Last Thursday, Mark Galli, Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today, published an uncharacteristically political editorial entitled “Trump Should Be Removed from Office.”
While I have no personal knowledge of Mr. Galli nor what moves his heart, it is relatively obvious where his political opinions lean.
Perhaps he, like other self-proclaimed Christian thought leaders such as John Pavlovitz, has determined contemporary Christian thought requires a makeover more aligned with 21st pan-global moral relativism than with a firm understanding of scriptural principles.
Or perhaps Mr. Galli has gazed into a secret Holy of Holies hidden from the rest of us to discern the very mind of God.
Or just perhaps he simply sees his impending retirement and is looking to establish his bona fides as a “Christian leader who opposes Donald Trump.” The cable media crowd will love him, as was on display over the weekend.
Regardless of Mr. Galli’s motivation, as a thinking and practicing Christian (technically non-Evangelical, although that does seems in conflict with the admonition Jesus himself gave us in Matthew 28) who has spent the better part of three decades reading and absorbing scripture, I know one thing with absolute clarity: Mr. Galli’s theology – whatever it may be – is antithetical to everything God tells us about His will and mind in scripture.
Rather than attempting to address Mr. Galli’s editorial point-by-point (to which, as Dana Perino astutely points out, he is absolutely entitled), I will simply summarize his thesis with his own words in these two quotes:
“That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the creator of the Ten Commandments.”
and this:
“Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency.”
Read that last one again: “Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior.”
Clearly, Mr. Galli’s inky Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminar used a radically different translation of the Bible than the one you or I read. Consider just a few of the possible differences:
- In Mr. Galli’s translation, Moses would never be chosen by God to assume leadership of the exiled Israelite nation. After all, he did commit murder.
- Mr. Galli’s translation would never have Boaz (husband of Ruth) being born into the Messianic genealogy because his mother Rahab was a prostitute and an adulterer. Definite violation of the “Morals Clause” for any political leader.
- Apparently, the messianic genealogy producing Jesus would have also excluded David – he committed adultery with Bathsheba, resulting in her pregnancy, and then tried covering it up by having her husband murdered. Can’t have that in our purity tests for leadership!
- Mr. Galli’s New Testament translation would likewise be very thin – at least 13 books would be missing because God would never have chosen Paul to take the Gospel to the Gentile world. Not with all the persecution and killing of Christians he supported.
I could list dozens of other examples pointing to the complete lack of understanding Mr. Galli’s editorial displays in the way God works His plan among us – not through morally perfect or superior beings, but through flawed, imperfect, often morally challenged humans raised in specific moments of need to address specific moments of human crisis.
Mr. Galli may take self-satisfaction in claiming Christians cannot “decry abortion while simultaneously supporting President Trump’s immoral behavior,” yet where is he in condemning every single politician who supports a policy which has resulted in the deaths of 50 million unborn children in this county since 1973? (Hint: nowhere).
Mr. Galli’s moral purity test in apparently cast in very narrow terms. In response to his clearly biased ideology aimed at pandering to the politically “woke” views of the Progressive movement, I will yield the page to the voice of One infinitely more enlightened than all the collective wisdom of mankind from the dawn of time until this moment. To quote the Author of creation Himself from the Book of Job:
“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?” (Job 39-40)
Respectfully, Mr. Galli, it might be better if you drifted quietly into retirement vs. claiming to speak for God’s will or for the millions of Evangelicals who support this President not for his moral uprightness, but for the very reason we each raise our hands in praise to the power of salvation. I suspect your attempt at moral superiority will simply embolden those already committed to reversing decades of retreat we’ve seen both in this nation and around the globe of Christian thought and practice.
As you may recall from your Seminary days, Mr. Galli, God uses the imperfect to perfect His plans. Even Donald Trump. And even you, Mr. Galli.
In peace.
in us,” John wrote in 
additional fatalities and extreme hardship. God remains here, in our midst, reassuring us His plans are greater than ours, His wisdom infinitely more complete than our imagination.
about the role God’s law and living a life of Christian love as defined by Jesus. We’re told the Jesus of modern worship invited everyone to the table, with no expectations or requirements. That God loves and forgives us in our sin rather than in spite of it. We seem to buy the massive lie that God does not mean what He has written on our hearts.
The next time you read or hear about a painting or a house or a rare coin selling for some unimaginable amount, remember this: the highest price ever paid for anything bought the most precious gift ever freely given by God – forgiveness.
emboldened by the love of a risen Savior.
Tonight, as you reflect on what a simple act of feet washing memorializes, as we pause to join in the solemnity of a Passover dinner shared by a condemned Savior and his weary followers 2,000 years ago, take a moment to remember. Take a moment to remember not just what this night or even the coming weekend of Easter means, but what it means to be a Christian in the world of the Fourth Day, the day after the Resurrection, the day when 
can’t negotiate with His eternal and perfect nature. And we can’t avoid the consequences when we try to do these things.
antithetical to God’s instruction to His people and leads us directly into Jesus’ warning from his Sermon on the Mount in 
bystanders. Such is the consequence for a world in denial searching for safety where none exists.
from childhood,” (
produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever,” Paul wrote in his 
3) Ask God for a spirit of Humility and Gratitude. Read 
Jesus tells us in this parable to listen for the warning. To turn away from digging ourselves deeper into isolation. To hear the cry of those who need reconciliation with us. To love God with all our hearts and our minds and our strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. No matter who we (or they) are.
In the end, we’re not simply Hollywood-created Autobots who magically transform ourselves into humanity-saving heroes. As Christians, we need reminding just as the new church did in Paul’s time that the only true transformation comes through the Will and Spirit of God.
This New Year’s Eve, as we celebrate with family and friends sharing hopes and dreams of the coming year, let’s not forget to get deep into the closets of our lives, cleaning out the old ways, the clutter and negative emotions chaining us to behaviors and thoughts we no longer need.
True confession results in what Paul refers to as “Godly sorrow,” bringing repentance “that leads to salvation” (
A word of caution. Living a life built on trust has consequences. You actually have to believe in others, and accept that they believe in you. And be prepared when they do. Be prepared when their belief in you sometimes exceeds your belief in yourself. Be prepared when God believes in us even when we’ve lost all hope in Him.
leaving behind our insistence on pursuing the transgressions always whispering to us, the erection of walls to separate us from each other, or the belief that anything we do must be from God and is therefore acceptable in His eyes.
Knowing where God is taking us, knowing what comes after the end of this world, truly understanding that there is a lasting and eternal life awaiting us, we can be at peace and live in confidence. And even if we may not know the day and hour, God tells us to stay vigilant. 
Without God’s extended hand to lift us from these self-made pits of the soul, we inevitably fall back into them, never truly escaping. Salvation doesn’t come from temporary acts of kindness trying to soothe our guilty consciences or show our Goliath-sized compassion, but by turning over our lives to a God willing to accept repentance, trusting in His will.
Sadly, too many churches are dying – some slowly, others more rapidly. While God can intervene when a faithful congregation cries out, the church must turn its face to Him, walking away from prior preferences, desires, and even treasured traditions. In other words, repent (or “turn away”). As Peter is quoted in 
There is a True Church here on earth. That Church has one role: to call Believers and prepare them for eternal life. The True Church is doing God’s genuine work, inviting His chosen to repentance and the Kingdom. With or without the skinny jeans, fitted v-neck T’s, revised theology for a modern ear, or pithy blogs.
Ultimately, God’s sovereignty does not mean causality. While God certainly can choose to cause an earthquake or send a flood to accomplish His greater purpose, it is folly to assume God is the “architect” of tragic or evil actions. He rules over all things to conformity them to His will. As Paul writes: “God causes all things to work together for good … to those who are called according to His purpose” (
God points us down the right road in times of strife like those we currently face. He speaks through the words of David in Psalm 46: 
grieving father believed in the ability of physicians and men to heal his son – FAIL. Peter had faith in his own power to step out on the water – FAIL.
Where do we see this today? The halls of Congress? Media moguls and their sycophant followers? The lofty modern cathedrals of megachurch celebrity pastors with their mansions and private jets and overflowing bank accounts? The holier-than-thou congregationalists demanding their self-assigned pews but never speaking a single word to the homeless and broken?
we’re all family, and I may urge you to be cautious in certain actions in your life, grace means I give you the freedom to choose. God is fully capable of guiding each of us – some to one lifestyle, others to a different lifestyle.
crucifixion was ever documented as confessing – freely or by persecution or torture – the Gospel story of the resurrection was a fake, a deliberate lie. And even in those cases where someone broke under torture, recanted their beliefs and converted to other religions, no Christian has been documented as believing the resurrection was a lie.
What I remember most about that Summer week (well, apart from spending time with an incredible woman who would become my wife) was … how time sort of stood still. I later learned there was a popular technique in bars and restaurants of Key West during those days to intentionally slow down service, purportedly enhancing the experience of “laid back cool” made famous by another Key West transplant, 
substitutes for a social life), pack their watches in a suitcase (again, these were the days of long ago when watches simply told us what time of day and what day of the month we happened to be stumbling through) adopt an island state of mind and r-e-l-a-x. Oh, and whilst relaxing spend a lot of money. Such is the nature of commerce in the Conch Republic.
precedence over keeping our eyes on Jesus and instead keeps them on our calendars and to-do lists.
the Galatians in verse 1:10 “
Here’s the thing. Believers need never fall into the faulty-logic trap of arguing God over Science. Our God is big enough to provide us brains to hypothesize any Universe we care to imagine. Or, in the words of Baylor University Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and proponent of intelligent design Robert J. Marks: 
Cross we created, the very Cross to which He was nailed that we might be free. He compels us to see the broken and bloodied body of His Son. And to see our own broken and bloodied lives hanging with him.
Then came these four words: “
pumped into our psyches by 21st century living. We get to wrestle with someone else’s view of who we are, try it on for size, checking out the view in a virtual 3-side mirror of love and trust and respect, only to realize the sleeves are too long or too short, or the color just doesn’t suit us, or there aren’t enough pockets. Relationships give us the freedom to grow or not. They can bring us together, or drive us apart.
transparent. Imagine if we honestly said to one another “I’m right here, right beside you. I’ll be here when you need me.” Not in some touchy-feely Facebook way, and not just with those closest to us. But with everyone we meet, every living, breathing soul with whom we share this experience of life.
All of these reactions are normal. Inoperable disease, mass murder, unwanted divorce after 30 years of marriage, an inexplicable automobile accident in the middle of the night, an airplane crashing into a mountainside during a snowstorm … so many innocent, good people senselessly hurt, lives destroyed.
was especially relevant during the last century, 
Second, evil and suffering, while tragic, are used by God for His greater purpose in drawing humans to His presence. As Paul writes in 
It’s natural to believe God mirrors this, loving us and accepting us exactly as we are. The problem is we then follow that with the idea that if God loves and accepts people unconditionally, we should also love and accept ourselves unconditionally. “I’m fine just like I am,” we say, “I don’t need to change anything!”
Equating humanistic, “unconditional” love and acceptance (until it’s not) with God’s immeasurable, incomprehensible, and unwarranted love is a fundamental misreading of scripture. Humanistic love is typically responsive – that is, someone loves us, and we love them in return. On the other hand, God’s love is a love that initiates, a love that always IS. God’s door is always open, because there’s simply no door. Yet even as the door is open, God doesn’t drag us through … we have to walk in.
Actually this belief is almost 180 degrees opposite from what the Bible actually teaches us. Yet as with most commonly misunderstood notions, it seems to be based in truth, in this case, on a passage from 
The truth is we’re never promised a life that won’t bury us under its weight. In fact, life itself can be more than any of us can handle. And the Bible specifically tells us this as Paul writes in the 2 Corinthians passage I quoted at the start of the this post. In this passage Paul confesses to being burdened beyond his strength. To be tested this way is a clear indication that we can experience more suffering than we’re able to handle.
Approaching the security line, I was greeted not by the typically nonchalant security folks who spend their time dutifully confirming the 7-year old (and 15 pounds lighter) picture on your driver’s license is actually you, but rather, a living, breathing human replica of Tigger.
Nowhere in the Bible – even with the most liberal and progressive reading – do the words “Blessed are the deliriously happy” appear. Rather, we find “
We think these were truths handed down directly from God, like our own mini-versions of Moses’ trip to the mountaintop. After all, everyone just knows certain things are true, right?
I have nothing at all against quiet contemplation. Some of my most profound worship experiences have come when the sheer impact of God’s unfathomable power and love for creation simply overwhelms the soul and the only response is hushed union with the Word. These are moments where all of us can let the noise and clutter of our lives fall away as we’re drawn into the very presence of God.
Today’s culture seems slavishly obsessed with weight, even as a recent article in the 
John Wesley, the celebrated preacher and founder of the Methodist Church, was a man in whom this flame burned bright and fierce. A life-long opponent of slavery, Wesley remained an outspoken advocate until his death. He not only fought against the scourge of slavery, but as a leader of the emergent Methodist movement he practiced throughout his life a regimen of personal discipline and ordered living.
to sin with the ubiquitous practice of slavery across Palestine in his day. Paul is argues that if we give ourselves over to slavery, we will follow whatever master controls us. As slaves to sin, we are free to righteousness, he writes, yet our reward is death. But now that we have been set free from sin through the atonement and reconciliation of Christ, we are slaves to God, having as our reward sanctification and its end, eternal life.
d from a sound sleep (I wish I could sleep that soundly in a tossing boat!) and if he reacts to low blood sugar the way I do there’s a pretty good chance he wasn’t feeling altogether hospitable (they didn’t have 
That sound you hear? It’s the sound of tires screeching to halt. The man simply couldn’t do it. He couldn’t give up his identify in exchange for the eternal life he sought.
Oh, and be sure to tip your 
Many of my friends, especially those people a little *ahem* older than me, don’t “get” the Social Media concept. “Seems like a waste of time,” says one. “Just another form of stupefied TV watching,” opines another. Or this one: “Twitter’s a glorified altar of narcissism from which voyeurs and provocateurs alike can shout ‘here I am! Look at me right this second!’” They clearly haven’t figured out I’m in that business.
In a sense, Social Media is like a pervasive, omnipresent force into which all of us can tap at any time and connect – like, say, electricity.
usually accompanying self-preoccupation, self-obsession, self-absorption. For instance, the buffed and coiffed crowd from the recent Oscars kerfuffle who seem to believe their voices are somehow more poignant than the masses.
Nevertheless, into the conversation we plunged – my companion holding views which, on the surface, appeared as diametrically opposed to mine as possible. The topics were wide ranging: from abortion to gun control, climate change to institutionalized racism, unemployment to tax relief. I came away from the table with considerable food for thought and will share some of that in later posts.
Tolerating someone else’s opinion merely means putting up with them, not understanding or relating to them. While noble in its stated intent, it deftly sidesteps the messiness and inconvenience that comes from loving and knowing someone else, even if they disagree with you. And the ultimate danger in empty tolerance is that it can end in rejection of the other person if their opinions don’t fit your world-view.
us (and most often employed) are: easy and hard. The hard way? Hurl yourself into a brick wall, back up hit it again. Rinse and repeat. The easy way? Learn the first time we face plant. And sometimes, we can simply remember what someone told us 10 years ago…
But acting wasn’t enough for him. In 1993 he stepped behind the camera to direct The Man Without a Face. Two years later he earned two Academy Awards for directing and producing Braveheart. He earned over half a billion dollars for his production of Passion of the Christ. He seemed unstoppable.
one decision results in another decision and another, each built on the first domino. Without a pattern interrupt or mid-course correction an unnecessary consequence becomes unavoidable.
breath spiritual truth into ever day life. His mastery of 
He laughed off my answer and we changed the topic to football. Because, you know, 
