For what seems like hours, I stood in the middle of I-75 in Toledo, Ohio waving my arms in the air and shouting. Actually, it was closer to 30 minutes, but for those 30 minutes, time seemed to stand still. To the hundreds of passengers in the cars, trucks and buses that moved to avoid hitting me, I must have looked like a raving lunatic. Drenched from the rain - waving my yellow raincoat in the air instead of wearing it.... What a crazy sight it must have been.
Our entire family was packed into our SUV as we made our way back to Michigan from a visit with family in Indiana. It was one of those dark wet nights when driving was difficult at best, dangerous at worst. We had already stopped once earlier to help a stranded young motorist along the Toll Road. As we neared the Michigan border, we rounded a long blind curve in the Interstate roadway. A large concrete barrier wall on was on the left and a continuous steel guardrail followed the right side of the road, but the dividing lines on the pavement were lost beneath the water and darkness of the night.
Suddenly, I noticed stationary running lights of a semi-rig high above and immediately ahead in the middle lane of three. I began to brake... hard... and moved quickly to the right. Fortunately, at that moment there was no traffic preventing me from making such a sudden shift of lanes. Then, just in front of the semi tractor, I saw it: a mini-van, filled with people, had lost control on the wet pavement, slammed into the concrete barrier, carreening then into the traffic lanes, coming to rest sideways in the middle lane with no lights on. The only thing standing, for the moment, between the mini van and certain death were the lights of the big-rig parked in the middle traffic lane between the van and oncoming traffic.
I turned on my emergency flashers and pulled off on the narrow shoulder next to the guardrail. I ran back with my son-in-law, Jimmie, and discovered a terrified but unhurt family in the van. I could hear the rush of unsuspecting traffic coming upon us. Jimmie began to help the children out of the only working door. I left him behind as I began to run as hard as I could and as far back toward oncoming traffic as I could. Removing the most visible thing I had, my bright yellow parka, I began waving it as a warning at buses, trucks and cars coming at me at freeway speeds. But all, it seemed, to ignore my frantic warning. I was standing in the middle of the freeway, risking my own safety, but my warning was not being taken seriously. Drivers, unknowledgable and unable to see the danger looming directly ahead, sped past me as if they had no concern for my strange warning.
Likewise, this is true in the spiritual realm. Being absolutely certain of the dangers that lie ahead, Christians should be willing to do as much as possible to warn those who, being unaware of the life or death peril ahead, are racing toward the impending doom of a Christless eternity. Fortunately, everyone on the Interstate that night escaped uninjured. However, the outcome will not be the same for those who ignore the warning of the Scriptures. The Bible is very clear about this matter. One need look no further than perhaps the most memorized and widely known verse in the entire Bible: John 3:16. The truth is there; those who reject Jesus Christ will perish. It is our job to do everything we can to warn those who are heading into peril, to call out into the darkness of the spiritual night, “Jesus saves!”
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SKEPTIC
I respectfully submit to you, sir, that the possibility exists that you are right. You say there is no God, no Jesus, no Savior, no need to be saved from sin’s penalty and power. You say the Bible is not to be believed, that it is irrelevant, and you can even point out what you believe to be its errors and contradictions. Well, perhaps you are right. But… We’ll never know, you and I, at least not until we both pass beyond that inevitable event in out lives called death.
In the mean time, you are free to believe that I am a fool. You are free to believe that my hope in Heaven is in vain. But, you’ll never know for sure, until we both are gone from this world; will you? You see, I know that there will, with absolutely certainty, come a day when each of us will die. It is then, and only then, when we both, you and I, standing at the Gate of whatever awaits us after we die, will find out which one was right, and which one was wrong.
Before then, that is to say, before we both die, you have nothing to gain and I have nothing to lose. We are both free to live however we want... we may believe whatever we want. We can both roll the dice. If it turns out in the end that you were right, I have lost nothing. But, if you were wrong, and I was right...
Rest assured of this: I will never give up… until perhaps after I’m dead. Then, Mr. Skeptic, I will meet you on the sands of that distant shore that separates this life from the next. I will not quit ‘till I have exhaled my last breath of polluted earthly air, and inhaled my first breath of rarefied Heavenly air. Catch up with me there, my skeptic friend. If I was wrong and you were right, I’ll slap you high 5’s and declare you the winner. What a proud moment for you. You can claim braggin’ rights, and we will go do whatever dead people do. But… If I was right, and you were wrong, I will have gained Eternal Life and you will have lost it all. I will have won the Great Wager, and you will have lost everything.
Some will recognize this as Pascal’s Wager. Atheists love to excoriate Mr. Pascal’s great gambit, but to my mind, they do so at their own peril. The Bible declares: A fool says in his heart, “There is no God”, and I’m no fool. My mind is made up. My heart is steadfast. My peace has been made. I am resolute.
The question will remain before us. Time will tell which of us is the winner. I’ll see you on the other side. Until then, “Be well.” As for me, I will not throw away my confidence. It will be richly rewarded. I will persevere. I will not be counted among those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
In the mean time, you are free to believe that I am a fool. You are free to believe that my hope in Heaven is in vain. But, you’ll never know for sure, until we both are gone from this world; will you? You see, I know that there will, with absolutely certainty, come a day when each of us will die. It is then, and only then, when we both, you and I, standing at the Gate of whatever awaits us after we die, will find out which one was right, and which one was wrong.
Before then, that is to say, before we both die, you have nothing to gain and I have nothing to lose. We are both free to live however we want... we may believe whatever we want. We can both roll the dice. If it turns out in the end that you were right, I have lost nothing. But, if you were wrong, and I was right...
Rest assured of this: I will never give up… until perhaps after I’m dead. Then, Mr. Skeptic, I will meet you on the sands of that distant shore that separates this life from the next. I will not quit ‘till I have exhaled my last breath of polluted earthly air, and inhaled my first breath of rarefied Heavenly air. Catch up with me there, my skeptic friend. If I was wrong and you were right, I’ll slap you high 5’s and declare you the winner. What a proud moment for you. You can claim braggin’ rights, and we will go do whatever dead people do. But… If I was right, and you were wrong, I will have gained Eternal Life and you will have lost it all. I will have won the Great Wager, and you will have lost everything.
Some will recognize this as Pascal’s Wager. Atheists love to excoriate Mr. Pascal’s great gambit, but to my mind, they do so at their own peril. The Bible declares: A fool says in his heart, “There is no God”, and I’m no fool. My mind is made up. My heart is steadfast. My peace has been made. I am resolute.
The question will remain before us. Time will tell which of us is the winner. I’ll see you on the other side. Until then, “Be well.” As for me, I will not throw away my confidence. It will be richly rewarded. I will persevere. I will not be counted among those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
THE CHILDREN'S BIBLE
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon
your hearts. Impress upon / diligently teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up... Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates - Deut. 6:5-7,9.
Answer this question: Why was there so much emphasis placed upon
parents specifically and those in authority generally to teach... to diligently teach... to impress upon the minds and hearts of children the Holy
Scriptures? Think. “You’ll never get it, but try anyway.” Take a moment and think. “Good try, but that’s not what I’m looking for.” Why was it clearly the responsibility of the adults to see to it that the children were taught the laws and principals of God’s Word Take a guess. Are you ready for the answer? It’s really simple. There was not one child in Deuteronomy chapter 6 that could read! Think of that for a moment... Think some more... Not one child could read.
You ask, “So what?” Well, my friend, if those boys and girls were not taught the Scriptures correctly and accurately both in words and in actions by their parents, they would never have the opportunity to learn it. As a matter of fact, there are only two times in the entire Bible that the written word addresses children and both times are found in Paul's epistles and they both say the same thing: Children, obey your parents. - Eph. 6:1, Col. 3:20. That is the only thing children are commanded to do. The Children’s Bible is basically 4 words in length. Everything else... EVERYTHING else they are to hear, see, and learn from Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa - Deut. 4:9
Our only conclusion can be: The Bible was not necessarily meant to be read as much as it was meant to be lived and demonstrated. Certainly, I would never suggest that children not be allowed to read the Bible. But I would suggest that maybe, that is not how God would have intended for them to learn it. Up until a few hundred years ago, children learned the Scripture from the adults in their lives. Giving the Bible to children and expecting them to be successful adults is the same thing as giving someone the flight manual to an airplane and expecting them to be successful pilots. Some things in life are best learned under the careful tutelage of someone both knowledgeable and experienced in the craft. We have told boys and girls to read their Bibles while we fail to live its principals before their eyes and then we wonder why they fail to get it. We have perhaps done them the worst disservice of all by giving them the gift of reading without likewise giving them the gift of our example.
all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon
your hearts. Impress upon / diligently teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up... Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates - Deut. 6:5-7,9.
Answer this question: Why was there so much emphasis placed upon
parents specifically and those in authority generally to teach... to diligently teach... to impress upon the minds and hearts of children the Holy
Scriptures? Think. “You’ll never get it, but try anyway.” Take a moment and think. “Good try, but that’s not what I’m looking for.” Why was it clearly the responsibility of the adults to see to it that the children were taught the laws and principals of God’s Word Take a guess. Are you ready for the answer? It’s really simple. There was not one child in Deuteronomy chapter 6 that could read! Think of that for a moment... Think some more... Not one child could read.
You ask, “So what?” Well, my friend, if those boys and girls were not taught the Scriptures correctly and accurately both in words and in actions by their parents, they would never have the opportunity to learn it. As a matter of fact, there are only two times in the entire Bible that the written word addresses children and both times are found in Paul's epistles and they both say the same thing: Children, obey your parents. - Eph. 6:1, Col. 3:20. That is the only thing children are commanded to do. The Children’s Bible is basically 4 words in length. Everything else... EVERYTHING else they are to hear, see, and learn from Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa - Deut. 4:9
Our only conclusion can be: The Bible was not necessarily meant to be read as much as it was meant to be lived and demonstrated. Certainly, I would never suggest that children not be allowed to read the Bible. But I would suggest that maybe, that is not how God would have intended for them to learn it. Up until a few hundred years ago, children learned the Scripture from the adults in their lives. Giving the Bible to children and expecting them to be successful adults is the same thing as giving someone the flight manual to an airplane and expecting them to be successful pilots. Some things in life are best learned under the careful tutelage of someone both knowledgeable and experienced in the craft. We have told boys and girls to read their Bibles while we fail to live its principals before their eyes and then we wonder why they fail to get it. We have perhaps done them the worst disservice of all by giving them the gift of reading without likewise giving them the gift of our example.
Monday, November 29, 2010
THE LOST VIRTUES: You shouldn't pick up hitch-hikers anymore. Part VI
What we are to do then is this: Live. First and foremost is: keep on living. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. There’s a lot of life to yet be experienced. Keep moving. Keep on finding new frontiers to explore. Keep learning. Keep on dancing. You are never… I repeat… never too old. Take a trip to some foreign destination. Learn a new skill. Attempt a new sport. Enroll in night classes. Read a book. Explore your own locale. Find a new restaurant. Learn a new language. Take a chance and make a new friend. Revive an old hobby. Start a new collection. Try a new recipe. Learn to paint. Learn to sail. Love to learn.
Secondly, in the midst of all this learning and loving, we ought to keep passing on to our children and grandchildren the values and beliefs that they in turn will either pick up or pass over. They will take a little, leave a little, and probably add a little of their own, and from this collection they will carve out their lives in a world to which I no longer belong. We will see our children and grandchildren grow, mature and excel in a world in which we no longer fit. And one day we will leave and they will remain to continue this cycle with my great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. If I were truly honest I would have to admit that the world in which I grew up was probably not as good as I remember it to be, and their world will not be as bad as I’m afraid it will be. I will die. They will survive.
My hope is that at some point in the not to distant future, our present world will see the value in the common courtesies of the past. I would hope that we could regain some of the decency and manners prescribed by former editions of Emily Post’s Etiquette. That the old unwritten rules of civility and respect could likewise find a new home in our current world. That the rule of the Bible to “do no harm” would once again rule the day, and we could once again trust a stranger. But one thing is for sure: there doesn’t seem to be any real turning around. We are not going back. We can only go forward while bringing with us the best of the traditions and courtesies of the past.
Secondly, in the midst of all this learning and loving, we ought to keep passing on to our children and grandchildren the values and beliefs that they in turn will either pick up or pass over. They will take a little, leave a little, and probably add a little of their own, and from this collection they will carve out their lives in a world to which I no longer belong. We will see our children and grandchildren grow, mature and excel in a world in which we no longer fit. And one day we will leave and they will remain to continue this cycle with my great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. If I were truly honest I would have to admit that the world in which I grew up was probably not as good as I remember it to be, and their world will not be as bad as I’m afraid it will be. I will die. They will survive.
My hope is that at some point in the not to distant future, our present world will see the value in the common courtesies of the past. I would hope that we could regain some of the decency and manners prescribed by former editions of Emily Post’s Etiquette. That the old unwritten rules of civility and respect could likewise find a new home in our current world. That the rule of the Bible to “do no harm” would once again rule the day, and we could once again trust a stranger. But one thing is for sure: there doesn’t seem to be any real turning around. We are not going back. We can only go forward while bringing with us the best of the traditions and courtesies of the past.
MY FAVORITE "I AM" STATEMENT
What is your favorite “I am” statement? Bible scholars teach that there are five times in which Jesus revealed himself as: “I am…” I am the gate, the good shepherd, the light, the vine, and the bread. Of course, the importance of these various “I am” statements is in relationship to the Old Testament pronouncement made to Moses by God when Moses asked, “Who should I say has sent me…”, and God responded, “tell them “I am” has sent you…” Because we understand that Jesus is God, then it seems reasonable to connect the dots in such a way as to picture Jesus likewise revealing himself as: “I am”.
Which one is your favorite? Do you see him as the Vine? The one in whom we must remain attached in order to produce fruit. If we do not produce fruit, we are cut off… pruned away.
Do you favor Jesus pictured as a Shepherd? A shepherd is willing to protect his sheep no matter what. The shepherd is willing to give his very own life to save the sheep. Certainly, there are some of you who will appreciate this particular “I am” revelation.
I personally like “the Gate”… “I am the gate”… In this “I am” statement Jesus clearly again points out the truth that he alone is the only way to be saved. Whether you agree with him or not, I do not know. But, what I do know is that Jesus believed himself to be the solitary path. He, at another time, announces to Nicodemus, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Each of these five provides their own unique perspective on the person of Jesus Christ. Pastors, Bible College Professors, and Sunday School teachers alike can find much valuable material in these lessons. Christians can also find a blessing to suit most any need. Do you need light when in a dark place? Jesus is the Light. Do you feel the need for nourishment in your soul? Jesus is the Bread.
However, I would tell you that though each of these “I am’s” are special and you can certainly be blessed by understanding and applying them to your life… None of these are my favorite “I am”. No, friend, there is another less notable “I am” to which I am drawn. There is another which ignites in me feelings that are hard to put into words. There is one to which all others are attached. If you take this one away, all of the others no longer matter. If you remove this favorite of mine, it matters not that he is the Light; for, I will never receive its benefit. If this “I am” is gone, then he can’t be the Gate, and I remain outside the fold. In the absence of this one, I starve to death for there is no Bread. What is this all important, preeminent “I am”?
It is found not in the Gospels, but in the Hebrew letter, chapter 10, verse 7. Then I said, “Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.”
Did you see it? Right there it is… the most important “I am” of all. "Here I am." Had not Jesus willing and deliberately offered himself to do the will of the Father in response to the Divine plan of Salvation… had he refused… had he blown up the Oneness of the Trinity… had Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant… humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:6-8 -… had Jesus refused to be: Here I am… I have come to do your will. We, each and every one of us, would be hopelessly, helplessly, lost.
My favorite “I am” is his “Here I am”. With every lash from a Roman whip, “Here I am”. With every step up the Via Dolorosa, “Here I am”. With every blow that drove hard cold steel through his flesh, “Here I am”. In the midst of rejection and betrayal, “Here I am”. And finally, into the Heavenly Holy of Holies… “Here I am”.
My favorite is: “Here I am”.
Which one is your favorite? Do you see him as the Vine? The one in whom we must remain attached in order to produce fruit. If we do not produce fruit, we are cut off… pruned away.
Do you favor Jesus pictured as a Shepherd? A shepherd is willing to protect his sheep no matter what. The shepherd is willing to give his very own life to save the sheep. Certainly, there are some of you who will appreciate this particular “I am” revelation.
I personally like “the Gate”… “I am the gate”… In this “I am” statement Jesus clearly again points out the truth that he alone is the only way to be saved. Whether you agree with him or not, I do not know. But, what I do know is that Jesus believed himself to be the solitary path. He, at another time, announces to Nicodemus, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Each of these five provides their own unique perspective on the person of Jesus Christ. Pastors, Bible College Professors, and Sunday School teachers alike can find much valuable material in these lessons. Christians can also find a blessing to suit most any need. Do you need light when in a dark place? Jesus is the Light. Do you feel the need for nourishment in your soul? Jesus is the Bread.
However, I would tell you that though each of these “I am’s” are special and you can certainly be blessed by understanding and applying them to your life… None of these are my favorite “I am”. No, friend, there is another less notable “I am” to which I am drawn. There is another which ignites in me feelings that are hard to put into words. There is one to which all others are attached. If you take this one away, all of the others no longer matter. If you remove this favorite of mine, it matters not that he is the Light; for, I will never receive its benefit. If this “I am” is gone, then he can’t be the Gate, and I remain outside the fold. In the absence of this one, I starve to death for there is no Bread. What is this all important, preeminent “I am”?
It is found not in the Gospels, but in the Hebrew letter, chapter 10, verse 7. Then I said, “Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.”
Did you see it? Right there it is… the most important “I am” of all. "Here I am." Had not Jesus willing and deliberately offered himself to do the will of the Father in response to the Divine plan of Salvation… had he refused… had he blown up the Oneness of the Trinity… had Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant… humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:6-8 -… had Jesus refused to be: Here I am… I have come to do your will. We, each and every one of us, would be hopelessly, helplessly, lost.
My favorite “I am” is his “Here I am”. With every lash from a Roman whip, “Here I am”. With every step up the Via Dolorosa, “Here I am”. With every blow that drove hard cold steel through his flesh, “Here I am”. In the midst of rejection and betrayal, “Here I am”. And finally, into the Heavenly Holy of Holies… “Here I am”.
My favorite is: “Here I am”.
Monday, November 22, 2010
THE LOST VIRTUES: You shouldn't pick up hitch-hikers anymore. Part V
My Dad, I am certain, thought that the end of society would come very, very soon. I am sure that he did not understand how I, his son, along with the rest of his children, had somehow figured out a way to survive in such a disfigured world. Because we did not see our world through his eyes, we were not limited by the boundaries of his world view. We didn’t have to adjust anything; we just lived in our world. The rubber band of our lives had not yet been stretched to its limits as had his. My Dad’s world had reached the breaking point. Mine hadn’t. Yet, we somehow were living in the same place.
My Dad and those of his generation lived by this code: a man’s word is his bond. I had a close friend who as a high school drop-out went on to become a self-made millionaire in the car business. He once told me that, many years ago, he frequently bought and sold cars valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars with no more guaranty of payment than a hand shake. If someone looked you squarely in the eye, and cemented the deal with a firm handshake… that was all it took. The deal was done. As a matter of fact, he went on to say that if he would have required a written agreement, it would have been viewed as an insult to the other man’s word, which was equivalent to his honor, and thus the deal would have been off. Once a man had given “his word” to another, each could trust the other; it was done.
The power of this kind of trust was so great that to be disloyal to this trust would have been unthinkable. To this friend of mine, a betrayal of trust was the most painful experience one could ever know. Trust me, I was with this man during one such time of betrayal, and words cannot express, and it is impossible for me to ever truly know, the depth of conjoined anger and sorrow this man experienced. It was incomprehensible to him that someone once given the privilege and allowed into the circle of trust would ever knowingly betray that relationship.
Perhaps, so long ago, people trusted each other because they had to. However, now we don’t need each other as much. We can get along without our neighbor. I sometimes receive a helping hand from my next door neighbor. Sometimes he provides much needed assistance. I am always very grateful. However, I cannot help but feel somehow strange. What if one day he needs a hand, and I cannot help? If I have been blessed by the kindness of another, I must from then on be constantly aware of the needs of my neighbor so that I may repay the kindness. I now have a new responsibility, and who needs that? In the world of my past, to not do so would be an unthinkable affront to the unwritten code. To be the benefactor of a helping hand makes me beholden to my neighbor, and my deed of repayment must be equal to or exceed his deed, lest I remain beholden to him still. No decent man leaves those kinds of debts un-repaid.
I remember seeing my Dad recoil at the request of a store clerk for identification when he was writing a check. Today, I thank the clerk for checking for ID. What is the difference? My Dad was insulted to think that anyone would question “his” signature. I have seen him refuse to provide ID, turn and walk away, leaving his purchase on the counter. I on the other hand am grateful that the clerk tries to verify my identity. I want them to check everyone. My hope is that when someone tries to steal my identity that a vigilant clerk will be at the ready and will refuse the transaction. I am so distrustful of everyone and am so convinced that the crazies are everywhere, that I want the clerks to check everyone. It is not a matter of if I will become a victim of identity theft, but when.
So, what are we to do? Our children have rebelled against the virtues of my past. Please don’t take that to mean that our children are bad; they’re not. It’s just how it works. They rebel against those virtues of my past because of their perspective and experience. Likewise, you can rest assured that my grandchildren will to an equal extent rebel against behaviors deemed virtuous today. I see nothing to indicate that this generational progression (some would call it regression) will in any way decelerate.
My Dad and those of his generation lived by this code: a man’s word is his bond. I had a close friend who as a high school drop-out went on to become a self-made millionaire in the car business. He once told me that, many years ago, he frequently bought and sold cars valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars with no more guaranty of payment than a hand shake. If someone looked you squarely in the eye, and cemented the deal with a firm handshake… that was all it took. The deal was done. As a matter of fact, he went on to say that if he would have required a written agreement, it would have been viewed as an insult to the other man’s word, which was equivalent to his honor, and thus the deal would have been off. Once a man had given “his word” to another, each could trust the other; it was done.
The power of this kind of trust was so great that to be disloyal to this trust would have been unthinkable. To this friend of mine, a betrayal of trust was the most painful experience one could ever know. Trust me, I was with this man during one such time of betrayal, and words cannot express, and it is impossible for me to ever truly know, the depth of conjoined anger and sorrow this man experienced. It was incomprehensible to him that someone once given the privilege and allowed into the circle of trust would ever knowingly betray that relationship.
Perhaps, so long ago, people trusted each other because they had to. However, now we don’t need each other as much. We can get along without our neighbor. I sometimes receive a helping hand from my next door neighbor. Sometimes he provides much needed assistance. I am always very grateful. However, I cannot help but feel somehow strange. What if one day he needs a hand, and I cannot help? If I have been blessed by the kindness of another, I must from then on be constantly aware of the needs of my neighbor so that I may repay the kindness. I now have a new responsibility, and who needs that? In the world of my past, to not do so would be an unthinkable affront to the unwritten code. To be the benefactor of a helping hand makes me beholden to my neighbor, and my deed of repayment must be equal to or exceed his deed, lest I remain beholden to him still. No decent man leaves those kinds of debts un-repaid.
I remember seeing my Dad recoil at the request of a store clerk for identification when he was writing a check. Today, I thank the clerk for checking for ID. What is the difference? My Dad was insulted to think that anyone would question “his” signature. I have seen him refuse to provide ID, turn and walk away, leaving his purchase on the counter. I on the other hand am grateful that the clerk tries to verify my identity. I want them to check everyone. My hope is that when someone tries to steal my identity that a vigilant clerk will be at the ready and will refuse the transaction. I am so distrustful of everyone and am so convinced that the crazies are everywhere, that I want the clerks to check everyone. It is not a matter of if I will become a victim of identity theft, but when.
So, what are we to do? Our children have rebelled against the virtues of my past. Please don’t take that to mean that our children are bad; they’re not. It’s just how it works. They rebel against those virtues of my past because of their perspective and experience. Likewise, you can rest assured that my grandchildren will to an equal extent rebel against behaviors deemed virtuous today. I see nothing to indicate that this generational progression (some would call it regression) will in any way decelerate.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
ANSWERED PRAYERS: That accomplish nothing... PART II
Some of God’s faithful are just simply discouraged from reaching out to a world that seems, at the least disinterested, and at the worst, hostile to the truth of God’s great power. Time and time again we tell our friends and family about the power of God to change lives and circumstances… and yet, they remain as though they have been numbed by some unseen anesthetic. And if we do get a response it is derogatory or argumentative. As a result, God’s people are genuinely touched by the testimonies of His great power, but are hesitant to promote these miracles to others because… well, they’ve been rebuffed and ridiculed so often in the past, it’s hard, after having been burnt so many times before, to go back into the fire again.
However, this complaint may find it’s genesis in the depths of the very dark recesses of that moribund place called self. This place is so awful that few are willing to admit that it even exists.
On a weekly basis I witness God’s awesome power changing the lives of the students and the families of Calvary Christian Academy. I see His miraculous blessings of provision and freedom continually poured out upon the Church. But.... at the same time, I witness a particularly nasty little worm infesting the hearts of many: the worm of selfishness. “If it ain’t MY miracle, then God is not working in lives today! The only miracle that matters is MINE.” No, I’ve not heard anyone say these things, but I have heard the “faithful” complaining.
I realize that this sounds very harsh, and I recognize that I have judged the hearts of some. But, my judgments come only after hearing the very complaints that betray our faint applause for another’s miracle as little more than cover for our own selfish hearts. I am therefore left with only one conclusion. Pentecostal power only comes upon churches and individuals who have truly come face to face with the horrors of self. Those who have put to death the forces of selfishness in all of it many manifestations will then and only then be ready for the power of God to flow through their lives.
The history books are filled with those who were used mightily of God in
Pentecostal manifestations of healing and faith, and yet themselves carried seemingly unanswered needs in their personal lives. Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Wigglesworth's kidney stones. My friend, Walt Weaver’s headaches. David Wilkerson’s wife’s cancer. The list could go on and on. How is it that those who seem so close to the mighty power of Pentecost seem to themselves not benefit from it? Therein lies the mystery; a mystery that I have grown to accept. I will not pretend to understand every action of a Sovereign God - His ways are not my ways or His thoughts mine. And though I strive to understand, I now see as through a darkened glass. However, through that darkened glass I see men who were willing to fully rejoice in God’s power being shown to others despite their own personal pain and struggle.
Let us not now complain. Let us completely recognize and rejoice in each and every miracle of God. Let us resist the temptation to compare the work of God here to the the work of God somewhere else. Let us be wise and discerning concerning the miracles of God. And most of all let us each and every one deal thoroughly and completely with the ugliness of self found deep in the hidden recesses of our own hearts.
However, this complaint may find it’s genesis in the depths of the very dark recesses of that moribund place called self. This place is so awful that few are willing to admit that it even exists.
On a weekly basis I witness God’s awesome power changing the lives of the students and the families of Calvary Christian Academy. I see His miraculous blessings of provision and freedom continually poured out upon the Church. But.... at the same time, I witness a particularly nasty little worm infesting the hearts of many: the worm of selfishness. “If it ain’t MY miracle, then God is not working in lives today! The only miracle that matters is MINE.” No, I’ve not heard anyone say these things, but I have heard the “faithful” complaining.
I realize that this sounds very harsh, and I recognize that I have judged the hearts of some. But, my judgments come only after hearing the very complaints that betray our faint applause for another’s miracle as little more than cover for our own selfish hearts. I am therefore left with only one conclusion. Pentecostal power only comes upon churches and individuals who have truly come face to face with the horrors of self. Those who have put to death the forces of selfishness in all of it many manifestations will then and only then be ready for the power of God to flow through their lives.
The history books are filled with those who were used mightily of God in
Pentecostal manifestations of healing and faith, and yet themselves carried seemingly unanswered needs in their personal lives. Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Wigglesworth's kidney stones. My friend, Walt Weaver’s headaches. David Wilkerson’s wife’s cancer. The list could go on and on. How is it that those who seem so close to the mighty power of Pentecost seem to themselves not benefit from it? Therein lies the mystery; a mystery that I have grown to accept. I will not pretend to understand every action of a Sovereign God - His ways are not my ways or His thoughts mine. And though I strive to understand, I now see as through a darkened glass. However, through that darkened glass I see men who were willing to fully rejoice in God’s power being shown to others despite their own personal pain and struggle.
Let us not now complain. Let us completely recognize and rejoice in each and every miracle of God. Let us resist the temptation to compare the work of God here to the the work of God somewhere else. Let us be wise and discerning concerning the miracles of God. And most of all let us each and every one deal thoroughly and completely with the ugliness of self found deep in the hidden recesses of our own hearts.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
THE LOST VIRTUES: You shouldn't pick up hitch-hikers anymore. Part IV
So, why don’t we pick up hitch hikers anymore? Why don’t we stop to help a stranded motorist? Lack of trust? Fear of being sued? Fear of being killed? Seeing one too many movies about an insane criminal at the lonely roadside just waiting to terrorize yet another innocent victim? The problem is not just our fears that prevent us from helping someone else… What about if someone stops to help us?
It’s not just the hitch hikers that we distrust; we may even more so distrust the “good” Samaritan who stops to help. Good people drive past. Smart people never stop. So that only leaves the crazies and the perverts. How do we know that our “good” Samaritan is really good? Maybe they’re not. How can we be sure? We can’t! In the late ‘90’s the movie “Breakdown” was released. I saw this move once. I will never watch this movie again. I can’t. I know it’s “just” a movie. I know it’s all fake. It doesn’t matter. I can’t watch it. Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play the part of a young innocent couple stranded along a lonely stretch of Arizona highway. J.T. Walsh perfectly plays the role of a trucker (a lying, crazy, psycho, kidnapper) who stops to help. I can’t tell you the rest; it terrifies me.
The title of the movie – Breakdown – is I’m sure meant to refer to a car that broke down at the edge of the road. However, I would suggest that “Breakdown” should not refer to stranded motorists, but rather to our society that has broken down. Something is wrong. Once we step out of our house and into our car we enter a world where we can’t stop to help, nor do we want others to do the same. We must get to our destination as rapidly as possible lest the fate befall us to be stranded in a morally broken down world. We pass by stranded strangers and if we find ourselves stranded, we keep our windows rolled up tight and tell anyone who stops to lend a hand that help is on the way. I don’t need the help of a “suspicious” Samaritan. I’ve got my cell phone to call for help. I’ve got Onstar to help direct the police to my location. Even if I’m in a crash… there is still no need for some stranger to stop and inquire; Onstar will call the police automatically in the event of an airbag deployment.
I don’t even trust the policeman that stops to assist. How do I know that he is not some crazy Robo-cop, that is going to drag me out of my vehicle and brutally beat me in the middle of the road? In the last year, I have known of two such cases, one in Oklahoma and other in Dearborn, Michigan, where officers involved in a traffic stop beat the drivers so severely that the men had to be hospitalized. What were the drivers doing wrong? They were slipping into Diabetic shock, and the officers mistakenly thought the drivers were drunk!
Manners and common decency are broken down. The boundaries of behavior behind which we used to comfortably dwell are now broken down and we are co-mingled with the “crazies”! What are we to do? The answer my friend is quite simple. We are going to do the same thing that our fathers did. We are going to die!!! Oh, wait… before we do that, there is some last work to be done.
It’s not just the hitch hikers that we distrust; we may even more so distrust the “good” Samaritan who stops to help. Good people drive past. Smart people never stop. So that only leaves the crazies and the perverts. How do we know that our “good” Samaritan is really good? Maybe they’re not. How can we be sure? We can’t! In the late ‘90’s the movie “Breakdown” was released. I saw this move once. I will never watch this movie again. I can’t. I know it’s “just” a movie. I know it’s all fake. It doesn’t matter. I can’t watch it. Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan play the part of a young innocent couple stranded along a lonely stretch of Arizona highway. J.T. Walsh perfectly plays the role of a trucker (a lying, crazy, psycho, kidnapper) who stops to help. I can’t tell you the rest; it terrifies me.
The title of the movie – Breakdown – is I’m sure meant to refer to a car that broke down at the edge of the road. However, I would suggest that “Breakdown” should not refer to stranded motorists, but rather to our society that has broken down. Something is wrong. Once we step out of our house and into our car we enter a world where we can’t stop to help, nor do we want others to do the same. We must get to our destination as rapidly as possible lest the fate befall us to be stranded in a morally broken down world. We pass by stranded strangers and if we find ourselves stranded, we keep our windows rolled up tight and tell anyone who stops to lend a hand that help is on the way. I don’t need the help of a “suspicious” Samaritan. I’ve got my cell phone to call for help. I’ve got Onstar to help direct the police to my location. Even if I’m in a crash… there is still no need for some stranger to stop and inquire; Onstar will call the police automatically in the event of an airbag deployment.
I don’t even trust the policeman that stops to assist. How do I know that he is not some crazy Robo-cop, that is going to drag me out of my vehicle and brutally beat me in the middle of the road? In the last year, I have known of two such cases, one in Oklahoma and other in Dearborn, Michigan, where officers involved in a traffic stop beat the drivers so severely that the men had to be hospitalized. What were the drivers doing wrong? They were slipping into Diabetic shock, and the officers mistakenly thought the drivers were drunk!
Manners and common decency are broken down. The boundaries of behavior behind which we used to comfortably dwell are now broken down and we are co-mingled with the “crazies”! What are we to do? The answer my friend is quite simple. We are going to do the same thing that our fathers did. We are going to die!!! Oh, wait… before we do that, there is some last work to be done.
Friday, November 19, 2010
ANSWERED PRAYERS: That accomplish nothing... PART I
Several weeks ago, a woman in our church came to me at the conclusion of the evening and requested prayer. The expression on her face revealed the fear and desperation in her heart. Her doctor had informed her that she had advanced glaucoma and that she would soon be blind; there was nothing that could be done to prevent the inevitable. He advised her to make the necessary preparations. He also made an appointment for her to see a specialist that she might receive the best possible care. She now stood before me, her Pastor, asking me to pray. As she stood before me in need, she obviously had some degree of hope that God would intervene.
Four days later she returned to Church with a huge smile on her face. The specialist, following his examination of this woman’s eyes, seemed shocked by the previous diagnosis. “I can find nothing wrong with your eyes”, he proclaimed. “There must have been some sort of a mistake made by your previous doctor in his diagnosis.” With much joy in her heart, she stood and testified to all present that day about her healing miracle.
Oh, wait just a minute. I know what you’re thinking. There was no healing miracle. It was a simple mistake made by the first physician. Perhaps. Or, perhaps not. The choice is yours to make. But, it is not what you choose to believe about the original diagnosis with which I want herein to take issue. Rather, I want to address what I believe is of far greater concern.... our own deeply rooted selfishness. Our unwillingness to be fully, totally, completely filled with joy for someone else’s healing. Our inability to allow someone else’s miracle to encourage and sustain us as we wait for our own. Our failure to allow an unfettered joy, the result of being a witness to God’s great healing power, to fully satisfy our desperate longing to personally be the recipient and benefactor of the same.
Yes, I heard and watched as the church gladly acknowledged her public
testimony with warm applause. I cannot judge whether the individual
response was prompted by sincere belief or just simply an effort to be
polite, only the Lord knows. Yet, in the days to follow, our collective
gladness over this miraculous healing didn’t seem to translate into an
increase in evangelistic fervor. Our gatherings in the weeks to come showed no evidence of any person being led by a friend to an altar of prayer for healing. There was no increase in the number of those attending midweek prayer meetings.
On the contrary, what I heard in the weeks to come were complaints about the absence of God’s power in the Church today. The absence of God’s power!!???? Did I miss something, or did I not just witness the mighty healing power of God to heal the blind being manifested among His beloved Church?
Where does this complaint come from? I conclude that it can only come from one of two places: discouragement or selfishness. The latter obviously far more serious than the first.
CONTINUED.... PART II TO FOLLOW
Four days later she returned to Church with a huge smile on her face. The specialist, following his examination of this woman’s eyes, seemed shocked by the previous diagnosis. “I can find nothing wrong with your eyes”, he proclaimed. “There must have been some sort of a mistake made by your previous doctor in his diagnosis.” With much joy in her heart, she stood and testified to all present that day about her healing miracle.
Oh, wait just a minute. I know what you’re thinking. There was no healing miracle. It was a simple mistake made by the first physician. Perhaps. Or, perhaps not. The choice is yours to make. But, it is not what you choose to believe about the original diagnosis with which I want herein to take issue. Rather, I want to address what I believe is of far greater concern.... our own deeply rooted selfishness. Our unwillingness to be fully, totally, completely filled with joy for someone else’s healing. Our inability to allow someone else’s miracle to encourage and sustain us as we wait for our own. Our failure to allow an unfettered joy, the result of being a witness to God’s great healing power, to fully satisfy our desperate longing to personally be the recipient and benefactor of the same.
Yes, I heard and watched as the church gladly acknowledged her public
testimony with warm applause. I cannot judge whether the individual
response was prompted by sincere belief or just simply an effort to be
polite, only the Lord knows. Yet, in the days to follow, our collective
gladness over this miraculous healing didn’t seem to translate into an
increase in evangelistic fervor. Our gatherings in the weeks to come showed no evidence of any person being led by a friend to an altar of prayer for healing. There was no increase in the number of those attending midweek prayer meetings.
On the contrary, what I heard in the weeks to come were complaints about the absence of God’s power in the Church today. The absence of God’s power!!???? Did I miss something, or did I not just witness the mighty healing power of God to heal the blind being manifested among His beloved Church?
Where does this complaint come from? I conclude that it can only come from one of two places: discouragement or selfishness. The latter obviously far more serious than the first.
CONTINUED.... PART II TO FOLLOW
Thursday, November 18, 2010
THE LOST VIRTUES: You shouldn't pick up hitch-hikers anymore. Part III
In my younger days, not only might I have picked up a hitch hiker “back then”, I myself used to hitch. Yes, I surely did. Not often, but I did if necessary, and I don’t mean just to go down the street. Short distances we would just walk. No, when I hitched, I hitched to cities far away. My brother hitched all the way from Indiana to California! But alas, my brother and I, we were on the very edge of the end of an era. I would never hitch today.
In my little boyhood world of north central Indiana, stopping to help a stranded motorist was normal behavior… it was being a good citizen to help a stranger in need. Today, it bothers me to drive past someone stopped at the edge of the road. Oh, I keep on driving, but not without wondering if I might have been able to help. It takes a few miles down the road for the feeling to pass that maybe I should have at the least stopped to see if everyone was OK.
Once a few years ago, as I was exiting I-75 south of Detroit, I noticed someone with a flat tire at the edge of the ramp struggling to get the lug nuts loose. I was stopping before I even knew what I was doing. Joni was clearly wondering if I had lost my mind as I got out of our car and headed back to assist this stranded motorist. However, on my way back, I first stopped at the rear of my SUV and opened the back gate. From inside my vehicle I retrieved a large metal pipe that I carry for just such a need: added leverage. That day, however, my “leverage” pipe would serve two purposes. As I walked toward the motorist, I found myself subconsciously swinging the pipe in such a way as to notify the stranger that if he intended me any personal harm, I would not surrender without getting in a few licks of my own… my pipe could and would be used as a weapon if necessary. Fortunately for all involved, that did not become necessary.
Years ago, we stopped to help a stranded motorist in the belief that when and if we, or someone we loved, ever personally “needed a hand” that our having previously planted some seeds of helpfulness would then result in us being able to harvest help when we were in need. I grew up believing that there was this unseen power of giving and receiving that sort of hovered over the things we did. I believed that this unseen power provided balance and justice to our lives. If we did a favor, favor would return. Let me be quick to add, that I would have never taken money for an act of kindness shown to a stranger. No! That would have ruined it. If I took so much as a dime, it would have meant that my “favor returned” would have been nullified by the great unseen “equalizer” who was in charge of these things.
Today, you are on your own, and so am I. You don’t trust me, and you know what, that’s fine with me, ‘cause I don’t trust you either. And I know that you don’t trust me so much, that given half a chance you will drag me into court and sue me because of my negligence that you know is lurking just beneath the surface of my all too kind demeanor.
In my little boyhood world of north central Indiana, stopping to help a stranded motorist was normal behavior… it was being a good citizen to help a stranger in need. Today, it bothers me to drive past someone stopped at the edge of the road. Oh, I keep on driving, but not without wondering if I might have been able to help. It takes a few miles down the road for the feeling to pass that maybe I should have at the least stopped to see if everyone was OK.
Once a few years ago, as I was exiting I-75 south of Detroit, I noticed someone with a flat tire at the edge of the ramp struggling to get the lug nuts loose. I was stopping before I even knew what I was doing. Joni was clearly wondering if I had lost my mind as I got out of our car and headed back to assist this stranded motorist. However, on my way back, I first stopped at the rear of my SUV and opened the back gate. From inside my vehicle I retrieved a large metal pipe that I carry for just such a need: added leverage. That day, however, my “leverage” pipe would serve two purposes. As I walked toward the motorist, I found myself subconsciously swinging the pipe in such a way as to notify the stranger that if he intended me any personal harm, I would not surrender without getting in a few licks of my own… my pipe could and would be used as a weapon if necessary. Fortunately for all involved, that did not become necessary.
Years ago, we stopped to help a stranded motorist in the belief that when and if we, or someone we loved, ever personally “needed a hand” that our having previously planted some seeds of helpfulness would then result in us being able to harvest help when we were in need. I grew up believing that there was this unseen power of giving and receiving that sort of hovered over the things we did. I believed that this unseen power provided balance and justice to our lives. If we did a favor, favor would return. Let me be quick to add, that I would have never taken money for an act of kindness shown to a stranger. No! That would have ruined it. If I took so much as a dime, it would have meant that my “favor returned” would have been nullified by the great unseen “equalizer” who was in charge of these things.
Today, you are on your own, and so am I. You don’t trust me, and you know what, that’s fine with me, ‘cause I don’t trust you either. And I know that you don’t trust me so much, that given half a chance you will drag me into court and sue me because of my negligence that you know is lurking just beneath the surface of my all too kind demeanor.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
PRAYER CHANGES US
Few subjects surrounding the Christian life raise deeper or more heartfelt questions that that of prayer. How do I pray? How many times should I pray for something? Does God always answer prayer? These questions and many more have been asked surrounding this most important issue of the Christian life. However, if I may be so bold, may I suggest that I believe the central question surrounding prayer - the one in which all other questions to prayer may be found - is this: Can prayer change God?
It has been said by many that prayer changes God. However, I would profoundly disagree with this for several reasons. First and foremost is the Scriptural record. It is found in Malachi 3:6 that the Lord does not change. Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. I am aware of the Scriptures that would perhaps indicate that God’s mind was changed or that His plans were somehow altered by means of prayer. Yet, upon close examination we see that God’s sovereign plan and will always come to pass. His ultimate goals are never thwarted by prayer. I would therefore with full assurance, and the support of Scripture to uphold me, conclude that prayer does not change God; rather, prayer changes us!
Besides, who would want to change God? Who among men would presume to know more than God and thus need to inform God by way of prayer? Who would for a moment think that our insight into life’s problems could improve upon God’s almighty, immeasurable , infinite knowledge and wisdom? No, my friend, trust God and rest in the knowledge of God’s unchanging, immutable, unalterable, incontrovertible Word. The only person prayer changes is the only one who needs changing. Prayer changes US!
Prayer causes God’s desires to be our desires. Prayer causes our goal to be God’s holiness; our calling, God’s work; our source, God’s power; our supply, God’s riches; our foundation, God’s promises. Prayer causes God’s love to be our vision; God’s victory, our hope; God’s Word, our truth; God’s joy, our strength; God’s presence, our passion. Prayer refocuses our blurred ambitions. It destroys worldly lusts. It balances our extremes. Prayer changes US!
Prayer causes God’s heart to be our speech. It causes our will to be surrendered; our commitment, sincere; our yes to be yes and our no to be no; our attitude, that of a servant. Prayer changes US!
Many are waiting upon mountain sized faith to move problems the size of mustard seeds. The Bible says with faith the size of a mustard seed we will move mountains into the sea. Prayer moves the mountain, and the biggest mountain is US!
We are instructed to pray by Jesus - Matthew 6:5-13. We are empowered to pray by the Spirit - Romans 8:26,27. We are needed in prayer by a lost and dying world that needs to see people who have been with Jesus - ordinary people who do extraordinary exploits in the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus - Acts 4:13. Prayer changes US!
Prayer does not give us unlimited access to God; it gives God unlimited access to us. Prayer does not cause God to bow before our whims; it causes us to surrender to His will. Prayer changes US!
The man who thinks that prayer is permission to waltz up to the Throne while twisting and shouting to the rhythms of this world will find himself excluded from the dance. Real prayer is in sync with the heartbeat of God.
The man who tries to move the hand of God by praying will be disillusioned and disappointed. The man who through prayer allows God to move his hands will find his life satisfying and his work effective. The man who tries to manipulate God will find himself manacled - powerless without God. The man who allows God to manage his affairs will find freedom. Prayer changes US!
The man who would not change should not pray. The man who desires change, desires prayer. The contented man is discontented by prayer. The man discontented with this world finds absolute contentment in prayer. The man who tries to change others is poor at prayer. The man who wants himself to be changed will be made rich in prayer. Prayer changes US!
Now one might argue that Jesus didn’t need changed and he prayed. On one hand you are absolutely correct. As the Son of God, he couldn’t change if he had wanted - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever - Hebrews 13:8. On the other hand, as the Son of Man, I have no doubt that he had to pray continually in order to not take advantage of his Divine reputation; to make himself nothing - Philippians 2:7. I have to believe that God in the Flesh was constantly having to pray to keep from being changed back into his Divine Being that he had from before the beginning of the world. I would speculate that there was an ever present struggle to prevent the Transfiguration of the Mountain - Matthew 17:12 - from being a much more common event. Jesus himself said that all he needed to have done was ask for assistance and 82 thousand angels would have been at his disposal - Matthew 26:53. Rather, he prayed that he, for the joy set before him - Hebrews 12:2 - might remain the Son of Man long enough to thoroughly and completely endure the agony of the Cross.
Just as Jesus prayed in order to lay aside Divine power that he might take on the likeness of sinful man - Romans 8:3 -, so too, we should pray so that in him we might become the righteousness of God - II Corinthian 5:21- that we might partake of His life - Galatians 2:20. Just as Jesus endured the Cross that we might live in Him, we should endure the Cross that he might live in us - Matthew 10:38-39. Prayer changes US! Prayer changes US! Prayer changes US!
It has been said by many that prayer changes God. However, I would profoundly disagree with this for several reasons. First and foremost is the Scriptural record. It is found in Malachi 3:6 that the Lord does not change. Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. I am aware of the Scriptures that would perhaps indicate that God’s mind was changed or that His plans were somehow altered by means of prayer. Yet, upon close examination we see that God’s sovereign plan and will always come to pass. His ultimate goals are never thwarted by prayer. I would therefore with full assurance, and the support of Scripture to uphold me, conclude that prayer does not change God; rather, prayer changes us!
Besides, who would want to change God? Who among men would presume to know more than God and thus need to inform God by way of prayer? Who would for a moment think that our insight into life’s problems could improve upon God’s almighty, immeasurable , infinite knowledge and wisdom? No, my friend, trust God and rest in the knowledge of God’s unchanging, immutable, unalterable, incontrovertible Word. The only person prayer changes is the only one who needs changing. Prayer changes US!
Prayer causes God’s desires to be our desires. Prayer causes our goal to be God’s holiness; our calling, God’s work; our source, God’s power; our supply, God’s riches; our foundation, God’s promises. Prayer causes God’s love to be our vision; God’s victory, our hope; God’s Word, our truth; God’s joy, our strength; God’s presence, our passion. Prayer refocuses our blurred ambitions. It destroys worldly lusts. It balances our extremes. Prayer changes US!
Prayer causes God’s heart to be our speech. It causes our will to be surrendered; our commitment, sincere; our yes to be yes and our no to be no; our attitude, that of a servant. Prayer changes US!
Many are waiting upon mountain sized faith to move problems the size of mustard seeds. The Bible says with faith the size of a mustard seed we will move mountains into the sea. Prayer moves the mountain, and the biggest mountain is US!
We are instructed to pray by Jesus - Matthew 6:5-13. We are empowered to pray by the Spirit - Romans 8:26,27. We are needed in prayer by a lost and dying world that needs to see people who have been with Jesus - ordinary people who do extraordinary exploits in the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus - Acts 4:13. Prayer changes US!
Prayer does not give us unlimited access to God; it gives God unlimited access to us. Prayer does not cause God to bow before our whims; it causes us to surrender to His will. Prayer changes US!
The man who thinks that prayer is permission to waltz up to the Throne while twisting and shouting to the rhythms of this world will find himself excluded from the dance. Real prayer is in sync with the heartbeat of God.
The man who tries to move the hand of God by praying will be disillusioned and disappointed. The man who through prayer allows God to move his hands will find his life satisfying and his work effective. The man who tries to manipulate God will find himself manacled - powerless without God. The man who allows God to manage his affairs will find freedom. Prayer changes US!
The man who would not change should not pray. The man who desires change, desires prayer. The contented man is discontented by prayer. The man discontented with this world finds absolute contentment in prayer. The man who tries to change others is poor at prayer. The man who wants himself to be changed will be made rich in prayer. Prayer changes US!
Now one might argue that Jesus didn’t need changed and he prayed. On one hand you are absolutely correct. As the Son of God, he couldn’t change if he had wanted - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever - Hebrews 13:8. On the other hand, as the Son of Man, I have no doubt that he had to pray continually in order to not take advantage of his Divine reputation; to make himself nothing - Philippians 2:7. I have to believe that God in the Flesh was constantly having to pray to keep from being changed back into his Divine Being that he had from before the beginning of the world. I would speculate that there was an ever present struggle to prevent the Transfiguration of the Mountain - Matthew 17:12 - from being a much more common event. Jesus himself said that all he needed to have done was ask for assistance and 82 thousand angels would have been at his disposal - Matthew 26:53. Rather, he prayed that he, for the joy set before him - Hebrews 12:2 - might remain the Son of Man long enough to thoroughly and completely endure the agony of the Cross.
Just as Jesus prayed in order to lay aside Divine power that he might take on the likeness of sinful man - Romans 8:3 -, so too, we should pray so that in him we might become the righteousness of God - II Corinthian 5:21- that we might partake of His life - Galatians 2:20. Just as Jesus endured the Cross that we might live in Him, we should endure the Cross that he might live in us - Matthew 10:38-39. Prayer changes US! Prayer changes US! Prayer changes US!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
THE LOST VIRTUES: You shouldn't pick up hitch-hikers anymore. Part II
Today, you wouldn’t dare pick up hitch hikers. Yet, a few years ago, it was a common occurrence. Today, seeing a hitch hiker causes instant suspicion. Hitch hikers today are viewed with such contempt as to instantly brand one as a deranged individual capable of unspeakable crimes. No reasonable person today would take the risk of taking into their vehicle a total stranger. Furthermore, anyone today who would suffer injury or loss as the result of picking up a hitch-hiker… well, we would think, “What were you thinking? If you were stupid enough to pick up a hitch-hiker, you get what you deserve.” However, not too many years ago, doing so was understood to be an act of gracious kindness. To pick up a hiker didn’t make you stupid, it made you a better person.
I would never stop to pick up a hitch hiker today, and not just because of the obvious safety concerns; I am too time pressed. My normal schedule is such that I simply do not have the extra few minutes required for stopping and picking up a hiker and then stopping a second time to drop him off. Plus, I don’t really want to make the effort to get to know someone that I will never see again. I want to play the CD’s of my choice… and I want to play them at volumes that would prevent conversation. If I want to stop at a Starbucks drive-thru, which I frequently do, I do not want to have to deal with the, “Do you want a coffee? - Oh, you can’t afford it.” - Then I’m stuck drinking one in front of my temporary passenger or I’m stuck buying. - I am not really interested in the requisite chat-with-a-total-stranger that is required. A hitch-hiker would, simply put, be an enormous inconvenience.
Something else that is worthy of note is that most of my travel today is done on the big super slab Interstate highways upon which hitch hiking is forbidden by law. My high speed got-to-get-there-now express lane life has by default removed itself from the highways that would permit such a “chance” mode of travel as waiting by the edge of the road for a passing motorist to stop and give you a free ride to a spot a bit further down the way. No one today gets their kicks on Route 66. I recently was detoured off of Interstate 44 onto old Route 66, and believe me; you wouldn’t want to travel very far on this historic road. This relic piece of Americana, like the virtues to which I refer, provides only a broken down and faded symbol of a once famed and successful stretch of concrete that spanned much of our nation.
I would never stop to pick up a hitch hiker today, and not just because of the obvious safety concerns; I am too time pressed. My normal schedule is such that I simply do not have the extra few minutes required for stopping and picking up a hiker and then stopping a second time to drop him off. Plus, I don’t really want to make the effort to get to know someone that I will never see again. I want to play the CD’s of my choice… and I want to play them at volumes that would prevent conversation. If I want to stop at a Starbucks drive-thru, which I frequently do, I do not want to have to deal with the, “Do you want a coffee? - Oh, you can’t afford it.” - Then I’m stuck drinking one in front of my temporary passenger or I’m stuck buying. - I am not really interested in the requisite chat-with-a-total-stranger that is required. A hitch-hiker would, simply put, be an enormous inconvenience.
Something else that is worthy of note is that most of my travel today is done on the big super slab Interstate highways upon which hitch hiking is forbidden by law. My high speed got-to-get-there-now express lane life has by default removed itself from the highways that would permit such a “chance” mode of travel as waiting by the edge of the road for a passing motorist to stop and give you a free ride to a spot a bit further down the way. No one today gets their kicks on Route 66. I recently was detoured off of Interstate 44 onto old Route 66, and believe me; you wouldn’t want to travel very far on this historic road. This relic piece of Americana, like the virtues to which I refer, provides only a broken down and faded symbol of a once famed and successful stretch of concrete that spanned much of our nation.
THE LOST VIRTUES: You shouldn't pick up hitch-hikers anymore.
A lot has changed over the past 53 years. As much as I hate to admit it, I am growing older. Although I don’t think that I am yet considered to be a “senior” citizen – I don’t get the discount - I am certain that I have reached middle age. And if I may say so, it is something that I endure only while kicking and screaming. I love my Dad very much and I miss him deeply; he died a handful of years ago. However, I am not thrilled with the frequent realization that I am becoming my Dad. I remember how he used to speak about the culture of the 60’s and 70’s. He wasn’t well pleased with it, and he didn’t hide his feelings. I now find myself not altogether liking the culture around me, and like my father, I sometimes don’t hide my displeasure very well.
Like so many of my peers, I struggle to understand the dramatic changes occurring around me. The ground of my personal values shake beneath me as if being moved by some uncontrollable seismic activity. The personal etiquette that shaped my behavior four decades ago seems as outdated and rediculous as wrapping a bologna sandwich in waxed paper. I remember my Mother insisting that I read Emily Post’s Book of Etiquette. Contained therein were the rules for proper behavior; everything from table manners to how treat a young girl on a date. How to use a telephone… how to address your elders…. It was all there.
Yet there was something more that steered our lives. I realize now that there was a set of guidelines that defined the boundaries for us all. Likewise, I now also know that many of those rules were in fact rooted in the book of etiquette of the Christian faith: the Bible. Many directly sprang from the well of Solomon’s Proverbs. However, somewhere in the mix of these written truths, an unwritten set of rules, which might not have had specific chapter and verse references in the Bible, seemed to exist. The roots of truth and wisdom contained within these rules could be found therein by anyone who took the time to look, and every young boy knew that if you got outside of those boundaries you would end up in the ditch.
The Book of Etiquette has had to be updated and revised. And just as you cannot legislate morality, neither does it seem reasonable to believe that a book of rules for everyday behavior would be able to stem the tide of societal craziness that sweeps over us at an ever increasing rate. However, it seems to me that the loss of the ability of written rules to help us is not the problem. We have policy manuals for just about everything. We have ordinances and laws to cover any conceivable situation. Certainly, the Bible is still being printed and distributed. Yet with all of these written rules and guidelines, craziness still seems to trump common sense. It is, I believe, the nearly complete disappearance of the former unwritten code that has been our undoing. In that unwritten code were a handful of virtues by which nearly everyone lived their lives. It didn’t matter if they had or had not read The Book of Etiquette, people collectively lived their lives under the steerage of an unseen Captain; ruled by both the colloquial proverbs and wisdom passed from one generation to the next, as well as the many bits of behavioral sensibilities derived from the Scriptures.
I believe that there is today a new unwritten set of rules, one which bears absolutely no similarity to the old. I believe the very definitions of decency and manners have been rewritten. Yet, when I speak of decency, I am not at all referring to the way we dress or the movies we see. I am not referring to a thousand other manners and customs of life today. I realize that the world changes. However, there is something lost. There is a mysterious “something” that has been neither stolen nor misplaced; it quite simply never made the jump from one generation to the next.
Like so many of my peers, I struggle to understand the dramatic changes occurring around me. The ground of my personal values shake beneath me as if being moved by some uncontrollable seismic activity. The personal etiquette that shaped my behavior four decades ago seems as outdated and rediculous as wrapping a bologna sandwich in waxed paper. I remember my Mother insisting that I read Emily Post’s Book of Etiquette. Contained therein were the rules for proper behavior; everything from table manners to how treat a young girl on a date. How to use a telephone… how to address your elders…. It was all there.
Yet there was something more that steered our lives. I realize now that there was a set of guidelines that defined the boundaries for us all. Likewise, I now also know that many of those rules were in fact rooted in the book of etiquette of the Christian faith: the Bible. Many directly sprang from the well of Solomon’s Proverbs. However, somewhere in the mix of these written truths, an unwritten set of rules, which might not have had specific chapter and verse references in the Bible, seemed to exist. The roots of truth and wisdom contained within these rules could be found therein by anyone who took the time to look, and every young boy knew that if you got outside of those boundaries you would end up in the ditch.
The Book of Etiquette has had to be updated and revised. And just as you cannot legislate morality, neither does it seem reasonable to believe that a book of rules for everyday behavior would be able to stem the tide of societal craziness that sweeps over us at an ever increasing rate. However, it seems to me that the loss of the ability of written rules to help us is not the problem. We have policy manuals for just about everything. We have ordinances and laws to cover any conceivable situation. Certainly, the Bible is still being printed and distributed. Yet with all of these written rules and guidelines, craziness still seems to trump common sense. It is, I believe, the nearly complete disappearance of the former unwritten code that has been our undoing. In that unwritten code were a handful of virtues by which nearly everyone lived their lives. It didn’t matter if they had or had not read The Book of Etiquette, people collectively lived their lives under the steerage of an unseen Captain; ruled by both the colloquial proverbs and wisdom passed from one generation to the next, as well as the many bits of behavioral sensibilities derived from the Scriptures.
I believe that there is today a new unwritten set of rules, one which bears absolutely no similarity to the old. I believe the very definitions of decency and manners have been rewritten. Yet, when I speak of decency, I am not at all referring to the way we dress or the movies we see. I am not referring to a thousand other manners and customs of life today. I realize that the world changes. However, there is something lost. There is a mysterious “something” that has been neither stolen nor misplaced; it quite simply never made the jump from one generation to the next.
CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
I grew up in a more innocent age. No… really, it was. It wasn’t quite “Ozzie and Harriet”, but it was close. One of the favorite activities of young boys in my little world was reading comic books. “Sad Sack” and “The Fantastic Four” were my favorites. Placed within the pages of nearly every comic book were advertisements that were clearly intended to catch the attention of young, skinny kids just like me. Some of the very best were the Charles “Chuck” Atlas ads.
There he stood, on slightly bended knees, holding up the entire planet in his huge arms. For only a small amount of money, a 65 pound weakling like me could receive a secret powder to blend into a glass of milk that would transform my scrawny body into that of a Charles Atlas. I would be strong enough to hold up the world.
Time went by and I discovered that – this is going to come as a great shock to you – I was not then, nor would I ever be a Charles Atlas. As this truth began to dawn upon my pre-adolescent consciousness, I began to develop the idea that if I couldn’t hold up the world, perhaps I could be the center of the world. That’s right… I could be the center of attention. Chuck could hold up the world, but I would be the center of it.
Some months ago, I drove past a health Spa that had the following written on the sign at the front of the building: “Where You Are the Center of the Universe”. As I began to consider this, I realized that this may be what is at the heart of many of the problems faced by so many people. The slogan is not only impossible in the scientific sense, but it is overstated in the societal sense, and it is deceptive in the personal sense. If anyone believes themselves to be the “center of the universe”, they are first of all self-deceived, and furthermore, you will find your friendships diminished by the arrogant, vain, pompous, haughty attitude that destroys loyal, lasting relationships.
As I would grow to discover in my own life, young boys who think they are the center of the universe are nothing more than selfish little brats. Furthermore, some young boys (and girls), sadly, never grow up. The Bible clearly warns us: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment” - Romans 12:3. Likewise: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” – Galatians 6:3.
There he stood, on slightly bended knees, holding up the entire planet in his huge arms. For only a small amount of money, a 65 pound weakling like me could receive a secret powder to blend into a glass of milk that would transform my scrawny body into that of a Charles Atlas. I would be strong enough to hold up the world.
Time went by and I discovered that – this is going to come as a great shock to you – I was not then, nor would I ever be a Charles Atlas. As this truth began to dawn upon my pre-adolescent consciousness, I began to develop the idea that if I couldn’t hold up the world, perhaps I could be the center of the world. That’s right… I could be the center of attention. Chuck could hold up the world, but I would be the center of it.
Some months ago, I drove past a health Spa that had the following written on the sign at the front of the building: “Where You Are the Center of the Universe”. As I began to consider this, I realized that this may be what is at the heart of many of the problems faced by so many people. The slogan is not only impossible in the scientific sense, but it is overstated in the societal sense, and it is deceptive in the personal sense. If anyone believes themselves to be the “center of the universe”, they are first of all self-deceived, and furthermore, you will find your friendships diminished by the arrogant, vain, pompous, haughty attitude that destroys loyal, lasting relationships.
As I would grow to discover in my own life, young boys who think they are the center of the universe are nothing more than selfish little brats. Furthermore, some young boys (and girls), sadly, never grow up. The Bible clearly warns us: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment” - Romans 12:3. Likewise: “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” – Galatians 6:3.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
WINDOW DRESSING
Fresh becomes stale. New invariably becomes old. Cutting edge grows dull. New activities soon become old habits. Today’s popular styles will one day be replaced by the styles promoted by those who stand to profit from our need to distinguish ourselves from the pack.
I was recently trapped in a location where it was necessary for me to listen to a large selection of Christian music all of which was being performed by relatively young Christian music artists. At the huge risk of sounding like an old… a very old… man, I would like to make a few observations – not about music but about the matter of “change”. Music will simply offer to me a ready example of a condition that affects us all.
Song after song after song… musical artist after musical artist after musical artist… each and every one… male or female… they all sounded like they were trying to sing in an oxygen deprived atmosphere. Each note seemed to be pulled from lungs gasping for air. Some words came out more like gasps for air than lyrical music notes. I realize that this “style” might be performed and/or perceived to convey sincerity and passion, which is a good thing. But, I couldn’t help think: “Get this person some fresh air, before they faint.
This particular “you take my breath away” style does indeed give the impression of passion and sincerity. And, I must admit that it is a style that is particularly suited to Christian praise and worship. But to be so overtaken with emotion in the singing of song after song after song, after a while begins to breed a sense of faux sincerity. After a while it begins to appear phony.
Now, I am fully aware - trust me - that musical preferences are intimately personal. Each of us has music that moves us. I have always thought of myself as very open minded musically. Depending on what mood I’m in, I like everything from Skynyrd to Seeger, from the Gold City Quartet, to the Gaither Vocal Band, from Santana to Sugarland, … oh, and I almost forgot ZZ Top.., but the short list of music styles that I do not personally find particularly enjoyable continues to grow. I’m really not a fan of Blue Grass… I’m definitely not a fan of Rap… But, I have now added to my list this “out of breath - help me before I faint” music to my “not personally enjoyable” list. What, you ask, does this have to do with my observations about “change”? I’m glad you asked.
Recently, I visited a homepage for a local church that boasted: “NO HYMNS”. The idea, that I think they were trying to convey was that they were a relevant and modern church not bound by lifeless, old and stale methods and music. Yet, somehow in the process of wanting to appeal to a younger, hipper group of people, music that we could reasonably describe as hymns was treated as something unlikable, or unwanted. Let’s for a moment overlook the fact that I’m not sure this is even scriptural (Col. 3:16)… Suppose that I was new to the community and I wanted to attend a church that appreciated and provided me with the opportunity to worship the Lord through the singing of the some of the historic hymns and anthems of the Church… songs like Amazing Grace, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, How Great Thou Art, Blessed Assurance, I Sing the Mighty Power… the list goes on and on. Would I be attracted to attend based upon this homepage?
The aforementioned church, in an effort to provide freshness and vitality has, whether by accident or intention, or more likely as an unintended consequence, eliminated a group of Christians and a particular style of Christian music that has blessed the Church over a period of many years. Worse yet, they erroneously assume that sinners are more attracted to one style over another. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Sinners, just like Christians, come in a variety of flavors; with a wide variety in personal preferences. In an effort to include one group of people they have excluded another. In an effort to reach a modern culture they have abandoned an historic culture. In an effort to reach out, it avoids reaching people like me.
The things that please one group of people may not please another. Nothing… let me repeat it for emphasis… nothing in this world satisfies all. We used to hear it said, “You can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time. But, you cannot please all of the people all of the time.” It’s true. Comedian Bill Cosby has noted, “I don’t know the secret of success, but the secret of failure is trying to please everyone.”
Even Christ Jesus himself understood this truth. He could not please everyone. He didn’t try. His call to deny oneself and take up your cross and follow him caused some to fall away. In fact the Bible tells us that many left him… so many, in fact, that he asked his closest friends if they too were going to leave him.
So then, the argument can be made that Churches that abandon “churchy” music in favor of “non-churchy” music are simply following the example of Jesus. They are openly admitting that they are not interested in appealing to everyone… instead, they are only trying to appeal to a more casual post-modern culture. And, in doing so, they are doing a good thing.
Times change. Styles come and go. And mark this: that which is popular today will be one of three things 20 years from now. It will be completely forgotten about - fading into obscurity through neglect. It will be viewed as rotten and outdated, and as a result treated with repugnance, not unlike how we might treat over ripe and rotting fruit. Or, it will be preserved and institutionalized, and added to the list of sacred and protected artifacts of the Church.
As hard is it is to imagine, in some future day a Pastor desiring to attract his community to his Church will place an ad in a local paper announcing, “No Chris Tomlin Music”… or “No Israel Houghton Music”… or “No Darlene Zschech Music”. The music of these amazing and talented Christians will join the list of “out of favor” writers like Fanny Crosby, and Horatio Spafford. We must continue to answer the hard questions: “What price have we paid… what have we lost, when and if we discard the past in order to pursue the future?” How much of what we do is “window dressing” whose only purpose is to draw attention? And worse yet... Have we sanctified the “window dressing”?
When the church plans its ministries around a style of music, or a particular style of clothing, or a specific type of seating, rather than the need of sinners to be saved, we miss the single point to which we should be focused. All have sinned (horribly) and have fallen (helplessly) short (way… way short…) of the (holy) glory of God. Man… every man, woman, boy and girl… is in desperate need of a savior. No one can save themselves. Salvation from sin’s penalty and power cannot be gained by our own efforts or good works. We need Jesus.
I would hope that if I were to ask, most Christians would agree that we are not saved by good works. And yet it seems that some Churches today are trying to save themselves by good works, or new music, or coffee bars, or bistro seating, or multi-media presentations. The church is in danger of providing ministry to neighborhoods, without providing the cross to sinners. Some would argue that you can and should do both. But I would question, are we winning people to the Church or to Christ? When the pursuit of styles and trends replaces the pursuit of the Cross, we have hopped on the never ending "fashion tilt-a-whirl" controlled not by the Word of God, but by the world.
I was recently trapped in a location where it was necessary for me to listen to a large selection of Christian music all of which was being performed by relatively young Christian music artists. At the huge risk of sounding like an old… a very old… man, I would like to make a few observations – not about music but about the matter of “change”. Music will simply offer to me a ready example of a condition that affects us all.
Song after song after song… musical artist after musical artist after musical artist… each and every one… male or female… they all sounded like they were trying to sing in an oxygen deprived atmosphere. Each note seemed to be pulled from lungs gasping for air. Some words came out more like gasps for air than lyrical music notes. I realize that this “style” might be performed and/or perceived to convey sincerity and passion, which is a good thing. But, I couldn’t help think: “Get this person some fresh air, before they faint.
This particular “you take my breath away” style does indeed give the impression of passion and sincerity. And, I must admit that it is a style that is particularly suited to Christian praise and worship. But to be so overtaken with emotion in the singing of song after song after song, after a while begins to breed a sense of faux sincerity. After a while it begins to appear phony.
Now, I am fully aware - trust me - that musical preferences are intimately personal. Each of us has music that moves us. I have always thought of myself as very open minded musically. Depending on what mood I’m in, I like everything from Skynyrd to Seeger, from the Gold City Quartet, to the Gaither Vocal Band, from Santana to Sugarland, … oh, and I almost forgot ZZ Top.., but the short list of music styles that I do not personally find particularly enjoyable continues to grow. I’m really not a fan of Blue Grass… I’m definitely not a fan of Rap… But, I have now added to my list this “out of breath - help me before I faint” music to my “not personally enjoyable” list. What, you ask, does this have to do with my observations about “change”? I’m glad you asked.
Recently, I visited a homepage for a local church that boasted: “NO HYMNS”. The idea, that I think they were trying to convey was that they were a relevant and modern church not bound by lifeless, old and stale methods and music. Yet, somehow in the process of wanting to appeal to a younger, hipper group of people, music that we could reasonably describe as hymns was treated as something unlikable, or unwanted. Let’s for a moment overlook the fact that I’m not sure this is even scriptural (Col. 3:16)… Suppose that I was new to the community and I wanted to attend a church that appreciated and provided me with the opportunity to worship the Lord through the singing of the some of the historic hymns and anthems of the Church… songs like Amazing Grace, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, How Great Thou Art, Blessed Assurance, I Sing the Mighty Power… the list goes on and on. Would I be attracted to attend based upon this homepage?
The aforementioned church, in an effort to provide freshness and vitality has, whether by accident or intention, or more likely as an unintended consequence, eliminated a group of Christians and a particular style of Christian music that has blessed the Church over a period of many years. Worse yet, they erroneously assume that sinners are more attracted to one style over another. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Sinners, just like Christians, come in a variety of flavors; with a wide variety in personal preferences. In an effort to include one group of people they have excluded another. In an effort to reach a modern culture they have abandoned an historic culture. In an effort to reach out, it avoids reaching people like me.
The things that please one group of people may not please another. Nothing… let me repeat it for emphasis… nothing in this world satisfies all. We used to hear it said, “You can please some of the people some of the time, and all of the people some of the time. But, you cannot please all of the people all of the time.” It’s true. Comedian Bill Cosby has noted, “I don’t know the secret of success, but the secret of failure is trying to please everyone.”
Even Christ Jesus himself understood this truth. He could not please everyone. He didn’t try. His call to deny oneself and take up your cross and follow him caused some to fall away. In fact the Bible tells us that many left him… so many, in fact, that he asked his closest friends if they too were going to leave him.
So then, the argument can be made that Churches that abandon “churchy” music in favor of “non-churchy” music are simply following the example of Jesus. They are openly admitting that they are not interested in appealing to everyone… instead, they are only trying to appeal to a more casual post-modern culture. And, in doing so, they are doing a good thing.
Times change. Styles come and go. And mark this: that which is popular today will be one of three things 20 years from now. It will be completely forgotten about - fading into obscurity through neglect. It will be viewed as rotten and outdated, and as a result treated with repugnance, not unlike how we might treat over ripe and rotting fruit. Or, it will be preserved and institutionalized, and added to the list of sacred and protected artifacts of the Church.
As hard is it is to imagine, in some future day a Pastor desiring to attract his community to his Church will place an ad in a local paper announcing, “No Chris Tomlin Music”… or “No Israel Houghton Music”… or “No Darlene Zschech Music”. The music of these amazing and talented Christians will join the list of “out of favor” writers like Fanny Crosby, and Horatio Spafford. We must continue to answer the hard questions: “What price have we paid… what have we lost, when and if we discard the past in order to pursue the future?” How much of what we do is “window dressing” whose only purpose is to draw attention? And worse yet... Have we sanctified the “window dressing”?
When the church plans its ministries around a style of music, or a particular style of clothing, or a specific type of seating, rather than the need of sinners to be saved, we miss the single point to which we should be focused. All have sinned (horribly) and have fallen (helplessly) short (way… way short…) of the (holy) glory of God. Man… every man, woman, boy and girl… is in desperate need of a savior. No one can save themselves. Salvation from sin’s penalty and power cannot be gained by our own efforts or good works. We need Jesus.
I would hope that if I were to ask, most Christians would agree that we are not saved by good works. And yet it seems that some Churches today are trying to save themselves by good works, or new music, or coffee bars, or bistro seating, or multi-media presentations. The church is in danger of providing ministry to neighborhoods, without providing the cross to sinners. Some would argue that you can and should do both. But I would question, are we winning people to the Church or to Christ? When the pursuit of styles and trends replaces the pursuit of the Cross, we have hopped on the never ending "fashion tilt-a-whirl" controlled not by the Word of God, but by the world.
Monday, September 27, 2010
SHOULD THE CHURCH BE TAX EXEMPT?
Why should the Church enjoy tax exemption? Why should the most blessed group of organized citizens not pay their fair share? Is it not a violation of what Jesus himself said, when he told his disciples, “Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar”?
I have for a very long time wondered about this. Why should the Church, as an organization, be exempt from paying taxes? It seems very inconsistent on a lot of levels.
If the organization is exempt, then why not its individual members as well? Wouldn’t that make sense? Why should I have to pay property taxes? Oh, I know. You say, “The financial giving of the individual is exempt.” That is true, and only furthers my point… as you will see in a few moments.
Some would suggest that the Church is exempt because it is “not for profit”. Someone needs to explain to me why that should matter at all. If a “for profit” organization is profitable, the government enjoys a large piece of that profit… Why??? If a “not for profit” organization is doing very well financially and holds tremendous assets, no taxes are assessed. Again, why???
Maybe it is because the Church “does good” in a community. Doesn’t a profitable “business” do much good for a community? It provides jobs. It helps a community grow and prosper. Some might even suggest that a “for profit” business does more good for a community than a Church. Perhaps taxes should be assessed solely upon the “community good” that is NOT done by an organization. If you help the community in some tangible, calculable way, your taxes are less. If your organization is a drain on community services without providing anything in return, your taxes go up.
Perhaps it is because of the intent… the heart of the matter. Let me see… Because the intent of the Church is not to be profitable, it enjoys tax exemption even though it may hold large sums of money and assets. However, the legitimate businessman whose intent is to be profitable and yet is not, still must pay property taxes… What is consistent or fair about this?
The fact is that the Church’s gift of tax exemption has nothing to do with its shelter of “not for profit”. It has nothing to do with the ministries of the Church that help the poor. It has nothing to do with any of these “do good” things that the Church does. There is only one reason that a government that is desperate for money doesn’t enrich itself at the treasury of the Church. Stop and think for a moment… you’ll get it. Why would the a government that is willing to take up to 50% of a dead man’s estate, turn away from the bank account of the Church? The government takes money from what we eat, the fuel we consume, the property upon which we live… it taxes our entertainment, our travel, our wealth… it is even now trying to tax the air we breath!!!.... But it avoids taxing the Church… WHY????
The government doesn’t give the gift of tax exemption without demanding something in return… There is no “free lunch”. What’s the one thing that the government demands in return for tax exemption? SILENCE.
Until 1954 the Church enjoyed both tax exemption and the freedom to influence the political path of America. But in 1954, under the leadership of then Senator Lyndon Johnson, political freedom of speech for the Church was effectively taken away through the Internal Revenue Code.
The law says that tax exempt churches must not “influence legislation” and must not “endorse or participate in support of a particular political candidacy”. The government pays an enormous price for the silence of the church. One must ask the questions: “Why? What do they fear? What did the man who would become one of the most liberal Presidents in modern history want to prevent?”
If I had asked at the onset of this post if the government controlled the message of the Church, most would have answered, “Absolutely not.” If I had asked if the government was currently silencing the message of the Church, again you probably would have answered, “No”.
But the answer is, “Yes”. There are limits to what a “tax exempt” Church can say.
The government further controls and silences the Church by rewarding the individual financial support of its members with tax exemption on the same. When POTUS recently suggested that “charitable” giving in some cases might be taxed, the Church came out swinging against such an idea. The Church assumes that if charitable giving was taxed that it would have a net negative effect. So, the fight was on. “We must keep giving tax breaks on charitable giving because we otherwise wouldn’t survive”. Oh, I get it… The survival of the Church is due in part to the generosity of the government. Is that what we are suggesting?
What does the government get in exchange for this tax exempt gift? SILENCE.
Let’s play a little game…
What if the government said, “If you preach against homosexuality, you will lose your tax exempt status”, would you then be silent on this issue? What if the government said, “Preachers, you must preach against the war… War is wrong and you must preach against it, or you will forfeit your tax exempt status”, would you then stop praying for the success of our U.S. soldiers? What if the government said, “If you preach that abortion is the killing of an innocent child, you will lose your tax exempt gift”, what would you do?
You wouldn’t be silent on these issues… Then why are you willing to sell your silence on political issues at the price of tax exemption?
Lastly, take note: When the government no longer fears the political influence of the Church… when it no longer needs to silence the Church… when the message of the Church is effectively controlled by some other means… Mark this: The gift of tax exemption will be immediately taken away.
I have for a very long time wondered about this. Why should the Church, as an organization, be exempt from paying taxes? It seems very inconsistent on a lot of levels.
If the organization is exempt, then why not its individual members as well? Wouldn’t that make sense? Why should I have to pay property taxes? Oh, I know. You say, “The financial giving of the individual is exempt.” That is true, and only furthers my point… as you will see in a few moments.
Some would suggest that the Church is exempt because it is “not for profit”. Someone needs to explain to me why that should matter at all. If a “for profit” organization is profitable, the government enjoys a large piece of that profit… Why??? If a “not for profit” organization is doing very well financially and holds tremendous assets, no taxes are assessed. Again, why???
Maybe it is because the Church “does good” in a community. Doesn’t a profitable “business” do much good for a community? It provides jobs. It helps a community grow and prosper. Some might even suggest that a “for profit” business does more good for a community than a Church. Perhaps taxes should be assessed solely upon the “community good” that is NOT done by an organization. If you help the community in some tangible, calculable way, your taxes are less. If your organization is a drain on community services without providing anything in return, your taxes go up.
Perhaps it is because of the intent… the heart of the matter. Let me see… Because the intent of the Church is not to be profitable, it enjoys tax exemption even though it may hold large sums of money and assets. However, the legitimate businessman whose intent is to be profitable and yet is not, still must pay property taxes… What is consistent or fair about this?
The fact is that the Church’s gift of tax exemption has nothing to do with its shelter of “not for profit”. It has nothing to do with the ministries of the Church that help the poor. It has nothing to do with any of these “do good” things that the Church does. There is only one reason that a government that is desperate for money doesn’t enrich itself at the treasury of the Church. Stop and think for a moment… you’ll get it. Why would the a government that is willing to take up to 50% of a dead man’s estate, turn away from the bank account of the Church? The government takes money from what we eat, the fuel we consume, the property upon which we live… it taxes our entertainment, our travel, our wealth… it is even now trying to tax the air we breath!!!.... But it avoids taxing the Church… WHY????
The government doesn’t give the gift of tax exemption without demanding something in return… There is no “free lunch”. What’s the one thing that the government demands in return for tax exemption? SILENCE.
Until 1954 the Church enjoyed both tax exemption and the freedom to influence the political path of America. But in 1954, under the leadership of then Senator Lyndon Johnson, political freedom of speech for the Church was effectively taken away through the Internal Revenue Code.
The law says that tax exempt churches must not “influence legislation” and must not “endorse or participate in support of a particular political candidacy”. The government pays an enormous price for the silence of the church. One must ask the questions: “Why? What do they fear? What did the man who would become one of the most liberal Presidents in modern history want to prevent?”
If I had asked at the onset of this post if the government controlled the message of the Church, most would have answered, “Absolutely not.” If I had asked if the government was currently silencing the message of the Church, again you probably would have answered, “No”.
But the answer is, “Yes”. There are limits to what a “tax exempt” Church can say.
The government further controls and silences the Church by rewarding the individual financial support of its members with tax exemption on the same. When POTUS recently suggested that “charitable” giving in some cases might be taxed, the Church came out swinging against such an idea. The Church assumes that if charitable giving was taxed that it would have a net negative effect. So, the fight was on. “We must keep giving tax breaks on charitable giving because we otherwise wouldn’t survive”. Oh, I get it… The survival of the Church is due in part to the generosity of the government. Is that what we are suggesting?
What does the government get in exchange for this tax exempt gift? SILENCE.
Let’s play a little game…
What if the government said, “If you preach against homosexuality, you will lose your tax exempt status”, would you then be silent on this issue? What if the government said, “Preachers, you must preach against the war… War is wrong and you must preach against it, or you will forfeit your tax exempt status”, would you then stop praying for the success of our U.S. soldiers? What if the government said, “If you preach that abortion is the killing of an innocent child, you will lose your tax exempt gift”, what would you do?
You wouldn’t be silent on these issues… Then why are you willing to sell your silence on political issues at the price of tax exemption?
Lastly, take note: When the government no longer fears the political influence of the Church… when it no longer needs to silence the Church… when the message of the Church is effectively controlled by some other means… Mark this: The gift of tax exemption will be immediately taken away.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
POLITICS AND CHRISTIANITY: THE DEFAULT POSITION
Is it possible to remain politically neutral? Is is possible to have non-neutral political opinions but remain publicly silent? Are we not warned repeatedly in the Scripture against neutrality? When a person "takes a stand for Christ", does not that "stand" demand a non-neutral public posture by default?
The Catholic Church has taken this path of non-neutrality in regard to abortion. We have all seen the bumper sticker: "You Cannot Be Pro-Choice and Catholic". I recall, when Mr. Obama gave his Commencement Address at Notre Dame University, the images of an elderly white haired Catholic Priest being bound and taken away by the South Bend Police as he non-violently protested the President's involvement in the Commencement Ceremony. I remember that I openly wept.
I have made this public vow: Never again will I NOT be there. Never again will I watch from the comfort of my living room. Never again. The next time I will, with grave seriousness in my soul, stand beside the next Catholic Priest that "takes a stand" in public defiance of politicians who are willing to sanction the killing of defenseless babies. I have made this promise: I have never before been in jail, but... The next time, the police will take two of us away.
It seems to me to be an oxymoronic idea that one can be publicly Christian and privately political. Is that not the very idea of which Jesus spoke when he commanded us not to hide our light under a bushel? Can a follower of Christ be private?
I whole-heartedly agree that a Christian pulpit should never be a political pulpit. Never should the pulpit be the place to endorse any particular personality except Jesus. But if the pulpit is a place for a presentation of the Truth, then it is a logical and short trip to connect the dots that would lead us to conclude that we should not support certain politicians, as well as publicly take a stand against them.
This does indeed present a bit of a conundrum for a Pastor. But to hide behind the pulpit, when we are in fact not behind it, seems to be a much too convenient way to avoid the beating our public popularity might take if we came out from behind our sacred hiding place. The Christian in the pew doesn't have this advantage, so neither should Pastors.
Let me ask a question: Is a King a politician? Jesus declared himself a King in John 18. In fact, it seemed that Jesus was unable to keep his ministry as a Preacher clear of the problems created by his position as a King. Did not his political rivals ultimately kill him? Was not the public charge posted against him, "King of the Jews"? The religious/political powers of his time viewed him as a threat to their tyrannical political power, so they took him down by crucifying him.
Which brings me to my point: History repeatedly warns us... History shouts at us... And to Preachers specifically it demands a response. Public neutrality is not an option. Watchman Nee, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Jonas Clark, John Knox, Dietrich Bonhoeffer... the list goes on and on of those for whom politically neutral public silence was not possible. Are we different than these? Do we get a pass? If we fail to join the ranks of Christian leaders such as these, what shall be the result?
As Christians, we should all take heed. If we allow a religious vacuum to exist in the arena of public policy / politics, then do not be surprised when the same is filled with Sharia law.
We can all hope and pray that America will return to it's Christian roots, but it is looking less and less with each passing day like that will happen. Christian pastors need to be prepared to make a choice. However, the choice to which I refer is not a Republican or Democrat choice. It is not a Tea Party / Independent choice. When the time comes, we will all wish it were that easy.
The choice to be made (if history does indeed repeat itself) may very well be: Underground Pulpit or Public Prison.
The Catholic Church has taken this path of non-neutrality in regard to abortion. We have all seen the bumper sticker: "You Cannot Be Pro-Choice and Catholic". I recall, when Mr. Obama gave his Commencement Address at Notre Dame University, the images of an elderly white haired Catholic Priest being bound and taken away by the South Bend Police as he non-violently protested the President's involvement in the Commencement Ceremony. I remember that I openly wept.
I have made this public vow: Never again will I NOT be there. Never again will I watch from the comfort of my living room. Never again. The next time I will, with grave seriousness in my soul, stand beside the next Catholic Priest that "takes a stand" in public defiance of politicians who are willing to sanction the killing of defenseless babies. I have made this promise: I have never before been in jail, but... The next time, the police will take two of us away.
It seems to me to be an oxymoronic idea that one can be publicly Christian and privately political. Is that not the very idea of which Jesus spoke when he commanded us not to hide our light under a bushel? Can a follower of Christ be private?
I whole-heartedly agree that a Christian pulpit should never be a political pulpit. Never should the pulpit be the place to endorse any particular personality except Jesus. But if the pulpit is a place for a presentation of the Truth, then it is a logical and short trip to connect the dots that would lead us to conclude that we should not support certain politicians, as well as publicly take a stand against them.
This does indeed present a bit of a conundrum for a Pastor. But to hide behind the pulpit, when we are in fact not behind it, seems to be a much too convenient way to avoid the beating our public popularity might take if we came out from behind our sacred hiding place. The Christian in the pew doesn't have this advantage, so neither should Pastors.
Let me ask a question: Is a King a politician? Jesus declared himself a King in John 18. In fact, it seemed that Jesus was unable to keep his ministry as a Preacher clear of the problems created by his position as a King. Did not his political rivals ultimately kill him? Was not the public charge posted against him, "King of the Jews"? The religious/political powers of his time viewed him as a threat to their tyrannical political power, so they took him down by crucifying him.
Which brings me to my point: History repeatedly warns us... History shouts at us... And to Preachers specifically it demands a response. Public neutrality is not an option. Watchman Nee, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, Jonas Clark, John Knox, Dietrich Bonhoeffer... the list goes on and on of those for whom politically neutral public silence was not possible. Are we different than these? Do we get a pass? If we fail to join the ranks of Christian leaders such as these, what shall be the result?
As Christians, we should all take heed. If we allow a religious vacuum to exist in the arena of public policy / politics, then do not be surprised when the same is filled with Sharia law.
We can all hope and pray that America will return to it's Christian roots, but it is looking less and less with each passing day like that will happen. Christian pastors need to be prepared to make a choice. However, the choice to which I refer is not a Republican or Democrat choice. It is not a Tea Party / Independent choice. When the time comes, we will all wish it were that easy.
The choice to be made (if history does indeed repeat itself) may very well be: Underground Pulpit or Public Prison.
Monday, September 13, 2010
PULPIT SWAP
I don’t have the resources to do this… but I would love to be able to. I wish I had about 5 acres of vacant land right across the street from my church. I would then offer to lease the land for $1 per month to any group of Muslims that wanted to build a mosque on it.
The lease would be available with the following conditions. If it at any time it was determined that the leadership of the Mosque was involved directly or indirectly with the support or advancement of Jihadism the lease would be immediately revoked. Secondly, if it was determined that the leadership of the Mosque was involved directly or indirectly with the support or advancement of Sharia law in America the lease would likewise be immediately revoked. If I could find a group of Muslims willing to agree to my terms, I would not only make the above offer, but would pray that they would take it.
Why? Because I believe nothing would help advance my cause more than to give people a clear and obvious choice. I would be completely unafraid to put the life saving Gospel of Jesus right next to the message of Islam. I firmly believe I would win that contest if given a fair and equal opportunity.
This might come as a shock to some (but if you are a fan of the Unrepentant Antagonist, what else have you come to expect??)… But, I would jump at the chance to do a pulpit swap with a Muslim Imam. I have a complete confidence in the ability of my congregation to not falter if given an opportunity to hear an Imam make his best appeal on behalf of Islam. I likewise have an even greater confidence in the power of the Lord to prevail, if I were given an open and unfettered opportunity to make a clear presentation of the Gospel in a Mosque…
The lease would be available with the following conditions. If it at any time it was determined that the leadership of the Mosque was involved directly or indirectly with the support or advancement of Jihadism the lease would be immediately revoked. Secondly, if it was determined that the leadership of the Mosque was involved directly or indirectly with the support or advancement of Sharia law in America the lease would likewise be immediately revoked. If I could find a group of Muslims willing to agree to my terms, I would not only make the above offer, but would pray that they would take it.
Why? Because I believe nothing would help advance my cause more than to give people a clear and obvious choice. I would be completely unafraid to put the life saving Gospel of Jesus right next to the message of Islam. I firmly believe I would win that contest if given a fair and equal opportunity.
This might come as a shock to some (but if you are a fan of the Unrepentant Antagonist, what else have you come to expect??)… But, I would jump at the chance to do a pulpit swap with a Muslim Imam. I have a complete confidence in the ability of my congregation to not falter if given an opportunity to hear an Imam make his best appeal on behalf of Islam. I likewise have an even greater confidence in the power of the Lord to prevail, if I were given an open and unfettered opportunity to make a clear presentation of the Gospel in a Mosque…
MY MUSLIM FRIEND
An ordinary moment became extraordinary in a blink…
Last Friday I walked into a local business to drop off some equipment that needed a repair. The owner turned and saw me at the counter and promptly approached me with a smile and a question. In the presence of other customers he asked me: “Hey, Pastor. Are you going to be burning a Quran this weekend?” This question came as no big surprise to me; everyone seemed to be talking about this story. However, the thing that made this particular inquiry different… the owner of the business was a Muslim.
I promptly looked and him and responded, “No. I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon.” My response was dressed in a smile that conveyed to him the message that I would never indulge in such a ridiculous behavior. Furthermore, I didn’t think it was the perfect setting to get into a big discussion about such controversial matters, so I suspected that the conversation would end with my reply. Boy, was I mistaken.
I won’t herein go into all the details of our exchange, but what began in a blink lasted over 20 minutes. For what would be to this point, my longest one on one conversation with a committed Muslim, I was given a full opportunity to enjoy an open and honest dialog with a very smart and articulate disciple of Islam.
He asked me why a “Christian” pastor would do such a thing. My response was that just because a person calls themselves a Christian doesn’t necessarily mean that they are one. There are radicals among the Christian faith just as there are among Muslims. I then went on to tell him how and why I, as a Christian, ride with the Patriot Guard to protect the grieving families of soldiers that have been killed in the war from being exposed to the protests of the radicals of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas.
Because this Quran story quickly was being connected to the NYC mosque debate, our conversation soon circled around to include this national hot potato. I looked my Muslim friend directly in the eye and said, “You could build a Mosque right across the street from my Church and it would bother me a bit. My quarrel is not with Islam.” He seemed surprised by my words, but not as surprised as was I by his response. He said to me, “I wouldn’t build a mosque across from your church until after I had spoken with you to see if you were agreeable to me doing so… That would be the right thing to do if we were going to be good neighbors.”
It was then that our conversation took its most serious turn. I repeated my previous statement extending my open willingness for a mosque to be built next door to my church. I also again repeated that I have no quarrel with the Islam. Disagreement: yes. Quarrel: no. And then… then I added… “My quarrel is with the advancement of Sharia law. I as a Christian and you as a Muslim recognize and are willing to admit our theological differences. I believe one thing and you believe something else. But as an American, I believe that we must both adhere to Constitutional law alone. The media continues to make this an argument about religion. To do so misses the point." (I did not say this to him, but I am content to let Court of heaven be the final judge as to which one of us was correct. One thing is certain: we cannot both be correct because the theological differences are irreconcilable.)
The conversation continued on for several minutes with him explaining the deep rift within Islam pertaining to the application of Sharia. In the end, we shook hands as friends and I believe we both walked away smarter than when we began. I, with great eagerness, look forward to more opportunities like this one.
Epilogue:
I do not expect for an American Courtroom to be a Christian Courtroom. I likewise do not expect for there to be two Courts - one Consitutional, the other Christian - thereby giving a person a choice. And, I most certainly do not believe that there should be three courts; Constitutional, Christian, and Sharia/Islamic. I do expect for there to be one Court ruled by the Constitution alone.
If I, as a Christian, or my Muslim friend, as a follower of Islam, feel that we cannot act according to the requirements of the Constitution, then we each must make the personal decision as to how we should act. If my actions as a Christian American results in a penalty according to law of the Constitution, then I must be prepared to take the penalty without complaint. Likewise, if Sharia law demands that a Muslim American kill a family member that converts to Christianity, then that Muslim must be prepared to suffer the penalty prescribed by Constitutional law for murder.
Last Friday I walked into a local business to drop off some equipment that needed a repair. The owner turned and saw me at the counter and promptly approached me with a smile and a question. In the presence of other customers he asked me: “Hey, Pastor. Are you going to be burning a Quran this weekend?” This question came as no big surprise to me; everyone seemed to be talking about this story. However, the thing that made this particular inquiry different… the owner of the business was a Muslim.
I promptly looked and him and responded, “No. I don’t think I’ll be doing that anytime soon.” My response was dressed in a smile that conveyed to him the message that I would never indulge in such a ridiculous behavior. Furthermore, I didn’t think it was the perfect setting to get into a big discussion about such controversial matters, so I suspected that the conversation would end with my reply. Boy, was I mistaken.
I won’t herein go into all the details of our exchange, but what began in a blink lasted over 20 minutes. For what would be to this point, my longest one on one conversation with a committed Muslim, I was given a full opportunity to enjoy an open and honest dialog with a very smart and articulate disciple of Islam.
He asked me why a “Christian” pastor would do such a thing. My response was that just because a person calls themselves a Christian doesn’t necessarily mean that they are one. There are radicals among the Christian faith just as there are among Muslims. I then went on to tell him how and why I, as a Christian, ride with the Patriot Guard to protect the grieving families of soldiers that have been killed in the war from being exposed to the protests of the radicals of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas.
Because this Quran story quickly was being connected to the NYC mosque debate, our conversation soon circled around to include this national hot potato. I looked my Muslim friend directly in the eye and said, “You could build a Mosque right across the street from my Church and it would bother me a bit. My quarrel is not with Islam.” He seemed surprised by my words, but not as surprised as was I by his response. He said to me, “I wouldn’t build a mosque across from your church until after I had spoken with you to see if you were agreeable to me doing so… That would be the right thing to do if we were going to be good neighbors.”
It was then that our conversation took its most serious turn. I repeated my previous statement extending my open willingness for a mosque to be built next door to my church. I also again repeated that I have no quarrel with the Islam. Disagreement: yes. Quarrel: no. And then… then I added… “My quarrel is with the advancement of Sharia law. I as a Christian and you as a Muslim recognize and are willing to admit our theological differences. I believe one thing and you believe something else. But as an American, I believe that we must both adhere to Constitutional law alone. The media continues to make this an argument about religion. To do so misses the point." (I did not say this to him, but I am content to let Court of heaven be the final judge as to which one of us was correct. One thing is certain: we cannot both be correct because the theological differences are irreconcilable.)
The conversation continued on for several minutes with him explaining the deep rift within Islam pertaining to the application of Sharia. In the end, we shook hands as friends and I believe we both walked away smarter than when we began. I, with great eagerness, look forward to more opportunities like this one.
Epilogue:
I do not expect for an American Courtroom to be a Christian Courtroom. I likewise do not expect for there to be two Courts - one Consitutional, the other Christian - thereby giving a person a choice. And, I most certainly do not believe that there should be three courts; Constitutional, Christian, and Sharia/Islamic. I do expect for there to be one Court ruled by the Constitution alone.
If I, as a Christian, or my Muslim friend, as a follower of Islam, feel that we cannot act according to the requirements of the Constitution, then we each must make the personal decision as to how we should act. If my actions as a Christian American results in a penalty according to law of the Constitution, then I must be prepared to take the penalty without complaint. Likewise, if Sharia law demands that a Muslim American kill a family member that converts to Christianity, then that Muslim must be prepared to suffer the penalty prescribed by Constitutional law for murder.
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