At the end of the Hell House in the movie I posted about yesterday, all the visitors were hoarded into a room where one of the members of the church told them, "Okay. This is the most important part of the Hell House. You've seen what's been going on, you know what will happen to those who live immoral lifestyles. Now you have a choice. Either you can walk out of here unchanged, or you can be a born-again Christian." Then he pointed to a door and said, "If you want to be born-again, go through this door. You will get out of all you've seen and be able to embrace Heaven." And lots of people went into the room and people prayed the sinner's prayer with them.

My mind wanders...

1) What if you're already a Christian? What do you do? Do you have to be born-again again?

2) I despise the "Sinner's Prayer." Read the gospels. What Jesus calls for is SO much different.

3) How many people became Christians? A lot. How many people became disciples of Jesus (Jesus calls for disciples, not Christians)? Not so much. I'd bet hardly any at all.

4) These people 'accept Jesus' 'into their hearts' because they're afraid of Hell. This is like going into a marriage for the benefits, not the love. This is sick, wrong, and twisted. I remember Jesus' words to the Pharisees, and the weeping of God found in the prophetic book of Amos, and I know that God wants our hearts to beat for Him for Him, not for blessings or getting out of Hell or anything like that. In fact, He hates it when we go to Him for any reason other than out of sheer love and devotion to Him. How many of the people who 'accepted Jesus' into their hearts really adore and love God because of Hell House?

5) Perhaps I am way out of line, but... What if Christianity is the greatest danger to Christ's mission???

Last night I watched a movie called Hell House, with the tag-line "This Church Wants to Scare the Hell Out of You." The Hell House was an Evangelical Haunted House set up to scare "nonbelievers" into "accepting Jesus as their Savior." The movie was, to sum it up, a documentary version of Saved!

You could easily take my comments from my post on Saved!, put them in right here, and have no conflict of interest. But for the sake of it, there are two things I wish to bring up. Two things, I guess, that really bothered me about the whole thing (two big things amongst many others). First of all, they did the typical thing and focused on all the "really bad sins"--abortion, homosexuality, drugs, alcohol...--and said, "If you do these, you're going to Hell!" Actually, I don't think we're going to Hell so much for what we've done but for who we are (sinful creatures; the sin is the fruit of our sinful core; this changes when we enter the Kingdom). A lot of the people organizing the thing, however, looked like modern-day scribes and Pharisees. Judgment, condemnation, despising had the upper-hand. Whatever happened to compassion, mercy, forgiveness, real love? It seems to me that Jesus cared more about hypocrisy and judgment and condemnation than He did about homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, etc. Straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel, I guess. That dead dog.

Second point. They kept talking like Jesus was about entering the culture and destroying it. I just don't agree with that. I think Jesus subversively enters and consequently redeems culture, whether it is American culture, Indian culture, Buddhist or Islamic culture, Western European culture, etc.

Okay. Three things. I found it interesting that so many people were turned off by the Hell House. One person made the remark, "This is why people are against Christianity. It's because of people like you." Or something of that nature, I really can't remember. People say, "Well, Jesus ran into the same kind of hatred."

Yeah. From the religious elite. I think we need to rethink our evangelism paradigms.

And how many people who 'accepted Jesus into their hearts'--a term that is not biblical and which I have a major problem with--are actually meaning it? I don't think God wants us if we're just going to go to Him for fire insurance. I believe He is looking for people who love Him for Him, not for what they can get. I mean, if we go to God just to escape Hell, it's like getting married for the marriage benefits, but having no real passion. What's the point?

Maybe I sound like a negative little antibody. I'm sorry. There are some things about Christians and Christianity I just don't understand. Some things about Christians and Christianity that are just so... foreign to the gospel.

Recognizing that my calling had been given by God, James, Peter, and John--the pillars of the church--shook hands with me and Barnabas, assigning us to a ministry to the non-Jews, while they continued to be responsible for reaching out to the Jews. The only additional thing they asked was that we remember the poor, and I was already eager to do that. - Galatians 2:9-11, The Message

"Save the Children" is the leading independent organization creating real and lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. It is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, comprising 27 national Save the Children organizations working in more than 110 countries to ensure the well-being of children. Jesus has a deep passion for children and I'm sure it breaks His heart that 30,000 kids die each day of starvation. Thanks to organizations like this one, we have the chance to really reach out and spread the Kingdom through the monetary gifts God has given us. We are never more like Christ when we love those around us and allow our love to reach out through our sacrifice. Neo from A New Kind of Christian says, "We live in the most affluent culture in the most affluent period of human history. If we can't discipline ourselves to learn the joys of generous living, I think we're an embarrassment to the gospel."

If you've been reading my blog, you know I've been feeling convicted for materialism and squandering the monetary gifts God has given me. He has called me to be more generous, and if I can do it, then anyone can. And that's not cliche, that's bare-bones fact.

Peace to all of you...

It is in the gentle silence, with the windows open and the sun sinking behind the trees, that the desires come again. So often they are squandered and left to drown in a sea of busyness and relentless activity. Often they are forgotten in the hectic life in which we find ourselves in. But when we escape, when things quiet down, and when we are left with nature, God, and our own thoughts, we find that the desires are not dormant, but active and breathing. It is simply in the silence that their voice is heard, a soft whisper in the heart that draws our souls to ache.

Popularity, fame, wealth: none of this is my dream. I don't want recognition or applause. I want a simple life. I want friends who are pursuing Christ, I want a wife who I can talk to about anything and who will always be there for me and I for her, and I want children, and I want to watch them grow up and get married and have families of their own. I want to pastor at a small church, either with adults or kids, and I want to teach discipleship to Christ and bring the gospel message to light. I want to lead myself, my family, and others to experience and live Kingdom. A small house, a white picket fence, sleeping in on Saturdays and going to my kids' baseball games. Barbecues and parties and beautiful Sunday gatherings filled with laughter and love.

The Evil One always sows seeds of doubt, and I am pained at the thought: "What if this desire is never realized in flesh-and-blood, but is left forever to be an empty desire within me?" My prayers are laced with the groans of this desire, but no matter what, I will follow God, whether or not He brings this desire to completion in my own life. He is still my first and foremost Love, even if, sometimes, let me be honest, it doesn't seem like it.

Every Tuesday night the R.A. (good ol' Trevor Crego) gives us a small little message after Doc Rob leads us before the Throne in worship. Tonight Trevor spoke on Philippians 2, where we are called to follow Christ's example of humility. Trevor threw out good points, showing how Jesus washing the disciples' feet was so bewildering and confusing to them because they expected a Messiah who would kill people and destroy all their enemies and become a great and mighty worldly King. He said, "The people got it all wrong. Jesus came and did everything completely opposite of their expectations." Perhaps this is why Jesus said to John the Baptist's messengers, "Blessed is the man who doesn't fall away on account of me." Blessed is the man who doesn't turn from me because I'm not what he expected.

This got me thinking. The Jews who expected a militant overthrow used the scriptures to back up their beliefs. They knew the scriptures very well and probably figured, "We've got God's Word on this." But then it turned out they were interpreting the scriptures completely wrong. Jesus didn't fulfill their expectations. He fulfilled the scriptures, but not in the way the Jews thought he would.

And this line of thought drew me and continues to draw me to the second coming. So often we think we have it penned down, how and when it's going to happen. And we have scripture to back up our beliefs. I see a little bit of those Jews in ourselves, and I expect we are going to be more than surprised at how--and even when--it all happens.

Something that really irks me is when someone has an interpretation of the Bible and says that his interpretation is the only interpretation and if you don't agree with his interpretation, then you're not filled with the Spirit. It irks me when someone says that the KJV is the most accurate translation and that it is the only translation: the others are all somehow evil and perverted. It irks me that we can come to believe that we have God all figured out. I discover new aspects of God and Christ every single day. I am broken and rejuvenated every single day. I will never have it figured out. I know where I stand in the scheme of things.

Fall is finally here. Wow. I love the season for so many reasons. Memories float back to me--memories of picking pumpkins with my family, memories of cold hayrides, memories of hot apple cider, memories of turkey and mashed potatoes and--my favorite--pumpkin pie. I'm excited about being able to wear pants and sweaters now. I think I look better in pants and sweaters, too, so there's a confidence-builder.

All this week I have been captivated by the words and logic of Brian McLaren. His words just cut right through me and build upon my faith, even if that means crumbling some perceived ideals. His words just resonate with me, and I'm drawn away from him and to the wonderful, loving, passionate, and redeeming Savior of the world. I am reading several chapters a day, taking notes, absorbing and contemplating. I mean, all during my forty-five minute drive from Cincy to Springboro I contemplated John 14:6. I am so thankful that Doug and Mike led me to him through several conversations. I have a few of his books already and am searing through them, and plan on asking for his others (as well as a few Leonard Sweet books) for Christmas.

In class today, I taught about Hell, but hopefully in a light that really isn't touched a lot. I talked about what Hell would be like, then pointed out it's not our position to decide who goes to Hell, but we need to worry about our own selves. I spent most of the class talking about how Heaven and Hell aren't so much destinations but continuations of the lives we live now. For those who are intimate with God, intimate with others, and intimate with creation through Christ, they experience intimacy with God, others and creation in an eternal and newly-made universe. For those who are opposed to Christ and His Way, who live a life of separation from God, they are granted their wish--an eternity separate from God, from others, and creation, left to bathe in a sea of regrets, despair and hopelessness.

Yesterday Ams and I ate out at Skyline Chili (awesome times) and I made the mistake of ordering a chili-bean burrito. Why is this a mistake? Well, it was loaded with more cheese and lettuce and sour cream than I could handle, and when Dad and I smoked our cigars beside the fire and talked about life, the two didn't mix well, and my night concluded with me emptying my stomach all over the grass. I still wouldn't trade in the time spent on that deck nor in that restaurant, though. It was so much fun with both of them. Now I need to do something with Mom other than just see her on the weekends.