Hey friends,
My mom was just diagnosed with
#COVID19
. She has a little headache. No shortness of breath, or cough.
Will you join me in praying for her? Thank you.
People will leave a church over politics before they will leave politics for a church.
1.5 hours on Sunday vs. 20 hours a week feeding on cable news and its political partisans ranting, is shaping a lot of people's theology for the worse.
God will not be mocked 🩸✝️🩸🕊️
The late Billy Graham 41 years ago, prophetically warned us:
"It would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentals and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it."
Billy Graham, Parade Magazine, 1981.
In 1970, my mother was 16 & my dad was 17, when they convinced me. The school nurse told my mom "to abort me." My mom and dad were poor, in a hard, violent environment. But they let me live. They gave me a chance at life. I'm grateful.
High School Football Players
The Highest Paid
QB in NFL was a 3⭐ in high school
DE in NFL was a 2 ⭐ in high school
CB in NFL was a 2 ⭐ in high school
S in NFL was a 2 ⭐in high school
DT in NFL was a 3 ⭐ in high school
TE in NFL was a 0 ⭐ in high school
Peaceful protest
Peaceful protest
Peaceful protest
Peaceful protest
Peaceful protest
An eye for an eye makes everyone blind.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons and daughters of God. Matthew 5:9
We don't have to fight the culture. Jesus has already won. Therefore, we can live with humility, gentleness, and patience. Put down your boxing gloves and pick your cross.
Out of the chaos and dysfunction of American Christianity, God the Holy Spirit is raising up a "love your enemies, justice-seeking, Pro-All of life, multiethnic missionary community of disciples. Like a rose growing through the concrete. And she will be beautiful.
Freedom is not doing what you want to do. 5 year-old undisciplined children do that. True freedom is a life of sacrifical love that moves you to do what's best others.
When I speak out against gun violence and the need for new guns laws, they say, "Shut up you liberal."
When I speak out against abortion, they say, "Shut up you conservative."
Kingdom of God theology makes the 'Right' and 'Left' upset.
Twitter family,
I just finished a home visit praying over Lindsay and Brian. Lindsay's cancer is spreading rapidly. We prayed, I served her the Lord's Supper, and anointed her with oil. Would you join me in praying for her complete healing. Thank you 🩸✝️🩸.
Christian,
I think I see it clearly now: politics has engrained itself in the soil of America as a religion, promising a form of salvation.
The political Left & Right are fighting for our allegiance and imagination. But our allegiance is to the Lamb, not a donkey or elephant.
Society will indeed celebrate, and even idolize Black men that rap about abusing and sexualizing women, drug use, killing each other, saying the "N-word," but the minute a Black man is pro-life, pro-traditional family, he's a villain. We stand with
@TonyDungy
✝️
This society celebrates Black men who routinely promote killing other Black men, but wants to cancel
@TonyDungy
, a true Man of God who stands for faith & family. Man, we need more Brothas like Dungy not less.
About .00000000009% of pastors are famous. Most pastors labor sacrificially in obscurity as they navigate disappointment, disillusionment, and discouragement.
Only a deep love for Jesus, his church, and the lost will anchor you in the hope of the living God (Eph 3:1-13).
Please pray for your pastors and ministry leaders. We've never led during a global pandemic, divisive, ugly, political tribalism, racial unrest, strategic disinformation campaigns, conspiracy theories, or online church services. This is not to mention normal spiritual warfare. 🙏🏿
Political idolatry is so embedded that many followers of Christ could not imagine living their faith outside of their particular political affiliation. The Christian faith has existed long before modern day political categories. And it will exist long after them.
It saddens me that many of Jesus' followers are more concerned about defending their political party or nationalistic idols, more than the unity, beauty, and community of Jesus' Bride, the Church.
You will know my disciples by the way they love each.~ Jesus
I see a lot of chatter and conferences on the dangers of being "Wokeness." I have no idea what "Woke" means.
I'm still waiting on the conferences about the dangers of toxic White Nationalism, White Supremacy, and QAnon that is effecting evangelicalism....
"I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land. Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference.
Frederick Douglass
The early Church, a mixture of Jews, Gentiles, had no political power; Rome ruled. There was no christian supreme court.
They had no cultural power; they were persecuted by both Jews and Gentiles.
They had no economic power;
But they had love and the power of Jesus.
Respectfully, during
#MLKDay2023
life, he was a most hated man. And if he were alive today, many in 'Christian' circles would call him "Woke," as a means of denigrating him.
Take time to read his words, not just memes. Here you go:
13 years ago, I preached the love of Christ an event for teens in Tennessee. Little did I know, a 14 year-old girl was planning to kill herself the next day; she was tired of the sexual & physical abuse. She grew up to be a Christ-exalting, courageous woman named
@freedomsbride
.
Come to
@BYUfootball
where you will be challenged academically, morally, and athletically. In 1989, I signed with BYU.
Got a degree.
Became an all-american.
Played Safety for 6 years in NFL.
I have a doctorate, I write books, speak around the world, and pastor a great church.
Don't expect those on the political Left or political Right who don't walk in our faith, but prostitute our faith for political power, to accurately represent our faith.
Slavery is evil. There is no benefit.
"I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land. Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible
You tell me who "won" the race? The big brother who helped his little brother finish the race or the dude in green who crossed the finish line first. What if all cared about people more than winning? We might actually really win. This blessed me today.
Hey friends,
Will you pray me? In 25 minutes, I'm going to talking to a college football team that has had their season cancelled. The young men are devastated.
As a former college football, I feel their pain. Pray the Lord will give me knowledge and skill to help them.
If someone would have told me when I was a struggling high school student at
@JudsonFootball
in 1989, that 29 years later that would be I receiving my doctorate today from
@nseminary
, I'd think they were nuts. But God...
#grace
Every year on
#MLK
birthday, I read Letter From a Birmingham Jail. Instead of memes, actually read the man's magistral work. It's free. It will deeply change you.
Hey fam,
Would you pray for a police officer, a brother in Christ, who is a faithful member of
@TCTransformers
. He was hit in the face with a large rock last during the protest in Charlotte. He's a good man.
Your job is not your calling. Your calling is to bear witness to the One who brought you out of darkness into His marvelous light, through your job. You are a missionary.
Harriet Tubman escaped her own slavery in1849, but returned to the South and over the next decade, rescued dozens of fellow enslaved people. American Hero. American history.
A member of our church had to deliver her baby at 28 weeks to health issues. The baby girl is 1 pound, 7 ounces. Doctor's are doing all they can. Please pray.
Jesus-people,
Do not let unsaved political pundits sow seeds of hate and division into your heart.
Do not let them divide what Jesus bleed and died to unite, us.
Our identity is follower of Jesus, not a political party.
After a great conversation with
@JackDamuni
, after much prayer and discussion with my wife
@Vic_E_Gray
, with that being said, I've decided to commit to playing in the
@BYUfootball
Alumi Game on March 31, 2023. Respect my decision 😉😜
Trump attended the Christmas service this morning at First Baptist Dallas. Pastor Robert Jeffress asked him to come up and give a Christmas message to the congregation, and a MAGA rally broke out. Trump’s ‘prayer’ was about Afghanistan, inflation, gas prices and the border.
Would you pray for me. This morning, I teaching about 70 pastors from around the city of Cincinnati on the topic, "Why Multiethnic Church Matters." Then I'm teaching at the University of Cincinnati Veritas on, "How to Heal Our Racial Divide."
I slept 2 hours last night 🤪
This is one of the great moments of my life.
@Vic_E_Gray
& I were honored before the
@BYUfootball
game vs. Baylor. I lit the Y before the game! In 1989, as a freshman, I would have never imagined this epic moment. But God did...
The reason why The Elephant 🐘 and The Donkey 🐎 divide God's people is because we as pastors have not taught them deeply enough about The Lamb 🐏 and his kingdom.
We are not entertainers, we are called to equip God's people to be LIGHT in the darkness.
I'm quite convinced many have not actually read the words of Jesus. He is not soft on sin and all it's entanglements, nor is he stingy with grace. He is neither am Donkey or and elephant. He is the Lamb.
Respectfully,
@AOC
, if you are interested, I'd love to answer questions you may have concerning the person of Jesus. I'm a pastor & New Testament theologian. As best I understand, fascism means to organize "a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of
Pastors,
if you are married with children, your most important platform is your family, not ministry, not book deals, not conference speaking, nuturing your family is. Saying "No" to more so you can say "Yes" to giving your best love, time, and energy to your family.
So many of us live by a Santa Claus theology, believing that God will love, accept, and bless us if we are good enough. Jesus came because we are naughty and not good enough. Life in God's Kingdom, experience God's love is a free gift.
As American's, we root against each other too much.
Democrats root against Republicans.
Republicans root against Democrats.
May he heed these wise words:
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Something pretty epic just happened. While standing in line at QT somewhere in South Carolina, a gentleman came up to me and said, "Thank you. I was in prison and weekly your sermons from helped changed my life."😭😭😭
This is Alie. She is on our
@TCTransformers
staff. She graduated from Baylor. We made a friendly wager. BYU beat Baylor so she had to wear a
@BYUfootball
shirt. Look at her face😂🤣😊
Twitter family, will you pray for a gentleman I just saw get hit by a car while riding his bike. I called 911. I Was able to pray with him before the paramedics took him away. And pray for the woman who hit him, she's really shaken up. Thank you.
Parent's,
if you are concerned your children are being "indoctrinated" in school, I suggest the following:
1 Take your discipleship seriously.
2 Embody faithfully the faith you want your children to the make their own.
3 Love them with time.
4 Attend church faithfully.
We are witnessing the desperate last breathes of a certain section of evangelicalism. This part of the body doesn't know how to live without power. But I'm hopeful because something ancient, robust, and beautiful is emerging out of the chaos that is rooted in Jesus & his kingdom.
Our culture is so lost.
What we are looking for can’t be found in more money, better clothes, fame, sex, the Democrats or the Republicans.
Its found in joining God’s family through faith in the Messiah and being conformed to his image.
John Wesley (1703-1791), a contemporary of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), actively opposed slavery, while Edwards supported slavery. I've grown to appreciate Wesley more and more over the years.
Friends,
this week I'll be speaking at my alma mater
@BYU
Sept 6-10. I'll be speaking at the Neal Maxwell Institute BYU Religious Education Faculty, & students, discussing my book, How To Heal Our Racial Divide. Then the game on Saturday! My visit has been planned for months.
Good morning brothers & sisters in Messiah Jesus,
after last night, I pray we are all resolved to see that our hope and mission cannot be found in political parties.
Our hope is found Jesus.
Our mission is to participate in his kingdom.
We are called to be salt and light.
Pursuing justice without the mercy of Jesus, turns the seeker of justice into angry mobs of condemnation.
The oppressed becomes the oppressor. And the cycle of dehumanization continues.
Mercy is for the oppressed and oppressor.
Love your enemies ~ Jesus
Lord Jesus,
We lift doctors, nurses, & pharmacist around the world up to your throne of grace and mercy.
We pray that you would give them endurance, wisdom, and strength to treat people with
#COVID19
.
Bless our medical community to be a blessing. In your name, Amen.
"I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of the land. Between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference."
~ Frederick Douglass
In the first 3 minutes of
@BethMooreLPM
sermon, she preached and taught more theology and doctrine than I typically hear in most full sermons. She's such a gifted Bible teacher and a gift to the Church🙏🏿💯
When I wake tomorrow, my goals with be the same as they where the day before:
to preach the gospel, reach the lost, disciple the found, to seek justice, and love people.
Some young guys at the Gym were trying to make fun of me for wearing a Carolina Panthers sweat suit. I told them, "I only wear the gear that I wore when I actually played for the Panthers." They got real silent 🤪😃🤣🤣🤣
Today marks 51 years that God has graciously blessed me to live on earth. I want to celebrate all the people who have loved me, mentored me, and cared for me, and sacrificed for me. Thank you.
This is the face you make when you realize how amazing God's grace is. Today, the kid that had a 1.41 GPA his freshman year
@BYU
in 1989, lectured to a room full of scholars in 2022.
I'm praying for a US President to be a man or woman of integrity. A principled person guided by wisdom, humility, truth, and love. An individual that cares about all Americans, not political partisanship.