Son of Hamas Leader Embraces Christianity

Fox News has run a story about Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of one of the most militant, influential leaders within the Hamas organization.  Yousef grew up in a strict Islamic family but has recently renounced the Muslim faith of his fathers and converted to Christianity.

One of the more interesting aspects of this interview is that Yousef indeed understands that within a culture which demands that the differences between Islam and Christianity are minor, the differences are in fact significant when you consider the person of Jesus Christ.

When asked whether or not Islam wants to destroy Christianity, Youself said:

Islam destroyed Christianity from the beginning and Muslims don’t recognize that they stabbed Christianity (in) its heart when they said that Jesus wasn’t killed on the cross. They think that they honor him in this way.

Basically, any Christians understand that this way, (but Muslims) tell Jesus, okay, we don’t care, you didn’t die for us. Someone sacrificed his life for you, (but) you tell him, okay, you didn’t do it!

This is what Muslims are doing basically. But they don’t understand that this is the most important part of Christianity: the cross!

So, they are ignorant, they don’t know what they are doing and it explains what an evil idea it is behind this Islam.

The cross is, indeed, the most important part of Christianity. I am thankful to God that He continues to build His kingdom, even as He calls those most ardently opposed to the message of the cross out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

Safety Is A Mirage

East Brainerd is a pretty quiet part of town. Concord sits squarely off of Interstate 75 in a prime location across from Baskin Robbins. The road is always bustling with traffic as some 40,000 cars pass by our church daily. There are lots of reasons to feel safe in East Brainerd. I work in a visible location. I have 24-hour access to local and international news, food, and shelter. When you open the local paper you rarely hear about sexual assaults, murders, robberies, etc, even though I am sure such incidents and lesser crimes happen on a much more regular basis than I am aware. Nonetheless, there are lots of reasons to feel safe here.

Today as I walked out to my car for lunch around 1:05 pm, I inserted the keys into my reliable Honda Accord, turned my head towards Baskin Robbins mustering every ounce of self-control I could muster in an effort to deny myself a banana split feast for lunch rather than a sandwich, and immediately heard 2 quick sounds. Pop! Pop!

Lessons Learned In Peru

Yesterday I got back from 8 days in Peru. During our stay we spent 2 days working at AMG childcare centers in Lima and Huaraz, and the rest of the time we spent treking in the Andes Mountains, distributing New Testaments translated into the heart language of the people of this region, showing the Jesus film, sharing testimonies, and making meager attempts to share and show the love of Jesus among the Quechuas who populate this region of Peru. I thought I’d share a few things that I learned during this experience.

1. I am far more sinful than I tell myself I am. Peru was a convicting, sanctifying experience. I’m materialistic. I lust for more things than I need or deserve. I’m often fearful of sharing the gospel. I don’t love my neighbor or enemy the way I should because I don’t often live for Jesus within my own culture the way I do in other cultures. My tongue is poison. My heart is wicked and I need Jesus.
2. I am far more grateful for the gospel than I was 8 days ago. I may be a sinful person, but I am redeemed by the blood of Jesus. I am a saint, chosen one, holy and beloved. I am not a perfect man, but by God’s grace I am not as wretched as I could be.
3. Our eyes should be fixed on both our neighbors and the nations. We should long for the redemption of our own culture as much as we long for the redemption of unreached cultures.
4. Technology is a sinister stumbling block to a life live well for Jesus. Technology certainly has the potential to serve the Kingdom profitably, but for most of us, it does little else but deaden our affections for God. God save us from our iPods, cell phones, computers, tv’s, etc.
5. God’s grace is sufficient in our weakness.
6. Having much doesn’t equal a satisfied life. I’m always amazed that those who are “less fortunate” than us as Westerners often appear happier and more content than we do.
7. God is always faithful to speak; we aren’t always faithful to listen.
8. I love my students at Concord more than I show them I do. I will, by God’s grace, do better.
9. While I didn’t learn it here, I was reminded that it is true. Safety is a mirage. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without God’s permission; neither will I.

Star Wars Through the Eyes of a 3-Year Old

AIDS in the South

A sobbering report came out today on MSNBC regarding the rising percentage of young adults infected with HIV/AIDS in the South. While the national percentage of Americans contracting the virus has held steady or declined from 2001 to 2006, the percentage of infected individuals has increased by 10% in the South. The southern region is defined as: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware (how did Delaware get in the mix?), Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington D.C. More than 40% of all new infections are in the South and while this region covers only 36% of the population, more than 1/2 of the AIDS deaths in 2005 were in the South.

A particularly tragic statistic relates to the devastating effect that the HIV/AIDS is having on the African- American community.

Warren Welcomes McCain, Obama

Saddleback Church will welcome presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on August 16 at their Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion. The intent of the forum is to provide an opportunity for the candidates to discuss how they will lead through certain issues while avoiding the partisian political conversations that generally lead to each candidate chastising the other’s political positions without really engaging how their positions will impact the way that they lead as they interpret and understand the nature and principles of the Constitution that they sworn to protect.

Warren says:

“In addition to my primary calling to proclaim the Gospel truth of salvation in Jesus Christ, these Civil Forums further three other life goals: helping individuals accept responsibility, helping the Church regain credibility and encouraging our society to return to civility.”

Without being critical of Warren I think dialogue such as what he is promoting is an important part of the political process, particularly within a cultural context where so much misinformation is being transmitted about each Presidential candidate. So, I can only applaud a forum that will present Christian Americans with the opportunity for our future leaders to speak passionately about how they intend to lead.

I do, however, have questions about how Warren understands his other “life goals” (helping individuals accept responsibility, helping the Church regain credibility and encouraging societal civility) - which Rick has made “political” to some measure by endorsing and sponsoring these political forums - are meant to compliment the primary calling of the Gospel. I would argue that the mission of the Church is meant to image God in such a way that as the Kingdom of God goes forth, making all that it leaves in its wake new, redeemed humanity should act more responsibly (love your neighor as yourself). When this happens the Church instantly gains credibility. But the spiritual forces at work within this world, the forces behind the kingdom of this world as ruled by Satan, will never allow the sons and daughters of God to live within a “civil” society as long as the domain of darkness as ruled by the prince of the power of the air remains in the shadows hidden from the light. The gods of this war are at odds, even waging war, against the Kingdom of God. Civility in society can only be accomplished when creation is made new through the Gospel. Does this mean we shouldnt’ pursue it? No. It simply means that our means of pursuit must be explicitly Gospel-centered. This is why any kind of interfaith dialogue or forum that excludes the message of the Gospel and centrality of Jesus Christ, the Son of God - which is that which makes Christians different from Jews, Muslims and people of other religious faiths - will fail to accomplish permanent civility. I mention this because after Obama and McCain leave Saddleback, Warren will be sponsoring an interfaith meeting with Jewish and Muslim leaders to promote “cooperation in projects for the common good of all Americans.” I don’t think redemptive cooperation can happen apart from Jesus and His Gospel. I hope that Warren believes the same.

Where Is Our Allegiance?

I recently read a post castigating Mark Driscoll for his thoughts about the relationship between the nuclear family - particulary his family because he is a pastor - and the church. Driscoll said:

“There is no office such as pastor’s wife or pastor’s children and I work very hard to ensure that our family remains our top priority over the church. Too many pastors put their ministry above their family and their wives and children get active in the church just so they can be close to their husband/daddy which is tragic. We have a normal fun family life and by God’s grace my wife and kids love Jesus, me and our church.”

I interpret Driscoll to mean that too many ministers sacrifice their families on the altar of ministry. The Scriptural reality set before the husband and father is that he is responsible for the sanctification of his wife through the washing of the water of the Word (Eph 5:25-29) as well serving as the primary discipler of his children (Deut 6:4-9).

However, this post accused Driscoll of “idolatry of the family”.

Watching Movies

Joe Thorn has a good, concise post about how Christians should watch and engage movies. Thorn says:

Look, some movies are head candy that say nothing. Some say the wrong thing, and some give us amazing glimpses of truth, beauty, love, even the imago dei in fallen man. I am not saying all movies are good, or that any movie is okay to watch. What I am saying is that we, as Christians, can do better when engaging the the arts. We can be fair to the films and faithful to God, and in doing so we can engage our culture and community where they are with the Gospel we celebrate.

Check out the post in its entirety here.

Obama’s Christianity

Both Newsweek and Relevant magazines have good articles on Barack Obama’s perspective on faith, spirituality, Christianity, and the social and moral implications of that faith.

The Holy Spirit: An Insurance Liability

A Knoxville, TN man has filed a lawsuit against Lakewind Church to pay $2.5 million for medical bills, lost income and pain in suffering after he fell when he was overwhelmed by the Spirit of God, causing him to fall and hit his head while worshiping. The man said that he has fallen before while being “slayed” in the Spirit, but that every other time someone was present to catch him. Some witnesses said they saw the man lying on the floor laughing after the incident and that he failed to look out for his own safety.

News article.

Litigation. Just another reason for cessationists to fear the Holy Spirit.