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.
Monday, September 27, 2010
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.
Monday, June 22, 2009
THE HARVEST IS TINY AND THE WORKERS NUMBER IN THE MILLIONS
The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few… Jesus said it, I know. Yet, I do not believe it and neither should you. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This verse of Scripture is like so many others; it has been preached so much, and repeated so often that its truth becomes distorted through overuse. The Harvest IS NOT plentiful and there is now an abundance of workers to finish the job. Therein lies the problem.
Over the years, Luke 10:2 has been inappropriately used as motivation to get the church busy winning souls. I believe that the idea has been that if there was an overwhelming need, and few to accomplish it, then people would be motivated to get involved. The problem with this is two-fold. First, it simply is an incorrect application of this verse, which I will get to in a moment. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it puts the emphasis on the wrong thing.
In order to properly understand “the harvest in plentiful”, we must look first to Romans 11:25. This verse changes everything. … Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Full number… Read it again… the full number... has come in. There is a finite number of non-Jewish people that are going to be saved. That number, which is known only to God, is a fixed number. I don’t know what it is, and neither does anyone else. From the moment that those first believers were saved in Acts chapter two, the Lord has been adding (2:47) to the number being saved… or in another way of understanding this process, the Lord has been subtracting from the “full number” of Roman 11:25.
Logic demands that as we approach the Day when the harvest is completed, the amount remaining to yet be brought in will get smaller and smaller. Imagine with me for just a moment that today was the last day for the harvest. I’m not suggesting that it is, but pretend with me for a moment that it is. Now, let’s pick a number… any number will do… How many do you think will be saved on that Last Day? 10,000? 5,000? 500? I don’t care what number you pick. All I care about is that this number will, throughout that Last Day, get smaller and smaller as the day continues. Let’s pretend that there was only one hour remaining. How many will be saved in the final hour? Again, we don’t know. But, what we do know in that it is a finite number. How many in the last minute? Where do they live? Who will be the final person saved? What is their name?
The first person to be saved in all of Asia was a man named Epenetus - Romans 16:5. We know the name of the first, but not the last. Just think of it: What is the name of the last person to be saved? George? Caresse? Hamal? Waseme? Phuong? Amanda? The Lord knew better than to tell us the name of the last person to be saved. If He had done so, we would have avoided all the rest. What if the Bible said that the last person to be saved would be named Fred… think about the results. All effort would be put into finding Fred and everyone else would be ignored.
When Jesus spoke the words recorded in Luke 10:2, he was obviously speaking the truth. However, Jesus NEVER said the harvest would remain plentiful continually. That’s absurd and illogical. The harvest is being diminished dramatically even as you read this sentence. And that brings me to the second problem associated with the historic incorrect application of this verse: the emphasis is misplaced.
If we treat this verse in the historical fashion, believing that the harvest is huge, then the emphasis is upon how a few Christians are reaching such a large contingent of unsaved persons. Whereas the emphasis should be placed directly upon the fact that the number is getting smaller and smaller and we need EVERYONE to be looking for the “needle in the haystack”, for it is going to get harder and harder to find that last person to be saved. Instead of a few reaching a multitude, it should be a multitude reaching a few.
Years ago, my niece, Teresa, went on a “missions” trip to one of the Caribbean islands. She returned very disappointed. She went believing she would find the huge harvest field of which she had heard so much about. What she found was an island filled with people “who were either already saved, or could give you a dozen reasons why they didn’t want to be” - those were her words, not mine.
I believe that as we get closer and closer to the Last day, the circumstance faced by my niece will be the normal situation for us all. That is why we need each and every Christian involved in the hunt; not just a few special missionaries sent to far off lands. Finding that last person will not be easy. Actually, the Lord’s plan was brilliant. In the beginning the Harvest was indeed plentiful and the need for more workers / believers to be increased was critical. However, today, with the full number being closer and closer to being reached, we need each of every one of the multitude of Christians sitting comfortably in churches around the globe to be searching, digging, looking, for that last soul that will say, “Yes!” Think of how quickly we could bring this dispensation of Grace to a conclusion if everyone was busy looking for the last person to saved.
Over the years, Luke 10:2 has been inappropriately used as motivation to get the church busy winning souls. I believe that the idea has been that if there was an overwhelming need, and few to accomplish it, then people would be motivated to get involved. The problem with this is two-fold. First, it simply is an incorrect application of this verse, which I will get to in a moment. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it puts the emphasis on the wrong thing.
In order to properly understand “the harvest in plentiful”, we must look first to Romans 11:25. This verse changes everything. … Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Full number… Read it again… the full number... has come in. There is a finite number of non-Jewish people that are going to be saved. That number, which is known only to God, is a fixed number. I don’t know what it is, and neither does anyone else. From the moment that those first believers were saved in Acts chapter two, the Lord has been adding (2:47) to the number being saved… or in another way of understanding this process, the Lord has been subtracting from the “full number” of Roman 11:25.
Logic demands that as we approach the Day when the harvest is completed, the amount remaining to yet be brought in will get smaller and smaller. Imagine with me for just a moment that today was the last day for the harvest. I’m not suggesting that it is, but pretend with me for a moment that it is. Now, let’s pick a number… any number will do… How many do you think will be saved on that Last Day? 10,000? 5,000? 500? I don’t care what number you pick. All I care about is that this number will, throughout that Last Day, get smaller and smaller as the day continues. Let’s pretend that there was only one hour remaining. How many will be saved in the final hour? Again, we don’t know. But, what we do know in that it is a finite number. How many in the last minute? Where do they live? Who will be the final person saved? What is their name?
The first person to be saved in all of Asia was a man named Epenetus - Romans 16:5. We know the name of the first, but not the last. Just think of it: What is the name of the last person to be saved? George? Caresse? Hamal? Waseme? Phuong? Amanda? The Lord knew better than to tell us the name of the last person to be saved. If He had done so, we would have avoided all the rest. What if the Bible said that the last person to be saved would be named Fred… think about the results. All effort would be put into finding Fred and everyone else would be ignored.
When Jesus spoke the words recorded in Luke 10:2, he was obviously speaking the truth. However, Jesus NEVER said the harvest would remain plentiful continually. That’s absurd and illogical. The harvest is being diminished dramatically even as you read this sentence. And that brings me to the second problem associated with the historic incorrect application of this verse: the emphasis is misplaced.
If we treat this verse in the historical fashion, believing that the harvest is huge, then the emphasis is upon how a few Christians are reaching such a large contingent of unsaved persons. Whereas the emphasis should be placed directly upon the fact that the number is getting smaller and smaller and we need EVERYONE to be looking for the “needle in the haystack”, for it is going to get harder and harder to find that last person to be saved. Instead of a few reaching a multitude, it should be a multitude reaching a few.
Years ago, my niece, Teresa, went on a “missions” trip to one of the Caribbean islands. She returned very disappointed. She went believing she would find the huge harvest field of which she had heard so much about. What she found was an island filled with people “who were either already saved, or could give you a dozen reasons why they didn’t want to be” - those were her words, not mine.
I believe that as we get closer and closer to the Last day, the circumstance faced by my niece will be the normal situation for us all. That is why we need each and every Christian involved in the hunt; not just a few special missionaries sent to far off lands. Finding that last person will not be easy. Actually, the Lord’s plan was brilliant. In the beginning the Harvest was indeed plentiful and the need for more workers / believers to be increased was critical. However, today, with the full number being closer and closer to being reached, we need each of every one of the multitude of Christians sitting comfortably in churches around the globe to be searching, digging, looking, for that last soul that will say, “Yes!” Think of how quickly we could bring this dispensation of Grace to a conclusion if everyone was busy looking for the last person to saved.
Monday, June 1, 2009
CLEANING OFF GRAVE SPIT: Was Jonah dead or alive in the belly of the whale?
Contrary to popular opinion: Jonah was dead… that’s right… Jonah was dead in the belly of that huge fish. Jonah was fish food… plain and simple. There is absolutely not one verse of scripture to indicate otherwise. Oh, I know that Jonah 2:1 says that Jonah prayed from inside the fish. I have no doubt that this is true. The last verse of chapter two provides for us the end of that ugly, nasty, repulsive chapter of Jo
nah’s experience. That fish puked Jonah out of his gullet onto the waiting sands of a nearby beach.
However, there is not one word between the conclusion of Jonah’s prayer and the gastric convulsions that conclude chapter two to suggest that Jonah remained alive. As a matter of fact there are three and only three possible truths related to this matter, and none of them are that Jonah remained alive while in the stomach of that fish. Either Jonah was dead, or Jesus was a liar, or Jesus was alive for three days and nights in the grave. Since we know that the last two options are unacceptable, only the first option remains. Jesus himself tells us that Jonah was dead. So why are we so willing to believe he was alive?
I know what you’re thinking: Here I go again, the Unrepentant Antagonist is at it again… picking an unnecessary fight. But you’re wrong. I’m not picking a fight. And my concern is not driven by some carnal joy in antagonizing the innocent. This truth, that Jonah was dead, is absolutely essential.
Several years ago I was doing a study on the death of Jesus. I would spend over two years reading, researching, talking with Physicians and conferring with Professors. Hours and hours were spent following every path of inquiry that presented itself. My initial goal was to try to understand the sequence and timing of the events surrounding the crucifixion. Many tangential truths would come to light during this research. The fact that Jonah died and was resurrected is one of those truths.
The most convincing pieces of evidence in the matter are the very words of Jesus. While speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” As Jonah was… so the Son of Man will be. Now, I can obviously see that Jesus was emphasizing the issue of “three days and night”; however, we should not conclude that the comparison is limited only to that. Logic would demand that if “For as Jonah was… so the Son of Man will be” is true, then “As the Son of Man was… so was Jonah”. If A=B, then B=A. Jesus was dead for three days and three nights. Jonah likewise was dead for three days and three nights.
Why is this important? Please let me continue.
During my research, I one day happened to be at my Physician, Dr. Myron’s office for a routine medical matter. Before Dr. Myron left the room, I asked if he had an extra moment for a question. He gladly obliged me. “Consider a dead body, embalmed by the normal procedures utilized by Middle Eastern cultures 2000 years ago. What would that body look like 72 hours after internment in an above ground tomb?” He gave me an odd look, and asked if he could have time to think about it. Of course, I agreed.
Several months later, very late one evening, my phone at home rang. It was the switchboard of the Jay County Memorial Hospital. The operator asked if I could hold for Dr. Myron. My first thoughts were that someone from our Church had some urgent need. However, I thought it odd that Dr. Myron would contact me by phone, if that was the case. When he came on the line, he asked, “You probably thought that I forgot your question, didn’t you? But, I didn’t. You were referring to Jesus, weren’t you?” He was right. I had concluded that he was probably too busy to mess with my question about the medical details of ancient burials. He then went on to tell me in graphic detail what the body of Jesus should have looked like after three days and three nights in a dark, dank above ground tomb. It would not have been a pretty sight. Bloated beyond recognition… the stench of rotting flesh… it would have been very nasty indeed.
Immediately upon death, the body begins to release chemicals throughout the flesh and tissues that are intended to do one thing: digest that body. In order that we can avoid watching the repulsive ugliness associated with a decaying human body, we put it someplace secluded. Sometimes we bury it below ground, sometimes behind granite walls. Sometimes we hasten the process by fire. Other times with the body weighted and shrouded we send it to the ocean depths. No matter what process we use to put that dead body out of sight… it shall decay.
Immediately upon food entering the mouth, a complex chemical process begins which is intended to do one thing: digest that food. Just the mere mention of food causes our saliva glands to get excited. My guess is that just reading the last two sentences about food has caused your very own saliva glands to begin to secrete those digestive juices.
What happens to food that your body refuses to digest? Why do you think that we feed the sick food that is easy to digest? What happens if we give a sick person a big steak dinner with all the trimmings? We finish it off with a generous helping of a rich dessert. What’s going to happen? What the stomach can’t digest, it regurgitates. Yes?
That poor fish had no idea what a terrible case of indigestion Jonah was going to cause. For three days and three nights the gastric juices and muscular machinations of that great fish tried its best to digest the body of Jonah. Yet, the forces of biology worked their chemical magic in vain. The body of that dead would be preacher just wouldn’t submit. After the worst 72 hour belly ache that fish had ever known, enough was enough; a dead body, undamaged and unaffected by the powers and the laws of death, was expelled from its gastric tomb.
The Bible doesn’t tell us when Jonah was imbued with resurrection power, but I kind of like to imagine that it was sometime just after all of those nasty acids and fish spit were being washed off. Just as Lazarus was covered with grave clothes so too was Jonah covered with grave spit. A clean but still drenched Jonah breaths again for the first time in 72 hours, sets up on the beach and looks around wondering, “How did I get here?!”
For three days and three nights the grave tried to digest the body of Jesus… but it could not. This is a fact that was prophesied by David in Psalm 16 - Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. Likewise it was an important part of the preaching of the Apostles - Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay; Acts 2:24-31. Also: For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay; Acts 13:36
Just as the grave vomited a once dead but now living Jesus out through its solid stone mouth, so too did that providential fish rid itself of a meal that it could not digest, and a once dead but now living Jonah was awakened to life on the shores of the sea. God is in the resurrection business. Why do we find it necessary to diminish the miracle of a resurrected Jonah by suggesting that through some odd fluke of nature Jonah was able to survive alive inside of the digestive tract of a fish? To do so would be the same as to suggest that Jesus never died but was rather trapped alive inside a cavern tomb.
Jonah was dead….
nah’s experience. That fish puked Jonah out of his gullet onto the waiting sands of a nearby beach.However, there is not one word between the conclusion of Jonah’s prayer and the gastric convulsions that conclude chapter two to suggest that Jonah remained alive. As a matter of fact there are three and only three possible truths related to this matter, and none of them are that Jonah remained alive while in the stomach of that fish. Either Jonah was dead, or Jesus was a liar, or Jesus was alive for three days and nights in the grave. Since we know that the last two options are unacceptable, only the first option remains. Jesus himself tells us that Jonah was dead. So why are we so willing to believe he was alive?
I know what you’re thinking: Here I go again, the Unrepentant Antagonist is at it again… picking an unnecessary fight. But you’re wrong. I’m not picking a fight. And my concern is not driven by some carnal joy in antagonizing the innocent. This truth, that Jonah was dead, is absolutely essential.
Several years ago I was doing a study on the death of Jesus. I would spend over two years reading, researching, talking with Physicians and conferring with Professors. Hours and hours were spent following every path of inquiry that presented itself. My initial goal was to try to understand the sequence and timing of the events surrounding the crucifixion. Many tangential truths would come to light during this research. The fact that Jonah died and was resurrected is one of those truths.
The most convincing pieces of evidence in the matter are the very words of Jesus. While speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” As Jonah was… so the Son of Man will be. Now, I can obviously see that Jesus was emphasizing the issue of “three days and night”; however, we should not conclude that the comparison is limited only to that. Logic would demand that if “For as Jonah was… so the Son of Man will be” is true, then “As the Son of Man was… so was Jonah”. If A=B, then B=A. Jesus was dead for three days and three nights. Jonah likewise was dead for three days and three nights.
Why is this important? Please let me continue.
During my research, I one day happened to be at my Physician, Dr. Myron’s office for a routine medical matter. Before Dr. Myron left the room, I asked if he had an extra moment for a question. He gladly obliged me. “Consider a dead body, embalmed by the normal procedures utilized by Middle Eastern cultures 2000 years ago. What would that body look like 72 hours after internment in an above ground tomb?” He gave me an odd look, and asked if he could have time to think about it. Of course, I agreed.
Several months later, very late one evening, my phone at home rang. It was the switchboard of the Jay County Memorial Hospital. The operator asked if I could hold for Dr. Myron. My first thoughts were that someone from our Church had some urgent need. However, I thought it odd that Dr. Myron would contact me by phone, if that was the case. When he came on the line, he asked, “You probably thought that I forgot your question, didn’t you? But, I didn’t. You were referring to Jesus, weren’t you?” He was right. I had concluded that he was probably too busy to mess with my question about the medical details of ancient burials. He then went on to tell me in graphic detail what the body of Jesus should have looked like after three days and three nights in a dark, dank above ground tomb. It would not have been a pretty sight. Bloated beyond recognition… the stench of rotting flesh… it would have been very nasty indeed.
Immediately upon death, the body begins to release chemicals throughout the flesh and tissues that are intended to do one thing: digest that body. In order that we can avoid watching the repulsive ugliness associated with a decaying human body, we put it someplace secluded. Sometimes we bury it below ground, sometimes behind granite walls. Sometimes we hasten the process by fire. Other times with the body weighted and shrouded we send it to the ocean depths. No matter what process we use to put that dead body out of sight… it shall decay.
Immediately upon food entering the mouth, a complex chemical process begins which is intended to do one thing: digest that food. Just the mere mention of food causes our saliva glands to get excited. My guess is that just reading the last two sentences about food has caused your very own saliva glands to begin to secrete those digestive juices.
What happens to food that your body refuses to digest? Why do you think that we feed the sick food that is easy to digest? What happens if we give a sick person a big steak dinner with all the trimmings? We finish it off with a generous helping of a rich dessert. What’s going to happen? What the stomach can’t digest, it regurgitates. Yes?
That poor fish had no idea what a terrible case of indigestion Jonah was going to cause. For three days and three nights the gastric juices and muscular machinations of that great fish tried its best to digest the body of Jonah. Yet, the forces of biology worked their chemical magic in vain. The body of that dead would be preacher just wouldn’t submit. After the worst 72 hour belly ache that fish had ever known, enough was enough; a dead body, undamaged and unaffected by the powers and the laws of death, was expelled from its gastric tomb.
The Bible doesn’t tell us when Jonah was imbued with resurrection power, but I kind of like to imagine that it was sometime just after all of those nasty acids and fish spit were being washed off. Just as Lazarus was covered with grave clothes so too was Jonah covered with grave spit. A clean but still drenched Jonah breaths again for the first time in 72 hours, sets up on the beach and looks around wondering, “How did I get here?!”
For three days and three nights the grave tried to digest the body of Jesus… but it could not. This is a fact that was prophesied by David in Psalm 16 - Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. Likewise it was an important part of the preaching of the Apostles - Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay; Acts 2:24-31. Also: For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay; Acts 13:36
Just as the grave vomited a once dead but now living Jesus out through its solid stone mouth, so too did that providential fish rid itself of a meal that it could not digest, and a once dead but now living Jonah was awakened to life on the shores of the sea. God is in the resurrection business. Why do we find it necessary to diminish the miracle of a resurrected Jonah by suggesting that through some odd fluke of nature Jonah was able to survive alive inside of the digestive tract of a fish? To do so would be the same as to suggest that Jesus never died but was rather trapped alive inside a cavern tomb.
Jonah was dead….
Sunday, May 24, 2009
MEMORIAL DAY
(This was presented at part of a Memorial Day event in 2002.)
Today we stand before the flag of our Nation... Old Glory... the Stars and Stripes. We stand before the Banner of Freedom. Around the world, for the last 228 years this flag has flown on battlefield after battlefield. The staff on which it flies has pierced the blood stained dirt of places like Boston, Iwo Jima, Baghdad, France, Germany, Korea and Vietnam. It has been unfurled by sailors upon ships great and small; ships like the Constitution (I am a grandson of one of the Constitution’s Commanders: Captain Edward Preble), the Arizona, the Eisenhower, the PT 109 and the Spikefish. It has been placed atop towers marking airfields and landing strips carved by Seabees in the middle of jungles and upon the tiniest of islands in the midst of the largest of seas. And everywhere these colors fly, whether that be in boardrooms or on battlefields; whether it be in classrooms or cathedrals, its meaning cannot be hidden, stifled, or silenced. Its symbolism cannot be overlooked or ignored. And the price that has been paid to keep it flying yet today cannot be diminished and should never be forgotten. That is why we gather here today: to remember the price. To remember those who have paid with their blood the ultimate cost for freedom.
There have been and continue to be today men who would find a villain in freedom. They are willing to kill innocent unarmed men, women and children whose only crime is that they are free. Kings and dictators, tyrants and terrorists hate freedom. Why? Because they alone want to control what belongs to God: the destiny of men. They want to receive the adoration and the glory that belongs to God and God alone. So, in the face of tyranny and terror, upon both soil and sea, this flag declares that all men are created by God with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If I may, please permit me to combine statements from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, January 20, 1961 and George W. Bush’s address to a joint session of Congress, September 20, 2001: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear and burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”
Let those of us gathered here today never forget the price it will take for our nation to keep these promises. The price for freedom always has been and continues to be the lives of young men and women of one generation that are willing to secure liberty for the next. Those who dare question whether freedom is worth price don’t deserve it. Those not grateful today - those that refuse to humbly bow their heads in respectful memory of those who have died to secure freedom for yet another day - they may tomorrow discover that liberty is gone and has been replaced with godless tyranny. God forbid it. And may God forgive the politician who forsakes the gray haired lady liberty for the temptations offered by the youthful siren of political correctness. May he come to recognize that freedom’s price is far too great than to be sold for a vote. Let that politician be grateful that his political cowardliness and disloyalty not be treated as it might be in other nations of the world.
Let the Muslim and the Buddhist and even the Atheist know that it was Christian men that produced the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that protects them and provides them with opportunity today. Let those who would come to the Land of the Free to obtain an education or to enjoy the profits of business know that it was from the Christian Scriptures, the Christian faith and prayer to the God of the Christian Bible that the principals of Liberty were birthed. And it is only by the same means that those principals will be preserved. Let each and everyone that enjoys freedom be willing at the very least to honor and remember those who have for freedom died and at the most be willing to do the same if it be necessary to do so. Let us join with those whose names affirm our Declaration of Independence, who wrote with quill and ink for all to read, “with a firm reliance on Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor.”
The great American Patriot, Patrick Henry stood before the congregation assembled at St. John’s Church on March 23, 1775 and declared, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! - I know not what course others may take; but as for me,” then with both arms extended toward heaven, and his whole countenance framed with conviction, he with boldness continued, “give me liberty or give me death.”
The wreath that we this day place beneath the banner of Freedom is but a fragrant symbol of our solemn recognition of the sacrifice of death that has been paid by those who have fallen on the battlefields and oceans of war and who did not come home. Their painful struggle, their death, and the tears of their families are not this day in vain. We remember them. And we are grateful.
Just as surely as Christ Jesus died for our Spiritual Freedom, so too will there come a day when war will be no more. From the Prophet Isaiah we are told, “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. - Isaiah 2:4” As Christians we long for that day. Until then, as Americans, we must be willing to secure freedom by strength and to remember those whose strength is gone.
Today we stand before the flag of our Nation... Old Glory... the Stars and Stripes. We stand before the Banner of Freedom. Around the world, for the last 228 years this flag has flown on battlefield after battlefield. The staff on which it flies has pierced the blood stained dirt of places like Boston, Iwo Jima, Baghdad, France, Germany, Korea and Vietnam. It has been unfurled by sailors upon ships great and small; ships like the Constitution (I am a grandson of one of the Constitution’s Commanders: Captain Edward Preble), the Arizona, the Eisenhower, the PT 109 and the Spikefish. It has been placed atop towers marking airfields and landing strips carved by Seabees in the middle of jungles and upon the tiniest of islands in the midst of the largest of seas. And everywhere these colors fly, whether that be in boardrooms or on battlefields; whether it be in classrooms or cathedrals, its meaning cannot be hidden, stifled, or silenced. Its symbolism cannot be overlooked or ignored. And the price that has been paid to keep it flying yet today cannot be diminished and should never be forgotten. That is why we gather here today: to remember the price. To remember those who have paid with their blood the ultimate cost for freedom.
There have been and continue to be today men who would find a villain in freedom. They are willing to kill innocent unarmed men, women and children whose only crime is that they are free. Kings and dictators, tyrants and terrorists hate freedom. Why? Because they alone want to control what belongs to God: the destiny of men. They want to receive the adoration and the glory that belongs to God and God alone. So, in the face of tyranny and terror, upon both soil and sea, this flag declares that all men are created by God with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If I may, please permit me to combine statements from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, January 20, 1961 and George W. Bush’s address to a joint session of Congress, September 20, 2001: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear and burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”
Let those of us gathered here today never forget the price it will take for our nation to keep these promises. The price for freedom always has been and continues to be the lives of young men and women of one generation that are willing to secure liberty for the next. Those who dare question whether freedom is worth price don’t deserve it. Those not grateful today - those that refuse to humbly bow their heads in respectful memory of those who have died to secure freedom for yet another day - they may tomorrow discover that liberty is gone and has been replaced with godless tyranny. God forbid it. And may God forgive the politician who forsakes the gray haired lady liberty for the temptations offered by the youthful siren of political correctness. May he come to recognize that freedom’s price is far too great than to be sold for a vote. Let that politician be grateful that his political cowardliness and disloyalty not be treated as it might be in other nations of the world.
Let the Muslim and the Buddhist and even the Atheist know that it was Christian men that produced the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that protects them and provides them with opportunity today. Let those who would come to the Land of the Free to obtain an education or to enjoy the profits of business know that it was from the Christian Scriptures, the Christian faith and prayer to the God of the Christian Bible that the principals of Liberty were birthed. And it is only by the same means that those principals will be preserved. Let each and everyone that enjoys freedom be willing at the very least to honor and remember those who have for freedom died and at the most be willing to do the same if it be necessary to do so. Let us join with those whose names affirm our Declaration of Independence, who wrote with quill and ink for all to read, “with a firm reliance on Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor.”
The great American Patriot, Patrick Henry stood before the congregation assembled at St. John’s Church on March 23, 1775 and declared, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! - I know not what course others may take; but as for me,” then with both arms extended toward heaven, and his whole countenance framed with conviction, he with boldness continued, “give me liberty or give me death.”
The wreath that we this day place beneath the banner of Freedom is but a fragrant symbol of our solemn recognition of the sacrifice of death that has been paid by those who have fallen on the battlefields and oceans of war and who did not come home. Their painful struggle, their death, and the tears of their families are not this day in vain. We remember them. And we are grateful.
Just as surely as Christ Jesus died for our Spiritual Freedom, so too will there come a day when war will be no more. From the Prophet Isaiah we are told, “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. - Isaiah 2:4” As Christians we long for that day. Until then, as Americans, we must be willing to secure freedom by strength and to remember those whose strength is gone.
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