"Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight." - Psalm 119:143
This verse was the highlighted passage of the day as I went to BibleGateway.com in order to prepare for this post. Coincidence? Not with God.
The "Philadelphia 5" in October 2004...a Canadian pastor arrested for preaching against the sin of homosexuality...2 Catholics arrested outside their church in MN for passing out pro-life literature in May...the slogan "radical right" coming into existence in the 1980s...the media-led propaganda campaign that the separation of church and state means ZERO religious influence in the public square...and now the intense hatred and violence following the approval of Prop 8 in California as well as similar passages in numerous other states. Keep in mind, Prop 8 simply reaffirmed what the people of California had voted for in the past but what was undone by 4 activist judges in that state in May. This is not a radical redefinition. This is the people of California just trying to get their state Constitution back.
Can you feel it? I know I can. Any Christian with any awareness of Scripture and the world we live in has seen the signs coming for quite some time. Yet, I have been a bit shocked at the acceleration in the past week. The level of vitriol and absolute hate coming from those who live in direct opposition to God's Word has been eye opening. I think it was the creation of antigayblacklist.com that was the real awakening. It's a list of monetary supporters for Prop 8 with the intention that those on the list would not have their businesses patronized. It has already led to a job loss for one and likely intimidation and fear for many others.
"But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away." - Matthew 13:21
I think we are all familiar with the saying, "Adversity builds character", or some derivation thereof. Recently, I have been hearing what I believe to be a better version - "Adversity reveals character". Now, the first one is true as long as the level of adversity does not extinguish hope for without hope character doesn't matter very much. However, the second version seems much more meaningful to me, particularly as our faith will be severely tested in the months and years ahead. We may be running short on time to build character. The time for our character, our faith, our trust in God and our willingness to follow Him to be made real and evident to the world is here. This is not a drill. There is precious little time left to hide in our church pews, to barricade ourselves inside our comfy confines, to walk the line between being in this world and of this world.
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15
All Christians must strengthen their faith and cling to the Truth now more than ever. Be prepared to defend your beliefs in a Biblical way - with truth, boldness, love and grace. God loves homosexuals and non-Christians. Jesus died for them. God wants to see none of them perish eternally. Do not return hate with hate. This is where being a light amongst the darkness becomes so real and so important. Let people know that your disagreement is not personal although the majority will surely take it that way. Let them know you love them and are a sinner just like they are. In that way you may be able to reshape the conversation and put it back where it belongs - on Christ's unconditional and eternal love for us all.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thought This Was Good
From Bill Keller...
"As irony would have it, many of the protests by pro-homosexual groups after
their defeat last week have been held outside of Warren's Saddleback
Church. I pray that this is a lesson to Warren and others that as long as
you compromise your beliefs, those who live in rebellion to God and His Word
are your friends. Once you take a stand for the Truth, they immediately
become your enemy. This is why these ecumenical associations are from the
pits of hell itself. It is always the Christians who are supposed to lay
down our beliefs, never non-Christians who are expected to lay down theirs!"
That last sentence was really good. I have never seen it put that way before but it is 100% true.
"As irony would have it, many of the protests by pro-homosexual groups after
their defeat last week have been held outside of Warren's Saddleback
Church. I pray that this is a lesson to Warren and others that as long as
you compromise your beliefs, those who live in rebellion to God and His Word
are your friends. Once you take a stand for the Truth, they immediately
become your enemy. This is why these ecumenical associations are from the
pits of hell itself. It is always the Christians who are supposed to lay
down our beliefs, never non-Christians who are expected to lay down theirs!"
That last sentence was really good. I have never seen it put that way before but it is 100% true.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hope and Change
I am sick to my stomach. I just caught a glimpse of Harry Reid saying that America has voted for "hope and change". What does that mean?????? Someone tell me. Taking my money if I do well is about all I know so far. That's not change. We already have a progressive tax system last time I checked. Nancy Pelosi is standing next to him grinning like a JCPenney's mannequin...minus the personality...and the intelligence. How many Botox injections has that woman endured?
You know what this Robin Hood, take from the rich and give to the poor, is all about? It's about building constituency. The Dems have built their base on handouts. Ever since the New Deal they get votes by giving money. It's as simple as that. There are no new ideas, no grand visions, no plans for a better country. It is about nothing more than buying votes in the "hope" of gaining power and staying there. That's why they get union votes. That's why poor people vote for them. That's why minorities vote for them. But can we really blame the voters? After all, a lot of them are just trying to get THROUGH tomorrow. They aren't interested in doing what is best for this country 10, 20, 30 years down the road. Give me as much as I can get as soon as I can get it and if I am still alive in a few years then I'll consider what you are saying. Of course, then it's too late.
The Dems don't really want to help lift people out of poverty or help them move up the socioeconomic ladder. They are like a drug dealer. Just give em a taste and they will be hooked. Give em just enough and they will keep coming back for more. Give them too much and you lose a client, or in this case, a voter. That's not help. It's mindless addiction. Equality of outcome vs. equality of opportunity. Which one do you really think is better? Which one was this country built on?
The real tragedy is that the Republicans have failed so miserably that they are getting beat by a party with zero ideas. They deserve to lose...and we will all pay the price...literally and figuratively.
You know what this Robin Hood, take from the rich and give to the poor, is all about? It's about building constituency. The Dems have built their base on handouts. Ever since the New Deal they get votes by giving money. It's as simple as that. There are no new ideas, no grand visions, no plans for a better country. It is about nothing more than buying votes in the "hope" of gaining power and staying there. That's why they get union votes. That's why poor people vote for them. That's why minorities vote for them. But can we really blame the voters? After all, a lot of them are just trying to get THROUGH tomorrow. They aren't interested in doing what is best for this country 10, 20, 30 years down the road. Give me as much as I can get as soon as I can get it and if I am still alive in a few years then I'll consider what you are saying. Of course, then it's too late.
The Dems don't really want to help lift people out of poverty or help them move up the socioeconomic ladder. They are like a drug dealer. Just give em a taste and they will be hooked. Give em just enough and they will keep coming back for more. Give them too much and you lose a client, or in this case, a voter. That's not help. It's mindless addiction. Equality of outcome vs. equality of opportunity. Which one do you really think is better? Which one was this country built on?
The real tragedy is that the Republicans have failed so miserably that they are getting beat by a party with zero ideas. They deserve to lose...and we will all pay the price...literally and figuratively.
Love the Early Maine Poll Results
Obama 2, McCain 1.
Do we really need to report that?
Dominating lead.
Maybe there are only 3 people left in Maine. Wouldn't surprise me.
Do we really need to report that?
Dominating lead.
Maybe there are only 3 people left in Maine. Wouldn't surprise me.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
You are Not Your Own
I really need help understanding how a Christian votes for Obama. Now, I realize that McCain isn't exactly a Godly choice either but there can't be much of a debate that Obama's platform and policy ideas are much further from Biblical values than McCain's.
God has a way of teaching me things. He will typically have the same lesson show up in a couple different places or ways over a very short period of time. That's when I know that it is something He is really trying to impress upon me. On Thursday I heard a "Christian" say she was voting for Obama. However, she wouldn't tell me why except that there was no way she wanted "that woman" in the White House. It made me think of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "You are not your own; you were bought at a price." I don't know many Christians who really take that to heart or who even begin to understand the implications. How many Christians really even know what it MEANS to be a Christian? Even I will admit that there are times where I conveniently forget that verse and follow my own little sidepath for awhile.
Then this morning I take a walk to drop off a book to a guy from care group who couldn't make it Tuesday night. Smack dab in the middle of his front yard is an Obama/Biden sign. He wasn't home so I didn't get a chance to chat about that but it again brought that verse to mind. It also shows me how important it is that he starts coming to our group and starts being discipled. He isn't being taught, or perhaps just not accepting, of the role Christ wants to play in his life. Not only is he voting for Obama but here is a Christian man with a wife and three kids making a public declaration that this is who has his support. I don't call that shining a light in the darkness.
Then I get Bill Keller's devotional today (OK, this is one of those times where God used 3 different sources) and he is talking about being a doer of the word and not just a hearer (James 1:22-24). Of course, any time that God is showing me these lessons by using others He typically has to primary objectives: 1) Things to be thinking about as a care group leader and Christian witness in my everyday life; and 2) Things that I need to be convicted of in my own life as He calls me to live more holy and more obediently.
"If you love me, you will obey me." It doesn't get much simpler or more difficult than that. We so want to feel in control of what we do or say or how we think and live. But that's not what God wants. The hard part is just trusting that His way will ultimately be better for us...and yes...even more joyful. Dying to self daily. Quite a challenge...and I have a feeling it always will be until we shuffle off this mortal coil.
God has a way of teaching me things. He will typically have the same lesson show up in a couple different places or ways over a very short period of time. That's when I know that it is something He is really trying to impress upon me. On Thursday I heard a "Christian" say she was voting for Obama. However, she wouldn't tell me why except that there was no way she wanted "that woman" in the White House. It made me think of 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "You are not your own; you were bought at a price." I don't know many Christians who really take that to heart or who even begin to understand the implications. How many Christians really even know what it MEANS to be a Christian? Even I will admit that there are times where I conveniently forget that verse and follow my own little sidepath for awhile.
Then this morning I take a walk to drop off a book to a guy from care group who couldn't make it Tuesday night. Smack dab in the middle of his front yard is an Obama/Biden sign. He wasn't home so I didn't get a chance to chat about that but it again brought that verse to mind. It also shows me how important it is that he starts coming to our group and starts being discipled. He isn't being taught, or perhaps just not accepting, of the role Christ wants to play in his life. Not only is he voting for Obama but here is a Christian man with a wife and three kids making a public declaration that this is who has his support. I don't call that shining a light in the darkness.
Then I get Bill Keller's devotional today (OK, this is one of those times where God used 3 different sources) and he is talking about being a doer of the word and not just a hearer (James 1:22-24). Of course, any time that God is showing me these lessons by using others He typically has to primary objectives: 1) Things to be thinking about as a care group leader and Christian witness in my everyday life; and 2) Things that I need to be convicted of in my own life as He calls me to live more holy and more obediently.
"If you love me, you will obey me." It doesn't get much simpler or more difficult than that. We so want to feel in control of what we do or say or how we think and live. But that's not what God wants. The hard part is just trusting that His way will ultimately be better for us...and yes...even more joyful. Dying to self daily. Quite a challenge...and I have a feeling it always will be until we shuffle off this mortal coil.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Finding Comedy in the Midst of Tragedy
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/dollar_bill_on_floor_sends_wall
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