What is Urban Ministry Like? It Can Be Messy.

I was amused last week when I read a note from one of our church's summer interns. He is a college student spending his summer learning about urban ministry. On his first Sunday with us, he was assigned to teach the third through fifth grade boys' Sunday school class.

I'm not sure, but I suspect that he came into urban ministry with a few naive ideas. If he was like me, he probably thought that the main problem confronting the urban poor had to do with a lack of money. He probably thought that the boys would be grateful for his willingness to give up his summer in order to teach them a little about Christ.

However, it did not take him long to be relieved of some of his naivete. He took a van to pick up people in the low-income apartment complexes when he discovered that 99% of parents would send their children to church services alone. They were not really interested in Bible classes and worship assemblies themselves, but they did not mind letting their kids leave for a few hours every week.

Then, as he tried to teach the Bible class, he discovered that most of the boys were not interested in the Bible study either. They were more interested in showing the other boys how cool they were by refusing to pay attention or obey simple requests like, "Please sit down and join the group." Finally, as the class ended, four of the black boys piled on a white boy and tried to beat him up.

He discovered that while poverty was one problem faced by the urban poor, it was not the only problem (and very possibly not the worst problem). Our new intern learned that he may not be appreciated for his compassion toward the poor and that our full-time urban ministers cannot be paid enough for their often difficult work.

It reminded me of my most difficult Bible class.

A few years ago, our congregation started the morning with a worship assembly, followed by Sunday school, and a meal. One of our ministers realized that many of our smoking members were neglecting the Sunday school classes so that they could smoke a cigarette or two before the meal. He tried in vain to persuade them to go to a Bible class every week. After a few weeks, he grabbed about a dozen chairs, set them up outside the front door where everyone was smoking, and started a Bible class on the Bible's wisdom literature for them.

Although I didn't smoke, I joined the class too. As summer was nearing an end, our minister needed to be gone for a few weeks of vacation and travelling to other congregations to raise support for his work. He asked me to take over the class for those weeks.

The first few minutes were uneventful. The class members helped me to set up the circle of chairs.

However, as we sat down to start the Bible class, a young teenager rushed through the front door and ran to his mother who was sitting in our class just outside the front door. A few seconds later, our youth minister came through the door. He grabbed the young man by the shoulder and said, "I know you're new here, but we don't punch other kids in the face and run out of class." After a little more admonition, our youth minister returned to his class, but the teen boy remained with his mother.

Thinking that things were calming down, I opened my Bible to Psalm 15 and asked the class to follow along as I read it. Since my eyes were focused on the Scriptures, I did not know what was happening around me. But I saw a blur run past me to the other end of the church building.

As I finished reading the passage, I saw that the teen boy had left the group. His mother got up and went to him. A few seconds later, the woman was screaming every profanity and obscenity imaginable at her son. Naturally, we could not focus on the Bible study with this scene going on. Of course, I'm sure that the neighbors were not appreciating the profanity-screaming woman on our property.

Our recovery minister (who worked with our members who had drug and alcohol addictions) was present in the class, so I asked him to take over the teaching while I tried to talk to the upset mother. Regrettably, I was not making any progress, and our recovery minister dismissed the class early so that he could join me in the conversation.

The screaming mother was angry because during the part of the class when I was reading from the Psalms, two visiting homosexual young men were kissing each other. Her son was disgusted and ran to the other end of the building. She began yelling at our recovery minister and me, "I didn't think that this was that kind of church!!!" Our recovery minister replied, "We're not that kind of church...but we're also not the kind of church that lets parents scream obscenities at their children."

Eventually, she calmed down.

As one of our ministers says, "Urban ministry is messy."

Does this mean that urban ministry makes no difference? Does it mean that everything is hopeless? No. It just means that the problems involved in urban ministry run far deeper than the lack of money or employment. It means that urban ministry requires patience, perseverance, and love for people who struggle. Within a year, the obscenity-screaming mother turned to Christ in faith and repentance, seeking God's forgiveness, and submitting to baptism. While the two homosexual young men have not become Christians yet, they have continued to study privately and in public with our Bible teachers and ministers. They have also stopped kissing each other in church services. Progress comes slowly and with difficulty at times, but it's worth it.

A World of Hurting Souls

Recently, our preacher, Ron Babbit, sent a question to one of his friends in another state who teaches high school students. He asked the teacher to pose this question to his students: "What is the most difficult thing you have had to deal with growing up?" These are the responses from those students:

Boy (10th grade): "If I said that I have not looked at pornography, it would be a lie. My mom and dad have blockers on the Internet, but I know how to get around them. I wouldn't say that I'm addicted to porn; I just enjoy watching it when I am in the mood."

Girl (12th grade): "I am unsure of my sexuality. Sometimes I feel that I like guys and sometimes I feel that I like girls. I am attracted to both, and I just need to figure out which sex I like more."

Girl (9th grade): "My dad tells me every day that I am not pretty. He asks me why I can't be pretty like the other girls my age. He won't buy me any make-up because he says it won't help me look any better. He says it's a waste of money. I just want my father to like me."

Boy (12th grade): "My mom and I don't have any money. My dad is gone and my mom and I barely get by. We have had to move over 6 times in the past year, because we cannot pay our rent. It is very embarrassing for me because my friends are always asking me why I move."

Girl (10th grade): "I was raped over the summer two years ago and my dad didn't believe me. He said that I probably asked for it. To make matters worse, I became pregnant. Once my dad found out that the rape resulted in a pregnancy he just accused me of being promiscuous and told my family that I made up the rape story so that I wouldn't get in trouble. I had to change schools for a semester, and my father made me abort the baby."

Girl (10th grade): "I cut my thighs all the time. Every time that I feel pain or any time that I feel disappointment, I cut myself for punishment. I have been cutting myself ever since my mom and dad split up. I should have done more to keep them together. My dad is gone now and I never get to see him. It has been over three years since I have last seen him. I feel that my mom resents me but I don't know."

Girl (10th grade): "I have grown up in the church my whole life, and my dad is even a deacon in the church, but I hate church. I just go through the motions. I have to go to all the church functions and I have to put on my church face at school because everyone expects me to be that girl. Honestly, I have times where I can't stand God. I haven't prayed in over two years. I feel bad about it sometimes, but that is just how I feel right now. I'm tired of God being pushed on me from every direction."

Boy (12th grade): "I never feel that I am good enough. No matter what I do, I feel that I could do a better job. I want to succeed but feel that I can never please anyone. I just want to be successful, go to college, and follow in my sister's footsteps so that my folks will be happy with me."

Girl (12th grade): "My mom is a drug addict. My brother and I have to stay with my papa and meme sometimes. My mom never comes to any of my games and, when she is home, is just worried about getting her next fix. She can't hold down a job and is embarrassing. I put on my happy face at school, but really I want to just cry."

Girl (12th grade): "My uncle raped my sister and me when we were younger. We lived in Seattle and all of my other family lived here. We were raped over and over for a period of three years. Finally my aunt found out and got us help. My uncle is now in prison, and our family has no contact with my aunt. My father is in prison and my mom is dead. My sister and I now live with our aunt on the other side of our family. I struggle with trusting men. I actually hate men, all of them!"

Boy (9th grade): "My parents are divorced. It sucks...all my mom does is bad-mouth my dad and my dad just bad-mouths my mom. They don't even try."

Girl (10th grade): "My parents don't have any money. A lot of times, we don't even know where our next meal is going to come from. My dad can't even hold down a job. I guess that it's not all his fault though because he had some medical problems. My grandparents help out a lot but they can only do so much."

Girl (10th grade): "My dad just left mom for a younger girl. My sister and I caught him texting his girlfriend, and when he was sleeping, we stole his phone and showed my mom the texts. I don't get it. Why do men cheat? My mom cries a lot and now we live with my grandmother. I miss my dog the most. My dad won't let me bring my dog to my grandma's."

Boy (12th grade): "All I do is smoke weed. I love weed! My mom and dad know. They found out about four months ago. They were (angry) but I guess that they kind of got over it. My sister still gets me weed and we sometimes do it together. I don't think that it is bad. I just do it for fun and I don't feel that anyone is getting hurt from it. They actually say that weed is better for you than cigarettes. I don't know..."

These are the responses of kids in one small high school in another state, but it reflects life everywhere. We live in a world of hurting souls.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience" (Colossians 3:12).

Making a Positive Impact

Sometimes Christians are best known for what we are against. We oppose same-sex marriage, abortion, and sexual immorality. We speak out against those sins; and that's absolutely appropriate. Those sins (among many others) are destroying us and the people we love. We can't remain silent. We care too much.

However, we cannot be satisfied with a purely negative approach when dealing with such issues. We need to be eager to do good in these areas.

How can we make a positive impact? We can...

*teach the biblical message about marriage, life, and sex.
*invite friends to marriage enrichment seminars.
*support a local crisis pregnancy resource center or adoption agency.
*mentor young husbands and fathers or wives and mothers.
*adopt a child.
*extend forgiveness and encouragement to those who have failed.
*let everyone know what Jesus Christ has done to take away our sins and to give us new lives.

The possibilities are nearly endless; and they have not been exhausted.

"And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful" (Titus 3:14).

Why Did God Command the Complete Destruction of Some Nations?

Last week, a co-worker was reading Deuteronomy 20. He came to me with an important question: Why did God command the Israelites to completely destroy some nations?

This is my attempt to deal with this difficult question. (And I acknowledge that my response may not be completely adequate, but at this time, it's my best response.)

As the text states, the Israelites were commanded to completely destroy some nations as they were entering the Promised Land so that "they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 20:18). Leviticus 18 describes the total corruption of these societies. They tolerated and practiced incest, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, and child sacrifice in service to their false gods. Evil was celebrated. Selfishness, brutality, and narcissism ruled the land.

"(W)hen God directed the Children of Israel to go in and conquer the Promised Land, He told them to destroy the peoples who lived there. This command was necessary because of the vileness of the pagan religions practiced in that good land. The most brutal worship of all was that demanded by Moloch. This cruel demon was represented by an iron idol with hollow belly and with both arms bent in front in a cradling position. A fire was built in the hollow belly, and each mother was required to sacrifice her first-born by placing him in the idol's arms to be burned alive. During this horrible ceremony, the priests and priestesses of Moloch beat drums which reached a deafening crescendo as the mother laid her baby in the idol's arms. The purpose, of course, was to keep the mother from hearing her baby's screams" (Drums of Moloch, Herbert C. Casteel, pp. 94-95).

Two factors made matters worse for the inhabitants of the Promised Land: 1. They had a knowledge of their sins and of the true God who expected better from them. 2. They had been given centuries to repent.

Like all people, they had a basic understanding of right and wrong. However, they chose to "suppress the truth" (Romans 1:18). "Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them" (Romans 1:32).

Although easy to overlook, we should also recognize that the pagan nations were well aware of the Lord's judgment long before destruction came upon them. In fact, Balaam was an internationally-known prophet of the Lord from a pagan land (Numbers 22). The true God was known in lands far away from the Israelites; and they did not have exclusive access to his prophets. Furthermore, as Rahab the pagan prostitute testified before her city was destroyed, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt..." (Joshua 2:9-10). For at least 40 years, the people of Jericho knew that their judgment day was coming, but they expressed no interest in changing their ways as the people of Ninevah would several centuries later (Jonah 3:6-10).

In addition, it should be noted that the nations inhabiting the Promised Land were given 400 years to repent (Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 9:5). Their destruction came fairly quickly, but it was only after God had waited patiently for centuries for them to change their hearts.

Also, different rules of warfare existed against the nations within the Promised Land than against the nations outside those boundaries. The nations within the Promised Land faced total destruction (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). They were facing the judgment of God. More conventional standards of warfare applied to enemy nations outside the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 20:10-15).

Finally, it should be noted that God's grace was extended to individuals even as their societies faced total annihilation. The prostitute Rahab and her family found grace. They were spared from God's judgment because they placed their faith in God and followed the instructions that they were given (Joshua 2-3).

Was Jesus Silent About Homosexuality?

In recent years, I have read this argument from those who urge followers of Christ to accept homosexuality: Since Jesus was silent about homosexuality, Christians should recognize it as being acceptable to God.

While it's true that the Scriptures never quote Jesus using the term "homosexuality," it's not exactly true that he did not address the topic.

Jesus affirmed the view that sexuality is properly expressed only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. In answering a question about divorce, he took his listeners back to the original purpose of marriage. "He answered, 'Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?" (Matthew 19:4-5). Marriage was designed so that a man and a woman would become "one flesh." They would become intimate.

Apart from a marriage between a man and a woman, Jesus referred to all other expressions of sexuality as "sexual immorality" (see Matthew 5:32 and 15:19).

Jesus never deviated from that standard. In fact, he raised it. He prohibited even the intent behind sexual sin. He taught, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

However, it should be pointed out that Christ died for those of us who have failed to live up to his standards...and that includes all of us. He has always welcomed everyone who has been changed by the message of his death and resurrection into his church. He has been forgiving our sins and changing our lives since the earliest years of the church. "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Jesus condemned homosexuality along with all other forms of sexual immorality. But he also died in the place of the sexual sinner. Christ wants to free him or her from the guilt of the past.

When a Spiritual Leader Falls to Homosexuality

Nearly a decade ago, Janet and I were members of a small Bible study group. We had been members of the group for a few years. We were a close group, but we were not as close as we had thought. We did not know each other's temptations and weaknesses as well as we would have liked. We were led by a severely flawed man who kept his sins hidden from us.

Without warning, our leader stepped down from leading the group. He asked me to take over the Bible study sessions. Then he left his wife and children.

We were confused. I tried to contact him, believing that he simply needed a little encouragement to do the right thing and return to his wife and children. He did not respond. A few weeks later, he moved to another city with his homosexual partner. We never saw it coming. We never expected adultery; and we would have never believed that he would leave his family for another man. After all, he was a small group leader in a church dedicated to Christ and to biblical ethics. It did not make sense. We were paralyzed.

While it may not be very common yet, this kind of sin occurs. With that in mind, I would like to share a few ideas about how to handle it.

1. Recognize that the fallen leader is hurting. He has emotional issues that run deep. He may have been a victim of sexual abuse at some point in his development. As Anita Worthen and Bob Davies write in Someone I Love is Gay: How Family and Friends Can Respond, "The roots of homosexuality are mainly emotional and center on issues like envy (I'm not as masculine/secure/aggressive as other men), loneliness (nobody would love me if they knew the real me) and deception (I'll never amount to anything)" (p. 174). He has struggled and failed. He needs to be offered help. Pray that he will accept it.

2. Recognize that the fallen leader has hurt his family. His wife and children are the victims. The church must show compassion and acceptance. The family must not be ostracized. They need their Christian friends like never before. They need the stability of people who care about them and their welfare. They need friends who will stand by them, listen to them, and pray with them.

3. Recognize that the fallen leader's sins are as serious as hell. The man's soul is in jeopardy. As Jude wrote, "In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 7). The fallen leader needs love and prayer. He needs encouragement to turn from his sins. He needs to understand that his sins have serious consequences. He needs to comprehend his need for God and his life-changing grace. Otherwise, he is lost forever.

I hope that no one who reads this post will ever go through this kind of situation; but if you do, I hope these words help as you try to deal with it in a God-honoring way.

Shamefully Good Living

President-elect Barack Obama has chosen Rick Warren to pray at his inauguration next month. On NPR this morning, I heard Mr. Warren described as "controversial" and "outrageous" because he considers homosexuality and unnecessary abortions to be sinful. He was attacked for believing the Bible.

Over the years, Rick Warren and the Saddleback Church have led the way in caring for AIDS victims, promoting adoption, and helping orphans. He has been a proponent of treating those with whom he disagrees with civility and honor. Mr. Warren and the Saddleback Church have tried to be faithful to biblical faith in Christ while showing kindness and compassion to the people around them, even if some of those people were their enemies.

Now, he is maligned as a hateful nut.

This is a common burden for Christians. How many times have we heard...

~Christians care about babies before they are born, but couldn't care less afterward?
~Christians are right-wing, racist homophobes?
~or some other similar accusation?

How should we respond when we are attacked in such ways?

First, we must not allow social intimidation to force us to back down from loyalty to Christ and his standards. It's better to look bad while standing with Christ than to look good apart from him. He is more important than our popularity.

Then, we need to live in such a manner that those who slander us will be embarrassed. The apostle Paul wrote, "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us" (Titus 2:7-8). The apostle Peter echoed Paul's instructions when he wrote, "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.' But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander" (1 Peter 3:13-16). We need to be living such genuinely good, kind, and generous lives that such slander will look foolish and petty. It's our best defense against unwarranted attacks of this nature.

(For another good perspective on this controversy, please see Albert Mohler's comments at www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=3023.)

A Defense of Biblical Christianity

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:12-17).

In defending homosexuality, Newsweek magazine has attempted to launch an intellectual attack on biblical Christianity at www.newsweek.com/id/172653. Thankfully, Albert Mohler has responded with a good analysis of the article, showing the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the attack, at www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2881.

Reputation is Important, But Not Most Important

"He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap" (1 Timothy 3:7, NIV).

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness" (Matthew 23:27-28, NIV).

Christians should be known for godly attitudes and actions. We should be known for kindness, compassion, courage, humility, love, joy, and many other positive qualities.

However, whether we are known for such qualities or not, we should live them. Our reputations may suffer for teaching the biblical truth about hot potato issues (like abortion, hell, homosexuality, etc.), but we must have the courage to teach the truth anyway. Our reputations may suffer for trying to help a friend caught in a sex scandal or abusing drugs, but we must show kindness and compassion anyway. Our reputations may suffer for confessing the sin of gossip and asking the victim for forgiveness, but we must live humbly anyway.

A few years ago, the Roman Catholic Church attempted to cover-up the widespread sexual abuse of children by its clergy. Concerned for its own reputation, the church slandered victims who spoke out against the abuse and denied all wrongdoing. In trying to save its reputation, it nearly destroyed its credibility.

What happened in the Roman Catholic Church a few years ago happens among denominations, congregations, and individuals constantly. Everyone is vulnerable to the temptation to place reputation above righteousness, but Jesus Christ calls his followers to a higher standard. The man with a reputation as a friend of sinners would rather see us risk our reputations to be good, rather than to merely look good.

The Condemnation of Sodom

"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen" (Ezekiel 16:49-50, NIV).

Many people may know that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their homosexual behavior (Genesis 18-19). However, fewer may realize that homosexuality was merely one manifestation of a larger problem: a completely ungodly self-centeredness.

The people of Sodom were arrogant. They believed themselves to be independent and self-reliant. They were wise in their own eyes. They rejected the standards of nature and nature's God in favor of their own selfish standards. Gratitude was a foreign concept to them.

They were overfed and unconcerned. The Sodomites were flourishing. Who cared if others were hurting due to their business practices? As long as they were doing well, oppression was not a concern.

They did not help the poor and needy. If generosity existed at all among the citizens of Sodom, it was the type of generosity that expected to be paid back. A friend could have received a meal because he could return the favor. A disabled beggar could starve before receiving aid, unless it could be written off on their taxes. A prosperity preacher could have received money, if he convinced them that they would be paid back 100-fold by whatever deities they acknowledged.

They were haughty. They were not merely arrogant; they flaunted it. They were self-made men and women, and they let it be known that they worshiped their makers. They celebrated debauchery and condemned as intolerant anyone who told the truth.

They did detestable things before God, not the least of which was attempted homosexual gang rape of visitors to their city (Genesis 19:1-11). Their morality and ethics reflected nothing of the image of God.

Obviously, the people of Sodom are not alone in their sins. If we are going to escape their fate, we will need to become people of humility, compassion, generosity, and high ethical and moral standards. Even more importantly, we will need God's forgiveness because, individually and collectively, we have already failed. Thankfully, God offers his forgiveness to everyone who will trust and follow his Son Jesus Christ.

Questioning Salvation

A co-worker came to me this morning with an interesting question: If a homosexual becomes a Christian, engages in homosexual activity after becoming a Christian, and dies before seeking God's forgiveness, will he be saved?

This was my answer:

Our salvation is not based on our perfection. Christians are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

When we experience God's grace, it changes us. Paul wrote, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age" (Titus 2:11-12, NIV). When we come to appreciate what God went through to save us, we want to avoid sin and temptation.

When we come to true faith in Jesus Christ, we are changed. It affects our actions. James wrote, "I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18, NIV). Unlike the demons whose faith does not change them, a Christian's faith changes him.

Is it possible for a Christian to return to homosexuality (or any other sin) after conversion and still be saved? Sometimes it takes a while to learn how to say "No" to our ungodly urges. Sometimes Christians will return to familiar sins in moments of weakness, in moments of anxiety, or in moments of depression. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7, NIV). We need to follow the Spirit's call to reject sin, and trust in Jesus even when we fail to live up to his standards.

Sometimes I attend funerals of people who have been affected in obvious ways by the grace of God. They tell people about their faith. They live with obvious love for God and people. I do not doubt their salvation, because I have seen how the grace of God has impacted their lives.

Sometimes I attend funerals of people I do not recognize by the words the preacher uses to describe them. They reject God's grace. They live selfishly and arrogantly. They oppose God's standards, and do not even try to live up to them. I don't really have any reason to hope to see them in heaven. I have a very hard time at their funerals.

Sometimes I attend funerals of people who have professed to love God, but who have struggled a great deal with overcoming their sins. They seem to fail more often than they succeed. I look at their lives, and I have some hope that they will be in heaven, but I have a few nagging doubts because I would have liked to have seen better results from their lives. I would need to put the hypothetical Christian (mentioned by my co-worker) who died while engaged in homosexuality in this category.

Church Dropouts

Last Saturday, the Tulsa World ran an interesting story about why many people "drop out" of churches after leaving high school (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=18&articleID=20080202_1_A8_hMany37332). Some of the reasons were understandable. After all, some churches are "boring" for some reason. Some do not see the Christian life as an adventure with both fun and danger. Some churches put on "an act." They concentrate on a show without substance.

However, some of the reasons cannot be changed. A church must teach that homosexuality is a sin, even though it may appear "homophobic" to young people. We must teach the truth with compassion.

In No More Jellyfish, Chickens, or Wimps: Raising Secure, Assertive Kids in a Tough World, Paul Coughlin mentions a reason for young people dropping out of churches that I have never read before. He writes,

"(It) is spiritually neglectful not to explain to our children that if they align their lives with God's will, they will be met with challenges. If we don't, we can be sure we'll be raising a generation of what I call Second-Seed people---those who walk away from their faith when the going gets tough.

When we read Jesus' parable of the sower (Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8), which describes why faith grows in some but not in others, we hope we'll only find our inner lives described in one key passage. When we find our faithlessness laid bare on the page, we sometimes fail to understand the real reason: We simply don't have the backbone to withstand the difficulties that come from being the oddballs God wants us to be.

Second-Seed people respond superficially to God's Word.

These are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. (Mark 4:16-17 NRSV).

They lack the rugged virtue of fortitude. Why? Because their training makes them so eager to please others that they crumple under even mild criticism. They were trained to be nice kids instead of good ones" (pp. 112-113).

I want to raise a good son, not necessarily a nice one. Although his teachers may not like it and it may cause me some problems in the future, I have told Christopher to intervene when another student is doing something wrong or hurting another. I warned him that he may get into trouble at school for doing so, but that he would have my support at home. I would be proud of him for standing up to those who would harm others. He would be a hero. I want to train him to do good despite opposition, misunderstanding, and trouble. If he is to become a godly man, he will need such training to make it in a world in which evil and wrong are rarely challenged. I am convinced that, if he grasps such lessons, he will not become another "church dropout."

Overcoming Evil With Good

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21, NASB).

This is from a small book by Joseph Stowell titled Overcoming Evil With Good: The Impact of a Life Well-Lived. I do not believe that it is in print any longer. If you can still find it, it's a good booklet, and it can be read quickly.

The Armitage Baptist Church is one of the leading evangelical churches in the city of Chicago. It is positioned in the heart of one of our toughest neighborhoods and is led by a second-generation pastor. On the first anniversary of the murder of Dr. David Gunn, an abortion clinic doctor in Florida, pro-abortion activists around the country decided to commemorate the moment with what they called a Night of Resistance. This Night of Resistance would comprise demonstrations to make a distinct point for their cause and profile Christians as radical, murderous elements of society.

Of all the places that they could have chosen to demonstrate in Chicago, they selected Armitage Baptist Church...

For years the members of Armitage Baptist Church have patiently and persistently established a beachhead for God by submitting the agenda and program of their church to the authority of Christ. The members have reached their culturally diverse Chicago neighborhood by showing hospitality to all who live there...

Members have unashamedly, yet compassionately, stood for righteousness against the powerful influences of gay activism and the agendas of the abortionists that are so influential in neighborhoods such as theirs...This would be unsettling for any church, but an especially unsettling prospect for a church located in such a volatile gang-ridden neighborhood.

A couple of weeks later, while returning from a trip, I picked up the airplane copy of U.S. News and World Report...the reporter was discussing the incident at Armitage. He wrote,

"...Flyers posted around town to draw a major crowd urged demonstrators to 'Dress to shock and/or impress, come in costume and show your rage'...A few demonstrators wore patches that said, 'Feminist Witch' and 'Support Vaginal Pride'...The most common chant was 'Racist, sexist, antigay/Born again bigots, go away.' The 'racist' charge is particularly weird: The Armitage congregation is roughly 30 percent black, 30 percent Hispanic and 40 percent white. The security force on the steps seemed about half Hispanic...For 'born-again bigots,' the congregation has made an unusually successful effort to cut across racial lines...While the crowd chanted about racism, a group of young black men showed up wearing long red jackets that said 'SHS Security.' They were from a South Side black Baptist church, the Sweet Holy Spirit, and had come to protect a fellow evangelical church...Next, five yellow buses rolled up and a seemingly endless stream of people poured out...They were evangelicals from a second South Side church, mostly black families, showing up for the service. More than a thousand people were now in the church. The security men had been singing all along...Now, they gave way to a choir of black kids. The demonstrators were done for. The kids were too good and too loud."

I talked with Charles Lyons, the pastor of the Armitage church. He added a P.S. to the article. For days before the demonstration, demonstrators had canvassed every home in the neighborhood with leaflets inviting individuals to come and join the demonstration. In a neighborhood which is prone to positive perspectives on both the gay and abortion issues, one might have expected a pretty good turnout. But Pastor Lyons noted that not one neighbor joined the demonstration. I asked him why. He replied that the neighbors have come to know that Armitage Baptist Church cares for them and is concerned about their needs. When the Chicago school system could not open for several days in the fall of 1993 due to budget problems, the schoolteachers who attended his church volunteered their time and opened up an alternate school in their building for the neighborhood children.

Their good works not only silenced a powerful group of adversaries but created a neighborhood beachhead that even the most hostile opponents could not erode---a triumph won by the compelling power of lives well lived.

People Change

"Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11, NASB).

Please read the story at http://www.christianitytoday.com/dispatch.html?code=headline&url=/ct/2007/marchweb-only/112-52.0.html

Never give up.

Sexual Immorality

In an interview with a Chicago newspaper yesterday, Marine General Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "Homosexual acts between individuals is immoral." In addition, he stated that adultery is immoral.

His comments have stirred up a mild controversy. Some people have demanded an apology from him. However, General Pace was correct. Homosexual activity and adultery are immoral.

Jesus Christ taught, "Surely, you have read in the Scriptures: When God made the world, 'he made them male and female.' And God said, 'So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.' So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should seperate them" (Matthew 19:4-6, NCV). He taught that God intended for sex to be enjoyed within the boundaries of a marriage between a man and a woman, where the two would become "one body." That is the definition of sexual morality.

When the apostle Paul was describing humanity's rebellion against God, he mentioned, "Women stopped having natural sex and started having sex with other women. In the same way, men stopped having natural sex and began wanting each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and in their bodies they received the punishment for those wrongs" (Romans 1:26-27, NCV).

In his first letter to the church of God in Corinth, the apostle Paul wrote, "Surely you know that the people who do wrong will not inherit God's kingdom. Do not be fooled. Those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are male prostitutes, or men who have sexual relations with other men, those who steal, are greedy, get drunk, lie about others, or rob---these people will not inherit God's kingdom. In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NCV). Thankfully, God still washes sinners clean, makes sinners holy, and makes sinners right with himself. Otherwise, each of us would lead hopeless lives in addiction to our sins and in opposition to God.

God still saves and changes lives.