A Taste of Heaven

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16, NIV)  

Yesterday was Field Day for the Kindergarten, First and Second grades at Sugar Loaf Elementary School. I wonder if that is a taste of what Heaven will be like? Water games, sliding down a home-made water slide, slick with dish soap, relay races, tug-of-war, T-ball, ice cream, lots of sweat, and energy were just a few things that I think of when I think of heaven. Children have innocence, especially at that age, to do what is fun without worrying about what others think. They participate and laugh. They cry when they fall and get cut and bruised, but then rejoin the fun like nothing happened. Band-Aids and a kiss from Mommy fixes everything!

Well, almost everything...

For the second consecutive year, Sugar Loaf Elementary School offered free breakfast for all students because so many qualified for free or reduced lunch. I am sure that many of the students – I don’t know many personally – have families that are working hard and have been victims of terrible economic situations. However, I am sure that many return home to much worse circumstances.

None of that mattered yesterday – they all looked ratty, with T-shirts and tennis-shoes, sandals or flip-flops, wet and dirty. They were having the time of their lives. The kingdom belongs to such as these. No one was black, white or Latino – just wet, dirty and happy!

Yet, the sad thing about yesterday is that they had to return home. Some went home to baths, showers and a nap, with a great meal prepared. Others, well, where did they go? Was someone there when they got home? Did they get a bath, or did they have to take care of that, themselves?

I wonder. But God knows.

However, does God wonder why we see our neighbor and need, and refuse to stop to give them a hand? Does God wonder why some have abundance, and others have need, and refuse to share? Does God wonder why someone would let a child go hungry?

I look at the smiles today, but imagine the tears of yesterday and tomorrow. A taste of heaven is all they want – sunny skies, warm weather, friends, ice cream, and a warm bed to go home to, a nice bath and food on the table. Is there an answer?

Yes. It is found in The Whole Gospel. Do you care to hear it? Will you respond?

Do Calvinists Have a Right to be Upset with Rob Bell?

http://www.christianpost.com/news/driscoll-without-jesus-you-go-to-hell-49598/

http://www.christianpost.com/news/rob-bells-velvet-hell-albert-mohler-others-speak-on-how-love-can-truly-win-49472/

http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6235/53

(Note: the above links are to articles regarding Rob Bell. These are Calvinist responses to Bell. None of them mention predestination.)

I cannot remember a Christian Author who has stirred up more controversy than Rob Bell. His new book, Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, has stirred the theological waters of many Christians regarding traditional evangelical teaching regarding Heaven and Hell. He is charged with universalism, though Bell claims that he is not a universalist. Bell is intentionally vague and wants people to think rather than be spoon-fed concrete answers. However, what seems to be at the heart of the controversy is not universalism per se, but the claim that the eternal destiny of human beings does not directly depend on their response to Jesus Christ in this life. Evangelicals are a branch of Christians who do place supreme importance on responding to Jesus Christ in this life – and they/we are upset at anyone who could be leading people astray from responding properly to Christ. The issue is the response to Jesus Christ in this life, and the impact that it makes for eternity.


Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, labeled the book “Velvet Hell”, a play on the title of Bell’s previous book, Velvet Elvis. Several professors of theology at Southern have raised issues over Bell’s hints of universalism – the belief that all will eventually be in Heaven with God, regardless of their response to Christ in this life. Here’s the point of my post: Mohler, along with many professors of theology at Southern are Calvinists. What they do not want to emphasize regarding the importance of your response to the gospel is that, really, they do not believe the choice to choose Christ is a choice that you have the capacity to make. Those who choose Christ in this life are those who have been predestined by God to do so. And, most Calvinists believe that those who do not respond affirmatively to Christ in this life are those whom God has chosen to allow them to remain in a state of being destined for Hell.

I am sure that links on my blog can direct you to articles and video clips regarding the arguments between Calvinists (those who roughly accept the teachings of reformer John Calvin on the subject of predestination) and other Christian traditions that do believe that we actually have the choice in accepting Christ in this life. They are too vast to delve into on this blog. Bell says that what we believe about Heaven and Hell, and who will inhabit each ultimately reveals what we believe about God – His identity and character.

First, let me leave any suspense behind. I do believe that there is a Hell. There are far too many scripture passages to indicate that those who reject God’s open arms of grace will ultimately end in final loss, judgment and condemnation.

Second, I am a student and product of Reformed and Calvinistic theology. I did my Master of Divinity work at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama, where most of my professors were Calvinists (though not all). This, if anything, led me to do work at Duke Divinity School in the area of New Testament (because I rejected the Reformed understandings of the New Testament, particularly Paul. I felt that Reformed theologians and Bible Scholars were guilty of lifting the text out of its historical and narrative context.) Though I never accepted the tenants of Calvinism, I do owe much appreciation to those who hold this view – that God’s salvation of sinners is totally dependent on his eternal decree of individual predestination.

However, when Reformed Pastors like Mark Driscoll and John Piper cry violence when someone even hints that Heaven may contain a soul who did not know Jesus in their earthly life, I want to cry foul. Why? Because, these pastors and theologians are not telling you the whole story about their theology. While they believe that people must respond to the gospel affirmatively to receive the benefits of God’s forgiveness of sins, they do not tell that they believe that God has determined who can and will be saved. The teachings of Calvinism are Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace and Perseverance of the Saints. They argue that people cannot respond to the gospel unless the Holy Spirit awakens their hearts to the gospel. Only those who experience this awakening are those who are chosen before time by God. Romans 8-11 seems to be a key text their understanding of salvation as well as passages from John’s gospel (which incidentally says that God loves the whole world.)

I understand it to be a contradiction for God to love the whole world, and then determine those who cannot respond to his love. I, like Rob Bell, would have a hard time calling this God good. I have a hard time with this, which is the key question for Calvinists: If God must arouse the heart to respond to the gospel, and if this arousal of the heart guarantees that the one responding will be saved, then why does God not do this for everyone?

Though I have a firm love and respect for Christians who are Calvinists, and have benefitted greatly from their emphasis on God’s grace, I feel that those who are publically decrying Rob Bell are not telling the whole story about their theology of human response to God’s grace. I find this misleading.

Though I cannot do justice to the topic due to time constraints and pastoral responsibilities, I wonder what your thoughts may be…

What Is Hell Like? Does It Even Exist? NT Wright on 100 Huntley Street (HD)

Rob Bell made news with the publication of his book Love Wins in which his critics believe that Bell discloses that he is a universalist - that is, the belief that no matter what choices people make in response to God's gospel, God's love for them will ultimately result in their salvation, as well as the salvation of the whole world.

I think Rob Bell has made some wonderful contributions to the Christian conversation, as well as to ministry in general. I love his Nooma videos and encourage all Christians to watch and consider them. (It is fallacious to think that if you disagree with a theologian on one point that you cannot trust him/her on any points. It would be if I would say that nothing John Piper says is good because I disagree with him on matters of predestination and roles of women in the church.) Nevertheless, I feel that his contribution to the conversation of eternal destiny may be a bit misleading. Tom Wright responds to questions about Hell. I like Wright's views on the matter and love his illustrative conversation with the Greek Orthodox cleric.

What does God's love mean for all people? That all will be a part of His good future? Or only some? And, if only some, then who is in and who is out? What does it mean to be left outside God's Kingdom when "heaven and earth are one"?

Tom Wright THE ATOMEMENT DEBATE

Tom Wright shares the Christus Victor approach to the atonement, and summarizes current debates regarding the nature of the atonement. Though the penal subsitution motif is present, is it the primary meaning of the cross, or part of a bigger narrative in which God triumphs over evil?

For me, the gospel, Jesus, and the cross are about more than the mere forgiveness of sins. They are about God's victory over evil, corruption and decay in all aspects of the created order.

Integrity in Athletics, Religion and Beyond

When I planned this, did I do it lightly? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"? But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes" and "No." (2 Corinthians 1:17-18, NIV)

College Football is not as big in North Carolina as it is in Alabama. That’s an understatement! College Basketball is not as big in North Carolina as college football is in Alabama. This is why Cam Newton’s front-page stories – on and off the field – have caught my attention. I was raised an Alabama fan, and we are taught to hate Auburn University. It is a rivalry! Right now, the year after Alabama won the National Championship and Mark Ingram won the Heisman, Auburn has the best team thus far this year (no apologies to Oregon) and the best player, QB Cam Newton – not good for this Alabama fan!

However, the story lines have moved from Cam Newton’s on the field success to questions of impropriety during his recruitment. It is alleged that Cam Newton’s father told Mississippi State University that potential suitors must pay $100,000 to $180,000 to gain his son’s services – a blatant violation of NCAA rules. No one knows if these allegations are true. And, it is likely that no one will know until years after this season is in the books. I hope that they are not. Cam Newton is an incredible athlete who has also tried to amend for his past. Nevertheless, trouble follows. Furthermore, the problem in college athletics is much more widespread than Newton. My favorite, Alabama, has been on probation three times in the past seventeen years and has forfeited or vacated twenty-nine wins due to impropriety. North Carolina’s football program is facing major sanctions and has already dismissed six players from this year’s team. Florida State vacated wins in ten major sports, including football, due to an academic cheating scandal.

Why am I writing about sports in this column (besides the fact that this is all I can think of at the moment)? I am writing because children are watching. Children are watching, immolating and idolizing athletes, entertainers, leaders and corporate executives. They want to be like them. They want to believe in the possibilities, cheer the team to victory, and be a part of something that simply does not happen everyday. For me, the lack of integrity is painful because I once was a child who cheered an athlete, sat under a preacher, got a coach’s autograph, and admired the Presidents. Integrity is essential because children are watching and growing. They are tomorrow’s athletes, leaders, ministers, and entertainers. They are tomorrow’s parents who must break the bad news.

When Paul wrote what is known as Second Corinthians, Paul and the church at Corinth had a major falling out. Paul had intended to visit on a journey and he was unable to make it. Not only that, but Paul had a painful relationship with the Corinthian congregation, as his first letter already indicates. Paul’s integrity was questioned, and he was compelled to defend it, or the church might lose its faith in the message because of the lack of integrity of the messenger.

I wish that I could say that all ministers are people of integrity – but we are not. We are human. But, that is really no excuse. I do not have the space to write all the reasons why people may compromise their integrity, but I can say this: our decisions, habits, attitudes and actions effect the development of children for good or ill. I have made lifestyle choices simply because I care about the people who are watching. Do we care about those whose lives are affected by the decisions we make?

Integrity is critical to the Kingdom of God and to the decisions of those who aspire to enter it.  Maybe the most important thing that the church can and should offer the world is an environment of integrity.

Grace and peace,

Tim

For All the Saints

Dean Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School introduced me to this powerful hymn of faith. Many are familiar with some of the verses. I thought that it would be appropriate to share all eleven on All Saints Day. William Walsham How composed the hymn as a processional hymn for All Saints Day (November 1). Its words are rich in theology and an expression of the Divine Drama in which all Christians participate. May all Christians realize their testimonies and stories are part of the story of God's redemption of His Creation and the eternal hope to which we live and yearn.

"For All the Saints"

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


For the Apostles’ glorious company,
Who bearing forth the Cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!


For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
Like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
Is fair and fruitful, be Thy Name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
Saw the bright crown descending from the sky,
And seeing, grasped it, Thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!






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Top Ten Reasons Why Men Should Not Be Ministers (For a Laugh!)

I owe this to one of our college students at FBC Taylorsville, Christian Clack. I thought it was pretty funny, if not for the grains of truth scattered throughout.

10. A man’s place is in the army.

9. The pastoral duties of men who have children might distract them from the responsibility of being a parent.

8. The physique of men indicates that they are more suited to such tasks as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do ministerial tasks.

7. Man was created before woman, obviously as a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. Their conduct at football and basketball games demonstrates this.

‎5. Some men are handsome, and this will distract women worshipers.

4. Pastors need to nurture their congregations. But this is not a traditional male role. Throughout history, women have been recognized as not only more skilled than men at... nurturing, but also more fervently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

3. Men are prone to violence. No really masculine man wants to settle disputes except by fighting about them. Thus they would be poor role models as well as dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

2. The New Testament tells us that Jesus was betrayed by a man. His lack of faith and ensuing punishment remind us of the subordinated position that all men should take.

1. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep sidewalks, repair the church roof, and perhaps even lead the song service on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the church.See More