Communism and Christianity. Compatible?

Communism and Christianity are not compatible. Let me give you my reasons why:

1. Communist countries have historically been antagonistic and oppressive to Christianity. Communist China, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, and the list could go on. Sometimes it is simple restrictions that hinder a Christian's ability to be evangelistic and other times they imprison and arrest church leaders, restrict Bibles, or close churches. Marx critiqued the church as a hindrance to his communist revolutionary ideas and Lenin injected Marx's ideas with atheism. Communism ultimately demands the rejection of faith in Jesus.

2. Government is not God. Communism insists that the government become the center of life for every individual in every way. This requires the exclusion of any competing ideas, including following Jesus as The Way. While the Bible clearly gives a place for government (we are not anarchists) and its responsibilities (punishing the wrongdoer; Romans 13:3-4 and 1 Peter 2:13-14), it is limited and not without boundaries in all that is expected or even permitted to do. Communism is political idolatry.

3. Government is not a replacement for family. There seems to be a real spiritual war on the biological family defined biblically. The biological family (a man and a woman in a monogamous marriage covenant) is God's design for all of civilization. Its benefit is easily seen and measured by sociologists, government leaders, and religious leaders of all stripes. Government cannot replace a father in the home by supplying money or social workers. When men become little more than sperm donors, government has overstepped its biblical authority.

4. The Bible repeatedly assumes individual ownership of property and possessions. Biblical ownership ultimately has to do with stewardship. This is not about stewarding what the government owns, rather we are stewarding what God has created. This is why the United States of America does not tax church property: how can you tax an institution founded by the Creator? When the government claims ownership of everything it devalues the image of God in each individual who should be allowed the opportunity to own that which they will steward on behalf of the glory of God.

5. Communism denies basic biblical truth about the reality of our world. Critical theory (the basis for Marxist ideology) defines humanity by their socioeconomic status. Every individual is bound to an economic category (often broadened to race, culture, and gender). These categories are used to define the oppressed victims and unjust perpetrators based on their category rather than their actions or moral character. The "unjust" should be punished regardless of their actions and the "victims" should be rewarded. This is not Christian. The Bible, not Marx or Lenin, reveals the truth about human nature and the remedy of true salvation in Jesus the Messiah.

6. Government is not a means to salvation. Communism will never bring about an utopia that is often described by its proponents. The promise of socialism and ultimately communism is that the changing structures will inevitably create people who are morally good because the injustices have been removed (these injustices are typically described as economic disparity). Christianity described by the Bible says that the problem is actually the spiritually fallen state of all humanity. That everyone is in need of a Savior who can atone for their sins so that they can live in right relationship with their Creator. Salvation does not come through economics or government, but from the blood of Jesus. 

7. Government welfare is not Christian charity. In fact, it is worse than a cheap counterfeit. It is often detrimental to those who receive it and vindicating for the person who expects government to care for the poor rather than address the real, deep issues of heartache in their culture. Voluntarily giving to help others is about more than monetary amounts, it necessitates involvement and accountability on a level that government can never reproduce. Communist governments seek to eradicate the ability of the church or other individuals to minister to the whole person in favor of becoming dependency-creating entities.

8. The problem of humanity is not economic, occupational, or civic. The problem is sin. There is only one way to deal with that problem. If you were able to create the perfect civil system, it would be powerless to change the heart of a single man! If you were able to take all the money in the world and give it out in equal shares to every person, it would be powerless to change a single soul. The great need of our hour is not more government control and programming, but a Savior.

So what do you think?



Check out these other articles:

I am Against the Horseless Carriage

Pastors, Scandals, and Faithfulness

A Note to Pastors on Friday

A Note to Pastors on Monday

Once You're Saved, Are You Always Saved?

God is Doing a New Thing

The holiness movement has maybe never been better positioned than it is right now to be at the forefront of another great spiritual awakening in our culture. The time is now. The need is present. The message is available. And the power of God is promised!

I am encouraged as I observe some changes taking place and some I believe are coming!

1. Ministry to teenagers is beginning to move from entertainment and codling to evangelism and equipping for ministry. What was meant to be a bridge to adult hood had become a dead end street for spiritual maturity and selflessness. There was a time when it seemed that many ministry leaders were more interested in entertaining teenagers than they were challenging them to deny themselves and take up their cross. We do not need more self-centered people in the church; we need an army to rise up! I believe we are beginning to see that as we call our young people to full surrender.

2. For a long time we have adopted an institutional mindset. The church has been viewed as an institution to be protected rather than a Spirit filled means to fulfill the Great Commission. Institutional mindset leads to decisions that will neglect the mission if it risks institutional preservation. "Don't rock the boat." But a missions mindset recognizes that the body of Christ is cared for by the Christ Himself and that we have a purpose that we must be about fulfilling. When church boards and leaders are preoccupied with the existence of their church rather than accomplishing the Great Commission, even our institutional survival is at stake.

3. For a while there have been those who looked to the mainstream denominations (who had compromised truth) as our example. Some holiness churches looked to the United Methodist Church (UMC) as our older sibling. Some still foolishly covet the UMC through their denial of basic biblical truth and vindictiveness toward the Global Methodist Church (GMC), who sought to be faithful to Jesus. Biblical fidelity is surging right now. The promises of "progressive Christianity" are false and empty. People are hungry for the unedited truth. The want the unabridged Gospel. They do not want the sugar-coated falsehoods of the serpent any longer.

4. Faithful followers of Jesus who embrace the truth of the Gospel are starting to experience methodological freedom. Embracing a method that will help communicate the Gospel and reach the lost is a challenge for every generation. John Wesley struggled, at first, with preaching outside of a church building. Some have struggled with using television or social medias or the internet to help aid in the work of the Great Commission. I am thankful for a rising tide of individuals fully committed to the message of holiness who are creatively and faithfully seeking methods to fulfill the call of God.

5. Preaching and teaching on entire sanctification in the holiness movement has had a low point of vague generalities. Lack of clarity on the work and experience of entire sanctification has been a hindrance to many seekers. Often holiness has been preached as just going through life as a serious Christian or an ongoing growth/maturity. Entire Sanctification is not about maturity but purity. Many conflate the process (maturity) with definitive moment of the Holy Spirit's work (purity). A call for people to receive by faith the entirely sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in a moment need not diminish or be replaced by the ongoing dynamic in the life of every believer best described as maturity as we grow in the grace of God. Dying out to self and full surrender are calls required of those who are in need of a heart cleansing. 

6. Applicable holiness is beginning to be preached again. Due to the perceived error of previous generations who emphasized lifestyle issues (outward) over the inward cleansing and perfect love wrought by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, there has been a recent neglect to address issues of personal holiness in our pulpits. Fear of being labeled as a legalist has caused too many to abandon attempts to describe the holy life practically. I am hearing about and praying for more people to bless their brothers and sisters by preaching and teaching a practical holiness that will lead to restored relationships, biblical sexual ethics, Christian stewardship, holiness ministry, and people living with a sense of conviction about how the Spirit is leading them to live.

7. There is a move to be more spiritually minded. By that, I simply mean that many people are starting to think about things in terms of the will of God, the moral implications of actions, and being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Being conscientious and discerning of the Holy Spirit's work is much needed in the church today! Praise God there is a transition by some to reject dry dead forms that do not necessitate the presence of God in favor of a vibrant and empowering move of God.

A year or so ago, I was at a Captain D's restaurant having lunch with a ministry intern in our church. AS we ate an employee of the restaurant sat nearby (in a virtually empty dining area) and yelled across the room to other employees still working the checkout, kitchen, and cash register. Giving up on my own conversation, I started to engage her in conversation.

She told me that she rejected marriage as she has had much frustration with previous relationships. "I want someone who will be with me for life. Who will commit to me for all their life and be faithful no matter what."

I quickly responded with: "I agree that this is what a relationship should be! And the Bible outlines this and calls it marriage. You're not against marriage that God defined in the Bible, you're against what the world has twisted and called marriage."

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There will certainly be those who reject the truth found in the Bible and the way of living that the Bible describes as holy. But there are many more people who are desperately hungry for someone to graciously and clearly share to them what God says about everyday life in fellowship with Him. May we not disappoint another person be neglecting these great truths.

God is doing a new thing in our hour! 





Also check out these other articles:

I Am Against the Horseless Carriage

How to Obtain the Blessing of Entire Sanctification

Why Counterfeit Christianity Will Fail

Why I Am a Holiness Preacher

Letter of Accusation Against a False Teacher 1

Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene was a flagship church in the denomination for a century. But the last few years under the "leadership" of Jon Middendorf have been not only tumultuous but marked by a rejection of historic and biblical Christianity.

In 2025, the people still attending voted to leave the denomination or what they called: "spiritually disaffiliate." One member of OKC1 shares in this article why he voted to disaffiliate from the Church of the Nazarene. You can read the article in the link above, but I'll save you the read by summarizing: He voted to disaffiliate primarily because the Church of the Nazarene was no longer willing to tolerate the local church’s acceptance of homosexual practices (although he spins it as being "unwilling to welcome" people). Here is the news article about Oklahoma City First Church (OKC1) attempting to leave the denomination and take the property with them.

The Oklahoma District Church of the Nazarene immediately responded by taking the new OKC1 to court over the property, buildings, and trust funds they held. OKC1's defense in court was simply that they never were actually a part of the denomination. This ridiculous claim would come as a significant surprise to Uncle Bud Robinson who was the evangelist that preached under a tent to a group of people who would organize themselves into Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene (it was not the first church in Oklahoma City, but it was the first Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City). Even the name of the church betrays their legal false witness. Dr Stan Toler served as Senior Pastor of OKC1 and later became a General Superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene. I doubt he realized that the church was not a Church of the Nazarene (pardon my verbal irony). 

All ordained elders in the Church of the Nazarene that were part of OKC1 surrendered or had their credentials taken (with at least one exception) before the church voted to leave the denomination.

June 18, 2026 the judge rendered a verdict which basically granted OKC1 rights to all the properties and funds. 

If you'd like to review the legal proceedings and read the official legal statements of both the district and the local church, you can do so at this link.

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Here was the official statement on 06-19-26 from OKC1 after the court verdict was given:
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We prayed the Lord’s Prayer in preparation for our day in court. Slowly, deliberately- we prayed and allowed each line to prompt more specific prayers about our church, our future, the neighborhood around our church. We also prayed about the case brought against us, their attorneys, our attorneys, about an uncertain future.

Facing an uncertain outcome, we asked, “can we trust God if we lose?” and “can God trust us if we win?”

Speaking only for myself, I was growing more comfortable with the “worst-case scenario”- believing as I do 1) that we’d made these difficult decisions following the lead of the God of Grace, and 2) that God was not yet finished with OKC First.

But on Thursday, the judge ruled in our favor. We are so grateful!

We are so grateful for skilled, hard-working attorneys who were good and faithful representatives of the people and the message of OKC First.

I am grateful for our ministry team; they never wavered. Each pastor trusted, worked, and served with an inspiring, abiding trust. I regularly looked to them for confidence and energy, and they delivered every time.

I am grateful for our church board(s), people who bathed every decision in prayer and soaked a few in tears. These men and women were (and are) steadfast visionaries who know and rely on the steadfast love and mercy of God. They have led, organized, and served, and we are where we are because of them.

And we are grateful for you OKC First. So many of you joined us for prayer and praise on Wednesday evening; so many packed the courtroom on Thursday morning, and so many more sent messages of love and support, pledging to pray for God’s will to be done.

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We believe God’s will was done. We believe we caught a glimpse of the Kingdom coming (again) to OKC.

Our focus is now on God’s future- for our church, our community, and our city. With malice toward none and with deep wells of gratitude for all God continues to do in and through us, we are ready to get back to our best preoccupation and highest calling- to be the Church God calls us to be.

We’ve got work to do and stories to tell. And, as usual, all the work and every story begins like this, “God’s mind about you is made up, and the news is good.”

Jon Middendorf, pastor

Please send all questions and requests for information to info@okcfirst.com. We are happy to continue the conversation.

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Obviously I cannot change the legal verdict or adequately gauge the validity of the verdict given. I just have to wonder whether this could have been prevented. It is division of the highest order. I have come to the conclusion that there were really only two inevitable outcomes to the situation barring no repentance from Jon Middendorf.

1. The Church of the Nazarene completely capitulate the issue of homosexual practice to the will of Jon Middendorf. Had the denomination bowed to his demands OKC1 could have remained part of the Church of the Nazarene and we could have continued to insist that we are a big tent. The problem is that we would cease to be the body of Christ in the world if we believed that we could contradict God's word on this issue and continue to maintain fellowship with a holy God. 

2. What if Church discipline had been administered when Jon Middendorf initially started espousing and promoting his false teaching? What if someone had followed Manual protocol and dealt with a pastor who was not only violating the Church of the Nazarene's stated beliefs about homosexual practice, but the Bible's clear teachings on the subject as well? The sad news is that this could have been the case almost a decade ago.

On September 15, 2018, twenty-four elders in the Church of the Nazarene signed a letter of accusation against Jon Middendorf. I was one of them. I called Jon Middendorf and spoke with him over the phone before signing any letter. He insisted that a man who had divorced his wife and was presently living in a homosexual relationship with another man was absolutely a Christian. His [Middendorf] conviction was that a faithful, monogamous, homosexual relationship was fully compatible with holy living. Jon and I did not agree. I could not believe that an ordained elder pastoring a flagship church like Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene could have a mind so twisted that he would choose outright rejection of Biblical truth on the issue of homosexual practice. The conversation demanded that I signed the letter. 

Here is the letter:

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RE: Formal Accusation

September 15, 2018

Dr. Terry Rowland,

This letter is to adhere to the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene (606-606.12) in bringing a formal accusation against an Elder on the Oklahoma District: Rev Jon Middendorf.

Jon Middendorf is the pastor of Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene and has created a pattern through his actions of rejecting the Church’s stance on Human Sexuality (Manual 31) as well as providing oversight of events that endorse monogamous homosexual relationships.

There are two specific events to be referenced:

1.) On March 03, 2018 Justin Lee, the founder of the Gay Christian Network, who believes that someone can live in a monogamous homosexual relationship and still be Christian, was invited to speak at the Young Clergy Network Conference held at OKC First. Brit Bolerjack, who is on staff at OKC First and under direct supervision of Jon Middendorf, oversees the Young Clergy Network.

The network is supposed to be representative of the younger generation of Nazarene clergy in the USA/Canada. Not only is this a promotion of a speaker who fundamentally disagrees about the act of homosexual sex being a sin (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10), but also a rejection of our Articles of Faith in terms of Articles VIII (repentance) & IX (justification, regeneration, & adoption).

Jon Middendorf violates the doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene as it pertains to human sexuality by allowing such events and speakers to influence the church by giving them a platform at OKC First.

2.) On July 15, 2018 Brian Nollenberger, previously an ordained elder from the North Arkansas District who now is legally married to another man and thus an openly practicing homosexual, shared in song on the platform as part of the worship service. This is a violation of previous church discipline of Brian Nollenberger as well as another example of normalizing the ongoing, intentional, and conscious decision of Brian to live in a way that contradicts the Word of God.

Jon Middendorf has indicated that he doesn’t believe Brian Nollenberger is living in sin because he is dedicated to a monogamous relationship with his same-sex partner. He also views their relationship as covenantal and Christian. These views directly oppose the church’s stance on human sexuality.

These events, along with past events (where Jon Middendorf has baptized the child of a lesbian couple) are grounds for this formal accusation and a serious offense to the doctrine and polity of the Church of the Nazarene. These are not innocent mistakes, but calculated, intentional, recurring, and divisive actions taking place within the Church of the Nazarene.

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A few months later on November each of the twenty four elders who signed the letter of accusation received a certified letter in the mail. Here is what it said:

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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!

Your letter of September 15, 2018, to Dr. Terry Rowland concerning Rev. Jon Middendorf was referred by Dr. Rowland to this board.

The letter alleges two specific incidents that, if substantiated, would place Rev. Middendorf out of harmony with, at minimum, Manual paragraphs 31, 515.9, 540.4, and 702.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Manual, these matters have all been appropriately investigated, and the district has properly addressed the findings of the investigation.

We wish to convey to everyone who has been involved in bringing these accusations to our attention that we view this as a very grave matter. Accusations against an elder must always be treated seriously, and that is exactly how we have dealt with this matter. We do wish to express some concern, however, about the manner in which this was brought to the district’s attention. When the letter arrived, it was signed, not by two members in good standing as is required by the Manual, but by twenty-four individuals. Once two people working in agreement that accusations should be brought, the letter should have been immediately sent to our district superintendent so as to trigger an investigation and allow for immediate action, if necessary, by the district advisory board.

Rev. Middendorf has not seen the names on the letter by his choosing. He shared his desire to speak personally with any of you who would like to call. I trust we can show grace in the midst of some differing ideas and thoughts.

Again, please be assured that your concerns have been received and addressed by the Oklahoma District.

Sincerely, 
[Signature]
Secretary, District Advisory Board
Oklahoma District 

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What happened to Jon Middendorf at that time? Nothing. He was not removed. He did not lose his credentials. He continued to teach and lead his church away from faithfulness to God's design for sexuality and their covenant participation in the Church of the Nazarene. 

Ultimately a false teacher led a whole church away, not only from the Church of the Nazarene, but gospel truth that promises transformation not accommodation. Be happy about church discipline.

Following the lawsuit, Jon Middendorf sat down with a local news channel for an interview in which he propagated the blatant lie that OKC1 always intended to be an independent church. You can watch/read the interview at this link. Part of the article quoted:

“The articles of incorporation from 1937 show that we intended to be our own church,” said Middendorf. “They said what they said, and the property deeds did too. It is OKC First Church land and property. 35 years in. These folks are either old family or new family to me. And I don’t think we have ever been more a family or more united than we are on June 19th, 2026.”

Jon represents broken ordination vows, legal deception in court, false teaching from his ministry, and somehow manages to spin it all that he is trying to love people better. Pray for his repentance. 


See these other articles:

Letter of Accusation Against a False Teacher 2

A Way Forward for the Church of the Nazarene (Part 1)

A Way Forward for the Church of the Nazarene (Part 2)

Resolution to Support Denominational Leadership

I Am Against the Horseless Carriage

I may be a bit behind on this declaration, but I want everyone to know where I stand. I am against the horseless carriage. Please do not dismiss my concerns before you hear me out. While this opinion may seem a bit isolated, it is not without its merits 125 years ago.

Alexander Winton, who sold one of the first gas powered cars in 1898 was told by his banker that he was crazy for thinking automobiles would displace horses. He did not reconsider his choice, but embraced the disruptive technology. There was widespread pushback to the automobile industry from lots of different places.

Let me give you a few reasons for my own opposition to the horseless carriage.

1. The "new" automobiles are loud, disruptive, and give off a foul odor. Living in a small community helps one appreciate the quiet and natural sounds around you. Invariably someone on a motorcycle or a vehicle with a bad muffler will disrupt the serene peacefulness of the community. It is noise pollution. This problem is magnified in urban areas where automobiles are even more plentiful. If I was alive at the time, I would have joined the Farmers’ Anti-Automobile Society of Pennsylvania (pre-1910).

2. They are a danger to the economy and jobs. Think of all those who will lose their job and means of supporting their families if the automobile industry takes off! Farriers (blacksmiths who specialize in horseshoes), horse breeders, feed suppliers, and carriage makers. This does not even address the danger to the horse population which will be neglected due the shift to horseless carriages.

3. These new horseless carriages are dangerous. They are faster than a horse carriage and heavier. People can be run over by someone speeding through the streets. If our streets are flooded with them, they will begin running into each other and causing more problems and dangers. Pedestrians beware!

I could go on, but it is a venture into the ridiculous unless I plan on joining the Amish. 

There have been mixed responses by Christians to technology throughout history. Some have rightly been wary of the newest fad, but rejected the danger outright rather than explore a sanctified use for it. Others have embraced every new technological advancement, but have not embraced the discernment they need to navigate "newness" in holiness. 

Let me give you three principles for navigating technology and change:

1. Remember we live in a fallen and spiritually broken world, but that we are called to steward it well. That means that every new technology can be used as an agent of brokenness or it can be sanctified to glorify God. We must learn how to use discernment to figure this out. 

2. Pursue ethical and morally acceptable ways to utilize new technology and advancements. Ward off idolatry and reject technological application that harms individuals or takes advantage of them. Instead, allow the Spirit to guide you into proper usage that glorifies God and uses technology to better society. 

3. Be cautious in embracing advancements while you determine the dangers, but be bold in applying these advancements to advancing the work of the church of Jesus Christ. Too cautious and you miss opportunity thus compromising the mission. Too adopting, and you walk in error thus compromising your integrity. '

What about you? Are you against the horseless carriage?



Check out these other articles:

A Note to Pastors on Friday

A Note to Pastors on Monday

I Do Not Like Change

I am a Counting Pastor

How do you measure the spiritual health of a local church? If we could answer that question with an error proof litmus test it would be great! But that is likely not going to be the case.

It is not a bad thing to want to measure progress. Humanity has developed measurements for time, weights, distances, and even sports abilities. Measurements are helpful when they are used appropriately.

So helpful are they in some areas that we begin to apply them to measure the effectiveness of employees by their employers. Doctors implement certain measurements to assess health. Factories measure how many products are coming off of the assembly line. Your college professor gives you a test to measure what you have learned in class.

Without a way to measure our effectiveness in what we are doing, it becomes difficult to improve or even know if we are accomplishing what we have set out to do. What are the benchmarks of progress? What are the mile markers of the journey? 

There is also the issue that the metrics, when focused upon to the neglect of the "big picture", become unhelpful roadblocks or inaccurate mile markers. It can be much like educators who say that standardized testing is not a fair measurement or at least can skew an effective education for children because teachers will begin to "teach for the test" instead of investing in the students' intellectual development. The reality is that standardized testing cannot measure a person's worth or fully assess their intellectual giftedness. But testing is necessary to give some level of assessment of the general effectiveness of an educational institution. Every area of life uses metrics as tools to gauge success, measure progress, and introspectively contribute to the mission.  

While there are pitfalls with measurements and metrics, it does not negate the need and benefit for a measurement of progress. Too many churches have rejected all metrics and sailed away into fruitlessness because they had no way or no desire to assess effectiveness of the Great Commission. Some churches have used metrics that did not align with the mission or simply metrics of their choosing that were irrelevant to the mission. Such metrics are celebratory events with little lasting fruit or meaningful progress toward the end goal. 

In the Church of the Nazarene we measure a number of things: worship attendance, discipleship attendance, financial income of a local church, how many are born again, how many are entirely sanctified, how often the message of entire sanctification was preached, and more. 

Let me take a moment to highlight the benefit of measuring such (in nor particular order).

People born again and baptized. The most basic beginning point for fulfilment of the Great Commission is individuals making a decision to follow Jesus and being baptized. After Pentecost someone must have counted the three thousand people who were born again. It was an important and celebratory metric for the early church. The number is more than a statistic, it is souls of real people saved from bondage and sin! 

Worship Attendance. Obviously a local church is headed toward crisis and ultimately closure if the average worship attendance is on a steady decline year after year. Measuring the attendance of worship services can be helpful in potentially diagnosing a problem of spiritual health in the church if it continues over several years. Are new people not coming to Christ? While most pastors have experienced periods of decline in attendance, it is important to note that there are many factors that can impact a local church's growth. Is the community itself in decline? Is industry leaving the area? Have natural disaster or economic upheaval adversely impacted the community? Sometimes for the sake of the Great Commission, leadership must make difficult decisions that will impact attendance negatively short term. Like a nurse taking your temperature at the doctor's office, it does not tell everything, but it can tell us something.

Discipleship Attendance. Making disciples certainly involves making converts, but includes much more than that. Attempting to measure the amount of people who are taking advantage of opportunities provided by a local church for them to learn, grow, and work out their salvation is a helpful metric to understand the depth of a congregation. What percentage of attenders are engaged in discipleship opportunities to be formed into the image of Christ and learn how to be workers in the harvest. If the church is called to do more than fill a building, a metric of those believers who are investing in discipleship is important to track. 

Those who have been entirely sanctified. Before Jesus ascended back into Heaven, He told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They counted 120 people who gathered in an upper room to pray and seek God for this promise. It was something asked about often in the early church and Paul writes about in his letters to early churches. This was God's will for believers so it seems like something that would be helpful to know is actually being done among us.

Finances. If there are people who are committing their lives to Christ and spiritual growth is taking place in the church, then there is likely going to be financial growth. Finances can be impacted by a factory closing in the community, a decline in tourism in the community, a poor harvest for farmers, or an overall economic downturn, but healthy churches will generally have financial growth each year. While some may ridicule counting of "nickels and noses" we need to start looking at these numbers as souls & salvation since they represent real people.

Other ministries. Do you have a children's outreach? Do you have a teen group? Do you have vans that go out and pick people up? Do you give food to those in need? Do you operate a clothing bank? Do you provide counseling services? Do you run a Christian school? While we might be tempted to count things that are beneficial, but secondary to the Great Commission, they can be a helpful metric if not used as a decoy for fruitlessness in other areas. In other words, if we change the goal line by measuring something different, we can convince ourselves everything is fine when we are really failing. Metrics are only as good as long as they help us remain faithful and fruitful to the call of God. 

No metric can perfectly measure the spiritual vitality of a church. But having no metric will lead to death.

My doctor always takes my temperature and makes me stand on the scales. Why? Because those numbers can tell something. They may not guarantee my health, but they can help identify illness. 

Too many leaders want to stop counting or change the goal line because of decline and failure. This defeats the very purpose for which we need those metrics. If we identify failure or fruitlessness, it is discouraging, but it may very well help us face the realities that we desperately need the Holy Spirit to refresh and empower us for kingdom work. 

I am convinced that the problems we might face are not a result of a faulty Gospel, but my own failure to be led by the Spirit and live surrendered completely to Christ! I am going to count, because there are times when I may subtly be losing spiritual altitude and need to be reminded what fulfillment of the Great Commission looks like. 

Start counting. But be reminded that numbers are more than just numbers... they are souls that will spend eternity somewhere.

So what are some metrics you think the church should use to help gauge effectiveness in the Great Commission?

Check out these other articles:

Pastors, Scandals, and Faithfulness

A Note to Pastors on Monday

Cursing, Profanity, and the Tongue

How to Backslide

Ten Things to Say to Your Teenage Daughter/Niece/Girl

This is not my own, it comes from the Internet and I was unable to locate an actual author. I did make a couple of edits. If you know who the actual author is, please let me know.

Ten Things to Say to Your Teenage Daughter/Niece/Girl...

1. If you choose to wear shirts that show off your breasts, you will attract boys. To be more specific, you will attract the kind of boys that like to look down girls’ shirts. If you want to date a guy who likes to look at other girls’ breasts and chase skirts, then great job; keep it up. If you don’t want to date a guy who ogles at the breasts of other women, then maybe you should stop offering your own breasts up for the ogling. All attention is not equal. You think you want attention, but you don’t. You want respect. All attention is not equal.

2. Don’t go to the tanning bed. You’ll thank me when you go to your high school reunion and you look like you’ve been airbrushed and then photoshopped compared to the tanning bed train wrecks formerly known as classmates – well, at least next to the ones that haven’t died from skin cancer.

3. When you talk about your friends “anonymously” on social media, we know exactly who you’re talking about. People are smarter than you think they are. Stop posting passive-aggressive statuses about the myriad of ways your friends disappoint you. Social media is not a place to air your dirty laundry.

4. Newsflash: the number of times you say “I hate drama” is a pretty good indicator of how much you love drama. Non-dramatic people don’t feel the need to discuss all the drama they didn’t start and aren’t involved in. Life should not be an ongoing soap opera. Learn to let things go and move on without reprise.

5. “Follow your heart” is probably the worst advice ever.

6. Never let a man make you feel weak or inferior because you are an emotional being. Emotion is good; it is nothing to be ashamed of. Emotion makes us better – so long as it remains in it’s proper place: subject to truth and reason.

7. Smoking/vaping/weed is not cool. 

8. Stop saying things like, “I don’t care what anyone thinks about me.” First of all, that’s not true. And second of all, if it is true, you need a perspective shift. Your reputation matters – greatly. You should care what people think of you just not be in bondage to everyone's opinion. 

9. Don’t play coy or stupid or helpless to get attention. Don’t pretend something is too heavy so that a boy will carry it for you. Don’t play dumb to stroke someone’s ego. Don’t bat your eyelashes in exchange for attention and expect to be taken seriously, ever. You can’t have it both ways. Either you show the world that you have a brain and passions and skills, or you don’t. There are no damsels in distress managing corporations, running countries, or managing households. The minute you start batting eyelashes, eyelashes is all you’ve got. 

10. You are beautiful. You are enough. The world we live in is twisted and broken and for your entire life you will be subjected to all kinds of lies that tell you that you are not enough. You are not thin enough. You are not tan enough. You are not smooth, soft, shiny, firm, tight, fit, silky, blonde, hairless enough. Your teeth are not white enough. Your legs are not long enough. Your clothes are not stylish enough. You are not educated enough. You don’t have enough experience. You are not creative enough.

There is a beauty industry, a fashion industry, a television industry, (and most unfortunately) a pornography industry: and all of these have unique ways of communicating to bright young women: you are not beautiful, sexy, smart or valuable enough. You must have the clarity and common sense to know that none of that is true. None of it. 

You were created for a purpose, exactly so. You have innate value. You are loved more than you could ever comprehend; it is mind-boggling how much you are adored. There has never been, and there will never be another you. Therefore, you have unique thoughts to offer the world. They are only yours, and we all lose out if you are too fearful to share them. 

You are beautiful. You are valuable.

What might you add that every young lady needs to know?

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To Know, To Experience, To Live Out

This blessed and challenged me. In a postmodern, relativisitic religious universal mentality the Truth is powerful and real.

Excerpt from the sermon: "Secondhand Religion" by  C. William Fisher...

[start quote]

In a day of competing faiths, however, it is not enough to know that we are right; we must know why we're right. It is not enought to give lip service to an important idea; we must know why the idea is important. It is not enough to believe that a theory is valid; we must know why that theory is valid. Iti s not enought ot know the mechanics of getting the experience; we must 'experience' the experience. It is not enough to know the techniques of holiness; we must be holy.

We must know that conversion brings pardon and peace, but that entire sanctification brings purity and power- and we must experience it. We must know that in conversion God forgives our sins, but that in entire sanctification God cleanses and fills our hearts with perfect love- and we must experience it. We must know that in conversion God lifts the load of our own guilt, thus releasing the power of our own personality, but that in entire sanctification God endues us with power from on high- and we must experience it. We must know that in conversion God makes us a new creature, but that in entire sanctification God fills the creature with His own presence and power- and we must experience it!

We must believe either that God can and will remove all sin from the human heart or that He cannot. And if we believe that He cannot then we have no business saying that we believe in holiness. For, as Dr. R. T. Williams said, 'It is either holiness and eradication, or holiness not at all.'

We must believe either that God can and will affect redemptively every area and level of the personality or that He cannot. And if He cannot, then redemption in Christ is not big enough for humanity's needs.

We must believe that God is big enough and good enough and faithful enough actually to cleanse the human heart of all defilement and to fill that heart with the power and peace of His redeeming love- and we must experience it!

[end quote]

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"We Are All Winners"

I've participated in or at least been a spectator in enough sports leagues to get a sickening feeling from the phrase: "We are all winners." I'm sure the idea in promoting the "no one loses" mentality is full of good intentions, but what is it that they say about good intentions? ("Good intentions pave the way to [the bad place].")

What if the mentality of "no one losing" that we introduce to our children is actually crippling to them. What if we are actually harming our children by trying to prevent them from ever "losing." Failure is a normal part of life. Some of the things you attempt in life will end in failure. This is inevitable. Therefore, the sooner someone learns to deal with failure the sooner they will be able to use failure to improve or better their life. That's right, I think that an appropriate response to failure can actually better your life. You can learn and grow from losing!

Don't we want kids to be able to cope with failure in life? Or do we want them to face the surprise of failure for the first time as an adult? We have all met our fair share of people who are sore losers. They whine and complain constantly when things do not happen the way they think they should.

Everyone will fail at things in life. You will compete for things and lose. You will work toward a goal and fall short. You will attempt to accomplish a task and come up short. You will sometimes be at the bottom 3 percentile of the activity you are participating in. What are you going to do then? Have a breakdown because in the T-Ball league you were a winner even though you never made it to first base? Are you going to fly into a rage because in the basketball league you were an "all-star" even though you never learned how to dribble? When you do not get the bonus at work because you did not meet the goals are you going to throw a temper tantrum because you were accustomed to getting a participation trophy?

Failure may not be the most enjoyable thing in the world, but I think it does a few positive things in life that we all need! Failure...

1. It keeps you humble. Nothing helps you to get a big juicy bite of 'humble pie' like failure. The bigger the crowd watching your failure, the bigger the piece of pie! Ever met someone so high on themselves that you wished they would fail? (That's not a Christian feeling.) Failure has the uncanny ability to bring you down to earth. A little losing goes a long way to help us stay humble.

2. It reminds you of your shortcomings. Failure is a sober reminder of your inadequacies. Failure reverbs with the truth that you have weaknesses. It can bring to the forefront some of the places in your life you for your observation (as well as the observation of others) where you need to improve. Failure can also help you to realize that you are not cut out for every task and mission. Some people just cannot  sing a song on the praise team at church because they do not have that talent. It will be hard to be a star football player in High School when you are a runt! Identifying your weaknesses is the starting place of personal growth.

3. It helps you better understand yourself. Generally speaking, we tend to be blind to our weaknesses. Sometimes we are blind to our greatest weaknesses. Failure brings those to the surface not only so that you can see them, but so that you can assimilate that information into a better understanding of who you are. In order to understand who I am, who God has called me to be, and what His call on my life will mean in the ministry; I must have an understanding of my strengths and my weaknesses. How you deal with failure is a good test of your character.

4. It serves as a learning experience. Not only do I learn about myself, but I will also learn about others. Sometimes you will learn who your real friends are. Failure tends to drive away the fickle. People want to be around successful individuals, not individuals that fail. People want to be around individuals that can help them, not individuals that they will have to help. You learn the nature of those close to you when you fail. How will they respond? How will they react? How will people treat you differently if you do not get the promotion? You can also learn a great deal about your own character. Are you a sore loser? Are you arrogant? 

5. It makes you appreciate others. Failure may just be the greatest tool in helping us to realize we need others. (Remember I am speaking from a Christian perspective so the 'others' I am referring to are the church.) There are no Lone Rangers in the kingdom of Heaven! There are not really any rogue Christians that masquerade outside the body of Christ. When I fail and my brothers and sisters are used by God to catch me, I realize how much I need them and I appreciate them more.

6. It gives you direction in life. Failure is like a "Dead End" road sign. It lets you know you're heading in the wrong direction or going in the right direction but by the wrong means. For example, if people 'boo' you at church when you sing the special you should take that in one of two ways... either I am not gifted with the ability to sing or I have not practiced this song nearly enough. (I would lean toward the 'not gifted to sing' just to be on the safe side for the rest of us.) Failure can be like that roadblock that is saying "cliff ahead, turn back, this is not the direction your life needs to be going!" Hey, do us all a favor and listen to failure! (Note: Not all failure means "give up.")

So, let's be honest with our children. Let' stop telling our kids: "Everyone is a winner." Instead, let's start helping them learn what it means to get back up when they fall. Let's teach them what it means to practice, learn, and improve in the face of failure. Let's teach them to cope with mistakes and improve. 

Everyone is not a winner. That simply is not true. Frankly, some of us are just "out and out losers" when it comes to some things. Let's use failure as a learning tool and not something to try and hide from everyone!

What things have you learned from losing?

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Pastors, Scandals, and Faithfulness

The longer I serve as a pastor, the more I appreciate consistent faithfulness to God over a long period of time in ministry. My heart is saddened by those church leaders who have moral failings and bring shame to the name of Jesus. 

Too many are plagued with scandals after years of ministry only to end poorly because of sin. Often over a moment of indiscretion or succumbing to a temptation when it was least expected they fall into that which has significant implications on the broader church. They betray the trust given to them by congregants, the church, and Christ. 

The enemy of our souls likes to use our greatest gifts against us.

The charismatic leader used their charm to pursue someone who was not their spouse. 

The fruitful pastor slipped into a subtle pride that eventually enveloped their whole being.

A sacrificial pastor was overwhelmed with financial concerns and embezzled funds.

A thoughtful and intelligent leader was seduced by worldly philosophy and led astray from the truth. 

They began with such promise. They started with people speaking hopefully of the potential. People spoke of and recognized the possibilities inherent in this young person who, along with their talents, had a zeal for the work of the Kingdom.

But scandal and moral failure and disappointment now haunts their memory. The powerful sermons they preached or ministries they led are forgotten among the damaging realities of their indiscretions. The great truths they espoused have been clouded by their actions and behaviors that were inconsistent with those same powerful truths.

What can be done to prevent this reality from encroaching upon so many?

1. Emphasize personal holiness again. Character & integrity is more important than competency or ability. Daily faithful obedience is greater than eloquence or knowledge (not that they are necessarily exclusionary).

2. Emphasize personal experience with God again. May our pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders be people who have been with God and had a divine encounter with Him! Not just people who like church functions, but those who recognize the need to regularly spend time in God's presence.

3. Emphasize personal accountability again. Rather than wielding "freedom in Christ" as a resistance to accountability we need leaders who intentionally and regularly surrender to the scrutiny of Spirit filled individuals who will ask hard questions and say difficult things.

4. Emphasize personal conviction again. Ridicule seems to accompany anyone in leadership who does not "tow the line" of the lowest common denominator. We need conscientious individuals who are willing not only to avoid sin, but even the very appearance of evil. May leaders rise up who are willing to be sensitive to the Spirit's leading in their daily life about things that others might commonly practice without regard to its moral health.

I used to be enamored by great leaders who were excellent preachers or visionaries or creative. More and more, I'd rather be around those who are faithful over the long stretches of life and run the race with endurance... all the way to the end.

Romans 3:3-4a "What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? [4] By no means!"

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Why I Am Not Anti-Semitic

Or: Why I am Pro-Israel.

Antisemitism is defined as hostility towards or prejudice against Jewish people. The last 2000 years are replete with those who would ridicule, mock, and ultimately persecute and commit violence against the Jewish people. 

It has at times manifested as an attitude that Jewish people are an inferior race. Maybe it is a hatred for Judaism as a religion. Or maybe those components are intertwined. It will also manifest through harmful stereotypes and the implication of conspiracies. The conspiracies often revolve around the idea that Jews are seizing power/money or that they are undermining national sovereignty of a particular country. 

Antisemitism today has expressed itself lately through the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Charlie Kirk assassination. For a while now, the political left and many adherents to Islamic beliefs have nurtured a hatred toward Jews. Historically there have been very real attempts to kill all Jews.

I am writing today because it seems that many Christians are buying into the antisemitism as well. It seems a number of conservative influencers today are starting to propagate this harmful and anti-biblical ideology. (May I pause here to say that if someone insists on using profanity to emphasize their theological perspective, you should not get your theology from them regardless of how much they "advocate" on behalf of Jesus.)

If you are seriously wanting to explore this issue... read on.

Here are some incorrect ideas and how they use passages of scripture incorrectly to advocate against what they often call "Zionism" (a term to describe those who believe Israel should be a self-governing nation in the land given to them by God in the Old Testament):

1. Assertion: Replacement Theology. This is the idea that Christians are the new Israel/God's people. To some extent this is true [spiritually], but to some extent it is not true [in every other way]. They will quote from Romans 9:6-7 "For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, [7] and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring..." What they fail to acknowledge is that Paul is making an argument for salvation by faith (not by law or ancestry). Romans 9:30-33 "What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; [31] but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. [32] Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, [33] as it is written, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'"

And then Paul says in Romans 10:1 "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them [Jews] is that they may be saved... [verse 4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Paul is addressing their spiritual salvation. No Christian can or does argue that Jews will all be saved simply because they are Jews. Verses 12 & 13 "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. [13] For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Paul is not being antisemitic, but he is not being anti-Gentile. His argument is that because of what Jesus has done, anyone (Jew or Greek) can be saved!

Correction: God has not rejected His people. Romans 11:1-2 "I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. [2] God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew." Paul communicates to the church in Rome that some Jewish people were hardened and resistant toward Jesus as the Messiah, but this actually made allowance for all people to be part of the spiritual promise of salvation. (Romans 11:11-12). "If their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!"

Then in verses 17-24 Paul says (emphasis added) "But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, [18] do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. [19] Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” [20] That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. [22] Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [23] And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree."

Paul continues in verses 25-31 "Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; [27] “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'

[28] As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. [29] For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. [30] For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, [31] so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy." In other words, there are certain components to God's relationship with Israel that have not changed. This is not to imply salvation apart from Jesus, but that God has his eye on the Jewish people in a special and unique way. Paul's emphasis is not on the land, but on the salvation of God's chosen people. This doesn't mean that the land is insignificant as it is part of the covenant with Abraham, it just means that it isn't nearly as important as their spiritual condition.

2. Assertion: Modern Israel is a "secular state" that does not have many Jews from the lineage of Abraham. The question asked is whether Judaism is a genetic or religious reality? Some people critique the idea that modern Isarel would be able to claim the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant in terms of the geographical land they now possess.

Correction: God's promise to Abraham is an everlasting possession. God tells Abraham in Genesis 17:8 "The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." While there have been times God has disciplined his people through empires and nations of the time (Babylon, Assyria, Rome, etc), it never changed the fact that God's promise to Abraham was that his descendants would possess the land. This promise from God is constantly reiterated throughout Genesis and beyond (Genesis 13:15, 15:18, 26:3–4, 28:13–15, 35:12, Exodus 6:8, Psalm 105:8–11, etc).

Ezekiel 36:24 "I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land."

Isaiah 11:11 "In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea."

As far as the idea that not all Jews are direct descendants to Abraham, the Old and New Testament make constant reference to Gentiles who become Jews (proselytes). They are expected to adhere to the same laws and lifestyle, but are incorporated into the life of Israel. For example, in Exodus 12:38-49 the fact that not only Jews left slavery in Egypt, but there was a "mixed multitude" highlighted the need for there to be some Gentiles assimilated into Judaism. God gives direction for this in verses 48-49. Specific examples of individual include Ruth the Moabite, Rahab the Canaanite, Uriah the Hittite, in addition to a number of references to "God-fearers" or proselytes in Acts 10:2; 13:16, 43, 50; 17:4, 17. Judaism is definitely different than Christianity in terms of incorporating non adherents into the faith, but the reality is that Judaism does incorporate those who are both descendants of Abraham as well as those who have entered into the covenant. Is Judaism a religion or an ethnicity? It is both.

Here are four compelling arguments for support of Israel as an autonomous nation.

1. Biblical Argument. I have tried to at least outline that above. The argument simply is that the Bible gives reason for us to recognize and bless the nation of Israel.

2. Historical Argument. Israel has historically possessed and inhabited the land they are now in for literally thousands of years. Archeological history supports the Biblical account of Israel's consistent ownership of the land. Even when they were dispossessed or under foreign rule, there is still occupancy of the land. Not only that, but there is no recorded autonomous nation that existed on the land of present day Israel.

3. Political Argument. During the time period of the World Wars the nations of the world began realizing the need for a nation where Jews could be autonomous and self governing. After various nations began to encourage the migration of Jews to the land (then under British control), the United Nations endorsed a plan to create a Jewish state in 1947.

4. Moral Argument. In light of centuries of persecution borne of antisemitism, Israel is life boat for Jews today. While many Muslim nations and other antisemitic groups continue to chant, protest, and work toward the eradication of Jews, the United States of America as well as other world powers have a moral obligation to help prevent the genocide so many others plot and dream of. 

In Summary:

1. Support of Israel's existence does not mean you have to support every moral position of their government. It actually means you are standing against the moral evil of erradicating Jews.

2. Support of Israel and Judaism does not mean you believe Jews are "automatically" going to Heaven apart form salvation in Jesus Christ. It actually means that you believe they still have a role in history and God will graciously give them an opportunity to recognize Jesus as Messiah.

3. Support of Israel is seeking to bless the people who God seeks to bless.

4. Support of Israel is firmly Christian and biblical position as it is a continuing fulfilment of God's covenant to Abraham.



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The Day Charlie Kirk Died

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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

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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. 

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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