Many Christians are actively participating in campaigns to pass laws in the United States based on their interpretation of the Holy Bible so that those who are not believers according to their understanding will have to behave in a way that the Christian community finds acceptable to God. And we, as a community are very passionate about seeing these laws passed and our stated goal is so that God will bless our country. However, in my recent Bible studies, I've found several scriptures that have made me reconsider the idea of passing laws to force the unbeliever to "behave."
In the 7th verse of the 8th chapter of the book of Romans, Paul writes: "Because the carnal (unsaved, fleshly) mind is enmity (hostile, antagonistic) against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." In Galatians 3:16, Paul contends with Peter and states: "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ...for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus, Himself, tells us that He came to fulfill the law. And in Acts chapter 15, Peter is amazed that the Jewish Christians are trying to force the Gentile Christians to follow the law. This is what he had to say about that in verses 10 and 11: "Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke (the law) on the necks of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."
Now, I know many Christians say that they are working to enact certain laws in the United States so that they can fulfill the scripture, 2 Chronicles 7:14: "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." But what we miss in reading that scripture is it is those of us who are called Christians who need to become humble and pray and seek God's face while turning away from our own wickedness that God will hear from heaven and forgive us our sins and heal our land. There's nothing in that scripture that says anything about forcing the unbeliever to stop sinning in order to bring about God's healing of our land. First of all, God was speaking of the nation of Israel at the time of Solomon. Israel was a theocracy; a nation that was founded based on God's law and the serving of God. The United States is not a theocracy, though some do believe that we are. We are a nation that was founded as a democratic republic, and while religious freedom was one of the reasons for the founding of this country, the nation was never intended to be a theocracy. And because of the religious freedom our forefathers sought, we must allow those who do not follow our version or style of religion to worship, or not worship, as they see fit. Even Jesus told us that we're not to force someone when He told the disciples in Matthew 10:14, that if we present the gospel and they reject it, we are to walk away from them, leaving them be. And the truth of the matter is, by passing these laws we're trying to do something that even God hasn't done: take away the free will of the people. We want to force them to behave the way we think they should, regardless of what they want to do. Are we really more knowledgeable and higher than God that we have the right to usurp someone's free will?
We will not be responsible for the sins of others. We are only responsible for our sins. Yet, if we continue to work to force people to behave like Christians or to become Christians, then we begin to walk that line between sinning and not. We need to seriously rethink the way we portray God to the world. We're on the verge of turning people off of God rather than winning them over to Christ.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
One Statement From a Parent
A parent can make a single off-hand comment to a child that can lead that child to a lifetime of success or failure. When I was 13, during a trip to Waycross, Georgia with my father, I sat in the back floorboard of my brother's 1976 Ford Thunderbird with a notebook and pen and wrote the lyrics for a song. The song was for my step-mother, whom we were going to see. I had been writing lyrics since the age of 5, though notably my first attempt at songwriting was a criminal enterprise as I used the tune of The Old Rugged Cross for the melody to my lyrics. I think the law, and the writers of that song would be willing to forgive a 5-year old child, though.
I don't recall those lyrics, today, but I do remember being exceedingly proud of what I had written. So proud, in fact, that I read them out to my father and brother. My brother was impressed and told me they were great, but my father immediately squelched all the pride I had by telling me the song was childish, immature and didn't even work well. I was devastated for two reasons: I had initially started writing lyrics because my father was a songwriter and I wanted to be just like him. The second was that he had taken the heartfelt feelings I had for my Mama and made them into something small and insignificant.
Because of my father's comments in that car when I was 13, I didn't attempt to write another song until I was in my 30's. Like my Mother (birth mother) and my Mama (step-mother), I sang throughout my teens/20's, but I didn't attempt to write another song for more than 15 years. Had I not overcome through counseling and hard work, I probably would never have written another song, again. Simply because of one statement from a parent.
I don't recall those lyrics, today, but I do remember being exceedingly proud of what I had written. So proud, in fact, that I read them out to my father and brother. My brother was impressed and told me they were great, but my father immediately squelched all the pride I had by telling me the song was childish, immature and didn't even work well. I was devastated for two reasons: I had initially started writing lyrics because my father was a songwriter and I wanted to be just like him. The second was that he had taken the heartfelt feelings I had for my Mama and made them into something small and insignificant.
Because of my father's comments in that car when I was 13, I didn't attempt to write another song until I was in my 30's. Like my Mother (birth mother) and my Mama (step-mother), I sang throughout my teens/20's, but I didn't attempt to write another song for more than 15 years. Had I not overcome through counseling and hard work, I probably would never have written another song, again. Simply because of one statement from a parent.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
We Are Living The End Times
A student at a university in Florida was suspended for refusing to follow the directions in a class where the professor was trying to teach about "different perspectives on religion" where the professor had students write the name of Jesus on a piece of paper, lay it on the floor and stomp on it. The student refused to do so and put the paper back on his desk and reported the "lesson" to university officials. He was suspended for his efforts and his refusal to stomp the name of Jesus.
A group of students faced opposition for having Bible scriptures on the banner the football team burst through to begin their weekly football games. The case went to court.
A cross which stood in the desert Southwest for decades was recently required to be removed by state law.
A student gunman burst into a high school and opened fire on students gathered together to pray at the beginning of their school day.
A young girl was shot to death because she refused to deny the name of Jesus in a high school lunchroom massacre.
What do all these things point to? The end of times as described and prophesied by Jesus Christ, Himself. We were warned many times about facing adversity for our belief in Christ Jesus as the Messiah and His return as late as 2,000 years ago but as early as 6,000 years ago, so why is that we're astonished, surprised and even appalled at the treatment we receive from the world for being believers? I truly wonder how anyone could be surprised or even annoyed at the prospect of being discriminated against or worse for believing in Jesus. Of course, many Christians today feel that it's only those in foreign countries that should have to deal with these issues because the United States of America is a "Christian country" and should therefore be exempt from hardships associated with being a believer. What a load of craziness that is.
Father will be against son; mother will be against daughter; daughter-in-law will be against mother-in-law. And people we don't know will be against people they don't know, all because of belief in Jesus Christ. We were forewarned and foretold of these things happening, and believe me when I say it's only going to get worse before Jesus splits the Eastern skies and takes us home.
A group of students faced opposition for having Bible scriptures on the banner the football team burst through to begin their weekly football games. The case went to court.
A cross which stood in the desert Southwest for decades was recently required to be removed by state law.
A student gunman burst into a high school and opened fire on students gathered together to pray at the beginning of their school day.
A young girl was shot to death because she refused to deny the name of Jesus in a high school lunchroom massacre.
What do all these things point to? The end of times as described and prophesied by Jesus Christ, Himself. We were warned many times about facing adversity for our belief in Christ Jesus as the Messiah and His return as late as 2,000 years ago but as early as 6,000 years ago, so why is that we're astonished, surprised and even appalled at the treatment we receive from the world for being believers? I truly wonder how anyone could be surprised or even annoyed at the prospect of being discriminated against or worse for believing in Jesus. Of course, many Christians today feel that it's only those in foreign countries that should have to deal with these issues because the United States of America is a "Christian country" and should therefore be exempt from hardships associated with being a believer. What a load of craziness that is.
Father will be against son; mother will be against daughter; daughter-in-law will be against mother-in-law. And people we don't know will be against people they don't know, all because of belief in Jesus Christ. We were forewarned and foretold of these things happening, and believe me when I say it's only going to get worse before Jesus splits the Eastern skies and takes us home.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
What Would Jesus Do or Say?
While the mainstream media, and many religious broadcasters, as well, have flooded our airwaves, print media and internet news feeds with stories about the new pope, one headline did catch my eye. The headline said, "Unpredictable Pope Worries Security Team" (AP News, 20 March 2013). As I read the article detailing how the pope's recent activities have included stepping into the crowd and riding in private cars or in the pope mobile without the bullet-proof bubble, I wondered, again, how God feels about Christians who so desperately try to protect themselves.
Don't get me wrong, I do believe we, as humans and Christians, are allowed to take precautions with our safety, but I wonder what He felt when a protestant preacher recently began wearing his pistol in a holster on his hip, even while in the pulpit preaching? Jesus was quite clear that we are not to retaliate, physically, when someone strikes us. He told us that we should turn the other cheek to someone who has struck us on the face; He did not say we are to tackle them, strike them in return and He definitely didn't say anything about using a firearm to shoot them! And, of course, we have the story in the 7th chapter of Acts on Stephen's martyrdom as an example of how we're to respond to a crowd attacking us. Stephen didn't fight back, he took what they offered, all the while praying for them.
I know the world today has gotten crazier, and there are always threats to our physical well being, but I believe Jesus meant what He said to Peter on the night He was arrested in Gethsemane, when Peter used a sword to strike a Roman guard who was trying to arrest the Lord. Put your swords (weapons) away! If you live by weapons, you will die by weapons.
After all, where would we be if Jesus had responded to threats the way we do, today? We would have no salvation because He would never have been crucified; and without the crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection!
Don't get me wrong, I do believe we, as humans and Christians, are allowed to take precautions with our safety, but I wonder what He felt when a protestant preacher recently began wearing his pistol in a holster on his hip, even while in the pulpit preaching? Jesus was quite clear that we are not to retaliate, physically, when someone strikes us. He told us that we should turn the other cheek to someone who has struck us on the face; He did not say we are to tackle them, strike them in return and He definitely didn't say anything about using a firearm to shoot them! And, of course, we have the story in the 7th chapter of Acts on Stephen's martyrdom as an example of how we're to respond to a crowd attacking us. Stephen didn't fight back, he took what they offered, all the while praying for them.
I know the world today has gotten crazier, and there are always threats to our physical well being, but I believe Jesus meant what He said to Peter on the night He was arrested in Gethsemane, when Peter used a sword to strike a Roman guard who was trying to arrest the Lord. Put your swords (weapons) away! If you live by weapons, you will die by weapons.
After all, where would we be if Jesus had responded to threats the way we do, today? We would have no salvation because He would never have been crucified; and without the crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Commandments Have Reasons
I am so grateful that I live in this present age, because I live under the grace and mercy of God not under the Law of Moses. Had I been born before the first century AD, I would have had to convert to Judaism and followed the Law perfectly in order to assure my place in heaven, as I am a Gentile. But because I was born after Jesus’ death and resurrection, I am no longer under the law; not bound by the plethora of rules about behavior, dress, assemblage, planting, sacrifices, etc. In the words of Peter, I would have lived under rules that no mortal man could bear.
But, if you go back and really look at the laws God gave Moses, there was always a really good reason for the things He told His people not to do. Take the commandment “thou shalt not covet”, for example. While there are plenty of ways that this commandment could be used to show why we should be grateful and satisfied with what we have, another reason for this command is because you cannot truly see what’s behind the thing you covet.
For example, I’ve known couples who have projected an aura of a perfect marriage to those in their churches, at work, even among their families. And I’ve heard people comment, “I wish I had a marriage like they do.” The truth of the matter is, however, that those marriages may not be all they seem to the outside world. I know of two marriages where people on the outside thought they were perfect; that the couples were so in love with one another even decades into their marriage. Yet, the truth of the matter is, in one of those marriages, the wife was completely miserable, and didn’t even like her husband. At home, they rarely spoke to one another, and the husband had at least one affair while everyone was gushing over the wonderful, beautiful, “perfect” marriage this couple had.
Imagine a woman in their church, seeing their marriage from the outside and proclaiming, “I want that kind of marriage!” How disappointed would she be to be given that kind of marriage, to wake up one morning and totally dislike her husband, to no longer have conversations with him and then discover that he’s cheating on her? I’m sure she would want to go back to her ho-hum, average marriage!
In the other marriage, the wife was a virtual prisoner. All her friends and co-workers thought she had the perfect marriage, yet her husband would not allow her to have any contact with her family. She was even forced to stop speaking to her mother because the husband was afraid her family would give her support and a place to stay in order for her to divorce him. He was so terrified of her divorcing him that he drove her to the point of suicide. They had not shared a bed in more than a decade when the wife died. The husband had her cremated and placed her ashes in a cardboard box on a shelf in the laundry room and didn’t notify her family of her death.
As is the case with so many of the old, cliché sayings, the one about being careful what you wish for is based squarely on Biblical teaching, specifically the command to not covet what your neighbor has.
But, if you go back and really look at the laws God gave Moses, there was always a really good reason for the things He told His people not to do. Take the commandment “thou shalt not covet”, for example. While there are plenty of ways that this commandment could be used to show why we should be grateful and satisfied with what we have, another reason for this command is because you cannot truly see what’s behind the thing you covet.
For example, I’ve known couples who have projected an aura of a perfect marriage to those in their churches, at work, even among their families. And I’ve heard people comment, “I wish I had a marriage like they do.” The truth of the matter is, however, that those marriages may not be all they seem to the outside world. I know of two marriages where people on the outside thought they were perfect; that the couples were so in love with one another even decades into their marriage. Yet, the truth of the matter is, in one of those marriages, the wife was completely miserable, and didn’t even like her husband. At home, they rarely spoke to one another, and the husband had at least one affair while everyone was gushing over the wonderful, beautiful, “perfect” marriage this couple had.
Imagine a woman in their church, seeing their marriage from the outside and proclaiming, “I want that kind of marriage!” How disappointed would she be to be given that kind of marriage, to wake up one morning and totally dislike her husband, to no longer have conversations with him and then discover that he’s cheating on her? I’m sure she would want to go back to her ho-hum, average marriage!
In the other marriage, the wife was a virtual prisoner. All her friends and co-workers thought she had the perfect marriage, yet her husband would not allow her to have any contact with her family. She was even forced to stop speaking to her mother because the husband was afraid her family would give her support and a place to stay in order for her to divorce him. He was so terrified of her divorcing him that he drove her to the point of suicide. They had not shared a bed in more than a decade when the wife died. The husband had her cremated and placed her ashes in a cardboard box on a shelf in the laundry room and didn’t notify her family of her death.
As is the case with so many of the old, cliché sayings, the one about being careful what you wish for is based squarely on Biblical teaching, specifically the command to not covet what your neighbor has.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Letters To Congress & President
Today, I wrote this letter to all 3 of my Congressmen and the President of the United States. Maybe if more people would write about this issue, we could see some real change in D.C. for a change!
28 February 2013
I keep hearing about cuts we have to make to Social Security, to Medicare, to Education, to transportation, to Defense, to rebuilding infrastructure. All I hear out of Washington is “CUTS, CUTS, CUTS”, to domestic programs; then I read in the paper this morning that we’re INCREASING spending by $60 Million dollars to Syrian rebels? Has Washington gone completely mad?
Before you start cutting programs that benefit the citizens of these United States whose taxes have kept this country going all these years, cut the spending we’re sending to nations around the world! Especially those nations that hate us and are constantly saying how much they do and how they’re going to destroy us, etc. Namely: Pakistan.
It is the greatest stupidity to cut programs for hardworking Americans who spent their lives and their health to support this nation while increasing spending for countries who despise us.
28 February 2013
I keep hearing about cuts we have to make to Social Security, to Medicare, to Education, to transportation, to Defense, to rebuilding infrastructure. All I hear out of Washington is “CUTS, CUTS, CUTS”, to domestic programs; then I read in the paper this morning that we’re INCREASING spending by $60 Million dollars to Syrian rebels? Has Washington gone completely mad?
Before you start cutting programs that benefit the citizens of these United States whose taxes have kept this country going all these years, cut the spending we’re sending to nations around the world! Especially those nations that hate us and are constantly saying how much they do and how they’re going to destroy us, etc. Namely: Pakistan.
It is the greatest stupidity to cut programs for hardworking Americans who spent their lives and their health to support this nation while increasing spending for countries who despise us.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Shame On America
A friend of mine wrote in her book, "Paws to Reflect: 365 Devotions For the Animal Lover's Soul" (Devon O'Day and Kim McLean, ©2012 Abingdon Press) about the importance of consistency in keeping your word to your pets for the devotion of 25 February. It reminded me of some comments I've received when I tell people I've promised my dogs certain things, and I won't go back on my word; they act as if giving my word to a dog is somehow something that is of no consequence. I'm the type of man who believes giving my word means something, whether that's to a friend, a stranger, a dog, God -- my word is important and it's my highest priority to always keep it if at all possible.
Unfortunately there are many in this country who have no clue what it means to keep their word. They give their pledge to do something, or not to do something, and think absolutely nothing of failing to follow through. Often without explanation of why they didn't keep their word, yet these are the same people who create the most chaos if someone doesn't keep their word to them. When I think of those who keep their word the least, politicians, of course, top the list. Every election they're up for, they give us their word they're going to do this or that, but once they're continued place in Washington is assured for another 2, 4 or 6 years, they pretend they never said anything to us that remotely resembled a pledge. Of course, as soon as the election cycle gets close for us to decide whether to send them packing or leave them in D.C., they are once again giving us the word. How, and why, do we continue to believe them?
The saddest situation in this country is that we make sport about how politicians don't keep their word. How could we joke about the veracity of politicians then turn around and re-elect them, time and time again? Almost every person I spoke to before the election of 2012 agreed with me that we should send every incumbent home and start from scratch, and yet incumbents won more than 90% of seats up for re-election. If a couple were to experience the number of failed promises in four years that we the people experience from politicians, that couple would file for divorce in a fever of anger for the constant lies and broken promises; yet they continue to vote for those who promise to represent us in Washington and then represent only themselves and their big corporate donors.
And then there are those who stand on God's promises, constantly reminding Him that He promised, so therefore they aren't moving until God proves good on His word, all the while they make promises and pledges daily that they toss out as soon as it's not convenient for them to keep their word to Him. Don't get me wrong, I understand that we're all imperfect people who make mistakes and fall short or outright rebel against God's will, yet we expect God to keep His word to us, regardless while ignoring and forgiving us for not keeping ours. I just cannot imagine how much our hypocrisy hurts the very heart of God, and I for one am recommitting myself to work harder to keep every pledge I make, whether large or small.
Unfortunately there are many in this country who have no clue what it means to keep their word. They give their pledge to do something, or not to do something, and think absolutely nothing of failing to follow through. Often without explanation of why they didn't keep their word, yet these are the same people who create the most chaos if someone doesn't keep their word to them. When I think of those who keep their word the least, politicians, of course, top the list. Every election they're up for, they give us their word they're going to do this or that, but once they're continued place in Washington is assured for another 2, 4 or 6 years, they pretend they never said anything to us that remotely resembled a pledge. Of course, as soon as the election cycle gets close for us to decide whether to send them packing or leave them in D.C., they are once again giving us the word. How, and why, do we continue to believe them?
The saddest situation in this country is that we make sport about how politicians don't keep their word. How could we joke about the veracity of politicians then turn around and re-elect them, time and time again? Almost every person I spoke to before the election of 2012 agreed with me that we should send every incumbent home and start from scratch, and yet incumbents won more than 90% of seats up for re-election. If a couple were to experience the number of failed promises in four years that we the people experience from politicians, that couple would file for divorce in a fever of anger for the constant lies and broken promises; yet they continue to vote for those who promise to represent us in Washington and then represent only themselves and their big corporate donors.
And then there are those who stand on God's promises, constantly reminding Him that He promised, so therefore they aren't moving until God proves good on His word, all the while they make promises and pledges daily that they toss out as soon as it's not convenient for them to keep their word to Him. Don't get me wrong, I understand that we're all imperfect people who make mistakes and fall short or outright rebel against God's will, yet we expect God to keep His word to us, regardless while ignoring and forgiving us for not keeping ours. I just cannot imagine how much our hypocrisy hurts the very heart of God, and I for one am recommitting myself to work harder to keep every pledge I make, whether large or small.
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