What You Think About Jesus...

I read extensively both books and online and occasionally I come across something that is too good not to share. Many people more intelligent than I have written recently about the rise of "new atheism" and its most vocal adherents- Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Both men are intelligent and well spoken and both are strongly opposed to the spread of Christianity or religion in general.

What is interesting is an article I came across recently in Portland Monthly Magazine. The piece was an interview between Hitchens and Marilyn Sewell, who is the recently retired pastor of the First Unitarian Church of Portland. In the article, Reverend Sewell takes issue with Hitchens' lumping together all Christians in his book God is Not Great. Reverend Sewell describes herself as a "liberal Christian" and states that she denies the doctrine of the atonement (that Jesus died for our sins) and that she does not take the stories in the Bible literally. Hitchens' response to her statements is incredibly telling.

"I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian." (to read the entire article click here)

What is amazing is that in his study of Scripture to refute Christianity, Hitchens has stumbled onto a truth that Reverend Sewell has missed in all her years of serving in the church. When you do not believe what Scripture tells us about Jesus, you cannot be a Christian. Period.

We can argue for days about how all of the rest of it works out, but we cannot argue about one thing. The person and work of Jesus is not up for debate. Even a "new atheist" knows that.

What do you believe about Jesus? How is it affecting your life today?

Measuring Spiritual Growth Part 2

Okay so if awareness of sin is the first step n spiritual growth, what is step 2? Step 2 is realizing that we are helpless in our sin and are in need of a Savior. The spiritual condition of anyone who is apart from Jesus is not good. Some theologians use the term Total Depravity to describe this condition. In other words, incapable of doing ANYTHING to change their own spiritual condition. There are people who argue with this description, usually citing examples of people who are not followers of Christ, but are doing good things in their lives. I would argue in return, that Total Depravity has less to do with our day to day actions and more to do with the implications of those actions.

For example, a person who has not met the Savior feels guilty about their sin, and tries to do something, anything to make up for it. But there is nothing they can do to erase that sin and even their good works are tainted by selfishness- trying to make up for their sin- and further, denying their need for something outside of their lives to help them- in short, still their own God. If you really look at it, that is what we are trying to be apart from Jesus- our own god- with control over our lives and creating our version of heaven on earth.

In the middle of this struggle, God inserts Himself in the Person and Work of Jesus. We cannot undo our sins and God knows that. He has been aware of it from time eternal, and He has set in motion a plan to deal with it- a Savior. And He goes one step farther, realizing that in our condition we would never think of a Savior, He makes Him known to us. God reveals our need for a Savior from our sin and reveals to us that He is that Savior.

Ephesians 1 speaks of this reality so powerfully, especially in verse 9 where Paul writes that God "made known to us the mystery of His will." What is this mystery? The message of the Gospel, that Jesus came to save sinners.

That is the next movement in a journey to Spiritual Maturity- responding to God's revelation that you cannot save yourself from your sin and acknowledging that God has provided that Savior in Jesus. A person who is becoming spiritually mature realizes that their holiness and righteousness and standing before God are not dependent on them but on Christ and respond accordingly in humble repentance and awe that God would choose to save us from our sins.

Coolest Night of My Life....

I will be returning to the subject of spiritual maturity later this week, but something else now commands my thoughts and I think I've digested enough of it to write about it.

Sunday, October 18th I spent about 10 hours on my feet volunteering for One.org and rocking out to the band that has done more to minister to me than just about anyone in the course of my life...U2.

Now before any of you naysayers come popping in here to be critical just shut up and listen for a minute. They may not be your favorite band and they may not be model "Churchianity" Christians but they are men of faith and it is their faith that does not just appeal to me, but it challenges me.

I became acquainted with the 4 lads from Dublin in high school with a video on MTV. "Where the Streets Have No Name" was filmed in downtown LA without a permit. It caused a massive traffic jam and was in the process of being shut down when it was filmed. In fact, the uncut version of the video has a police officer saying over the radio "Shut the g--d---- thing down, now!" Which is right when the band began to sing.

But it was in college, that my love of these guys became so pronounced. The album The Joshua Tree and the live album Rattle and Hum were deeply coated with Scriptural references. They spoke of faith in a way that was not so blatant and obvious like the CCM of my high school days, but was subversive and lived out- Bono calls it "drawing our fish in the sand" in a Rolling Stone interview.

I never lost my enjoyment of their music, but the advent of the internet put a ton of info about U2 at my fingertips. These guys were not just singing an occasional song about faith. They were living it. Embedded in it. To the point that it seemed to affect others who were looking for faith in something but having trouble finding it...including purportedly their own bassist Adam Clayton and one of the Gallagher boys from Oasis.

And it is their faith that challenges me and makes me a mega-fan. Bono in particular speaks eloguently of Scripture's call to minister to the poor and the emphasis in the life of Christ in serving the downtrodden. His organizations DATA and One.org are committed to making these commands into a reality.

Then there are the songs- Where the Streets Have No Name has always been my favorite and will always be. It is the one song guaranteed to make any bad day better. Add to that I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and With or Without You. Then songs like Bad, October, Yahweh, Grace, Wake Up Dead Man, Ultraviolet, Beautiful Day, and City of Blinding Lights...and I could go on. Songs of faith and liberation and a celebration of life like no other.

So with all that history and emotion I spent the day at Owen Field volunteering for One and waiting for the show. At just after 9pm we hit the Pit and for the next 2 hours it was literally like time stopped. For me, it was the first time to be at a live U2 show and the energy was amazing. But what was most awesome, was it was not just about 4 guys on a stage, it was about something Bigger, Someone bigger. And people around me could tell. The Gospel was not preached and an invitation was not offered but there was Someone there. And it came in the hearts of the guys on stage. When Bono sang Magnificent, if you were listening, it was obvious who he was singing about. And when the song One came to a close and the opening strains of Amazing Grace were played, you knew that there was more to this show than a rock band and its fans.

All of this has been whirling around in my head for over a week now. For U2, this is daily life. They perform and record. And their lives point to something greater- a God they serve. What if our lives, our daily boring, non-rock star lives were pointed to something else. What if everything we did was committed to making someone else known? Thanks again guys for reminding me as you did almost 20 years ago, that my life with Jesus is not meant to be lived in a bubble.

Measuring Spiritual Growth Part 1

This topic is tough to write about. I have struggled for a long time with defining what spiritual growth really looks like. Every time I think I have my finger on it there is a slippery moment where I have to stop and evaluate...what just happened?

So that being said, here we go with part one. I think we can measure spiritual growth from the first moments of conversion with an awareness of and new reaction to sin. I meet lots of people who are aware of the effects of sin on a daily basis, but few who realize they are the problem, not their circumstances. Awareness of sin is a huge moment in any believer's life. The moment when we stop and realize...this is a problem that affects more than just me and my life. This has eternal consequences. And in that moment we see ourselves for who we really are- sinners.

I stayed away from that word for years. I could blame the books I was reading at the time, but that's really not the case. I was just bothered by the sound of the word. It sounded so condemning and judgmental. And it is. But it is also the truth. And like all hard truths it is important how it is communicated. It's one thing to point fingers at others and assume the posture of the self-righteous. It is a whole different thing to point the finger at yourself and join your fellow sinners in the mud and mire that we are all stuck in.

For a good example of this as a first step of spiritual growth look at Paul's conversion in Acts 9. The first thing Jesus does is make Paul aware of his sin. It is in this moment that Paul realizes what he is and that he is without hope apart from Jesus. For further evidence, look at 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Look at Paul's description of himself. Spiritual growth begins with recognizing sin.

Coming soon pt 2...

Random Updates...

Been awhile since I hit the blog up. Life has been moving so fast the last couple of months it makes it tough to stop and process long enough to put down anything remotely coherent. Here's some random updates from life:

- Journey Fellowship is really getting some momentum. We have seen some amazing things happening over the last 3-4 months. People getting saved. Amazing testimonies about God's redemption and grace. And growth...we are seeing growth. I am very proud of our Elder Team and our membership as they step up to the plate to meet new needs and challenges- need nursery workers, set up team, etc we ask and people step up. If you live in the OKC area and don't have a church you are committed to come check us out www.jfokc.com

- My girls are awesome! Annalise is rocking 2nd grade. She reads like her daddy and does math like her mama. Plus, she's doing the ballet thing and looking to add swim team to her list of activities. (Thanks , Poppa, and Mamaw!) Mia is also doing amazing in her preschool and she is a fish! Annalise may get on a swim team, but Mia may one day be the female Michael Phelps (sans pot of course). Ella is walking and is definitely on her way to being the easiest going of the Abernathy children. And Amanda is organizaing and arranging it all around our crazy life schedules in addition to taking amazing photos and beginning to volunteer a bit for the Lankford campaign.

- In about 18 days I will be the happiest guy this side of heaven because I will be at Owen Field for U2! These guys are my favorite band of all time and I have never seen them live. Going to be an awesome show...too bad the Blackeyed Peas are opening for them.

- That same weekend I'll be in Burkburnett, TX doing a citywide Dnow. Speaking on Perceptions. Should be a fun weekend.

- Been reading some really good books lately. Largely playing catch up on some books I should have read last year- The Reason for God by Tim Keller and Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Also, reading Donald Miller's A Million Miles in a Thousand Years which has affected me in some ways I did not expect. Definitely his best book since Blue Like Jazz.

- Last of all let me pass on my Top 10 Songs so far this year (only criteria I like them and am listening to them!):

In no particular order...

Moment of Surrender- U2
Jina and Jimmy- Derek Webb
Love Story- Taylor Swift (I have daughters so sue me!)
Swagga Like Us- TI, Jay Z, and Kanye the Jerk
The Train- King James II
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight- U2
Radio Nowhere- Bruce Springsteen
Rescue- Jared Anderson
Let It Rock- Kevin Rudolf
How He Loves- David Crowder Band

Plus...the whole 21st Century Breakdown album by Green Day which is by far the album of the year!

Upcoming Topics as I have time: How do we measure spiritual growth? Are we using the wrong criteria? Also, where do pastors go to get fed? (I have some ideas...) Plus...things I have learned about conflict...

Celebrating 12 Years

Amanda and I are with our kids and good friends in paradise this week. Yesterday we celebrated 12 years of marriage. It's hard to believe i has been that long. It seems like only yesterday we were newlyweds starting our lives together in a little triplex in Shawnee, OK. We've been through some amazing times together and some sad ones as well. We have seen three beautiful girls born into this world. They are amazing reminders of God's grace to us. We have built two ministries together. Shocwave Youth Ministries at FBC-Bethany, OK and Journey Fellowship Church in NW OKC. We continue to labor together to serve Jesus and bring Him glory. We have built some amazing friendships along the way.

When you get married they have you promise for better or worse. There hve been both along our journey together. The truth is that there are moments that are really tough where that promise really means something. I am so thankful that I married an amazing woman who keeps her promises. We are not rich. We are not famous. We are however still madly in love with each other.

Thanks for saying yes Princess! The best is yet to come!

The Legacy

Everyone wants to be remembered for something. This month at Journey Fellowship we are studying the book of 2 Timothy. It's a book with some big theological meaning but overarching those truths is the idea of legacy, specifically Paul's legacy.

In this emotional letter to his beloved protege Timothy, Paul commends the message of the Gospel to his spiritual son. He encourages Timothy to guard the "good deposit" and to not be led astray by false teachers and heretics. He cautions Timothy that distractions and problems are going to come and he commends to Timothy the scriptures as his guide and the Savior as his hope.

These are the things Paul wants to be remembered for. These are the things he wants to pass on even after he is gone. What are you passing on? What will people remember you for? Is it time for a change so that your legacy is different?

News and Notes:

Awesome few weeks at JFC...Big Chris baptized three students 2 Sundays ago..very cool!

Great time at MASH VBS for kids...thanks to all the volunteers!

If you don't have one yet get yourself a new JFC t-shirt...only $9

Midrash..a monthly community discussion forum launches on September 8th @ Louie's on NW Expressway..great place to connect with friends and discuss the latest goings on in NW OKC!

See you at JFC this Sunday at 10:45 am for the third part of the Last Words series...