, I was reminded to be on constant guard against spiritual pride. The wagon was bright and shiny red.  I was with friends who know me well.  I wanted to look “bright and shiny” spiritually.  I was trying to push the wagon.  I wanted others to see how spiritual I was.  I was reminded of the parable in which Jesus is invited to the house of Pharisee in Luke 14.  Noticing those who choose the higher place, Jesus warned about being “humiliated” when asked to take the lowest place.  Then he said, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). 

Secondly, I was reminded about being childlike, by getting into the wagon and allowing Jesus to be in charge.  Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:4).  I need to let go, get in the wagon, and simply be childlike in my enthusiasm and joy of being pulled by the Lord.   

Thirdly, I was reminded to let Jesus direct and pull the wagon.  All my effort in pushing my shiny, red wagon is for naught.  I need to constantly remember that I am not “pushing” my walk with the Lord.  He knows best how to bring change in my life. I have to let go and give him control (Gal. 2:20). 

 

  

  

 

In a recent documentary entitled Eve in Exile, Rebekah Merkle makes the following observation: “I don’t think even the third-wave feminists have any idea what they’re fighting for… Every battle has been won and now we’ve gotten into the weird space where we don’t know what a woman is.”  Feminist ideology portrays Eve, the symbol of womanhood, as wandering through a confused world, robbed of her purpose and identity, living outside the garden.   In the national dialogue, the question is being asked, “What is a woman?”   

I think Merkle makes a valid point.  Maybe 10 years ago, when feminism was in full ascendency, the sense of being lost in a confused world was not a topic. But today it feels like the cry of a dissatisfied, questioning feminist yearning for a place called home, sensing she has been “exiled from Eden.”

There is a place for men and women in our culture to live in harmony in the garden, rightly related to each other.  Could it be that men haven’t fulfilled their God-given task in the garden, thus causing women to flee – only to find themselves lost outside the garden?  Maybe men need to reevaluate their roles.  Is it possible for men to woo women back to the garden?  

T.D. Jake of The Potter’s House preached a Father’s Day sermon entitled Real Men Pour In, which  I found very insightful: “We are raising up women to be men,” noted Jake. “When men are led by women, the divine order is broken… Real men pour in,” Jake said. “If Adam had not allowed Eve to pour into him, sin would have never come into the world. Sin came into the world because Adam broke the order.” 

Men are not to receive initially from women.  He warned women to “be careful about pouring too much into us” because “we are designed to pour into you and you are designed to take what we pour into you and increase it and make it better.”  He further warns women, “until you create a need that I can pour into, I have no place in your life.”  

Today the cry is, “Let’s prove to the men how dispensable they are.”  But this cry,” observes Jake, “is born out of pain, ’cause we hurt you, and betrayed you, and lied to you and cheated on you, and you became like you are out of pain.  But watch what is born of pain.”  He urged women to hold men to a higher standard instead of trying to replace them.  “Anatomically, men pour in.  Life begins when men pour in.  We were designed to pour in; you were designed to preserve what is poured in.” Jake told the women in his church.  “As it is in the physical, so it is in the spiritual.  We are designed to pour in.”

Drawing from both Eve in Exile and Real Men Pour In, I offer these observations:

First,  the voice of angry, wounded  women living outside the garden, is partly our fault.  As men, we have to own up to our role in failing to create space for Eve to grow. 

Second,  I  appreciate the image of “pouring in.”  If I can’t pour into my wife and others, I have the responsibility to get right with God, so that His Spirit will flow through me in the rough days ahead.

Third,  man and woman can both live  together in the garden.  As a man I can only “pour in” what is in my container: “Lord, fill me with your love, allowing me to meet the needs of my wife.”

In 63:7- 64:12, Isaiah is acting as a mediator on behalf of his people.  It is a lament and a cry of help.  The content is similar to the book of Lamentations.  The prophet laments over the failure of the people, but also questions God about allowing perilous conditions to persist. These are questions asked in real pain and perplexity, not in hostility or arrogance.  Rather then brooding within, Isaiah directs his compliant upwards to God.  

Where are you, God?  Why are things so different from the way they used to be?  Why are our hearts so hard?  How can we be saved?  How much longer will you be angry with us? “This is one of the most eloquent intercessions of the Bible, as he [Isaiah} surveys the past goodness of God and the present straits of his people” (New Bible Commentary).

Isaiah remembers the way God lead his people. The Message expresses it compassionately, “He didn’t send someone else to help them.  He did it himself, in person.  Out of his own love and pity He redeemed them.  He rescued them and carried them along for a long, long time” (63:9).  But they turned away.  “But they turned on him, they grieved his Holy Spirit.  So, he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them” (v 10).  I wonder how much we have turned away from the Lord? 

Then Isaiah cries out in lament. “Whatever happened to your passion, your famous mighty acts, Your heartfelt pity, your compassion? Why are you holding back? (63:15 -MGS).  He is wondering why God is not making his presence known in their present crisis.  He goes on to ask, “Lord, why have you allowed us to turn from your path?  Why have you given us stubborn hearts, so we no longer fear you? (63:17 NLT).  Isaiah is probably wondering, “God are you giving us what we deserve.”  Is this a question we dare to ask?  

But in 64:1 he cries out boldly, “Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!”  He is asking God to act on behalf of his people.  He recognizes God’s sovereignty in history saying, “Since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard. no eye seen; a God like you who works for those who wait for him” (64:4 -MSG).  

He grieves over the condition of the people. “No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins” (64:7 NLT).  The prophet seems to accept the sinful condition of his people, as God, “giving them over to their sins.”  

Then we hear his heart felt prayer for the nation. “Still, God, you are our Father.  We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us.  Don’t be too angry with us, O God.  Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing.  Keep in mind, please, we are your people – all of us” (v 9 – MGS).

In the midst of all the wrong that he sees in the nation, Isaiah directs his prayer in lament to God.  This is a lesson for each of us.  The greater the darkness, the more we should bring our complaint to God.  But like Isaiah we need to plead for his mercy upon us, even though we do not deserve it.  “In the face of all this, are you going to sit there unmoved, God?  Aren’t you going to say something?  Haven’t you made us miserable long enough?” (64:12 – MSG). 

 

In Chapter 6 of Micah, the prophet is using legal language to portray a courtroom scene.  God is bringing a lawsuit against Israel. He instructs them, “Stand up and state your case against me” (6:1).   Israel put on trial before the watching world is, “epitomized in dramatic terms by its oldest inhabitants – the mountains and the hills – who have been silent witnesses to his dealings with people right from the beginning” (BST). 

“And now, O mountains, listen to the Lord’s complaint!  He has a case against his people.  He will bring charges against Israel” (6:2).  God is entering a charge.  Now Israel must bring its defense.  Earlier Micah had given a long list of their sins, but now the mood has changed.  God in his compassion addresses them as “his people” (v 3).  “The language here is personal and passionate, far more like a father’s plea to his child or a husband pleading with his wife” (BST). 

God is more concerned about restoring a relationship rather then listing all their shortcomings.  “O my people what have I done to you?  What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!” (v 3 ).  I can almost feel my mother in her loving discipline of me, asking “Alan, what have I done wrong that I should be treated in this manner.”  Like the Israelites, I could either shrug off my mother’s discipline or admit my fault.  God, as a loving father is asking his people to consider their rebellious attitude.  He is grieved over their behavior as his people.

God reminds them to remember all that He had done. “I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.  I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.  My people remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered.  Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord” (v 4-5).  The Lord is imploring them to remember how he brought them out of Egypt, preserving and protecting them on their journey to the promised land.

I wonder –  have we forgotten the mighty acts of God in our day.  We may have failed as his people  and as a nation as well.  But, I contend, God’s favor has been upon us in many ways.  I wonder – is His hand of favor being lifted in our day.  When I survey the moral stance of our nation, is God asking, “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?  Have I burdened you, worn you out!  Answer!  

There has been a deliberate attempt to question and remove our Christian heritage.  But as believers we are to remember not only the goodness of God in our lives, but how his hand of favor has been upon our nation.  Woe to us, if we forget God. One lesson from Micah 6 is not to forget.  “When people refuse to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God’s gifts for granted, they become self-centered.” (Application Bible). 

Men, do not let the angry voices in our culture cause you to forget.  Remember to, “Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present” (6: 5 – MGS). Be eternally thankful for his goodness.  In our day, especially celebrate and be glad for the freedom you have enjoyed.  May it motivate you to take a stand for the Lordship of Jesus in our day. We all may be asked to pay a price for our stand.  If we don’t stand for what is right, who will?

   

 

 

 

On  the 25^th anniversary of Rich Mullins’ death in 1997, I was reading some articles by people he had influenced.  My memory of his music was stirred, music from the 80’s and early 90’s that still touches me today.  As Bethel McGrew observed, Mullins would “have defied easy categorization in today’s Christian culture wars.” Mullins was indeed a “ragamuffin” Christian for Brennan Manning’s “Ragamuffin Gospel” for people of faith who are among “the bedraggled, beat-up and burnt-out.” Mullins “was flawed and broken, every bit the raggamuffin he claimed to be and more.  But he told us the truth as he could see it,” noted Russell Moore.  Andrew Greer and Randy Cox wrote about the tension Mullins felt with the evangelical establishment of his time. “Rich chafed against the paint-by-numbers parameters of the gospel music industry.  From his ragamuffin perspectiven, his choice was clear: he could either appease the mass-market demands of a religiously ‘right’ constituency by softening his creed and diluting his dialogue or he could appeal to people’s heart through honest and human exchange.” In my early days of spiritual growth, Mullins’ appeal was two-fold for me.   First, as Greer and Cox observed, Mullins appealed to the heart.  He knew and expressed emotional and spiritual suffering.  His songs expressed these sentiments.  The second aspect of Mullin’s influence on me was his searching for spirituality within the Catholic tradition (an asymptotic catholic).  He was positioned as a kind of “folk theologian in the space between Protestantism and Catholicism.” There are several songs that I especially remember.  The first Awesome God, which was almost anthem during the height the the charismatic movement.  Both Judy and I have fond memories of those days.  It is a simple refrain: “Our God is an awesome God/He reigns from heaven above/With wisdom, power, and love/Our God is an awesome God.”  I can almost hear a large crowd singing this with all their might. The second is Hold Me Jesus.  It is a haunting song of spiritual struggle.  I identified with Mullins’ struggle in this.  One verse goes: “Surrender don’t come natural to me/I’d rather fight You for something I don’t really want/Than to take what You give that I need/And I’ve beat my head against so many walls/Now I’m falling down I’m falling on my knees.”  Wow.  I still identify with these words. The chorus brings back a lot of memories: “So hold me Jesus ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf/You have been king of my glory/Won’t you be my Prince of Peace.” I remember identifying with “the leaf.”  It described my heart condition.  I was only learning to put my hand on my heart and look up to Jesus and cry for mercy.  Thank you, Jesus, for Rich Mullins’ vulnerability. The third song is If I Stand.  I can still identify deeply with the chorus.  “So if I stand let me stand on the promise/That you will pull me through/And if I can’t, let me fall on the grace/That first brought me to You/And if I sing let me sing for the joy/That has born in me these songs/And if I weep let it be as a man/Who is longing for his home.” Wow!  How often I still  have to “fall on the grace” that brought me to Jesus in the beginning.  I am thankful that God has given me the gift of tears, to weep over my own sins.  While I continue to journey, now on the homeward stretch, I long for home and for what is yet to come.  Thank you, Rich Mullins, for your influence in my life.