Jesus has been very clear with me about what I should do as His follower: teach everything He has commanded and baptize. That's cool; but where do I start? I think the ideal place to start is with a recognition that there are not two "Corey's", Regular Corey and Christian Corey, but that in fact, there is only one "Corey" who is a Christian. That simply is to say, I don't cease being Jesus' follower when I leave church!
I am a Christian; and to be a Christian is to have a mission; and to have a mission is to be a missionary! But when do I do this missionary work? Where do I go? How do I do it?
Simple! If there is only one "Corey", then missionary work happens where I am, when I am there, as I do whatever task I have to do at that given place and time!
It is crucial to always remember that "Corey" does not save people. "Corey" does not bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. "Corey" doesn't convince people that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. "Corey" cannot do these things.
Yet as I go about doing whatever work I have been given to do, the Lord Himself brings me into contact with all kinds of different people. On an average Tuesday, I play racquetball with a group of people at the gym, speak with a handful of people on the phone, work with a few people at the office, enjoy lunch and conversation with 50-60 people at the Lion's Club, shop alongside of people at some store, attend a function at one of my children's schools, get my mail at the same time as one of my neighbors, and probably do other things I'm not even considering! That means that on an average Tuesday, I probably come into contact with over 100 different people!
That's a lot of people! And I believe it is no accident that I am connected with these people, but that we are there for a purpose. It starts with being a good neighbor (in the broad sense, i.e. everyone is my neighbor). A good neighbor is someone who is there for people. Through this, the Lord provides opportunities to share the hope I have in Christ Jesus! It's amazing and true! The Lord Himself opens doors for sharing the truth about Jesus Christ. Not only that, but He also gives me what to say.
There is darkness in people's lives. The Lord sends me to these people to shine the Gospel light into their darkness and bring about healing and restoration. This is missionary work! The mission has been given to me by Jesus. Jesus has made me a Christian. There are not two "Corey's", but one "Corey" who is a Christian with a very important mission. Not only does Jesus send me; He also goes with me!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The ELCA and Homosexuality - What's the Issue?
Recently the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has made the decision to call and ordain openly homosexual men and women to be pastors in the church. At first glance, we may be tempted to think the issue is all about homosexuality. On the contrary, homosexuality is a secondary issue at best. The Lord is quite clear about who the good gift of sex is for: a husband and a wife. After God had created everything and declared it individually "good", He looked at the man He had just created and declared (for the first time ever) that something was "not good". "It is not good for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18). To rectify the situation, God created Adam's wife and gave her to him. Eve was the person Adam had waited his whole life for! She was literally the woman of his dreams! And she was a female! Male and female, God created them (Gen 1:27). When God sought to change a "not good" situation into one that was "very good", God chose to create complementary creatures. A woman to complement the man. In so doing, God established the family in which one man marries one woman for life. Anything outside of this is not God-pleasing, but sinful. Homosexuality, cohabitation, premarital sex, adultery, and divorce are all sinful acts. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).
If homosexuality is not the primary issue at hand, what in the world is? Simply this: how we deal with the Word of God is ultimately being challenged by the ELCA's decision. God created sex as a good gift in the context of a life-long, heterosexual, marriage relationship. Saying that something outside of that is okay (if not even desirable) contradicts the very foundation of God's Word. Even more, it contradicts the very core of creation itself! For a church body to turn so radically from what God has established and ordained as good and right is outright heretical, wrong, and dangerous to all the people who associate themselves with the church body.
The argument in favor of the ELCA's decision is basically that we must be accepting of the person and his/her lifestyle choice for the sake of love and the Gospel. This is a good idea to a point. Yet it is in fact far from loving to sit by and do nothing as a brother or sister in Christ makes choices that are against the very foundation of creation. It is far more loving to first tell the individual that we care about them and love them. In care and love, we are then compelled to share the truth with them. We must tell them that their choices are sinful. We must also be ready and willing to patiently stand by them as the Lord works major life changes. We should ever be ready with the sweet words of Jesus Christ's Holy Gospel. That although they are struggling, the Lord is right there with them working healing and bringing about change. That the Lord forgives sins! That all our sins have been removed from us and sent to Hell when Christ had them nailed to the cross! It is our duty as Christians to speak the truth. Woe to us if we do not speak the truth (cf. Ezekiel 33, esp. v 8-9!!!).
I love homosexual people and want to share the truth of Jesus Christ and His gospel with them any and every chance I get. I will not lie for the sake of telling someone what he/she wants to hear. Rather, in love, I will share the truth of sin and grace; Law and Gospel. In love, I will work in any way I can to help people repent and turn to the Truth.
Join me in praying for all people struggling with their slavery to sin. Pray Christ, the One who holds the key to our chains, will free us from sin. Join me also in praying for the ELCA and all its members as they struggle with the repercussions of there recent decision. Pray the Lord will use this as an opportunity to move this church body back to the Truth. That those within the ELCA who oppose this and other recent decisions will stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and His Truth and be fearless in their proclamations!
If homosexuality is not the primary issue at hand, what in the world is? Simply this: how we deal with the Word of God is ultimately being challenged by the ELCA's decision. God created sex as a good gift in the context of a life-long, heterosexual, marriage relationship. Saying that something outside of that is okay (if not even desirable) contradicts the very foundation of God's Word. Even more, it contradicts the very core of creation itself! For a church body to turn so radically from what God has established and ordained as good and right is outright heretical, wrong, and dangerous to all the people who associate themselves with the church body.
The argument in favor of the ELCA's decision is basically that we must be accepting of the person and his/her lifestyle choice for the sake of love and the Gospel. This is a good idea to a point. Yet it is in fact far from loving to sit by and do nothing as a brother or sister in Christ makes choices that are against the very foundation of creation. It is far more loving to first tell the individual that we care about them and love them. In care and love, we are then compelled to share the truth with them. We must tell them that their choices are sinful. We must also be ready and willing to patiently stand by them as the Lord works major life changes. We should ever be ready with the sweet words of Jesus Christ's Holy Gospel. That although they are struggling, the Lord is right there with them working healing and bringing about change. That the Lord forgives sins! That all our sins have been removed from us and sent to Hell when Christ had them nailed to the cross! It is our duty as Christians to speak the truth. Woe to us if we do not speak the truth (cf. Ezekiel 33, esp. v 8-9!!!).
I love homosexual people and want to share the truth of Jesus Christ and His gospel with them any and every chance I get. I will not lie for the sake of telling someone what he/she wants to hear. Rather, in love, I will share the truth of sin and grace; Law and Gospel. In love, I will work in any way I can to help people repent and turn to the Truth.
Join me in praying for all people struggling with their slavery to sin. Pray Christ, the One who holds the key to our chains, will free us from sin. Join me also in praying for the ELCA and all its members as they struggle with the repercussions of there recent decision. Pray the Lord will use this as an opportunity to move this church body back to the Truth. That those within the ELCA who oppose this and other recent decisions will stand on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and His Truth and be fearless in their proclamations!
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