Christian Ethos http://www.christianethos.com Ruminations on All that is Good, True, and Beautiful Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:30:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 What Guides You? http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/29/what-guides-you/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/29/what-guides-you/#comments Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:30:54 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=831 A star guided three wise men to find the new born king. It led them through different countries, over hills, into valleys, and finally to his town. The star, their guiding light, led them on their journey to pay homage to their king. This Christmas season ask yourself what your guiding light is. What drives you to the feet of your king? What gifts do you bring to lay at his feet?

]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/29/what-guides-you/feed/ 1 Perception and Pain http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/28/perception-and-pain/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/28/perception-and-pain/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 04:38:42 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=811 Pain clouds our perception of reality and hinders us from living the life God intends. A skewed perception causes us to react in ways disproportional to the situation. This gap keeps us from living a fulfilled life, because it hides the true nature of life from us. We define ourselves not by our true identities, but from our pain, insecurities, and assumptions. We become deaf and blind to the true intent of a person, because we have prejudged their actions or words based on our past. This gap can widen to a chasm. Satan exploits our false outlook and uses it as a weapon against us. Spying this opportunity, he lurks through our lives throwing out traps and enticements. Waiting in the shadows with his master understanding of the human condition, he builds a case. Whispering lie upon lie, he enters our mind. He convinces us that most people are out to get us. They are out to hurt us just like that person in our past. Hence why, the simplest comment can trigger a memory within us that sends us back to a teenage locker-room. A single word can take us back to an abusive childhood. The ridicule, abuse, and mistreatment experienced in a memory can paralyze us. It strips us of our defenses and leaves us exposed and vulnerable once again. Fighting tenaciously against that place, we lash out in anger against the person who made the comment. We attack them out of fear and anger associated with a past memory. Our feelings of anger, hurt, bitterness, and pain may very well be justified. Many of us experience deep hurt in our lives.
This hurt may have come from an unmet expectation, from lies, abuse, broken agreements, back-stabbings, or simply from a miscommunication; however, we cannot leave the pain unattended. Wounds will become infected if left untreated. Jesus, the master physician, enters the picture and waits at the door of your heart. He longs to help you overcome your hurt and pain. He wants to wrap you in his steadfast love. He desires you to be free, and freedom in this situation only comes from forgiveness. Forgiveness of the one who wronged or hurt us is the only way to move past our anger and enter into Jesus’ rest. In my life, I have let many of my reactions come from a place of fear, because a simple comment triggered an emotional response in me that was disproportional to the words. I’ve lashed out and hurt others, pushing them away, not because I meant to but because I didn’t know how to handle the feelings inside of me. I operated from an identity of insecurity and pain rather than confidence and joy. The heavenly trinity adores you and wants you to be free from the pain of a fallen world, but you must first open your heart to them. I challenge you to search your heart. Ask God to reveal to you areas of improper response in your life. Ask him to walk with you down the path of your life’s journey and point out areas of great sadness. These areas often hold keys to finding healing. They are places that God can speak to and begin to reshape who you think you are. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.1
  1. Proverbs 23:7, KJV ↩
]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/28/perception-and-pain/feed/ 2 The Choice of Love http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/08/the-choice-of-love/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/08/the-choice-of-love/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:41:04 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=778 We often call God our creator and rightly so, but he chose to take it a step further, a fathom deeper. He made us not only his creations or his servants, but his friends1 and his children.2 In God’s master plan, human beings have always been the point. I struggled for a long time with Eden. If God made everything perfect, then why did sin enter? If we would have been perfect, then obviously we wouldn’t have made the choice we did. However, what if our definition of perfection is incorrect? We’re assuming perfection means nothing can go wrong. What if perfection, in God’s eyes, means we have full ability to go horribly wrong? What if our very ability to choose is what makes us perfect?

Let’s look at it another way. We all know that God is love,3 so what are the characteristics of love? What does love desire? “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”4 What if our creation and relationship with God are found entirely within these qualities? God created us with the ability to choose, because “it [love] does not insist on its own way”. If God truly loves us,5 then we had to be created with an ability to choose, or in a more positive spin, we were created with the ability to choose precisely because God loves us. Therefore, I conclude either we were created perfect and perfection includes the ability to choose imperfection or we simply weren’t created perfect.6 Either way, we still find a God who loves us–deeply, intimately, passionately.

  1. John 15:15 ↩
  2. Galatians 4:7 ↩
  3. 1 John 4:8, 16 ↩
  4. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, ESV ↩
  5. John 3:16 ↩
  6. I’m sure we could talk for hours about this, but it isn’t my primary purpose here. I am, however, willing to do so. ↩
]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/08/the-choice-of-love/feed/ 0 The Heart of Discipleship http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/07/the-heart-of-discipleship/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/07/the-heart-of-discipleship/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:37:49 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=739 Discipleship. A word flippantly tossed around our churches and congregations but rarely understood. Incredibly simple at its core, it befuddles us entirely with its application. We, the Church, have numerous programs, methods, and ideas about discipleship. We love the idea of it, but I believe we love only a partial idea of it. We aren’t willing to sacrifice our time, talents, money, or influence to truly disciple others. Discipleship does not happen within the confines of sterile hierarchy or appointed mentors. Discipleship happens in the dirty, messy, deep issues of life–when we take off the outer layers of appearance and begin to open our hearts to another person. With soul bared, we ask them to speak into our lives–to give us hope, to call something out of us that we can’t see. Discipleship is twofold. One, it replicates the spirit of Christ within another person. Two, it awakens things within them they didn’t know were there. In essence, it helps them become who they are supposed to be.

Replication

Jesus’ mandate was to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,  baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold,  I am with you always,  to the end of the age.”1 Therefore, our disciple making must including replicating the teachings of Jesus. This seems easy enough, but Jesus’ teachings were always deeper than simple outward obedience. He examined their hearts. Jesus wasn’t concerned about someone’s behavior. He was concerned with the state of their heart, because he knew that all behaviors will flow from their heart. Our futile attempts at changing people through external emphasis will work temporarily, but won’t sustain long term change or growth. We too must work to change hearts.

This is where things get messy, because our lives are filled with tremendous pains, tragedies, and offenses. Slowly, as time marches on, we begin to be defined by those experiences–whether directly through our own vows (“I will never be like my mother!”) or indirectly through what others about us (“You deserve this abuse, because you’re such a bad person.”). In discipleship, we must learn to speak life over the wounds of our brothers and sisters. We must open our lives and allow others to help heal us of our pain. Christ did not condemn the woman caught in adultery, but rather showed her mercy and love. If we are to replicate Christ in others, we must first deal with our own pain and learn our true identity, so that we too may show mercy and love. Jesus was confident in his identity and understood his purpose. Once people have been shown love and mercy, we can begin to help them become more like Christ and more like their true selves.

Life

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,”2 God sets life and death before us. Just as in the garden, he has given us a choice–either to live in active, trusting relationship with him or a non-relational, legalistic code of right and wrong. Jesus spoke life over his disciples. He chose life with them through an active, living relationship not simply rules and laws. He chose them and called them out of their normal jobs. He saw something in them–something no one else had seen. He then helped them learn and grow. He both led and pushed them into new realms where their true selves could emerge. We must include this in our discipleship. Bonhoeffer states it in the context of community, but I believe it applies here also:

“But God has put his Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of a man. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.”3

Our discipleship must be so intimate and personal that we are able to speak truth and life into our brothers and sisters even when they can’t see it themselves. Jesus called things to life in his disciples that may have lain dead otherwise. Are you calling things to life in those around you? Do you tell them how much potential they have? Are you surrounded by others who do this for you? We must cultivate these environments in our homes and churches, so that we begin to live the lives and destinies God desires for us. Speak life!

  1. Matthew 28:19-20, ESV (emphasis mine) ↩
  2. Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV ↩
  3. Life Together. Dietrich Bonhoeffer ↩
]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/07/the-heart-of-discipleship/feed/ 1 Put Christ Back in Christmas http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/01/put-christ-back-in-christmas/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/01/put-christ-back-in-christmas/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:05:53 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=744 It’s Christmas time again, so that means many Christians are up in arms about XMas and Happy Holidays. I’ve recorded a video to sum up my thoughts on the subject. I decided to record it after reading through a debate on Facebook last week.

]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/12/01/put-christ-back-in-christmas/feed/ 0 Faith is not Enough http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/29/faith-is-not-enough/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/29/faith-is-not-enough/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:15:00 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=729

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 1

Sola fide. Faith Alone, one of the great cries of Luther’s reformation. He championed an unparalleled change in Church history that we still enjoy the benefits of today. However, often we simply accept what has been handed to us by our forefathers without questioning it. We hold onto these past truths so tightly that we miss out on other benefits and revelations God wants to bestow on our lives today. I believe this is the case when it comes to faith. We often hold so tightly to “faith alone” that we miss other aspects of the Christian life that also build, encourage, and strengthen us. Take the above passage from 2nd Peter. He says to supplement our faith, and not only our faith but to supplement our supplements until we reach agape love. We so often parrot faith alone that we ignore other aspects of our life; aspects that Peter says “pertain to life and godliness”. We stunt our own growth by ignoring other basic premises of a godly life.
Now, I am not saying we don’t need faith or that it isn’t important. Faith is absolutely important, because it is only by grace through faith that we are saved.2 Hallelujah!  However, as I’ve said before, there is more to our life than simply salvation. Salvation begins our journey into kingdom life. Salvation begins the identity change from sinner to saint, from child of the devil to a child of God, from a pauper to a prince of the kingdom of heaven. However, if, as Peter says, “his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” why would we ever stop short of achieving the life God has set before us. Why would we ever refuse these gifts? Why would we ever proclaim “faith alone”, and ignore these other aspects? Christianity, as I’ve said before, is full of mystery and paradox. We need to learn to be people who live in the mystery and accept the wholeness of our faith. Is it faith alone for salvation? Absolutely. Is it faith alone for the Christian life? Absolutely not. We need to supplement our faith with the gifts of the spirit and the character Peter describes here in order to live in the fullness of life.

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.3

  1. 2nd Peter 1:3-9, ESV ↩
  2. Ephesians 2:8 ↩
  3. 2nd Peter 1:3-9, The Message ↩
]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/29/faith-is-not-enough/feed/ 0 Birthing Vision http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/28/birthing-vision/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/28/birthing-vision/#comments Sun, 28 Nov 2010 18:02:02 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=693 T-Minus 19 days until Jen & I depart Mijas, Spain and return to the United States. It seems only a few days ago we arrived. We were a little uncertain about what the next six months held, but we knew God had brought us so it must be good. Oh! How little did we know. Most of you who know Jen & know we’ve been blessed with many opportunities in our lives.

We’ve both been to colleges where we were involved in life-giving ministries and deepened our walk with God. We’ve both changed our career path because we were touched by something different. A desire deeper than simply financial success; the main driving factor behind our previous choices. We want to change the world. My experiences in Yellowstone National Park on Summer project during the Summer of 2005 became a foundational aspect of my life. I realized for the first time I wanted to spend my life with others. I wanted to live in community–open, honest, ugly, beautiful, loving, vicious–community. Since that time God has continued this work in me. I began reading deeply from the Bible and any other theology book I could get my hands on–spending most of the money I made on reading material.

Then, in the Spring of 2007 my journey took another pivotal step. I moved to Colorado Springs and became a student at the Focus on the Family Institute (now renamed Focus Leadership Institute). Here my journey continued as God taught me a more biblical worldview. The institute showed me the power and importance of being a Roaring Lamb. It gave me a foundation from which I could begin to launch out into the world. It also introduced me to a deeper level of discipleship. I was blessed to go on a biblical studies trip with Ray Vander Laan immediately after finishing my time at FFI. On that trip my life was further shaped by focusing on Jesus’ method and message. Jesus’ method: relational discipleship. A deep level of discipleship where rabbi and disciple live life together. The goal being to be like the rabbi. Jesus spent all of his time pouring life into his disciples. He wanted them not to simply learn his message, but to to be his message. Jesus deeply understood the importance of our being made in the image of God, and he wanted to make sure the disciples were as much like him as possible. Jesus was the best example of human being to ever walk this earth, and that is also our goal: to be like him. On that trip another strong focus was Jesus’ message: the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ message wasn’t simply about going to heaven. The goal of the Christian life isn’t simply to get to heaven. Jesus prayed that the father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The gospel is a gospel of restoration and redemption. The message of the kingdom is about bringing that life, as much as we possibly can, to earth. This in no way means utopia. We will always have sin, evil, and death in this life, but just because something is, doesn’t mean that it should be.

Immediately after returning from Israel and Turkey I started working at Summit Ministries. At Summit, I learned the importance of knowledge and academics in the Christian life. Summit exists to see high school students learn how to logically articulate a defense of their faith.

They desire to see the strong intellectual influence of Christianity restored in our day. So, during the summer and into the fall, I was challenged to dig deeper and realize that all truth is God’s truth. I grew to learn it is perfectly acceptable, even desirable, to be a Christian in all areas of life: literature, sciences, politics, economics, ministry, etc., etc. This started my pursuit into academia and restoring forgotten foundations.

So, what has G42 added to my foundation? It has taken many of the life lessons from before and reinforced and amplified them. G42 Leadership Academy has shown me my true identity. My identity as a child of the King. It has also opened my eyes to the power of the Holy Spirit and my ears to the voice of God. G42 has shown me the issue isn’t right or wrong but life or death. It is possible to be right and still bring death to a person’s spirit. G42 has shifted this mentality in me. I now look for opportunities to listen to the voice of God and speak his words, because his words will always bring life. G42 provided an environment where I was able to understand that I am loved. I am loved and accepted by God, and through this acceptance I no longer act like the second brother in the parable of the prodigal son. I now realize that the whole farm has been given to me. God has lavished many gifts and graces on me. He speaks intimately to me, and he inspires passion in my heart. I’ve realized that God delights in me.

And now, more prepared than I’ve ever been, Jen & I will leave Mijas and go to Bellingham, WA. Bellingham will be our home for the next 8 months where we will be serving Abundant Life Church, School of Eagles, Awake & Arise, and Anderson Creek Lodge. This will be a time of service and preparation. We were challenged by George Ridley of Lightforce International to go and serve someone else’s vision as a time to prepare for our own. So, we will be doing exactly that…serving.

So how does all this apply to birthing vision? Simple. All of these things have led us to this point. A decision made so that Jen & I will live differently. With an open heart and open home, we want people to live with us through thick and thin. We want to invite people into our home, into our hope, and provide a safe place where rest and restoration happen, because you can’t have one without the other. We desire our children, both natural and spiritual, to rest confidently in their identities, rest confidently in their creator, rest confidently in their gifts and anointing, so that they may use their rest to bring restoration in the realm God gives them. We want to pass the torch to the next generation that they may continue our ministry and bless lives. We want to foster an environment where generations can rise up to take their place in God’s Kingdom and powerfully love people. We pray that through our love and God’s Spirit we touch hearts, change lives, destroy darkness, and train reinforcements. This is the dream God is building in our hearts and our spirits. Will you join us?

]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/28/birthing-vision/feed/ 1 Quick Update… http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/27/quick-update-2/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/27/quick-update-2/#comments Sat, 27 Nov 2010 14:56:38 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=702 I’ve taken a small break from developing G42 sites (G42 Epicentro and G42 Speaks (still in development)) and made some simple changes here. I’ve added Feedburner email subscriptions to the site on the subscribe page, so if you’d like to get an email when I’ve made a new post you can sign up here. I’ve also added a donations page. So, if you would like, you can make tax deductible donations to Jen & I through G42. I’ve made (or will make) these same changes on Jen’s site, so you can subscribe to her also.

If you have any other features requests, please leave a comment and let me know…

]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/27/quick-update-2/feed/ 0 Today I am Thankful For… http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/25/today-i-am-thankful-for/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/25/today-i-am-thankful-for/#comments Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:53:00 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=662 Happy Thanksgiving from Mijas, Malaga, Spain.

On this day I want to give thanks for the many people and parts of my journey.

I give thanks to my paternal grandparents, Wallace and Ada, from whom I learned the values of love, joy, and integrity; love from their devotion and service to one another through more than 55 years of marriage, joy from their ability to appreciate and relish in the beauty of life, whether flowers, vegetables, fruits, or children and grandchildren, they always gave and worked so that life would be sustained, and finally integrity from their devotion to their word. I know countless stories to them giving, offering, and providing through many season of their life.

I also give thanks to my maternal grandparents, Ralph and June, from whom I learned love, hard work, and service; love, again from their devotion and service to one another through more than 60 years of marriage, hard work from their love of work and their insistence on doing a job well, and service from their hospitality towards friends, family, and visitors.

I give thanks to my parents, Larry and Marilyn, for raising me to understand hard work and live a good life. They helped me to travel and see much of our country. My dad instilled a love of nature and wilderness into me; an appreciation and respect for God’s creation. My mother gave me a loving, gentle, and compassionate spirit that enables me to connect and touch the hearts and lives of many people.

I give thanks to my friends from many seasons of life. Joshua, for always making me laugh and having good time. We’ve enjoyed many aspects of life–even the hard times. Cody, for being a kindred spirit from whom I was separated at birth. A man who has finished more of my sentences than I care to admit. A man who sparks a desire in me to see people come alive. Joel, who encourages me to be risky and live fully alive–to put my hope, trust, and faith in God so that I may conquer mountains. Joe for being a man of the book. A man dedicated to knowing the truth of God’s word and standing with a backbone of steel when it has been found.

Jon for being an incredible combination of joy and intellect. A man with whom I could ponder and probe the depths of God’s character, creation, and love for hours upon end. Jeff, who shows me the power of discipleship and challenges me to live a life dedicated to the betterment of others. Gary and Barton for being a father and a mentor who both challenged and provided opportunities for my growth. They challenged me to live with integrity both personally and professionally. They also gave me hope that businesses are still run ethically. Jason for showing me a worshipful spirit. A man who desires to live fully for God and pursue his life! The Hopwoods for their open door, family acceptance, and great blessings. Tres, for his brotherhood, encouragement, and challenges–may they continue for years to come. Finally, my wife, for her love and support. Thanks for being a safe place to come home to and allowing me to grow and become the husband you deserve.

I also give thanks to many groups, ministries, and organizations who have been influential in my life. The guys of first floor Vawter 2004, thanks for many great poker games and sleepless nights of video games. :) Thanks to the guys of VTcru’s Authentic Manhood. You set an example that will stick with me the rest of my life. Thanks to everyone from YNP Summer Project 2005. You set the definition of community in my life. We had great times and I’ll remember them always. Thanks to everyone at Focus on the Family Institute (Focus Leadership Institute, Spring 2007), my worldview was shaped strongly by the institute and I am forever grateful to the knowledge and friendships obtained. Thanks to everyone at Summit Ministries (Summer and Fall 2007). My definition of a Christian’s involvement in academics, the world, and community was furthered by you. I desire to change the world because you gave me the confidence to break the current status quo of American Christianity. Thanks to New Heights church for giving me a great example of an active, involved, spirit-driven, church. Thanks to G42 for empowering me to a dangerous life. A life not controlled by legalism or comfort, but set free in grace and truth.This list could go on and on and on. I have many people rushing through my head and I pray you know, even if not mentioned by name, I remember you, am thankful for you, and cherish our time together.

Most of all, thanks be to God who loves me, adores me, is proud of me, and delights in me. Without him I, literally, would not be here.

Happy Thanksgiving.

]]> http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/25/today-i-am-thankful-for/feed/ 1 What is G42? http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/22/what-is-g42/ http://www.christianethos.com/2010/11/22/what-is-g42/#comments Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:49:59 +0000 Kevin http://www.christianethos.com/?p=673

What is G42? from Kevin Perrine on Vimeo.

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