The Most Interesting Man in the World

The Most Interesting Man in the World—Jesus!

For those of you who have been asleep the past few months, or don’t own a TV, or TIVO everything and never see commercials, or simply are out of the “in” loop, the hottest commercial in the world right now is about the most interesting man in the world. Like lots of the most creative commercial, this one, unfortunately, is also a beer commercial. But before you’re offended, take a deep breath, keep reading. There really is a biblical point to be made…

The Mythological Most Interesting Man in the World

In the commercial, they mythologize the most interesting man in the world with such outrageous, hilarious assertions as:

You can see his charisma from space.

The police often question him, just because they find him . . . interesting.

If a monument was built in his honor, Mt. Rushmore would close, due to poor attendance.

His blood smells like cologne.

On every continent in the world, there is a sandwich named after him.

He doesn’t believe in using oven mitts, nor potholders.

His cereal never gets soggy. It sits there, staying crispy, just for him.

Respected archaeologists fight over his discarded apple cores.

He has been known to cure narcolepsy, just by walking into the room.

His organ donation card, also lists his beard.

When it is raining, it is because he is sad.

His shirts never wrinkle.

He is left-handed. And right-handed.

Even if he forgets to put postage on his mail, it gets there.

He is The Most Interesting Man In The World.

Not Myth, But Fact

I’ve never met this mythological man.

However, I do have a personal relationship with the One Who truly is THE most interesting Man in the world. Perhaps you know Him. May I introduce you?

He is before all things.

He is eternal.

He created . . . everything.

By the Word of His power He upholds the universe.

He was born of a virgin.

He walked on water and it wasn’t even ice.

He cured the sick.

He forgave the sinful.

He never sinned, not once.

He is the most fascinating teacher who ever lived.

He died for those who hated Him.

He is Savior, Redeemer, Lord.

Whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

He rose from the dead.

God exalted Him to the highest place.

At His name every knee shall bow.

His love surpasses knowledge.

He sympathizes with our weaknesses.

He gives rest.

He offers abundant life.

In everything He has the supremacy.

In Him are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.

He is Alpha and Omega.

He is the radiance of God’s glory.

He is God.

He is THE Most Interesting Man in the World—Jesus!

And You Would Add?

You who know Him personally . . . what would you add? Feel free to share additional testimony that you would you give about The Most Interesting Man in the World—Jesus!

The Seven Last Words of Christ

The Seven Last Words

of Christ on the Cross

On this Good Friday, meditate upon the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross.

The First Words

“Then said Jesus, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ And they parted his raiment, and cast lots” (Luke 23:34).

The Second Words

“And Jesus said unto him, ‘I say unto thee, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise’” (Luke 23:43).

The Third Words

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, ‘Woman, behold thy son!’” (John 19:26).

The Fourth Words

“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34).

The Fifth Words

‘After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, ‘I thirst’” (John 19:28).

The Sixth Words

“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, ‘It is finished’”: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

The Seventh Words

“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:’” (Luke 23:46).

The Legacy of African American Christian Christmas Celebration: Part I: Jesus First

The Legacy of African American Christian Christmas Celebration
Part I: Jesus First

For years now, Kwanzaa has been supported as a way to bring African American tradition into the Christmas celebration. However, what is severely lacking in Kwanzaa is the Christian legacy of African American Christmas celebration. This “mini-series” of blogs will explore The Legacy of African American Christian Christmas Celebration.

Jesus First

A major reason for celebrations like Kwanzaa is the lack of knowledge about the Evangelical Christian legacy in African American history. Thus it is important to explore how and why African Americans turned to Christianity given the hypocritical religious culture of many of the Christian slave owners. In the midst of suffering through the ordeal of the sin of slavery, how did God save enslaved people from the slavery of sin?

Of course, it is equally important to acknowledge the inner battled that resulted from such hypocrisy. Daniel Alexander Payne explains. Born to free parents in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1811, during his ordination in 1839, he describes the testing of faith caused by Christian duplicity. “The slaves are sensible of the oppression exercised by their masters; and they see these masters on the Lord’s day worshiping in His holy Sanctuary. They hear their masters professing Christianity; they see their masters preaching the Gospel; they hear these masters praying in their families, and they know that oppression and slavery are inconsistent with the Christian religion; therefore they scoff at religion itself—mock their masters, and distrust both the goodness and justice of God. Yes, I have known them even to question His existence.”[i]

If spiritually famished African Americans were going to convert to Christianity, then they had to convert on the basis of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection as revealed in the Bible, not on the basis of Christianity revealed in the lifestyles of the Christians they knew.

Christ’s suffering for humanity’s sin was the key that unlocked their hearts and enlightened their eyes. “Jesus quickly became the ardent personification of the slaves’ own suffering.”[ii] Their suffering at the hands of Christians caused them to identify with a suffering Savior who suffered at the hands of religious leaders.

At the same time, African American Christians clearly recognized and constantly emphasized the difference between Christ’s sinlessness and their personal need for forgiveness from sin. The recurring theme of the conversion narratives was salvation from sin, not from suffering. Yes, Christ shared with them the experience of unjust suffering. But more importantly, they shared in Christ’s suffering for their sins.

Pastor James W. C. Pennington, reflecting on his conversion, seamlessly expresses his understanding of suffering and of sin. Without minimizing for a moment the evils of slavery, he maximizes for all eternity the horrors of his own enslavement to sin and Satan.

"I was a lost sinner and a slave to Satan; and soon I saw that I must make another escape from another tyrant. I did not by any means forget my fellow-bondmen, of whom I had been sorrowing so deeply, and travailing in spirit so earnestly; but I now saw that while man had been injuring me, I had been offending God; and that unless I ceased to offend him, I could not expect to have his sympathy in my wrongs; and moreover, that I could not be instrumental in eliciting his powerful aid in behalf of those for whom I mourned so deeply."[iii]

Rejecting the “slaveholding gospel” of the institutional Church of that era, the enslaved African Americans gave birth to a regenerated Christianity that reflected fundamental Christian doctrine while maintaining compatible African traditions. Their cultural practice of biblical Christianity provided the new orientation toward existence that they needed given their shattered external circumstances and sinful internal nature. It created the new narrative of present resilience made possible by a Savior who suffered with them because they were sinned against. It also created the new narrative of future hope made possible by a Savior who suffered for them because they were sinners.

Christmas with Jesus First

Therefore, Christmas for African American believers was a celebration of the One Person they could both identify with and entrust themselves to. One unnamed slave described his Christmas conversion joy. “After my conversion I was happy, and I spent a whole week going over the community, telling everybody what happened to me. I was the happiest person in the whole world. I have gone on praising the Lord since that time.”[iv]

More than anything, Christmas was an internal celebration of a free gift to an enslaved people. It was the remarkable wonder that God in Christ had broken into a broken world and unshackled the bonds of their soul, even if the physical bonds yet remained shackled.

Pastor Peter Randolph expands on the nature of a converted Christmas response. “The eyes of my mind were open, and I saw things as I never did before. With my mind’s eye, I could see my Redeemer hanging upon the cross for me. I wanted all the other slaves to see him thus, and feel as happy as I did. I used to talk to others, and tell them of the friend they would have in Jesus, and show them by my experience how I was brought to Christ, and felt his love within my heart—and love it was, in God’s adapting himself to my capacity.”[v]

The African American Christian Christmas was a joyous internal celebration of the greatest gift ever given: Jesus Christ. A suffering people empathized with a suffering Savior. A suffering people submitted to a Savior who submitted His will to His Father. A suffering people rejoiced that unto them a child was given, unto them a Savior was born.

Of course, their internal joy was mitigated by their horrible external situation. In Part II we will see how African American Christians responded on Christmas to their external situation with the truth that hardships do not make it too hard to love. We’ll see something of the family Christmas joy that moved beyond the suffering.



[i]Kellemen and Edwards, Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Baker Books, 2007, p. 104. Quoted in Payne, “American Slavery Brutalizes Man,” in Foner, Lift Every Voice, p. 177.
[ii] Andrews, Practical Theology, p. 18.
[iii] Pennington, “The Fugitive Blacksmith,” in Katz, Five Slave Narratives, p. 52, emphasis added.
[iv] Johnson, God Struck Me Dead, p. 140.
[v] Randolph, From Slave Cabin to Pulpit, p. 1.

That's My King!

That's My King!

Dr. S. M. Lockridge (March 7, 1913 to April 4, 2000) was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African American congregation located in San Diego, from 1953 to 1993. He also served as a guest lecturer at many schools, including The Billy Graham School of Evangelism.

His best-known message is a six-minute description of Jesus Christ, known as "That's My King!"

Here's a link to a YouTube version of his empowerng message:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_7j32zgNw

It starts twenty seconds in. It's well worth the wait!

American Idol Shouts to the Lord . . . Without Jesus . . .

American Idol Shouts to the Lord . . . Without Jesus . . .

Last night the most viewed TV show in America, American Idol, hosted its second annual "Idol Gives Back" in hopes of raising over 100 million dollars for world-wide charities.

The shocker? The show's grand finale featured the eight remaining Idol contestants singing the Christian praise song, Shout to the Lord. America was shocked. Check out blogs and YouTube, etc., and you'll see quite the discussion. Much of the discussion relates not simply to Idol highlighting such an overtly Christian song, but to the Idol producers' decision to change the lyrics from "Our Jesus, Our Savior," to "Our Shepherd, Our Savior."

What to Make of This?

On the one hand, searches for Shout to the Lord are up exponentially on the Net. And, from the buzz, most people are finding the version with the original lyrics. On the same hand, clearly the One who is Shepherd and Savior is Jesus. Still on the same hand, the discussion alone is causing enough of a stir that millions are having conversations they otherwise would never engage in.

On the other hand, the song was written about Jesus. If the producers wanted to share a generic song, they could have chosen from any number of "inspirational ballads." What a blatant watering down and seeking to appeal to the masses.

Still, all hands considered, I'm glad the song was sung. Millions know exactly who was being praised. Millions of others are now hearing about the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the only exalted Savior.

As Idol judge Simon Cowell might say, "Well, other than offending millions of Christians by blotting out the name of Jesus in a song written to worship Jesus, I think . . . (pause for theatrical effect and said with a heavy English accent and a heavy dose of sarcasm) . . . artistically, this was . . . amazing!"

Tennis and Life

Tennis and Life

In the women’s fourth round of the 2007 French Open, Maria Sharapova saved two match points but drew jeers while beating Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 9-7.

Spectators turned on Sharapova at 7-7 in the final set, when she won a disputed point while serving at 30-love. Schnyder watched a serve land in, then complained she had held up a hand to call for time.

Mother Teresa As a Tennis Player

The chair umpire ruled the point would count, giving Sharapova her first ace of the tournament. Sharapova said later she didn’t see Schnyder’s hand until after hitting the ball—and had no regrets about what happened.

“It’s pretty hard being a tennis player and Mother Teresa at the same time,” Sharapova said. “You’re fighting for every single point out there.”

Sharapova As a Philosopher

By Sharapova’s reasoning, one might also conclude that it’s pretty hard being a human being in the world today and living like Jesus at the same time.

Actually, according to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus would agree—it is hard to live a godly life in a godless world.

Of course, Jesus’ definition of “success” is worlds apart from Sharapova’s. Wasn’t that the whole point of His Sermon on the Mount? To turn the world upside down. To turn upside down our perspective on how we live and on why we live.

A Spiritual Friendship Pact

A Spiritual Friendship Pact

St. Teresa looked upon human friendship as a joint journey, a spiritual pilgrimage to the fatherland. To four trusted friends she extended this invitation:

“I should like the five of us who at present love each other in Christ to make a kind of pact that since others in these times gather together in secret against His Majesty to prepare wicked deeds and heresies, we might seek to gather together some time to free each other from illusions and to speak about how we might mend our ways and please God more since no one knows himself as well as others who observe him if they do so with love and concern for his progress. I saw we should gather in secret because this kind of talk is no longer in fashion.”

Not Only in Her Day

It was not only in her day that gathering for spiritual friendship was no longer in fashion. How seldom we gather for such purposes in our day.

What does it take? According to Teresa:

1. A Pact: A communicated commitment.

2. A Plan: A gathering together. Connecting.

3. A Purpose: To free each other from sin's deceitfulness, to mend our ways, and to please God.

4. A Passion: To know each other deeply enough and with enough care and concern to be able to provide loving feedback leading to self-awareness.

5. A Person: Jesus Christ. Human spiritual friendships always point to the ultimate Spiritual Friend--God.

What's So Good about Good Friday?

What’s So Good about Good Friday?

Good Friday. The day Christians memorialize death. God’s death. Christ’s crucifixion.

What’s so good about that?

In Evangelical Protestant circles, Good Friday is rarely seen as “good.” In fact, it’s often ignored. No services. Nothing.

I can recall establishing the first ever Good Friday service in my first year as Sr. Pastor. The church had a continuous history of over 200 years. Not only did we start a Good Friday service, we ended it in somber silence.

People were shocked!

“What? Where’s the Resurrection!”

My response . . .

“Wait.”

Like the Apostles had to wait.

As Mary the mother of Jesus waited.

As Jesus waited.

What’s so good about Good Friday. The obvious answer is that without Christ’s death we would have no salvation.

The less obvious but equally biblical answer is Good Friday reminds us to wait in humble, sad, somber, convicted silence. It reminds us just how horrible sin is.

Quiet.

Wait.

Deep Teaching/Preaching and High School Wrestlers

If we listen to the so-called experts, we are forced to believe that “young people” (Gen Y, Post-Gens, teens/twenty-somethings) want absolutely nothing to do with content. All they want is experience.

I beg to differ.

Talking with my 18 and 21 year-old children, they consistently express the frustration that churches are dropping the content ball. “Dad, it’s all fluff.” “The pastor treats the congregation as if all they want is entertainment.” “Where do you go in Evangelical circles to find deep-thinking preaching and teaching related to life?”

Perhaps you think my kids are oddities.

Well, I also happen to coach public high school wrestlers. They don’t want experiences. They don’t want fluff. They don’t want to “just have fun or be entertained.” They want content--they want to know wrestling moves and do what it takes--the hard stuff, to learn those moves.

Wherever I go, “young people” are begging for content. For depth. For expertise. They are sick and tired of being told that truth does not matter to them.

They want to know, as I want to do, who these so-called experts are talking to.

Truth matters.

Content-starved teens and young adults crave truth-applied-to-life.

Whether it is college students or high school wrestlers, it is about time that we reject the silly notion that working with young people means finding some quickie ice breaker, preparing a five-minute “talk” (or worse yet, refusing to prepare and talking off the cuff).

It’s about time that we do the hard work of relating truth to life, which, of course, means believing that Truth exists and doing the hard work of finding the Truth and sharing the Truth--changeless Truth for changing times. Not fluffy experiences for supposed dim-witted young people.

Sorry, had to get that one off my chest . . .