Well, today was a big day for me. After researching smartphones, I finally decided which phone I wanted to purchase. The Blackberry Curve 8330 is going to be my new phone. So with great anticipation I traveled to the local Sprint store to acquire it. Unfortunately, they were out of stock. A bit down, but still excited, I headed over to Best Buy to check out their selection only to be a bit more depressed to find out that they too were in short supply. Heading back to the office I placed a call to the national Sprint store only to hear that they too were out of said phone. Taking one final chance I went online and perused the Sprint website only to confirm that, yes, the entire company is currently out of 8330s. For most of you this is not altogether sad news, but trust me as a bona fide geek and one who loves anything that can sync with my laptop, this was not a fun afternoon for me.

So, I’m currently on a waiting list to be notified as soon as Sprint has some more in stock. Until then I continue to make do with my Katana. Oh well, life is full of little disappointments, right?

I spoke yesterday on the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3. I closed the message by quoting Francis Chan, of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA. Chan has offered 18 signs that you are a lukewarm Christian. I thought they were powerful enough that I would reproduce them here. Be warned, however, that they can be very convicting.

1. Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly.  It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go. Isaiah 29:13

2. Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living.  If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so, After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right? 1 Chronicles 21:24, Luke 21:1-4

3. Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict.  They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives. Luke 6:26, Revelation 3:1, Matthew 23:5-7

4. Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.  They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them.  Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one. John 10:10, Romans 6:1-2

5. Lukewarm people are moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act.  They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones.  Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers. James 1:22, James 4:17, Matthew 21:28-31

6. Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends.  They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion. Matthew 10:32-33

7. Lukewarm people gauge their morality or “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world.  They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street. Luke 18:11-12

8. Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives, their money, and their thoughts, but he isn’t allowed to control their lives. Luke 9:57-62

9. Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him all their heart, soul, and strength.  They would be quick to assure you they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; its only for pastors and missionaries and radicals. Matthew 22:37-38

10. Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.  Their love for others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with.  There is a little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, who kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable.  Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached. Matthew 5:43-47, Luke 14:12-14

11. Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give. Luke 18:21-25

12. Lukewarm people think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven.  Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation.  Rarely, if ever do they intently consider the life to come. Philippians 3:18-20

13. Lukewarm people are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. Matthew 25:34, 40, Isaiah 58:6-7

14. Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty.  They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without requiring too much of them. 1 Chronicles 29:14, Matthew 13:44-46

15. Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control.  This focus on safe living keeps them sacrificing and risking for God. Matthew 10:28

16. Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.

17. Luke warm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to.  They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens-they have their savings account.  They don’t need God to help them—they have their retirement plan in place.  They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live—they have life figured and mapped out.  They don’t depend on God on a daily basis-their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health.  The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God. Luke 12:16-21

18. Lukewarm people probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever.  They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Matthew 23:25-28, Luke 14:34-35

Thanks to Don Brown who pointed me to the quote.

I just received the following press release from LifeWay Research and I thought it was important enough to put it up for you to read. It’s interesting to me how significant our words are. In light of the Pew research that was released earlier this week, this article does a good job of explaining why the results though technically accurate, do not necessarily communicate what the researchers intended for it to communicate.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2008

CONTACT:
Chris Turner, Media Relations Manager
chris.turner@lifeway.com
(615) 251-2307

Are Evangelicals Really Universalists

By Chris Turner

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In the second major release from their U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, the Pew Forum states that “70 percent of Americans with a religious affiliation say that many religions – not just their own – can lead to eternal life.” The detailed findings (available at: http://religions.pewforum.org/reports) indicate that 57 percent of those attending evangelical churches also agree that many religions can lead to eternal life. Only 36 percent chose the alternative, “My religion is the one, true faith leading to eternal life.”

However, some have expressed concerns about the way the question was asked. “The Pew Forum accurately reported the question they asked and accurately reported the responses they received, but I do not think that led to an accurate portrayal of evangelicals,” said Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian Resources.

Terry Mattingly of the Scripps Howard News Service and the GetReligion.org blog wrote, “I am being a bit picky here, but I suspect that if you asked a lot of people that Pew Forum question today, they would think of the great world religions. But many Christians would think more narrowly than that. Not all. Not many, perhaps. But some. What is your religion? I’m a Baptist, a Nazarene, an Episcopalian, a Catholic. Can people outside of your religion be saved? Of course. This is not the same thing, for many, as saying that they believe that salvation is found outside faith in Jesus Christ.”

“I believe the Pew study is directionally right in pointing out that a surprisingly small number of self-identified American Christians believe in the exclusivity of Christ as a means of salvation, and therefore, getting into heaven,” explained Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research.

“But the way they worded their question may have had some impact; many people think of ‘denomination’ when they hear ‘religion,’ so it isn’t that surprising that a Lutheran could think a Methodist would also go to heaven or a Catholic could think that a Protestant would go to heaven,” said McConnell.

Stetzer cautioned, “When we define evangelicals as not just those who sit in pews but who agree with certain evangelical beliefs, we find a different picture than was widely reported in the news about the recent Pew study.”

LifeWay Research has been studying the practices and beliefs of hundreds of Protestant churchgoers in a longitudinal multiyear study and recently asked questions which did not just indicate “religion” but indicated “religions other than Christianity.”

In this study, which will be featured in The Shape of Faith to Come, a fall 2008 book by B&H Publishing Group Vice President Brad Waggoner, LifeWay Research asked 2,500 Protestant adults who attend church at least once a month, “How much do you agree/disagree: If a person is sincerely seeking God, he/she can obtain eternal life through religions other than Christianity.”

When answering questions about “other than Christianity” rather than “other religions,” the answers may change. In total, 31 percent of Protestant churchgoers agreed (strongly or somewhat) with this universalistic statement compared to Pew’s 70 percent. This makes for a difference of 39 percent between the universalism in the LifeWay Research study and the Pew Study.

“LifeWay Research utilized a five-point scale, in which 28 percent of Protestant churchgoers neither agreed nor disagreed with the universalistic statement. Assuming that all the ‘neither agree nor disagree’ would move to the universalist side when forced to choose (a doubtful assumption), the difference is still 10 percent,” Stetzer noted, pointing out that the questions were not identically worded and a direct comparison was not possible.

Forty percent of these Protestant churchgoers disagreed (strongly or somewhat) that eternal life can be obtained through religions other than Christianity. When “evangelical” is defined by beliefs (using the combination of nine evangelical definition questions from The Barna Group) rather than which church is attended, 8 out of 10 evangelicals reject this universalistic statement.

Rejection of the universalistic statement in the LifeWay Research study by disagreeing strongly or somewhat are shown in the following percentages:

– 80 percent of those who indicate evangelical beliefs

– 61 percent of born-again Christians

– 49 percent who say they attend an evangelical church

– 27 percent of those who do not indicate evangelical beliefs

The LifeWay Research study used a five-point scale and the requirement of minimal church attendance which makes direct comparisons to Pew’s data difficult as they used an “either/or” question and only required affiliation. However, Stetzer explained, “There is enough of a difference in the results for me to conclude that their choice of wording likely led a number of folks away from the exclusive response.”

“The Pew study accurately pointed to a growing problem. The shape of faith to come is in some ways discouraging. Christians are becoming more universalistic and lack biblical views on a host of other issues,” Waggoner explained.

“The Pew research is helpful even though this question needs clarification. However, the bigger issue here is why there are so many self-identified evangelicals who sit in evangelical pews but do not evidence evangelical beliefs, particularly in regard to universalism,” Stetzer said.

More information and graphics can be found at www.lifewayresearch.com.

The Presidential election is coming up and once again Americans have a difficult decision to make. Do we vote for Barack Obama? Do we vote for John McCain? Do we vote for a third party candidate? Do we write in a candidate? Finally, do we simply sit by and not vote at all? From a biblical perspective I am convinced that it is our obligation to vote and to vote for someone who reflects biblical values. Recently in a conversation with my dad, we were discussing the church’s obligation to vote for someone who reflects godly values. The refrain that I consistently hear from believers is that they may not love any candidate, but they will vote for the “lesser of two evils” in order to not “waste their vote”. This is an interesting thought process, and honestly, is one that I embraced for a while. The problem arises when it is pointed out, as my father lovingly did, that to do so is to admit that you are voting for evil, albeit “less” evil than you might otherwise vote for.

As believers we need to think and pray deeply about the upcoming election. We need to evaluate each candidate, not against each other, but against God’s Word. If a candidate is found that is suitable to consider voting for, do so. At the same time, if you are convinced that none of the candidates are viable, biblicallly, than write a candidate in. You might argue that to do so is to waste your vote. I would strongly disagree. Remember America is not our home, our allegiance is ultimately to the Kingdom of God and not to an earthly political process. To vote in amanner that would reflect the most politically expedient option is to unfortunately believe that pragmatism, rather than holiness, is our highest aim.

Our goal is to please God, and not man. It’s often difficult, in our political climate, to remember that. I’ll be honest with you that I have not decided, at this point, how I am going to vote. I am convinced, however, that I will study and pray and I will vote this year for the candidate that most reflects my commitment to God and His word, even if that means writing in the name that I think be represents those characteristics.

What do you think?

Although I already have an enormous appreciation for the life of Dr. Adrian Rogers, I’ll have to admit that my admiration grew a bit today. While having lunch with a friend of mine who is a member of our church, but who also grew up at Bellevue, I was surprised to learn that Dr. Rogers was a diehard Gators fan. My friend loved Dr. Rogers but is also a fan of FSU so it pained him a bit to share it with me, but I couldn’t be happier.

After a bit of searching, I ran across this Baptist Press article that confirms it. It’s good to see men of God who not only love God’s word and His church with a passion, but who also love the greatest team in America with a passion.

Ok, so I’m thinking about getting a new phone. I’m a bit limited on options because I have service with Sprint. Looking through all the options, though, I’m particularly intrigued by a couple phones. The phone that keeps rising to the top, however, is the Motorola Q. So, I thought I would throw that out there and see if any of you have it or have used it. What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

As technology increases, so does the opportunity for churches to take advantage of it. Take a look at this video and see if you can come up with ways that the church could harness this technology in the coming years as the technology comes down in price.

HT: Kent Shaffer

Last week in North Carolina, I got to do something that I don’t get to do more than every 2-3 years…I got to hang out with my brother and sister both during my brother’s wedding. We’re a pretty good looking bunch, don’t you think?