You Will Have Trouble

A new episode of Untangled is up! Loren sharing about his difficult week due to tensions in relationships and dealing with his own humanity sparks a good conversation with David about the troubles we face in this world. Jesus did say we will have trouble in this world. That’s a verse we usually would prefer to skim over but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s reality. David and Loren discuss the propensity of us humans to look for what we or others have done to deserve the hardships of life. In spite of Jesus’ words on the matter, we often still hold to a view in line with the Old Covenant that God operates in a system in which we earn blessings and deserve curses.

Stop Ruining Movies for Your Friends!

After waiting months for the new Star Wars movie and doing her best to avoid spoilers, today my
daughter went online and was reading comments to a Youtube video she follows when, sure enough, some jerk revealed a major spoiler. A significant plot point was ruined for her. Avoiding plot points is a major challenge these days with the presence of social media. I remember when The Empire Strikes Back came out I couldn't see the movie for nearly two months after its release. And guess what? I was SHOCKED to learn that Vader was Luke's father!  That's right, back in 1981 folks were much better at keeping their mouths shut. Without social media you didn't have the jerks running ramped who just can't stand being silent when they know something you don't. But sometimes we can be the ones who ruin a movie for somebody else without intentionally doing so. Well meaning friends just making a nice post about a movie or TV show on Facebook have been known to destroy my viewing experience before I've had the pleasure of sitting down to watch the movie or show.  This is the exact reason I'm signing off of Facebook for the next few days until I've seen the new Star Wars.

People may be thinking, "What's the big deal. It's just a movie." Okay. go tell some football fans or basketball fans how their game ends before they've seen it and see how they react.  "What's the big deal?  It's only a game!"  What you don't understand is some of us are true movie buffs. We actually view movies and story telling (like in good TV shows) as an art. Just like the sports fan likes to enjoy the game and analyze what is happening, we're no different.

So I'd like to lay out some ways the casual movie and TV show viewer can avoid spoiling things for others. Hopefully this will show you how you're ruining the experience for others although that is not your intent.  These are the rules my family follows when we see a movie. I call these "The Rosser Rules of Viewing."

1. After seeing the movie DO NOT SAY A WORD ABOUT IT when you're leaving the theater until you are sitting in your car. People heading into the theater may overhear your comments. Star Trek Generations was ruined for me after standing in line for an hour waiting to enter the theater because one person exiting the theater turned to his friend and said, "I can't believe Kirk died!"  Thanks dude!

2. If you're going to post about it on social media ONLY state your short simple opinion then shut up.  That means acceptable comments are statements like, "It was good."  "I hated it."  "It was slow." "Exciting!"

3. Avoid observations that can cause the viewer to know something is going to happen in advance. This is the way well intentioned viewers ruin movies and shows more than any other. Statements like these are NOT acceptable:

"It has a surprise ending!" or "There's a twist!" You just told me to look for the unexpected so now it is no long unexpected. I had a Beautiful Mind ruined for me because of this statement. I figured out the twist a third of the way into the movie simply because I knew there would be one.

"It's really sad."  RUINED!  One of the main characters is going to die. If there's a dog in the movie it's going to die. If their is a fawn in the movie his mother is going to die. You get the point.  Use the word "emotional" instead of "sad" when describing the movie.

4. Do not exclaim things about characters on social media.  Typing, "Oh no Luke!" is not expectable. You just told me something bad is going to happen to this character.  Now I'm watching and ready for it.  I had a significant episode of "The Walking Dead" ruined for me because somebody exclaimed on Facebook while watching the show, "OH NO (insert character's name) !!!" Well, no rush to play that episode.

5. Use realistic time frames before making statements.  For TV shows say nothing about an episode for at least three days. We don't live in a 9 to 5 world anymore. Give people time to catch up on their favorite programs.  For movies, you really should say nothing until it has been on DVD for at least one month.

If you follow these rules your friends are certain to not have their movie and TV viewing experiences ruined.






 

Child Like

FINALLY! A new episode of Untangled is up! We often are reminded of Jesus' words to be like children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. People have used that scripture to come against Bible scholarship or to perpetuate spiritual immaturity. But Jesus didn't say "be CHILDISH" rather He said to be "CHILD LIKE." This is what Loren and David discuss in this podcast.

Prince of Peace

A new episode of Untangled is finally up! In what is probably Loren's most controversial podcast, he examines the two faced god of love and hate, peace and violence that is embraced by American evangelical Christianity and contrasts that with the God Jesus revealed to us.

Correction

A new episode of "Untangled" is up! Many times when strong words are spoken against the status quo people respond by saying, "Can't we all get along?" Correction is viewed as being unchrist like and bad PR for the church. Loren and David discuss that this is actually a very unhealthy view of God. God being a loving Father corrects. For Him not to do so would be to not love. But we live in such a relationally dysfunctional society that many can't see the heart behind Father's correction and don't understand that love will not turn a blind eye to things that are dangerous or damaging. 

Free to be Human

This week's episode of Untangled is up! Religion teaches people to despise their humanity. Yet, Jesus fully embraced his humanity. He showed us what it is to be fully human - who we were meant to be from the beginning. Of course this caused him to be hated by the religious crowd. Some things never change. We were created as humans because God wants delights in our humanity. This is what Loren and David discuss in this freeing episode.

God Thoughts from the Man Cave

Here it is! The first video in my new series, "God Thoughts from the Man Cave." The topic of this one is "God is Love."

Living Freely and Lightly

Jesus invites us to live in his rest, free of heavy burdens and that which doesn't fit us. Sadly, few find the narrow road that leads to the broad place of freedom. In this podcast Loren talks about how the church is alive and well as she is listening to the voice of her shepherd. He also discusses various sufferings many are facing right now on their journey and offers words of encouragement to carry on.

Christian Stockholm Syndrome

What happens when you believe in an all powerful God who strips you of your identity, motivates you by fear and threats of eternal torture, and then out of "kindness" spares you? You end up with Christian Stockholm Syndrome. You become a captive who develops positive feelings for your captor because his lack of abuse is perceived as an act of kindness. Any moron can tell you a relationship based in fear is anything but healthy. Do we really think the author of relationships utilizes fear to win our affections? This is what David and Loren discuss in this controversial podcast.

Are You Ready For The End of the World?

Have you heard? Today is the end of the world! It’s the day of the super blood moon eclipse. Some popular Christian “leaders” have been saying that this is it, the end of the world. I posted this on Facebook today:

“I'd like to wish all my friends who believe this super moon eclipse is the sign of the end a happy end of the world. You can tell me all about it tomorrow at work.”

I’m sure for most of you reading this the day has already come and gone with no significant events other than a pretty cool lunar display and the pope visiting Philadelphia. (Somehow I don’t think that’s what Christians meant when they said this will be the day of his return.”) Of course many of the responses to my Facebook post were hilarious, saying things like, “Wear clean underwear!” and “The survivors can feast on my left over canned goods from ‘Y2K.’” But a few of them posted by some folks I love and respect caused me to see just how much my views on Christ’s return have shifted over the years. They wrote things like, “And if it is? We are ready!” and “I say bring it!” I totally get where they’re coming from. A decade or so ago I probably would’ve either said something similar or replied with a hardy, “Amen!” But now my first thought was, “Are we really ready? Do we really want to ‘bring it on’?” Allow me to explain why. And it’s not for the reasons most are probably thinking.

When most of us respond that we’re ready for Christ’s return we’re thinking about our own spiritual condition.  More specifically, we see ourselves as ready for Jesus to come back because we believe in Him. So when I ponder whether we’re ready most immediately assume I think most Christians don’t really believe in Jesus or are living in immorality. But those aren’t the reasons I don’t believe we’re ready.

Dr.Stephen Crosby often points out that the individualistic western mentality of which most of us are so accustomed was completely foreign to the first century Middle Eastern world in which Jesus lived. They lived in a dyadic culture in which one received his/her identity through the group. As Crosby put it, “Our sense of being comes from ‘I think therefore I am.' Theirs was: ‘I am, because the group (the other) says so.’” This is one of the reasons the letters written by the early apostles often end up being so terribly misinterpreted. They’d make statements that we interpret and apply to ourselves individually while they were thinking of the group. For example, look at 1 Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Today in the West we interpret that as, “I’m a chosen person. I’m a royal priest. I’m a citizen of a holy nation.” Although there is truth to that, the writer’s intent based on their culture and world view was a plural “you.” You, the group, are chosen. You, the group, form a holy priesthood. You are a holy race of people (like the Jews in the Old Testament). So when Jesus and the writers of the New Testament spoke about being ready for His return they weren’t talking about us individually. “Go get Jesus in your heart and live a good life!” They were talking about US as a group, His church, His body, being ready.

Revelation speaks of the bride having made herself ready and being beautifully dressed. Who is the bride of Christ? Just you? Just me? Just a bunch of individuals doing their own thing? Of course not! It’s His entire church, all who follow Christ. Do you still think we’re ready? Are you still set to “Bring it on!”? Do you think the church is done making herself ready for His return?

Just the fact that many good hearted believers tremble in fear at the very thought of Christ’s return reveals we’re not ready. Darin Hufford, author of The Misunderstood God, asked how would you feel as a groom showing up to marry your bride only to find her cowering in the corner terrified of you? That’s a bride who is not ready.  She doesn’t even know the heart of her lover. Do we think Jesus is going to show up for a bride that feels that way about Him? He’s coming for a bride who is going to run into the arms of her lover. She’ll be like most brides are on their wedding day: bursting at the seams with joy, excitement, and stomachs full of butterflies.

The church has a long way yet to go. We are not yet ready my brothers and sisters. We’re getting there, but we aren’t there yet. And this is not a message of condemnation. I’m saying it’s time we drop the “I’ll fly away oh glory” nonsense and start thinking like King David preparing to build the temple – long term!  This isn’t a “are you going to heaven or hell?” issue. It’s a “are you living for the Kingdom?” issue. That’s just it. For too long has this, “I-got-Jesus-in-my-heart-unlike-those-unbelieving-jerks-who-are-ruining-my-comfort-zone-get-me-out-of-here-now!” attitude has prevailed in the church. It’s time to knock it off and grow up! Many Christians look like workers sitting around a construction site doing nothing hoping the whistle will blow to go home before they have to pick up a hammer. King David knew the construction of the temple wasn’t going to happen under his watch. So he spent much of his time and energy making preparations so that his son Solomon would have everything he needed to get the job done.

It’s time to stop selfishly looking at ourselves and start thinking of the generations to come. What tools and preparations are we leaving for them? Are we doing our part to beautify the bride? Do we love one another? I don’t just mean being nice on Sundays. Are we making sure none of our brothers or sisters are in need? Do we love the outcasts, the foreigners, and the rejected? Are we feeding the poor and speaking up for the oppressed? Are we taking the lead on these things or constantly lagging behind until the world pressures us to do something? (As has been the norm for the last several decades.) In other words, are we preparing the foundation upon which others will build? I believe THAT is the question that pertains to our generation. It’s not “Were you ready to fly away?” but “Did you leave the next generation the foundation and tools of Christ on which they can build?” Stop thinking like a rapture freak and think like Paul and the other apostles. Labor for those who are yet to come.

Several years ago my wife, Lilly, had a vision. She and I were standing on a dock fishing but we were only catching a few fish. Then she noticed there was a shark in the water that was eating most of the fish. She then saw me grab a knife and dive in and kill the shark. I climbed back on the dock and we returned to fishing. We began to pull in bucket loads of fish. Then her vision changed and we were no longer on the dock.  She saw our daughter standing there fishing and she was catching tons of fish; far more than we did. Father showed us that in her vision the shark was religion. Religion is what has been making the body of Christ so unfruitful. Once religion was slain we began to see amazing productivity and results. But this didn’t end with us. What we accomplished was passed on to the next generation who saw even greater results. This my friends is where I believe we stand as the people of God. We need to stop goofing off and indulging escapist mentalities and start thinking long term and labor for the Kingdom so the next generation has some foot steps to follow; something on which to build.  We have to be the generation that kills that nasty shark of religion that has been doing nothing but stealing from us and rendering us virtually unproductive for centuries. It’s time to take out the knife, and without mercy, slay that foul thing. Let’s clear the waters so the generations to come will see the results in the Kingdom of which we dreamed.

Loren Rosser

Twisted Words

A new episode of "Untangled" is up! "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. " said Inigo Montoya in the movie "The Princess Bride." There are several common words and phrases used often by Christians but the meanings attached to them are a far cry from the New Covenant. This has resulted in paralysis and damage to the Body of Christ. Loren discusses how phrases like, "the presence of God," and "compel them to come in," and words like church, fellowship, and worship, are scriptural but now have meanings attached to them in the minds of most Christians that cause them to miss the boat big time!

The Gatekeepers

A new episode of "Untangled" is up! Much damage has been done to the body of Christ because of the establishment of man-made authority structures that determine who is "worthy" to minister and who isn't. Believers often find themselves jumping through hoops and having to please people in positions of authority in order to be able function in the church. Loren and David discuss how this is a far cry from the way the body of Christ was meant to function. 

The Sin of Sodom

A hard hitting episode of Untangled is up! “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” (Ezek. 16:49 NIV)Hey! That's not what I was taught was the sin of Sodom! That scripture hits way too close to home! David once again joins Loren and the two discuss a hard hitting blog David wrote that boldly confronts the compliancy and misdirection of the church in America today.

The New Testament Prophet: Part 2

Loren continues his discussion with Dr. Steve Crosby about his fantastic new book, “The New Testament Prophet: Understanding the Mind, Temperament, and Calling." What are the struggles and frustrations New Testament prophets deal with? How does God prepare prophets to live and function effectively? Steve points out it's not about one member in the body being better than another, but integration in the body of Christ for the benefit of one another and the world. You can pick up Dr. Crosby's book at

www.stevecrosby.com

The New Testament Prophet: Part 1

A MUST HEAR episode of Untangled is up! What is a New Covenant Prophet? Is there such a thing? Some have been taught that prophets don't exist anymore or that prophecy is the same as teaching. Others have encountered all kinds manipulative, controlling, and cultic practices that have been presented as being prophetic. Loren interviews Dr. Stephen Crosby about his fantastic new book, "The New Testament Prophet: Understanding the Mind, Temperament, and Calling." His book lays out a grace-based and new covenant perspective regarding the function of prophetic ministry in the New Testament era. This isn't a “how to” or “predicting the future” book. Rather, it's about relational wellness and integration AS prophetic people, WITH prophetic people, and AMONG the diversely gifted and configured body of Christ. You can pick up Dr. Crosby's book at www.stevecrosby.com

Predictability: the Killer of Spiritual Growth and Creativity

A new episode of Untangled is up! When people leave systems of religious obligation they often marvel at the rapid spiritual growth that follows. Loren found the explanation of why this is the case from an unlikely place - a video about economic growth. Loren examines how attempts to avoid surprises in the body of Christ stunts spiritual growth and stops creative thinking.

An Appealing Gospel?

A new episode of Untangled is up. Many of us who truly have a revelation of the truth that God is love find ourselves being accused of "trying to make God more appealing to people." Yet, if that is indeed the case, why are so many Christians repulsed by a God of love? Could it be that what is at the heart of the matter is religious people hate seeing the outcasts and sinners freely loved and placed on equal standing with them? This is what Loren and David discuss in the "must hear" episode of Untangled.

Friendship

A new episode of our podcast is up! This time we discuss friendship. Friendship was clearly a big deal to Jesus. He even called his disciples friends. Today words like "family" and "friends" are constantly tossed around the body of Christ, yet sadly, many discover after belonging to a congregation for years they really don't have any true friends. Activities, programs, expectations, and performance end up proving not to be the building blocks for genuine friendship. Why is that the case? What can we do to make friends with others? This is what David and Loren discuss on this episode.

Results Oriented

We're back! Believers often measure their effectiveness in the Kingdom of God based on the results they see with their own eyes. People look for things they can measure to determine whether or not they are doing God's work. They look for large crowds, numerous books being sold, popularity, and so forth. But is this what Jesus was talking about when He said that His followers would bear fruit? This is what David and Loren discuss in this episode of Untangled.

Shame, Religion, and the American Dream

The kingdom of God and the American Dream are not one in the same. In fact they are in direct opposition to one another. The American Dream is actually a counterfeit religion that has sunk it’s talons into Christianity and polluted it, turning it into an extension of its self.  Just as the pagan religions of old were established to support the cultures in which they existed, so also has the majority of Christianity in the United States been mutated to undergird the empty philosophies and carnal desires of most Americans. This is predominately seen in the common thread of shame that runs through them.

It may come as a surprise to many reading this that both American Christianity and the American dream are shame based beliefs. When most people hear the word “shame” they usually think of folks beating themselves up and feeling like worms because of their awareness of their wrong behaviors. So the response to this by many Americans attending their nice, cozy, affirming church services and hanging out in their comfy homes is, “I don’t feel any shame!” Some are thinking, “My church makes me feel great! It doesn’t heap any shame on me!” and “What’s wrong with the American Dream?! Look at all I’ve accomplished!”  But what most don’t realize is shame isn’t only manifested by people walking around feeling like guilt ridden scum bags, it is also evident through our attempts to cope with it by masking it through our efforts to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.  To put it bluntly, most Americans, particularly Christians, deal with shame by elevating themselves so that they feel superior to most people around them. Through their efforts, hard work, and moral striving at church and on the job they earn bragging rights over their fellow man because of their achievements.  They push down their shame by comparing themselves to their neighbors and feeling a notch or two superior. 

The sad truth is, most American Christians have not truly embraced the finished work of Jesus on the cross.  They don’t know His incredible love for them and don’t live in the reality of what it is to have had their guilt and shame removed. Every smug look of a Christian at a sinner is evidence that shame is still dominating their lives. Every attitude of superiority toward those following other religions is proof they are still consumed by shame.  Every push to prove another’s politics is inferior to their own is a marker that shame still has a home in their hearts. Every push for more, bigger, better, to be recognized as the best and the most spiritual is powered by shame.  We are so used to being driven by shame in our culture that we’ve even declared such a drive to be a virtue.  Politicians have learned just how deep seated these ideals are in our culture that they even craft their speeches telling stories of how through their own efforts they went from a nothing to a powerful somebody.  Shame powers both American Christianity and the American Dream. They are mutually dependent upon one another and support each other. Both thrive on striving in your own efforts to be better than others.  They exist in securing the bragging rights over others. Whether those bragging rights are that you’ve got the biggest and best house on the block, you’re top dog at the box office, or your church is the most spiritual in the city, it makes no difference.  All are controlled by the same carnal drive and therefore all are of this world. 

American Christianity supports the shame based system of the American Dream because it is the dominating philosophy of our culture and so embracing it helps to fill church pews. If you give people a way to shed their shame (Jesus Christ) they will find liberty and cease their carnal striving. If instead, people keep their shame and you give people a way to mask it you'll secure a congregation, workers, and money.  Embracing the guilt masking competition of the American Dream causes people to labor and donate their financial rewards to your religion.  Religion is all too happy to make those who do so feel good about themselves and shame those who don’t.  This is why American Christianity often ties wealth to spiritual maturity. The American Dream supports its goals and purposes.  Congregations need people to accumulate more but remain under the thumb of their power.  This way they receive the large donations necessary to expand their kingdoms. It is even extremely common to give the wealthy church members important positions within congregations.  And the wealthy, more often than not, being materialistic and having their hearts far from God, want to have their shame appeased, so they gladly jump at the opportunity to feel more spiritual and godly than their fellow man.

There is a reason that Jesus said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.  He wasn’t saying rich people won’t be able to enter heaven.  But he was saying that most rich people are not able to enter the joy and reality of the Kingdom of God now because their wealth and/or accomplishments create an illusion of security and superiority.  Their guilt is continually pacified by the constant “love,” respect, admiration, and attention of others so that the wealthy can’t see their desperate emptiness and misery.  Usually only those who by the grace of God are crushed have their eyes opened to their desperate need for Him, the REAL Jesus, not the pacifying false Jesus of religion.   

See, the real poison of religious Christianity is not in making people feel like failures, but rather in rewarding their successes. Wayne Jacobsen so brilliantly illustrated this in His book “So You Don’t Want to Go TO Church Anymore?” as he described a little girl racking up stars on her Sunday School chart for memorizing Bible verses every week. She was being taught well that God is the great score keeper who pours out His affection upon those who work the hardest.  The god of American Christianity pushes his people to compete with one another and labor hard to truly earn his affection, just as does his brother Uncle Sam.  They call out, “Come work for me and earn your bragging rights so you can mask your shame!”  While the living God, Jesus Christ, calls out, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest!”  The living God doesn’t mask shame, He completely removed at the cross, allowing you to rest from all your striving for significance, love and affection.  In American Christianity and the American Dream everything is earned and your value is based on what you possess.  In Jesus Christ everything pertaining to life and godliness has already been freely given to you and your value is based on who you are...the beloved son/daughter of God.

Worship

We're back!  A new Untangled Podcast is up!  What is worship? Is worship an event we attend? Is it something we do on Sundays to get our "God fix" so we can make it through another week? Is worship how we usher in God's presence? In this podcast Loren and David discuss the beauty and lies surrounding worship.

Worm or Wonderful

A new episode of my podcast "Untangled" is up! "You're just a worthless sinner!" is the way the gospel is often shared. Is that true? How does God view us? How much value does He place on us? And just how finished was Jesus work on the cross when He said, "It is finished!" David and Loren discuss in this podcast God's perspective of us and the only real labor that remains for us to do: to believe Him.  

Tainted Love

Have you ever been to a home and garden Show? They're basically massive sales and marketing events. Businesses set up booths and run all kinds of contests and specials with the hopes that you'll become a client. You're constantly approached by nice people asking you questions like, "How would you like a free vacation to Hawaii?" or "How would you like a patio roof installed for free?" My first thought when I'm approached is, "What are you trying to get from me?" These folks aren't offering these deals out of the goodness of their hearts, they have an agenda. They want me to join their vacation club for $3,000 a year or for me to purchase a $5000 patio roof. As much as I enjoy going to the occasional home and garden show, it's funny, not one time did I ever think to myself, "Wow! These people really love me!"

The sad thing is this is exactly what much of Christian activity done in the name of love looks like to the world. Christians will give away free turkeys for Thanksgiving, hand out free hot dogs and bottled water at parks, shovel snow off driveways and walkways in neighborhoods, and hand out candy and presents for Halloween and Christmas. These are all kind things to do. The problem is most of the time when these things are done it's for the purpose of getting people to visit and hopefully join one's congregation. Just like the merchants at the home and garden show, there is an agenda attached. The kind deed does not stand alone; the doer is after something from the recipient. When the free turkeys, hot dogs, and water bottles are handed out and when those driveways are shoveled you better believe a flyer is handed out with the name of the group responsible along with an address and meeting times. What appeared to be love suddenly just turned out to be nothing more than marketing. It was nothing but a PR campaign done using Jesus' name.  This is why many groups refuse to be a part of anything for which they will not receive the bulk of the credit.  Help another congregation with something they’re doing and receive no recognition? HA!  

See, real love, God's love, comes without an agenda. The moment a flyer or an attempt to get somebody to do something in return is attached to the act of kindness it ceases to be love. Now it's either marketing, or worse, manipulation. Sadly, many Christians are so stuck on following their own agendas and doing their own thing that they have substituted the Holy Spirit with manipulation. They have their thing they want to build, their name they want to get out there, or their organization they want to increase so they're already out of tune with God's heart. And being that God isn't in what they're doing they have to lean on the flesh, their own strength, to achieve their desired results. So they turn to marketing and call it love. But they're just another booth at the home and garden show and those who encounter them are left with a bad taste in their mouth.

Ever wonder why so much of the church in America is powerless? She stopped asking, "Father, what are you doing?" a long time ago. (I don’t think most ever were asking that.) Today, even when congregations do dare to ask Father what He is doing most have drawn up clear boundaries within which He must work. If He moves beyond those boundaries or moves contrary to our plans and agendas we immediately dismiss Him and return to our agendas. Few dare to actually do what He is doing in this hour. So, what do you do when you're not doing what God is doing? First, you make it look like you are. And second, you lean entirely on your own strength to get anything done. You hand out turkeys and hot dogs with flyers.

A true act of kindness is done without blowing a trumpet. Christians sound a trumpet every time they proclaim "Look what my group did for you!" "MY CHURCH gave you that water bottle!" "MY CHURCH shoveled your driveway!" They have their reward right there. The folks saying, "Oh, that's nice." is their reward. Sadly, competition is one of the main motives for kindness we see displayed by congregations today.  They want you to join their group, not that other one.  

Real love comes without a thought or the need to draw attention to one's self. Paul even wrote in 1Corinthians 13 that love does not boast. It doesn't say, "Look what I did!" "Quick! Call the TV station and tell them about the nice thing we're going to be doing this Saturday at 9 AM on Elm Street!" What a nightmare! Paul went on to say love is not self-seeking. It doesn't ponder, "How can we promote ourselves?" "How can we get people to do what we want them to do?" It doesn't use kindness to get something in return. See, genuine love is a reflection of God. But since most Christians think God is a big bragging showman who does stuff to get us to do what He wants, they act this way.

The truth is God is humble. How do I know? Jesus is the exact representation of God and look how He CHOSE to live while He walked among us. He wasn't "God in disguise." He was being who He is. He chose to be with the least in society because that's where He likes to be. He also never gave to get anything from anybody. How many times did Jesus follow up with the people He healed? "Hey Peter, did you get that centurion’s contact information? We’ll probably want to follow up and invite Him to walk around with us once a week after he realizes I healed his daughter." Jesus just gave of Himself and sought nothing in return. He didn't even want people to go around blabbing about the miracles He performed. This is the face of love. This is the love that changes the world.

Genuine love comes without a hook.  This is actually unfamiliar to many Christians because most live in a world built on expectations.  “I’ll do this for you so you’ll do that for me.”  I’ll call you up during the week to see how you’re doing so you’ll come to my Bible Study next Thursday.  I’ll be your friend as long as you keep going to my church.  I’ll volunteer to help with the children so you will make me a Sunday School Teacher next year.  I will be a committed hard worker and agree with everything so you will make me a leader.  Then we dare to turn around and say, “We’re family!”  “We love one another!”  That ain’t love folks!  That is nothing like Jesus. 

There are no hidden motives or angles behind real love.  Real love doesn’t look for anything from another or use others for one’s own advantage.  When we see Jesus for who He truly is and have a revelation of the affection Father has for us we begin to see agendas attached to love as the poisons they truly are.

ISIS, Christians, & America: A Clash of Kingdoms

A new and hard hitting episode of Untangled is up. What should be the Christian response to persecution such as that we've seen dealt out by ISIS? Should Christians take up the sword and fight back? Is America a Christian nation? Should Christians strive to gain political power in nations to steer them in a "Christian" direction? These hot topics are discussed by David and Loren in this timely podcast. You'll want to listen to this one all the way to the end, if you can handle it. We knock over a lot of sacred cows in this one, but not to stir up controversy. In order for the church to grow up, we must embrace the Kingdom of God, not this world. 

What is God doing in 2015?

What is God doing in 2015?

My friend David Fredrickson wrote a blog on this topic recently but I felt like throwing in my

two cents.  Like him, I’m seeing tons of posts and articles from various “prophets” predicting what God is doing this year.  They all pretty much fall into one of three categories: 1. Those who say bad things are coming.  2. Those who say wealth and wonderful things are coming.  3. Those who say bad things are coming to the world but wealth and wonderful things are coming to believers.  So here is my in-depth look at what God is doing in 2015.

 

What is God doing in the government: I don’t know.

What is God doing in the economy: I don’t know. 

What is God doing in Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and Israel:  I don’t know.  

What about A.I.D.S, Ebola, ISIS, terrorism, etc.? I don’t know.

What is God doing in the church?  I think I actually have some insight on this one.

 

I see Him doing three things in this season in the church and always. 

 

First, He is awakening us to His love.  Yes, we all know God loves us…mentally.  We’re supposed to believe that.  It’s Christianity 101.  But the fact is many, many believers don’t truly believe that.  His love has been mixed with obligation and a whole lot of nonsense that is anything but Him.  Love has been treated as merely one of many attributes God has rather than being His defining characteristic. God is opening the eyes of the church to just how much He loves each one of us.  As people are beginning to see that He is indeed an affectionate and loving Father their entire lives are changing.  They’re reading their Bibles differently, praying differently, and living differently.  Many of the beliefs they clung to for years are falling by the wayside as they’ve proven not to line up with what they now understand about their Father’s heart.  For the first time, many are truly enjoying their relationship with their heavenly Father as they are discovering that He is indeed their Abba.

 

Second, the church is discovering the liberty we have in Christ.  This is directly linked to the growing revelation of our Father’s love.  As the many in the Body of Christ are growing in His love they are realizing that much of their activities were rooted in trying make themselves worthy of His love, trying to make Him happy, trying to please Him, and/or trying to remove their guilt.  They were attempting to make themselves feel better about themselves by following rules to gain approval or perform well to be “more spiritual” or “better” than others.  It was all based on being “in” or “out.”  Lines were constantly drawn to determine who’s “in” and who’s “out.”  It was all shame based. 

 

But as the Body of Christ has been discovering how loved they are by their Father their shame has been disappearing and along with it all the drivenness that accompanied their attempts to deal with it.  The need to perform for approval has been fading as they’ve been discovering they’re already accepted by their Father.  The sense of having to add to themselves something that is lacking has been diminishing as many in the body of Christ have been finding they are already complete in Christ.  The church is discovering they’ve been trying to earn points with somebody who is not keeping score.  As believers are growing in the love of their Father they’re also discovering that He doesn’t place burdens on people, rather He removes them.   

 

The bottom line is the truth is setting the church free.  Jesus is the Truth.  And as people are seeing who He is all the religious additions are falling off.  They are discovering they are free indeed and no longer obligated to perform or do anything to prove they are His followers.  The proof is their lives not in religious activities. This is a big reason why many congregations are finding their numbers dwindling.  This is a mark of what God is doing, not Satan.  This doesn’t mean belonging to a congregation is wrong.  To say so would mean the church doesn’t have liberty.  But that’s the point.  Jesus is freeing His people to live in His life and joy.  If attending a congregation builds you up and helps you live in His life and joy, then more power to you!  It’s just for many it does not.  In this season they are discovering they’re free to abandon that which they don’t find life giving.  Many in the church are discovering a new freedom they have never known before.   

 

Third, the church is learning how to love one another.  This builds on the foundation of knowing Father’s love for us and living in His liberty.  As we are growing in His love we can’t help but reflect Him and love others.  And because believers are growing in His liberty they are able to truly love others, free from agendas with hearts to lift their burdens.  The body of Christ is learning the true meaning of words like friendship and family.  Through liberty the expectations we used to place on one another are being removed so we can accept one another as we are, function as we were built to function, and truly be family. It is here where the world will be changed.  As we love one another the world will see we are His and be drawn to Him. 

 

This is what I see Father doing in 2015 and beyond.  For some of those who haven’t yet come to understand the Father’s heart, this season is quite disconcerting.  They’ll continue to throw around words like “heresy” and accuse those who are living in Father’s love of “following the empty philosophies of men.”  But that’s to be expected.  And for those with vested interest in man-made kingdoms this season will be particularly problematic, not because God is “out to get them” but because they’re “kicking against the goads.”  It’s a tough place to live.  Having been there, I actually feel for them.  He’s building His church.  Jesus’ work never goes forth without resistance.  But I think this is such an awesome time to be alive!  The church is finally coming back to what really matters – Him and one another. 

Community

A new episode of Untangled is up! We were created for community. We have within us a God-given desire to connect with others. Many have found that Sunday Morning services don't meet that need. What is genuine community? How do we find it? These are some of the things David and Loren discuss in this podcast.

Done with Church

There is an article titled “The Rise of the 'Done with Church' Population” that has been sweeping across Internet. The writer simply discusses the increasing trend of people who were highly active in church, including leaders, that are exiting and not coming back. Of course, this subject matter is nothing new to me, having tackled it in the four part video series I co-produced with my friends David Fredrickson and Bob Humphrey titled Church Outside the Walls. I can't believe it's been eight years now since we produced the final video in that series and the topic is still completely relevant. In fact, it seems there has been a sudden resurgence of interest in this subject recently. I'd like to put in my two cents about the article. 

 

First of all, let me say, it is well written. I appreciate the author bringing up the subject because I think it's an important one. One thing I really don't like is the author's use of the word “church.” But he is not alone in his usage of the word. When the Bible speaks of church it speaks of those who are called out of this world to follow Christ, period. So how can one be “done with church” unless one is done with Christ? But today, for many, church is a building where one goes to attend meetings. Attending those meeting and being involved in activities held in those locations is viewed by many as being a requirement for those who follow Christ. This concept was completely foreign to the writers of the New Testament, but sadly it is the widely accepted definition of church in our culture today. 

 

My family and I are some of those who could be classified as those who are “done with church.” But I can't tell you how much I hate that phrase. It completely misrepresents the reality in which we live. We are actually not done with church, but chose to embrace it. We stopped attending because we wanted Jesus plus nothing. We grew so frustrated and tired of all the added baggage. 2 Corinthians 11:3 became so real to us. “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (NASB, emphasis added.) We wanted to be able to build genuine relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ but found it was such a challenge to do so with all the meetings and agendas. Most of the things done in those settings became distractions from loving Christ and one another, rather than motivators. We actually left not because we were done with church but because we hungered for the reality of church! 

 

We discovered that you don't find the reality of church by trying to come up with the best way to do church. Rather, we experience the reality of church by growing in relationship with Father and loving others. As we do so, we discover the reality of church springing up all around us. Church is not a program or organization but something we are. You don't need any man-made structures or add-ons to make you more of what you already are. We just need Jesus and some people to love. We truly believe Jesus meant what He said when He stated, “I will build my church.” And we believe His lifestyle while He walked among us showed us everything we need to know about being the church. (How many organizations did Jesus start? How did He live daily?)

 

The writer of the article made this statement:

 

For the church, the phenomenon sets up a growing danger. The very people on whom the church relies for lay leadership, service and financial support are going away. And the problem is compounded by the fact younger people in the next generation, the Millennials, are not lining up to refill the empty pews.  

 

It is so strange that the writer refers to this trend as a “growing danger.” Danger to what? The church of Jesus Christ? So Jesus didn't mean what He said when He stated that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church? The writer sounds as if he thinks Jesus stopped building His church and left it in the hands of humans. Could it be that what is being referred to is not the church Jesus is building but man's? I find it interesting that this statement alone contains the very reasons for which people are leaving. First of all, notice that the writer states that the people who are leaving are those who were relied on for “lay leadership, service, and financial support.” In other words, they were resources to be used to keep the machinery going. Is that really the way God views us? Do we have a loving Father who desires relationship with us or do we serve a user of people who views us as cogs needed to keep organizations running smoothly? Is our purpose to serve organizations or to love and be loved? 

 

Also, the writer uses a phrase that is poison to me and my family, as well as many other who have left; “lay leadership.” I can't tell you how much I despise the word “layman.” Why not just call us “second class citizens?” That phrase is in direct opposition to the priesthood of all believers that is our God-given place clearly taught in the New Testament. That disgusting word strips us of our identity in Christ. It's usage reveals that there are humans who are better and superior to others in the body of Christ. It reveals a belief that there are those who are truly spiritual and those who are just kind of spiritual. I would rather be in a bar full of drunks where I can function in my priestly role of connecting people to God than be in an environment where I am denied my God-given function. Hierarchies and ranks in the body of Christ are a big reason why people like me have left. I venture to say the only danger that exists in people leaving is to those who have vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

 

The writer goes on to state that it would be “better for churches to focus on not losing people in the first place.” But there is a problem with that mindset. What if God is leading them out the door? Isn't it kind of a bold assumption to think that people are supposed to remain in that environment? That it's a requirement? Do seasons never change? If God is the One leading them out are you going to position yourself between Him and them? Is there some kind of secret code you're supposed to crack to keep people hanging around? And don't you find it the least bit strange that when they stop attending your services you view them as gone? Think hard about that one. When I grew up and moved out of my parents' house they didn't by any means view my relationship with them as being done. When friends of mine moved to other locations my relationship with them didn't end. So, why is it when somebody stops attending your services you view the relationship as done? This reveals something very ugly. There really was no genuine relationship. The relationship was entirely based on expectations. You were in relationship as long as they did what you wanted them to be doing. When they stopped, so did the relationship. Guess what? That's not love. I don't care how many times you say in your service “We're family!” the reality is you're not. That's not how families function. And did it ever occur to you that the very reason they walked out that door was they sensed this? Something deep within them was telling them they were living in a fake environment where words like “love,” “family,” and “relationship,” are tossed around but not lived. 

 

Let me say bluntly, I do not believe people who are done with “church” are better than those who still attend. I also don't believe there aren't godly people who are desperately in love with Jesus in those environments. But why not just call a spade a spade? For those who choose to belong to these organizations, it's nothing more than a matter of preference. Please don't take this wrong way, but in truth, these are just Christian clubs. There is no sin in being a part of one. But it's a matter of choice. And don't confuse them as being the body of Christ. Yes, the Body of Christ may be present, but the reality of the church extends far beyond those four walls.

 

Also, we have been praying for years for revival. We've even made statements like, “Do whatever it takes Lord!” Do we think God has been ignoring us? Could it be that revival is happening but it looks nothing like we expected and God is doing whatever it takes, including tearing down many of our man-made systems? 

 

Speaking to believers all across this country, I've found that many, many, of them are finding their relationship with Christ and love for one another is indeed being revived. We can either embrace what God is doing in this season or we can stand in opposition to Him. But make know mistake about it, He is building His church. He never stopped.

Loren Rosser 

Avoding Blindness

 A new episode of Untangled is up. You can hear preachers of very religious groups talk about how "unreligious" they are. Other people will talk about how loving they are while they live in callousness, pride, and arrogance. These people are spiritually blind. They can't see their own condition yet they love to go around pointing out the flaws in others. How do we avoid falling into this trap? This is what Loren and David discuss in this podcast.

Part 2 Supporting Equippers

Here is my 2nd video on supporting the equippers.  Enjoy!

A Response to an Anger Poster

A few days ago I posted my own personal summary of Darin Hufford's book, The Misunderstood God on facebook and ended up stirring up a hornet's nest of rage from some Christians (one in particular).  Here is what I posted:

"Love is not jealous" but religion says that according to scriptures God is jealous. "Love is not proud" but religion says God demands to be worshipped. "Love is not easily angered" but religion says God is full of wrath and angry at humanity. "Love keeps no records of wrongs" but religion says God is keeping track of it all. Hmmmm, does God expect us to have a better personality than He does? Why does the God many Christians cling to actually have the personality of Satan? Either God is actually NOT love, or religion has Him ALL WRONG.

This was followed by one person hurling a slew of Bible verses at me accusing me of basing my theology on how I "feel," trying to be "smarter and more enlightened than the word," "seeking popularity," I'm making accusations "against the Bible its self," that I "do not like the Bible or the entirety of it," having been "taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy," "revamping the character and nature of God from what the scriptures declare about Him to what (I) and most Christian philosophers today want Him to be," "twisting the scriptures," "quoting men and their insights without confirming the authority or accuracy," "saturating myself with men's persuasive philosophies about the scriptures," "not quoting enough scriptures" and it was all followed up with "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't bother saying anything at all or provide you with the scriptures listed above."  

Normally I'd just blow this off because it's clear my post struck a nerve so he chose to assert his "spiritual superiority" over me rather than really taking a look at why the clear description of love taken straight from the Bible (1 Corinthians 13) and applied to God contradicts what many teach about Him. The Bible clearly states in 1 John 4:8 ..."God is love."   I wanted to just walk away.  I hate this kind of nonsense.  But this morning it occurred to me, there are others reading my posts who are not the least bit interested in winning arguments but really want to know how I would answer.  So for their sake, I'm writing this. 

It's humorous, in a sad way, that what got me accused of "making accusations against the Bible," "twisting scriptures," and "not quoting enough scripture" was me quoting scripture and holding it to what it CLEARLY teaches about God.  There is a reason why I don't go around throwing out a slew of Bible verses.  The person who responded to my post showed why.  We can make the Bible say what ever we want it to say to back up our personal stance on anything.   I hold to a "Let He who has ears to hear, hear" stance.  If what I say is of God, He will confirm it to the person and they will see how it lines up with scripture.  If it's not of God, then He won't confirm it TO THOSE WHO HAVE EARS TO HEAR. This person believes God is angry and demanding and he threw out a whole bunch of verses to prove it.  I can come right back at him with a slew of verses that say the exact opposite.  That was the tragedy surrounding my post about 1 Corinthians 13.  He was able to use the Bible against the Bible to nullify something it says, while declaring that he is being scripturally "balanced."  This is extremely common in Christianity.

So what do we do?  The answer is simple.  We look at Jesus.  And I don't mean in some  mystical, touchy feely way.  I mean read the gospels.  Read what those around Him who knew Him personally said about Him.  "What about the Old Testament?  Do we just blow that off?"  No!  But if we're going to approach the scriptures correctly we have to start with the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our faith.  All the scriptures point to HIM.  If what you're reading isn't pointing you to Him, but instead is giving you rules and codes of conduct to live by, you aren't reading the scriptures through the correct lens.  This is why Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 5:39 & 40,

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Some things never change.  This is the exact state that many in Christianity are in.  As President Obama would say, "Let me be clear..." The Pharisees knew the old testament scriptures BETTER than most Christians today (including leaders).  They even had massive chunks memorized.  Yet, right IN FRONT OF THEM stood the Son of God, the One to whom all those scriptures were pointing and they couldn't even recognize Him.  But it's even worse than that.  They went so far as to accuse Him of being of Satan!  Is it any surprise that Bible "experts" today can find themselves in the place of standing in direct opposition to Jesus and what He's doing in this hour?  And you better believe they'll have chapter and verse to back of everything they say. 

Do you know the Bible better than Paul?  I think we can all agree that Paul really knew His scriptures.  He was a Pharisee of Pharisees.  Yet, with all His learning He was more than happy to persecute the church of Jesus Christ.  Brilliant Paul couldn't see a thing until He was knocked off his horse by Jesus and saw HIM!  Once He saw Him, suddenly He saw how all the scriptures pointed to Jesus.  It was only after meeting Jesus (not just a mental agreement with some verses, but truly encountering HIM) that He could understand the scriptures.  He began looking at things through the correct lens...a lens many Christians are not looking through.  And when He saw Jesus He counted all of His learning as rubbish in comparison.

We know nothing at all if we don't know Jesus and then look at the scriptures through Him.  Jesus showed us EXACTLY what God is like.  Every Christian who reads that statement will nod their head in agreement.  But then they proceed to run around the Bible grabbing verses that contradict Jesus and say, "We have to have a complete and balanced view of God."  So, let me say again for those who are hard of hearing, Jesus is the EXACT representation of God.  He's not a little portion of God and then there is this whole other side of God sitting up in heaven that Jesus didn't show us.  Jesus is not "safe God" while "danger God" stayed in heaven (because he doesn't behave well in public).  EVERYTHING we need to know about God, EVERYTHING He is, is seen in Jesus!  Jesus said it Himself to Philip, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)  Jesus didn't say, "I'm kind of like the Father."  Or "I'm the more loving version of my Father."  He made it plain as day, if we've seen Him, we've seen the Father, period!  The writer of Hebrews states in Hebrews 1:3,

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

There you have it again, Jesus is the EXACT representation of God!  So then we come to that little verse that religionists absolutely abhor (although they'll never admit it...but actions speak louder than words),  ^"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8)  Who wrote that verse?  Well, it's obvious, John did.  Was John some Old Testament prophet who never met Jesus?  Was He some philosopher locked away in the halls of higher learning?  No!  John was one of Jesus' BEST FRIENDS!  Arguably,  there is no writer in the Bible who knew Jesus while he walked the Earth better than John.  He was the one who leaned his head on Jesus breast at the last supper, remember?  He lived with him for three years.  So John saw more clearly than any of us what God is like.  Remember, Jesus is the EXACT representation of God.  And John wrote at the beginning of his letter,

 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1John 1-3)

John says that he's testifying of that which he HEARD with HIS OWN EARS, SAW with HIS OWN EYES, and TOUCHED with HIS OWN HANDS. Please keep in mind when John says, "concerning the word of life" he's not talking about the Bible.  He's talking about Jesus.  (Remember John 1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  Jesus is the word, the message of God.  In fact, the Bible is never called "The Word of God" in the scriptures.  Jesus is called that, because the message is a living man, not a book.)  And this writer who intimately knew Jesus, saw God in the flesh, wrote that, "God is love."

Now people turn and say, "Yes, he is love.  But we need to balance that with other scriptures."  Hold on there buckaroo!  Let's use some common sense here.  If you were trying to solve a murder, whose testimony bears the most weight?  Even in the Jewish law it was clearly stated that by the mouth of two or more WITNESSES a thing was to be confirmed.  And here we have John, an eye witness of God in the flesh telling us he is love.  But we want to run off and grab some scripture form an Old Testament prophet and place it above the one who was actual there, heard Him, saw Him, and touched God among us.  (Uh-oh!  Now I've really ticked some people off!)  Yes all scripture is inspired, but you have to look through the correct lens.  Any person with half a brain can tell you that an eye witness has more credibility than any other testimony. 

What we see in the Old Testament is an unfolding revelation of God.  They DID NOT have the complete picture.  Peter, who was also an eye witness of Jesus and close friend, wrote:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.  It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (1 Peter 10 - 12)

The Old Testament Prophets and even the angels longed to see what has now been revealed to us through Christ!  If we're going to truly be scripturally balanced then we MUST acknowledge that the people living in the Old Testament had not seen Jesus.  They spoke of what they had not seen with their own eyes or touched with their own hands and longed to understand.  As Peter said, they were serving us. 

People who hold the Old Testament on the same level as Jesus, God revealed, how do you reconcile Jesus speaking to the crowds of people and changing scripture?!  That's exactly what He did?  "You've heard it said 'you shall not murder,' but I say to you..."  "You've heard it said 'you shall not commit adultery,' but I say to you..."  "You've heard it said, 'An eye for an eye,' but I say to you..."  And on and on He goes!  If all scripture is equal, why is the author standing their altering it and/or changing the emphasis?  Hmmmm?  (Especially the scripture about "an eye for an eye."  He completely goes the opposite direction on that one!)

See, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so desperately wanted us to truly understand what God is like, to truly know who He is.  Though out time they could see we just weren't getting it!  So Jesus came and showed God to us.  This is why He takes priority over anything written before Him.  He is God revealed.  He revealed God's true nature by dying on the cross.  He showed that God's love is so intense that He will hold absolutely NOTHING back from us.  He gives all!  Even His own life for people who hate Him!  His entire motivation in all things, is love!

It's not about one scripture being over another, it's about Jesus being above all!  He is God revealed.  After Paul encountered Jesus He penned His beautiful description of love in 1 Corinthians 13.  He revealed what love looks like and therefore revealed what Jesus (God) is like.  It's interesting that when one doesn't look at scripture through the lens of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 13 as a description of God presents some serious problems.  But when you look at the One who gave up everything, even His own life for us, suddenly it all locks in place.  1 Corinthians 13 doesn't contradict God.  It's a beautiful description of Him!

Now Pharisees, it's time to go crazy!

Loren Rosser