Fifty Shades of Gray, Magic Mike, and Noah

I've seen plenty of Christian postings talking about Russell Crowe's new "Noah" movie.  Most are against it, saying that it doesn't follow the Biblical story very closely.  I honestly haven't seen the trailers or done the research on it to know for myself.

However, are the people boycotting the "Noah" movie exposing a blind spot in their lives?

What other movies do I need to boycott because they don't follow the Biblical story very closely?

Let me see.  My favorite movie of all time is "Braveheart."  That has lots of violence in it, plus a scene on William Wallace's wedding night where there is nudity.  If I applied the same criteria to "Braveheart" as I am hearing from "Noah," I wouldn't go see that movie.

"Back to the Future" movies blaspheme the name of God over and over and over again, yet I don't hear Christians calling for a boycott of those movies.

And those movies are fairly tame compared with Magic Mike.  My social media feeds blew up with reports of women, who identify themselves as Christian, fawning over Channing Tatum and posting all kinds of remarks about how "hot" he was.

And we fly into a conniption when a movie about a Biblical character comes out? 

I wonder if "Noah" will have any nudity, pole dancing, taking the Lord's name in vain, or any of the other things that Christians are so quick to overlook in movies.  It probably won't, yet, Christians will boycott it. 

I wonder if the review for "Noah" which convinced a Christian woman not to see the movie is sitting on the nightstand next to her copy of "Fifty Shades of Gray."

Christians, sometimes what we get incensed about doesn't make a lot of sense.

Like I said, I haven't seen the "Noah" movie.  I might go see it, I might not.  But I think it is time that we take a look at the blind spots in our viewing choices.  Why is it that we will put up with Jesus' name being used as a swear word?  We don't boycott those movies. 

Why is it that we put up with movies showing couples living together outside of wedlock?  We don't boycott those movies.

Why is it that we put up with perversion, gossip, violence, and other things that are against the Christian faith?  We don't boycott those movies.

But a movie that comes along that doesn't have any of those things in it, we boycott.  Simply because they used artistic license and told the Noah story badly.  We have defined ourselves as people who will gladly support movies that blaspheme God, glorify extramarital sex, celebrate pole dancing and sadomachism . . . .  and can't handle a wholesome story about a guy who saves animals from a flood.

Let's take a real close look at what we get upset about.  I think we have some serious blind spots to deal with in our lives.

What Fred Phelps understands now

Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro "Baptist church" died Wednesday.

I feel no anger, no satisfaction, no smugness, and no joy over his death.  He caused a lot of people grief and anger, and he made my job as a pastor much more difficult.  By calling himself a pastor, he soured the title in the eyes of many.  He caused grieving people even more pain by picketing funerals, shouting hate in the media, and berating anyone who disagreed with him.  He was above all a bully.

However, I feel no anger towards him. 

In his last days, he was in hospice care, lingering on the verge of death.  Helpless.  As I read the news stories, I found myself admiring the courage and dutifulness of the hospice nurses who cared for him.  Undoubtedly they didn't like him much, yet they cared for him.  That's pretty impressive to me.  But back to the story . . . .

While we are on this side of heaven, we never fully know the whole story.  I don't really know there is a God.  Neither do you.  I have FAITH that there is, but this side of heaven, I don't really KNOW.  I believe in God.  I have faith in God.  But I don't really KNOW.  No one does.  That's why it's called faith.

I also don't KNOW if God's grace is bigger than my sin.  I believe it is.  I have faith that it is, and I've staked my whole life on it.  However, I still don't KNOW.  I also don't know, fully, if my understanding of God is the correct one or if Fred Phelps' understanding of God is the right one.  I have faith, but I don't really know.

However, Fred Phelps does now.

Fred Phelps doesn't have faith anymore.  He knows.  And what he knows now, I believe, is how unbelievably wrong he was his entire life.

Fred Phelps now knows, as he is now face-to-face with God, what God meant when he said, "Pride goes before a destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall."  Fred didn't die in a hail of gunfire.  He died an inglorious death in a hospital bed, most likely eaten up by cancer and helpless as a newborn baby.  The man who made a career out of insulting and intimidating and judging- as a healthy adult- was now helpless and immobile.

Fred Phelps now knows that his entire belief system was wrong.  He now knows that he spent his entire life causing God's name to be blasphemed among the nations.

Fred Phelps now knows that his entire life's work was completely wrong.  Everything he dedicated himself to, everything he believed, everything was completely wrong.  He is looking back now over his life and has nothing but regret.  I imagine that he is saying over and over again, "I wasted it.  I wasted it.  I wasted it."

Fred Phelps now understands that his legacy- what he left behind in this world- was terrible.  His name will be reviled for generations.  His name will never be spoken of in good terms.  And that is the biggest shame of all.

Those of us on this side of heaven- we should take note.  All of us die eventually.  All of us will face our Maker.  All of us will leave a legacy.  And it is up to us whether or not that legacy is a good one.

Parents, you will leave a legacy to your children.  Will your legacy be brokenness and dysfunction?  Will your children sum up your entire life with the word, "Selfish?"  Or will your children praise your name as someone who lived with integrity and love?

Husbands and wives, you will leave a legacy.  You will be remembered.  The question is- will you be remembered with the disdain that people remember Fred Phelps?  You may not be picketing funerals, but are you a loving spouse?  Do you insult your spouse daily?  Do you speak in harsh tones?  Or are your words loving and gracious, full of forgiveness?

We will all leave a legacy.  Christians, what will your legacy be?  Will you, at the end of your life, say with tears, "I wasted it!  I had the opportunities.  I had the education.  I had the financial resources.  I had religious freedom.  I had all those things, and I wasted them!  I didn't hand down the legacy I wanted to hand down.  I didn't do what God wanted me to do.  I was not sold out to His Kingdom.  I was lukewarm and distracted. I wasted it!"

Or will you hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant," from your Lord and Savior?

We all die.  We all leave a legacy.  At the passing of a man who left a terrible legacy, I am more determined than ever to not waste my time here.  I am more determined than ever not to waste this one shot at life that God has given me.  I am more determined than ever to live intentionally, on mission, and on target.  Death comes to us all.  A legacy comes to us all.  It's up to us what that legacy will be- it is up to us what we leave behind us in the world.

"Only one life; 'twill soon be past.  Only what's done for Christ will last."

God bless you.

"That's okay- I ate turkey by myself today. I'm good."

My family was expecting me for Thanksgiving Day.

My wife had spent all morning fixing and cooking the turkey.  My daughters had fixed the cornbread dressing.  My mom and dad had fixed this amazing sweet potato pie.  My brother's family had fixed all kinds of awesome desserts, and we were all planning on eating at lunchtime.

We do that every year.  We know what time Thanksgiving meal at the Kibler's house is.

Lunchtime rolled around.  I wasn't there.

My cell phone rang.  It was my wife.  "Where are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I was busy," I said.  "This has been a pretty stressful week.  But, don't worry about me- I stopped at a deli and had turkey by myself.  I'm good."

The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening.  "What do you mean?" she demanded. 

"Well," I said, starting to get a lecture-type tone in my voice, "I don't really feel the need to eat Thanksgiving dinner with the family.  The point of Thanksgiving is eating the turkey anyway.  I can do that by myself.  I can still be an American and give thanks and eat turkey without coming and being part of the family."

"Plus," I went on, "family gatherings bother me.  There are some relatives I don't like.  I don't always like everything on the table, either.  Sometimes the turkey is too hot, or the desserts are too cold.  But, don't worry about me!  I ate turkey today, so I'm good!"

My wife was silent.  "I can't believe I'm hearing this," she said.  "That was quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life."

"Now you're judging me," I said.  "Listen, I don't need a family dinner to celebrate Thanksgiving.  I ate turkey, okay?  I'm good to go.  It's not like I didn't eat turkey on Thanksgiving.  I think that's good enough!"

"Listen," my wife said, anger rising in her voice.  "Do you think the purpose of Thanksgiving is just to eat turkey?"

"Well," I said, "that's what we do, isn't it?"

"Yes," she said.  "That's PART of what we do.  But that's not ALL we do.  We laugh.  We spend time together as a family.  We celebrate together.  We eat together.  We sit back and enjoy each other.  The turkey is really only about 10% of what goes on at Thanksgiving dinner.  And now, you've missed it.  You've shown us exactly what you think of the rest of us- you've shown us that as long as you're eating turkey, the rest of it doesn't matter."

I hope you know that this story isn't true.  I have never missed a Thanksgiving day dinner with my family.

But on the other hand, it IS true.

Too many times than I care to mention, when someone misses church and I call them up to ask how they are and if they are okay, they will tell me, "Yeah, I know I wasn't there.  But I spent Sunday morning studying the Bible."

That's like telling a family that you know you weren't there for Thanksgiving dinner, but you spent the day eating turkey.

The point of Thanksgiving dinner isn't the food you eat.  Well, yes it is, to some extent, but it's not the point.  Eating a meal TOGETHER is the point of Thanksgiving dinner.  The same is true of church- it is worshiping God TOGETHER that is the point of the Christian life.  So many of us miss that.  So many of us think that the end-all-be-all of the Christian faith is the personal study time, and as long as you have that, you're good.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

God intended Christianity to be celebrated together.  We are to be the church, not individuals eating turkey on the last Thursday in November.  We are to experience our faith together, grow together, interact together.  That is the purpose.  That is God's plan.

Plus, I would imagine that you would horrendously insult the rest of the family if you told them you weren't showing up for the family meal but were eating by yourself. 

Why?  Because your family LOVES you.  They want you there.  They don't particularly care about what you eat.  They care about YOU.  And to purposefully skip the family meal is an insult.  It damages relationships and leaves the rest of the family wondering how much they really matter to you.

Same is true of church. 

Some of us may have inadvertently been hurting the people that care about you.  Yes, it's possible to hurt your church family.

Resist the temptation to individualize the Christian faith.  It is meant to be lived out collectively.  Enjoy the faith with your church family.  Don't tell them, "That's okay- I ate turkey by myself today.  I'm good."

"Dude, you're not even on the team."

My senior year in high school we won the state soccer championship.

We reported for summer practice on a grueling, hot, Kentucky July day.  We did two practices a day for three weeks, beating ourselves into shape and gelling as a team.  Preseason soccer workouts are absolutely horrible, as anyone who has played high-level soccer knows.

We won 21 games that year, but we also had six losses.  We won, we lost, we persevered- we had to pick ourselves up after losses and find out a way to win.  We had a low point where we lost four out of six games- a slump- that we had to fight our way out of.  In the state finals, we met the #1 team in the state, Male High School out of Louisville, who had beaten us on our senior night three weeks before.

At the end of the game, the score was 2-1, us.  We had won.

We began the celebrations immediately.  Our fans stormed the field and surrounded us, shouting and cheering.  I was interviewed by reporters from Lexington and Louisville newspapers.  Cameras were flashing.  People were high-fiving.  The players took the state championship trophy and took a victory lap around the field.

Then we gathered in the goal for a team photo.

Something happened.  A guy that went to our school ran up and got in the picture, saying, "We did it!  We won!"  The rest of us looked at him.

One of the players said, "What are you doing here?"

The guy said, "What do you mean?  It's the team photo!  We won the State Championship!"

The player responded, "Dude, you're not even on the team."

He continued, "We've been busting our butts since July 15.  We did the two-a-days.  We practiced every day after school.  We stayed home on Friday nights and didn't go to the parties.  We slugged it out on the field.  We picked ourselves up after a defeat.  I don't remember seeing you there.  You've been watching from the stands the whole season, while we've been out on the field making it happen."

Then he said, "Get out of the picture.  You don't deserve to be here.  You may like soccer and you may have enjoyed watching us work, but this is not a picture for spectators.  Only the players who were on the team and sacrificed to make this happen deserve to be in this picture."

The guy, who was all smiles the second before, was crushed.  He left sad.

I think my biggest fear in life is that I am that guy.

I read the stories of the apostles in the Bible- stories of Peter and John facing down authorities, being imprisoned and beaten and killed for their faith.  I read stories of Daniel, who would rather be thrown into the lions den than miss one night of prayer with God.  I read stories of Christians in North Korea, who would rather see churches planted and the gospel spread than save their lives.  I read stories of Christians in Pakistan, under threat of death, converting Muslims and preaching Christ, all the while having their property confiscated, their daughters and wives raped, etc.

I'm afraid that when I die and stand before God, I will be that guy.  I'll see the team- the people I just named- gathered and I'll run in, saying, "Yes!  We did it!  Look at all we accomplished for the Kingdom!"

And they will look at me and say, "Dude, you're not even on the team."

They will continue, "You couldn't even wake up for Sunday morning service.  You couldn't even tithe.  You couldn't even share your faith in the workplace because you were afraid of what people would think.  You couldn't even stand up to your kids' coach when he scheduled games on Sunday mornings, and you were at the ball fields on Sunday mornings more than you were in church.  You looked outside on Sunday morning and if it was raining, you didn't go."

"Do you really think we worship the same God?  The God we worshiped while we were alive told us that in order to follow Him, we had to give up everything.  We've been slugging it out in the trenches, planting churches, loving our enemies, fasting, being thrown in prison, seeing our families destitute and starving, enduring persecution, and walking in close fellowship with God."

"You had a choice.  You had more resources than any of us.  You had more money, more time, more education than any of us.  You had freedom of religion- we didn't.  You were free to preach, free to witness, free to do everything the faith required you to do, and you didn't.  You could have been out there on the field with us, but you sat in the stands and watched.  You applauded all the sacrifices and even posted on Facebook when you heard a story of true faith, but in reality, all you were was a spectator.  You never joined the team."

"So get out of the picture.  You don't deserve to be here.  You may like Christianity and enjoy watching us work, but heaven is not for spectators.  Only the ones who surrendered everything and lived for the glory of God deserve to be here."

And I, who was all smiles before, will be crushed.  I will go away sad.

I realize this blog will get me in trouble.  "Dave, you're making heaven all about works.  You're being legalistic.  You're being (insert whatever word you use to describe people who annoy you)."  I get that.  The problem is- Jesus said this would happen.

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’- Matthew 7:21-23

Jesus looks at all the people and says, "Dude, you're not even on the team."

Except He takes it one step further.  He calls them "evildoers."

I think this will be a terrible day for all the spectators who watched the Body of Christ in action.  I think this will be a terrible day for people who, like that spectator, thought of himself as part of the team.  It wasn't that he had done anything horrible.  It's just that he didn't do what the team did.

In Jesus words, he didn't do the will of His father in heaven.  

I think it is time that the church takes the call of Jesus seriously.  We follow a Savior who called us to come to Him and die.  Yes, literally die.  Die to ourselves and die to worldly passions.  Die to worldly fame and fortune.  Die to ourselves and our goals.  Die to everything that is not of God.  Then begin to live.  Begin to live for the glory of God.  Sacrificing everything, even our own lives- our comfort, our popularity, our time, our money, our energy, our safety- everything.  That's what being a Christian means.  I don't know where we got this other definition of "Christian" as someone who has prayed a prayer and been baptized in a tub of water.  

Christians, realize that one day, you will be standing before the throne of God, and around you on all sides will be people who sacrificed all for the Kingdom.  To your right will be North Korean believers who were sentenced to death for planting churches and spreading the gospel.  To your right will be a pastor who watched his family killed because he refused to give up the names of the people in his congregation.  Behind you will be a person who was imprisoned and tortured under Communist rule and kept his faith in Christ.  In front of you will be a person who converted to Christianity and was killed by her family for embarrassing the family.  

Will you be worthy to stand beside them?

Or will Jesus look at you and say, "Dude, you're not even on the team?"

The real reasons 33 Christians were sentenced to execution in North Korea

At this moment, thirty-three Christians are under death sentence in North Korea because of practicing their faith.  We have heard the news story that the reason they were arrested and convicted was that they helped plant more than 500 churches in North Korea- the most difficult country to be a Christian in on the planet.  These are not ministers.  They are ordinary Christians who took the Great Commission so seriously that they risked imprisonment and death to see God's church grow in North Korea.  At least, that's what the story is.

However, new information has shown us that "church planting" and "spreading the gospel at risk of life" was not the cause of their imprisonment and death sentence.  That's because Christians don't do those things.  They were convicted of doing "Christian" things- things that are much more prevalent in the lives of Christians than things like church planting and spreading the gospel.  We have obtained the official transcript of the courtroom proceedings:

The accused, from henceforth to be known as "Christians," are found guilty of the following:

1) The accused regularly attend church  . . . about once a month when their favorite sports team is not playing, when their children don't have sports to play, when they aren't tired or worn out from the week, when they aren't working, when there isn't a guest speaker speaking that morning, when it isn't raining, and when it isn't too nice outside. 

2)  The accused have regularly been known to complain about church youth programs, childrens' ministries, color of the carpet, decibel level of music in worship, style of coffee cups, and other highly important things found in the Bible.

3)  The accused have routinely discouraged their children from going into full-time mission work, citing the lack of safety and the fact that doing so will "ruin their lives."

4)  The accused have routinely left churches after brief stints, moving around from church to church to find one that "fits their style" and one where there "aren't so many hypocrites."

5)  The accused were actually arrested in their beds at 10 am this past Sunday morning, stating that "because of the time change we couldn't get out of bed and make it to church."

6)  The accused were found to have the exact same attitudes about sex, marriage, profanity, drinking, and use of money that the non-Christians around them have.

7)  The accused were found to have more knowledge about celebrities, pop stars, and movie actors than they do about Jesus.



Now, suppose there were two countries.  In Country A, it is a death sentence to worship God, to mention His name, to baptize, to plant churches, to own a Bible, or to even call yourself a Christian.  In Country B, it is a death sentence to practice items 1-7 on the list above. 

In which country would you receive a death sentence due to the evidence available to convict you?

When I see the bravery and courage of those 33 North Korean Christians- who knew full well the penalty for their actions, knowing that they face an inhumane and painful death at the hands of a complete psychopath (Kim Jong Un) and yet planted more than 500 churches to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ- I look at the state of the church in America and ask, "Where do I even start?"

How do we, as American believers, even consider ourselves worthy to stand alongside them as brothers and sisters?  Now, to our credit, America has some extremely devoted, dedicated Christians.  To be sure, many of us would choose to do the exact same thing that those North Korean Christians chose to do, regardless of the consequences.  But let's face it- most, if not the vast majority, wouldn't.

Most of us would prefer to live in Country A because we would receive no persecution whatsoever.  Most of us would avoid County B like the plague because most of us would be dead.

I am asking you to do two things:
1) Pray for the North Korean believers- pray for a miracle that God would spare their lives and bring justice to the tyrants in North Korea.

2) Allow the example of the North Korean believers to inspire you.  Root out any lukewarmness that you see within you and honor their sacrifice by living with their degree of passion for the gospel.  Live life with such dedication that you would count yourself worthy to stand beside them on judgment day.  Be inspired by their sacrifice- be inspired to take up their calling and accomplish the tasks that they haven't been able to complete because of their arrest.

We are the body of Christ.

The current state of America: children suing parents while rejecting their authority

An eighteen-year-old girl leaves her parents' home because she didn't want to obey horrible rules such as being respectful, helping with chores, and a curfew.  Yet, she sues her parents to make them fund her education (private high school and college) and other lifestyle-related things.

How did we get here?

This is the result of the parenting style that has risen up over the last twenty years- expect nothing of our children, give them everything, give them participation trophies for accomplishing nothing, never make them contribute to the family or anything else, and basically spoil them.  Only an entitled brat would dream of suing her parents for monetary support while rejecting their parental authority.

Inside the mind of this eighteen-year-old girl is a mindset of entitlement.  Her mode of operation is "cake and eat it too."  She wants the freedom to do what she wants when she wants.  Fine.  I do too.  However, there is a major difference- she wants someone else to pay for it.  She wants to force her parents, whose authority she has rejected, to provide money for her.  Hmmm.  Welcome to the real world, honey.

If you want freedom from parental rules, don't expect anything from them.  If you want to be an adult and live without parental boundaries, then get a job and pay for things yourself.  This girl wants her parents to enable her- she views her parents as her own personal ATM who will fund her lifestyle but whose authority she rejects.

I contrast this sorry episode in American history with a story I read yesterday in John Piper's magnificent devotional book A Godward Life, pages 297-298- the story of Amy Carmichael:

"Amy Carmichael was born December 16, 1867, in the village of Millisle on the north coast of Ireland.  After a lifetime of service in India she died, the beloved Amma, with a family of thousands.  She was eighty-three years old.  They covered her bed with flowers.  The boys sang for an hour and a half.  It was January 18, 1952.

She had suffered and she had endured to the end.  What kind of home had made this remarkable woman?  How do you rear a child in a way that makes her free from self-indulgence, rugged in the face of suffering, and ever-confident in the goodness of a chastising Heavenly Father?

Elizabeth Elliot, in her biography of Amy Carmichael, gives us a glimpse of that remarkable Irish home- "the toughness of Irish Presbyterians, the ruggedness bred by winters on that cold sea, the no-nonsense principles of child rearing."

There was no question in the minds of the Carmichael children as to what was expected of them.  Black was black.  White was white.  Their parents' word could be trusted absolutely, and when it was not obeyed there were consequences.  Five kinds of punishment were used: being stood in a corner with one's face to the wall, forbidden to go out and play, slapped, pandied, and (worst of all) given Gregory powder (no idea what Gregory powder was).  

A pandy was a stroke with a thin, flat ebony ruler.  The child was required to stand still, to hold out his hand at once and not pull it away, to make no fuss, and finally to say politely, "Thank you Mother."

Where did Amy Carmichael learn that the blasts and bufferings of her laborious life were at the hand of a no-nonsense God of holiness and love?  Where did she learn to say, "Thank you Father" for the affliction of her hands?  Where did she learn to pray like this:  "Not relief from pain, not relief from weariness that follows, not anything of that sort at all, is my chief need.  Thou, O Lord my God, art my need- Thy courage, Thy patience, Thy fortitude.  And very much I need a quickened gratitude for the countless helps given every day."

Elisabeth Elliot is right:  "As the sternness of an Irish winter, with its gloom and wetness and icy winds, puts apple cheeks on both old and young, so the sternness of Christian discipline put red blood- spiritual health- into the girl who could not have imagined then the bufferings she would be called on to endure."

What was Amy's own estimation of this awesome, God-like home?  Long afterward she wrote, "I don't think there could have been a happier child than I was."

And there you have it.  Two contrasting stories- one of a spoiled, entitled brat and one of a disciplined, rugged HAPPY woman.  Amy Carmichael's parents were not interested in her short-term comfort or her being "happy."  They wanted to build her character- they instilled respect, determination, integrity, and love for God in their daughter and would accept nothing less.  A person who has obtained those characteristics is a very happy person.

The secret to happiness, parents, is CHARACTER.

Character is not given.  It is not bought.  It is only earned through hard discipline, making mistakes, falling down, and getting back up.  It is character that this eighteen-year-old girl in the news is lacking.  If she had character, either she would accept her parents' discipline or she would leave and earn a living for herself, no matter what it cost her.  That's what people of character do.

Parents, our culture is trying to rob our children of character.  It tells us to spoil our children, to never let them be unhappy, to never let them go without any luxury, to never allow them to fail or hurt or cry.  Our culture tells us that we should prepare the road for the child instead of the child for the road.  This culture tells us to criticize the teacher when our children fail, to criticize the coach when our children don't make the team, to blame the boss when the child doesn't get hired or gets fired.  When we capitulate to these forces, we raise entitled children that have the potential to sue us for money while rejecting our authority.

I want my children to finish strong like Amy Carmichael did.  They won't finish strong if they don't have character.  Unfortunately, stories like this news story are going to become more and more frequent as the most entitled generation in history reaches adulthood.  We will look back and see adults still behaving like children, blaming everyone but themselves for their problems, depending on someone else to provide for them, and looking for the easy way out.

However, if we challenge the cultural mindset and instill character in our children- character bred out of hard lessons, discipline, and love- we will see remarkable results.  We will see our children grow into adults with integrity, determination, and (gasp) happiness.  We will be able to be proud of their lifestyle choices and decisions.  We will see our grown children taking responsibility for being leaders in this world, persevering in the face of discouragement, and overcoming challenges that life throws at them.

It all starts now.  

It's time for pastors to step up

Someone asked me the other day, "Why do you say so much controversial stuff?"

She said that like that was a bad thing, like I was not being a man of God, a pastor, a citizen of America, and a person agreeing with the 72% of Americans who believe this nation is headed the wrong direction.

The truth is, I don't mean to be controversial.  I'm not looking for ratings, for blogs to go viral, or to attract a huge following.

I'm just someone who isn't content with the status quo.

This week, a study came out by the Family Research Council showing that 61% of Americans (not just Christians, mind you, but Americans in general) think that pastors should challenge Obama on religious liberty issues.  That's almost 2/3 of the population.  Pastors, are we missing an opportunity here?

It's no secret that the church in America is in trouble.  It really is.  We are not effectively engaging the culture and not effectively winning people to Christ.  I have found in my interaction with non-Christian people that the vast majority don't really have anything against God.  They are not rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth militant atheists marching off on a crusade to eradicate all things Christian.  The vast majority of people simply see faith as irrelevant.  Not important.  Not really making much of a difference in life.

And 2/3 of all Americans want pastors to be bolder in speaking up for religious liberty.

Well, pastors, here is a chance to show the entire nation that you are serious about what you believe.  61% of the people in your community wish that you were a bold voice confronting encroachments on religious liberty in this nation.  61% of your neighbors, Christian and non-Christian, wish that they heard more from the pastors in the community about issues regarding freedom.

However, the article also speaks to why pastors don't speak up more.

Most pastors I know are very good men.  They are very godly, very kind, and very concerned about their congregations and communities.  They really are.  It's not a character issue.

What happens is that pastors are afraid of controversial statements because they are afraid it will make people leave their churches.  Whenever people leave your church, it hurts.  It really hurts.  Most pastors take these things personally.  I know I do.  So when it comes time to take a stand on an issue, especially one that is controversial, the pastors of the churches make a quick mental list of who will not be there next Sunday if they take a stand.

So they don't say anything.

However, if a person is in your church simply because they can't stand to hear anything they don't want to hear, they are probably going to leave soon anyway.

That's why I'm calling pastors to stand up.  I'm calling pastors to start fighting for religious liberty here in America.  I am so encouraged by the pastor of First Baptist Church in Morristown (the pastor of the church where the German homeschool family, the Romeikes, attend) and his stand on their deportation hearings.  He called for civil disobedience if they were deported.  The mayor and the state representative of the area joined in.  He took a stand for religious liberty, defending the family that was facing deportation and persecution for wanting to homeschool their children.

I loved it.

I loved the fact that the pastor openly called for civil disobedience in standing up for what he believed.  He was willing to go to jail if necessary to stand up for religious liberty.  Well done, good sir.  The federal government backed off and allowed them to stay- a stunning reversal of the previous day's decision.

If the church was known as courageous- using civil disobedience if necessary- in standing up for religious liberty, it would have a huge effect on the state of Christianity in America.  Americans believe in liberty, and we generally believe in leaving people alone to live their own lives.  I believe Americans are getting sick of an ever-encroaching federal government and there is already a backlash going on in response.  The church should be at the head of the column, calling for liberty and freedom, calling for people to be left alone to live their lives in peace and prosperity.

Pastors, if the church is to lead the way, you must be the leaders.  You have the pulpit and the influence.

Pastors, today, I challenge you to band together in your communities and organize yourselves for action in defending religious liberty.  Non-pastors, tell your pastor about your concern for the erosion of religious liberty here in America and encourage him to speak up.  He's probably worried about what you think on this issue, and he needs to hear your encouragement.

I believe that there is nothing more important than our freedom and liberty.  If we can't worship as we please, if we aren't free to exercise our faith, we will no longer be the United States of America.

Pastors, 61% of the people in your communities are waiting for you to be the voice of religious freedom, challenging the encroachments and intrusions on the First Amendment.  Be that voice.  Show our country that the church is the leader- the church is willing to take up the banner and lead the charge.

Pastors, it's time to stand up and be counted.