The Apologetic Muslim

Something both wonderful and sad took place earlier this week. I was hanging out with a large crowd of students in the minutes before a midweek worship gathering at our church when I began a conversation with a wonderful young man that I will call Tahm.

We engaged in several minutes of very interesting conversation about travelling and our common interest in helping others. As the conversation continued and the service drew near this delightful guy shifted gears. It was then, with apologetic tones, he felt the need to inform me that he was a practicing Muslim—and the look he gave me that followed was one I will never forget. It said, "how will you treat me now?"

In September 2001 I was wrapping up my first collegiate tour of duty, finishing up a degree in communications, journalism, & public relations. I was surrounded on a daily basis by international students at a time in my life when, overnight, our nation turned hostile toward almost anyone of middle eastern ancestry. I remember how ugly it was. How afraid everyone was. I remember my Pakistani friend Zishon was whisked away to a safe place off campus in a storm of confusion. Zishon was a Muslim too. He didn't identify with the hateful acts of violence perpetrated by those who claimed to share his faith.

That's what I remembered this week when Tahm shared his faith with me. He was afraid of my response. It broke my heart. He wanted to know if he was in a safe place. 

Do I have strong opinions about Islam? Absolutely. Should I allow that to influence my treatment of Muslims? Absolutely not.

Many, many, many, times in life I completely blow it. I let Jesus down. I fail to respond as he may have in a given situation. But I think I got it right with Tahm. I invited him to lunch. I expressed my genuine desire to get to know him. And then I walked him to the sanctuary myself as the service started.

Jesus said that he came to "seek and save the lost." (Luke 19:10) That my friends includes anyone and everyone. But how often, I wonder, do our responses to people's lives get in the way? How we respond to the vulnerability of those who walk into our lives says more about us than any sermon we can preach, book we can write, or song we can sing.

Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Zacapa 2014: WHAT A JOY

For ten days now Jamie and I have had the distinct pleasure of traveling with a group of the most selfless, courageous, and loving people I have ever known. They have endured physical discomfort, an endlessly rearranging schedule, and intense spiritual warfare—the likes of which we rarely ever recognize in the states.

I have watched them daily push through fatigue, sickness, and injury to proclaim the love and joy of Christ. I have cheered them on as they left personal fears behind—being God-prompted into never before contemplated situations. The shy have became powerful proclaimers of truth; the insecure, bold beacons of grace.

Through sweat and dust and heat the life-giving Spirit of Christ has remained at the centre. The presence of God the all-encompassing Source. The Gospel the Great Calling; and the lost the Chief Mission.

This week eighteen students from small town America (Russellville, AR) along with Jamie, myself, and our accompanying locals had the chance to serve alongside Greg Miller Ministries. Doing so we shared the Gospel will 2,780 people, prayed individually with 495 of them—and lead 207 to Christ. As well as helping to facilitate a worship experience where 250 more people were saved!

Rebekah, Dakota, Dimas, Brian, Ashely, Stacey, Morgan, Cara, Jeff, John, Jacob, Aaron, Katelyn, Ian, Tosha, Emily, Madisun, & Lizette....WHAT A JOY it has been to serve alongside you on this trip!

More to come soon....

Thanks for reading, Nate

December 14 - Jesus: Christ & King

Read: Acts 17:1-9

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2, 3 ESV)

Jesus died. But he didn't stay dead. He returned to life. He ascended, bodily, into Heaven. He went before us into death, and then into resurrected eternity, to prepare the path that who belong to the kingdom of God will one day travel.

Upon his conversion Saul of Tarsus, an infamous persecutor, became an enthusiastic proclaimer of Jesus. He often went into Jewish Synagogues to teach about Jesus, no doubt hoping to bring the truth to his people. He was articulate, and intelligent, persuading a great many people to open their hearts to Jesus—the Christ and King.

It was Jesus' role as Christ which infuriated the Jews; but it was his role as King which the legality of persecution stemmed from. Salvation can come from no source but Jesus. That hasn't stopped a multitude of people from attempting to save themselves, but it is folly.

Just as errant is the rejection of Jesus Christ as King. People often refuse to acknowledge any authority that is not of their own making. They want the throne of their lives left alone. We like to play King, Jesus is both Christ the Savior and the King of kings.

December 13 - To Be Saved

Read: Acts 16:16-40

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31 ESV)

Salvation is a simple thing. But bad religion has sometimes confused the subject. Silly, incorrect, and dangerous requirements, prerequisites, and conditions have crept in to something that was always intended to be incredibly simple.

People worry about what prayer to pray, what lingo to use, what physical demonstrations are required in order to be saved. But all of that is nonsense. They are distractions.

When the Philippian jailer wanted to know how he could be saved, Paul told it to him short and straight. "Believe in The Lord Jesus." It isn't magic. It isn't even hard. It's a simple change in the posture of your heart. And it makes the most important difference you could ever experience.

October 7 - Hell to the King

John 19:1-5

They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. (John 19:3 ESV)

One of the most demeaning aspects of the horrors visited upon Christ during his final hours before was the relentless mockery and brutality. The actions of ignorant cowards playing with powers beyond their comprehension, common soldiers employed as thugs by the religious elite brutalized Christ again and again. Their sarcastic jeers tearing through his compassionate heart like a scourge would rend his flesh. It was horror added upon horror.

Who would treat a king in such a way? But of course, they didn't really believe him to be a king. He was something they couldn't understand. However, they refused to acknowledge the possibility that he was the Son of God, in much the same way that modern skeptics refuse to acknowledge even the possibility of the supernatural.

The violence committed upon Christ was vulgar, excruciating, and barbaric. It was undeserved hell. Atrocities that would probably make us wretch to see in person. He did not deserve it. Yet he took it. He took it, so that what you and I deserve, actual hell, we do not have to experience.

September 26 - Denying Jesus

Matthew 26:69-75 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” (Matthew 26:72 ESV)

Sometimes I stop and think about what Jesus must have felt concerning Peter and his other disciples. He knew what was going to happen to him. He knew how hey would all turn their backs on him when trouble began. Yet, still he chose them.

Have you ever denied Christ? Maybe not by what you said, but what about by what you did? Do you think Jesus knew you what you would do or say when he first chose you? I believe that he did.

The beauty of the finished work of grace that Jesus completed lies in the serene undeservedness of Christ's extended forgiveness. We do not deserve it. We could never deserve it. We will never deserve it. Our actions, attitudes, and ethics so often testify to our wretchedness. But Jesus loves us, chooses us, and saves us, even when he knows that at some point we have or will deny him.

Peter was perhaps his closest friend and denied him. Peter went on to do incredible things. We each have denied Jesus somehow sometime, but he chooses still to love us and use us to carry out his will in this life.

September 16 - I Am He

John 18:1-11

When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:6 ESV)

Armed men showed up with a secret team in the middle of the night to arrest Jesus. He had withdrawn to a secluded place he often visited for a time of private prayer and preparation with a chosen few of his followers. They came seeking him—knowing who he was, his reputation, and his power.

Jesus identified himself when the armed force asked for him. As he did they withdrew from him and fell before him on the ground. They were tripping all over themselves, taken aback by the power of his identity and his declaration. Why?

Because their reasons for approaching him were corrupt, whereas he was holy. Their power was founded on the broken rules of men, and his was seated in the foundations of heaven. Their identity existed based on the controlling fear of their office, while Jesus' identity echoed from across eternity as the Son of God.

The identity of the Son of God bears weight. So much so that his life, death, and resurrection irrevocably altered the destiny of the universe. It was enough to make a mob fall over themselves, it was enough to confound the religious hypocrites, and it is enough to forever change the direction of our lives.

August 21 - These Will Go

Matthew 25:31-46

"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46 ESV)

Jesus stated very plainly that in the life to come there would only be two possible destinations for the soul. Heaven or hell. Eternal life or eternal death.

The thought of hell can be pretty crazy. Most literal interpretations or beliefs are rooted in the idea of a place of fiery torment that burns but does not consume. I don't know what hell will be, but I do know what my capacity for understanding the Scriptures leads me to believe. I believe that hell will indeed be a place of unending torment. It will be so horrible that it will be as if the most anguishing kinds of physical, emotional, and spiritual pain were all rolled into one.

Those who live under the grace and Lordship of Jesus will be spared that agony. They will find eternal life, joy, and peace. Everyone will wind up in one location or the other. There will be no in-between. There will be no other options. All will go somewhere in the life to come.

July 30 - Whoever Hates Life

John 12:20-33

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25 ESV)

We hoard. We gather. We save. We are trained, and intrinsically inclined, to get as much as we can of something we deem valuable and keep it close to us. So, when we fall into that age old pit of aggressively embellishing our own self-worth it becomes second nature to want to maintain our comfortable status quo, reduce any risk, and seek after people and pleasures that reinforce our false self-opinion.

Jesus set a different standard and humanity has spent the last two-thousand years missing the mark. I constantly miss it. It is hard for someone like me. The problem? I like myself too much. Because a lot of the time I think I am much more awesome than I actually am.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that we all have value, we all have worth, and we are all of us deeply loved by God. But the problem is that sometimes we love ourselves in all of the wrong ways. We love ourselves, but not enough to embrace truth. We love ourselves, but not enough to put God first. We love ourselves, but not enough to make the hard choices, even when they will be the better choices.

I am not one that thinks Jesus is looking to martyr every believer, but I do believe that every believer has to be willing to measure the potential cost of following Jesus. You can not live the fully devoted Christian life and love yourself more than you love your Savior. If and when you find yourself in that dangerous place you have become your own savior, and a poor one at that. Love life. Love it enough to hate it.

July 29 - To Be Loved

Matthew 3:13-17

...and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 ESV)

Experiencing the love of another is a special thing. Something that nearly everyone longs for. However, the sad reality of our world is that not everyone goes through life feeling the love of another person. Human families are sometimes fragile, relationships are often messy, and the profound difficulty of tragic circumstances can make for some lonely situations.

The story of Jesus' baptism is one of my favorite moments in the Gospels. It is packed with insight into the nature of Christ. And the closing verse is one of the only moments in the Bible that records a direct interaction between God and Christ that other people were able to witness.

God declared that Jesus was His beloved Son. The truth of Jesus as the Son of God is an essential element of Christianity. But something that can sometimes be easily forgotten is that we are also sons and daughters of God.

Jesus' sacrifice made it so that we can be restored to our place in the family of God. We are indeed coheirs with Christ when we experience the power of transformational salvation. Jesus is the beloved Son, and in him each of us can know what it is like to be loved by God.

July 7 - In His Arms

Mark 10:13-16

And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:16 ESV)

One day some kids were coming up to Jesus. Some of his disciples seemed not to like it very much and started hindering them. Jesus wouldn't stand for it and used the opportunity as a teaching point. He told them that the kingdom of God must be received as a child would receive it. And then he continued to accept children and bless them.

Mark, writing Peter's account of things, said that he took them in his harms. The children enjoyed Jesus. He just have been fun and funny. He hugged them. He showed them innocent affection born of deep love for their young hearts, and pure spirits.

For many of us it is far too late in life to contemplate existing with a pure and innocent spirit. Because of bad choices or terrible circumstances many of us have either given away or been robbed of innocence. But Jesus came to this earth to restore it to us. And just as he took the children up in his arms, he draws us into his majestic presence to restore to us the purity of spirit with which we were created.

Believing in Christ as Lord takes us into his presence. It begins our life with him. It as an action of desired innocence. It is childlike. And as a result he takes us in his arms. He blesses us. He puts his hand over our lives. A life lived with the Hand of God on it is a blessed life indeed.

July 4 - The Lazarus Problem

John 12:9-11

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11 ESV)

Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead and the religious people went nuts. They started making plans to kill Jesus. But that wasn't enough. Even had they killed Jesus, which they did, there was still the Lazarus problem for them.

Had they actually been able to remove Jesus there was still the fact that he raised Lazarus to life. A dead man living again is powerful evidence in favor for the reality of Jesus' supernatural power and divine origin. So they went beyond the plan to kill Jesus and started making plans to kill Lazarus as well.

The resurrection of Lazarus is a historical fact, even as much so as the resurrection of Jesus. People wanted to refute Lazarus' miraculous reviving. The power players wanted to remove him as evidence in the situation.

Today Christianity is often under assault. Historical revisionists try to blot out the truth of the resurrection and downplay the influence of Christianity on our culture. Typically their first line of attack is to undermine, rewrite, or ignore, the overwhelming historical evidence in favor of the orthodox view of Christ, his miracles, nature, and resurrection.

To make this even more personal—we have an instinct to act the same way sometimes. When we do something that makes us feel a tinge of guilt we try to erase the evidence. However small that might be. I'm sure you could think of your own personal example.

The Lazarus problem faces all of us. Lazarus was brought back by Jesus. Jesus was brought back by himself. We face the eventuality of life beyond death. None of us have experienced it as of yet, but there is coming a day when it will be irrefutable. And not only do we face the awesomely confounding prospect of resurrected eternity with Christ, we also may embrace the spiritual reality of a resurrected soul in this life.

Our choices have led us to death, destruction, and disaster. Jesus raises us up out of that. Lazarus wasn't a problem for Jesus. And neither are you.

June 14 - Jesus Says

Read: John 8:1-11

Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say? (John 8:5 ESV)

The woman was caught in the act of sin. Her accusers hauled her before Jesus looking to pick a fight. Burt Jesus would not be manipulated by the wicked thoughts of the religious elite. Turning the situation around on them he declared that anyone without sin should be the one to stone the accused. Everyone left. And being the only sinless person in attendance he also refused to condemn her.

Jesus offers forgiveness for sin. He brings mercy. He overshadows the Law, bringing it to fulfillment and life. He was changing the landscape of religious thought. He was challenging their judgmental presuppositions.

The truth is that condemnation is for all who have sinned. We have all sinned. But when we put ourselves at Jesus' mercy he offers forgiveness. He offers life.

The Pharisees thought they were going to trap him. They failed to realize, or believe, that Jesus was God made flesh. He was divine. He wasn't about to contradict the Law. But what he had to say did triumph over the Law. What Jesus says goes.

June 13 - Convinced?

Read: Luke 16:19-31

He said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from lthe dead." (Luke 16:31 ESV)

The distinguishing characteristic of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That historical event is the dividing line between Christianity and all other faiths. The resurrection of Jesus sparked something in a small group of people in a small place in a small part of the world that went on to impact all of the world. And it happened because the followers of Jesus were convinced that he really did rise from death.

Jesus' story about Lazarus and the Rich man was meant to be a convicting one. They were a people in need of convincing and conviction, two things missing in the religious system of the day. They wanted signs. They wanted miracles. They wanted proof about Jesus' identity.

He told them that he would die and come back, and they didn't understand him. He performed countless miracles and they didn't believe in him. He laid our he framework for divinely inspired conviction, and they remained entirely unconvinced.

What does it take to convince you and I? Are we hard-headed and stubborn? Do we see truth for truth? Do we go to the bible for truth and conviction? If it was good enough for the people in Jesus' story it is good enough for us.

June 12 - It Was Fitting

Read: Luke 15:11-32

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. (Luke 15:32 ESV)

Have you ever lost something dear to you? What happened when you found it? Losing stuff is a big pet peeve of mine so when it does happen I am dearly invested in finding it. I get really excited when I find something I have lost.

Jesus was clear in his famous story about the prodigal son. The Father celebrates lost things. He loves to celebrate lost things. Furthermore, He refuses to allow anything, including self righteous religious people, to get in the way of His welcoming celebration.

Outside of God we are dead. Lostness, life not lived under the saving grace of Jesus, is death. Salvation restores us to God. The Father loves and longs to celebrate that. He even goes so far as to say that celebrating the return of a lost son or daughter is expected. It is fitting.

June 11 - Joy Before Angels

Read: Luke 15:8-10

Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10 ESV)

Joy is an incredible thing. A fruit of the spirit, it is arguably not spoken about enough. Rejoicing is the sudden outburst of joy. It is a spontaneous party erupting out of the unforeseen awesome.

Jesus told his audience that heaven rejoices over the salvation of someone. Just imagine that. Your salvation was and is the the cause for rejoicing across eternity. Heaven will be a glorious gathering of saints as we come together to exalt God and declare the wonders of His goodness toward us.

Have you been the cause of joy before angels? If you're in. The family of God, if you have started a life loved under the saving blood of Jesus, then the answer is yes. Heaven rejoices for you.

June 10 - After the One

Read: Luke 15:1-7

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? (Luke 15:4 ESV)

On our farm when I was growing up it was very common for my dad to go looking for a cow if it was separated from the herd. He would throw all of his effort into finding the missing animal and bring it back to the group. Jesus' parable about lost sheep teaches that God reacts much the same way over lost people.

We are silly, selfish, and dumb by default. Left to our own devices we would choose our own destruction over and over again—without even realizing it. This is what it means to be lost. We are wanderers. We are separated from God by our sins of omission and commission.

How amazing that He would initiate the rescue. That he cared enough about us to come and save us. The point to be learned is that each of us have incredible value and worth. We are worth so much that God would redeem us by the sacrificial death of His only Son. He would graft us into family.

Let me ask, are you among the one? Have you been brought back into the fold? It only takes a moment to ask.

June 8 - Hands

Read: Luke 9:37-45

"Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." (Luke 9:44 ESV)

Jesus had just worked an incredible miracle. A boy terrorized and possessed by a demonic spirit had been delivered. The disciples were unable to perform the miracle despite having Christ's authority. The father of the boy was himself struggling with unbelief about the after. But Jesus did what he could for the boy. He did everything. And immediately recorded after this awesome and compassionate act is Jesus' prophetic warning about his impending persecution.

Jesus knew. He knew what he was born on this earth to do. How it would happen. Who the culprits were. He knew. And till he chose to come. Still he chose to minister. Still he chose to love, serve, heal, deliver, and teach. Jesus repeatedly reached out with the tender-hearted hand of compassion, eternal hands of compassion. Even as he warned his closest followers that a day was soon coming when he himself would suffer at the hands of men.

When men are on control there is death. There is selfishness. There is wanton reckless rebellion.

When Christ is control there is peace in the struggle. There is hope in affliction. There is rescue from damnation.

Jesus knew what it meant to fall into the hands of men. He understood. And yet still he chose to love us, live for us, and die for us. Truly it is a remarkable thing when we draw life and live life from the grace of Jesus, the work of Jesus, and the hands of Jesus. In the hands of men were held the hammers that pierced the hands of the Son of God, but by that affliction my eternal sorrows are undone, and by that torment are my troubles pulled down from their high places. Thank God for the hands of Jesus.

June 5 - Have No Fear

Read: Matthew 17:1-13

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." (Matthew 17:7 ESV)

Jesus took his closest friends with him to the top of a mountain and there they witnessed a supernatural event. This is often referred to as the Transfiguration. It was a moment when Jesus was momentarily revealed in his divine glory. It was revelatory moment for the disciples. It was something they did not fully comprehend.

Moses was there, Elijah was there, and Peter spoke prophetic things he didn't even understand. But the climactic event took place when God spoke in such a way that all in attendance heard and understood.

"This is my beloved son, listen to him."

The disciples were on their faces before the powerful voice of God. It was probably terrifying to hear the disembodied voice of the one true God. When the Father had finished speaking Jesus touched them and assured them that there was no reason to be afraid.

Today, we can walk, live, breathe, and enjoy the presence of The Holy God by way of His only begotten son. Jesus removes the fearfulness that exists between fallen man and God almighty, at least for those that have been covered by the righteousness of Christ. Apart from Christ there is much to fear about eternity. In Jesus there is an eternal reason to have no fear.

March 22 - Eyes That See

Read: Luke 10:21-24

Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!" (Luke 10:23 ESV)

I am a really fortunate guy. Unlike many people in my life I have never had to worry about wearing any kind of corrective lenses. I have perfect natural vision. The rarity of this does not escape me. I am really really grateful for it.

Spiritual awareness is another kind of sight. Jesus often spoke very candidly in terms of seeing and hearing truth. Those who perceived and accepted his truth he proclaimed as blessed. Those who did not were not only already cursed because of the hardness of their hearts, but he warned that they would eventually face the eternal consequences of their curse in Hell.

I have known many people who were blind to truth. Some of them were unbelievers who eventually came to faith in Christ by repenting and believing in him. I have also known many who professed to be followers of Jesus, but were in actuality blind to the truth of what he cares most about. They did not follow him through repentance or believing.

My wife and I make it a regular practice in our marriage to openly discuss the things we believe. My constant prayer is that this prayerful openness would always help us to keep our eyes open to the truths that Jesus leads us to. That we would continually look only to him. And that by putting our focus where it belongs we might resist the distractions around us that would blind us.