Is mercy for everyone?

I was watching 7 pm project last night and the panel decided to interview Jim Wallis from the Australian Christian Lobby. It was surprising to hear that around 53% of Christians support gay marriage. I was even more surprised by the dialogue that followed. The panel, I think Carrie asked Jim why is he so concerned about gay marriage when a lot of standard marriages fail.

This link will take you to the interview
http://7pmproject.com.au/video.htm?movideo_p=39696&movideo_m=124413

My question that comes from hearing the interview is have we as a church over emphasized certain sins. To use John Piper's terminology we have 'spectacular sins'. Over the last few decades, Christians have zeroed in on gay marriage, same-sex parenting, adultery and abortion. Maybe just maybe we have an unhealthy view of these sins, when we live in a world where the majority world has a minority of wealth. We are peppered with ads by world vision and they rightly emphasize that dozens of children are dying during the duration of the 2 minute commercial.

So when the 7 pm project correctly points out that same-sex marriage is not even on the table and Christians are having marches and protesting against same-sex marriage while kids are dying, are we missing the point. When Paul says that we should not be concerned with those outside the church, but James says that true religion is looking out for the widows and the orphans, have we missed mercy.

Maybe instead of people protesting against same-sex marriage, we could have people donating to the starving of Africa. Perhaps the greatest sin isn't adultery but greed.  We can't stop people from adultery but we can stop them from starving and have the means to do so.

Peace Out, John

Leo Harris - Vision Part 1

This blog begins a series of blogs on the short book he wrote called vision. I will attempt to create discussion around his vision of the gospel and his consequential vision for the nation

Here is a quote from Leo Harris, the founder of CRC churches international with his vision:

For the individual - a full and free salvation, for spirit, soul and body. For the church - restoration of all the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit; the operation of all the ministry gifts of Christ; the vision of the body of Christ and of its future glory. For the nation - the fulfilments of Bible prophecy; the imperative need for national repentance, and a humble return to God that we may be able to stand in the coming day of judgment and be ready for the return of Jesus Christ (Leo Harris, Vision p.1-11)

Couple of questions about this are:

1)What is a full salvation is Harris to narrow or to broad with his definition. Harris defines salvation as the whole of  a person and everything that makes a person human. How does this view of salvation affect who we are as a church.

2)I like how they are the ministry gifts belong to Christ and not to his people in this quote. How does this fit into our thinking of Spiritual gifts. how many are operating in our churches?

The Apostle Paul would not be able to imagine a church without the gifts functioning because it is a normal part of the life of Christ in the church. the gifts in the church of Romans, 1 Cor and Eph were all functioning as a normal part of the life of the churches.

3) The toughest challenge is the nation how will be judged and will we be ready for the return of Christ. Jesus is returning to judge us and he will deliver his verdict. Will the church's work be burnt like hay, wood and other consumables or will the work last like gold or silver. Tough stuff. Enjoy

Life with Christ together -intro

I am starting this blog to start conversation.

This conversation is about thinking about life deeper. To often we skim over life missing the nuggets that God has laid out before us. In a fast paced world where we take on life at breakneck speed, we miss in life what God created us to be. What if God wanted us to slow down and enjoy his creation, to enjoy him and live a deeper life.

To be Christian means a lot of different things for some its merely a box you check on the census paper, for some its an incredible burden with expectations that maybe a few can meet as we climb the mountain towards God. As a pentecostal Christian i here many people talk about leveling up Christianity or reaching the next peak. The fact is that this language would be foreign to the people of the Bible, they would have no idea what we are talking about when it comes to the way we do things; in an age where Churches compare statistics, discipleship can be measured with a questionnaire and churches are measured by popularity.

What if Church was not something we did but who we are. We often frame church in individualistic terms that are completely foreign to the Bible. We are part of a family who loves, serves, gives and does life together.

Therefore, this blog is not about systematic theology, Biblical studies, church history, christian thought. Even though they all lay the groundwork for what this will be. This is a blog about real-life Chrisitianity, what it means to be part of the body of the living Christ in a dying world.

People may post feedback in the comments section, however there will be no flaming on this blog, you have a go at someone and you get blocked, to bad. We do not defame on this blog any person for that is not Christ-like. We are about creating community not destroying it. Peace Out John