Disqus - Latest Comments for marquito

Re: Fatigue from the Culture War That Never Was

marquito — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 11:13:56 -0000

Great post and comments. The question I have is, what were the folks from that previous generation fighting for/against? When we consider that they (the "true" culture warriors) failed to "provide their people with the educational, spiritual and institutional resources", we then need to ask, what were they then fighting over? Fatigue also comes from fighting the wrong war. When you simply want to be right and self-justify, that quickly gets old and tired.

Re: Pastor, Remember Your Wife Is the MOST Vulnerable Person in Your Church

marquito — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:49:30 -0000

Rich's comment does come from a place of anger. Anger, hurt, pain, all unresolved, or in process of resolving. It's where we all are, including Mr. McKeever (who is a man just like Rich and me). We are unresolved as long as we are here... redeemed yet unresolved until we are with our Father. The problem is, we don't hasten to admit this. Rich on the other hand, has admitted it. And he is correct... we are terrified to hear it. It makes us uncomfortable.
I appreciate the article, but Rich offered something here we ALL need to look at, not dismiss with pseudo-caring commentary. Let me repeat what Rich said... The Church we all love and care for, the Bride, needs to be challenged occasionally if not frequently. We can be dismissive of course, but that never brings us any closer to resolution; it only leads to more stagnation and further pain. The Church God has gifted us with has saved my life from destruction many times over. EVERY time that has happened, it has been through an authentic, desperate, challenging love, even when it has been uncomfortable for the person giving that kind of love. I'm thankful to be part of a community that loves that way.
So gentlemen, you challenged Rich to "lose his anger". I think Rich should definitely take his anger or whatever it is to God. But this exposed something else in you. Let go of your need to dismiss a brother when he is crying out, albeit in a comment thread. Let go of your need to brush the uncomfortable under the rug.
Confession... I am an angry man, full of anxiety, full of envy... given to quenching all of it with my lustful heart. Those and more are the things I need to let go of, and by God's grace and ONLY through his grace can I do that. But I also need my brothers to be available, patient and loving. If you are men who are seeking after God, PLEASE NEVER be dismissive the way you were with Rich with those closest to you. Go to your brothers in your faith community. Love them. Stay with them and challenge them. Longsuffering... hard word to live by.

Re: Selfie Deception

marquito — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 22:22:43 -0000

Brilliant brother. Simply brilliant.

Re: Beliefs Are Not Set in Stone, Except for When They’re on Tablets

marquito — Tue, 02 Jul 2013 15:34:02 -0000

Thank you to Derek, and to the commenters as well.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 11:02:15 -0000

Thanks Brett...

"I used the examples of smoking and drinking, yes, but I also mentioned negativity, gossip, cynicism, language, etc... and that is just the tip of the iceberg." Yes, and I was tracking with you on the latter for sure. In fact, I think gossip and cynicism are the kind of evil that flow from the pride and envy that drives us. I just had the picture of the woman's hand holding the cigarette glaring at me as a center point, and I maintain that's not "sin"; our culture has classified it a sin. I don't smoke cigarettes and there's a difference between cigarette smoking and cigar smoking (not going into it here). I've known a few people who died from addictive cigarette smoking, a few were Christians, and the sin (if there was one to attribute to it) was the dependency on it and wanton disregard for how this was killing them. I can say the same for the many more diabetics who died from eating fatty, processed and sugary foods, but no one is writing articles about sin and posting pictures of a fat hand holding a Whopper or naming how we are poisoning ourselves with bad food as a sin.

"Are we "being transformed" by the spirit of God? Having been saved by grace alone, through faith, we are a new creation. Is that manifesting itself in the way we live our lives? Are we pursuing Christ-likeness, walking in the Spirit and following in obediance?" - Convicting questions, and exactly where we all need to be as Christians.

"But we have to consider that in some contexts, certain behaviors--though maybe OK for you individually, as per your conscience (Rom. 14)--may lead others astray or perpetuate darkness rather than light." - So, here's a sincere question (I hope I don't come across as combative)... wasn't Paul in Romans 14 addressing Christians and referencing those who were holding to the law as the weaker brothers ( One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.)? Growing up in the church, Romans 14 was always used inferring that, for example, a Christian should not drink as this will cause a weaker brother (a person who can't resist the temptation of drink) to "stumble" and fall into alcoholism. I have later come to understand this passage as a need to show grace to the weaker brother (i.e. the legalist/ fundamentalist-minded), and respect their abstaining from certain activities. At the same time, Paul calling these folks "weak" was surely intentional to raise questions in the heart of a legalist; a challenge to let go of works-based faith.

Regarding your last point, I don't believe my statement was too-simple or either-or. Our bent IS to demonize activities, because in doing so we can avoid looking at the unfathomable darkness of sin, and as a result make salvation about something other than Christ's death on the cross. And still, you are correct. Grace frees us and "animates" (love that word) us to seek holiness... and that really was my original point. When our fixation with behavior overrides God's grace and love for us... that is surface and too-simple, and frankly easier. The hard "work" of Christianity is living daily in repentance over my general condition of sin and brokenness, and responding to God's grace with the faith He has given me to exercise and allow that to convict me over how I am living. Anything else is just distraction and even vainglorious. The result... God's grace is transforming my cynicism, insecurity, doubt, fear, defensiveness, anger, pride and envy -- matters of the heart -- into something better.

Thanks for responding. These conversations help me grow; I have a long way to go.

Re: Don’t Try the Same Marriage Debate Again

marquito — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 08:23:54 -0000

Thank you for this article. My wife and I have been in an ongoing discussion on how to speak about the marriage issue with our children. To be honest, we have been terrified by what is happening; how marriage has been devalued and what is to come. We have also noticed the devaluing of marriage was coming along way before the same-sex marriage debate started. We've been destroying the institution for the last 50 years. The result has been a generation of kids who aren't even thinking about marriage, being more concerned with career, prosperity and security, and the acquisition of things; including someone to satisfy their needs... a person or people to be used along the way. In fact, the only context in which they are hearing about marriage is in the context of same-sex relationships which are painted to seem almost angelic in their nature, while heterosexual marriages are falling apart all around them.

So I agree with you and this is the position my wife and I have taken. We want to inspire our children by our own example, rather than simply talking about Biblical principles. We need to show them Biblical principles along with 2 people deeply in love with each other. Authenticity is key too; we are broken, we mess up, we fail, but we love each other. Above all, we need to be an example of a covenantal marriage with God at the center. Thank you for affirming this for us. I will share this with my wife.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 12:24:40 -0000

Tanner, what we do and how we behave is important. However, it is not the starting point. It in fact cannot be our starting point as Christians, because when it is my faith is then based on my works instead of Christ's work on the Cross. Speaking for myself, I know my own heart and how quickly and easily, moment by moment, I want desperately to make everything about me; even my faith in Christ. That means I can't trust myself, my motives, my desires, and yes, my actions and behavior as a primary starting point for my faith. If I do have behavior as a starting point (subconsciously or otherwise), I can then sit as judge over pretty much any kind of behavior, and post a photo of a smoker on a blog because that is considered a horrible sin today (even by secular standards). My works, behavior, life change, etc... are a response to my understanding of God's unlimited love and grace for me. The love of Christ defines me. My sonship to my Father defines me. If I could only follow that sermon on the mount, but there were some seemingly impossible directives Jesus gave there. And that may actually be the point.
I still struggle with all of this and I don't claim to have arrived; just thinking out loud. Thanks for your kind words brother.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:37:51 -0000

HA! Yeah it's not for everyone. And, no offense taken brother.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 10:59:38 -0000

Thanks Darryl. I agree with the thrust of Brett's article, but I do question the use of his examples. And I hope I don't come across as defending smoking, drinking and cussing. It is the heart I'm concerned with; what abundance is coming out of my heart and how I'm allowing God to speak to me. We get so caught up in behavior modification. And when we do, we just feed our inner Pharisee.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:35:04 -0000

excellent.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:44:07 -0000

yep.

Re: Have Christians Lost Their Sense of Difference?

marquito — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:02:48 -0000

This article is confusing. You begin by stating the problem with "more often blending in with the dark than advancing the light" and mention that we are the same in our conversation at parties, and I agree with both points. Then you mention tobacco, drink, pop culture, etc..., follow it up with "Holiness is more complicated than just abstaining from a checklist of vices", and revert again at the end to a challenge that authentic Christianity does not mean proving "we can suck in tobacco fumes and use our lips to utter four letter words".

If Christianity is not about abstaining from a checklist, then why bring up the checklist along with a photo of an "evil" cigarette? This is sending a mixed moralistic message; not one of holiness.

I agree that "We Christians need to stop overcompensating for the wrongheaded approaches to culture that our forebears might have had.", and I have certainly been guilty of that. But in the past (and now as a recovering Pharisee), I have also been guilty of taking moralistic positions on certain things the modern and now post-modern church has demonized out of fear and a reluctance to embrace the grace and love of the Father. I agree whole-heartedly with Volf, but I found the examples you gave to be morally based and not inline with the "soft difference" (I haven't read the entire piece from Volf so I don't know if he mentions drinking, smoking and cussing... just going on what you cited). THIS, I believe, is why skeptics and young believers alike don't see a difference between Christianity and any other worldview... we keep demonizing activities rather than point to the deep brokenness of sin in the heart of man.

I am a Cuban-American. I smoke cigars and drink rum. I cuss occasionally. I eat pork, I watch "The Walking Dead"... with my 14 year-old daughter. I don't exercise as much as I should. I don't eat organic foods.

But for the last 4 years, I've been meeting regularly with men who like me, are seeking after holiness. We meet on my back porch, we smoke cigars (some smoke cigarettes), we drink beer and spirits and eat grilled sausage and Manchego cheese. We read Chesterton, Lewis, Athanasius and Augustine... even the libertine Hemmingway... and search our way through to the metanarrative;God's story. No one is smoking to "be like" anyone or anything. Cigars are part of our culture in Miami. The 'soft difference' with us is, we don't allow shallow conversation (i.e. sports, business, weather and entertainment), desiring instead to move men to the deeper waters of reflection, honesty, and holiness.
And yes, men who normally will not attend church walk into our meetings because they feel it is approachable. Some of those men have later decided maybe church and Christians aren't so bad/weird after all. Some men never return because their moralism can't take the fact we are drinking and smoking. Others don't return because they can't take the conversation (they'd rather talk about sports and politics).

I think you make a valid point overall, but your examples confused me. It is our hearts that need to be searched, not our behaviors and activities. If we "shirk holiness" it is because of a wrong understanding of the gospel. Our 'differentness' should be defined by the overwhelming, unavoidable and relentless love of God, which will inevitably begin to change how we behave and how we live.

Re: overheard: it’s the vocab

marquito — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:39:55 -0000

Thanks Fayola.

No she doesn't blog. But one of the MANY reasons I love her ;) is because she is a no nonsense type of person. She can cut through BS fast. I will pass this and any other stuff you would like to share with her on to her.

Re: overheard: it’s the vocab

marquito — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:23:29 -0000

Ok. So you and I are going through some of the same no BS sessions. WOW! seems to be going around.

My wife is starting a little no BS session with a few of her friends, inspired by mine with my guy friends. Any advice for her from a woman's perspective?