Crazy Love by Francis Chan.
What is your Christian life?
Too many Christians try to water down Christianity. Post-Modernism greatly threatens our faith as many "emergent" Pastors from post-modern, "emerging" churches question and forsake the authority of God and the inspiration of the Bible for a viewpoint that holds Truth (capital 't') as only relative "truth" (lower case 't'). Do all roads lead to God? "There is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." And yet, Christian pastors forsake Jesus for an "open conversation" about God where "personal interpretation" is everything. This sounds good, but it is dangerous. (let me just say, I am not against open conversation about religion, and I certainly believe that narrow-or closed-mindedness never got anyone anywhere, BUT I also believe in capital 't' Truth)... Anyway I digress because I say all of that to say that Francis Chan is NOT one of those Pastors/Writers/Speakers.
Chan presents a strong message in a Gospel that changes lives, assuredly through Jesus, and a Love that only could come from God. Some preachers use the Love of God in such a wrong way, as they use it as an excuse for sin, an abandonment of strong doctrine, or support for a prosperity gospel, which promises you "Your best life NOW" (something Jesus did not teach... he taught something different. "take up your cross and follow me,""Go, sell all that you have and follow me," "all who live a godly will be persecuted." (Matt. 16:24, Luke 18:22, 2 timothy 3:12)) Chan, however, teaches that God's love has the power to change us, allowing us to be Godly, abandoning our sin, our lukewarm tendencies, and becoming a real deed-proven Christ-follower. This isn't too different from MacArthur's Lordship Salvation (which says your obedient submissive works prove your salvation), but Chan presents it in a way that is more real to the current generation which is faced with uncertainty and the threat of relativity.
The book is interactive with direction to video's and presentations online that are used to get the reader's attention and strongly emphasize a point, often WOWing you about God and about the truth of the message.
The most convicitng aspect to me was Chan's outlook on being a Lukewarm Christian. Can one be Lukewarm (that is neither Hot nor Cold) and still be a child of God? I work in a local starbucks. We sell hot fresh brewed coffee cup after cup after cup. We also sell delicious and refreshing iced brewed coffee; during the summer its the treat that cools you off and keeps you going. Now imagine coming to my Starbucks and you buy a hot fresh cup of brewed coffee. That's what you expect to get, but instead I give you a room temperature cup of coffee that has been standing by itself for over an hour. And what the heck, let's add coffee grinds at the bottom. HOW SICK! I have seen customers spit a drink right out of there mouths when this happens (not on purpose). What other response is there? Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit! I wanted HOT fresh brewed coffee. Iced coffee would have suited me fine. But THIS DISGUSTING room temperature, NOT HOT, NOT COLD coffee is sick. "So, because YOU are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16).
Chan's profile of the Lukewarm is so convicting as he lays out the solid truth that we cannot be undecided about serving God or the world. Thankfully, he also provides positive upward encouragement to drag us from lukewarmness to HOT.
Check out this book. It will surely challenge your faith and build you up during the trials of your life and our Age.