Relating to the lost

"Now, He had to go through Samaria."
(John 4:4)

Controversial stuff in the previous video post from Mark Driscoll, founder and pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle (lots of links to his other stuff on your right), but here and here are quick links for all you lazy people who've never looked at the links section. There are some good things there, you know ... hint, hint.

If you haven't watched the video yet -- it's a little under eight minutes long -- check it out.

Like I said, controversial. At least it's controversial where I come from ... going to a bar to just talk to people, without an agenda or tracts? That doesn't really fly with some of the fundamentalists I grew up with, wonderful people though they are.

I recognize the apprehension in taking advice from any Tom, Dick and Harry with a pulpit, a book or a blog. The fear is that in today's culture, there seems to be a rash of ungodly men and women who love to tell you who Jesus was and what He did just so that they can justify their own lifestyle choices regardless of the morality of those choices.

The problem is, they don't have the first clue who He is because they've never met Him.

Mark Driscoll? Oh, He knows Jesus all right. That's why I think there's a lot of truth to what he's saying here. Your thoughts?

(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner. all rights under copyright reserved)

Relating to Sinners - Mark Driscoll

Driscoll, of Mars Hill Church fame, here brings up an interesting and controversial topic. More to come ...

Is there a better place to see God's omnipotent handiwork than in the face of a child?

Those are my daughters, by the way ... my first, Belle Maria, is 16 months-old, the firecracker that makes our lives explosive -- and awe-inspiringly beautiful.

That little one? She's Lilly Ann June, our second, born on Monday, October 2 ... Yom Kippur. That's the Jewish day of atonement, set aside by God (and recorded in Leviticus) for the people to fast, rest and receive atonement for their sins.

Now, my decision to accept Christ as my savior already atoned for my sins, but when I see my little June Bug, I'm reminded just how far Jesus has brought me from the life I used to live. If she's not an example of God's prevenient grace and atonement, I don't know what is.

No wonder Jesus admonised his disciples when they tried to prevent children from crowding around him ... maybe He wanted reminding of His most precious creation.

What I hate I always do ...

Lest there be any hint that the separation of church and state is a narrowing gap, the U.S. government makes no attempt at compiling demographic data on religious life in our country.

That's where the Barna Group comes in. That organization, started, appropriately enough, by a man named George Barna, seeks "to partner with Christian ministries and individuals to be a catalyst in moral and spiritual transformation in the United States." One of the ways in which this is accomplished is through statistical research and analysis on Christians worldwide. (There's fascinating stuff on the website ... give it a look-see.)

Barna reports that there are approximately 87-89 million born again Christians in the world. Now, we're not talking about "religious consumers," i.e., those people who, for one reason or another, go to church every so often. Let's face it, our communities are full of people who go to church on certain Sundays out of a sense of moral obligation or because "that's what upstanding members of the community do." Going to church and having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ is not the same thing.

So, the definition Barna uses, quite appropriately, to describe a Christian:

"is not defined on the basis of characterizing themselves as 'born again' but based upon their answers to two questions. The first is 'have you ever made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today?' If the respondent says 'yes,' then they are asked a follow-up question about life after death. One of the seven perspectives a respondent may choose is 'when I die, I will go to Heaven because I have confessed my sins and have accepted Jesus Christ as my savior.' Individuals who answer 'yes' to the first question and select this statement as their belief about their own salvation are then categorized as 'born again.'"

The point? I'm getting to it.

What would happen, do you think, if each and every one of those roughly 90 million people decided, for the next year, to ensure that the way they lived their lives as closely as possible mirrored the way Christ lived His. You know, the classic (and often parodied) mantra "What Would Jesus Do?" If every decision of every day was lived with this concept in mind, how much different would our world be?

Let's take it a step further. How many of us think about the crises of our world at large? How many of us know what's happening in the Darfur region of Sudan? The AIDS crisis in Africa? The still-ongoing rebuilding of Southeast Asia following that dreadful tsunami? New Orleans? Homelessness in our own community?

The biggest obstacle to investing our time and energy into these problems is our old nemesis (or old friend?) human nature. Such is the bane of our Christian walk in that it is always at war with our spiritual man. Paul wrote extensively about this to the Roman church, saying "... if the power of sin keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I really don't do it; I desire not to do bad, but I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and get the better of me every time" (Portions of Romans 7, from The Message: Remix). (Click here for a more traditional translation.)

Yet what we are asked -- nay, called -- of God to do is sacrifice what Oswald Chambers calls "the right to self." He writes:

"Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself might be?"

Ah, now that's a problem to our natural sensibilities, and it's made worse by a non-Christian worldview that prides itself on the celebration of self. Anything contrary to that modern paradigm is not only suspect, it's downright dangerous. Our culture literally begs us to ignore any hint of altruism. Indeed, our culture groans with disdain against the very idea of selflessness.

Is altruism dead? Maybe. But regardless of what we think we're getting out of helping others, the singular fact remains that our Christian responsibility must take precedence over our culture's need to feel better about itself. After all, what does it say about John Q. Public that he passes the homeless man with nary a glance in his direction while the next guy stops to say hello?

It's a terrible mistake to cloak charity in a mask of political currency: "well, if I buy this Mercedes, then that spurs our economy and helps the little guy eventually. I get to ride in style, and my taxes go to help build homeless shelters. Everybody wins!"

Why not cut out the middle man? What if all 90 million of us did?

That brings us to the high idealism of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Oswald Chambers again writes that in every person lies a "central citadel of obstinancy: 'I will not give up my right to myself'" but it is "the thing God intends you to give up if you are ever going to be a disciple of Christ."

And to be that, we must allow Jesus Christ to alter our disposition and put in one like His own. He is the only one who can fulfill the terribly impossible ideal of the Sermon on the Mount.

But by Him living in us -- and our desire to try -- we can change the world.

(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner. all rights under copyright reserved.)

Ch - ch - ch - changes

Thought I'd do a little design change in absence of any new writing ... I've got a few things floating around in the ol' noggin, to be sure, just nothing substantive enough to make the fingers start typing.

I'm going to add some new links, maybe pull some old ones, and come up with a podcast directory for the links section. I'm hooked on podcasting, and you should be, too. Good stuff floating out there in the ether. Just gotta know how to get it.

So, like or hate some of the design changes, feel free to let me know. From the looks of things, I'm getting some more hits lately, so if anyone's out there and hasn't said hello yet, well, shame on you.

Just kidding ... or am I?

(God bless you, at any rate. I'm sure He does.)

Christ in the clutch

"And we know that all things work together for good for them that love Christ, for them that are called according to His purpose. "

(Romans 8:28)

Bandwagon fans irritate me. Can't stand 'em. Indeed, I take sports loyalties to the opposite extreme ... if there's a dominant team that everyone loves, you can bet I'll take sides with their rival, if only out of spite.

So it was that in the early 1990s, when the NBA was at the height of its popularity (and it's coming back to that point, I'm happy to say, with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and a new crop of superstars ... but I digress) I took up with the New York Knicks. I'd never really had a favorite NBA team until the Knicks were absolutely tortured throughout the 90s by a certain Chicago Bull name of Michael Jordan.

Some of MJ's luster has come off in recent years, what with his penchant for high stakes gambling, stints as a mediocre GM and, of course, his most recent -- and regrettable -- comeback.

But the singular fact remains: when Jordan was at his best, it was a wonder to behold. And this is coming from a Knicks fan, mind you. So it has to be true.

As such, I have a rather keen perspective on Jordan's magic. In short, it was incredible. It got to the point that no matter how many times he shot -- and it was a lot, mind you -- you always thought it was going in. Really. If you never saw him play in his prime it's hard to understand this.

OK, you know how it's a surprise when Tiger Woods doesn't win a Major? That was the way it was when Jordan took a shot. If it didn't go in, you were, frankly, shocked.

That sort of reputation isn't built overnight. It's borne out night after night, game after game.

Here's the spiritual insight: my wife had a rough go of it recently. I won't go into detail, but she was worried about how things were going to turn out for her and, by extension, our family. She had a hard time relying on the faith that God would, invariably, take care of everything.

Now, there are a lot of aspects of my Christian life with which I struggle. But faith is not one of them. I'm pretty strong that way -- I absolutely know, without a shadow of a doubt, that in each life event God will engineer the circumstances that will A) turn out for the best, and B) bring Him glory.

So after everything worked out (surprise, surprise) my wife asked me why I had that kind of faith (and, again, this isn't a "hey everyone, look at how great I am" kind of post. I promise you, I struggle with things that no mature Christian should ... it's just that faith isn't one of them). And I told her about Michael Jordan.

See, if you were a Bulls fan and the game was tied with three seconds left and MJ had the ball, you weren't exactly chewing on your fingernails. Any butterflies you might have had were the kind that only come with the anticipation of pure bliss. Such was Jordan's abilities.

Of course, there were times that Jordan missed, after all. He didn't make every shot. Remember those last two seasons with the Washington Wizards?

If you are a Christian, you can have the kind of assurance that, no matter how the chips are down, Jesus is gonna hit that buzzer beater. Every time.

So, does it feel like your life is in the fourth quarter, that you're down by two with three seconds left?

It's real simple, folks. Just call a timeout, look down that bench and put Jesus in the game.

Trust me, he's got a heck of a jump shot.

Want to know Jesus? Read Romans 10:9,10, then click on this link to find out how you can be on Christ's team. It never loses.

(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner, all rights under copyright reserved)

A preface for later ...

I've been thinking about heaven lately, and I'm working on a few paragraphs of pitiful prose about it. I'm just not ready to start typing it all up in the blog yet and subject another round of ramblings to public scrutiny, for good or ill.

So, this is a preface.

First, a special thank you is in order for Jim Eaton, who runs The Outpost. I had the opportunity to spend a couple days with Jim and some of his friends up at Spruce Knob -- it was nice to welcome some city slickers from Atlanta and Pittsburgh to my neck of the woods (literally), even though they were hosting the whole shindig. Good fellowship, good conversation, good times (the impromptu "Aaron Shust: Storytellers" episode out by the camp fire was especially memorable, as was the Emerging Church pow-wow on Saturday morning).

I had to leave early, which I regretted, but the Lord truly blessed me to be able to get to know Jim and Co., if only for a little while.

Why a thank you? Well, The West Virginia Advance 2006 was nearly a month ago, meaning it's well past time to give the guys a shout out and a public "thank you." Hope you guys see this.

Second, he brought a few things to my attention -- specifically, some of the questions and concerns I had about the Emerging Church movement, some ideas on the difference between "emerging" and "emergent" (there's a world of difference there, believe me -- and I want to get into it here in a few weeks), and a few things to read.

(The things I learned about the Emerging Church, again, I'll save for later. Tons there. )

Jim turned me onto Mark Driscoll's book "Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church." It's a great, great read for those of you looking to expand your ministry into areas of church planting, church attendance and church "action."

Driscoll is the senior pastor of Mars Hill Church, one of the fastest growing and most influential churches in America. He and his ministry have, in a very short amount of time, stirred something within me that God has wanted to come out of dormancy for a good long time now -- how long I don't know. It's not like I've been cultivating it, at least in the way He's wanted. Heck, I don't even know what He has planned yet, but it's something.

Long story short (or short story long, as it were; I get a little long winded with these things sometimes), I've been filling my MP3 player full of podcasts from Driscoll's ongoing sermon series about 1 Corinthians. In one of them he addressed the concept of Heaven ... well, if I don't quit while I'm ahead I'll end up writing too much today (oops, too late).

Anywho, I highly recommend checking out the Mars Hill website and, if you are so technologically inclined, giving the podcasts a whirl. It's pretty much all I've been listening to lately, and I'm partnering the sermons with a classic J. Vernon McGee study on 1 Corinthians while reading through the book myself. Good times.

Anyway, thanks again, Jim ... you and your ministry are in my prayers.

the fear of nothing ...

"God's spirit doesn't make cowards of us. The Spirit gives us power, love and self-control."
(2 Timothy 1:7)

It was so stunningly swift, it took all of 30 seconds.

When I lowered my daughter from the safety of my arms to the cold sand, she first gripped tightly to my arms -- they pinched, those little, stubby fingers.

Then, after watching the salt water lap harmlessly at her ankles for mere moments, she raised her eyes to meet mine, flashed her five teeth and ran ... right toward a surf swelled by a storm offshore.

I'm 6-2, she's just a little over 2-6 -- and I could barely keep up. Heck, even taking a nice-sized wave to her face when I wasn't watching closely enough only stopped her briefly ... and then only so that she could properly lick the salt water off her face. She thought that was a hoot.

At first I chalked it up to ber robust personality -- she's been known to climb the stairs in our house if you turn away long enough, and a few weeks ago she gladly accepted my uncle's pet rat onto her shoulders just days after playing with a rather slimy salamander. Maybe that's the case. She is quite brave.

But here's another possible explanation: maybe her bravado was really a lack of perspective.

After all, she only sees what's in front of her. One wave at a time, as it were -- not the fact that they keep coming with what can be a relentless cruelty if you don't have the requisite humility for nature. Indeed, she sees a small patch of water, not a seemingly endless ocean whose bosom has within it all the scary denizens of the deep, to say nothing of rip currents and high tides. She's never seen "Jaws," after all.

Yes, it's her innocence that kept her fear at bay. Quite simply, she doesn't know to be afraid.

I heard a preacher recently give a sermon, some of which touched on the theme of innocence. He played the song "The End of the Innocence," by Don Henley (great, great tune, yes?) and asked, among other questions, "Do you remember when you didn't know what a hospital smelled like?" "Remember when you'd never had a broken heart?"

I know what a hospital smells like. My wife's grandfather just passed away on Sunday after battling complications from a heart attack for several weeks. Unfortunately, that isn't the first time I've been to a bedside vigil for a sick loved one. And it's not the first time my wife's heart has been broken.

It sounds simplistic and trite, but life is cruel in the way it works sometimes. When we're born, we're pretty much a blank slate -- what Locke called tabula rosa -- left to be filled with experiences. And each of those experiences, even the good ones, chips away at our innocence.

How I'd love to have the innocence of a child once again.

It's the same way when you accept Christ -- or, as Jesus put it, when you are "born again." But that second birth comes with a twist: instead of each experience robbing you of innocence, each experience of growing in Christ builds toward a new, perfect innocence. Yes, those memories are still there -- I'll never forget watching my beloved Granny pass from this life into the next -- but Christ's redemptive power through his sacrifice at Calvary restores to me that which sin has robbed.

Then, the most amazing thing happens. At that moment of death, innocence is perfectly restored when, very literally, we combine our spiritual renewal here on earht with our physical one in heaven. We are made completely new when we come into the actual presence of God.

So, just as our experiences chip away at that pristine slate of innocence -- that which allows my daughter to boldly run toward a wave I understand in my less-than-innocent mind is dangerous -- our rebirth and growth in Christ builds toward that day when we finally meet Him face to face, and our innocence is made whole again.

And, when I rise to meet my Savior in the morning of eternity, I'll take a quick little detour afterwards -- to run headlong into an ocean that will hold no fear.

(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner)

Want to know how to get your innocence renewed through Christ? Click on this link, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible and/or send me an e-mail.

a sad reminder

"He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever -- Holy and awesome is His name."
(Psalm 111:9)

I saw myself last week, lying in a pool of blood just past midnight.

I saw my picture in the newspaper -- the reporter talked to a co-worker, who said "everyone is just shocked."

I saw my friends and family file into the funeral home. I saw them crying. My dad had to hold my mother up -- then take her home when she couldn't stand being there anymore.

Or maybe not. Maybe I saw myself two days ago, running my hands nervously through my disheveled hair. I'd run into an old friend, maybe, and was trying to explain why, at 30 years of age, I was still living in run-down apartments, still living on pizza and beer, still being the person I was. And knew I shouldn't be.

I shuffled my feet, avoided his eyes, maybe. I needed a shave.

"Yeah, just working," maybe I said. Maybe I was skinny -- too skinny -- and maybe I told the story of a mutual friend, now in prison for cooking meth.

But I was neither of those things last week -- or two days ago.

No, I'm married. And you should see my daughter -- oh, she's so beautiful. I'm healthy, happy ... a homeowner, for crying out loud (leaky basement and all!)

I want to tell you who I was.

I want to tell you who I am.

Last week, a young man was leaving his job as a bartender at a local restaurant. He worked there to provide for his live-in girlfriend, who is pregnant with the couple's first child. It was late -- just past midnight. A group of youths approached him, demanding his wallet. One of them had a gun. When he fought his attackers, he was shot in the head. He died almost instantly at the hands of a boy police say is just 16 years old.

I used to work at that same restaurant as a bartender a few years ago. I was about his age, and often parked my car in the same parking lot where he was killed. Why that parking lot in particular? Because it's free -- and I needed the money. Not only that, but I often carried a knife in my hand in case someone tried to rob me. When you are working a late bartending shift, you carry a lot of cash on the way home, see?

Then, just two days later, while shopping with my wife and daughter at Target, I ran into a friend from my restaurant days. He looked much the same as he did some six or seven years ago, when he was part of a group of friends to which I belonged. Drinking and drugs were the norm.

For anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant, you know it is a culture unto itself, full of its own rules and social norms. I was wrapped up in that culture for more than five years, and they had a devastating impact on my relationship to God. I'm overcome with emotion writing about it, really. I wasted so many years of my life chasing the sins of the flesh that it has, in many ways, left an indelible mark on the person that I am.

Of course, I'm free from all of that. The bondage of sin and death to which I was born -- and to which I most freely relished in those days -- has been loosed by the power of Christ in me. After knowing Him as a child, I strayed from His direction for my life for more than 10 years after graduating high school. Jesus welcomed me with open arms after I finally repented of the life I'd led -- he put on me the best robes He could find, and celebrated my return with a spiritual feast that has enveloped my life for the past few years (click here to read a similar story). Oh, how joyful a life He has given me!

But although that stain is gone from God's eyes, memories of who I was is painful. I hate that I was once innocent and now am "street smart." Some may think it a useful skill. I don't.

I hate that I know how to roll a joint. I hate knowing what certain drugs smell like when smoked. I hate knowing the difference between blended scotch and single malt.

I hate my past. I'm ashamed of it.

But here's the thing: it doesn't exist. Those things I once did? Gone. Literally gone. It's a Christian idea we refer to as "the sea of forgetfulness." Imagine your sins, everything you've ever done, completely drowned in the utter vastness of the ocean. And this is an ocean as deep and as wide as you've never seen.

I'm overjoyed at knowing that Christ's sacrifice on the cross has bridged the gap between my imperfection and the perfect love of God. Christ's love is so vast, it pours out into this great ocean, swallowing up everything I've ever done.

John Wesley wrote of the concept of "prevenient grace," that unmerited favor of God that pursues us throughout our lives, seeking to restore us into a right relationship with Him. All of our lives, He engineers circumstances in the world around us to reveal His perfect will for us. A preacher friend of mine likened it to the children's book "The Runaway Bunny."

"If you run away ... I will come after you, for you are my little bunny."

I ran and I ran and I ran. Christ not only came after me when I was mired in the muck of sin, but He also watched over me and protected me while I was there.

Because, really, I had two choices: I could have stayed there and died quickly -- like the young man at the hands of a teenager's bullet -- or died slowly -- like the friend of mine who lives where I once hung my hat.

I saw myself this morning, lying fully engulfed in the grace of my God.





(copyright 2006, andrew j. beckner)

Statement of Faith

Want the short version? It's all about Jesus. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life," Jesus once said. "No one comes to the Father except through me." Not a lot of ambiguity there, huh? Our post-modern culture has embraced the "grayness" of life. It doesn't like black and white. It doesn't like the concept of Truth. But our culture has run into a very big problem. Jesus says He is Truth. Jesus says there is black and white, right and wrong, sin and righteousness, mercy and justice. And Jesus says the distinction comes only from Him.


Don't be mad at me. I didn't make the rules.

Perhaps my grandfather said it best: "No creed but Christ. No law but love." That's good stuff.


More? I like the Mars Hill Church "What We Believe" page, specifically their opening statement. It goes like this:

"When it comes to doctrine, culture, preferences, traditions, lifestyles, politics, behavior, etc., Mars Hill takes a closed hand/open hand approach. The closed hand hangs onto the non-negotiable tenets of Christian orthodoxy: sin is the problem, Jesus is the answer, the Bible is true, Hell is hot. The open hand, however, allows room for differences when it comes to secondary matters; we liberally allow freedom for conscience and wisdom to guide where the Bible is silent. The open hand fosters unity among the diversity of expressions...Democrats and Republicans, soccer moms and indie rockers, carnivores and vegans, trendy bohemians and Microsoft nerds.

Hence, Mars Hill is in favor of good beer (in moderation), great sex (in marriage), and even tattoos (Jesus has one). But our goal must always be love and concern for our friends so that we don't enjoy our freedom at the expense of our faith.

In this way, we are seeking to simultaneously heed the Bible's commands to have sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16; Titus 1:9, 2:1), to love our Christian brothers and sisters (1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:7-21) and to avoid unnecessary divisions (Romans 16:17; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 12:25; Titus 3:10).

Finally, if you're looking for a traditional statement of belief--you know, the numbered list you find on most church sites--here goes.

• I believe in a trinitarian God; that is, a God who exists in three persons: Father, Son and Spirit.
• I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to earth as both God and man, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, allowed Himself to be crucified to as a substitution for the punishment mankind deserved, physically rose from death after three days to fulfill the work of humanity's redemption and ascended to Heaven, where He lives and from where He will one day return to judge both the living and the dead according to whether they accepted His mercy or whether they will receive His justice.
• I believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, is a spiritual presence that dwells within those who have accepted Christ as Savior at the moment of their redemption and, following that experience, acts as intercessor between man and God, guiding him to righteousness, convicting him of sin and fulfilling the work of sanctification.
• I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, i.e., written by man through direct inspiration from God Himself. Therefore, the Bible, both Old and New Testament, is without error and is the ultimate authority from which man can discern the Truth.
• I believe man is inherently sinful and therefore imperfect. Because of man's "total depravity," it is therefore impossible to have a relationship with a sinless and perfect God. It is likewise impossible for man, by his own abilities and efforts, to eliminate this alienation from God. Jesus, through His sacrificial death, bridged the gap, providing a way for man to have a personal relationship with God Himself. Salvation is thus a gift from God to man, provided by His grace, which must be accepted as an act of personal faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

(If you'd like scriptural references to the points above, some can be found at 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:13; John 3:16; Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1,2; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Acts 1:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1,2; 1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1; John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 3:22,23; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19. Or just read the whole Bible...it's all good.)

Please understand: this is not an exhaustive list of my beliefs. Far from it. But what you see in the bulleted list above is the foundation upon which my faith rests.

If you would care to discuss additional points, I would welcome the opportunity. Drop me an e-mail at CandidChristian@gmail.com, or we can "talk" through any number of social networks on which I maintain a presence: Twitter, Facebook, Theologica, Ping.fm, Last.fm, GTalk, Plurk, Pownce, Brightkite, Loopt. And we can chat by phone, too. I'm always open to talking about Jesus.

Grace and Peace...

Notable Posts

Thanks for visiting CandidChristian.com. I started the ministry in 2006 for one reason: to tell people about Jesus Christ. I do this the only way I know how: by sharing my own experiences with Him. Here, you'll find personal stories, political commentary, news items, links, videos, pictures. The common denominator is the same: it's all about Jesus.

Since joining the vast blogosphere in 2006, I've posted items that have generated a certain level of interest among the people who visit the site from time to time. What you'll find here, then, is a list of those posts that are either ones I personally enjoy or that others have either liked--or took exception with. I hope you'll take a look, and it's my prayer that through what you read you'll learn just a little bit more about my Jesus.

• The Calm in the Storm (posted May 1, 2006)
• Learning to Walk (posted May 16, 2006)
• Knowing the Truth (posted June 23, 2006)
• The Fear of Nothing (posted July 26, 2006)
• A Sad Reminder (posted July 13, 2006)
• Christ in the Clutch (posted August 25, 2006)
• Intercession (posted November 9, 2006)
• Why Some Atheists Make Good Sense (November 17, 2006)
• Under the Fig Tree (December 22, 2006)
• The Greatest Underdog Story of All Time (Decmber 22, 2006)
• The Digital Church (January 20, 2007)
• Heaven? Uh, no Thanks (April 21, 2007)
• At Home in a House Church (May 8, 2007)
• Simple Moments (May 14, 2007)
• I Hate People (May 17, 2007)
• Postcards from the Wilderness (May 29, 2007)
• Bring the Rain...and the Pain (August 23, 2007)
• Prodigal (October 2, 2007)
• Victory...Over Everything? (October 15, 2007)
• Was Jesus a Feminist? (October 18, 2007)
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (October 24, 2007)
• The Scary Thing About Halloween (October 31, 2007)
• Happy Holidays? (November 29, 2007)
• WWJT, or What Would Jesus Twitter? (February 5, 2008)
• The Trans-Gender Movement: The Debate (February 25, 2008)
• The Emerging Church (March 3, 2008)
• The Passion of the Christ: A Running Diary (March 23, 2008)
• The Nature of Human Rights Violations (March 31, 2008)
• I Am Not a Good Person (April 19, 2008)
• Earth Day and Baptists (April 22, 2008)
• A New Stereotype of West Virginia Christians (June 20, 2008)

Independence Day

"Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
(John 8:31b-33)

Hey, I grew up in a Red State family ... that meant a healthy dose of respect for the flag, apple pie, the 4th of July (rhyme time!).

But today, on our nation's birthday -- happy No. 230, America ... you don't look a day over 220 -- I say let's forget about Independence Day. Or, at least as it relates to this great country of ours.

Instead, let's celebrate our independence, not from the tyranny of a carpetbagging government, but from the depths of sin and shame. Because that's exactly what happens when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Savior. We declare our indepedence from a life separated from God ... instead, Christ bridges that gap.

If that's not cause for celebration, I don't know what is.

So, interested in learning how to have that freedom? Want liberty from the death itself? You can, you know. Learn about Jesus.

Believe in Him. Know Him. Trust Him.

Want to learn how? Follow this link, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible and/or e-mail me.

My new toy

See that? That's my MP3 player ... great, isn't it? (Guess you'll have to take my word for it.)

My most excellent wife sprung for that this Father's Day, and I've done nothing but annoy her with it since ... spending time holed up with Napster in the office, bringing my headphones to bed, plugging it into the car stereo when she's trying to talk to me. Good times.

Boys never grow up, it's just that their toys get bigger -- whoever said that was a genius ... or had a Zen Microphoto MP3 player.

Hey, this is a links post. Nothing much to say, really ... just wanted to point a few things out. Some of these links you'll find at your right -- like this most important link on how to know Christ -- but most are just for the moment.

This upcoming weekend (after July 4) I'm headed up to an outdoor retreat with some brothers in Christ. It's called "Outpost Advance," and you can check out their website here.

Oh, and one of the guys organizing the event is Jim Eaton, who I've e-mailed back and forth a few times. His blog is here. He's a forward thinker, and has a lot of great thoughts on true Christian action.

Jim sent me some links in regard to my last post, and you can check those out here, here and here.

Back to my MP3 player now. The thing is full of hundreds of songs already, and in case you're wondering what I'm listening to, here's a list, followed with a short description and a link to that artist's website. Give a listen.

Aaron Shust -- his infectious "My Savior, My God" is the best contemporary worship song going right now. But, trust me, his album has a lot more than that.

The Afters -- have a fantastic sound, a little pop, a little rock-n-roll. Great worship songs in here, too.

Downhere -- is another good modern Christian outfit. Good lyrics and a unique sound.

Gnarls Barkley -- eventually, I'll get around to listeing to something other than the song "Crazy," but it's so doggone good I never get past it.

Jars of Clay -- hey, a lot of CCM artists are jumping on the trend of releasing albums with nothing but old-time hymns, but I dare so no one does it better than these guys on "Redemption Songs"

Jason Morant -- a Christian version of Eliott Smith ... with hope, of course. Great, mellow Christian music.

The Longing -- as Discipleship Journal pointed out, a lot of bands take their cue from U2. Few pull it off as well as these guys (couldn't find a link, for some reason).

MercyMe -- who else? They've been in my rotation for going on three years straight now. Heard "I would die for you" yet?

I could go on and on. I've been busy realizing my early 20s fantasy of having every Pearl Jam song ever recorded. I'm doggone close, I gotta tell you. I've not been listening to a lot of PJ lately ... in some ways I think I've outgrown them, spiritually at least ... but I've sure been downloading the Godfathers of Grunge a ton.

For those times when I want to mellow out, it's Thelonius Monk, Damien Rice, Guster or the soundtrack to The Passion of the Christ.

And none of it would have been possible without my fantastic wife ... and my shiny new MP3 player.

Thanks, hon.

Knowing The TRUTH

"Jesus answered: 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6)

"Christianity Today" had, as its cover story in the June edition, a special section about "The Da Vinci Code." It's treatment included "How to Fight the Fever." Inside, CT made the same mistake I think most Christians are making when it comes to dispelling ridiculous notions an unbelieving (and largely unsympathetic) world seems intent on perpetuating.

I'd largely been ignoring the "Da Vinci Code" controversy ... not to marginalize it or anything, but simply because I didn't think it was as big a deal as everyone seems to be making it. It was the same with Martin Scorcese's "The Last Temptation of Christ," (I read the book a few years ago ... I'll admit it was interesting, misguided though it was). Christians boycotted, made the talk show rounds, spewed anger. Guess what? It's years later, "Temptation" is barely a footnote in pop culture history and Jesus is still God's son. Nothing changed.

Now, I understand the furor over "Da Vinci." It's claims are purportedly steeped in fact. And that has a lot of Christians nervous. How can we properly evangelize when so many questions are being raised by the book and film, and in light of the media's fascination with Gnosticism? And it's not just "The Da Vinci Code." There's "The Gospel of Judas," questions about the men who compiled the King James Bible ... all sorts of controversial topics. How should we react?

Well, one mistake we're making is that we're allowing "the World" to frame the argument. CT (and, to be sure, most others) are trying to combat the questions raised by "Da Vinci" by fighting fire with fire. That is, the evangelical strategy seems to be to use science and history to explain how The Bible can be the true, unfallible work of God -- which, of course, it is.

The logic is that if "the World" is using historical documents and scientific data to make spurious claims about Christ's divinity, then we should point to the historical and scientific accuracy of the biblical gospels to do the same. We want to point out, again, using the "world's" system of explanation, how The Gospel of Luke is more accurate than that of Thomas. Or we explain why -- again, using history, carbon-dating, etc -- the Bible ended up being what it is today.

This is a poorly chosen tact. It's so similar to that taken by those in the Emergent Church movement. Sure, their motives -- making the Gospel not only palatable but also interesting to an increasingly jaded world -- are wonderful. But when Brian McLaren and others want to steep it in "tolerance," not to mention dancing around the post-modern notion that truth can't be known ... well, there's a problem there. Again, you are allowing non-Christians to frame the argument, to put the explanation of Christ and His salvation on their own terms, not God's. Truth is knowable. Jesus is Truth.

Back to "The Da Vinci Code." Instead of pointing the reasons why our Bible, scientifically, historically and culturally, is more important than Gnosticism (or any other false doctrine), why are we not relying on our faith? We should be fostering faith -- and any attempts to explain our beliefs without that core value as its cornerstone is doomed to fail.

Start big and work inward. Macro-theology toward micro-theology, if you will. The facts are as follows:

1. God exists.
2. If God exists, then it logical to assume (the World assumes -- we know) that He is omniscient and omnipotent.
3. If God is both omniscient and omnipotent (that is, all-knowing and all-powerful), then is not God, in His divinity, able to determine what specific words make up His Bible?
4. If He can determine what goes into His Bible, then how arrogant are we to assume that man had anything to do with compiling the Bible?

Our mission is to tell others about Christ. We don't get them to trust and believe in Him by explaning His existence historically or scientifically. It's simple. He just is ("I am that I am"). And unless He is accepted in faith, he isn't accepted at all.

Yes, things were left out of The Bible. Yes, other Gospels were written. Yes, there are discrepancies between translations and so forth. But all of those things came as a result of a divine plan. We may never know why God chose to do what He did, but we can know Him.

And knowing Him changes EVERYTHING.

So, do you want to know him? Click on this link, read Romans 10:9,10 in the Bible or e-mail me.

A risky proposition

I hate talking politics in the context of my Christian spirituality because I think it's a dangerous proposition ... politicizing our faith, I think, causes great problems. It opens us up to be painted in very broad strokes, i.e., "all Christians are bigots whose ideas about social justice are hopelessly unsympathetic."

So, this isn't a political stance ... at least not overtly so.

But to answer some questions and discuss things relevant to our society, I want to weigh in on a political issue. My only fear is that I'll be painted as a liberal, a Democrat, a Communist ... I'm none of the above, but we've entered "darned if you do, darned if you don't territory here."

Indeed, I feel as though I'm apolitical when it comes to my Christian life. Ask Billy Graham what happens when you get too closely aligned with a political stance. To his credit, he learned the valuable lesson Watergate taught him ... and, now, doesn't waste words. He's too busy telling about "Christ, and Him crucified." If only all prominent evangelicals would do the same -- and leave social commentary to the politicians.

Hypocrite, hypocrite -- that's me. Here I go, doing what I just criticized. But, sheesh, the war in Iraq is just plain wrong.

Now, I'm not talking wrong in the political sense. There are arguments for and against what the U.S. did politically. But as Christians, that isn't our issue.

Our issue is whether war, in and of itself, is morally wrong. And I think the answer is unequivocally yes.

God didn't provide any qualifiers when He handed down the 10 Commandments. Christ didn't provide any qualifiers when He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Look if you want. They aren't there.

"Thou Shalt Not Kill ... unless someone hurts you first."

"Turn the other cheek ... unless the jerk really made you mad."

I watched the movie "Munich" the other day, and it really brought the point home to me. Revenge is a natural response to terror. Defending oneself, you say? Even more so. Israel's response to the atrocities committed by Black September at the 1972 Olympics can be understood, if not condoned. But it was wrong, and not because of its consequences.

The War in Iraq is wrong, too, for the same reasons. Sure, you can point to the body count. You can point to the political morass that has come as a result. You can point to high gas prices.

Those are only symptoms of a greater problem ... that is, failing to abide by the principles set forth by Jesus Christ Himself.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth,'" Jesus said on the Mount of Olives. "But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:38-42, NIV).

As Phillip Yancey points out in "The Jesus I Never Knew," humans throughout history have been searching for a way to explain away Christ's seemingly impossible precepts, specifically those given at the Sermon on the Mount. But our inability to live up to them -- how can I, for instance, "be perfect, even as your father in heaven is perfect" -- is insignificant. I can't. But that doesn't absolve me of my responsibility to try.

Agree or disagree ... take your pick. But you can't argue with scripture.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Want to know Jesus? Click here to learn more.

beginning the discussion ...

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6)


First, a few links so we can frame the discussion -- don't read anything into the order of the links. It doesn't imply anything other than a desire to be fully familiar with the subject matter.

Read about what's being called "Emergent Christianity" by clicking here.

There's also interesting reading about post-modernist Christianity here and here.

The reason for the next few posts (if our discussion gets that far) is a column written by Chuck Colson (he of Watergame fame) for "Christianity Today" magazine (which is an excellent rag, by the way.) Read the latest on his on-going argument against the post-modernist movement in the American Church by clicking here.

(I'm proofreading now and, sheesh, that's a lot of parentheses. Sorry. Of course, I just did it again ... I have a habit of using a lot of parentheses, elipses and dashes -- not that there is anything wrong with that.)

I've been enamored of the Emergent movement in the past year or so as part of a deeper look at my faith. Christ is the author of my grand inquisition (maybe that's a poor choice of words ... don't read anything into that, either). I just feel He is calling me to a deeper understanding of why I am a Christian and what that means for the ministry to which He has called me.

To get specific? I want to know why my generation and, more than likely, the one that comes after is so disillusioned by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Why do young men and women who were raised on His message and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior so readily dismiss Him for the carnal world?

Why is a message so loving and full of hope falling on ears that are more interested in "easy" answers to tough questions?

I'm growing more and more disillusioned by some of the basic assumptions of those participating in the "emergent" movement. I don't want to get into them too much here, because I have a few more things to read and a few more thoughts to make more lucid before posting them. Plus, I wanted to see if anyone who comes across this is interested in talking and exploring it more at length. We'll see, of course.

The God of Visa and MasterCard

I never intended this to be a "here's a another interesting thing God did for me" kind of blog, but it seems that way sometimes.

That being said, here's another interesting thing God did for me.

Baskin-Robbins has this absolutely wonderful promotion going on for summer (this isn't an ad, I promise). Every Tuesday, one scoop of ice cream is one dollar.

It's glorious -- my wife can get her double-chocolate chip and rocky road in a cup, and I can get whatever combination of sherbets I'm in the mood for -- all for the low, low price of four bucks and change.

(Oh, by the way ... if Baskin-Robbins doesn't bring Splish-Splash back this summer, I'm not going to be happy ... sure, Wild and Reckless is a fine choice, but nothing beats Splish Splash. Come on, Mr. Baskin or Mr. Robbins. Get with it.)

Another great thing about Baskin-Robbins? They take check cards because, after all, we live in a cashless society now (or close to it.) ... I didn't even have a five-dollar bill in my pocket. So, out comes the plastic.

Anyway, we get our ice cream, I pay for it with my credit card, and my wife, daughter and I all take a seat at the counter and dig in (except my daughter, who isn't a year old yet ... she had to settle for freeze-dried apples -- yum).

We were all close to finishing our ice cream when in walks this guy and says hello to me, by name. I didn't recall ever having met him -- my wife later told me who he is, and I remembered -- but here he was, saying my name.

Mere moments later, the clerk at Baskin-Robbins came around the counter.

"Are you Andrew?" he said.

"That's me."

"You might want this back," he said. It was my credit card. He'd forgotten to give it back, then forgotten who it belonged to.

That is until a guy I'd met only once just happened to walk in right as we were getting ready to leave and say hello to me, by name, loud enough for the clerk to hear him and identify the mystery credit card as mine.

Now, you may dismiss this as pure chance, mere happenstance. And, OK, maybe it was. After all, it wouldn't have been the end of the world had I left my card behind. I'd have remembered where I used it last and gone back to get it. No biggie.

But it would have been an inconvenience. God had other plans.

That scripture from my last entry, the one about how God feeds the birds and that, if He does that, surely He'll take care of us? It's appropos here.

After all, as Jesus said, "You are worth more than many sparrows." Even when you forget your credit card.

There He goes again, taking care of even the trivial things that happen in life. He can take care of you, too.

Want to know him? Click on the link called "How do I become a Christian?", read Romans 10:9,10 or send me an e-mail.

Wrong place, wrong time

"Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
(Luke 12:23-25)

(Hardest piece of advice to follow in the Bible? It has to be up there, yes?)

Check out those photos there. Pretty crazy, huh?

My wife and I were coming back from a short trip to the mountains (Pocahontas County, just outside of Green Bank, for you West Virginians -- check out my photoblog, The Cross Project, for some pictures I took while we were up there). Just south of Minnehaha Springs, two orioles swooped in front of the car.

One made it ... the other didn't -- that's him (or her, as the case may be) in the spokes of my bike.

After my wife nearly jumped out of her seat, we drove on. Road kill is road kill, and hitting an animal with your car while driving through the biggest forest in the most rural state east of the Mississippi isn't that big of a deal.

When we stopped for gas later, there it was -- the bird had bounced from my windshield and into the spokes of my mountain bike.

(I love my digital camera, by the way.)

Here's the thing: twice, on the roughly five-hour drive home, we ran into stopped traffic from two car accidents. Neither looked serious, but both underscored how dangerous something as seemingly trivial as traveling on Memorial Day can be.

God took care of us. He always does.

That scripture? Man, it's tough to follow, tough to take to heart. But God loves us immensely, and never fails to keep watch over us, much more than than the birds of the air, beautiful though they are.

And if He'll keep us safe on the road, what right do we have to worry about anything else?

Want to know Jesus? Click on this link, read Romans 10:9,10 and/or send me an e-mail to Ephesians514@gmail.com.

(copyright andrew j. beckner, 2006)