CALVIN AT 500

Today officially marks the 500th year of John Calvin's birth. And if you are a passionate believer in Reformed Theology like me, you have celebrated this day beforehand and will continue long after this day ends.

Truly, Calvin was one of the most influential men in the history of Christianity. His teachings on Soteriology, commonly called the Five Points of Calvinism, has been beloved by Reformed Christians for centuries and is at the root of our Theology. Also, his writings in the Institutes of the Christian Religion is one of the best Systematic treatise on Scripture ever produced.

And even though, when it comes to Calvin, there is no "gray area" (people either love him or hate him), no one can deny the impact that Calvin has had or will have on Christianity for years to come.

So, speaking for all Christians who love the unadulterated truth of God's Word, I want to say HAPPY POSTHUMOUS BIRTHDAY, JOHN CALVIN!!!!!

NOT REFORMED, BUT BIBLICAL????

In my last post, I mentioned a conversation that I had with a fellow Minister in Chicago yesterday. And, within an hour and a half of conversation, we discussed several topics (one being the basis of the article below). But perhaps the most interesting part of our conversation dealt with the need--if any--of Reformed Theology in the church today.

In one of his comments, he mentioned, "that a church does not need to be Reformed, but it can be Biblical". Now, being a Reformed believer and knowing wholeheartedly that Reformed Theology is Biblical Theology, one has to wonder how such a claim can be made?

For instance, if Reformed Theology teaches that God elects men to salvation before the foundation of the world, and Scripture teaches the same (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13), and any other system teaches the opposite--that would make that system unbiblical right? If Reformed Theology teaches that Christ's death was for a particular people, and the Scriptures support that claim (Matthew 1:21; John 10:11) , then wouldn't another system of belief be unbiblical? Finally (because I can go on forever with this), if Reformed Theology teaches that God is Sovereign and the Scriptures do as well (Isaiah 46:10; Daniel 4:32), then wouldn't anything else be unbiblical?

Now obviously, I may come off as biased here, but I truly believe that Reformed Theology is THE theology of the Bible, and I have the Scriptures and church history to prove it. So, for someone to believe that there are alternate truths out there that can conflict with the theology and still be right, is erroneous, or--dare I say--unbiblical!!!!!!!

NOT RESPECTING TRADITION

Just yesterday, I had a discussion with a fellow Minister in Chicago about my future endeavors in ministry. And--if you know anything about me--you know that when it comes to this topic, I can be extremely direct in some areas--especially when it comes to issues that I find as real problems in the church today. And generally, when I bring up these particular issues (especially when it deals with the state of the black church), they are either met with a hearty "Amen" or with a strong "Anathema".

So naturally, I was not surprised when we discussed issues that I had with the black church today, that it didn't go over very well with him. For example, I mentioned that one of the things that bother me about today's black church today was the "enslavement of traditions" over and beyond the primary foci of the church as a whole. And when I explained to him what I meant, he accused me of not respecting the traditions of the church and said that it would be difficult for me to find a future pastorate with this mindset.

Now, I must admit that when I became Reformed back in 2001, there were some of beliefs within the scope of the black church that I laughed at and ridiculed then that I do not criticize (at least not as much) now. Some of these things include the doctrinal depth of the songs, the devotion service, the anniversaries for every department in the church, and the heavily accepted Charismatic teachings that are so widely accepted amongst our people. However, while I have either softened my stance or see these things from a different angle, I have to honestly admit that my feelings overall have not changed. In short, what I told my fellow Minister yesterday is the same way I felt back then and will feel throughout the duration of my ministry career.

As a black church, we must realize that we must line up EVERYTHING we do against the written Word of God. In short, the Bible must be our guide in all matters of worship. Just because we desire a worship that is more emotional, more social driven, and highlights our cultural identity, does not mean we have the freedom to disregard God's Word in bringing it about. We are not immune to doing things the way God wants just because we have been a people of struggle. So, while I will be the first the state that I see nothing inherently wrong with wearing white on first Sundays, having three of four types of choirs, wearing a robe in the pulpit while preaching, and lining the hymns in worship, if these things become the staple principles for a church in lieu of the solid teaching of God's Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and the practice of self-discipline--the church is in error! No questions asked!!!!!!

So, if Scripture tells us we must teach God's Word with seriousness and careful instruction, then our focus should not be on trying to get the crowd up by "hooping" or"singing" during our messages. If the Bible tells us that one of the qualifications for an Elder is to be"the husband of one wife", we should not go on crusades to ordain women as pastors. In short, we don't get an "out" in our worship practice based on our historical plights or traditions.

And, from a personal standpoint, if these beliefs prevent me from receiving a pastorate in a black church, I am willing to accept the consequences. Because to quote Martin Luther: "My conscience is captive to the Word of God, and to violate conscience is neither right nor safe"!!!!!!

THE REAL VICTIMS

Being a HUGE football fan, naturally over the past few days I have been following very closely the Steve McNair murder investigation. And while it is a tragedy when any person is shot and killed--especially at such a young age like 36--the one thing that I think is not being focused on is the grieving family is left to deal with the complex questions.

To put it bluntly, while the media is focusing on the humanitarian that Steve McNair was, we shouldn't overlook the fact that the man was killed in the surroundings of an adulteress relationship. In short, McNair thought more about himself and his wants instead of being faithful to his family--especially the four children he left behind.

Now it is not my desire to throw stones at McNair in this post (although you might think otherwise), but it does speak volumes when a man is being praised for helping inner-city youth and starting foundations but no one is thinking about a wife who has to tell her children that daddy is not only dead, but has to tell them how he died!!

How does Mechelle McNair tell her children that daddy was having an affair and was killed by his mistress? Equally, how does she properly grieve in finding out this news at the same time as hearing that her husband of 12 years is dead? And finally, how will this situation affect the psyche of his children towards their father as they grow up to become active members of society?

In short, we must come to the reality that tragedies like this do not stop with the people that were directly involved. But rather, this is a incident that could have lasting effects 20, 30, and maybe 50 years from now with the people who are left behind. In short, the real victims of this tragedy are those who become engulfed in the poison that an incident like this can bring.

So while we pray for the families that are involved in this tragedy, let us also pray for the LORD to specifically heal their hearts from the betrayal and hatred that generally come from these ordeals. Unfortunately, nothing can change what happened but what can be prevented is the spread of the pain and suffering that these families now feel towards their loved ones and those on the other side of the fence.