Gospel.com Blog

Out of Ur has a retrospective from a pastor about street-corner preachers who use bullhorns and vitriolic signs to get the message of Christ across to sinners. The kind of preachers who sincerely believe that anyone who disagrees with their viewpoint on anything is going to hell.

You can head over to Out of Ur and read all of Angry Preachers. Here’s a good chunk of the post:

Before I’d walked even a block from the festival, I bumped into a small crowd whose attention was fixed on two men speaking loudly to the bedraggled onlookers. One held a handmade sign that read—I kid you not— “TURN OR BURN!” He spoke into a bullhorn, warning the young people of God’s coming judgment and listing in vivid detail the sins that would lead them to an eternity burning in hell. The other man held an open Bible and vigorously debated anyone who disagreed with his companion’s portrayal of God.

For the past two days, I’d watched these young people pursue beauty and friendship and community. Groups of sunburned 20somethings had made their way from one stage to the next, avoiding mud puddles and speaking with awe in their voices about their favorite musical experiences of the weekend. And now, as they left the safety of the festival grounds, they were immediately confronted with Jesus. Or at least two of Jesus’ representatives.

A few in the crowd poked fun and tried to fluster the preachers. What really caught my attention, though, what overruled my fatigue, was another response. Despite this generation’s reputation as cynical and sarcastic, many of the young wore visible sadness on their faces. Some pleaded with Bullhorn Man for a different portrayal of Jesus. A few people asked Bible Man if his God had any love for them. One young man was on the edge of tears as he tried to convince the men to lower their voices, to show kindness in their words about Jesus.

Ten minutes of this street theatre was enough and, quenching my desire to punch Bullhorn Man and Bible Man, I continued toward the train. As I often do after encountering this version of Christian witness, I angrily questioned why these men did what they did. How could they possibly think their language and posture was helpful? Is this what Jesus had in mind when he felt compassion for the harassed and helpless crowds—sheep without a shepherd—and asked his disciples to pray for more workers for the harvest? My irritation only increased as I thought about how the irreligious and marginalized of his day were attracted to Jesus. Whether or not they would have accepted his easy yoke, certainly these festival goers would have been intrigued by the alternative life Jesus proclaimed and demonstrated.

This method of spreading the Gospel doesn’t sit well with me. It’s always awkward and always uncomfortable. I find it rather telling that whenever I encounter someone like this the only people giving them serious attention are other Christians. Christians who are desperately attempting to ascertain why Christ is being portrayed like this. And, without fail, the rest of the crowd is making fun of the preachers or yelling back at them.

The thing is, most people who do this sort of street evangelism have a deep desire to see people turn from their ways and see the light. They just happen to pick a shocking way in which to preach that message.

Out of curiosity, I’d really like to know if you or anyone you know has found salvation through the efforts of an angry street preacher? And to be clear, I’m not writing about all street evangelism, just those that choose to do it with questionable signs akin to “Turn or Burn” and screaming through megaphones.

I’ve been in churches that do it every week and others almost never. They all have their reasons, but there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on how often we should celebrate the Lord’s supper.

How often do you think Christians should celebrate communion?

Share your thoughts!

Today’s featured devotional is from Oswald Chambers’ classic My Utmost for His Highest. It asks us to think carefully about what we say to God and our fellow man. What we think sounds “humble” in one context might communicate something very different in another:

The way we continually talk about our own inabilities is an insult to our Creator. To complain over our incompetence is to accuse God falsely of having overlooked us. Get into the habit of examining from God’s perspective those things that sound so humble to men. You will be amazed at how unbelievably inappropriate and disrespectful they are to Him. We say things such as, “Oh, I shouldn’t claim to be sanctified; I’m not a saint.” But to say that before God means, “No, Lord, it is impossible for You to save and sanctify me; there are opportunities I have not had and so many imperfections in my brain and body; no, Lord, it isn’t possible.” That may sound wonderfully humble to others, but before God it is an attitude of defiance.

Conversely, the things that sound humble before God may sound exactly the opposite to people. To say, “Thank God, I know I am saved and sanctified,” is in God’s eyes the purest expression of humility. It means you have so completely surrendered yourself to God that you know He is true. Never worry about whether what you say sounds humble before others or not. But always be humble before God, and allow Him to be your all in all.

Read the full devotional at RBC Ministries.

The Youth Specialties blog had a fascinating post recently about what to do when one of the kids in your youth group gets pregnant. I have to admit that the post illuminated an entirely new aspect of youth ministry to me. I’d never really thought about the impact that one student’s situation could have on the entire group:

A teenage pregnancy doesn’t reflect the state of a teenager’s spirituality. Faithful, Jesus-following teenagers can still make choices that result in this decision. Kids that come to youth group every week may not have any faith commitment at all, and it’s often a revelation and reminder to parents, pastors, leaders and other students alike, that simply being part of a youth ministry isn’t always a measure of student’s behavior, beliefs or values. Throughout adolescence, it’s not uncommon for choices around faith and sexuality to be completely compartmentalized for teenagers and, depending on their cognitive awareness, they may not see any disconnect at all.

Tip: We might see a correlation between a teenager’s faith journey and their choices and behavior. Realistically, often the choices that lead to teenage pregnancy are made without much forethought. In turn, we need to be realistic in our expectations of students being able to process their decisions.

Were you ever in a youth group with a teenage mother? Were you ever a teenage mother in a youth group? How would you handle the situation if you were a youth leader?

With Thanksgiving (in the U.S., at least) coming up tomorrow, it seems appropriate to review some of the best Thanksgiving articles from the Gospel.com community. Each of these probably merits its own post, but in the interest of conciseness, here are the best ones I’ve come across this week:

Not feeling especially thankful this holiday? Do you lack the family and blessings for which we traditionally give thanks on Thanksgiving? Joe Stowell challenges us discover the joy of thankfulness despite our circumstances.

On the Revive Our Hearts program, Nancy Leigh DeMoss interviews Leslie Basham about why Thanksgiving is so important and inspiring. Don’t let Thanksgiving slip past because you’re so focused on the approaching Christmas madness! (See previous Revive Our Hearts programs on the same topic.)

Dick Innes encourage us to ask God to give you a thankful heart this holiday season. Elsewhere on the ACTS International site is a good essay on the power of giving thanks.

Take a few minutes today to check out these Thanksgiving articles, especially if you’re not feeling particularly in a “thanksgiving mood.” Giving thanks is an important and deeply rewarding element of the Christian faith, and now’s the perfect time to learn more about cultivating a thankful heart.

Is it a always a sin to lie? Is there ever a time when it’s OK to commit a “lesser” sin—perhaps to avoid what you perceive as a much more serious sin?

I think most Christians would answer No to that question. Sin is sin, whether it’s a “big” sin or a “little” sin, right? And even if hypothetical circumstances were to force us to choose a “lesser evil,” it remains a sin and something we should repent of, right?

But does your answer hold if we apply it to one of the most difficult ethical questions imaginable: would it have been ethical for a Christian to lie to the Nazis in order to protect Jews that were being hidden?

Bodie Hodge of the Answers in Genesis ministry tackled that question recently, and you have to give AiG credit for working through what is guaranteed to be a controversial ethical dilemma. But the Christian ethical system should be strong enough to be applied to any situation, and here’s AiG’s attempt to apply it to this question:

Let’s consider again the Nazi-Holocaust situation: there seems to be a conflict in the situation to lie before God to try to save someone else’s life. The result is often called the “greater good” or “lesser of two evils.” [...]

Jesus tells us that all the commandments can be summed up into these two statements [Mark 12:28-31]. But of these two, the first is to love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. So, this would trump the second. Our actions toward God should trump our actions toward men.

If we love God, we should obey Him (John 14:15). To love God first means to obey Him first—before looking at our neighbor. So, is the greater good trusting God when He says not to lie or trusting in our fallible, sinful minds about the uncertain future?

Consider this carefully. In the situation of a Nazi beating on the door, we have assumed a lie would save a life, but really we don’t know. So, one would be opting to lie and disobey God without the certainty of saving a life—keeping in mind that all are ultimately condemned to die physically. Besides, whether one lied or not may not have stopped the Nazi solders from searching the house anyway.

There’s much more to their answer than just what I’ve excerpted above, so read the full answer at Answers in Genesis. AiG is taking a beating in the blogosphere for their answer, but I think it’s never a bad thing to think through even a controversial question like this as logically as possible.

Answers in Genesis’ essay seems to boil down to this: since we never know with absolute certainty how the future will play out, it is not our place to judge that one of God’s commands (“Don’t bear false witness,” in this case) is less important than another. And secondly, if we are forced to choose, we must give priority to God’s command to serve Him above all else.

I’d like to hear your reaction to this answer, and how you personally would answer this question. But here’s a few follow-up questions to consider while you think it through:

Do you agree that Mark 12:28-31 establishes a hierarchy between the two “greatest commandments”?

Can you think of any examples in Scripture where somebody committed a sin “for the greater good,” and God indicated His approval?

I am guessing that most of us (well, speaking for myself, at least) instinctively feel that lying would be acceptable in this scenario. Is AiG’s answer missing the spirit of God’s commandments, or are we failing to think biblically enough when presented with this dilemma?

What do you think?

Today’s devotional is a short but appropriate challenge to us as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving… and as millions of shoppers brace themselves for the post-Thanksgiving consumer frenzy. In today’s devotional at Words of Hope, Steve Petroelje asks us to think biblically about where our money will go this holiday season:

The biggest weekend in the Christmas shopping season is approaching. In the days ahead, many will awaken early and shop extensively. Lists will be made, deals will be sought, and lots of money will be spent.

What if this year you gave to others besides your family and close friends?What if, instead of buying so many toys and electronics, you and your family provided food for someone who is homeless? Or gave some cash anonymously to someone who is dealing with unemployment or struggling to make ends meet.

If Christmas is truly about God’s gift to us in Christ Jesus, then reflecting the heart of God would lead to giving generously to others.

Read the full devotional at Words of Hope.

So enjoy your Thanksgiving, and the inevitable preparations for Christmas. And take some time to consider how you will reflect Christ’s immense grace and generosity in the way you handle your time, finances, and gifts this holiday season.

Today’s devotional fits well with yesterday’s post about funerals and the Gospel. It’s from InterVarsity Press’ The Online Pulpit, and it looks at a short scene from Jesus’ crucifixion with symbolic significance:

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.” (Jn 19:23-24 NIV)

I have always wondered why Jesus wore something so fine the Roman soldiers did not want to rip it up. I like imagining Jesus as the funky itinerant teacher dressed in something from the Salvation Army. But under it all he wore a fine tunic of the sort the high priest wore into the holy of holies. In the case of Christ though, it was stripped from him that he might take our sin, shame and nakedness on the cross. We in turn are clothed in his righteousness. Only he could stand before God naked and unashamed. He became unclothed so that we could become clothed with the finest wedding garments.

In this life we still feel a bit naked and exposed. Death is one of the things that can do this. Death reminds us just how feeble and frail we are no matter what we might be wearing. We cannot dress up death. Our own sense of nakedness moves us to find the greatest seamstress, our Father, who gives us the festal garments of salvation.

God has created us for this very purpose, for this wedding feast. And it is with confidence that we look forward to this feast, for in Christ we will not be found naked but clothed in the white garments of righteousness.

Read the complete message at The Online Pulpit.

A Christian university here in town recently put an end to a 68-year ban on staff drinking alcohol (although alcohol is still banned from campus and university-sponsored events). The staff alcohol policy follows a ban on student dancing that was dropped a few years ago. The school’s rationale was that the alcohol ban was not biblically defensible.

I remember similar debates about behavioral restrictions during my college years. I attended a Christian college with relatively few behavioral restrictions; the philosophy was to trust students and faculty to live biblically without the burden of school-mandated rules. But there are plenty of Christian schools and employers that apparently find behavioral restrictions to be helpful in promoting righteous living.

In fact, almost every employer has rules and behavioral expectations for employees. But restrictions like this alcohol ban feel different because they’re moral restrictions; and there’s an extra level of discomfort when such moral restrictions are not clearly endorsed by Scripture. They’re inspired by biblical ideals, perhaps, but they’re not actually taught in the Bible.

What do you think? Would you take a job with an employer that imposed non-biblical restrictions on your personal behavior? Is a restriction like this an instance of humans adding pointless laws to the gospel of grace? Or can you make a case that Christians should defer to well-intentioned restrictions like this out of concern for “weaker” brothers and sisters in Christ who might be led astray by seeing another Christian drinking (or smoking, or watching certain movies, etc.)?

What do you think?

It’s been a difficult autumn at my church—in the last few weeks, three members of our church family have passed away. And last week I attended the funeral of a former coworker. At the risk of sounding morbid, death and funerals have been on my mind a lot lately.

Although it might seem strange, I’ve found that Christian funerals are among the most powerful and uniquely Christian experiences I’ve ever encountered. Every funeral is different, and the experience of attending a funeral varies greatly depending on the circumstances of the death and other contexts. But if you’ve ever attended a funeral where the Gospel message was clearly proclaimed, perhaps you know what I’m talking about: there is nothing so powerful as hearing about the hope of Jesus Christ when you’re face-to-face with the tangible evidence of pain, sorrow, and death.

Hearing the Gospel message in those circumstances is not always a happy experience for me. Sometimes it provokes bittersweet joy, as in the case of somebody whose death came as a relief from long suffering. Sometimes it makes me angry—angry at this broken, sin-filled world, and angry at God for allowing death to claim somebody “before their time.” Most times we feel a rush of different emotions as our sorrow intertwines with the hope that we have in Jesus Christ.

The exact reaction varies greatly. But you simply cannot avoid reacting to that Gospel message when you hear it proclaimed at a funeral. You can zone out during a Sunday morning sermon, or daydream during an altar call at church. But at a funeral, the proclamation of the Gospel stands out as a bold, almost ludicrous challenge that cannot be ignored. Joy, sorrow, pain, anger—the Gospel of Jesus demands a response. In those moments, I feel the true force of Hebrews 4:12:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

You can hear the Gospel preached and discussed in a lot of places. In church. At retreats or Christian events. In Bible studies and small group fellowships. But if you want to witness the Gospel with all of its power to proclaim hope amidst the horror of sin and death, perhaps that message is most clear when it is spoken amidst the pain and sorrow of a funeral.