Is Jesus Rallying up an Army?

Have any of you watched the trailer to Jesus Camp The Movie? It’s a documentary on an evangelical boot camp and it’s very freaky. My heart felt so much unrest watching it. (embedding is just not working out today)

I’m not sure what to make of it. What do you make of it? 

Why do we need to compare ourselves to the extremists in the Middle East who cry “jihad”? Is it really a ‘me against them’ scenario? Would God condone such talk?

There was a little girl who danced for God and listening to her speak of how she dances for God and not for the flesh, it sounded so mature and too much for a little girl to say or think on her own. It makes it seem as if God is an emotion, a feeling, a state of mind. “Let’s channel God…”

It made me scared watching that trailer and I am a Christian. A Christian who knows that Jesus Christ saved me by grace. I guess their theology and doctrine is a bit invasive.

I attended a youth concert once that had the same vibe and it made me a bit wary of it all. I couldn’t enjoy myself due to the nagging in my heart that told me it was more hype than anything else. Or how easy it is to contort God’s word, be it with the use of one verse to suit the preacher’s agenda.

What is God to these people? What movement are they trying to create? What and who is God to these people?

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Yes, Ted Haggard is in the trailer and movie too. Although of course, he came out saying he didn’t like the way he was portrayed in the movie. I think the official website stuck up a response to Ted Haggard.

When I first heard of Ted Haggard’s case, I was shocked. Who wouldn’t be? He’s a senior pastor of a megachurch, president of a big association of evangelicals, has links with big wig politicians… or he had all of these titles…

And everything crumbled before him. From the highest position, he sank to the lowest of lows in the public eye.

But he’s not different from any of us. We are a fallen people. Everybody has spiders in their closets and if we don’t admit it, we are only fooling ourselves. We’ve all sinned but the difference here is that Ted was almost seen as a representative of the Evangelical Christian community… a great man of God…

He did resign and his letter to his church was very humbling, in my opinion. He admitted that he is a deceiver and a liar. But aren’t we all?

He made a mistake and is a true blue hypocrite but again, aren’t we all? Matthew 7:1-5 reads,

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (NIV)

So I don’t think we should judge him harshly. His mistake was public and unfortunately, it affected a lot of people but at the end of the day, even when we sin, we affect someone we know and love.

It is good that he is not in leadership. That I have to agree. Yesterday, we did the book of Titus and it gave a list almost of what kind of leader one should be…

…For an elder must live a blameless life… He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. (TItus 1:6-9) (NLT)

But it’s ok that he’s out of leadership. I guess to gloss over the issue more, they say he’ll begin restoration classes soon. It upset me when I read that he’ll be going for restoration classes. I wrote about this before. Why use the word ”restore”? Christian therapy, in other words. Just call it that. Why use a word like restore as if that person is jumbled up or has a piece missing somewhere or is dirty like a painting that needs ‘restoring’?

It is dirty but God grants us forgiveness and we need to believe that and accept that to change. When you feel the overwhelming forgiveness from God, you will become whole again and change should and will come naturally…

I was told recently that one doesn’t need therapy, we just need to turn to God. At first I didn’t agree but typing now, I kind of see it where she was getting at… wow…

God’s love heals every dysfunctionality we have. He heals our hurts and comforts us at the most crucial time so all of us shouldn’t point fingers but look at ourselves first.

My pastor referred to Ted Haggard’s story and I thought his sermon was absolutely amazing. It was about sexual immorality and strangely during praise and worship time, that was the issue plague-ing my mind. I wasn’t quite sure why and to hear the sermon soon after, I wondered if God was trying to tell me something. My pastor was concise and in my opinion, he covered every base there was in such a short time. He spoke of King David and his adulterous life that led to dire consequences. There were many more examples from the book of Samuel and what Jesus said. I can’t remember now but I remember thinking, “wow… God’s trying to tell all of us something…” ’cos the pastor spoke with such eloquence and confidence that I had never seen from him before.

It is true. In church we can seem so good and perfect but who really knows what we are like outside church?

I read an interesting article at the beginning of this week entitled, “Faking Church.”

It happens slowly, subtly. Most Christians aren’t even aware of it when it happens. The “it” is a spiritual deception. What others see of our faith and service to Christ has become distorted—inevitably in our favor. We’ve become fakers.

Years ago I was in a church where a new and exciting ministry was opening up. I was hoping to be chosen to lead the ministry. I felt I was the best qualified and was sure I would be chosen. I wasn’t. I was frustrated, angry, and jealous. Of course, I didn’t show it.

I see it clearly now, how I was motivated by ego, pride, and ambition. But these are “hidden” sins, so very easily cloaked. This is not to say I did not love God. I did. But sadly, I wanted to serve me more than I wanted to serve Him.

When you represent God so visibly, such as with a teaching gift, it can be nearly impossible for anyone to detect you’re a fake. You’re saying such great things about God that you outwardly appear to be the picture of sincerity. No one may ever know. Except for God.

You may read your Bible regularly, listen to Christian radio programs frequently, or watch Christian television religiously. You may read Christian books by the most popular Christian authors, go to Promise Keepers or Women of Faith conferences faithfully. You may be a popular leader in your Christian circles. You may even feel very spiritual at times, but you’re a fake, an imposter.

I have, on numerous Sunday mornings, preached a message that deeply moved members of the congregation. Ironically, I had “prepared” for ministry that morning by arguing with my wife on the way to church, or made life miserable for my children because they were making us late. But years of practice came to the rescue, and I easily morphed into “Pastor Dan.” I was instantly compassionate, holy, and spiritual. I was faking church.

When I counsel with someone and she or he tells me how great a listener I am and how much I have helped, it feels good. When I teach and I am praised for my insight or delivery, it feels good. When I visit the sick and they express their appreciation, it feels good. Doing good is not often as rewarding to me as looking or feeling good. I can do some really good things for some really lousy reasons. Feeling needed, respected, wanted, and significant can become as great a motivation as love for Christ.

A. W. Tozer once wrote, “Many a solo is sung to show off; many a sermon is preached as an exhibition of talent; many a church is founded as a slap to some other church. Even missionary activity may become competitive, and soul winning may degenerate into [something] to satisfy the flesh.”

Read the rest of the article although I stuck up a big chunk of it. I’ll leave it at that. Think about it.