A perspective regarding Bin Laden

Late last night, I was having trouble sleeping so I got up to read. My son, Dillon, shared with me that I had just missed a Presidential news conference announcing that the United States had conducted an operation and “killed Bin Laden.”

Now as I put my cards on the table here…let me try to communicate clearly…especially since I haven’t had any coffee yet.

I watched some of the coverage last night and saw celebration and rallies over his death outside of the White House. Honestly…it was a bit “creepy” to me. It reminded me of images of “Black Hawk Down” or some other less civilized response from people toward the death of another.

Now I am not some Birkenstocks wearing hippie peace activist. (If you know me…you know that). I am a Christ-follower…which means I represent Jesus in my actions and I reflect Him in my thoughts and words (at least this is my goal).

I am thankful that this man was brought to justice (Prov 21:15). I have many friends who have been, are, or will be “down range” fighting the war on terror. Bin Laden was a religious fanatic who saw in his religious creeds a justification to kill people not like himself and then to hide in a hole while telecasting that there would be more killing (the textbook definition of a terrorist). I am thankful that one of the more evil figures of human history will no longer terrorize people by his actions or words.

This being said…Bin Laden’s problem was that he was unredeemed…a lost man…far from God. He died separated from God…meaning that God will not receive his worship and Bin Laden will never know the mercy and love of God. This doesn’t make me want to celebrate…it grieves me. Were it not for the grace of God…I would be far from God.

I am not saddened that justice was served. For this I am thankful. I am thankful for the men who stepped into harm’s way to hunt him and bring him to justice. They left their families and risked their lives to protect the freedom I enjoy. They continue to do so…since their mission is far from over. Other…evil men…will rise up. I am thankful for the sense of closure and comfort from it that some will receive in the furtherance of justice.

I am saddened that the images of the American response to the news might communicate that all are rejoicing and celebrating in the streets. I do not celebrate in the streets that a man will be eternally separated from God. He is no more and no less deserving of the GRACE of God than I am.

I close with a Proverb:

Proverbs 24:17–20 (NASB95)

¹⁷Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

¹⁸Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.

¹⁹Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked;

²⁰For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

God is just and He is righteous and He holds all evil to account. Others…and our own.

What say you?

Doing the “Right” Thing: pastoral thoughts on ethics

When I was in college and seminary, one of the more challenging class subjects I ever faced related to ethics. Not because I struggle with being ethical…but because ethics (the application of values to our practical decision making) often puts us face to face with very difficult decisions. I have been working through some issues recently that, as you can imagine, are usually about me (to some degree) and God uses circumstances to spotlight these and lead me through them. So, since you asked, I thought I would share the ongoing byproducts of my journey with you.

The “big idea” is this: It is not good enough to do the right thing; rather, we must do the right thing in the right way to be righteous.

For instance: Having babies is a “right thing,” but having babies outside of marriage is not God’s design; giving gifts is a “right thing,” but giving a police officer a gift to get out of a ticket is really a bribe; and quoting Bible or “telling it like it is” is a “right thing,” but doing so without a redemptive purpose or to wound or to demonstrate your own knowledge is not God’s design. In these examples, the “right thing” becomes the “wrong thing” when we do them in the wrong way

In life, we often find ourselves in situations where we our ethics conflict with our desired actions. What do we do? Do we embrace situational ethics which asserts that there is an operational context to every right or wrong choice? (IOW: we may justify doing the wrong thing in certain situations based on the circumstances, and even declare that the wrong thing is now the “right thing.”) Another way of asking it is: “Is there anything that absolutely wrong or absolutely right regardless of the circumstances?”

Now while every person may choose to answer that question differently, there is a “correct/right” answer from God’s perspective. It is always wrong to place any other god before the Lord our God (Exodus 20). Adultery is always wrong (again, Exodus 20), etc. Settling on the right and wrong early helps us to act appropriately when decisions are difficult.

For example, I have a friend who once wrestled with having an abortion. Well, the taking of innocent life is always wrong (though we might sit around and argue about the definition of “innocent” in any given circumstance.) So, my counsel is “don’t have an abortion.” But, then comes the question, what about in the case of incest, or rape, or health of the mother? [Here it comes…if taking innocent life is wrong…and is always wrong…then it is still wrong in these situations. Further, it is still wrong if it is a family member or someone very close to us.] Wrong is wrong, and right is right.

I have had to apply this line of thought in different areas. What about divorce? How about divorce in the case of physical or mental cruelty? What if it is your daughter wanting a divorce to escape mental cruelty?

See, determining what is right (according to the ultimate standard of right and wrong…which is God’s revelation to us, His Word) is paramount to success. As I shared with someone recently…”the ‘what’ of the Christian life is pretty straight forward. Our difficulty comes in when we consider the ‘how” or are mustering the will to obediently do it.”

Many times people want to do things that are good, but go about them the wrong way. They want to pay for someone’s mission trip…but they charge it on AMEX or take it out of their “tithe” to God. Often times, folks want to go on vacation, but doing so means that they have to shirk another important responsibility. Regularly, folks want to support a friend and do so, even though their friend is not acting according to God’s plan. I have even known people to run off to do “the Lord’s Work” but do it because they were anxious about something, put out with someone, or running from a difficult situation. (In fact, many experts claim that a large percentage of pastors serve because they are trying to make up for some other inadequacy in their lives.  BTW: The apostle Paul agrees.)

This is why God gives us guidelines on what to do and on how to do it. We ought to grow our churches, but we must do it the right way. We ought to exercise church discipline, but we must do it with the motive of restoration. We ought to “confront a brother,” but we must do it in humility and with a desire to reconcile. We ought to avoid conflicts, but do so out of humility not convenience or expediency. We ought to have standards, but not as tests of fellowship; rather, as qualities/marks that identify spiritual maturity. We ought to plant churches, but not out of convenience or because it is trendy; rather, because we are desperately burdened for lost people and because there is no better way to reach them. We ought to value our individuality, but not at the expense of community. [You understand the point].

I suspect…in fact, I know…that I am being challenged by God to make choices in my life and the choices are not easy. I must choose to do right and endure the difficulties, or to avoid “right” so as to gain or maintain popularity/prestige/peace, etc.

In closing, I confessed to a group on Sunday night that I had been guilty of idolatry (of sorts) in recent days because I was working diligently to control a situation clearly outside of my control. I was working to mitigate outcomes, spin information and guard/protect people from hurtful things. Part of that is a job hazard of being a pastor. Most of it…was just an attempt to control a crisis situation. My actions resulted in many sleepless nights, tons of stress and the onset of migraines. One of my new friends from outside the church said to me, “you just care too much.” (He was a little more colorful in his choice of words…but God used his words to bring me back to a place of realizing that I was trying to “fix” a situation that was really God’s to fix.) The resolution was simple: I repented of my sinful actions in trying to control the situation. I then moved back to the place where I would look for what was the right thing to do, the right way to go about doing it, and then perform. The rest…up to a Holy God who loves me and all those involved…more than we could ever imagine. He is ultimately wise and absolutely sovereign. In Him I place my trust and from Him ALONE I choose to seek approval.

So, now that I shared some of this (as a means to clarify some of my thinking and hopefully encourage you if you have ever been in my situation)…perhaps you have thoughts on ethics or choices. Feel free to share. Love to hear your thoughts…

My Confession to a friend

Friends, in the wake of my quiet time this morning, I felt convicted that I needed to make some reparations. The first thing God brought to mind was a circumstance with a friend. I ahve included the letter I sent him today. I do not do it because I want you to “look at me” as some super spiritual dude. In fact, the letter should show you that I am the very opposite of that. I just wanted you to know that, as a pastor, I am not different than many of you. I sin. I have regrets. I also have a responsibility to make right what I can. I pray that God uses this letter to encourage you in some way. My intent though, is only to be obedient to what I believe is a leading from Him. Grace,

Dear Mark,

Something strange happened to me this morning which is prompting this letter. I was reading in my morning quiet time in 2 Samuel 21. It is a pretty weird chapter to understand but it displayed a principle that hit me in the face. In the chapter, the nation of Israel was under a judgment from God (a drought) for 3 years. The judgment resulted from the sins of a former king (Saul) who had indiscriminately attacked and sought to destroy inhabitants of the land (Gibeonites) in the Name of God. King David sought out the Gibeonites to seek conditions for reparations/restitution. They demanded a high price but David conceded. After which, God lifted the judgment and the relationship with His people was restored.

As I reflected and sought to apply this to my own life, the first thing that came to my mind was my sin against God toward you. I know it has been 15 or so years, but it came to mind and I need to confess this and seek your forgiveness.

I know at the time when we worked together, you did not claim a relationship with God. I did…but my example was horrible. Not only did I engage in ungodly conduct, but I laughed along and affirmed ungodliness in others. As a Christ follower, I set a wrong example and image of what Christ would have for the lives of His people. I completely distorted what it means to be a Christian.

My actions are without excuse. Sure…there are explanations. I was not walking with God then. I was living in rebellion against God’s leadership in my life. I even masked the rebellion by a “nominal” religion where I went to church occasionally and spoke the language. Honestly, I don’t remember much of anything redemptive about my testimony before God and of who God is.

I don’t think I need to enumerate every one of my sins from that period in my life. I know they were many and all bring shame to my mind. I am not even seeking your forgiveness in response to a “need” in my life for forgiveness and reunion with God. As far as I know, I am in right relationship with God in every way. I only ask your forgiveness because I want to set the record straight on who God is, what God desires, and how God’s people are supposed to live. I was wrong…dead wrong. I should never have acted as I did or given tacit approval of anyone else’s actions that were in opposition to God’s plan for their lives.

Perhaps my greatest regret, except for the damage I did to the Name of Christ, is the fact that we were/are friends and I failed to display the character of a true friend. I should have been more of a friend and displayed what it was to be a God follower. As such, I have paid a heavy price and missed countless opportunities to give glory to God….glory He deserves.

My statements here should not be heard as judgmental against the actions of others. I have no and pass no judgment except that of Christ. My judgment begins and ends with me. I am just so sorry for my own sin and the damage it did to the name of God…as well as the lack of character I showed…which may have brought about different results in the lives of many people had I done differently.

I hope that you will forgive me for my wrong and will receive this confessed sin for what it is…a feeble attempt to make right that which I have done wrong. I pray that I will display better character in my life from here forward and that My God will be pleased with my life. I cannot change the past. I can only accept responsibility for it and seek to make right what I can.

Thank you for your friendship through the years. I consider you a brother on many levels. I am thankful for your service to our nation. I am prayerful that this letter is heard and received in the heart it was intended. I wish you and yours the greatest of blessing.

I pray often for your son as he serves our nation and provides my freedom with great distinction.

Now we have known each other for a while. You may be reading this and think I have lost my mind. If I have, it is for Christ’s sake. As far as I know, I am no crazier than I was before.

I pray you will give me one more liberty. I believe there are others that need to do what I am doing. I have intentionally left out many specifics because, with your permission, I want to post a copy of this on my website. It is not that I desire any public recognition or affirmation. I do not. I do not even expect a reply from you. I do not deserve one. As you know, I am charged with a responsibility to lead others to model Christlikeness. I pray you will allow me to be transparent with those by allowing them to see my confession here. I want them to know that I am not a perfect man, but I am a man…and men who follow Christ should admit when they are wrong and seek to make amends. Should you object to me displaying this letter, I will remove it from my website immediately. Otherwise, I hope and pray it serves as an example of how to make right that which is wrong.

With great respect,

Your brother, Chris Aiken.

The SECRET Life of every Pastor

I was spending a few minutes this morning (okay a couple of hours) finalizing my message for tomorrow night at church. It is one of the most difficult messages I will give…but for some of the strangest reasons.
I have been teaching through 1 Timothy verse by verse since Noah crashed the boat. (Ok…maybe not that long, but for a long time). I am up to 1 Timothy 5:17-22. The thrust of the passage deals with how a church is to treat its elders (pastors). Of course the first couple of verses deal with financial considerations and then disciplining a pastor and the process of Ordination. The overarching theme relates to the office and is removed from consideration of individuals per se. However, in my flesh, it is difficult to preach on this because I “feel” like it may be received as a self-serving message.
This is not the first time I have had to speak on subjects that were uncomfortable. As a pastor, I do that quite often (mostly because God convicts me of my own shortcomings while I am preparing the message).
Another reason it is difficult to preach messages like this is because most of the people who will hear the message don’t really “know me.” They know who I am…but the me they think they know is the public presence of a man who proclaims God’s truth with conviction. Sometimes, the conviction that I preach with is understood as my own self-confidence or self-assuredness. Truthfully, the “conviction” is a conviction of the truth, value, and profitability of God’s Word…not anything about myself.
In other words, the “public” me might seem like he has it all together. He might seem like he has worked out all of the “kinks” in his life. The truth is though…he is only one step ahead of the rest (if that) and only because he got an advanced copy of the message!
Pastors have tackled this problem in the past. Some work really hard at trying to be “transparent.” When done well and in an environment of trust, this is good. It helps everyone understand that nobody has it all together. Sometimes though…it is a liability. Some people listen to the preacher’s transparent-ness (is that a word?) and they think, “Why listen to him…He isn’t any better off than me.”
The fact is, I will stand up tomorrow and share two messages that are difficult for me to share. I won’t do it because I have mastered every nuance of the truth contained in them, or of the Christian life as a whole. I will do it because they are true and I am confident that God’s Word will change lives when I present it clearly. So, if you will be listening to the messages…pray for me to be confident in God. Pray for yourself and others to see past the personality of the pastor, beyond the delivery styles and form, and recognize the Truth for what it is. Endeavor to train yourself that the real man, is not necessarily the public persona that he might project. In fact, he (the pastor) is probably wrestling with the same areas of life you are…not because he is a horrible, sinful man…but because we are all on a journey together. None have arrived, and prayerfully none are sitting still…but all are progressing toward the “upward call of Christ Jesus” in our lives.
Grace and Peace,