If you know me very well, you’ve probably heard that I just got back from the first on-campus course of my seminary experience.  Let me just say, it was fantastic!  I met a bunch of wonderful, new people for starters.  For an extrovert like me, that is particularly exciting.  I was also quite intrigued by the classroom material.  Top that off with my meetings with professors and time outside of class discussing ministry and theology with other students, and it was one heck of  an experience.  The icing on the cake was the weather in Charlotte, where it was in the 60′s for most of the week (while being in the 30′s in Cleveland).

The topic for my class was “Apologetics”, which may be defined as a reasoned defense of the faith.  The apostle Peter made a case for apologetics when he said to “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

All of us Christians have had to defend the faith at one time or another.  This would include defending against or trying to persuade a non-believer of the hope that is in you (the gospel).  It could also address any doubts that we face as believers.  Thus, apologetics is not just for theologians that want to “argue” with atheists, but it’s an integral part of evangelism on par with preaching.  Also, I should  make it clear that apologetics does not involve “apologizing”, as if we’re sorry for our Christian beliefs.  Quite the contrary!

There are essentially two components to my grade in the apologetics course.  The first, of course, is an exam… no surprise there.  The other major component is a “dialogue paper” in which I’ll have to present a real or fictitious interaction with a skeptic (non-believers or skeptical believers are equally good).  For this reason, I invite any of you that have questions, concerns, or doubts about the Christian God to share them here as comments on my blog.  I’d be more than happy to answer your questions, and it might just help me out for my course grade!

News is spreading that, lately, Christians in Nigeria are being killed for upholding their beliefs.  Militant Muslims are demanding that these Christians should convert to Islam, and those that reject such a notion are being put to death.  Several pastors have been martyred, as have hundreds of others, including women and children.  Christians in Nigeria deserve our attention and especially our prayers in the face of such a horrible persecution.

In America, we’ve become very complacent with our religious freedom.  We are able to come and go from churches and other religious functions without any scorn, ridicule, torment, or bodily harm.  This is not the case throughout much of the world, especially overseas where Christianity is spreading the fastest these days.

If we choose to study church history, we may read about similar persecutions ever since the church was in its infancy in the first century.  There were scores of famous martyrs that witnessed to Jesus Christ as their lord and savior, only to pay the ultimate price for their testimony.  These stories of our brave and vigilant forefathers went a long way to assist in the spread of the gospel during the first few centuries after Jesus’s ascension.  A martyrdom, and to stand up for what we believe in the face of  death, is a powerful testimony.

My question is this: when faced with a similar scenario, would we American Christians make the same proclamation in the face of terminal adversity?  I would like to hope so, but I’m not so sure.  Something like 95% of Americans claim to be Christians, but I can’t imagine that number would hold up in the face of persecution.  Would would a realistic percentage be?  A better question is this: how many self-proclaimed Christians in America actually have a relationship with Jesus?  I wonder.

Jesus gave us the ultimate model of perfection as he endured shame and torture on the cross.  I sincerely hope that I’d be able to go to my death proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ.  No matter what perils I might face, I hope to be able to hold fast and strong to my Lord.  I pray that it won’t come to that, but if it does, I trust that the Lord would see me through it.

“So… what’s new?” Once in a while I run into someone I haven’t seen in a while, and they ask this question (these days, “in a while” can mean a week with all of the recent developments).  I’m not sure how to answer this question anymore!  Do I burn their ears and tell them everything that’s changed in my life recently, or should I just say “Oh, not much.  How about you?” Tough question, and it’s fun to see people’s expressions when I decide open up.

So many things have changed in my life recently that it’s hard to know where to begin.  When in doubt, I’ll begin with the Lord.  Clearly, he has a plan for me (and my wife), and he’s decided to begin to unveil that plan to us in greater detail.  Throughout this process of discovering my calling, many things have been revealed to me, some of which have been a challenge.

Apparently, the Lord is preparing me and my wife for a lifetime of ministry.  We are realizing what a lengthy and systematic process this must entail.  Some of the Lord’s work seems harsh, as the He has stripped us of our routines, confronted us with our (numerous) sins, revealed to us our shallow understanding of the gospel, and eliminated our financial complacency.  These changes have been difficult, yet wonderfully rewarding.  Some of the more exciting work he has done has included strengthening our marriage, turning us into humble servants, teaching us obedience, showing us how to love, multiplying our faith, and filling us with peace and joy.  Amazing!

Every bit of this transformation has been necessary to prepare us for seminary and beyond. Recognition and repentance for our sin, for instance, has given us a love for the gospel that we did not previously think possible.  We have also learned that we are unable to fully love each other in our marital relationship until we have a strong relationship with Jesus.  Our growing love for Jesus results in a growing love for each other.  This outpouring of love we now share has transformed our hearts into beacons of devotion and submission… to the Lord, to each other, and to the world around us.  The Lord also challenged us financially by taking away Jill’s job.  While it has been difficult to adjust to that loss of income, it has also forced us to be much more responsible with our finances.  We could never have gotten through seminary with that practice of poor stewardship.

In general, we have had to let go of our own selfish ambitions and listen as the Lord guides us down His path.  We have released our pathetic attempts at controlling our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit, and through us He does all good things.  It’s actually much easier than it sounds.  We essentially had no choice in the matter, as once we were recipients of God’s grace, it was game over.  You win, Lord!

By His gift of grace, the Lord has shown me what I believe to be the greatest challenge for those seeking to follow Jesus Christ.  Our greatest difficulties come in the form of “barriers”, essentially road blocks on the path to a relationship with our savior.

Looking back at my last few years of life, I can clearly see a progression of identifying and removing those barriers standing between me and and a healthy relationship with Jesus.  I can see now what a wreck of a person I was before I put my trust in the Lord.  That’s a hard thing to recognize.  It’s impossible, actually, without God’s grace.

Five years ago, I was an unrepentant sinner, plain and simple.  I was angry, neglectful, insincere, and selfish, among other things.  The worst part of it all is that I was honestly oblivious to these major flaws of mine.  I often blamed others for my shortcomings, and turned a blind eye to my own evil nature.  Oh sure, I believed in Jesus, but I wasn’t a follower of Jesus… a huge distinction needs to be made there.

In what seems like rapid succession, the Lord has systematically removed most of those barriers and has begun a process of regeneration in me.  I have opened my eyes to the rampant sin in my life, and I continually ask the Lord for forgiveness and assistance in overcoming the faults that used to rule my life.  By no means am I perfect, although the irony is that I used to think I was, in fact, perfect.  Only now, in my regenerate state, do I realize what a flawed human being I am.  I recognize the need for a truly flawless savior, and my eternal gratitude is owed to Jesus.

What a miraculous gift is God’s grace… so undeserved and wonderful.  Looking back on the course of events in my life, I realize that I contributed nothing to this process myself.  It wasn’t like I decided to change my life and acknowledge my sin all of a sudden.  This was totally the Lord’s work done in me.  This is a difficult thing to understand, I know.  I try to explain to some folks that are curious how things turned around so dramatically in my life, how those barriers were removed.  I see now that only grace is the answer.  Praise God!

I’ve heard the question a number of times, and I’ve even asked it myself previously:  Why is a cross the symbol of Christianity?

Let’s be honest here.  The cross is a symbol for Jesus’s death.  It is a reminder that Christ died for our sins.  It is also an image of the immeasurable sacrifice that God made as he sent His only begotten son to die a horrible death.

In order to appreciate Christ’s death on the cross, we need to recognize that we are indeed sinful by nature and completely unable to redeem ourselves for those sins.  Let’s take those points one at a time.

First, sin is part of who we are as fallen human beings.  Do you know anybody that isn’t sinful?  Let’s set aside the Ten Commandments for a moment and look at things more practically.  Do you ever succomb to pride, greed, jealousy, laziness, overindulgence, wrath, or lust?  I know I have.  Over and over again throughout my life I’ve been guilty of these sins.  Who’s hasn’t?  Be honest with yourself and you’ll see.

Next, I guess I should acknowledge that we need have a desire to be saved.  Knowing that we’re sinful by nature doesn’t necessarily mean that we want to do something about it.  There are people I know that just don’t want to let go of their lifestyle.  Others believe that God doesn’t exist or that He isn’t interested in us in any personal way.

Finally, we need to recognize that we can’t save ourselves from our sinful nature.  Paul addresses this in his letter to the church in Ephesus…

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  –Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

We can’t do anything pleasing enough in God’s eye to be worthy of His forgiveness.  God’s grace is a gift, one that we don’t deserve.

Only by acknowledging these three points do we begin to recognize the enormous significance of the cross.  Jesus paid our debt so that we may have life; but we have to believe!

The title of this post, and our call to action as Christians,  is to “take up your cross” and follow Jesus.  Following Jesus entails a life of sacrifice.  As Jesus stressed, we must honor the Lord and love our neighbors as ourselves.  Serving God and serving others means NOT serving ourselves.  Not serving ourselves is sacrifice.  To “take up your cross” is to endaevour to be more like Christ in all aspects, especially his own self-sacrifice.  That quality, above all others, is what separates Christians apart.

Let us make every effort to understand the meaning of taking up our crosses to to live it out in our lives.  Amen.

For a couple years now, I’ve been bothered by the fact that my job is entirely secular in nature.  The closer I grow in my faith, the more I feel like my talents are being wasted or that I’m missing out on my true calling.

On the other hand, I do enjoy my job for the most part; and I’m good at it.  I also realize that every moment I spend with a non-Christian is a chance to help them come to know the Lord, and I do encounter many people on a daily basis that I may or may not be able to help.  The work that I do on computers is certainly not helping the case for Christ, but maybe the relationships I foster in the process does.

So where does that leave me?

To complicate the matter, I’m a partner in a small business.  I get along great with my two partners, but religion has been a topic mostly avoided with some minor exceptions.  They, along with many others I’ve met, have serious reservations about organized religion.  The problem is that if I evangelize at work, then I run a couple major risks.  First, I risk the possibility of fracturing the good working relationship we have as partners by somehow unintentionally offending them or having them think I’m crazy.  On the flip side, if I discuss religion with clients, I risk losing their business in a worst case scenario.  If I were in business for myself, I could deal with losing a client because of issues of faith or differences in opinion, but wouldn’t it be irresponsible of me to do that to my partners?

I’m sure that if I’m very careful and faithful, I’d be able to successfully minister to my colleagues and clients without damaging my company.  Also, I can display my love, compassion, and faithfulness at work without actually evangelizing.  Maybe somebody will be affected by my faith enough that they will ask me about it.  Clearly that’s something to which I aspire.

Is all of that enough?

I know there are other opportunities for me to do my part in “The Great Commission” apart from my job.  I can share my faith with my kids, family, and friends.  I can participate in mission projects at church.  I can write in this blog.  Those are all things I can do, but that brings me back to work.  I’m just having a hard time coming to terms with “wasting my time” working on computers when I could more effectively spend that time ministering to God’s people.  I feel like I need to use all of the abilities that God gave me, and I hope there’s a way for me to do that professionally.

If I do decide to take up a career in ministry, there are further complications.  I can’t just walk away from the business that I partially own.  There are debts to be paid and responsibilities to uphold that likely only time can resolve.  There’s also the issue of providing for my family while I make the transition into ministry.  The likeliest scenario I can envision is taking online seminary courses while maintaining my role in my company.  Is that practical?  Will it work?  Will it take too long?

I’ll be looking to the Lord for the answer, and I pray that I’ll be able to correctly discern God’s will for me.