Responding to the Tragedy in Connecticut

As with most all of us, I have been struggling to get my mind around the events of this morning in Newtown, Connecticut.  It is truly hard to fathom, because before you can get your mind around what happened, you first must get your arms around your own children.  You thank God for them, and you thank God that they are safely in your arms.  But then, it dawns on you, there are moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas who will no longer be able to put their arms around their child again.  So you wrap your heart around those grieving families and a grief stricken school and town.  You cry and you cry out to God that He would somehow bring comfort to the comfortless.  And then you wonder, how can anyone find peace in this storm.  And you realize that the only peace to be found is one that passes all understanding.

Once you do all that, you begin to try to come up with some reason for what happened today.  You read the news online, you watch it on television and you hear explanations.  We need new gun laws some say.  If we only had stricter gun laws, this tragedy would never happen.  Some agree, others disagree.  But ultimately this answer doesn't explain today. Especially, since in China today, a man slashed 22 children with a knife as they were going through the gates of their elementary school.  (Click Here for Article)  Children are hurt and killed, even when there are no guns.

The brother of the perpetrator says that he was mentally ill.  Reports are out that he may have been autistic or he had some other personality disorder.  That must be the cause.  Yet, there are so many others who live with these disorders who never commit such a heinous crime.

The only explanation that we come to is that there is evil in this world. And evil has been around for a long time.  As we celebrate Christmas, we often forget that there was evil in the original Christmas story.   Matthew 2:16-18 (ESV) says,

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

   “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?" (NLT)  Evil and wickedness reside in the human heart.  We sin because we are all sinners.  Thank God that all of us are not murderers, but the seed of murder is in our hearts.  Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."  The anger, the contempt we have for people in our hearts is where murder begins.  We cannot look at this young man and say you are guilty without looking at ourselves and saying I'm guilty.

Which brings me to the good news and the only hope that can be found for days like today and everyday.  Jesus came into the world to save us from evil.  He first saves us from the evil in our own hearts.  Evil will be punished.  When you trust Christ, that punishment is placed on Jesus at the cross.  When you are free from that evil, then you have the hope that one day you will be freed from the presence of evil.  One day, Jesus will return and He will make all things new. There will be no more sin, death, evil, tears for they will all pass away.  Everything will be made new.  It will be made the way God originally created this world, good.

Until that day, we grieve with those who have lost so much today.  The only comfort we can share, is the comfort found in the hope of the Gospel.  And we cry out each day the prayer of John, even so Lord Jesus, Come! 

Opting Out of Christmas

Today I read this article that says that 45% of Americans would like to opt-out of Christmas this year.  The reason is the financial pressures that the holiday causes.  We are living Tim Burton's A Nightmare before Christmas.  When you divorce Christmas from its real meaning, what you end up with is a nightmare.  Yes, Christmas is a time for giving but since we lost the original meaning of Christmas, giving has become how much can I spend to buy for everyone around me.

Christmas is about God giving His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth and the gift of eternal life that He represents.  The gift that God gave us was Himself.

The reason we want to opt out of Christmas is that instead of giving of ourselves, we give a lesser gift, which is what we can buy.  We think that the more we spend, the better the gift.  The real meaning of Christmas is the more we give of ourselves, the better the gift.  Instead of opting out of Christmas this year, why not receive God's free gift and then give of yourself.  Give someone your time, your love, your friendship, your self.  If you do you will not feel stressed out but blessed.

Eleven Years: Choosing to Remember

This morning, I participated in a local 9-11 remembrance ceremony.  There were not that many people in attendance, mostly local police, fire and ems personnel.  I am sure that in New York, New York and Shanksville, PA there were more crowds.  And I have to admit that I may not have been in attendance if I were not participating.  Our local ceremony was very simple but also very moving.  I wished more people could attend but I understand that people are remembering that day, eleven years ago.  I have seen on Facebook many posts reminding us not to forget.  That is good.  It is good to remember.

We need to remember those who lost their lives so that we can cherish life.  We need to remember the first responders who rushed into the World Trade Center to try to save others.  Some of these men and women died, some still live with the scars of that day.  We need to remember them so that we can be thankful for those who still serve.  We need to remember that people attacked us because they hated us and wished to bring this nation down so that we would be ever vigilant.  We need to remember the men and women who went to war so that we can remember that freedom is not free.  It is good to remember.

Remembering is a very good thing.  That is why Jesus told us to remember Him.  It was so important that Jesus gave us a ceremony, a meal to help us remember.  Some call it communion, others the Lord's Supper, but Jesus gave it to us that we might remember what Jesus did for us.  The meal involves all our senses.  We can smell the bread and wine, we can see it, feel it, taste it.  We hear the words, this is my body broken for you, my blood shed for you.  This makes a lasting impression, so that we do not forget.  We remember every time that we come to the Table that it is not I but Christ.  We are reminded that we are all sinners saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is good to remember, think about it.

Like many people, I went to the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises.”  I enjoyed the movie, went home to bed, got up the next morning and was shocked at the events that transpired in Colorado.  As I watched the television and listened to the radio about the reports of James Holmes heinous crime, I kept hearing the words, “not rational”, “how”, “why”, “unbelievable”.  I listened to President Obama’s response and I was heartened to hear him describe the act as evil.  I say that because many people today refuse to identify such heinous acts as evil.  When President Bush used the term in describing terrorists, some said he went too far.  After all one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.   But President Obama, declared the act evil and evil it is.  He also went on to say that we may never understand why.

There is a high level answer to the question.  No we may never know what caused this particular instance but we can explain on a philosophical and theological plane the reason why.  True, the answer sounds so unreasonable to many ears today, but it does not make this answer false.  The answer lies in the doctrine of original sin.  Yes, I said sin.  The doctrine of original sin teaches us that Adam’s fall effects us all.  That every man, woman and child is born with a sin nature, sin effects every part of our lives body, mind, spirit and will.  This does not mean that we are as sinful as we can be, but that sin touches every part of our lives. 

What makes this crime untenable is that most people are kept from being as sinful as we can be.  God has given each person in the world what is called common grace. Common grace includes both internal and external restraints upon our behavior.  We all have a conscience.  We know right from wrong.  The Bible teaches us that the law of God is written on our hearts.  This internal restraint keeps us from doing certain things because we know they are wrong.  Now, this is not always enough.  If you had to read the book, “The Lord of the Flies,” you remember the story is about civilized boys who engaged in horrendous behavior because they were stripped of God’s other common grace, external restraints. 

These external restraints include government.  Government is an authority established by god to promote good and restrain evil.  Laws are established to keep people from committing certain acts.  No, it cannot change hearts, but the fear of punishment can keep you in line.  When those external restraints are not there, people can engage in the most god awful behavior.  Just go to Daytona Beach on Spring Break when students are away from their parents.  When the cat is away, the mice will play. 

For most of us our internal sense of right and wrong and fear of punishment keep us from being as sinful as we can be.  However, some people refuse to listen to their conscience and are not afraid of punishment, so they give into their baser instincts and can commit heinous crimes.  We have seen this in history with men like Hitler, who were a law unto themselves and were driven to do what they wanted even if others would say it was evil.

Does that mean I am off the hook?  Does that mean that no evil lives within me?  The answer is no.  Jesus said, in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  Murder begins not as an external act but an internal attitude of anger, hatred, contempt and envy.  Because of God’s common grace we do not act on our feelings but Jesus said we are liable to judgment.  That is exactly why we need the gospel, we are all guilty.  If we have failed in one point of the law, we have failed in all.  We stand before God already condemned to judgment.  But God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but through Him the world might be saved.  Jesus bore God’s judgment for our sin on the cross.  If we put our trust in Christ, we will not perish but have eternal life.  Think about it.

Obamacare, the Supreme Court and Where our Hope Lies

It has been interesting to me to listen to the response from so many people about the Supreme Court's ruling on Obama Care.  Chief Justice John Roberts cast the deciding vote to rule that the Health Care Law was constitutional.  In his majority opinion, he made his ruling by arguing against what the administration said.  The administration argued their case under the commerce clause repeatedly saying that the individual mandate was not a tax.  Chief Justice Roberts rewrote the law saying it was a tax and therefore under the jurisdiction of congress.  Although she sided with the majority, Justice Ginsburg wrote a dissenting argument saying that the mandate was not a tax but fell under the commerce clause.

You may be able to tell by how I wrote the first paragraph, what I think of the decision.  I believe this is another decision that takes our nation away from the founders intent.  But that is not the point of this article.  What I want to write about is the response of so many people.  I have heard people say they are depressed, giving up, despondent and giving into despair.  As a Christian, that is not the way I look at this decision or any political decision or election.

When I vote, I vote my conscience which I hope is guided by my Christian convictions.  However, when the election is over, or when any law is passed, or when any decision is made, I do not give into despair.  I do not despair, because my hope is not in the political process but in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Some people say well why do you get involved? why do you vote and care about such things?   Well I vote and am involved in the political process because I am commanded to render unto Caesar, the things that our Caesars.  I recognize the government is an authority established by God and I am to respect that authority.  Since I live in a nation that allows me to have influence through my vote, I gladly am involved.

Yes, I want the candidates that I vote for to win, I want laws passed that are consistent with the purpose of this nation and I want judges to rule on the constitutionality of our laws.  However, when this does not happen, I will never give up hope, because my hope is ultimately not in the United States of America but in the Lord Jesus Christ.  If my candidate never wins an election, if our nation continues to drift from its founding principles, if judges continue to be activists rather than interpret the constitution, I will not despair.  I have hope, His name is Jesus.

In the last 2000 years many nations have risen and fallen.  With them the hopes and dreams of many have fallen.  But Jesus has stood the test of time.  Everyone who has put their hope in Him, have never been disappointed.  They may have been discouraged at times, but ultimately their hope has been secure.  Do you have that hope?  Think about it.

Waiting

Most of us do not like to wait.  We live in an age where most everything is instant.  No more waiting on meals, we can pop it in the microwave or pop down to a fast food restaurant.  Most of us grow very impatient when we have to wait.  We don't like it, we want it now.

However, in many ways, the whole of the Christian life is about waiting.  We are waiting for Jesus to come again in all his fullness.  Yet, it is funny that most of us unless we are suffering really don't mind the wait.  We have so much in this world to entertain us that we do not grow impatient for the second coming of Christ.

As a church, we often wait between moves of the Holy Spirit.  Most churches do not live in a perpetual state of revival.  And so we wait for the next move of God within our church.  So what do we do while we wait.

In Acts 1, Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the promised Holy Spirit would come.  And so the disciples waited.  As you read the text you will see that waiting is not a time of inaction.  The Disciples did five things while they waited.  They built their fellowship for all gathered together in one accord.  This was important, for the disciples had to learn to trust one another again.  They had abandoned the Lord, they doubted, even Peter denied Christ.  I am sure some wondered, would it happen again.  They had to learn to love and trust one another again.  They gathered together in prayer.  Jesus had given them a commission to take the gospel to the world.  That task was more than their own strength to accomplish.  They prayed for the power of the Holy Spirit to come.  They were obedient to what Jesus told them to do, to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit come.  It would be easy to get ahead of the game and go out and witness to the risen Christ, but they needed power so they needed to wait.  They studied Scripture.  Peter stood up and proclaimed what the Old Testament said in order to give them direction for what to do.  Finally, they prepared for the future as they replaced Judas so they could have their 12.

When we are in times of waiting, we should do the same things.  We need to build our fellowship, pray, be obedient, study scripture and prepare for what God would have us to do.  Think about it.

DOMA, A Ban on Sex Selection and What it Means

Today, the court of appeals in Boston struck down The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) saying it was unconstitutional.  DOMA says that marriage is between a man and a woman. On the same day the House of Representatives could not get enough votes to pass a ban on abortions done for sex selection.  For those who would say that abortion of girls because parents want boys doesn't happen in America, check out this news report. 

I am sure that DOMA will make its way to the supreme court, but it is uncertain if this administration will seek to defend it, given the president's recent evolution and his historic stand on this particular law.  I am not sure if the ban on sex selection will be brought back up.  I know the country is divided over same sex marriage, but I thought that those who were pro-choice wanted abortions to be available, safe and rare.  Gone are the days of marching with a coat hanger, now I guess people can march with gender symbols.  After all choice means deciding that I want a boy instead of a girl (or vice versa.)

Those who thought that the slippery slope argument was bogus can now apologize.  We have slipped down that slope a little farther.  But we should not be surprised that we are here.  In the past, we understand that our rights were given to us by our creator, therefore what we did with them were subject to Him.  God was the center of the universe.  But now "the self" has unseated God as the center of all things.  If there is a God, he is there to make me happy.  The end of all things is my happiness whether it means aborting a baby because a baby of another sex would have made me happy.

As Christians we need to interpret all this through the eyes of Scripture.  That "the self" is god, should not surprise us after all that is what the serpent told Eve.  The answer to all of this is the gospel of Jesus Christ which leads men and women to repent and turn from themselves to God.  As God's people we need to make sure that we are living lives that reflect that Jesus is on the throne, we need to pray, and we need to take the gospel to a hurting world.  For when self is on the throne, it would seem that I would be the happiest, but the truth it always leads to disaster.  Think about it.

On This Memorial Day

Today, Leigh Ann and I attended the funeral of a family friend.  This gentleman was a veteran of a foreign war.  The American Legion participated in the funeral.  As I stood at the cemetery gazing at the flagged draped coffin, with the ringing of the gun salute fading, I listened to the mournful sound of taps being played.  As I listened, I could not help but remember.

I remembered all the men and women who served our country by fighting battles to set us free.  I remembered that many of them fought and came home.  They lived the rest of the their days with the scars of battle, with the memories of bloodshed, and with wounds that time would never really heal, because the wounds were not physical.  They continued to live and love with many of us never giving much thought to the sacrifice they made until the time of their funeral aswe saw the flag draped coffin and remembered.

I remembered the other men and women who fought the same battles and who did not come home.  Their flag draped coffins came home to grieving families whose hearts burst with both pain and pride.  So often we go through life enjoying the freedoms that we have, in many ways taking them for granted because we forget the price that was paid to ensure them.  Except this Memorial Day, I hope that we will choose to remember.  Think About it.

When the Church Acts Like the World: The Unfortuntate Case of Rev. Worley

By now you have probably heard about Rev. Worley. If you did not know his name you may have heard news reports of a sermon that he preached on Mother's Day in which he said that all homosexuals should be put behind electric fences, and keep them there until they die.  Unfortunately the video of his sermon was put on YouTube and then went viral.  This caused news stations across the united states to run stories and talk radio to discuss the controversial message. The story has caused anger and has reinforced a stereotype that all Christians hate homosexuals.

I am going to say right from the outset that what was said in the message is inexcusable and should have never been spoken by any Christian, thought by any Christian much less expressed in a Christian pulpit.  But it has happened, so how do we respond to it. 

First, as a Christian I must apologize to those who have been deeply hurt by the comments.  There is no excuse for the sermon nor the attitude.  I know that you may never understand nor you may never believe that there are Christians who believe that homosexuality is a sin but who do not hate homosexuals.  Yes, we believe that homosexuality is a sin, so is adultery, and lying, idolatry, pornography, hatred and the list goes on.  We also believe that God saves sinners by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  We believe that Christians are not perfect but are forgiven by God.  They are now children of God who struggle with sin such as homosexuality, lying, unfaithfulness etc.  You have probably met Christians like this but because they are not in your face, you may not have recognized them.  So I hate that the only Christians you get to see are the ones who make the most noise.

Second, as a Christian I can say that what Rev. Worley did was wrong, but I dare not be judgmental for if I do then I would be acting like him.  I pray for Rev. Worley and his church.  I pray that through this incident, they would recognize that hatred spoken in the name of God is still hatred and defames his name.  It was Jesus who said, let him who is without sin cast the first stone.  Yes we are called to be zealous for righteousness but at the same time we are to be equally zealous for grace.  As I write this, I recognize that I am guilty of acting and thinking in un-Christ-like ways and so I need to repent as much as any one else.

Finally, I titled this when the church acts like the world.  I recognize that some who read this would say that in this incident the church was not acting like the world.  The world after all embraces homosexuality as a natural lifestyle that should never be condemned.  How could this be a case of the church acting like the world.  The worldly way of doing things is to be tolerant of everything except those who disagree with you.  The world vilifies those who disagree with us. The world treats opponents as enemies.  The world says hatred is justified if the one you hate has done something to hurt you.  Not so with Christians we follow the one who prayed for those who crucified Him, "Father Forgive Them."  We follow the one who said love your enemies and do good to those who revile you.  Maybe the church would do better if we stopped yelling and started loving.  Think about it.

The Great Divide: Why We Disagree Over Gay Marriage and A Host of Other Issues

In the debate over gay marriage it seems people on opposing sides of the issue cannot reason with one another.  There is a rational explanation for this.  In America, we all are living in the same country but we are light years a part in our presuppositions.  At one time in our country we shared the same foundational point of view, but not anymore.  The founding document of our country says that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights.  That is at one time the majority of our country believed that there was a God, our rights derived from Him, He was the center of the universe. This does not mean that every American was a Christian but we all shared the same worldview.

But a shift has taken place in our world, God is no longer the center of the universe, the individual is.  As Michael Horton writes, "Same-sex marriage makes sense if you assume that the individual is the center of the universe, that God—if he exists—is there to make us happy, and that our choices are not grounded in a nature created by God but in arbitrary self-construction"

The Westminster Catechism reminds us that the Chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.  For many in America today that has been reversed.  If there is a God, his chief end is to glorify man so that He can enjoy himself forever.  If the individual is god, then it makes sense that the issue is fairness,as our president claims.  Whatever makes you happy and fulfilled should be the law of the land.  If a baby will not make me happy and fulfilled, then I should be able to abort it.  If my marriage does not make me happy and fulfilled, I should be free to leave it.

So as Christians when we speak of right and wrong, of fulfilling a purpose greater than ourselves it does not compute.  We are speaking the same language but the concepts are foreign to so many.  Because all they hear is well that works for you, but it does not work for me.  Therefore, do not judge me.  So what is the answer.  The only answer comes from the One who can speak into the heart.  Therefore, we continue to speak the truth in love but pray that God will change the heart.  Think about it.

Gay Marriage, Political Expediency, and What is a Church To Do

Yesterday, the President of the United States says that his thinking has evolved to the place where he now approves of "gay marriage."  Am I surprised, no.  He has already had his justice department refuse to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, so this move is not surprising.  Was this a case of political expediency.  Some would say no, because North Carolina just became the 31st state in the union to define marriage as between a man and a woman through passing an amendment to their state constitution.  The vote was 61% of the electorate in favor of the amendment, meaning in North Carolina and most of the states, the majority of the people are against gay marriage.

So why come out (no pun intended) in favor of gay marriage.  The president knows he will not win over social conservatives, but the move does seal his liberal base and the news says that his decision gained him a lot of money.  So was it political expedience or conviction, I don't know.  But I do know that the President says that he leaned on his Christian beliefs to make his decision.  Quoting the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, he justified his position.  He wants everyone to recognize his marriage, so he must recognize everyone else's relationship as marriage.

So as a church are we failing to keep the golden rule if we oppose gay marriage?   Of course the answer is no.  My Christian conviction is that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin.  Before you accuse me of being judgmental, I also believe that gluttony, pride, jealousy, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, and a host of other acts are sins as well.  I am a sinner.  It would be nice if someone told me that my jealousy was not sinful, but a normal behavior.  Jealousy is justified because of my circumstances.  It would be wonderful if someone would tell me that my temper was not sinful, after all I was born with it.  I just can't help it therefore I cannot be accountable for it.  As much as I would think that telling my sin was normal would be helpful, ultimately it would be hurtful.  If I am not a sinner, I do not need a savior.  To love someone is to tell them the truth, not tell them a lie.

Now I recognize that this issue is controversial and to stand for what we believe to be biblical truth will cause people to look upon the church as an enemy.  So what should we do.  Jesus said, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”  Luke 6:35  Jesus explains what it means to love our enemies.  We have to put our love in action, we must do good to those who disagree with us.  Our good deeds should cost us for we should lend expecting nothing in return.  We do good by giving of our time, energy, hearts, ears, comfort, whatever they need, we give out of love and concern.  We ask our friends, how can I pray for you, do we ask that of those who see us as enemies.  We show concern for our friends who are hurting, can we not do the same for those who see us as enemies.  We would give a cup of cold water to our friend, can we not do the same for those who see us as enemies.  So what is a church to do.  The church if we stand for the truth will have people who will see us as enemies, but we should never see them as an enemy.  Think about it.

Death Where is Your Victory

This week my mother in law passed away after a short but courageous battle against cancer.  Death and of course taxes have been called the only certainty in this world.  The Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment.  Death is our enemy.  We fear death, we hate death we do everything we can to cheat death but ultimately unless Christ comes again first, we will all face death.

The good news is that in Christ death is a toothless enemy.  Death because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ has had its stinger clipped.  Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life, He that believes in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.  We believe that because the one we loved, loved Jesus her body may have succumbed to death, but her spirit is alive with Christ, for to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord.  And one day, when Jesus Christ comes in all His fullness, He will raise her body from the grave and make her body new to never die again. That hope has sustained us through these days and allowed her to face death without fear.  The question I have is do you have that hope today?  Think about it.

The "Dirty Little" Secret Service

By now you have read the accounts of the scandal involving Secret Service Agents and prostitutes in Columbia.  The Agency embarrassed by the incident has released new sets of rules and guidelines for its agents.  Included in these rules are strict prohibitions against excessive drinking, entertaining foreigners in their hotel rooms and cavorting in disreputable establishments.  This type of behavior will no longer be tolerated by the agency so much so that they are going to send chaperons on some of the trips to make sure each agent follows the rules.

Wait a minute.  Are you telling me that the men who are charged with protecting the President of the United States, the leader of the free world, need chaperons?   I was in High School when an attempt was made to assassinate  President Ronald Reagan.  I remember watching seeing the news reports of Agent Tim McCarthy who did his duty by taking a bullet meant for the president.  I remember seeing another agent Jerry Parr push President Reagan into a car and then hearing that he was alert enough to see the President coughing up blood that was a little too dark and then telling the driver to change direction and get to the hospital, not the White House, saving Reagan’s life.  These men did not need chaperons, they were honorable men who did their duty.

Chaperons are for children who do not know any better.  Chaperons are for immature young men, who need eyes peering over them to keep then from doing something dumb, immoral and wrong.  Chaperons are an external guide for those who lack a well developed internal conscience.  In short, we stop needing chaperons when we are mature.

That Secret Service Agents, men who supposed to be loyal, honorable, committed to duty need a chaperons and need to be told not to participate in unwise and immoral behavior while on duty speaks volumes about the character of our nation.  If men, who while on duty are charged with protecting the life of the President cannot be trusted, who can we trust.   Don't get me wrong, there are many honorable hard working men in America, but this has to be a wake up call as to where we are headed as a nation.  Think about it.

North Carolina and the Marriage Ammendment

I live in the state of North Carolina.  On May 08 there is on the ballot a constitutional amendment that says "marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State."  As primary election day gets closer there are more and more television advertising on the air for and against the amendment, all trying to sway voters.

I wrote a blog several months ago entitled, Gay Marriage and the Sovereignty of God I have posted around 75 articles and that one has been read more than any others.  My premise in that article is that the only way people who are for gay marriage will change their minds is for God to change their hearts.  I still believe that today, but at the same time I am for the marriage amendment.  I am for the amendment not because it will change people's minds but because laws in our nation are a reflection of what our nation desires to be.  

Laws are a reflection of the moral character of a nation.  Tax laws, civic laws, criminal laws all are a reflection of what we value and hold true as a people.  For thousands of years, outside of any biblical morality, nations have said that for the good of a nation, marriage is to be defined as between a man and a woman and should be a protected institution.  The amendment seeks to ensure this definition and to protect it from an unelected minority of judges who would seek to enforce their will upon the people.

I know the argument by defining marriage between a man and a woman that would keep homosexuals from getting married.  After all we are in America everyone should be free to marry who they want.  That is not true.  Everyone in America is free to get married if their union fits the definition of marriage and falls under the laws of the land.  I can have a relationship with whoever I want, but I am not free to marry whoever I want.  I cannot marry my sister (not saying I want to) and I can't get married to another woman while maintaining my marital relationship with my present wife (again not saying I want to).  I am free but my freedom has limits.

The other argument I hear most often is that homosexual marriage will not affect my marriage.  That is true in one sense.  Yes my relationship will still be intact and the definition by which we define marriage will remain the same, but the definition in  the society in which I live will have changed.  The relationship that I have will not change but the definition of that relationship will have changed.  Definitions do matter.  If my definition of a mile is different from yours, If I give you directions you will end up in the wrong place.  If we change the definition of marriage, the institution will ultimately change.  Think about it.

Chuck Colson: Just a Man

This week one of my heroes of the faith, Chuck Colson went home to be with the Lord.  Shortly after surrendering to the call to ministry, I read Chuck Colson's book, The Body.  I was so enriched I quickly followed up with Loving God and Kingdoms in Conflict Reading his books led me to listen and read his Breakpoint Commentaries.  I always found that Colson's work, deepened my faith and help me seriously live out a Christian worldview.  Later, I read and led small groups to study his seminal work on Christian worldview, How Now Shall We Live.  His writings led me to read other authors including Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, Os Guiness and more. 

It is safe to say that Colson helped to shape my faith and ministry even though I never met him.  I was privileged to hear him speak at several conferences but I never had the opportunity to tell him how much I appreciated his ministry.  He was definitely a portrait of grace as he used his public shame to the glory of God in establishing Prison Fellowship.  Countless numbers of inmates have come to Christ through his ministry.

Yet with all his accomplishments and all that God did through him to advance the kingdom of God, Chuck Colson was still a man.  He was fallible and made mistakes.  I believe one of those mistakes (although many will disagree with me) was Evangelicals and Catholics Together E.C.T.  Colson's heart was in the right place in wanting to see unity in the body of Christ, but his desire seemed to gloss over the truth of the gospel.  E.C.T seemed to say that the evangelical and catholic understanding of the gospel were the same.

Despite what I believe was a mistake, it still does not diminish what Chuck Colson has meant to Christianity.  In fact his fallibility reminds us of a central truth that the church needs to remember. There was only one infallible teacher, The Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who needs to be put on a pedestal.  Any time a Christian puts a pastor, teacher, Christian leader on a pedestal, that Christian is lifting up the wrong person.  It is Christ working through fallible human beings that needs to be lifted up.  When we lift up men, we tempt them to sin and we allow them to fall further when they disappoint us.  Every Christian leader will make mistakes, they will disappoint us.  We continue to learn from them, because God uses sinful people to bring about his purposes so that He might be glorified.  Think about it.

The Face of Evil

You may remember last year in Norway, Anders Breivik murdered 77 people including 69 young people at a youth camp.  This week he got his day in court.  Breivik justified his crime by saying that he was fighting against the multiculturalism and open immigration that his country had embraced.  As he read from a 13 page document that he had written while in custody, he claimed he was a freedom fighter, fighting for the racial purity of his nation.

One reporter, Trygve Sorvaag, tweeted from the courtroom, “for many people, it was surprising to hear how soft, almost nasal, his voice was.  He didn't appear dangerous in any way.  It was very hard to see that this softly spoken man is actually the person who murdered 77 people."

 Why is it that we all have a mental picture of evil as being a raving lunatic?  Why is it difficult to envision evil as  soft spoken almost gentle in nature?  When we think of evil, it is easy to picture the ravings of Adolph Hitler or the glee of Osama Bin Laden on 911.  We want to paint evil as something completely separate and different from us.  So it is surprising to us to hear evil as sounding, well, normal. 

The truth of the matter is that what Anders did was sin, and sin resides in each of our hearts.   That does not mean that we will all commit mass murder, we all live in God’s common grace which includes internal restraints like our conscience and external restraints like laws which keep us from being as sinful as we could be.  Yet the seed of evil resides in our hearts.  We won’t commit murder, but we don’t have to take a life to break the spirit of that law.  Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”  Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV) 

Evil is not different from us, sin resides in our hearts.  There is only one hope for us.  Paul says in Romans 7:24-25, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  Think about it.   

Why Should We Pray

One of the most powerful stories of a man praying for his family is the story of Isaac and his wife Rebecca.  Genesis 25:19-26 records that Isaac prayed for his wife Rebecca because she was barren.  Moses is careful to tell us in this account that Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca and at the end of the account, he tells us that Isaac was 60 years old when the babies were born.  In that society, couples did not wait years to have children.  In addition, God had promised Abraham (Isaac's father) would be the father of a great nation, and Isaac would be heir to that promise.  This means that Isaac knew that he needed a son through whom this promise would pass.  I take it from a straight reading of this passage that Isaac could have prayed for up to 20 years for his wife to have a baby.

This leads us to a question. Why did Isaac pray?  If God had already promised that he would be the heir through whom a great nation came, he knew that God had already promised him a child.  So why should he pray?  Put another way, if God is sovereign and in control of all things, why then should we pray?  If God has already promised to provide all our needs through his riches in glory, why should we pray and ask God to provide our needs.  What was the purpose of Isaac's prayer?

The answer to this question lets us know the purpose of prayer.  We pray not to change God but to change us.  As we pray we are demonstrating our dependence upon God and we are training ourselves to live in that dependence.  As we pray, we are changed.  We become more dependent upon God, we learn to trust him more and we learn to love God more.  We pray because God has called us into a relationship with Him and we grow as we grow closer to our heavenly father.  Many are the plans of men but the Lord's purpose will stand (Proverbs 19:21).  God is at work in this world, He is bringing about His purposes.  We pray not to change Him so that our purposes become His, we pray so that we change so that His purposes become ours.  Think about it.

After Easter Letdown

For the Christian, Easter Week can and often is a spiritual high.  From celebrating communion, to focusing in on the cross, through rejoicing in the resurrection, we often have a mountain top experience with the Lord.  Add onto those observances, many churches have special musicals or dramas that move the spirit.  Often times what happens is there is a Monday morning letdown because we come back to the normal routine of the daily grind.   All that was generated as we celebrate Easter quickly dissipates as we face another week.

I recognize that we cannot stay on the mountaintop.  Jesus would not even let his disciples stay there.  So what is the answer to the Monday morning blahs that are sure to come.  A story from Easter account can help us.  Luke 24 records the story of Jesus meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  As they were experiencing the post-crucifixion blahs (for they did not know that Jesus had been raised), Jesus appeared to them and the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  As He talked with them about their discouragement, Jesus opened up the Scriptures from the law and prophets to show them that the Christ had to be crucified and on the third day rise again.  When Jesus finally revealed Himself to them, He left and they said to one another, “did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32 ESV)

Here lies our answer to the post Easter Blahs, a dose of the Word of God.  For when we read the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit helps us understand the meaning so that our hearts can burn within us.  We cannot live on the mountain tops, so as we walk the plains of life we need to read daily from the word of God.  We may not experience a tremendous spiritual high, but our hearts will be warmed.  Think about it.