Not the Gospel

 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."  - Romans 10:14-17 ESV

What I’m about to say may make you hostile

We may even part ways on bad terms after, but here goes…

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL.

There. I said it.

And even if you get mad, I still don’t regret it.

You know why? Because…

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL.

In no way, shape, form, or fashion –

Your testimony may be impressive, homie

But it doesn’t mean much when we don’t come from the same background

Because…

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL.

It’s not the songs you sing or how many you can bring to church

Or even the logos on your t-shirts

And I know by now you wanna hurt me, but it’s true…

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL.

I don’t know how else to say it.

Sure, you love Jesus and you’re unashamed to say so

Well if that’s the case, then you need to stop hidin’ behind YOU and let it go

Because…

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL.

And while we’re on the subject, neither are your political views

It doesn’t matter that you vote “conservative” in every election

Or how you interpret the evening news

My dude...

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL

So let’s review…

Not me, not you, not Sproul, Piper, Calvin, Wesley, Arminius

Or, dare I say, Luther

And just in case you’re wondering, I’m pretty sure they’d all agree with me too…

YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL.

Or at this point, maybe I should say “we”

Because none of us had anything to do with hangin’ from a tree

Except for the fact that we are the cause of it

It’s not what we’re about

But what we should proclaim with our mouths

With no fear…Let ‘em hear it

Good news. THE GOSPEL IS…

GOD

Seeing mankind in his fallen state

And saving him from the punishment due

By sending His own son to take their place

GOD

While we were still at odds (enemies, to be exact)

Doing the best thing that could’ve ever happened

To save us from something worse than we could ever imagine

GOD

Father, Son and Spirit in eternity past

Making within Himself a covenant

To ensure that it would come to past

GOD

Knowing that the Devil wanted us dead

He sent the Son of Man to put a boot to his head

And crush him

GOD

Allowing the Son to be bruised

So that He could raise him three days later

Now those who believe are safe in Him, never refused

You see, there’s no need for any extra

It doesn’t need anything added to it

And doesn’t need your life to make up the Et cetera, Et cetera

We are nothing more than beggars, messengers and recipients

So the only thing left for us to do is to just believe and repent.

“For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.”

Does this have anything to do with what you’ve done? Hardly.

Because…

 YOU ARE NOT THE GOSPEL

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."  - Acts 17:22-34 ESV

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Everyday, Apocalypse.

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
  

(John 1:1-5 ESV)

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for
  “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
  as even some of your own poets have said,
  “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
  Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

 (Acts 17:26-29 ESV)

Everyday is an apocalypse…

From the cars on the street to the people that we meet

God is revealing…Himself.

 He is constantly letting us know that we are not alone.

Also, that we are not our own.

But still we press on.

We press on as if everything that has ever happened

In the course of our existence was nothing more than a random, happy little accident –

A very precise, everything just right…”accident”.

Nothing more than a big “Oops” or “Uh-oh” that brought about change.

From ooze to the zoo to you – we’re all the same

“You might be free, but your relatives swing from trees

And throw feces in cages…isn’t that amazing?!”

No, it’s scathing and seriously inconsiderate.

It’s akin to taking the Artisan’s work and using it in a birdcage to catch pigeon sh**.

Art without evidence is a scientifically manufactured illusion

To free us from the notion of Divine inclusion, or better yet intrusion

And yet, we ignore the body of work like a crime scene at the dinner table.

So Cain didn’t kill Abel…it was an “evolutionary process”.

“The survival of the fittest shows us how much we have progressed”.

What a mess; but it’s our best guess

That we feed to our sons and daughters

We’re ignoring the fact that chaos can only produce more chaos

And never produce order.

Creation’s primary goal is not to self-create or to replicate;

Creation resonates

It is the thumbprint of a Creator –

So let’s do away with just looking at scientific data

And all the other formulas to make us too scared to admit it

Ignore all you want, but the truth is you still need some dirt to play with…

Ex nihlo, nihlo fit –

Out of nothing, nothing comes

Yet still our textbooks read as if two zeros make a sum?!

But the only way that a zero can compute is with…One

The binary code of nature binds us to a Creator

But in a rebellion of thought mankind screams out:

“There is no God…and we hate him.”

Equating the concept of an almighty God to the Wizard of Oz

And yell at me to get off my yellow brick road

While clinging tightly to the curtain of “chance”

Trying not to reveal that it’s just fool’s gold

“Just click your heels three times to wake up from your dream

You’ll have all the answers you need if you simply believe…”

In what?! You know what the scarecrow, tin man and lion have in common?

They all have no chest, so they follow with no conscious

On the whims of a little girl’s dream, they reach the end of the road

Only to end up back in Kansas with nothing to show

But we behold Topeka it in its beauty; people of every tribe, tongue and nation

A place where wayward sons can stop along the journey to their final destination

Just one of the many havens that display the vast glory

Of a Maker who is benevolent

Who made Himself a God-send and not one of Maury’s guests

Never worry about second-guessing who our Father is

Because our DNA is the proof we need to show us that we are known to Him

None like Him, so there’s none like us

He is holy, wholly Other; so I’m wholly broken dust

Made whole again by the sacrifice of His offering

Of a Kinsman Redeemer’s love

Lisping to us in the spoken word

Healing us from the greatest lie we’ve ever heard

The hiss from the serpent’s lips

That has thrown the true origin of our species off course

And has left us an inheritance of a violent wind

And blindness as a curse

But our Creator heals the calloused eye

And He also masters the storm

So even if all around me were swept away

His eye is on the sparrow –

Amidst the turbulence, this is my calm

Remember this:

The Devil is only in the details

Because his Maker saw it fitting for him to exist

So, in other words, there are no “maverick molecules”…

Everyday is an Apocalypse.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Resolve

Resolved:

Not to make any empty resolutions of delusions of grandeur

Like losing 20 lbs. or not being a man-whore

Because everything that I could ever dream to be

Would be unattainable or unrealistic babble…

Just to end up coming up short

To watch the crows and vultures gather

To pick at the carcasses left scattered

On the boulevard of broken dreams

Of things that don’t even matter…

Yeah, it would be cool to get some fresh new clothes

But my skin is the issue and it’s getting old –

It’s not the complexion that’s the problem

But it covers up my intentions –

A heart full of apathy, neglect, impenitence and impotence

If I want to see real change in my current situation

I don’t need a new scene or diet

I need propitiation...

Vegan, egalitarian, legalistic behavior modifications

Won’t bring me lasting peace; just new sensations

Pragmatic emotions to feel as though I’m getting something accomplished

While I’m locked in the wardrobe waiting for Aslan

Eating Turkish Delight instead of the King’s meat

Because “man can’t live on bread alone”

(And this stuff is so sweet)

And there I go…

Trying’ to get back to old days via new ways

Like a has-been actor who thinks he’s still got the chops

But I’m just a hack character

Waiting to break out and my performance needs enhancement

But I’m already broken, so a new role ain’t the answer

I’ll do my best work when I’m just a feature

And my features improve drastically

When I’m not the star of this picture

Attributes augmented by the perfect performance

Of the Lead Role Majestic

Whose method is conformity

My independent work showed me

For what I was to the people

But it never portrayed the truth about problems that haunt me

Or how to defeat evil –

So I played myself to the bone

As a notorious scene-stealer

But it couldn’t pay the bills and never guaranteed a sequel…

I’m done with low-budget “the grittier, the better”

This may be the Year of the Dragon

But the Script says there’s gonna be rain in the weather

So I’m giving’ up on my best life now until Eden’s made right

And the only way to becoming a better man

Is by living out life as the Bride…

True resolve found in the love of Another

 Say hello to the married life.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Like It Or Not...

Whether you like it or not

This life is not all about you
It doesn't matter how much money you’ve got
Or all the chicks that are on your jock, dude
And it doesn’t matter
If you’re “stackin’ that paper to the ceilin'”
Because when they put you in that pine box
That's the beginning of your end, see
Or better yet
Let's just call it the next verse
You’ll be crossed over like John Edward
When they put you in that hearse
And now they’re singin’ sad songs
Thought you'd be dead and gone
But you can’t ever die dead enough
Because eternity is just way too long

So whether you like it or not
I’ve gotta spit some of this truth to you:
You really don’t think those dollars gonna mean a thing
When it comes to your end, do you?

Like PRo said:
"This is court, but your money matters hardly;
You can ball, but never get a trophy, similar to Barkley."

Man, if you that’s a real hard way to speak
It‘s nothing compared to hard words
When the Lord is speaking from the Judgment Seat
Life after death was no “Biggie”
Until He opened the Book of Life and took a spiritual audit
Now you’re “Leo DiCaprio”; so say hello to the duly departed

Matthew 7:21-23, 16:26, 25:31-46; Luke 12:16-21; Philippians 3:8; Hebrews 9:27-28; Revelation 20:11-15

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Evangel-Lies: Prophets of Profit

This is the sort of thing that makes me physically ill...the sort of thing that gets exported from America as "Gospel" (not all of the time, but unfortunately it is the majority report). Men like this turn the truth of God into a spectacle for their own gain, and never blink twice. Remember that Jesus saves FROM the "American Dream". In the words of Lecrae: "God is the Gospel, not a new Bentley..."
Nigerian Fake Pastors and Church Business Exposed from Maku Zikya on Vimeo.

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

All By Myself (An Honest Assesment)

By myself, I'm nothing more than a spiritual fool; feeding on opiates and anything else I can use to quell the stir of echoes that I hear in my head...whatever I can use to convince myself that I'm not dead.

Dead to the world; sleepwalk it off. I lose myself in every moment -- never do what I ought. Since no conscience abides, I lay law to the side. Now the throttle's wide open for one hell of a ride...

Because who needs brakes when you've got a wall? No guts, no glory. Which way does Niagra fall? In a barrel with no hesitation...I'm not just looking to make name, but to be the main presentation...

ALL BY MYSELF -- a vain beast in the kingdom of animals; food, sex and shelter is all I wanna get a handle on. All the rest is gone -- succor for the masses that need faith, hope, love...and green lawns.

Psalm 14:1; Proverbs 24:16, 27:20; Romans 1:18-25 

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Silencing the Haters; Silencing the Devil...

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 ESV)

www.p4cm.com

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

For the Beauty of The Earth: A Thanksgiving of First Importance

Today, I would normally be telling you all of the people, things, and places for which I am thankful...

But thanks to Francis Chan, that won't be happening...sort of.

You see, I began reading his book, Crazy Love, this week. In the first chapter, Chan says that where we should began is to stop praying. In other words, stop talking at God and see him for who he really is as he has revealed himself through the created order of the universe (Romans 1:20). I began to think on this quite a bit. Then I ran across this passage:

"Or what about the simple fact that plants take in carbon dioxide (which is harmful to us) and produce oxygen (which we need to survive)? I'm sure you knew that, but have you ever marveled at it? And these same poison-swallowing, life-giving plants came from tiny seeds that were placed in the dirt...Whatever the reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God's art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like." (Psalm 19:1-4)

Never would have expected what happened next to happen; I was struck by the profundity of God's act of mercy and redemption via a junior high science lesson. Not only that, but also how little do I truly understand worship. I was given this body as an instrument of worship (Romans 12:1), and yet many times my senses are barely engaged in the endeavor (at least as much as they could or should be). I say all of this because it leads back to gratitude. If I have a low idea about the world around me and what its function and purpose is, then I can almost with absolute certainty guarantee that I'm not going to be able to see the Creator for who he is. Once I had read the statement by Mr. Chan and engaged my whole body in the observation of both images and words, I became so struck with amazement that I made this notation:

"Plants point us to the Savior; the attributes of a merciful God shown through his creation (Isaiah 53:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:21)".

There are so many distractions in life that can cause us to lose our focus. Like crazy kids at Christmas time, we receive gifts only to run off and play while taking for granted the magnitude of the sacrifices that were made in order for us to have said things in the first place. So, my goal is to encourage us all to thank God for the friends and family, our jobs, homes, our health, etc.

But most importantly, we should thank God for Himself. For it is through all of these things that he reveals himself to us (John 1:14; James 1:17; Hebrews 1:1-2).



Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
- Psalm 100

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Q & A: General Revelation/The Substance of Atheism

These two questions are sort of linked together, so I decided to post answers to them at the same time...I'm sure there will be more elaborate post on these at another time. Hope you find these answers helpful. Enjoy!

Q: Why is general revelation insufficient for man's needs?

A: General revelation is able to point us to the fact that there is a God, but lacks the ability to communicate to us what the Lord requires of us. Things such as the knowledge of sin, salvation, repentance, the Gospel; these things can only be known through specific or special revelation as God reveals them to us.  In short, within general revelation we may come to know that God exists, but it is in special revelation that we discover what the Lord requires, the depth of our sins, and how God reconciles us to himself (Romans 1:19-23, 3:9-26).

Q: Is it theologically plausible to argue that there are no real atheists? If so, on what grounds?

A: We would have to say, yes, based on the evidence of Scripture given in Romans 1:21-25:

 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Claiming to be wise, they became fools,  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

 Therefore, the argument can be soundly made that Atheism is really just a delusion of a darkened mind that is bent toward idolatry. They may say that they believe in no god, but in fact are gods unto themselves, or they craft one of their choosing.

 “Atheism is rather in the lip than in the heart of man.”  - Francis Bacon

Hit me up if you have any discussion, questions, or comments.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

What's So Good About Great?!

"Strive for greatness."


That's what I recently saw on a billboard by the freeway. Then, coincidently enough, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine, where he was trying to help me reach my "full potential" with a pep talk that finished with:
"You're good. But you don't just wanna be good...be GREAT!"
"Right", I nodded. I don't think that he believed me though, because he looked at me like I was the biggest loser in the world. I think it had to do with the fact that I didn't seem too enthused with the notion of greatness.

The conversation bothered me, and at first, I didn't really know why. Was it because he was simply regurgitating what he had been spoon-fed by someone else? Was it because he sounded like Tony Robbins or Joel Osteen on crack? I just didn't know. I just sat there on his couch, zoned out for the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out why I was stewing over this. However, as I was driving home later, it hit me;I don't want to be great. Color me an under-achiever, but it's true. I'm not built for it...

I also started to notice how things change as we get older. Think back to when you were a kid. Everyday before you left the house, got on the bus, or got out of the car to go to school, you always heard the phrase, "Be good", or "Have a good day". But, somewhere along the way, good just wasn't good enough anymore. We treat goodness like old clothes that we've outgrown. But, truth be told, I believe that the shift from good to great is due largely in part to what we began to realize as we age; and that is that it is much easier to attain a high level of "greatness" (in a human sense) than it is to achieve the smallest amount of true goodness. From Samson, to David, to our modern day heroes; most individuals that we consider great at something, are usually extremely flawed. When it comes to good, we have to severely lower our standards of what that means to even put it in the same sentence with another human being. I remember a time when I was watching a prison documentary. They were talking to an inmate on death row who had killed his mother and step father in cold blood, but he still considered himself to be "basically, a good person". Yet, even though we lower the bar, the standard remains the same (Matthew 7:11). For us, we use greatness as a cover for our lack of goodness. You can be a great lover, a great athlete, a great teacher, great communicator, great leader, or even all of these great things combined, and still not be a good person. Examine for yourself: How many times have you seen or heard about someone who was "great" at something, yet they weren't a good family man/woman? How many times have we seen great athletes commit some of the most detestable acts, only to have our history books, memories, and legal systems let them off the hook? We have done this for so long that we are now beginning to think that the two words are synonymous, but a quick look at a dictionary will prove that to be very wrong.

The reality is, there is only One who is great (Isaiah 40:9-26). He is great because he is truly good (James 1:17). And while he doesn't share his greatness with anyone, he bestows his goodness on us all, even those who don't care for him (Matt. 5:45; Luke 6:35; Romans 5:6-11; 2 Cor. 5:21). This is the best news of all, because if you're like me, you probably realize by now that no matter how good you try to be, you just can't be "good enough" (Rom. 3:11-12, 21-26). So the real question is, why aim for something I can never be when I can't even attain what I was meant to be (Genesis 1:31)?!

So, I don't strive for greatness, but for gratefulness. I don't need to be great...I need to be good. For that, I need GRACE! (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 1 Timothy 1:12-17)

If I'm good, I'm straight. That's what is truly great (Philippians1:6)...

"Nobody knows how bad they are until they have tried very hard to be good." - C.S. Lewis





Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

"Upon This Block I Will Build My Church...?" (The Church From A Distance)

Late last week, I was driving along on the way back home from where I work.  Maybe it was something in the air that day, or maybe it was something that I ate -- but as I drove, I started to notice something that I probably should have noticed before:

I noticed that the closer and closer I got to my home, the more and more churches I began to see.  All kinds; and not little ones either.  I wouldn't say they ALL fit into the "Mega-Church" category, but let's just say that you wouldn't be hurting for leg room in one of these structures.

Now at this point, you're probably thinking, "Wow.  So What?".  Well, here's the "what "-- I work in an area of Houston, Texas that is a low-income, high crime, "minority"-based area (or what would commonly be known as, "the hood" or "the ghetto").  But I live in a sprawling, middle to high-income, predominantly Caucasian (which I am not, by the way) area, roughly 25 minutes away.  Something in me sparked and I asked the question to myself, "Why are there so many more churches being built in the suburbs than there are in the city (or more particularly, the inner-city)?"

As Tim Keller points out in his latest series, Gospel in Life, the city is where cultures, ideas and people merge.  In other words, it is where you will undoubtedly find the greatest cross-section of people.  So why is it that the churches seem to be running away from this?  Is this not exactly where you would want to be?  So what's the problem?!  Why are churches in "the hood" so scarce when the area is so densely populated?

Answer: I propose that it is because we think to small.  We have a microscopic view of a telescopic expansion. It appears that too many ideas that are not based on Scripture have crept in  and made a home hearts and minds of many on the topic of  "Church Growth".  No matter how big the building, the Church itself becomes too "small".

Small Demographic
Most churches nowadays spend a whole lot of time trying to find a niche' audience.  This process helps to breed what I would term as a "country club" mentality; only certain types of people can get in and/or are accepted.  You have to look the part and sound the part, or else you can't take part.

Small Evangelism

Due to the fact that you only focus on a certain group of people who meet specific criterion, the act of evangelism begins to go the way of the Do-Do bird.  Since your main attraction is ultimately looking the part and sounding a certain way, then there is really no need to go into the "gory details" (sin, repentance, salvation, atonement, Jesus, etc.) of the Gospel.  Robust salvation in Christ is in danger of becoming easy-believer theology at this point.

Small Preaching

This is where everyone begins to operate on assumption.  "Since they're here they obviously believe", so the need for the preacher to dig his heels in and give doctrinal teaching and preaching becomes unnecessary because everyone's "been there and done that".  The "gospel" that is delivered is most often downgraded to the felt needs of the particular group. (i.e. Movie sermons, political preaching, etc.)

The Cause

You may be wondering what could cause such a mentality to creep in and begin to contaminate the sweetness and beauty that is the True Gospel?  First and foremost, it's fear.  I remember a time at a church that I was attending where the life within that small community was vibrant and full of eagerness to hear the Word.  Bible studies there were always engaging and sound.  But when it came time to go "across the tracks" and promote VBS and witness in a less than desirable neighborhood, you would be hard pressed to have anyone show up.  When the few of us (about 10) that went showed up on site to go to work, we were told in no uncertain terms by an officer that it was indeed a rough area to be in and there was the possibility for harm.  After this announcement, some of the workers opted to wait by their cars.  Then, there were five.

I give this illustration not to criticize, but to show just how powerful a tool fear can be for the Devil to use to lull us back into our comfort zone.  After all, is this not what he did to Jesus when he was in the wilderness?  The Enemy wants us to take every opportunity to circumvent peril and discomfort, no matter how big or how small.  The smaller we are willing to go to achieve comfort, the harder it will be to shake us out of our complacency to reach those who are not like ourselves.  In other words, it becomes easier to become a racist or an elitist under the guise of Christianity, rather than love those who Jesus loves.  Don't believe me?  Then how do you explain the Ku Klux Klan or Black Liberation Theology?

The Cure

Here in the United States, even though we will claim to have made progress by leaps and bounds in the area of race relations, Sunday mornings are still one of the most segregated times of the week.  Well, it doesn't have to be this way.  We need to return to the source of the Scriptures; where we learn that God is no respecter of persons, status, or wealth.  We see in the writings of Paul that more often than not, God chooses the low, the downtrodden and weak, to confound our silly preconceived notions.  The Gospel is not to be discriminatory, but promiscuous in the nature of how it is to be shared.  My prayer is that the Lord would give us new eyes and a new vision of the His Church -- that we would see it through His eyes. The Church of Jesus Christ is not to be a building of bricks and wood, but living stones -- the people themselves.  I've said before and I'll say it again:

People, not a place, do the Church make.

It's not built on my "kind", my country, my hood, or my block.  It's built on the Rock.  The World is our neighborhood.  Therefore, the Church is bigger than we think...where everyone is welcome.

And they sang a new song, saying, 
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,

 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”  - Revelation 5:9-10


Study References:

Matthew 16:18, 28:19;  John 6:37, 7:24, 17:15-21;  1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 1 Peter 2:5;  1 John 2:2


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Less Religion Means More Government

by Anthony B. Bradley Ph.D.

 Soviet communism adopted Karl Marx’s teaching that religion was the "opiate of the masses" and launched a campaign of bloody religious persecution. Marx was misguided about the role of religion but years later many communists became aware that turning people away from religious life increases dependence on government to address life’s problems. The history of government coercion that comes from turning from religion to government makes a new study suggesting a national decline in religious life particularly alarming to those concerned about individual freedom.
 The American Religious Identification Survey, published by Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., reports that we should expect one in five Americans to identify themselves as having no religious commitments by 2030. The study, titled “American Nones: The Profile of the No Religion Population,” reports that Americans professing no religion, or Nones, have become more mainstream and similar to the general public in marital status, education, racial and ethnic makeup and income. The Nones have increased from 8.1 percent of the U.S. adult population in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008.
 According to the study, 22 percent of American 18 to 29-year-olds now self-identify as Nones. For those promoting dependency on government to handle the challenges of everyday life, as well as those who wish to take advantage of a growing market for morally bankrupt products and services, the news of declining religious life is welcome.

The increase in non-religious identification among younger generations highlights a continued shift away from active participation in one of the key social institutions that shaped this country. It may also come as no surprise, then, that according to the research firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, voters under 30 are more liberal than all other generations. When asked about their ideology, 27 percent of those under 30 identify themselves as liberal, compared to 19 percent of baby boomers, and 17 percent of seniors. Pragmatic utilitarianism, favorable views toward a larger role for government in helping the disadvantaged, and a lack of ethical norms characterize this young segment America’s population.

The most significant difference between the religious and non-religious populations is gender. Whereas 19 percent of American men are Nones only 12 percent of American women are. The gender ratio among Nones is 60 males for every 40 females.

The marketplace and society in general will both reap the consequences of high numbers of male Nones. If more and more men are abandoning the religious communities that have provided solid moral formation for thousands of years, we should not be surprised by an increase in the explosion of demand for morally reprehensible products as well as the family breakdown that follows closely behind. With consciences formed by utility, pragmatism, and sensuality, instead of virtue, we should expect to find a culture with even more women subjected to the dehumanization of strip clubs, more misogynistic rap music, more adultery and divorce, more broken sexuality, more fatherlessness, more corruption in government and business, more individualism, and more loneliness.

Alexis de Tocqueville cautioned in his 1835 reflections on Democracy in America, that the pursuit of liberty without religion hurts society because it “tends to isolate [people] from one another, to concentrate every man's attention upon himself; and it lays open the soul to an inordinate love of material gratification.” In fact, Tocqueville says, “the main business of religions is to purify, control, and restrain that excessive and exclusive taste for well-being which men acquire in times of equality.” Religion makes us other-regarding.

Historically, religious communities in the United States addressed the needs of local communities in way that were clearly outside the scope of government. For example, as David G. Dalin writes in “The Jewish War on Poverty,” between the 1820s and the Civil War, Jews laid the foundation for many charitable institutions outside the synagogue including a network of orphanages, fraternal lodges, hospitals, retirement homes, settlement houses, free-loan associations, and vocational training schools. These were also normative activities for both Protestant and Catholic religious communities on even a larger scale in communities all over America before Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

The reported decline in religious life is an omen that virtue-driven local charity will decline, the passion to pursue the good will wane, and Americans will look to government to guide, protect, and provide. As we turn our lives over to government control, our capacity for independent thought and action are compromised. The real “opiate of the masses,” it would seem, is not religion but the lack of it.

via acton.org


Ideas have consequences. This is a notion that needs to be heavily considered here.

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Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Sermon of the Week: Contextualizing Suffering Through the Knowledge of Christ

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

“You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy.” - John Calvin

Our Featured Sermon     Contextualizing sufferingKen Jones | Sunday Service

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Evangel Lies: Sufferers Need Not Apply!

Pat Robertson has done it again...unfortunately.
He stated earlier this week that the occurrence of the tragic earthquake in Haiti was due to the fact that they are an evil people ("making a pact with the Devil"), deserving of such an event.

I'm no history major, but I'm almost certain that that's not quite the way it went down. Also, he is trying to say that the other half of Hispanola is better off than the Haitians because it didn't suffer from the earthquake. Once again, Robertson has spoken in places where God has not, and in doing so has failed to rightly divide the Word of Truth in a time where it is most needed. We as Christians should not kick those who are down, but instead use the tragedies that occur in a fallen world as a means of grace to bring them the Good News of the Gospel. All of our care, aid and money should always be front loaded with our own familiar dealings with suffering - which Christians also endure (Hebrews 10:32-36); showing them how the redemption from brokenness of sin only wrought through the person and work of Christ. We shouldn't listen to Pat, but to the Word of God. Tragedy is indeed tragedy, but the hope above all of that is that Christ is indeed Christ. And since he overcame suffering and death, so shall all those who believe in him (Psalm 79:11; Isaiah 53:5; Romans 1:18, 3:23, 8:18-25; Luke 13:1-5; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18; Philippians 4:11-13; James 1:2-4; Revelation 6:9-11, 21:5).
Whether recessions,earthquakes and everything in between...the answer remains the same.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Jesus Wants The Rose!: The Gospel v. Religion

It's been about a month since Matt Chandler's surgery...I'm praying that the Lord will continue to be with him in his recovery.
Here he is, at a Desiring God Conference from last year, sharing what the difference is between the Gospel of Christ and mere inoculated, religious language. We see and hear from the example given here that sometimes we allow our silly myths and vain philosophies to get in the way of what Christ actually says that we are to be in the world - In it and not of it (John 17:15). All too often, there is the temptation to withdraw ourselves from sinners, which leads us in to sin as well (Galatians 2:11-14). My prayer is this - may we all be convicted, challenged to have a more Christocentric gospel that will lead others with the help of God's grace to Jesus also (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Romans5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via web from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Bless the Mother of Jesus, but Mainly Be the Mother of Jesus: John Piper on the Veneration of Mary

This is from today's Desiring God post :

The veneration given to Mary in the Roman Catholic church is beyond what is warranted by the New Testament. In fact, it is astonishing how little we see of Mary in the New Testament. Let us honor her unique motherhood. Let us count her blessed as the mother of our incarnate Lord. But let us not put her on a pedestal that neither she nor Jesus would have approved of.



After she turns up with the disciples praying in the upper room in Acts 1:14, she is never mentioned again in the New Testament. This is astonishing to anyone who thinks that the veneration of Mary was an essential part of early church life. It was not important enough to be mentioned in any of the New Testament books after Acts...

Read the rest of the article.

Ask Pastor John - Live!!

Great questions. Great answers. Great Pastor. Check it out here.

Labor of Love

Just wanted to take some time out on this day to wish you all a happy Labor Day.  And as we head back into the workforce tomorrow, remember that we work for the greatest Boss in the world...everything is sacred. Do it 'til we're done (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, 9:10; Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:29; 1 Corinthians 10:31, 15:10; Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13; Colossians 3:17, 3:23-24, James 2:14-26).




And here's some Tuesday morning theme music...pick it up here.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

And Now...A Morey Moment: For the Love of God

I must confess something. I love Robert Morey. Some of my friends don't really care for him too much because they say that he's "crazy". I have to agree, but that's the very reason that I love him! He's crazy like a fox...I'm talking "Batman Crazy".

Here he is tackling the topic of the Love of God. Enjoy. I know I did...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Mr. Puritan: Regeneration & Fruit of Faith

Mr. Puritan gives a brief explanation of John 3:1-5...


for further study: John 1:13, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Mark 16:16, Luke 17:20-21, Acts 2:38, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 10:22, John 10:9; 14:6.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon