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.