Another One Walks Away: High Profile Christians Leave the Faith

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Recently two high profile voices chose to walk away from the faith. Both have had a huge impact in Christians circles, their works known even though their names may not be familiar. The first, having written a book which  has shaped Christian dating for decades, walked away from both the faith and from his marriage. The other, who has contributed to a large catalog of worship music, used social media to express his doubts. These situations are unfortunate and...expected. In fact, I'll be surprised if we don't see this more often in the future.

People have been turning away from the Christian faith since the faith first started here on earth. Jesus saw many turn away when He began teaching things they did not want to accept (John 6:60-66). If people turned their backs on God incarnate while He was here on earth, we should expect others to do so now that He has ascended up to heaven. That's not to say we shouldn't feel sad when people turn, as I'm certain Jesus feels disappointment, but we should not be surprised.

Nothing has changed as far as the many ways people respond to what is taught in the Bible. In fact the only change I see is the use of social media to announce to the world one's movement away from the Gospel, using an online platform to convince a world wide audience that turning is the right thing to do. And while those who leave risk losing followers (and gaining trolls) these leaders gain a louder share of the public square, their new message amplified among a new audience who was not interested before.

So why do people turn away from the faith? There are a number of reasons, but chief among them is the fact that the Christian faith means taking a very difficult and narrow path (John 7:14). Jesus did not try to sugarcoat it. Yes, we are saved by faith, but remember, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). At times that word is difficult. There are even times when we (when I) don't like what the Word says. Those who turn away tend to do so because they do not like certain parts of God’s word and find it difficult to accept all of what is said.

It's not my understanding that establishes truth nor do I make something true based on how much I like it. Yet these quite often are at the core of the arguments made by those who walk away from the faith. Honestly there is plenty to wrestle with when it comes to the Bible and with the history of God's interaction with mankind. Christians should not be afraid to take on the challenge that comes with an honest reading of scripture. But the most important question for those who walk away is not did they like or understand what they see. The most important question we must ask is: Is it truth?

Fan, Fanatic or Christian?

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Can a Christian also be a fan of a sports team? A brother in Christ, whom I highly respect, once asked me this question. I suppose he asked because I wore a pair of headphones to a church business meeting so that I could keep up with a football game. Whose idea was it to schedule a meeting during an Eagles vs Cowboys game anyway? Obviously our church moderator was not a fan. But I am, rarely missing an Eagles' game and when possible watching and/or listening to the Bears.

I admit I was a little hurt by the question and its spiritual implications. I never thought of my sports fandom as an obstacle to my faith. My defense in the face of the challenge likely came more from my pride as opposed to an honest consideration of the facts. Only recently have I truly given any thought to the question, giving honest consideration as the 2019 football season approaches. Can I be a fan and still hold my faith?

I believe the answer is yes, Christians can be fans of sports and of teams as well as fans of movies and actors and other things. After all being a fan has more to do with enthusiasm and support and nothing (in most cases) to do with worship. I can be devoted to my teams just as I can be devoted to my family (more so devoted to family of course). The key is that my devotion to Christ is higher and I have never let team fandom become idolatry. God always comes first and He is the only one I worship.

It would be easy for me to dismiss this question but it was something that obviously bothered my brother in Christ. And if it bothered him, perhaps it bothers other believers as well. I'm not going to say they are wrong. We each must follow our conscience and our convictions in Christ. Above all we must remember Who's we are and we must live according to our high calling in Christ.

How God Blessed Me In July 2019

We’ve been looking forward to going to our denomination’s annual conference for months. The one question standing in our way was how we would pay for attending. It seems the cost for a family of four to do anything keeps going up. Along with this we had to pay for car repairs and house repairs, not to mention another large bill which had to be taken care of in the first half of the year. We left things in God’s hands, trusting that if He wanted us to go He would provide. And as summer approached God began to reveal how He would provide for our conference fees.

As promised when it came time to pay the fee, God provided cash for the full amount. Then He went one step further. He provided the equivalent of half of our fee on top of what He had provided initially. This was God’s abundant provision: His blessing us by giving more than we asked for. I thank God for His abundant blessings.

How is He blessing you today?