The Day Charlie Kirk Died

Today Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking to thousands of students at Utah Valley University. He died shortly afterwards. 

Kirk was a Christian who was unafraid to promote Christian truth in the public square; namely at public universities across the United States. While many preachers cower in their pulpits and are unwilling to address difficult issues of our hour, I have watched videos of Kirk address everything from abortion to alcohol consumption to premarital sex to civic engagement and so much more. Much like the early church Christians reasoned with those around them. Acts 17:16-34. The early missionary Paul, in Acts 24:25, "reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment.” You don't hear much about those subjects anymore.

Kirk regularly shared the Gospel with the crowds that would gather to hear him and was a voice of reason and biblical conviction that did not hide behind the walls of a church building but boldly shared the Good News of a different way of life to those desperately searching for more than what this world had to offer. 

My heart is heavy over the senseless violence borne of evil. Some will likely begin advocating for more gun control (will they advocate for knife control after the subway stabbing?) and others will say we need more mental health services. The real need of this moment is a heart change across our land!

My heart grieves at the violence perpetrated against children at school. My heart is broken for the young lady who was stabbed on the subway and then left to cry as she bled out while no one even tried to comfort her.

We have a heart problem in our nation. One that perpetuates racial animosity, violence against people we do not agree with, and villainizes those who seek to protect. One that requires no one take responsibility for their evil actions (its a mental health issue; it's a gun problem; etc). 

Abortion, doctor assisted suicides, euthanasia, and other practices have led to the diminishing of the sanctity of life. There is a diminishing value of life and recognition of the sacredness of the gift of life that all people have.

In these moments, we must be aware that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but it is a battle!! While some will scorn a call to prayer, that is what I do today. There is no other hope apart from a move of God as we have not yet seen in my lifetime. 

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

LGBTQIA+ Affirming Christian?

Before the issue is directly addressed, we need to lay a little bit of groundwork. 

First, LGBTQIA+ Affirmation simply means that more than loved and welcomed, those identities and practices are accepted and celebrated. Their lifestyle choices are affirmed. 

Second, there are a diversity of beliefs and practices among Christians throughout time and place. Not all actions, opinions, or theological perspectives must be uniform in order for one to be a Christian.

Let me break this down a little bit more. There are four levels of issues to which we can disagree.

1. Issues of Preference. Sincere and authentic Christians disagree on many things that are nowhere near essential to their salvation. Some things have to do with styles of worship or aesthetic design and decor in the church or home. These are opinions without Scriptural foundations that do not contradict the teachings of the Bible in anyway, but neither are they supported by it in any definitive way. These would be issues of someone's favorite song, color, etc. These are preferences and are not essential items (though some people try to spiritualize their preference to elevate their importance).

2. Issues of Conscience. Sincere followers of Jesus disagree on matters settled by their conscious. These issues may be informed from a biblical principle, but not necessarily. They may have to do with the individual believers' desire to honor Christ in every way in their life or to avoid temptation that may not be an issue for other believers. These items are not universally essential as they are a matter of individual conscience (though they can be corporate among local congregations). Often Christians come to a conclusion on these matters after prayerfully seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit for their personal walk with Him. These issues of conscience can be equated at times with secondary or even primary issues for some people. 

3. Secondary Issues. These are important theological beliefs and/or practices with a basis in interpretation of the Bible. Often denominations are formed by like-minded individuals and churches coming together to result in a network or association of churches and denominations. While these issues are considered non-essential to an individual's salvation, they are important issues to address and understand especially when churches from different cultures and world areas might be working together to fulfill the Great Commission. While the ramifications of these secondary issues can impact an individual's salvation, they are not considered essential to be Christian. They would be issues like modes of baptism, Calvinism vs Arminianism, definitions of spiritual gifts, church polity, etc. Certainly Scripture speaks to these issues, but many genuine believers end up with different conclusions as they seek to interpret those passages. It should be assumed that God does not bring the clarity we might like on these issues because they are not essential to our salvation. Important to discuss and understand: definitely. Essential to salvation: no.

4. Primary (or Essential) Issues. These are primary theological beliefs and practices which means that they are fundamental dogma (essential doctrine) and practice. To deny these truths or practices precludes you from the Christian faith. The divinity of Jesus, nature of God, problem of sin, and the literal death and resurrection of Jesus would be among these essentials. There are those who say that these essential beliefs from Scripture are summarized, at least in part, by the Apostle's Creed. But these primary issues also involve practices that shape our lifestyle. In other words, essential is defined not only by a set of beliefs that one cognitively affirms, but also a lifestyle they embrace that God has called us to. You can find some places in Scripture that clearly denote behaviors essential to walking in righteousness (right relationship with God). There are also certain behaviors or actions that would exclude one from being a Christian that are definitely prohibited. 

For example, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. The claim is clear: "neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." This is preceded by the phrase: "Do not be deceived." Idolatry, adultery, sexual immorality, etc are not compatible with relational holiness or Christian ethic. Those who continue to live in those patterns and refuse to repent (change their mind about these actions) will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul is warning the church at Corinth that there will be some false teachers who will attempt to convince them (through deception) that the actions he listed would not interfere with their salvation or relationship with a holy God.

Some false teachers would conflate primary issues that are clearly articulated in Scripture with secondary issues in order to confuse or even deceive sincere seekers. Our desire as Christians should always be to embrace God's revealed truths about the spiritual realm and the lifestyle of holiness that God has called us to. 

"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity." This is a common expression that encourages us to not allow preferences or other non-essential issues to divide us. Christianity cannot be divided upon essential beliefs and lifestyles, but sometimes people want to move things from the essential category to the non-essential category. This is a serious problem because theologically it makes one a heretic and pragmatically because it can prevent one from inheriting the kingdom of God. Those who advocate for disregarding holy living (orthopraxy) and biblical truth (orthodoxy) reveal the motive of their heart as well. The truth is that some people want to create a god in their own image that approves of every sinful desire they have. This is a historic reality that plagued even the early church. Paul warns the church in Ephesus that there should not even be a hint of sexual immorality and covetousness among them. He goes on to exhort them to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 

So can one be an LGBTQIA+ affirming Christian? Simply put, a Christian will not knowingly support or affirm behavior that is clearly prohibited by God. Rather, they will seek to discern what is pleasing to the Lord!

In fact, advocating for sinful behaviors places you outside of biblical and historic Christianity. By every historic and biblical definition, except contemporary definitions that twist the meaning of love to exclude any concept of truth, one should struggle with how an individual could claim to follow Christ and yet reject His will and ways. You can disagree about architectural designs, passivism, song selection, definitions of modesty, and even a person's definition of speaking in tongues... but you cannot disagree with God on the practice of homosexuality and still claim to be His follower.

Let us commit to being faithful witnesses to the call of God to live distinctly different in our obedience to Him borne of a love with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And may our witness, influence, teaching, and preaching always advocate for the ways of the Kingdom of God. 

Check out these other articles:

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Why I Am Part of a Denomination

Resolution to Support Denominational Leadership

A number of districts and/or district advisory boards in the Church of the Nazarene across the United States have proposed resolutions, similar to the one below, concerning the funding of Nazarene Theological Seminary from the World Evangelism Fund. Some have been passed directly from the district's assembly or from the district's advisory board or a combination of both. Here is one such resolution that I proposed and was overwhelming passed by the Southwest Indiana Churches of the Nazarene along with the appendix of evidence.

This resolution serves to support leadership in addressing the missional drift suffered when any of our institutions, in this case Nazarene Theological Seminary, deems itself on a crusade to radically alter the spiritual and theological DNA of the denomination and depart from Scriptural Holiness. 

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Resolution to Support Denominational Leadership in Withholding WEF Funding from Institutions with Professors Who Affirm Same-sex Sexual Intimacy

WHEREAS, The Church of the Nazarene is committed to the authority of Scripture and the holiness tradition, upholding biblical teaching on human sexuality, which affirms that marriage is between one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy is reserved for that covenant relationship;

WHEREAS, The Church of the Nazarene's Manual clearly states that same-sex sexual intimacy is contrary to God’s design and affirms the call to holiness, which includes sexual purity;

WHEREAS, The Church of the Nazarene’s General Assembly, Board of General Superintendents, and Districts across the United States have consistently affirmed the biblical view of human sexuality within the Church of the Nazarene;

WHEREAS, Theological and biblical professors at Nazarene institutions are entrusted with the responsibility of forming and discipling students according to the church’s doctrinal convictions and biblical fidelity;

WHEREAS, The presence of professors who affirm same-sex sexual intimacy creates theological confusion and threatens the integrity of our institutions as centers of Wesleyan holiness training;

WHEREAS, Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) has consistently employed professors who are affirming of same-sex sexual intimacy;

WHEREAS, NTS received more than $1 million in 2024 from the World Evangelism Fund, meaning that tithe and offerings given sacrificially by Nazarene churches are supporting an institution that allows faculty to teach who affirm same-sex sexual intimacy;

WHEREAS, The World Evangelism Fund is a sacred resource intended to support the mission of making Christlike disciples in the nations and should not be used, directly or indirectly, to sustain professors or institutions that undermine the church’s core convictions;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Southwest Indiana District Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene supports and encourages the General Board and Board of General Superintendents in taking decisive action to ensure that no World Evangelism Fund resources are allocated to any Nazarene educational institution that knowingly retains theological or biblical professors who affirm same-sex sexual intimacy

BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, That every church on the SW Indiana District is encouraged to continually support the Great Commission being fulfilled through the World Evangelism Fund

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the Board of General Superintendents and the General Board.

Appendix: Affirming professors who have recently taught at NTS.

• Michael Christensen – Dr. Michael Christensen, a visiting professor in the NTS Doctor of Ministry program, is teaching a course in the spring 2025 semester. Dr. Christensen has been public about his affirming stance since at least 2016. According to Dr. Christensen, he has "advocated for full inclusion of gay and lesbian sisters and brothers in the life of church since I was in college over 40 years ago." 

• Emmanuel Cleaver III – Cleaver was listed as a DMin faculty member on the NTS website as recently as December 2024. Cleaver serves on the Advisory Board of Mainstream UMC, a group that wanted to keep the UMC together and advocated for removing book of discipline restrictions on LGBTQ practice. He remains the pastor of a UMC church.

• Frank Thomas – Thomas was listed on the NTS website as a guest lecturer in the DMin program as recently as June 2024. Thomas has written posts in support of abortion and denounced the senators who opposed enshrining same-sex marriage in federal law. He shared a post from Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) that celebrated “open and affirming” churches “where everyone belongs just as they are.” The post included a graphic that said, “CTS LOVES TRANS KIDS” and was accompanied by the hashtags #pride, #translove, and #transvisibility.

• Eric Severson – Severson was an affiliate faculty member at NTS as recently as 2023 when he wrote a chapter in Thomas Oord’s book Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming. 

• K. Steve McCormick – McCormick retired from NTS in 2022 after teaching for 18 years. He was the chair of theology at the seminary. Less than a year after retiring, McCormick wrote a chapter in Why the Church of the Nazarene Should be Fully LGBTQ+ Affirming. McCormick participated in a pro-LGBTQ conference where he confirmed his long-standing views in support of LGBTQ identity and practice. Despite his unbiblical views, McCormick remains the emeritus Greathouse Chair for Wesleyan-Holiness Theology at NTS. 

**Note: Dr K. Steve McCormick recently lost his credentials in the Church of the Nazarene but continues to be listed on Nazarene Theological Seminary's website as an emeritus professor.

Check out these articles as well:

Why I Love the Church of the Nazarene

Why I Can No Longer Support Nazarene Theological Seminary

Why I am Part of a Denomination

Reclaiming Christian Higher Education

A Note to Pastors on Friday

Dear Pastor,

It is almost Sunday. That means you are probably focusing on the Sunday gathering of God's people and the message on your heart for the people to whom God has entrusted into your care.

Don't worry about the size of the crowd that you will speak to. It is certainly encouraging when you have new people in church on Sunday, but the crowd size is not as important as what God has given you to share with those who will be present.

Don't be afraid to preach the word of God exactly as you've found it. Do not water it down or disguise it. Do not blunt it or sugar coat it. Just share it with those who are hungry for truth.

Don't be distracted with performance. Do not allow frustration to overtake you before you get up to preach because the musicians didn't play everything perfectly or someone messed up the words on the screen or there was awkward start to a song. God's presence is not thwarted by our talent level.

Don't be consumed by your shortcomings. Your perceived inadequacies in preaching need not diminish the ability of God to use you (flaws and all) to bring about a spiritual harvest.

Go to bed early on Saturday night. Make plans to be well rested for Sunday and all that it entails. Your mind will be sharper and your body will have more stamina if you are well rested.

Show up to church early. There are plenty of things that can go wrong or fail to be ready for the day. Your earlier arrival allows you time to pray over the church and the happenings of the day. It also allows you to make sure everything is ready as well as one last review of the message God has given you.

Ask for the Holy Spirit to anoint you before you stand behind the pulpit (or next to a table) to preach the word of God. Those 20-40 minutes could change eternity for someone sitting in the church and they need you to be uninhibited by distraction and fully in tune with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

He is able. And He can work through you.

Also check out these other articles:

A Note to Pastors on Monday

Dear Pastor

Dear Lay Person

Is Tithing Still a Thing for Today?

Baptism Preparation

Before I perform a baptism in a worship service, I typically take the time to sit down with someone who has committed their life to Christ and talk about what baptism means and give them some instructions for the day of the baptism. 

Baptisms are the most exciting things to take place in the life of the church as they give evidence to the salvation of individuals in the life of the church, the Great Commission being fulfilled, and are a celebratory time for the believers who gather together. I pray regularly that there would be those, who have experienced new life in Christ, that would publicly affirm their trust in Christ through baptism so that we might celebrate together!

Here is some of the information I give to each baptismal candidate. 

Preparation for Baptism:

1. Generally baptisms will take place at the beginning of the service (after announcements and before worship in song).

2. You will need to bring:

      a. A change of clothing (including undergarments).

      b. A towel to use following the baptism. 

      c. Anything else you might need following the baptism. 

3. Clothing for the baptism. Please do not wear a plain white t-shirt, a shirt with distracting wording, short shorts, bathing suit, etc. Ideally you will wear a solid color t-shirt and pants (the baptistry has steps and can be difficult with a dress or skirt). (Ladies may want to pull your hair back if it is long.)

4. Make sure to touch base with Pastor before the baptism service (arriving 30 minutes before hand is ideal). If you would like to change into “baptism clothes” before the service you can do so in the bathroom. You can also wear those clothes and change after being baptized. 

      a. When the service begins, wear what you will be baptized in and meet in the room behind the sanctuary that exits onto the platform. You can enter this room from the education/children’s church area.

      b. Pastor will meet you in this room before the baptism and give you any last minute directions.

      c. One person at a time will be baptized. Immediately following your baptism, you will be helped out of the baptistry, handed your towel, and then free to go to a bathroom and change into dry clothing for the remainder of the service.

5. Please let Pastor know how you would like for your name to appear on the baptism certificate.

6. When you get into the water: Pastor will introduce you to the congregation and then invite you to *briefly* share your testimony about becoming a Christian. This should include when and where you came to know Jesus, repentance, forgiveness of sins, having faith in Jesus. It should not exceed two minutes. 

7. Before Pastor baptizes you with water, he will ask three questions publicly that you should be able to answer with a simple “yes” in the affirmative:

      a. Have you repented of your sins and placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord?

      b. Do you have the assurance of the Holy Spirit that if you stood before God today, He would welcome you into Heaven as His child?

      c. Are you committed to serving & obeying Jesus from this point onward?

What might you add?

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A Note to Pastors on Monday

Dear pastor,

Don't worry if someone accuses you of helping the "wrong kind of people". Paul was imprisoned for casting a demon out of a slave girl (Acts 16)

Don't worry if someone falls asleep while you are preaching. Eutychus fell asleep on Paul (Acts 20) and fell out of a window.

Don't worry if someone is angry about your sermon. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem because they claimed he was teaching against their traditional beliefs (Acts 21-23).

You are not facing anything new. Criticism is par for the course it seems. While that may be a bit discouraging, don't forget that the same promises made to the early church are available for you too!

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available for power to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and Judea, and to the ends of the earth. There is no limitation on what God can do through you... except your faith.

The first-generation church regularly saw God do amazing things and then faced persecution and spiritual resistance. But they always went back to the basics: a prayer meeting to ask God to fill them up again!

Take this day to seek spiritual renewal from Him. Allow Him to refresh and renew you. May He encourage you this day as you prepare for the week ahead. He is able. And He can work through you.

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How to Obtain the Blessing of Entire Sanctification

I wanted to share some of my reading from Beverly Carradine in his book titled Sanctification. In the chapter titled How to Obtain the Blessing he shares seven helps for those seeking to be entirely sanctified. I will share those with you as well as some of my own commentary...

First, you must believe that there is such a blessing. 

Lack of faith in the possibility of the Holy Spirit cleansing your heart prevents you from receiving such a blessing from Him. So many of those who never experience this work of God in their lives is squarely because they lack belief in the reality that God can do such a work in them.

Second, you must realize your need of this blessing.

Recognizing the internal conflict between the sinful nature and the desire to live for Christ is evidence enough of my own need for the work of entire sanctification. Obedience always qualified by something is not full consecration, but it surely is a symptom of the problem that God can remedy.

Third, you must desire this blessing.

Do you have a desire for God to work in such a way in your life? Do you desire for Him to reign in your life above all and for your heart to experience a cleansing that will enable you to love Him with all of your hear? 

Fourth, you must seek for the blessing.

Has your desire birthed action that prompts you to seek after all that God desires to do in your life? Are you diligently studying the scriptural promises of full salvation? Are you looking up the passages that address holiness? Are you asking God for the promise? Are you asking the Holy Spirit to guide you into this truth?

Fifth, you must not be discouraged.

Do not give up if you at first do not receive this gift of God. Do not allow your lack of emotion (or even your overwhelming of emotion) to become a discouragement to you. Nurture the desire and do not let it dim. Stoke the flames that were spur you on in your seeking of entire sanctification.

Sixth, consecrate yourself entirely to God.

Make sure that you have given everything to Jesus. Root out, with the help of the Holy Spirit, anything that has not come under the lordship of Christ. Your possessions, your relationships, your reputation, your past, your future, your talents, your emotions, your desires, your plans, and all things must be given completely to God for His purposes and will to be fulfilled through you.

Seventh, you must believe that Christ makes you holy right now.

More than faith that God can do this work is necessary for you to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You must have faith that understands that when you have obediently consecrated your all to Christ, God will not hold back his promise.

God's will for every individual is that they would experience both the forgiveness of sins and the cleansing of their hearts! May you experience all God desires to do in your life as you seek after Him!

Check out these other articles:

What Sanctification is Worth

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I Sin Everyday!?

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