Category: Recommended Books


Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus, Is it Possible?

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Recommended Books, The Viral Jesus Book, Worldview by rossrohde — 4 Comments
January 21, 2012

The video, Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus, has touched a deep chord or a raw nerve in many people. In the last eleven days it had been watched on YouTube 15,839,759 times (as of Jan. 21, 9:10 AM, Pacific Time). That’s over a million times a day! Not surprisingly it has made some people angry, but to the vast majority, particularly the young, it is speaking what has been on their hearts but they could not, would not, or feared to say. Here is the video for the three of you out there who have not already seen it ;) .

Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus:

What has surprised me is the frustrated, angry or negative response. Here is one of the most creative and eloquent.

Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus:

So what is going on here? Is religion good or bad? It’s not that simple. Part of the problem is a confusion of terms and worldviews, which Mike Morrell does a good job of clarifying in Jesus and Religion’s Relationship Status: It’s Complicated.

So let’s define terms roughly as Jeff Bethke (the author of Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus) is defining it.

Jesus = A loving intimate God who we can know and experience personally. This Jesus is revealed in the Bible.

Religion = All the extra bits that have encrusted themselves around Jesus over the years; the extra-biblical traditions of men.

Is this even important? I believe it is extremely important. The fact that this video is getting a million hits a day ought to tell us something. This has touched a deep chord in our society. I believe it is religion, as defined above, which is keeping the Gospel of Jesus from going viral. That is why I wrote my book, Viral Jesus.

  • If we define religion, as it is defined above, why would anybody want to defend it?
  • Do you believe religion can get in the way of the Gospel?
  • After watching Bethke’s video, are you more into Jesus or religion? Be honest with yourself. Even if you are closer to the “Jesus” side of the equation, did he poke some of your sacred cows?
  • Do you think it is possible that American Evangelicals could be as religious as Catholics, just having a different set of “extra bits?”
  • Do you believe Fr. Pontifex in Why I Love Religion and Love Jesus was wrong (or right) 100% of the time? Is it possible to have a real relationship with Jesus in the midst of a lot of religion? Did you find that you agreed with some of what Fr. Pontifex said? Did that surprise you?
  • Does criticizing religion play into atheism’s hand, as Fr. Pontifex states?
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Early Christian Behavior

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Evangelism, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life, The Viral Jesus Book by rossrohde — 7 Comments
November 17, 2011

Fresco from 2 centuries after Mathetes.

How did the early Christians interact with the world around them? We have the book of Acts, which gives us a brief history from Luke’s perspective but beyond that do we have any record of how they viewed their world and how they interacted with it? Actually we do. There is a brief letter called The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus which many scholars believe was written about 130 AD.[1] This is actually a rather brief letter, the entirety of which you can read here. In it a Christian named Mathetes tries to describe who Christians are and how they live to a non-Christian friend named Diognetus. Of particular interest to me is a sentence in Chapter V which I believe shows the Early Churches aversion to Greek philosophy.

The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. I’d like to make a number of observations about this quote which I believe can help us understand how our early brothers thought and how therefore they can be of service to us to get us back on track to what the Church was originally designed to be.

Observation 1: Mathetes is focused on conduct, not speculative thinking. To the early Christians how we lived was much more important that doctrinal speculation. How we lived showed who we were. This was not done by merely reciting doctrinal statements.

Observation 2: Mathetes is responding to the Greek world around him and contrasting Christianity from it. The Greek world around him, at that time, was fascinated with philosophical speculation. Of particular interest was Platonic thought which placed much emphasis on concepts and ideas (called ideals) and placed little or no importance on how we live.

Observation 3: Mathetes is concerned more specifically with following “speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men” and “mere human doctrines.” He is taking a swipe at the humanism of the day, the idea that men can figure things out and determine what truth is. Mathetes’ world was humanistic and so is ours. In fact, the humanism of our day is based philosophically on the humanistic philosophy of Mathetes’ day.

In Diognetus’ world people were obsessed with their own ideas and interpretations. They lived in a world of ideas and doctrine, not the world of life defined by concrete action. Christians of Mathetes’ world were different. They, in essence, said, look at how we live then you will know who we are.

Modern day Christianity has more in common with Diognetus’ world than it does with Mathetes’ world. We argue about doctrine, which, let’s face it, is the speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men.” Many have become “advocates” of “merely human doctrines.” Some are followers of Luther, others are followers of John Calvin, some are Pentecostals while others hold to the doctrine of cessationism. Some hold firmly to Postmillenialism while others are willing to stake their lives on a pre-tribulation rapture. We are behaving exactly like the realities that the early Christians such as Mathetes spoke against. I discuss these issues more in my book Viral Jesus: Recovering the Contagious Power of the Gospel.

Am I against doctrine? No. Am I against getting wrapped up in arguments about doctrinal ideas rather than living a Spirit controlled life? Absolutely. Our faith should be most easily be defined not by details of our doctrine but by the unique beauty of our lives…which will show what we believe, which, if necessary, could be written down as doctrines. There is a significant difference between those two views; one is deep experiential spirituality, the other is mere Christian humanism. Many people nowadays long for deep experiential spirituality. Almost nobody is searching for Christian humanism. Mathetes understood this, so he chose the first option in Chapter V of his letter, which he called displaying a “wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.” You can read Chapter V, which is just a couple of paragraphs, then think through the following questions.

  • Do you think the average Christian today lives a wonderful and confessedly striking method of life? Why or why not?
  • Is Christian behavior today so markedly different that it shows up statistically such as in divorce rates?
  • In some ways Mathetes said the Christians were just like those around them, in other ways they were markedly different. How would you characterize the ways they were the same and the ways they were different (see below)?
  • How do Christians today try to distinguish themselves from non-Christians?

 

[1] This is probably an accurate dating. Another theory is that it was written in the early 3rd century. But that seems to be based on evidence from the last two chapters who most believe was a later addition from Hippolytus of Rome.

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Tough Situations

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Church History, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — Leave a comment
October 21, 2011

This is an actual FARC guerrilla. My friend saw something like this.

A friend of mine was a missionary in Colombia about 25 years ago during some of the worst violence there. One day his bus was stopped by FARC guerrillas. Everyone was forced off the bus at gunpoint. Since he was a gringo, they immediately wanted to know what he was doing in Colombia and why he was in this rural area. He told them he was a missionary trying to help the people. They immediately stuck a gun in his face and proclaimed their hatred of American missionaries. In the past, FARC had kidnapped and martyred American missionaries, so this was no joke. “Are you really a Christian? Because if you are, we are going to blow the back of your head off.” He was being asked to stick up for his faith by his actions, in a life or death situation.

What would you do in that situation? We all have fantasies of heroically sticking up for our faith. But every day we are given the same test. How are we doing? What test am I talking about? I’m talking about the test that Jesus told us about in Matt. 25:31-46. In this famous parable of the sheep and the goats the difference between sheep, who went to heaven, and goats, who went to hell, was what they did; specifically for “the least of these.” Jesus said we would be judged by our works.

“Wait, you are talking about works salvation.” I can hear your thinking from here. “Haven’t you ever read Eph. 2: 8-9?” [1] Yes, I have. I love that passage. And I have read it in the context of Eph. 2:10 as well. Here’s Eph 2: 1-10 for further context, if you would like. I am talking about salvation by grace, which can be verified by the life we live; the way we act.

That is exactly what Jesus was talking about in the parable of the sheep and the goats. True faith, true belief, will play itself out in the way we live. It will particularly play itself out in the way we treat those who are at the bottom of the pile, what sociologists call the disenfranchised. Agreeing with or even proclaiming correct doctrine won’t get you to heaven. It will just show you know some facts about biblical doctrine. Real faith can be spoken about, but it is lived day by day; not merely talked about. Here is a similar situation that the early Christians experienced in the 2nd Century.[2]

Would you get the card?

So let’s replay my friend’s scenario in Colombia and the same type of scenario that Jesus gave us in the parable of the sheep and the goats. America is taken over by an anti-Christian government. You are pulled before a judge. He says that he has heard rumors that you previously talked about being a Christian. Are you a Christian or not? He will send out the FBI to check not only on what you have said but how you have actually lived out your beliefs. If it is just talk and church attendance you will receive a “get out of jail free card.” On the other hand, if the FBI can track down instances of you actually living your faith by helping others, particularly the weak, in the name of Jesus, and if this is consistent behavior; he is going to throw you in jail and throw away the key. Would you get the get out of jail free card or not?

Don’t complain to me if these parameters seem unfair. You are going to need to talk to Jesus about it. Perhaps you should.

  • Why do you think Jesus set the parameters by what we do instead of what doctrine we agree with?
  • If you ever had a fantasy about being brave under persecution did you ever think you are in the same situation every day?
  • Do you really think these kinds of things can’t ever happen in the West?
  • If you were in the situation the early Christians faced before Pliny the Younger, would you offer a prayer with incense and wine to Trajan’s image and curse Christ? Does your day to day behavior reflect your answer?
[1] Believe me, I’ve had this conversation before and the response is almost always the same from American Evangelicals.

[2] I develop this story of Pliny the Younger and the Emperor Trajan further in my upcoming book Viral Jesus which comes out Feb. 2, 2012. You will be able to buy it here from the blog.

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This is Discipling

Filed Under: Discipleship, Evangelism, Recommended Books, The Viral Jesus Book, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — 9 Comments
June 30, 2011

I wrote my upcoming book, Viral Jesus: Recapturing the Contagious Power of the Gospel[1], to answer a basic question; what will it take to once again see a viral movement of the Gospel in the West? Most Christians don’t realize the following facts:

  1. We have not had a viral movement of the Gospel in the West since the early 4th century.
  2. Christianity was designed by God to be a sustained viral movement and its first three centuries were exactly that.
  3. Christianity as a whole did not have a sustained viral movement of the Gospel between the Edict of Milan in 313 AD. and the Chinese House Church movement which started in 1949 (that’s 1,636 years).

So, if Christianity was designed to be viral movement, it was originally a sustained viral movement and it has become a viral movement again in other places (like China and India) outside the West, what will it take to once again see that happening here in the West?

What happened in the late 3rd Century and particularly at the Edict of Milan that stopped the Gospel from being what it was designed to be, viral in its spread? What are we unintentionally doing now that keeps it from being viral? What have our brothers in places like China and India learned that allows the Gospel to again spread rapidly and organically like seeds in a field or leaven in a lump of dough (Jesus’ original metaphors) or like a viral video?

Most of us are unaware of our own Christian history. Most are unaware of how different we are from the Early Church and their practices. In our minds this is the way it has always been. But, that is not true, our current practice is far different (in some ways almost the exact opposite) from what the Early Church did. And there are significant strategic consequences to those changes.

In Viral Jesus, I’m going to tell the story of our history, where the changes came from and why. I’m going to explain the changes in our theology focus and why they have damaged the ability of the Church to fulfill her commission from God. I’m going to explain what happened in China with real accounts from their exciting story. I’m going to tell real life stories of how this is just beginning to impact places like Western Europe and the United States. And, I’m going to explain how we too can once again recapture the strategic genius of the Early Church of our brothers in China, India and other non-Western Great Commission hot spots.

But, as a teaser I’m going to share this video that I became aware of recently. It captures some of what I am expressing in Viral Jesus. It doesn’t have the history, it doesn’t have the theology, it doesn’t the real life stories of how this is starting to happen here in the West or how it is succeeding in other areas of the globe; but it does begin to capture the essence of the strategic implications.

  • Are you aware that our current church practice is often almost the exact opposite of what the Early Church did? Do you know where these changes in practice came from and why?
  • Are you aware of how powerfully and virally the Gospel is spreading in places like China and India?
  • Are you aware that we are just beginning to see this kind of movement in West?
  • Do you know what those who are reaping this viral harvest are doing differently that the traditional practices we all know?
[1] The Viral Jesus release date in Feb. 2, 2012. You will be able to buy a copy from this blog.

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Chinese Takeaway

Filed Under: Christendom, Church Planting, Evangelism, Meeting Together, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life, Viral Christianity, Worldview by rossrohde — 7 Comments
May 19, 2011

Please excuse the pun.

I had dinner with some friends at a Chinese restaurant a couple of nights ago. We were discussing simple church. One of my friends asked me what was my take away from my visit to China awhile back? What did I learn from my study of the Chinese house church movement? It’s a great question, so here is my answer.

What We Still Don’t Get in the West

We in the West are still thinking more about simple church than living simple church. Oh, we may gather and have a nice meeting, but really the script is only playing in our brains. We are like actors playing a role, more than people living a life. We are still actually just thinking about it as a series of interesting concepts and dabbling a bit for fun.

The Chinese never went through that phase. Simple church was forced on them (see Thank You Chairman Mao). They had Christendom stripped away from them; and once it was, simple church emerged. We are coming from the opposite direction. We haven’t had the stripping process forced on us; we have to do it ourselves, under the direction of God (see Detox).

But, because of our Western tendency to think about everything, rather than actually let it come from the heart; we are thinking the thing to death and not just going out and doing it. The “it” I refer to is not gathering in simple churches, but being missional. We’re not going to get there until Christendom is actually stripped away from our hearts and minds. Once we are actually naked, as far as Christendom goes, we will be free to run the race without encumbrance.

Here’s yet a further way to say the same thing. We still see simple church as a technique or model. We ask technique questions. How do we do such and such? They are valid questions, but we are showing, by the questions we ask and the way we ask them, we think the power is in the technique. The power is in Jesus, not the technique. Get rid of the impediments of Christendom, so you can run the race in such a way as to win. When you are ready to run the race, Jesus will fire the staring pistol. Actually, he already has, but we are standing at the starting line discussing with each other the differences between starting pistols and revolvers. We need to run!

What the Chinese Have

Click here to buy the Heavenly Man.

But still, the Chinese have something that we don’t have. It is not persecution (although they have that, see Misunderstanding Persecution). They have radical obedience. When Jesus fires the starting pistol they start running. They may not know if it’s a 400 meter or a marathon. They don’t care, they run until Jesus tells them to do something else. They don’t stand around at the starting line discussing the difference in strategy between a 5K and a marathon. They run.

If Jesus speaks into their heart for them to go to such and such a place, they drop their nets and go. If, in the process, they get the bagoomba beat out of them, they figure that Jesus must be in that too. If you are still having trouble understanding what I’m talking about, read The Heavenly Man[1]. Pick up the heart of what Brother Yun is actually expressing through his stories. He was more radically obedient in his first weeks of being a Christian than most Western Christians are in their lifetime.

We go to seminars. I’m not against seminars. I’ll be teaching in a Greenhouse in a couple of weeks. But I hope those who I meet in Florida throw down their nets, and don’t just talk about the idea of simple church planting.

  • Why do you think we are so interested in techniques?
  • Why do you think we find throwing down our nets so hard?
  • Have you thrown down you nets?
  • Is your church missional? Are they even talking about it? See what I mean?
[1] Product Warning: The Heavenly Man is Christian crack cocaine. Once you start reading it you can’t stop. Be prepared to miss some sleep.

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Becoming Despised yet Admired

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Christendom, Discipleship, Evangelism, Recommended Books, The Viral Jesus Book by rossrohde — 3 Comments
April 29, 2011

Click here for a full translation of The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus.

When I was a missionary in Spain one of the overall goals of the Evangelical Church was to be accepted by society. Actually they were desperate to even be noticed. This desire to be an accepted part of society didn’t come from the values of the New Testament; it came from the history of Christendom. In their minds, the Catholic Church was their rival. And, since the Catholic Church was accepted as a part of Spanish society, although for the most part, resented by the public, the Evangelicals wanted that same social acceptance. I don’t think social acceptance should be a big part of our desire or strategy.

Instead we should focus on exactly what Jesus told us to focus on. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt. 6:33). Just like we are not meant to focus on our need for food and clothing, which are real needs; we shouldn’t be focused on our social standing with society; which is actually only a perceived need. Is Jesus good to his word? Can we trust him to give us anything we actually need? I think we can.

The Early Church was at the same time despised by much of society and admired. This was predicted by Jesus who said in Jn 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Yet, at the same time they were admired for their good works. They were known as moral people who did good for the society. Here is a passage from an early Christian apologetic letter:

…they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.[1]

The first recorded legal recognition the Church was known to receive was as a burial society burying the bodies of the poor who were thrown like garbage at the edge of Roman cities. They were also known for rescuing “exposed” babies; babies left among these same rotting cadavers to die because they were unwanted. This schizophrenic love/hate reaction is what the current house church movement in China is experiencing. They are known by their neighbors as being wonderful people. They have even been studied by the government because it was noted that villages with a high percentage of Christians were better villages. Yet, currently the Chinese government is cracking down on them. I discuss in depth both the Early and Chinese Church’s relationship with society in my upcoming book Viral Jesus (release date 2/2/12).

We should emulate our Early Christian and Chinese brethren. We don’t need to make a splash in the newspapers. We don’t need any formal recognition at all. It may come, and if it does that’s fine; but we shouldn’t seek it. As Paul prayed for the Colossians: We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,  so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light (Col. 1:9-12).

What then should we aim for? We should aim to be the kindest, most helpful people on the block. We should aim to be the people that everyone goes to when they need help. We should quietly do as much good as we possibly can, without trying to make a name for ourselves. And, we should use the opportunities that come from doing good to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (I Pet 3:15). We should also disciple every new Christian to do the same. In doing so, we will be bring honor to Jesus’ name and get lots of opportunities to share our faith in gracious, non threatening ways. We will be seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. It’s not just a religious command, it’s a strategic road map.

  • Where do you think the desire for social acceptance and recognition comes from?
  • How do you explain the schizophrenic love/hate reaction of society to Christians behaving as Jesus told us to behave?
  • What kind of reputation does the Church have in society today? Is this being hated for righteousness sake? Do we have a reputation for doing gracious, gentle acts of kindness?
  • Have you ever thought of seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness as a strategic roadmap?
[1] The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus [article on-line]; available http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm. Internet accessed 14 July, 2008.

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Saul or Paul?

Filed Under: Biblical Meditation, Christendom, New Covenant, Our Covenant With God, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — 5 Comments
April 21, 2011

Saul needed an encounter with the Spirit of Jesus to become Paul.

I recently read Journeys to Significance, Neil Cole’s latest book. You can read my review here. The book was so good that I found myself wanting to write a blog on about every third paragraph. I won’t do that, but there are a few statements or paragraphs I just can’t resist. In reading them I found myself meditating on my own journey and the state of my own relationship with Jesus. I believe that kind of meditation is healthy for all of us. I’m going to include one of these meditations. I suspect many of your will recognize the issue.

Many of us, like Saul, have grown up in a religion that takes God’s word and obeys it without hearing the actual voice that speaks it. God’s word is truth. It is pure. It sanctifies us and enlightens us, but it is possible to simply see it as a bounded list of command to obey rather than as a living and active voice. Saul knew how to read, interpret, and apply the scriptures. This can result in lifeless behavior codification rather than an inner spiritual transformation. What Saul didn’t know was how to hear God’s active voice in them. (Journeys to Significance, p. 37).

I have spent the majority of my Christian life as a Saul. I was trained in one of the best Christian Universities to be a Saul. We studied doctrine, doctrinal paradigms, the Scriptures themselves, hermeneutics, etc. All with the goal of learning what the Bible (or doctrinal paradigms) said and applying them zealously to our lives. I went to genuine, Bible believing churches, where I was trained to be a Saul. I spent the majority of my adult life in Christian ministry with a bunch of kind, sincere Sauls. And, I’ve trained more than a few people how to be focused, zealous Sauls.

I don’t say this with bitterness or anger, it’s just a fact.[1] It is a reality of the kind of Christianity I was brought up in. It is what I saw, what I was trained in, so it became, for me, the way one expressed earnest Christianity. I don’t doubt the zealousness or heartfelt desire to serve the Lord; of the people I grew up, or myself for that matter. I know what was going on in my heart and, with some wiggle room for being a human, most of the desires of my heart were focused on serving the Lord.

But there is a problem, and it is a profound one. Neil Cole has, in his gracious, kind way, put his finger on it. Saul, a zealous, well trained Pharisee, had all the same kinds of training and zeal I had. With that zeal he set out to kill God’s elect. In the words of Jesus himself, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me” (Acts 9:4)? Bible training, doctrinal correctness, zeal, heartfelt effort are all good things. And they are all inadequate for actually serving Jesus. In fact, with the best of intentions, using these good tools, in our flesh, we can end up being at cross purposes with God himself.

If we treat the Bible merely “as a bounded list of commands to obey rather than as a living and active voice” we are going to end up with the life Paul (no longer Saul) warned us about, “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). It is the Spirit that gives life, not the mere written statement of the Bible, no matter how true they are. Jesus himself, said to a bunch of people trained just as Saul was, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).

Buy Journeys to Signicance by clicking here.

The key here is the new covenant that Paul mentioned in 2 Cor. 3:6. Laws, rules, concepts, scriptural principles are no longer merely a written code (as they were in the old covenant of the Law). They are engraved on our hearts. As ministers of the new covenant, we Christians not only have the written code; we have the Spirit living in us, who speaks these things to our hearts and minds. He not only tells us the truth, but shows us how to live out that truth in our specific situations. We don’t apply a list of commands, we obey “a living and active voice… God’s active voice in them.” That active voice will never violate the spirit of his living word. But we no longer are slaves to a written code. Paul (no longer Saul) said in Rom. 7:6: But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Here is my encouragement to you. Strive to imitate Paul, in following the Spirit of Jesus that lives in you, to live the life of Christ. The Spirit will tell you how to live out good doctrinal principles. In doing so, you will avoid being a Saul who allowed good doctrine and the truth of the Scriptures (as good as they were) to kill his soul. Then the truth can set you free because it will be infused with the power, presence and guidance of the Spirit of Truth.

  • Do you believe that it is possible to be sincerely trying to follow the truth of the Scriptures and end up a Saul rather than a Paul?
  • Have you ever thought of asking God where you are in the transformation process of moving from being a Saul to a Paul?
  • Do you understand the difference of living in the old covenant of the Law (Saul) and the new covenant of the Spirit (Paul)?
  • Do you believe it is possible for the Spirit to tell two Christians to apply the principles of the Scriptures two different ways?
[1] I do think a little sorrow is justified, but I am forgiven by a gracious God who knows my heart and understands the circumstances in which I was spiritually formed.

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Journeys to Significance

Filed Under: Apostolic Ministry, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — Leave a comment
April 14, 2011

Buy Journeys to Significance by clicking here.

Neil Cole’s latest book Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul is a unique and intriguing take on leadership development. Most books nowadays view leadership from the “how to” perspective; understand these three things and you’ll be a great leader, or adopt these five principles to being an effective leader. In reality, that is a rather shallow understanding of what leadership really is. Further, from a Christian perspective, it short changes the spiritual dynamic of how God actually works throughout our life to develop a person who becomes more like him and in the process accomplishes his work through us.

In place of this shallow, trendy, technique and concept driven approach to leadership development, Cole takes a completely different path. He uses an interplay of three elements to discuss how God develops an effective leader over a lifetime. The first element is J. Robert Clinton’s understanding of the stages of leadership development. This first element, is more of a skeletal structure; important but not particularly noticeable on the surface. The second element is the life of Paul, as an example of a man who becomes a very mature leader. The third element is Paul’s missionary journeys, each viewed as a new and further progression in Paul’s ministry development.

By using this unique approach, Cole gives us a view of leadership development that is much deeper and reflective than the typical fare of today’s trendy, shallow take on leadership. He allows us to get a much better grasp of God’s unseen, loving hand as he develops us as unique individuals. He allows us to grapple with the interplay of this unseen divine hand, life’s circumstances and our interaction with both of them. God’s work in our lives, to develop us as unique, valuable, beloved and godly individuals, is not a simple, standardized process. Yet, if we cooperate with God in this process, we can become a beautiful illustration of God’s artisanship; at once an example to the world of his craftsmanship, while useful for his service and the good of others.

The apostle Paul is someone who cooperated with God to become a unique work of God’s craftsmanship. But, Cole does not portray Paul as a faultless, perfect demigod. Cole notes, “I believe that many, wanting to almost worship the apostle, have actually stripped him of one of his most admirable qualities—his openness to learning. The Scriptural text does not deify Paul, as we tend to do, but actually shows us all of his growth.”[1]

Paul’s lifetime journey, then, becomes a backdrop to explore the work of God crafting of a life. And, with the same gracious yet frank honesty of the Bible, Cole gives us a warts and all exploration. Paul becomes a man in process of maturation; maturation with a divine hand guiding it.

Cole pauses at the end of each stage of Paul’s life to draw real life, practical lessons. In doing this, he allows us to reflect on our own lives. By doing so, we can see God’s hand in our own life, realize that our bumps and bruises are not happenstance, track where we are in a life long journey towards significance, and get a glimpse of what may lie ahead.

Don’t expect Cole to portray a simple, easy journey. He is realistic and honest. The deep lessons that God wants to build into our life and character often come through pain and trial, not usually through victory and glory. … three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked…God’s workmanship in our lives is worthwhile, but it is not easy or painless. Yet, this honesty is paradoxically optimistic. God doesn’t pointlessly and cruelly beat us up. He doesn’t allow trial, defeat, heartache, betrayal and frustration heartlessly. Even these intensely painful episodes in our life are acts of divine love. They may be painful, but they are necessary if we are to truly mature.

Would I recommend this book? The answer is an unequivocal, yes. There may be tens of thousands of books on leadership, there may be hundreds, even thousands of Christian books on leadership, but few are this real, honest, deep and practical. None use this unique perspective. Further, as an interesting but valuable added benefit, Cole gives us a running and fascinating commentary on Paul’s life in Acts. You’ll probably never read Acts the same way again. This, in and of itself, makes the book worth buying; and it’s just an added bonus.

Below are some questions that this book may help you answer.

  • Where are you in God’s crafting of your life? Do you have a way to gauge that?
  • Do you have any idea what might lie ahead if you continue to cooperate with God in his development of your life and character? Are you cooperating?
  • Have you hit a plateau in your development? What can you do about that? How can you get going again?
  • Considering where you are in your life’s journey of development towards significance, what should you be doing to cooperate with God? Could the difficulties you are facing now actually be a gift from God, moving you towards greater character development and effectiveness? How can you tell? What should you do about that?
[1] Journeys to Significance, pp.88-89.

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Wisdom from A.W. Tozer

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life, Viral Christianity by rossrohde — Leave a comment
March 21, 2011

Back in the middle of the last century Tozer could see what we needed.

If Christianity is to receive a rejuvenation it must be by other means than any now being used. If the church in the second half of [the twentieth] century is to recover from the injuries she suffered in the first half, there must appear a new type of preacher. The proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting. Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray God there will not be one but many) he will stand in flat contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds dear. He will contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom.[1]

A.W. Tozer

The Call for a Rejuvenated Christianity

Tozer is making a bold statement and a prophetic call. He is stating that Christianity is wounded and needs to be rejuvenated. And he is calling for that rejuvenation. Those who “appreciate” the status quo can’t see anything wrong with the way things are. Perhaps, they would meekly venture, we could  tweak things a bit, get a new marketing campaign or change the budget to include 6.5% more for evangelism. But rejuvenation; honestly, isn’t that a bit much?

But the Holy Spirit is doing something in our life time. He is rejuvenating Christianity. The rejuvenation of the Church didn’t start in the West. While the Christendom of the West was asleep at the switch, God’s Spirit started something in China through the destruction of Christianity as we know it by the Communist Government. What emerged was Christianity like  had not been seen it since the Edict of Milan in 313 AD. It was lean, it was persecution resistant, it was orthodox in doctrine but it took its cues for ecclesiological practice from the Bible, not from the traditions of men. The result was the most explosive growth of the Church in its entire history. For more on this read The Miracle of China, Thank You Chairman Mao and Misunderstanding Persecution.

Job Description for a New Kind of Men and Women of God

Tozer not only prophetically calls for the needed rejuvenation of the Church (which God is now bringing about); he calls for a new kind of man or woman of God. He rightly discerns that Christian “leadership,” as we have come to know it, is part of the problem, not the solution. Here is his job description.

Positions available for Christian servants. Applicant must be willing to speak boldly and prophetically. Applicant must be willing to listen to God and obey what he or she hears, in spite of potential consequences. Applicant must be willing to contradict smooth, “civilized” Christendom; even when it creates waves among the religious elite and disturbs the status quo. Pay: hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom. Payment is non-negotiable. Controlling leaders, religious functionaries and smooth talking business and marketing types need not apply.

  • Do you agree with A.W. Tozer that Christianity needs to be rejuvenated?
  • Do you believe the worldwide house church movement, which started in China but is now in almost every country, is the answer?
  • Are you willing to fill the shoes of the man or woman of God that is required for such a task?
  • Are you willing to face the backlash, even from your friends who won’t understand?
[1] (The Size of the Soul: Principles of Revival and Spiritual Growth, 128-129)

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Misunderstanding Persecution

Filed Under: Christendom, Church History, Evangelism, House Church, Organic Church, Recommended Books, Spiritual Life by rossrohde — 9 Comments
March 14, 2011

Persecution of Christians is happening today all over the world. What if we are next?

As a house church practitioner, I often hear the following ideas expressed by people who haven’t experienced organically structured churches.

  1. There is a need for house churches in places where there is persecution, but they just won’t work here.
  2. House churches, in places like China and India, are only growing because of persecution.
  3. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. So if the Church in the West just suffered a little persecution it would grow.

I’d like to address each of these ideas separately because I think all of them misunderstand what persecution is really like and the role is plays in the expansion of the Kingdom.

House churches are needed only in areas of persecution

The underlying, and I believe false, assumption of this idea is that institutional churches are somehow superior to more organic expressions. Therefore, in areas like the West, where we aren’t persecuted, we don’t need the inferior form of church. To those who believe this, I’d like to ask a couple of questions.

  • Currently around the world the greatest growth of the Church is being accomplished through house churches. Not all of this is in areas of persecution. Why do you think this is? For more on that issue read David Garrison’s Church Planting Movements. If you believe the previous assumption, you are in for a big surprise.
  • What exactly is it that you think makes institutional churches superior to house churches? If you have an answer to this feel free to post a comment. I will respond graciously…I promise.

House Churches in China, etc. are only growing because of persecution

Actually, this is not exactly true. Yes, the Church grows as a result of persecution; but only the organically structured churches. The institutional forms of Christianity in China were driven to the point of extinction during the Cultural Revolution. Institutional forms of Christianity curl up and die in severe persecution. What happened in China was the Church was purified away from some of the non-growth barriers that are built into institutional forms of Christianity. Once the Church became organic in form, it could grow despite persecution. For more on this read The Miracle of China and Thank You Chairman Mao.

The blood of the martyrs is seed

The actual quote from Tertullian is “The blood of the martyrs is seed.” And yes it is, under certain circumstances. It is, as long as the structure of the Church is such that martyrdom allows for growth. And, in addition, those being martyred are spiritually mature enough to allow their martyrdom to be seed.

What we saw in China was that, in general, those involved in the Modernist movement (Protestant Liberalism) caved in to persecution out of cowardice, fear, convenience and, at times, opportunities to be viewed as important. Still, it didn’t protect them. And, the institutionally structured churches they represented were driven to the point of extinction. Those who were spiritually mature became the house church movement. They had the deep spiritual life and developed the organic forms necessary to become the seed for the most explosive movement of the gospel in all of Christian history. Again you can read about this in read The Miracle of China and Thank You Chairman Mao.

Were persecution to erupt in the West, I suspect we would see much the same phenomenon. The institutional structure of the church could not sustain severe persecution. It would fold. After all, persecutors merely need to stand outside church building to collect institutionalized Christians. Kill the clergy, the flock scatters. Those who are dependent on the clergy for their spiritual life shrivel up and die spiritually during persecution. In this context you become organic in structure or you perish. Those within the institutionalized church, who were mature enough, would become organic in structure and would begin to thrive as soon as the persecution purified them.

Finally, the way many Westerners have taken Tertullian’s idea has a bit of Christian romance to it. Those who have actually suffered persecution don’t like it. It is truly horrible. But, the mature among them grow to understand what God can do through persecution. So they don’t seek it. But when they suffer, they appreciate what happens when a believer shares in the sufferings of Christ. As an example, the Chinese house church believers refer to prison as seminary. This is an acknowledgement of the fact that they will be in prison with other mature Christians, who will use the experience and opportunity to train them for more effective ministry. This is one practical example of persecution being seed. They are also aware that the spiritual experience, horrible as it is, causes them to draw closer to Christ.

  • How would you answer my two questions under House churches are needed only in areas of persecution?
  • Imagine for a moment you were a persecutor. How would you persecute the intuitionally structured churches? How would you persecute the organically structured churches? Which would be easier?
  • Imagine in 5 years you knew for a fact that the Church in the West was going to suffer severe persecution? What would you do to prepare?
  • Would your blood become seed or just be spilt?
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