And while I believe that people of all religions should respect each other and treat each other peacefully, there is a big problem with stating that these religions should, or even can, COEXIST with each other. The problem is that all of these religions are exclusive- claiming that their ‘way’ is the only way to heaven, god, or nirvana. In the end, the all think that they are right, and that everyone else is wrong.

All world religions essentially teach that you must act a certain way, do certain things, and achieve certain levels in order to be “saved” and to achieve the religion’s goal (heaven etc…). Christianity, however, is different. It teaches that there is nothing you can do to be saved and achieve an everlasting relationship with God. Instead it teaches that Jesus (God the Son) came to live the life that you could never live (a life of holiness and perfection unto God), and to die the death that you deserved to die (for your sins on the cross) so that your sins could be forgiven, you could have the righteousness of Christ imparted to you, and you could have eternal life and relationship with God as He restores all things through Christ.

So Christianity, itself, is exclusive- teaching that all other religions and world systems will not lead lead to God. Jesus said,” I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” If someone wants to receive salvation, forgiveness of sins, a new life, relationship with God, and eternal life they must put their faith (trust) in the gracious (unmerited favor) gift and finished work of Christ- that’s it.

What does this have to do with the COEXIST bumper sticker? Answer: None of these religions will ultimately COEXIST in peace because they all are impotent to bring about salvation. They will each battle against each other as they try to achieve their exclusive path to enlightenment. They, because Jesus is the only way, will only really COEXIST in hell apart from God because they failed to put their faith in the One who can set them free.

COEXISTence is only temporary as the world awaits the judgment of a holy, righteous, and just God. We as Christians should seek peaceful and respectful relationships with people from all faiths and lovingly find ways to show them the only Way- the Lord Jesus Christ.  Thinking that we can COEXIST forever in peace with all religions is naivety and is rejection of Jesus as being the only way to God and perfection.

But this weekend we celebrate the fact that God took all of the weight of our burdens and nailed them to a Roman cross two-thousand years ago.

When Jesus died on that cross He declared that it was finished. His Word says that there is no longer any sacrifice for sins. He already paid the full price and nailed all of our unmet expectations to a cross that has long since disenegrated.

You can come to Him today and lay all of your sins at His feet, rest and trust in His finished work for your forgiveness, give Him control of the life you weren’t able to manage on your own, and experience His righteousness, renewed rellationahip with Him, and eternal life through His resurrection.

Good Friday is horrible because we killed our Creator, but so good because He He allowed us to do so- for the joy set before Him.

It’s not just a holiday weekend, it’s a time of rememberance and reflection. It’s a time of renewed commitment. It’s a time of new life and resurrection.

There’s nothing we can do to ‘not sin’. We can wear all sorts of masks to make it look like we’ve got everything figured out and put together, but behind the mask we’re still just a sinner bound for an eternal hell.

We can join a religion, work hard, read good books, and do lots of good things but those things will never forgive us of our sins or change the fact that we are sinners.

Our only hope in being acquitted is the just judge who created us and set the rules to begin with. But because He is just, there must be punishment for sin. Because He is holy and blameless those who are sinners cannot dwell in His presence.

So out of His great love for us He sent His Son to live the sinless life that we could never live and to take on the punishment that we deserved to be given: the wrath of God poured out on Him for all the sins of man.

Because Jesus, His Son, took our punishment, we stand forgiven of our sins if we claim and trust in His finished work on our behalf. We no longer are seen as sinners by God. When we have been saved by Jesus. When God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ because that’s what we have been given.

So without Jesus, we go to hell for what we DO. But with Jesus we go to heaven (to eternal relationship with God) for what He DID.

We never go to heaven because of what we do or do not do, it will always be because of what Jesus already did for us.

As a Christian, throughout my life I’ve been taught from time to time (directly or implied) that even if you have been saved, that if you die while in the act of sinning, that you will go to hell. For example, a Christian hits his thumb with a hammer and mutters “dam it” under His breath. Then at that exact moment he has a heart attack and dies, because of saying a ‘cuss word’ at the time of his death he will ‘go to hell’.

This is silly because just as there’s nothing we can DO to get into heaven, because Jesus already DID all that needs to be done, once we trust in His finished work and submit our lives to Him, there’s nothing we can DO to keep us out of heaven.

That being said, as Christians, we don’t have the liberty to sin against God whenever we want because there’s nothing we can DO to keep us out of heaven. Because one who sins whenever and however they feel like it with no concern for Christ’s work on the cross, does not understand the sacrifice and grace of Christ, has not had their life changed by Christ, and according to the ‘fruit’ of their life is not saved by Jesus from hell to begin with!

The purpose of all these seemingly random thoughts? You can’t save yourself! Being a nice guy, loving your family, and believing in God will not save you- ever. The only thing that can save you from the punishment and consequence of what you have done is Jesus Christ’s sinless life, His death for your sins, and His resurrection from the dead. So stop talking about what a good guy you or someone else is because it’s just not true. You are a sinner whose every intention is evil and who is bound for hell without the grace, love, and hope of Jesus!

You must turn from your evil ways and turn to Jesus as the author and the perfector of your faith. And once you have recieved the free gift of salvation from Christ He will change you and you will not want to take advantage of His grace by continually sinning against Him.

Will you still stumble and fail as a Christian? Yes because you still reside in a body ravished by sin. But if you deliberately live a continual lifestyle of sin as if Christ never died for you, you don’t have a sin problem, you have a salvation problem.

But the Lord is the One Who gives.
The Lord is the One Who Takes away.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

And at the end of the day, we have fallen short.
This is how it will end for almost every last one of us.
We all take a last breath.
We all experience one final beat of the heart.
We all have one last synapse fire through our brain.
We are all returned to the ground.
We all know death all to well because it lives right next door.
And someday were moving into that house.

But death is not the end.
The One who took is from the dust and returned us to it will enact justice on all.
So don’t tell me that life is not fair because all die for our transgressions.

Life is better than fair because the One who took us from the dust became dust Himself.
He did not turn away from the Master plan.
He became our sin.
He bore all of the justice and wrath on Himself.
He returned to dust.
The dust could not hold Him down because what happened to Him was not fair.

He rose from the dust a second time.
If we trust in Him,
That He has everything in control,
That His death made us right with Him,
That through His resurrection we can live again-
Forever.

Because Death is Not the End.

One day you will slip fatefully into the dark.
It will be fair, righteous, and just…
…Even though it feels like anything but.

Today is the day of salvation.
Have you called upon the Name of the Lord?

He made a statemement, that I have heard recently somewhere else, that has really got me thinking. He saud,” We will do anything short of sin to bring the lost to Christ” Wow!

I am so fed up with religion and non-Biblical rules that tell us as Believers what/when/ how we are supposed to act and share our faith. I am tired of people allowing tradition to drive their actions instead of passion for real people who will burn for an eternity in a real hell.

It is so ridiculous to hear Christians says things like;’ You can’t play that kind of music’, ‘You can’t show that movie’, ‘You can’t hang out in those places, or ‘You can’t talk to those kind of people’ when it comes to doing church and taking part in evangelism.

I think of Jesus and the people that he associated with, particularly ones that he ate with. Eating with someone in the ancient Near East was a way of showing acceptance of someone. He hung out with the sinner and the cultural outcast. Religous/ Traditional people were so upset by it that they started calling JESUS a drunk!? They couldn’t handle Jesus breaking their made-up rules. I think it was because they realized that it really wasn’t their good deeds that could save them, but Jesus. And that made them uncomfortable because of their arrogance. They wanted to believe that they could take care of themselves…and that they didn’t need God to do so instead.

Our Church today is the same. We have come to rely on our traditions, our music, our charisma, our teaching style, our programs, and our contemporary made-up rules; and we are pathetic. It’s time to get back to Jesus! There are some of us who are starting to wake up to our incessive need for God, and a movement is beginning. I hope for the day when our nation and our generation of Christianity experiences a revival in ferver and passion for Christ, and in particular, evangelism.

Like Jesus, we need to start influencing the sinners and the outcasts with our friendship and convicition. We need to do so with wreckless abandon without the worry of what religous Christians will think of us. Because afterall, we must see embrace becoming all things to all men so that some may be saved.

And this means truly doing anything short of sin to save the lost! I’m with you Perry.

The following is an addaptation of a sermon that I gave a few weeks ago. I chose not to post the recording of this message because some specific names of people were mentioned, and I didn’t want to broadcast their names and their stories online without their consent.

Over the past 4 months my family and I have had the opportunity to meet many amazing young people from around the world.

Most of these young people, as I have mentioned before, are not Christians.

Every once in a while I get to spend some time ‘one on one’ with some of these students and when I do I try to find out about their spiritual and religious history.

Two Thursdays ago, I had the opportunity to bring a Chinese girl named —– to the airport.

—– is a senior at Canyonville Christian Academy and is very bright- the world is hers for the taking. So she has many important decisions to make in the next few months:

Where will she go to college?

What career does she want to pursue?

What country does she want to live in after graduating college?

And most importantly, what god will she serve? What religion or way-of-life will she adhere to?

She began to tell me of her time as an exchange student in Oklahoma last year.

She told me how she chose to leave her first host mother, a young single Christian mother, because she had been treated poorly.

She then told me of her second host family who she bonded with, Catholics who were “great people but never went to church”.

We talked about how Catholics, in general, are Christians. So it was time to ask her the big question,” So —–, are you a Christian?”

She proceed to tell me that she was thinking about becoming a Christian after hearing so much about it at school.

To her, it was as if Christianity was simply some information that she had been learning and she had to decide whether or not she would accept this “information”.

She didn’t see Christianity as being saved by an all-loving God and following His Son who died to set her free from sin and death. She saw it as information that she would either embrace or reject.

I’ve found this same type of response from many of the other students I’ve talked to so far this year.

For some reason, most of these unsaved foreign students do not understand the concepts of a real god, of redemption, of grace, of judgment…of salvation.

I get a strong impression that most of these kids don’t even agree with the concept that they are sinners…

And that’s when she said it,” Well Christians are really no different from everyone else, so as long as you’re a good person and believe in something, then you’ll be alright!”

To her, growing up in Communist China and only ‘knowing of’ one single Christian her entire life, and then coming to America and meeting many supposed Christians, her observation is that Christians are no different than everyone else!

And if Christians, to her, don’t offer anything new for her life; then why on earth would she want to become one?

And who’s to blame for this poor girl’s perception of Christians? Her and her lack of insight? Or someone else?

This week we will be celebrating the arrival of a New Year.

And the popular thing to do around this time of year is to make New Year’s Resolutions.

So may we, starting this instant, begin to search our souls to find out if we offer anything different than that of the world?

And if not, then let us question our devotion to Christ and make a firm commitment to Him today; and let us change our ways so that people all over the world like —–can see the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ through us.

In 1 John 3, John- the closest dispiple to Jesus- tells the reader what it means to be a Christian. He tells the reader what it looks like to be a Christian, how being a Follower of Jesus makes you look different. He explains that a Chrsitian is someone who: puts their trust in Jesus; Loves their brother and their neighbor as Christ loves the Church, does what is right, helps their brother in need, and someone who the Holy Spirit confirms to them that they are saved and that they are different.

So who will you be this year? Someone who looks like the rest of the world? Or someone who is different- not on a creepy way- than the rest of the world? Because there’s a world full of people just like —– who are dying to find someone who is different…who are willing to live their life differently through the power of a loving, saving, empowering god, if they could only find someone who could actually show them that it’s possible- someone like you!

 IS GAY OK?

 It was a beautiful, mild Friday evening in the city of Seattle during the month of May. The skies were clear and the city was alive with people coming and going in and out of dance clubs, posh restaurants, and late night coffee shops.

A good childhood friend and I spent the evening touring the city via motor scooter. He had lived in Seattle for several years and wanted to show me parts of the city that could only be seen on a Friday evening under the stars. We went up and down steep city streets, in and out of alleys, and stopped to look at panoramic viewpoints.

Some things, however, were a little unique about this evening: 1] My good friend and I were not touring the city on two individual scooters, but on one; 2] This scooter didn’t have a normal black ‘pleather’ seat like most scooters do, it had a bright flowered one; and 3] My childhood friend who I was closely straddling from behind on a small flowered scooter seat is not straight like me, he is gay.

Now first and foremost I am a Follower of Jesus Christ- a Christian. And I know that because of what I am about to say, that some of you may think that I am a bigot and may even hate me. But GAY, to say it bluntly, IS NOT OK. I can say that, not because my faith is based on my opinions, beliefs, experiences, or the cultural norms of my day, but because it is based on the Word of God- a love letter from God to His people which has not changed since it was penned thousands of years ago. And the Bible is explicitly clear that homosexuality is not God’s will for man (1), thus making it sin.

We live in a world that, for some reason, tries to justify homosexuality- tries to make it seem normal. We live in a world where homosexuals compare themselves to persecuted ethnic minorities in order to gain acceptance. We live in a world where scientists work tirelessly to trace homosexuality to a specific gene within our DNA to show that homosexuals are born homosexuals. And we live in a world where special interest groups fight viciously to insure that homosexual couples have the opportunity to get married just as heterosexual couples have been doing for millennia.

We also live in a world where this same way of thinking has crept into the church as well. We live in a world where churches affirm homosexuality in order to appeal to a broader base of people; thus growing their congregations, limiting their persecution from the world, and increasing their giving…ouch! We live in a world in which churches do away with Scriptures that condemn homosexuality by claiming that certain words have been mistranslated or that those same Scriptures were intended only for a specific time and/or culture. We live in a world where “gay affirming” churches rejoice when a Christian music superstar comes out of the closet and uses him as a tool to further their agenda (2). And sadly, we live in a world where certain churches are so desperate to justify their homosexual lifestyle that they make preposterous claims that King David, Ruth, The Apostle Paul, and even Jesus was gay! (3) 

Something else to consider though, is that we also live in a world with prideful pastors and lying elders. We live in a world with lustful Sunday school teachers and gluttonous worship leaders. We live in a world with revenge obsessed soccer moms and hypocritical grandpas. We live in a world of disobedient teenagers and worry-laden fathers. We live in a world with selfish church custodians and stealing Bible scholars. And we live in a world with unforgiving youth pastors and idolatrous church board members. The list goes on and on.

The point is that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” The point is that all sin- short of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit- is forgivable through the saving power of Jesus Christ. The point is that one’s sin of homosexuality is no worse than one’s sin of using God’s Name in vein. The point is that we are all held accountable for all of the sins we commit against God- even the ones we’re not aware of! (4) The point is that Jesus Christ loves us so much, whether we struggle with homosexuality or hate for our enemies, that He lived a life that we were unable to live, died an agonizing death that we deserved to die, and rose from the grave to give us an abundant-forgiven-eternal life that we do not deserve.

It’s a matter of the heart. You cannot be a Christian (Someone who has put their faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ, loves Him with all of their heart, and follows His example through the power of the Holy Spirit), yet continue to love sin. You cannot be a Christian, yet pick and chose which Scriptures apply to your life. You cannot be a Christian, yet be unrepentant towards the sins that you struggle with. Being a Christian means that you and your sin has been confronted by a Holy God, and your response is to allow that God to change you and conform you into His image.

You see; there is no difference between Johnny and Jane (the fornicating shacked-up “Christian” couple who sit on the front row of your church every Sunday), and Bill and Steve (the gay couple who feel too uncomfortable to even enter the doors of your church for fear of rejection). You see; there is no difference between Doug (the “Christian” husband who sits with his wife on the back row of your church every Sunday while Tina, the young woman he is having an affair with, sits in the balcony in shame), and Lisa and Megan (the lesbian couple who won’t even walk down the same side of the street as your church because of how they have been treated).

For far too long the Church- me included- has been pointing the long narrow finger of judgment at those whose lives have not been transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ; and has not been pointing the accountable-finger of judgment and correction back at its own.

When I look at the people who Jesus hung out with when He walked the earth 2,000 years ago- the prostitutes, the lepers, the Samaritans, the poor, the uneducated, the demon afflicted, the dishonest tax collectors, the sick, the disabled, the widows, the children, etc- I am ashamed, not of Jesus, but of myself and the Church. It makes me realize who I need to be spending time with today. I need to make myself available to today’s outcasts so that I can invite them into the Kingdom that Jesus established- one that will never end. 

So back to that night in Seattle: As the night grew later, my friend wanted to show me the city’s “gaybourhoods”. It was at that point, while holding onto my gay friend for dear life as we cruised through Seattle’s gaybourhoods on the flowered seat of a little motor scooter that I thought, just for an instant, “What if the people here think that I am his new boyfriend?” The verse about avoiding the “appearance of evil” sprung into my mind. But those thoughts were quickly replaced when I realized that this is probably right where Jesus wants me- riding on the back of a motor scooter with my gay friend through the neon-lit streets of Seattle’s gaybourhoods.

And it was at that moment when that night became one of my fondest memories, because for an instant everything was balanced and where it should be. Because after all love wins in the end.

 1.  See Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:18-22, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

2.  See the Washington Blade’s interview with Ray Boltz: www.washingtonblade.com/2008/9-12/arts/feature/13258.cfm

3.  Research the doctrine and articles published by Jesus Metropolitan Community Church, the church where Ray Boltz now attends: http://jesusmcc.org/

4.  See Leviticus 4:13

Salvation belongs to God (Revelation 7:10), and is solely a gift of grace for Him to give (Romans 5:15; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8) to sinful man. It is received by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-10); whose holy life, substitutionary death, and glorious resurrection made it possible for our sins to be forgiven, our punishment to be taken away, and for His righteousness to be imputed to us (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; see notes on The Person and Work of Jesus).

This faith in Jesus is received by hearing His Word (Romans 10:17). The Holy Spirit draws us into this faith in Jesus by convicting us of our sins, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11); thus revealing our need for Him.

Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).

We are not saved by good works, but rather to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).

The Bible says in Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is an act of faith. It’s simply acknowledging that you are a sinner who needs the forgiveness of God in your life so that you can be restored in Him, and that the only way for that to happen is to ‘fully rest in the fact that what Jesus did for you took care of everything’ and ‘begin to follow Him’.

Once saved; the Holy Spirit baptizes the Christian into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-15), dwells within them from the moment of salvation (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and seals them until the Day of Redemption (John 6:37-40; John 10;27-30; Romans 8:38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:5).

The Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer-making them more like Jesus- (John 14:26; Romans 8:9), thus regenerating the believer and giving them a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Those who are saved- Christians/ believers- will be known by their love for one another (John 13:35) and by the Spiritual Fruit- or good works- that they produce (Matthew 7:15-23; Ephesians 2:10).

It is a Christian’s desire to please God and abstain from sin (Romans 7:7-25); so they must not take advantage of God’s grace and the freedom it gives to indulge in sinful activity (Romans 6; 1 Corinthians 8:9-13; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15; Hebrews 10:26).

Man is created in the Image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). After God created man, He said that everything He created was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God clearly gave man one simple command upon his creation;” You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

Man disobeyed God’s command, thus sinning against Him (Genesis 3). The consequences of sinning against God were: 1.] Losing direct fellowship with God (1 John 4:18; Psalm 5:3-5; Exodus 33:20; Matthew 27:46). 2.] Death (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:19; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27). 3.] Losing fellowship with fellow man and the rest of creation (Genesis 3:7; Genesis 3:12; Genesis 3:16-19; Genesis 3:21; Genesis 9:2-3; Romans 8:22). 4.] And Experiencing eternal life apart from God in Hell (Psalm 55:15; Malachi 4:1; Matthew 13:50; Revelation 20:14).

Because of man’s original sin (Genesis 3); all men have a sinful nature (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 8:7-8), sin (Proverbs 20:9; Hosea 6:7; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8) , and suffer the consequences of sin (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21, 1 Corinthians 15:45-50; and see Scripture  references in paragraph above for ‘the consequences of sinning’ ).

Man is totally depraved (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 8:7-8) and completely unable to save himself from sin or its consequences (Ephesians 2:1-3; Ephesians 2:12).