How do you define your Christian life? What is your “walk” or your “testimony” all about? At times, my Christianity has been defined by what I don’t do. The whole, “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t cuss” basically, I don’t do non-Christian things. But is that akin to being dead? Sure, rendering the old man dead and no longer living for sin is a good thing… but doesn’t that accomplish just as much as a dead person? What are the “Do(s)” of my Christian life? What do I do that makes me distinctly Christian? Do I love more than a non-Christian? Am I humbler than a non-Christian? Do I seek after justice more than a non-Christian? Am I lead by the Holy Spirt to DO and not just to DON’T?

Doing can be scary. Doing can set yourself up for scrutiny. Don’ting (that’s a word I just coined) is safe. When you don’t no one can call you out and say that what you are Don’ting is wrong. But Doing, that’s way more dangerous. Doing can be questioned. You can get called out because the style in which you are Doing is isn’t correct, or the people you are Doing with aren’t correct, or a whole host of other dangers of Doing.

A good example would be Rick Warren. The guys does a lot. Do I have issues with some of the stuff he does, absolutely! If he were busy Don’ting would he be criticized? Probably not, Don’ting is safe. People are very critical of Warren and he’s a Doer. Warren himself said that he’d like his tombstone to say, “At least he tried.” What I’m saying here isn’t an endorsement nor is it a condemnation of Warren. I’m just using him as an example of someone who is Doing and is highly scrutinized because of it.

I’M ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WANT ANSWERS FOR MYSELF. Am I a doer or a don’ter? I think I need to be a little of both. Only being one can be dangerous. Only being a don’ter is dangerous because you miss out on this amazing adventure that God has for us and you don’t get to be his hands. Only being a doer is dangerous because you can become a pragmatic results-oriented Christians. Don’t get me wrong, results are important, but not if you have to compromise the convictions of the Holy Spirit or go against the Word and Commandments of the Creator.

I posted my predictions for 2010 earlier and just stumbled upon Tony Jones 5 predictions for 2010. I thought they were quite insightful and worthy of commenting on:

Tony Jones give his 5 predictions for 2010:

5. A Handful of Evangelical Leaders Will Soften Their Stance on Gay Issues
• I’d guess that Jones is right about this one. That’s the direction that many have seemed to be taking over the years. While I’d love to see those who represent hate like Fred Phelps “soften their stance.” I don’t want to see leaders in the Church say that homosexuality is not a sin.

4. Rick Warren’s Cultural Influence Will Wane, and the Media Will Anoint a New Evangelical Spokesman
• Interesting, I hadn’t thought about this.
• Who would take his place? Maybe Greg Laurie, hopefully not a Joel Osteen. While I clearly have my issues with Warren, I do have to say that I would vote for him for political office.

3. Universalism Will Become a Hot Topic among Evangelicals
• 100% agree on this one.
• I think that “Universalism” should replace atheism has to be the most appealing wrong view in the world! It’s so much nicer than atheism or a dogmatic right and wrong view. If it appeals to the world, no doubt it will appeal to some in the Church.

2. The Pope Will Do and Say Nothing Controversial
• The only time I thought about the Pope in 2009 was when I was watching the movie “Angels and Demons” and I said to myself, “What’s the Pope name?” I agree Jones on this one, I often forget that there still is a Pope.

1. Political Correctness Regarding Islam in the West Will Decrease
• Jones hopes this doesn’t happen.
• I hope it does! Being PC when it comes to terrorism is just plain dangerous.
• Jones quotes, “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but virtually all terrorists are Muslims.” Something that I’ve heard and seen a lot as well. However, I don’t have a problem with it.

During the presidential campaign of 2008, I sat down to watch the Saddleback Church Civil Forum. The main attraction that night was to watch Senators Barack Obama & John McCain speak on the same stage for the first time. The nation was abuzz! Yet, when Pastor Rick Warren came on stage to kick things off that night… he made a comment that a lot of people didn’t catch. Most Americans, including the press, was focused on his, “cone of silence’ comment. Yet the comment that stood out the most, for me, was this: “Now in America we gotta learn to disagree without demonizing each other. We need to restore civility in our civil discourse”

When I heard this, I just shook my head. Why?

There has NEVER been civility in the American political civil discourse. There has always been the art of political demonization within the American political spectrum.

Those who engage in politics will take on the nature of politics, which is to dominate and to be the victor. Politics is a fight. It has been said that politics is a blood sport and there is no other definition that is more adequate. The fight is not with pillows or feathers but with verbal clinched fists and vocal baseball bats. Politics is about winning not about finding common ground or civility. Any politician who has a soft tone and a gentle demeanor will become road kill on Pennsylvania Ave.

Hasn’t it always been this way?

Thomas Jefferson encouraged his friend James Madison to publicly and politically attack Alexander Hamilton. Jefferson said, “for god’s sake, my dear Sir, take up your pen, select the most striking heresies, and cut him to pieces [sic] in the face of the public” This is the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence!!! Jefferson also used pamphleteer James Callender to politically assault Alexander Hamilton to expose an affair he had with a married woman. Then Mr. Callender switched political teams and then began to attack Thomas Jefferson. His most famous attack was to expose an incident where Jefferson allegedly fathered a child with a young black slave girl named Sally Hemings who was owned by Jefferson.

This is just one example of the political fighting that has raged through the history of our great nation. Every president, every senator, every representative and every political appointee from the birth of America until now has participated in the brutal world of politics.

The Civil War is another example of the vicious nature of politics. The political argument over states rights versus federal rights concerning slavery boiled over from the halls of congress to the green fields of America. In the end, the north and the federal government won the political dispute.

Nowadays we see the likes of Pastor Rick Warren, Senator Harry Reid, President Barack Obama saying that we need a restoring of “civility in our civil discourse.”. How can we have a restoring when it was never there to begin with! Demonizing of the political rival is par for the course.

If civility is put into politics it would be the first time ever in American history, yet to do so is impossible. Why? The nature of politics and the nature of mankind will not allow it. Remember, the core of politics is to win, it is to be victor… it is to rule. Politics is not civil… it is rude and pushy.

We as Americans, people who converse about politics and those who are political need to realize that true politics are cruel. When we realize this we can adequately address the issues, fight it out and then put into practice those things which have won the day. Those who have lost can lick their wounds and seek victory in the years ahead.

So if you are political, don’t be ashamed of being brash or vocal. For those of you who are passionate about your political ideals… be opinionated, be dogmatic. Fight it out! Speak up! Because in so doing, you are being truly political.

View youtube video below:

UPDATE to “Praying in the Name of Isa”:

I’ve been making contact with Saddleback, trying to get an official statement as to why Rick used “Isa” in his prayer. Today, I received an email in answer to my question,

The email from Linda at “The Offices of Rick Warren” said:

“My understanding is that Pastor Rick will be explaining this in his weekend sermon”

If you go to Saddleback.com you can download the notes to Sunday’s sermon. Also, you can watch the sermon live – the schedule is available on the site.

Apparently, he gave a sermon tonight (Saturday) and addressed this issue as well.

UPDATE - Jan 25: Warren Explains “Isa” Prayer in Sermon

Today, in his Presidential Inauguration prayer, Rick Warren prayed in the name of “Yeshua”, “Isa” and “Jesus”.

It seems, the three names Warren used were to imply the three “Abrahamic Faiths” (as they are so-called), Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

What’s significant is the name “Isa” being prayed by the “evangelical” Warren. Isa is strictly Koranic and used by Arab Muslims. Even Arab Christians don’t refer to Isa, but to Yesua. I’ve lived and studied Arabic in one of the same Muslim countries that Warren has visited, and I think he probably knows that the Arab Christian communities only refer to Jesus as “Yesua” and not “Isa” as the Muslims.

Isa was not Jewish, but Palistinian. Isa did not die on the cross but instead had someone die in his place. Isa is a Muslim prophet. Isa is only found in the Koran. The name Isa doesn’t have any Biblical support or any meaning found in Biblical scholarship. Yet, Rick prayed in the name of Isa.

Read - Transcript of Rick Warren’s prayer
Watch - Video of Rick Warren’s prayer
Learn - Detailed explanation of ‘Isa’

UPDATE - Jan 24: Warren to Address Issue in this Weekend’s Sermon

UPDATE - Jan 25: Warren Explains “Isa” Prayer in Sermon