Dangerous

As the kids say, "Trigger Warning".

My ideas about the Christian faith have obviously changed over time. From Oneness Pentecostalism to the prosperity gospel to the reformed faith. My journey has been long with many twists and turns along the way.

Last year I made the decision to start a blog, but it never came to fruition. The reasons were many, but it was not for a lack of content. I had wrote out a few initial essays but I just never pulled the trigger. I chalked it up to laziness and try to leave it alone. But the truth is, it was fear.

I struggle to put my finger on why I was fearful. I felt my experiences would be helpful to others. I had confidence in my ability to convey ideas. I wanted to put my writings out there as a pseudo-journal which documented growth as I figured out how to look at the world around me from a Christian perspective.

One day, I figured it out. I was reading the blog of my good friend Peter, and I was inspired to make another attempt at writing. As I went to write another essay, I saw a video that changed my life. It was a short two minute video promoting Pastor Douglas Wilson’s “No Quarter November”. His words, simply in explanation of the blogs he planned to post for that month, pointed me to my fear. It was a fear of my blog being misunderstood.

If you do not know me personally, I tend to be a very controversial figure. Some who know me would tell you I am an upstanding person who wants the best for all. Others would likely call me a selfish prick to only things about himself and getting his own points across. Some church leaders would call me pirate, willing to take over any responsibility and molding it to my own liking. Others would call me a faithful member of my local body. Hell, at times I don’t think my own parents like me, as I am constantly trying to reform their theology as mine has been. One major reason for this, is because I despise having to offer up a billion qualifications just to make one point. My best friends constantly are asking me, “What are you trying to say?” Not because what I say is particularly difficult to understand, but because they look between my words to find a meaning I didn’t intend. Then again, people do that to scripture all day long so why am I shocked?

I have a huge admiration for men who offer little qualification in their writings and have to trouble speaking the truth about the world as they view it through the lens of scripture. Many of them have inspired me to start this blog with this essay. THIS ESSAY WILL BE ALL THE QUALIFICATION THERE IS ON MY BLOG.

I have always played it safe. Whether that be in life, on the job, or with my hobbies. But I am realizing that God has called us to get a little dangerous here and there. My mind goes to Acts chapter four where the early believers prayed for boldness in preaching the Gospel with political persecution looming over them. I also think of Matthew 14 where John the Baptist was beheaded for speaking truth where it may have been more beneficial to be silent.

Let’s be honest here, progressive politics and general “wokeness” has castrated many a Christian man. Some seem hesitant to proclaim the Gospel boldly or speak into cultural issues out of fear of offending someone. Well, I have learned that folks will get offended no matter how nicely you say things.

But allow me to wrap this up before I go on too much longer. And big props for making here. You win a cookie, go treat yourself. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I pray that over the long haul, I will end up coming back and updating some of these earlier writings. In my mind, this is to be a fluid experience as I learn to view the world in a way that honors our Lord.

If by chance you have made to this blog and you are not a Christian, I pray that this content encourages you in some way. But my biggest prayer is that through this you will come to recognize your own sin and your need for a savior. The only savior, Jesus Christ.