They’re still clueless

Posted on December 31, 2010 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments

It turns out that those popular kids in High School really were as clueless as me; they were just better at hiding it. Now the popular kids are elected officials and still clueless. I came upon this thought as I wondered why the decisions made by our government representatives seem to be getting less rational.

I have heard it said that it is insanity to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Yet, humanity has been trying for at least 6,000 years to run things without God. The further we get away from the plan that God revealed to us, the worse the results are. Why am I surprised at the foibles of a government that is increasingly turning to Atheism as the state religion?

Jesus predicted that immediately prior to his return, things will get a lot worse. I should not be surprised that there is increasing hostility toward God and those who believe in Him.

As I move into 2011, I am reminded that as individuals and as a church, we have the responsibility to continue making disciples. The distinction between the citizens of Heaven and the citizens of this world will become more clear as we near the end. It is our job to be used by God to bring many into the Kingdom of Heaven before it’s too late.

It is my hope and prayer that God will bring revival to our country and that we will return to the principles upon which it was founded. But if not, we should not be dismayed because our King is soon to return to claim his throne.

Bring on 2011. We’re one year closer . . .

Church the way it used to be?

Posted on December 16, 2010 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments

I recently had a road trip through the Bible belt and saw a billboard advertisement for a church that read, “Church the way it used to be . . .”

I think that I get what they are trying to convey, but I can’t say that I agree with it. My guess is that they are attempting to portray a place where the values and message are consistent with what could be expected decades ago in the average church.

The problem with this approach is that this church will be a safe haven for those who are fleeing other churches who have allowed change (good or bad) into their body. This will be a church that grows by defection rather than infection. In other words, growth will come from stealing sheep from other sheepfolds rather than by setting conditions for sheep to reproduce.

In Matthew 9:17 Jesus reminds us of the futility of trying to recycle wineskins. We should not seek to contain a fresh work of the Spirit in old forms and rituals.

If our church demographic looks much different than the demographic at the local mall, we should ask ourselves if we are missing something that God wants to do. I see weird (to me) hairdos, piercings, tattoos and various fashion statements on the young people at the mall. If this is a group of people for whom Jesus died, then it would stand to reason that if we are doing our job of making disciples, some of those pierced and tattooed people should be showing up on Sunday.

The point is not whether piercing or tattooing is a good idea, the point is that it’s already done for a lot of young people who Jesus loves just as much as the ones who have steered clear of these practices. My personal opinion on fashion choices has nothing to do with how these folks are to be received by me or by my church. God loves them the way they are.

As a band from the 70’s encouraged us, “don’t look back.” Even if we could, it would be foolish to try to recapture what was happening 5, 10 or 20 years ago. We must press on and be what God wants us to be . . . today.

Abandoned by God – 1 Samuel 15:35

Posted on November 30, 2010 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment

1 Samuel 15:35 (ESV)
³⁵ And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Saul had abandoned God and as a result, God abandons Saul.

Someone once said that we have two options which determine our eternal destiny. Either we say to God, “your will be done” or God says to us “your will be done.” The result of the former is that we conform to God’s will and accept the provision he has made for us. The result of the latter is that God allows us to go our own way and live as if God does not exist. One leads to eternal blessing, the other to eternal damnation.

Paul speaks of this in Romans 1 where he repeats the phrase, “God gave them over.” This is what happened to Saul in the passage quoted above. God determined to let Saul alone and Samuel no longer came to Saul with a word from the LORD.

We do not have to look very hard in this media rich culture to see examples of people that have gone their own way, flaunting their rejection of God, yet living a lifestyle that is the envy of many. They seem to have everything going their way and have money and fame. These have sought to be free from God and God has granted them their desire – for a time.

Contrast these to saints through the ages who have sought self denial and spiritual discipline and yet have suffered at the hands of their fellow men.

How does it work out in God’s economy that those who reject him prosper and those who earnestly seek God earn suffering as their wages? Jesus tells us that those who mourn are the ones that are truly blessed. To have the prophetic voice in our ears and the pointing finger in our face is not enjoyable, but it is necessary for our relationship with God to deepen. The largest benefit of the reading of Scripture is that it shows us our deficiencies and teaches us to rely on God for our growth.

Like Saul, I have a choice to be open to the prophetic voice and repent when I am busted, or I can reject it and go on my merry way. The danger in the latter is that God eventually stops sending prophets.

The Low Whisper

Posted on November 22, 2010 Written by Mark McIntyre 2 Comments

1 Kings 19:11–12 (ESV)
¹¹ And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

I have been in thought and discussion about the Church and its relationship with social media such as Twitter and Facebook. This is a branch of the discussion of how the Church should use communication technology in general.

A couple of observations. We have the Gospel, the Good News (the root meaning of the word gospel). News is meant to be communicated. In addition, Jesus has specifically commissioned the Church to make disciples, which has at its core communication.

From this, I conclude that there is no question as to whether we are to communicate. Secondly, there is no question as what we should communicate; we are to communicated the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The only remaining question is to how this should be done. What tools should be used to communicate and make disciples. I suspect that the correct answer is – all of them.

My concern has been, how will the Gospel fare in the midst of the torrent of stuff that comes at the average consumer of media, be it Facebook, Twitter, talk radio or cable news? Marketers, celebrities, sports teams, social media experts and friends all clamor for time and attention. How do we get the Good News heard in the midst of the din? Admittedly, some of the “din” is entertaining and/or compelling.

In praying about this, I was reminded of the phrase “still, small voice” from the story of Elijah following his encounter with the prophets of Baal. I like the ESV translation even better (quoted above) where it renders it “low whisper.”

God is not a bully who badgers people into submission to his will. He is a gentleman who patiently woos the object of his love. He speaks in a gentle and quiet whisper, drawing people to himself.

How do I apply this to 21st Century communication? I conclude that while we should not be boring or insipid in our presentation of the Gospel, we should not be overly concerned about making it trendy or flashy. In other words, the focus should be on the message and conveying that message as authentically and clearly as we can. If we do, I believe that God will use that quiet whisper in a Tweet or status update for His glory, in his time.

We don’t need to shout.

They’re still clueless

Church the way it used to be?

Abandoned by God – 1 Samuel 15:35

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