One last time

I have taken a lot of hits from people about my vote this presidential election. I have had my faith questioned, my intelligence challenged, and have been stereotyped as “falling prey to the lies of the liberal media.” Because of that, I am looking forward to this election being over.

Truth is, I used to be one of those people who said these very things to people. For me, politics was a generator of hatred and anger against people I never met, nor ever wanted to. I remember watching Donald Rumsfeld’s promised “shock and awe” on the big screen projector at my old church back in 2003 and cheering it on with a soda and popcorn in hand. Today, I am ashamed at myself and the amount of pleasure and entertainment I took from watching bombs fall on people’s homes on the other side of the world. It wouldn’t be until years later that the military would fully disclose the number of innocent families destroyed that night.

I used to tell people that I was for an immigration policy that would involve rounding up all illegals and dumping them in the ocean… I was kidding but such a joke came from a dark place deep in my soul. There was a time when I assumed that all Hispanics in my city were criminals and they owed it to people like me to prove otherwise.

There was a time when the ONLY issue that mattered to me was abortion. Not because I believed in my heart that only God can take a life, but because I could not stand the type of people who were for it… hippies, gays, just sinners in general. Basically, all the people Jesus tells us to love… I know, right? Back then, abortion was purely a political issue for me and not a problem that desperately needed a solution.

Not too long ago in my adult life, I used words like “socialism” and “liberal” like they were 4-letter word insults. I used to genuinely believe that democracy was God’s chosen form of goverment and anything else was evil. Seriously.

But that WAS me. I changed. God changed me.

For me, God breaking my heart meant a change in opinion with regards to American politics. That is not to say that people who have differing opinions from mine now are wrong or somehow not on a journey with Christ… that is just what it meant for me. I know lots of people from the Right, who I respect as people of faith who truly love God.

The opinions I have about politics are just that, opinions. None of them are final and most of them are a work in progress. As humans, we are not justified by how we vote, instead we are saved only by God’s grace and His love for us.

Senator Obama addressed the “abortion issue” during the debate the other night. For most of his response I cringed and argued with my wife. (long story) But at the end of his rehearsed answer, he added this which seemed to me, to be from his heart:

“Abortion is always a tragic situation, and we should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred … and providing options for adoption and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby. … Nobody is pro-abortion. … We should try to reduce these circumstances.”

Does anyone disagree with that statement? I know that reasonable, cool-headed people on both sides of the abortion debate can agree that given the current state of American politics and legalities, abortion is not going to completely go away any time soon. With that in mind, I pray that a day will come when such people can sit down and work on practical, tangible steps to limit the number of unintended pregnancies and decrease the number of aborted babies.

Up until now, the abortion debate has been so passionate and emotionally charged, that the two opposing sides refuse to speak to each other or an “I’m going to take my ball and go home” policy has been invoked. This will not solve anything and given that abortion is currently legal in the U.S. it certainly won’t bring it to an end.

I know Obama is pro-choice. But this is the first time since I have been interested in politics that a liberal, pro-choice senator seems apologetic and willing to put a somber, spiritual take on abortion… during a presidential debate no less! As Christians who are TRULY pro-life (ONLY God can take a life), we should jump at the opportunity to at least, in the meantime, work with those 4 letter-words (liberals…gasp!) and try to limit the number of abortions taking place. This by no means is ideal and a permanent solution, but at least it is a step in the right direction. If zero is what we are aiming for, and 1.25 million is where we are, than the next logical step is to do what we can to shrink this number.

This post comes from a man whose heart is broken by staggering statistics of death and destruction and who feels helpless to do anything about it.

The Lord’s army

Am I understanding this correctly? We might actually be electing a person to be a breath away from being the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most-powerful military who thinks that the war in Iraq is “God’s plan”?! I am all for praying for our leaders and our military personnel, but as a one who worships a sovereign God, I get defensive when we equate our nation’s war with a “task that is from God.” (3:50)

This is just my humble opinion and I am not trying to “play God.” If you interperet her words differently, please post your comments and do it without attacking me personally and don’t do it annoymously with fake @live.com email addresses (Yanni & Greg Azul).

Sermon on the Mount thoughts

Lately, I’ve been teaching on and studying the famous Sermon on the Mount this last month or so for our Jesus series in student ministries… along with the Jesus for President in bigchurch. I have never wrestled with, struggled over, and learned as much from this part of the New Testament ever before. I want to share with you my bullet thoughts:

• -All things considered, Jesus is easily the most political figure ever.
• -At times, Jesus teaches with a mathematical pentameter… Five, six, seven, eight, “You have heard it said BLANK but I tell you BLANK.” Its soothing… like a lullabye.
• -The type of holiness Jesus is calling listeners to is impossible for man to achieve (never think hateful thought, don’t lust) which just reaffirms that He was actually talking about much more than rules.
• -To truly think about the better way of living that Jesus is talking about is a thing of beauty. What would that look like for MY life?
• -He loves us. His ministry on earth, His words, His actions, show His insane love for us.
• -He was truly a candidate of change… to the point that the true change He was speaking of was ONLY made possible with His death and resurrection. Try that on for size, Obama and McPalin.
• -Finally and thanks to my buddy Matt… what rules/box/restrictions have I put on my faith? In living with other humans, the question should NOT be “Are you saved?” but instead, “Are you loved by God?” The answer for every human is, “YES!” God loves everyone. Matt posed me this question, “You love your boys, right?… is there ANYTHING they could EVER do to make you want them to spend the rest of their lives in torment and away from you?” No.

If you haven’t in a while, you should read the sermon that was delivered on a mountainside 2,000 years ago.

Evangelizing Islam

HT to my mom on this.

You have probably never heard of Father Zakaria Botros.

But you need to know his story. He is far and away the most-watched and most-effective Arab-American evangelist focused on reaching the Muslim world, and by far the most controversial. The Rush Limbaugh of the Revivalists, he is funny, feisty, brilliant, opinionated, and provocative. But rather than preaching the gospel of conservatism, he is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And his enemies do not simply want to silence him. They want to assassinate him.

Last week, I had the honor of interviewing Botros by phone from a secure, undisclosed location in the United States, where he now resides. He told me that he had just learned that an al Qaeda website had posted his photograph and named him one of the “most wanted” infidels in the world. The Radicals have even put a bounty on his head. The Christian Broadcasting Network reported the figure was as high as $60 million. Botros does not know for certain. But just to put that in context, the U.S. bounty on Osama bin Laden’s head is “only” $25 million.

Why are the Radicals so enraged by an elderly Coptic priest from Egypt who is in his 70s? Because Botros is waging an air war against them, and he is winning.

Using state-of-the art satellite technology to bypass the efforts of Islamic governments to keep the gospel out of their countries, Botros is directly challenging the claims of Muhammad to be a prophet, and the claims of the Qu’ran to be God’s word. He systematically deconstructs Muhammad’s life, story by story, pointing out character flaws and sinful behavior. He carefully deconstructs the Qu’ran, verse by verse, citing contradictions and inconsistencies. And not only does he explain without apology what he believes is wrong with Islam, he goes on to teach Muslims from the Bible why Jesus loves them and why is so ready to forgive them and adopt them into His family, no matter who they are or what they have done.

Read the rest at Joel Rosenberg’s blog…

Rethynking: Youth Ministry

I am proud of my profession. By profession, I mean “that which I do to make money” and I take pride in it. I am professional youth pastor. A shaper of young souls. A spiritual guide for the spiritually newborn. A Theology 101 professor. A tried and true, pal and a confidant… (ok, so that last one was from Golden Girls). The thing is, my profession has never been considered just that, a profession. Its always been void of any credit, any professionalism, and any prestige. Think Jewish carpenter. Read more