Month: September 2016

When I arrived home from work a few days ago, my wife was watching a movie. Nothing unusual about that. This is normal for her when she’s in chill-out mode and it’s usually a Hallmark flick. However, this time she was watching “The Help.” For those who have never seen this movie, it is based in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi. Southern society girl “Skeeter” (played by Emma Stone) returns from college with drams of being a writer. She stirs up a hornets’ nest by interviewing the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent white families. Only Aibileen (Viola Davis), the housekeeper of Skeeter’s best friend, will talk at first. But as the pair continue the collaboration, more women decide to come forward, and as it turns out, they have quite a bit to say.

I grew up in the South. Southeast Texas, to be more precise. Racism was extremely prevalent in our community and in our family. I was probably 9 or 10 years old before I ever heard a black person referred to as anything other than a “nigger.”

The first time I watched The Help a few years ago, I had tears running down my face a couple of times. That is nothing out of the ordinary for me, as I’ve been known to shed a tear or two at certain movies that tug on my heart strings. This one was different. There was pain in those tears. I had experienced a change of heart many years ago concerning the races, although it was gradual. I felt both the pain of prejudice and the shame of knowing that the white families depicted in the movie could have easily been mine.

It was the same pain and shame I felt the first time I heard about The Trail of Tears. In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson’s policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The Cherokee people called this journey the “Trail of Tears” because of its devastating effects. I think I felt pain because I have some Cherokee blood in me, and shame because of the way my white ancestors treated them.

My change of heart came about as I began to realize that there’s no place in the kingdom of God for racism. It goes without saying that even though civil rights can be legislated (and they have), it doesn’t change the heart.

There was a time, years ago, when I would watch the news and see a black person upset about a perceived racial injustice and I would say, “These people have no right to be upset, they have equal rights now!” Again, legislation doesn’t heal a man’s heart.

Forgiveness.

Forgiveness heals the heart. I remember distinctly the day the healing process began in my heart. It was a chilly November day in Dallas, Texas at event called “The Call.” I, along with many others that day in the Cotton Bowl participated in acts of repentance for racial prejudices we had inherited from our ancestors. It was the most gut-wrenching weeping I had ever experienced as I saw my racial prejudices for what they were – sins that had nailed Jesus to the cross.

New creation is a process. From the moment we are born again, something completely new is set in motion. The new creation that we become looks exactly like Jesus.

If I were to ask every Christian in America if they are racist, my guess is that 99.9% would say, “No, certainly not!” That would have been my answer. I wish I could say that I had an instantaneous transformation in this area, but it’s been a slow process. Racism has fallen off of me one small piece at a time. I thought I was a pretty good Christian back in 1984 when I took a job working for the prison system in Texas, but some ugly things in my heart came to the surface. Ugly racial things. Little had changed in me those seventeen-and-a-half years working there. Prisons in America have a large, disproportionate number of black men and I was quick to tell anyone who would listen why I thought that was so, as if I knew.

With all the racial tension being highlighted in our nation today, I believe it would behoove us to consider that a major factor involved is pain. Until I understand the pain another person has experienced, I have no business making a snap judgment when I see them acting out. For instance, I’m not a black parent who has just lost a son in a shooting, so I have no idea what that feels like. What if I was willing to have a compassionate conversation with one of them and listen with my heart instead filtering it through the noise coming from the news media? That’s what I can see Jesus doing. Can you?

Healing the racial divide in America begins in my heart. It begins in our (white folks) heart. Prisons aren’t the answer. Violence isn’t the answer. Anger isn’t the answer. Your favorite presidential candidate isn’t the answer. We are. We are the church. Let it begin with us.

 

From a recovering, repentant, former racist,

 

Kevin.

 

There are quite a few interesting debates going on in Christianity these days. There are disagreements on eschatology, the role of women in the church, politics, etc. I have some firm beliefs on each of these subjects, even most of the etcetera!

However, one debate that has caught my attention recently is the practice of tithing. Based on what I’ve observed, there are three positions taken by followers of Christ: 1) Indifference (usually based on lack of knowledge on the subject). 2) Tithing is Old Covenant and therefore not necessary for believers in the New Covenant. 3) Tithing is a Kingdom principle established before the law was given to Moses.

Before I go any further in addressing these, let me tell you why this particular subject caught my attention. It was this question: As a Christian, am I required to tithe? On the surface it would seem to be a legitimate question, although maybe not on the same footing as a question such as, “As a Christian, am I requires to love my enemies?” We can point to the words of Jesus Himself in the gospels (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27) for the obvious answer. But what about tithing? Jesus never gave a direct command to tithe. The only time He mentions it is in Matthew 23:23 when He is rebuking the scribes and Pharisees for being hypocrites:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Jesus always seemed to get to the heart of the matter, didn’t He?

Instead of looking for legalistic answers to our questions, maybe we should examine why the question is asked in the first place. Oftentimes our heart is revealed by the questions we ask.

I think a more legitimate question would be, “How much of the kingdom do I want to see and experience?”

Recently, I was reading the story of Zacchaeus from The Message in Luke 19:1-9 – Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way – he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.

When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”

Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor – and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”

Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in his home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of man came to find and restore the lost.”

I’ve always loved this story because of the obvious change in Zacchaeus’ heart and his immediate response in giving away half of his income to the poor and to make restitution four-fold to anyone he had cheated. How strange that so many who have experienced salvation would even balk at the idea of a tithe (one-tenth) of their income!

But this time I noticed something I had never paid much attention to before. Jesus calls Zacchaeus a son of Abraham. Previously, he may have been a physical descendant of Abraham, but now he is a spiritual son. I think it’s also very important that he mentions Abraham here. Abraham was the first person to tithe. You can read the story yourself in Gen. 14:18-20 and Heb. 7:1-22. Abraham paid a tithe to Melchizedek, who was a type of Christ’s eternal priesthood.

I find it fascinating when Christians want to call tithing a part of the Law when It was first established several hundred years before Moses was born.

Though we’re talking about tithing here, this is really not a money issue. It’s a heart issue. When Jesus came on the scene and began his earthly ministry, he had a lot to say about the heart. I don’t have space in this article to refer to every time Jesus spoke about the heart. Jesus said, “where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:21)

Whether we like to acknowledge it or not, our hearts are tied to our billfolds. We need look no further than the early church in the book of Acts to see what the heart – treasure connection looks like: Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. (Acts 2:44-45)

Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of houses or lands sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. (Acts 4:32-35)

What it all boils down to is this – Jesus isn’t asking for your tithe. He’s asking for everything. When you approach Him with a heart that says, “It all belongs to you,” then you’ll never have to ask the question, “Am I required to tithe?”

It’s all His,

Kevin.

            I am learning to love being unique. That’s right, I’m unique. So are you. I didn’t always know how unique I am. In fact, for most of my life I’ve considered myself to be quite average, whatever that means. I actually went to great lengths to remain average, to look and to act like the majority of the population. Yet, I knew deep inside that I was in fact unique.

What does it mean to be unique? The definition of unique according to Merriam Webster dictionary is: used to say that something or someone is unlike anything or anyone else

• very special or unusual
• belonging to or connected with only one particular thing, place, or person.

 

I spent a good portion of my life playing a futile game called self-comparison. It’s futile because it has no end and there is no winner. It snuffs out dreams and slams the door in the face of possibilities. Worst of all, it’s a direct insult to God Himself.

If I asked you to draw a picture of what you think God looks like, I might get a puzzled look from you. I think I know what I would draw. I would draw a picture of me using the gifts He gave me to express myself to the world. As a man created in God’s image, when I use the gift he placed in me to express myself to the world, they get a glimpse of God!

There are over 7 billion humans on planet Earth. Not a single pair are identical. Even identical twins are not exactly alike. When we fail to see how unique we are, we rob ourselves and we rob those around us of our unique expression. The Apostle Paul understood this too:

 

“To me – less than the least of all the saints – this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan – a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”  (Eph. 3:8-10 NET)

 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”  (Eph. 2:10 NKJV)

 

We are his workmanship. A unique work of art!

 

Such amazing freedom has come to me since I got out of the self-comparison trap. I invite you get out too.

 

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are your works, and that my soul knows very well.”  (Psalm 139:14)

 

You’re marvelous! He said so. Don’t try to be anybody else. Just be your marvelous self! You have something we need to see.

 

Uniquely marvelous,

 

Kevin

I very seldom post anything political in social media. It’s not that I don’t have strong political opinions that I’d like to share with everyone, it’s just that most people seem to be very immovable when it comes to politics. On the other hand, I’m seeing a trend where so many are swayed by the voices of leaders in the body of Christ telling us how we should vote, that we don’t think for ourselves.

I was watching the Republican National Convention a few weeks ago. This is nothing new for me. I’ve watched practically every one since 1976. This was the first one that I can say I watched objectively. I’ve been such transformation in my thinking that I was actually able to watch and form my own opinions. I was actually thinking!

For me, the defining moment came as Sen. Ted Cruz was giving a speech. The atmosphere was tense. You see, Cruz had refused to endorse Donald Trump for president up to this point and now the crowd and the nation listened to his speech, waiting for a moment when Cruz might just go ahead and endorse him for the sake of party unity. He was getting near the end of his speech and all I can remember were these words – “Vote your conscience.” And that’s when the boos started. He was practically booed off of the stage for urging Americans to vote their conscience. Of course that’s not the way it was reported or how it will go down in history. After all, they were really booing because he wouldn’t give his endorsement to Trump, right?

 

To me, that moment summed up the sad state of politics in our nation.

 

In the past few elections, I, like millions of others, have made the decision to vote for the “lesser of two evils.” No more for me. How about just not voting for evil at all? I understand fully that it’s a privilege to have the right to vote, and I will vote.

I’ve done some deep soul-searching and repenting after reading the gospels and have come to the conclusion that I have put my trust in presidents and supreme courts to fix the nation and world. I have also come to the conclusion that Jesus is very political. Have you read The Sermon On the Mount? I have and I can’t think of a better way to govern.

I understand that there are certain issues at stake, such as the future of the Supreme Court, but I believe there is something far greater at stake – the prophetic voice of the church. Samuel Whitefield says it well –

 

 “The 2016 election has exposed fault lines in the nation and in the church in a way that no other election in recent history has. In the midst of all the confusion and rhetoric it is time for the church to find her voice and rediscover her identity as a people who find their ultimate hope in another kingdom and another King and represent the values of that king in the public square.

For the church to recover her calling, we are going to have to break free of certain political bonds that have held us for quite some time. If the evangelical church does not wrestle through her current entanglement with politics, then I fear the church will lose her ability to be a prophetic voice to the culture and the government on a wider sphere. It’s becoming clear that the phenomenon of “Donald Trump” might just be what will force that issue in this election.”

 

You can read this article in its entirety here.

 

I don’t need a political savior; I already have one. I already have a king, and His name is Jesus.

 

Kevin