If you read my blog yesterday , You know that I believe it's possible to be self-centered from both sides of the 'have vs have-not' spectrum.
Selfishness leads us to excuse our own bad behavior while seeing others' quite clearly. We can justify our selfishness by saying we 'deserve' what we can get...but if we are followers of Jesus Christ, He calls us to a much Better Way!
He calls us to be generous!
To be willing to give away our money...but also our time, our talents, and so on.
He calls us to rise to new heights of behavior, motivated by a new kind of love...God's love...for others.
Remember that Jesus, when challenged about the 'Greatest of the Commandments', said "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind"--this is the first and greatest commandment; and the second is like it: "You must love your neigbor as yourself"." (Matthew 22:37-39)
He said that the "Entire Law and the (teaching of the) prophets are fulfilled in these 2 commandments" (Matthew 22:40)
In other words, if we want to please God, then our Top Priorities are to love Him above all else, and love others as ourselves.
That means (among many other things), being generous!
Generosity is not only the opposite of selfishness, it's also the antidote to it!
If we can rise above our self-centeredness and learn to give--even when times are tough; even when it seems as though others are getting ahead (even if by unfair practises); even when we feel justified in making demands--we can experience that blessing of God working through us!
If we will focus on being God's "conduit of love" in practical ways--such as generosity--I believe He will notice. What's more, I believe He will bless us for doing so!
Jesus said "Seek first His Kingdom, and His righeousness, and all these things (ie, your needs) will be given to you." (Matthew 6:34).
We also read in the Scripture that "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)
How cool would it be if God's people...Christ followers...would live this out consistently! How amazed would the rest of this world be if we rose above the clamor of the current 'I want what you have' mindset and became generous agents of blessing in this world!
God could do something pretty powerful in our hearts...and through our lives...if we were willing to do that. That's what He did in the early Church (see Acts 2, 4), and that's part of the reason that it changed the world--through love, faith...and generosity!
May God give us that spirit again today!
May the "song" of our lives sing--for HIS glory!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Selfishness has NOTHING TO DO with how much MONEY you have!
It's no secret, the world is in financial turmoil.
In Europe, they've got a few countries (Britain, France and Germany) propping up other countries (Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain) in order to keep the Euro going.
In America, we've got Occupy Wall Street (or Oakland, or Houston, or Washington D.C....) movement that is calling for a more "fair" distribution of wealth. On the other end of the Spectrum, we've got politicians who are getting donations from corporations, which then get loopholes, contracts, and (especially) bailouts from the politicians. These corporations often turn around and use those bailouts for themselves--their own "corporate greed"--more than to help the people and customers.
What's a Christian to think?
What is a follower of Jesus Christ supposed to do in these times?
Let me suggest that the FIRST thing we need to do is pray. Seek the Lord. HE is our hope and our provider!
" I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!" (Psalm 121:1-2)
Our only REAL hope is not in our currency, in our goverment, in the United Nations, or anything else...our hope is in the Lord!
The SECOND thing to do, I would suggest, is to commit ourselves--again--to following Him, NO MATTER WHAT our circumstances are, and NO MATTER WHAT our circumstances become!
Whether you or I are working or not, rolling in money or not, or securely in our homes or not, we MUST stand up and follow the Lord!
That means that you and I--as followers of Jesus--must not allow ourselves to slip into (among other things) selfishness.
Selfishness is anti-Christian.
If there is one person in history who was unselfish, it was Jesus. He denied Himself, took on the form of a human, with all its limitations, then died at the hands of those humans He came to save!
It doesn't take much thought to realize that this idea is radical, compared to what we normally see and hear about on the news.
The "Fat-cat CEO's"--selfish? Yup!
The Occupy Wall Street "Protestors"--selfish? You Bet your student loan, they are!
BOTH groups are putting 'self' first--and blaming the other for doing precisely the same thing!
'Selfishness' has NOTHING TO DO with the amount of money you have! It has EVERYTHING TO DO with the kind of person you allow yourself to be, the kind of focus and motivation you choose to have, and the goals you have in your life.
We have probably all known wealthy (or at least 'well-to-do') people who are very generous. I've known some very wealthy people who are kind, generous, and sacrificial.
...but you may not have thought about how 'selfish' many of the people you've known who do NOT have much money are being!
Anyone who seems to say "I want more money, I deserve more money, I demand more money", and (especially) "I want YOUR money" is being selfish, period. We can excuse it all we want, but for a follower of Jesus Christ, there is NO EXCUSE!
We MUST rise above the current "us vs. them" mindset and set a new tone!
We MUST seek to follow Jesus--in word and in deed--no matter what others are doing.
The truth is that Europe may collapse...and if it does, America may do so as well--and then, if that happens, you and I are going to need to determine--are we going to be Christ followers who help each other, or are we going to be selfish people who only look out for our own interests?
It has NOTHING to do with how much money you have!
"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8)
http://youtu.be/-mS0SKY5cck
In Europe, they've got a few countries (Britain, France and Germany) propping up other countries (Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain) in order to keep the Euro going.
In America, we've got Occupy Wall Street (or Oakland, or Houston, or Washington D.C....) movement that is calling for a more "fair" distribution of wealth. On the other end of the Spectrum, we've got politicians who are getting donations from corporations, which then get loopholes, contracts, and (especially) bailouts from the politicians. These corporations often turn around and use those bailouts for themselves--their own "corporate greed"--more than to help the people and customers.
What's a Christian to think?
What is a follower of Jesus Christ supposed to do in these times?
Let me suggest that the FIRST thing we need to do is pray. Seek the Lord. HE is our hope and our provider!
" I look up to the mountains—
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!" (Psalm 121:1-2)
Our only REAL hope is not in our currency, in our goverment, in the United Nations, or anything else...our hope is in the Lord!
The SECOND thing to do, I would suggest, is to commit ourselves--again--to following Him, NO MATTER WHAT our circumstances are, and NO MATTER WHAT our circumstances become!
Whether you or I are working or not, rolling in money or not, or securely in our homes or not, we MUST stand up and follow the Lord!
That means that you and I--as followers of Jesus--must not allow ourselves to slip into (among other things) selfishness.
Selfishness is anti-Christian.
If there is one person in history who was unselfish, it was Jesus. He denied Himself, took on the form of a human, with all its limitations, then died at the hands of those humans He came to save!
It doesn't take much thought to realize that this idea is radical, compared to what we normally see and hear about on the news.
The "Fat-cat CEO's"--selfish? Yup!
The Occupy Wall Street "Protestors"--selfish? You Bet your student loan, they are!
BOTH groups are putting 'self' first--and blaming the other for doing precisely the same thing!
'Selfishness' has NOTHING TO DO with the amount of money you have! It has EVERYTHING TO DO with the kind of person you allow yourself to be, the kind of focus and motivation you choose to have, and the goals you have in your life.
We have probably all known wealthy (or at least 'well-to-do') people who are very generous. I've known some very wealthy people who are kind, generous, and sacrificial.
...but you may not have thought about how 'selfish' many of the people you've known who do NOT have much money are being!
Anyone who seems to say "I want more money, I deserve more money, I demand more money", and (especially) "I want YOUR money" is being selfish, period. We can excuse it all we want, but for a follower of Jesus Christ, there is NO EXCUSE!
We MUST rise above the current "us vs. them" mindset and set a new tone!
We MUST seek to follow Jesus--in word and in deed--no matter what others are doing.
The truth is that Europe may collapse...and if it does, America may do so as well--and then, if that happens, you and I are going to need to determine--are we going to be Christ followers who help each other, or are we going to be selfish people who only look out for our own interests?
It has NOTHING to do with how much money you have!
"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8)
http://youtu.be/-mS0SKY5cck
Thursday, October 27, 2011
If only I had THAT...
It's one thing we all--rich, poor; white, black (or otherwise); educated or not, deal with:
The desire for more.
The desire for a life that's better than my own.
Contentment seems elusive for many of us. We look at other people's lives--their relationships, their financial situation, their job, their house, car, tv, and other material possessions, and we think "If only I had what they have,then I could be content".
It's a trap that many fall into.
...and honestly, I think it's what's behind the Occupy Wall Street (and other cities) movement. If only I had part/half/all of what 'those people' have, I could be happy.
But, whether it's the rich dudes on Wall Street, or the family in the nicest house of your neighborhood, the truth is this:
It's NOT about Them!
It IS about you!
What you do with your life--how you look at it, the messages you give yourself every day, the things you focus on and the goals you set for yourself--that's on YOU!
(Should we, as a country, make the opportunities for upward mobility available for all? YES! Should we take others down in order to lift some up? I don't think so!)
Here's the thing: God writes each of the 'stories' of our lives in ways which are unique to US! I will go through things in my life that you'll never go through (in fact, I'm pretty sure I already have!), and you'll go through things that I will never experience. Sometimes the private wars and battles that your neighbors in that nice house are facing would make your trials seem insignificant...but the key is this:
God wants to engage you in your life--not in someone else's!
Will you open yourself up to engaging with the Lord in your current circumstances, or will you continue to buy the cultural lie that, if you can't have it as good as someone else, you can never possibly be content?
6 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
The Lord has blessed you--in many ways. Do you have food? Do you have clothing? Do you have shelter?
Do you have liberty and freedom? Do you have the ability to worship God freely, or to choose the kind of work you do, or to marry the person you want?
Chances are good that, if you and I had 'eyes to see', we'd be able to list HUNDREDS of everyday blessings that we experience.
...and yet, we fall into that trap: "If only I had that..."
Don't do it!
Don't let yourself go there!
Focus instead on the Lord, and on the place you're at right now (including your blessings), then focus on how YOU can move forward! Focus on how YOU can walk in step with the Lord's plans for you...and then--only then--will you find contentment!
Blessings on you,
Dave
The desire for more.
The desire for a life that's better than my own.
Contentment seems elusive for many of us. We look at other people's lives--their relationships, their financial situation, their job, their house, car, tv, and other material possessions, and we think "If only I had what they have,then I could be content".
It's a trap that many fall into.
...and honestly, I think it's what's behind the Occupy Wall Street (and other cities) movement. If only I had part/half/all of what 'those people' have, I could be happy.
But, whether it's the rich dudes on Wall Street, or the family in the nicest house of your neighborhood, the truth is this:
It's NOT about Them!
It IS about you!
What you do with your life--how you look at it, the messages you give yourself every day, the things you focus on and the goals you set for yourself--that's on YOU!
(Should we, as a country, make the opportunities for upward mobility available for all? YES! Should we take others down in order to lift some up? I don't think so!)
Here's the thing: God writes each of the 'stories' of our lives in ways which are unique to US! I will go through things in my life that you'll never go through (in fact, I'm pretty sure I already have!), and you'll go through things that I will never experience. Sometimes the private wars and battles that your neighbors in that nice house are facing would make your trials seem insignificant...but the key is this:
God wants to engage you in your life--not in someone else's!
Will you open yourself up to engaging with the Lord in your current circumstances, or will you continue to buy the cultural lie that, if you can't have it as good as someone else, you can never possibly be content?
6 "Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
The Lord has blessed you--in many ways. Do you have food? Do you have clothing? Do you have shelter?
Do you have liberty and freedom? Do you have the ability to worship God freely, or to choose the kind of work you do, or to marry the person you want?
Chances are good that, if you and I had 'eyes to see', we'd be able to list HUNDREDS of everyday blessings that we experience.
...and yet, we fall into that trap: "If only I had that..."
Don't do it!
Don't let yourself go there!
Focus instead on the Lord, and on the place you're at right now (including your blessings), then focus on how YOU can move forward! Focus on how YOU can walk in step with the Lord's plans for you...and then--only then--will you find contentment!
Blessings on you,
Dave
Friday, September 23, 2011
Rise Above the Fray!
It's so easy to get sucked in! It's so easy to let the gossip, the negativity, the criticism get to us. When our coworkers, classmates, family members...even our fellow churchgoers become negative, the easiest thing in the world is to go along with them...and, like a whirlpool, we get gradually sucked in and dragged down!
Unfortunately, in our society, this happens all the time!
It is rare, in fact, to find a person who is positive, one who chooses not to gossip or criticize others. One who chooses to 'believe the best' (ala 1st Corinthians 13:7)
If you are blessed to know someone like that, I'm sure they stand out in your life and experience.
They're like a breath of fresh air!
Isn't that what Jesus called us to be, though?
Remember, He said "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden; neither do people light a lamp and cover it up. Rather, they put it in a prominent place, that it may give light to the whole house. In the same way, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16).
What if one of those 'good deeds' had to do with our speech? What if we asked God to enable us to think and speak well of others, and to be positive, helpful, and optimistic--because God is at work!
I guarantee we'd stand out!
I was reading Romans recently, and came across these verses that I haven't been able to get out of my mind:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:17-21
How refreshing it would be if we lived this out!
If we applied this to our world, in our workplace, our classrooms, and even in our homes and churches!
Instead of keeping score, choosing to be negative, and gossiping about it, we chose instead to be 'the one' who chooses to rise above it. How cool would that be? Others might look at you crosseyed at first...
...but I'll bet they'd want to be around you more!
...and I'll bet they'd want to know why you're so positive...
...and God would recieve the glory!
Unfortunately, in our society, this happens all the time!
It is rare, in fact, to find a person who is positive, one who chooses not to gossip or criticize others. One who chooses to 'believe the best' (ala 1st Corinthians 13:7)
If you are blessed to know someone like that, I'm sure they stand out in your life and experience.
They're like a breath of fresh air!
Isn't that what Jesus called us to be, though?
Remember, He said "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden; neither do people light a lamp and cover it up. Rather, they put it in a prominent place, that it may give light to the whole house. In the same way, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16).
What if one of those 'good deeds' had to do with our speech? What if we asked God to enable us to think and speak well of others, and to be positive, helpful, and optimistic--because God is at work!
I guarantee we'd stand out!
I was reading Romans recently, and came across these verses that I haven't been able to get out of my mind:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:17-21
How refreshing it would be if we lived this out!
If we applied this to our world, in our workplace, our classrooms, and even in our homes and churches!
Instead of keeping score, choosing to be negative, and gossiping about it, we chose instead to be 'the one' who chooses to rise above it. How cool would that be? Others might look at you crosseyed at first...
...but I'll bet they'd want to be around you more!
...and I'll bet they'd want to know why you're so positive...
...and God would recieve the glory!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
You Never Know What's Going to Hit you!...but you can RISE!
So...I heard on the news that a satellite the size of a schoolbus is headed for Earth in the next day or two.
Might break apart into several 250 pound chunks, plus many small ones...but might not; Might hit over water...over the US...over Michigan...but might not.
So far, I haven't seen 'wall to wall' media coverage, but I've got to assume that this will actually become pretty serious when it starts entering the atmosphere (anyone seen 'Transformers'?)
So, the real question is: What should we DO about this? Should you stay in your basement? Should you wear a helmet all day? Carry an umbrella?
Seriously, I'm sure some people will be pretty concerned about this. Some might even be scared. (Don't get me wrong: If I look up and see a large object hurling toward me in flames, I'm gonna be a bit perplexed...might even run!).
Now, the odds of any specific piece of land getting hit by this stuff is miniscule. The odds against any specific person getting hit is incredibly small...but someone probably will!
...and that brings us to the serious question:
What SHOULD be our strategy for handling impending doom? What SHOULD we do when we think something might cause our death?
Here's a quick thought: Live in such a way as to be 'prepared' for death at any time!
Think about it: the odds of 'space junk' killing you or I is pretty slim...but the odds of us dying (at a time we don't know) is pretty much 100%!
What can we do to be 'prepared' for death?
Give our lives to Jesus Christ and let Him give us Eternal Life...then Live Like It!
Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die." (John 11:25-26)
That's the secret: We will all experience death, but some of us (by God's grace) will experience eternal LIFE, by faith in Jesus!
So, how about it? You may not get hit by space junk...but you DO need to be prepared for the inevitable. Are you living your own life, ignoring eternity, or are you living with belief in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, following Him to a triumphant end, no matter how it come!
Might break apart into several 250 pound chunks, plus many small ones...but might not; Might hit over water...over the US...over Michigan...but might not.
So far, I haven't seen 'wall to wall' media coverage, but I've got to assume that this will actually become pretty serious when it starts entering the atmosphere (anyone seen 'Transformers'?)
So, the real question is: What should we DO about this? Should you stay in your basement? Should you wear a helmet all day? Carry an umbrella?
Seriously, I'm sure some people will be pretty concerned about this. Some might even be scared. (Don't get me wrong: If I look up and see a large object hurling toward me in flames, I'm gonna be a bit perplexed...might even run!).
Now, the odds of any specific piece of land getting hit by this stuff is miniscule. The odds against any specific person getting hit is incredibly small...but someone probably will!
...and that brings us to the serious question:
What SHOULD be our strategy for handling impending doom? What SHOULD we do when we think something might cause our death?
Here's a quick thought: Live in such a way as to be 'prepared' for death at any time!
Think about it: the odds of 'space junk' killing you or I is pretty slim...but the odds of us dying (at a time we don't know) is pretty much 100%!
What can we do to be 'prepared' for death?
Give our lives to Jesus Christ and let Him give us Eternal Life...then Live Like It!
Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die." (John 11:25-26)
That's the secret: We will all experience death, but some of us (by God's grace) will experience eternal LIFE, by faith in Jesus!
So, how about it? You may not get hit by space junk...but you DO need to be prepared for the inevitable. Are you living your own life, ignoring eternity, or are you living with belief in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, following Him to a triumphant end, no matter how it come!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Begging at My Father's Table
I LOVE being a dad!
Sure, I get tired at times, and at times I don't quite know how to 'get through' to various kids, but... I LOVE being a dad!
Start asking me what I love about each one of my kids, and I'll have no problem bragging on them...love each one!
With all that in mind, do you know how much it would actually HURT me if I thought that any of my kids didn't know that? It would rip my heart out if they thought that they had to BEG me for my love, or my blessing.
Bottom line: I love 'em so much that I WANT to bless them! They don't have to pry it out of me, or talk me into it. I ENJOY blessing my kids.
In fact, it sometimes pains me to say 'no'--because I know what's best for them, and, in that particular moment in that particular situation, it would not be best for them to have 'it' (whatever 'it' might be).
...but I DO NOT want them to ever feel like they have to beg me for needs like water, food, shelter, nor do I want them feeling like they need to beg me for blessings of any kind.
I am their father. I love them. I want to bless them.
It is amazing to me, though, how often I still treat my Heavenly Father as though I need to 'beg Him for blessings'. He is THE Perfect Father. He loves me (as He does each one of His children), and that means it is natural in His heart to want to bless me. (Not to spoil me...not to be my 'sugar daddy', and not to satiate my lusts and demands...but to bless me with good things.)
I find myself asking God--my perfect, loving Heavenly Father--for 'scraps from His table' when He wants to bless me with the seat right next to Him at the banquet!
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
I guess the question I have to ask myself is, "Do I really BELIEVE that God loves me as His child, and that He wants to bless me?"
If I don't...why not?
Could it be that I've bought into a lie about God?
Could it be that I've been deceived?
I think so!
...and, as a dad, I think of how it must hurt My Father to know that I don't believe in His love--not really.
"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:15-16)
Lord...Father in Heaven...Dad...teach us to really understand, and to KNOW that you are Good, you are Loving, and that you really do WANT to bless us.
Help us to stop the begging, and to have the confidence to come to you, our loving Father, as your true children.
You are my Father...you love me and I love you. Help me to rest in that love! I want to soak it up, enjoy it and learn to be confident in it!
I want to so 'delight' in Him that we become really 'close' again...like a daddy to his child.
May God help me to believe!
Sure, I get tired at times, and at times I don't quite know how to 'get through' to various kids, but... I LOVE being a dad!
Start asking me what I love about each one of my kids, and I'll have no problem bragging on them...love each one!
With all that in mind, do you know how much it would actually HURT me if I thought that any of my kids didn't know that? It would rip my heart out if they thought that they had to BEG me for my love, or my blessing.
Bottom line: I love 'em so much that I WANT to bless them! They don't have to pry it out of me, or talk me into it. I ENJOY blessing my kids.
In fact, it sometimes pains me to say 'no'--because I know what's best for them, and, in that particular moment in that particular situation, it would not be best for them to have 'it' (whatever 'it' might be).
...but I DO NOT want them to ever feel like they have to beg me for needs like water, food, shelter, nor do I want them feeling like they need to beg me for blessings of any kind.
I am their father. I love them. I want to bless them.
It is amazing to me, though, how often I still treat my Heavenly Father as though I need to 'beg Him for blessings'. He is THE Perfect Father. He loves me (as He does each one of His children), and that means it is natural in His heart to want to bless me. (Not to spoil me...not to be my 'sugar daddy', and not to satiate my lusts and demands...but to bless me with good things.)
I find myself asking God--my perfect, loving Heavenly Father--for 'scraps from His table' when He wants to bless me with the seat right next to Him at the banquet!
“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
I guess the question I have to ask myself is, "Do I really BELIEVE that God loves me as His child, and that He wants to bless me?"
If I don't...why not?
Could it be that I've bought into a lie about God?
Could it be that I've been deceived?
I think so!
...and, as a dad, I think of how it must hurt My Father to know that I don't believe in His love--not really.
"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children." (Romans 8:15-16)
Lord...Father in Heaven...Dad...teach us to really understand, and to KNOW that you are Good, you are Loving, and that you really do WANT to bless us.
Help us to stop the begging, and to have the confidence to come to you, our loving Father, as your true children.
You are my Father...you love me and I love you. Help me to rest in that love! I want to soak it up, enjoy it and learn to be confident in it!
I want to so 'delight' in Him that we become really 'close' again...like a daddy to his child.
May God help me to believe!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Dependent Independence
In last week’s historic broadcast of the US Open Golf championship, this is what you would have seen:
http://youtu.be/yq8tydBo5RI
Notice anything missing?
Obviously, the words “Under God” were edited out. NBC apologized later in the broadcast, saying it was not done to ‘offend’ anyone…but they have never explained WHY they did this.
QUESTION: Does it matter?
A couple of years ago, President Barack Obama said this:
http://youtu.be/tmC3IevZiik
Was he simply describing the reality of America today, or was he sharing his ‘progressive’ philosophy?
Question: Is he right?
QUESTION: Does it even matter?
I believe it DOES matter, and that the best hope for America’s future is a return to its Judeo/Christian roots…but probably not in the way that you think.
Let me explain.
America, it seems, was founded as a Judeo-Christian nation.
From the Mayflower Compact that the Pilgrims made in 1620 to John Winthrop, the 1st Governor of Massachusetts, faith—specifically the Judeo/Christian faith—was a bedrock of belief for them.
Winthrop wrote these lines, which President Ronald Reagan would later reference for our modern age:
“the only way to avoid this shipwreck (ie, being punished by God) “and to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of Micah—to “do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God.
For this end, we must be knit together in this work…We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when He shall make us a praise and a glory, that men of succeeding settlements will say “May the Lord make us like New England”
…and we shall find that we are “A city on a Hill”. (a Reference to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, that we are “a light to the world”, and a “city on a hill” that His followers—who put their faith into action—should be like a city on a hill—meaning a light and an example to all.)
The founders were mostly Christian men…some were ministers, most were educated in seminaries, in which it was taught that the best way to govern our lives—individually, and as a group—were from principles founded in the scripture.
The belief in American exceptionalism was NOT that Americas traditions, etc. were better than others, nor that the American people were better…but the belief that God played a DIRECT and ACTIVE role in founding of the American people. Many of the founders believed that, without God’s direct action and blessing, America as a nation would have never come to be, nor would it continue.
George Washington wrote that it was “incumbent upon the American people to show gratitude, both publicly and privately, to the Great Author of every public and private good”.
James Madison observed that we owe our first allegiance to the Ruler of the Universe.
Benjamin Franklin, easily the most ‘progressive’ and ‘cosmopolitan’ with respect to philosophy and religion, said that “doing good to men is the only service of God in our power, and to imitate his beneficence is to glorify him”. He referred to this as the “American Religion”.
Time Magazine has recently come out with an issue that questions the relevance of our Constitution. In a obviously biased survey with leading questions throughout, they end up showing that Americans don’t still buy into the Constitution.
But the founders were very clear: The only way “America” would work would be to KEEP THE PEOPLE voluntarily submitting themselves to God…and if they stopped doing so, the so-called ‘American experiment’ would lose the active blessing of God, and would (they feared) cease to be.
Daniel Webster wrote, “I can see no danger to our country from a foreign foe…Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another {source}: The inattention of the people to the concerns {and actions} of their government—from the carelessness and negligence of the people.”
Samuel Huntington wrote, “While the great body of citizens are acquainted with the duties which they owe to their God, to themselves, and to men, they will remain free; but if ignorance and depravity should prevail, they will inevitably lead to slavery and ruin.”
As they put together our founding documents they embraced the role of God—
In the Declaration of Independence—which we celebrate tomorrow—they wrote,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States..
…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Abigail Adams, to her husband, John: (after the battle of Bunker Hill—as he was in Philadelphia serving in the 2nd Continental Congress): “The race is not to the swift, not the battle to the strong, but the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Trust in him at all times, you people, pour out your hearts to Him. God is a refuge for us—Charleston is laid in ashes…may Almighty God cover the heads of our Countrymen, and be a shield to them”.
Patrick Henry, in his famous speech in St. John’s Church, said this:
“They tell us, sir, that we are weak—unable to cope with so formidable an adversary (as the British army)..Sir, we are not week, if we make proper use of tho0se means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three million people armed in the holy cause of liberty…are invincible by any force which our enemy can send. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight..
He finished with the famous lines “I know not what course others may take, but as for me…give me liberty, or give me death!”
After their freedom and liberty were won, Washington wrote, “The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe, whose divine interposition was so frequently manifest in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit t a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored.”
Their faith was not only ‘in the back of their minds’…it was front and center for many of them:
George Washington said “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable support. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness”
Our Constitution—our basis for all laws and collective behavior—was influenced in large ways by the Judeo-Christian ethics that the founders knew and embraced.
Ideas like ‘all men are created equal’ and that our “inalienable rights” don’t come from the state or the king, but from God—were radical at the time. (And they still make a huge difference today…because, if our ‘rights’ come from the government, that gives the govt. the ability to take them away!)
The very idea that each person could be counted on to give their input into the form and specific officers of the government, and that peaceful transitions of power would be written into this constitution were very radical at the time. One man/one vote was unheard of at the time.
John Adams, after the Constitution was ratified, wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other”
Even Thomas Jefferson, who rivaled only Benjamin Franklin in his religious tolerance, wrote “can the liberties of a nation be thought to be secure when we have removed their only firm basis—a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?”
From it’s inception, America’s ‘identity’ has been “Independent”…but it’s been a “Dependent Independence”. America has been “dependent” on Almighty God for it’s freedom, liberty…and it’s “Independence”.
Even today, our attempts to export this “Democratic Republic” style of Govt. reminds us that it isn’t only about a set of laws, or a constitution. This form of govt. will not be welcomed—and thus, will not ‘stick’—unless the culture it’s being offered to will welcome it.
This is a uniquely Judeo-Christian idea.
The 10 commandments, for example, have played a huge role—not only in ancient Israel—but in America. Moses figures prominently in the writings of the founders, as well as in the sculptures and artwork in our halls of power.
So, again, I don’t believe there’s any doubt that America was founded as a Judeo-Christian nation, and that this partly explains why we have been the most prosperous, most powerful, and most liberating nation of all time.
That is why America has historically also been the most generous nation on Earth.
Americans give away hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars to charity—here at home and abroad—every year…more than 2 x as much as the next most generous nation.
When other nations are in trouble—via natural disaster, modern mishap, or military threat—they have a tendency to drop their protest signs against America, and instead come to us for help.
And, for the most part, Americans answer—in a HUGE way.
I believe that a PART of the reason for the freedom, liberty, prosperity and success that we have experienced is that we have, historically, welcomed the role of God—specifically the God of the Bible-- in our lives and our governance.
“Blessed is the nation who’s god is the LORD!” (Ps. 33:12)
Question is, ‘what now’?
Clearly, we are no longer the kind of nation we were during the era of the founders.
America’s population—largely because of it’s status as a beacon for freedom and liberty in the midst of a dark world—has changed dramatically.
America has been a ‘melting pot’ virtually from its inception…we have welcomed immigrants from around the world. We have not demanded that they forget where they came from, but have demanded that they become “Americans”, first and foremost.
We have had a process for legal immigration that has worked well for hundreds of years. We have had citizenship tests (which most of us would probably fail), and have held up the flag of this country as a unifying symbol—of a republic, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
…and it’s worked! More people try to get here to become citizens than any other country in the world!
America is, as John Winthrop put it back in 1620, ‘A shining city on a hill” that others would look to and be attracted to!
Yet, again…we are very different now.
Our racial and ethnic makeup is changing, and from a religious standpoint, we are different as well.
(If we were close to 100% adherents to Christianity in 1776, what do you think we are now?)
According to a Pew Research study a couple of years back, here’s what I found:
Is it possible for America in the year 2011 to be governed by the same Judeo-Christian principles which have guided and directed for centuries?
I believe it is!
Not only that, but I believe it’s critical!
Our very constitution…our very existence as a nation—is at stake!
Time magazine…Constitution…weighted article seems largely designed to make it look irrelevant.
Are our best days as a nation behind us?
Depends.
Many people who look at Biblical Prophecy about the end times note that, in all the proposed scenarios, America does not play into their understanding of end time events at all.
Why?
Could it be that America will not participate in battles over Israel, or in ‘wars and rumors of war’ for one reason or another?
Is it possible that we’d be so financially strapped that we wouldn’t help our one middle eastern ally, which also has a Democratic Republic style of govt.—if they were attacked?
Is it possible that America would be so focused on one kind of ‘crisis’ or another at home that we literally could not get involved in these kinds of events?
Is it possible that Americans would be so sick and tired of helping other people that—largely like we did for the lead up to the 2nd world war, we’d bury our head in the sand and say ‘it’s none of our business’?
Is it POSSIBLE that America—when the end time events roll around (which MAY not be as distant as you think) WILL NOT EVEN EXIST?
Because we have rejected—or are in the process of rejecting—the Judeo Christian background that we’ve had, we are beginning to implode.
Our moral standards have lost all bearing—and now almost literally ‘anything goes’.
Our respect for God—and his role in our nation—is mocked and ridiculed, if it’s brought up at all.
It seems that the One Thing that is NOT to be ‘tolerated’ in America in this day and age is a person who is a Christian, and still believes that living life— individually and as a nation—by the Bible—or at least with Biblical beliefs as it’s foundation—is still the best way to live.
You and I can speak out about almost anything today. We can wave signs, we can have parades…we can do all of the above for almost any cause.
…but try to have a rally about returning to our Judeo-Christian roots, and you’ll be opposed, ridiculed, even assaulted.
So, what are we to do?
Back in the OT time, when the nation of Israel was literally “God’s people”, they were told in no uncertain terms by God Himself: I will be with you and will bless you…but if you turn from me and worship the false Gods, and follow the customs and practices of the nations around you, I will remove my hand of blessing from you, and will punish you.
…but He also promised that it would not be that way forever.
No matter the reason for the problem..whether it would be their sin, or God’s testing, one thing they could be sure of: If they called to Him, He would rescue them.
“If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Now, many Americans claim this verse as a way to get our country back on track, but we have to note that there are some differences between Israel and America…
Israel was a THEOCRACY…with God at the lead of the country.
America was never set up to be a Theocracy. Our founders saw the wisdom in religion, but did not want to mandate a particular religion.
This promise was to Israel, specifically.
America is not the equivalent of “My People, who are called by My name”
However, I DO think that the CHURCH in America fits that bill.
…and many of US in the CHURCH have done the very same things that God was warning His people of Israel against.
That’s why I personally believe that the key to America’s future is not so much in the politicians or the politics…but in the Church.
WE NEED TO COME CLEAN! WE need to repent!
WE need to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek His face and to TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS.
WE need to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
If we do that, I believe that He will continue to bless America…after all, even if the 82% figure is too high, it still shows that a significant number are showing up at church…and if they turn back to Him, He will do powerful things in this country…
AND He will use His people (the Christian church) to spread the great news and begin to change the country, one conversation, one person at a time…not as a ‘takeover’, but as a natural outgrowth of the Church being the Church.
So, what are we to do?
Well, we—Christ followers—are to FOLLOW CHRIST!
So we will no longer have the govt. to back up our policies and beliefs.
Follow Christ anyway.
There may come a time—not too far off, in my opinion—in which our beliefs will not only be mocked, but in some cases, outlawed.
Follow Christ anyway.
There may come a day—again, not too far off—in which the Govt. tries to step into the pulpits of our nation and tell us what we can and cannot say about behaviors, beliefs, mindsets and policies in our nation, from a Biblical perspective.
We will say it anyway.
We do not bow our knees to men and their governments…we bow our knees to Jesus only.
It may surprise you to hear that, in some ways, I agree with President Obama…our nation is NOT a Christian nation—not now.
After all, a ‘nation’ cannot be Christian.
CHRISTIANS HAVE TO BE CHRISTIANS!
We—in the Church—we Christians and Christ followers—may have relied on the govt. to be our friend over the years.
Sometimes we even thought that, by electing ‘our guys and gals’, our nation would be transformed into ‘heaven on earth’.
I don’t believe it will—period.
And that’s o.k., because here’s the truth:
No matter who is elected, and no matter what laws are passed, this nation will not be full of actual Christ followers UNLESS WE –the current followers of Jesus Christ—START LIVING IT OUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT MORE.
Our hope for our nation does not lie in laws and governments, but our hope for our nation lies in Jesus Christ…and ‘governments’ cannot turn to Jesus Christ, only individuals can.
We DO need to be convinced—today more than ever—that we are Christians first, Americans 2nd.
We need to be people who are committed to following Jesus, no matter what goes on in our culture.
We need to be educated and prayerful, and we need to be INFORMED when we vote. (And, I believe, we need to vote for those who we believe best fits with our identity as Christians.)
We need to get the Word out about God, about Jesus, about sin and salvation—one person at a time.
As to the nation, I still believe that the best days can be ahead…but it will only be that way IF the Church is the Church…not relying on the govt. to do what we should be doing—sharing the word, sharing our resources, and bringing both to those who need it…Living holy lives, dedicated to conformity to His Word and His Character, regardless of what our culture—and even our govt.—says about it.
Does God still want to “Bless” America?
I don’t know.
I don’t know what God’s plans are for the country of “the United States of America”
I DO know what Gods wants from the Church—he wants people who are committed to Him, living life according to His word, and loving Him and loving others—as He said.
He wants us to be purified, committed, and dedicated to Him.
As we do that, we will impact those around us.
…and I believe that THAT is America’s best hope—people coming to Jesus Christ.
So this weekend…and this week…let’s make sure that WE are “humbling ourselves” and ‘Praying”, ‘seeking His face” and “turning from our wicked ways”.
This weekend, Celebrate our Independence…but celebrate it in the right spirit—celebrate our DEPENDENT Independence!
http://youtu.be/yq8tydBo5RI
Notice anything missing?
Obviously, the words “Under God” were edited out. NBC apologized later in the broadcast, saying it was not done to ‘offend’ anyone…but they have never explained WHY they did this.
QUESTION: Does it matter?
A couple of years ago, President Barack Obama said this:
http://youtu.be/tmC3IevZiik
Was he simply describing the reality of America today, or was he sharing his ‘progressive’ philosophy?
Question: Is he right?
QUESTION: Does it even matter?
I believe it DOES matter, and that the best hope for America’s future is a return to its Judeo/Christian roots…but probably not in the way that you think.
Let me explain.
America, it seems, was founded as a Judeo-Christian nation.
From the Mayflower Compact that the Pilgrims made in 1620 to John Winthrop, the 1st Governor of Massachusetts, faith—specifically the Judeo/Christian faith—was a bedrock of belief for them.
Winthrop wrote these lines, which President Ronald Reagan would later reference for our modern age:
“the only way to avoid this shipwreck (ie, being punished by God) “and to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of Micah—to “do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God.
For this end, we must be knit together in this work…We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when He shall make us a praise and a glory, that men of succeeding settlements will say “May the Lord make us like New England”
…and we shall find that we are “A city on a Hill”. (a Reference to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, that we are “a light to the world”, and a “city on a hill” that His followers—who put their faith into action—should be like a city on a hill—meaning a light and an example to all.)
The founders were mostly Christian men…some were ministers, most were educated in seminaries, in which it was taught that the best way to govern our lives—individually, and as a group—were from principles founded in the scripture.
The belief in American exceptionalism was NOT that Americas traditions, etc. were better than others, nor that the American people were better…but the belief that God played a DIRECT and ACTIVE role in founding of the American people. Many of the founders believed that, without God’s direct action and blessing, America as a nation would have never come to be, nor would it continue.
George Washington wrote that it was “incumbent upon the American people to show gratitude, both publicly and privately, to the Great Author of every public and private good”.
James Madison observed that we owe our first allegiance to the Ruler of the Universe.
Benjamin Franklin, easily the most ‘progressive’ and ‘cosmopolitan’ with respect to philosophy and religion, said that “doing good to men is the only service of God in our power, and to imitate his beneficence is to glorify him”. He referred to this as the “American Religion”.
Time Magazine has recently come out with an issue that questions the relevance of our Constitution. In a obviously biased survey with leading questions throughout, they end up showing that Americans don’t still buy into the Constitution.
But the founders were very clear: The only way “America” would work would be to KEEP THE PEOPLE voluntarily submitting themselves to God…and if they stopped doing so, the so-called ‘American experiment’ would lose the active blessing of God, and would (they feared) cease to be.
Daniel Webster wrote, “I can see no danger to our country from a foreign foe…Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another {source}: The inattention of the people to the concerns {and actions} of their government—from the carelessness and negligence of the people.”
Samuel Huntington wrote, “While the great body of citizens are acquainted with the duties which they owe to their God, to themselves, and to men, they will remain free; but if ignorance and depravity should prevail, they will inevitably lead to slavery and ruin.”
As they put together our founding documents they embraced the role of God—
In the Declaration of Independence—which we celebrate tomorrow—they wrote,
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States..
…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Abigail Adams, to her husband, John: (after the battle of Bunker Hill—as he was in Philadelphia serving in the 2nd Continental Congress): “The race is not to the swift, not the battle to the strong, but the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Trust in him at all times, you people, pour out your hearts to Him. God is a refuge for us—Charleston is laid in ashes…may Almighty God cover the heads of our Countrymen, and be a shield to them”.
Patrick Henry, in his famous speech in St. John’s Church, said this:
“They tell us, sir, that we are weak—unable to cope with so formidable an adversary (as the British army)..Sir, we are not week, if we make proper use of tho0se means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three million people armed in the holy cause of liberty…are invincible by any force which our enemy can send. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight..
He finished with the famous lines “I know not what course others may take, but as for me…give me liberty, or give me death!”
After their freedom and liberty were won, Washington wrote, “The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe, whose divine interposition was so frequently manifest in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit t a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored.”
Their faith was not only ‘in the back of their minds’…it was front and center for many of them:
George Washington said “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable support. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness”
Our Constitution—our basis for all laws and collective behavior—was influenced in large ways by the Judeo-Christian ethics that the founders knew and embraced.
Ideas like ‘all men are created equal’ and that our “inalienable rights” don’t come from the state or the king, but from God—were radical at the time. (And they still make a huge difference today…because, if our ‘rights’ come from the government, that gives the govt. the ability to take them away!)
The very idea that each person could be counted on to give their input into the form and specific officers of the government, and that peaceful transitions of power would be written into this constitution were very radical at the time. One man/one vote was unheard of at the time.
John Adams, after the Constitution was ratified, wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other”
Even Thomas Jefferson, who rivaled only Benjamin Franklin in his religious tolerance, wrote “can the liberties of a nation be thought to be secure when we have removed their only firm basis—a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God?”
From it’s inception, America’s ‘identity’ has been “Independent”…but it’s been a “Dependent Independence”. America has been “dependent” on Almighty God for it’s freedom, liberty…and it’s “Independence”.
Even today, our attempts to export this “Democratic Republic” style of Govt. reminds us that it isn’t only about a set of laws, or a constitution. This form of govt. will not be welcomed—and thus, will not ‘stick’—unless the culture it’s being offered to will welcome it.
This is a uniquely Judeo-Christian idea.
The 10 commandments, for example, have played a huge role—not only in ancient Israel—but in America. Moses figures prominently in the writings of the founders, as well as in the sculptures and artwork in our halls of power.
So, again, I don’t believe there’s any doubt that America was founded as a Judeo-Christian nation, and that this partly explains why we have been the most prosperous, most powerful, and most liberating nation of all time.
That is why America has historically also been the most generous nation on Earth.
Americans give away hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars to charity—here at home and abroad—every year…more than 2 x as much as the next most generous nation.
When other nations are in trouble—via natural disaster, modern mishap, or military threat—they have a tendency to drop their protest signs against America, and instead come to us for help.
And, for the most part, Americans answer—in a HUGE way.
I believe that a PART of the reason for the freedom, liberty, prosperity and success that we have experienced is that we have, historically, welcomed the role of God—specifically the God of the Bible-- in our lives and our governance.
“Blessed is the nation who’s god is the LORD!” (Ps. 33:12)
Question is, ‘what now’?
Clearly, we are no longer the kind of nation we were during the era of the founders.
America’s population—largely because of it’s status as a beacon for freedom and liberty in the midst of a dark world—has changed dramatically.
America has been a ‘melting pot’ virtually from its inception…we have welcomed immigrants from around the world. We have not demanded that they forget where they came from, but have demanded that they become “Americans”, first and foremost.
We have had a process for legal immigration that has worked well for hundreds of years. We have had citizenship tests (which most of us would probably fail), and have held up the flag of this country as a unifying symbol—of a republic, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
…and it’s worked! More people try to get here to become citizens than any other country in the world!
America is, as John Winthrop put it back in 1620, ‘A shining city on a hill” that others would look to and be attracted to!
Yet, again…we are very different now.
Our racial and ethnic makeup is changing, and from a religious standpoint, we are different as well.
(If we were close to 100% adherents to Christianity in 1776, what do you think we are now?)
According to a Pew Research study a couple of years back, here’s what I found:
Is it possible for America in the year 2011 to be governed by the same Judeo-Christian principles which have guided and directed for centuries?
I believe it is!
Not only that, but I believe it’s critical!
Our very constitution…our very existence as a nation—is at stake!
Time magazine…Constitution…weighted article seems largely designed to make it look irrelevant.
Are our best days as a nation behind us?
Depends.
Many people who look at Biblical Prophecy about the end times note that, in all the proposed scenarios, America does not play into their understanding of end time events at all.
Why?
Could it be that America will not participate in battles over Israel, or in ‘wars and rumors of war’ for one reason or another?
Is it possible that we’d be so financially strapped that we wouldn’t help our one middle eastern ally, which also has a Democratic Republic style of govt.—if they were attacked?
Is it possible that America would be so focused on one kind of ‘crisis’ or another at home that we literally could not get involved in these kinds of events?
Is it possible that Americans would be so sick and tired of helping other people that—largely like we did for the lead up to the 2nd world war, we’d bury our head in the sand and say ‘it’s none of our business’?
Is it POSSIBLE that America—when the end time events roll around (which MAY not be as distant as you think) WILL NOT EVEN EXIST?
Because we have rejected—or are in the process of rejecting—the Judeo Christian background that we’ve had, we are beginning to implode.
Our moral standards have lost all bearing—and now almost literally ‘anything goes’.
Our respect for God—and his role in our nation—is mocked and ridiculed, if it’s brought up at all.
It seems that the One Thing that is NOT to be ‘tolerated’ in America in this day and age is a person who is a Christian, and still believes that living life— individually and as a nation—by the Bible—or at least with Biblical beliefs as it’s foundation—is still the best way to live.
You and I can speak out about almost anything today. We can wave signs, we can have parades…we can do all of the above for almost any cause.
…but try to have a rally about returning to our Judeo-Christian roots, and you’ll be opposed, ridiculed, even assaulted.
So, what are we to do?
Back in the OT time, when the nation of Israel was literally “God’s people”, they were told in no uncertain terms by God Himself: I will be with you and will bless you…but if you turn from me and worship the false Gods, and follow the customs and practices of the nations around you, I will remove my hand of blessing from you, and will punish you.
…but He also promised that it would not be that way forever.
No matter the reason for the problem..whether it would be their sin, or God’s testing, one thing they could be sure of: If they called to Him, He would rescue them.
“If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Now, many Americans claim this verse as a way to get our country back on track, but we have to note that there are some differences between Israel and America…
Israel was a THEOCRACY…with God at the lead of the country.
America was never set up to be a Theocracy. Our founders saw the wisdom in religion, but did not want to mandate a particular religion.
This promise was to Israel, specifically.
America is not the equivalent of “My People, who are called by My name”
However, I DO think that the CHURCH in America fits that bill.
…and many of US in the CHURCH have done the very same things that God was warning His people of Israel against.
That’s why I personally believe that the key to America’s future is not so much in the politicians or the politics…but in the Church.
WE NEED TO COME CLEAN! WE need to repent!
WE need to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek His face and to TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS.
WE need to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
If we do that, I believe that He will continue to bless America…after all, even if the 82% figure is too high, it still shows that a significant number are showing up at church…and if they turn back to Him, He will do powerful things in this country…
AND He will use His people (the Christian church) to spread the great news and begin to change the country, one conversation, one person at a time…not as a ‘takeover’, but as a natural outgrowth of the Church being the Church.
So, what are we to do?
Well, we—Christ followers—are to FOLLOW CHRIST!
So we will no longer have the govt. to back up our policies and beliefs.
Follow Christ anyway.
There may come a time—not too far off, in my opinion—in which our beliefs will not only be mocked, but in some cases, outlawed.
Follow Christ anyway.
There may come a day—again, not too far off—in which the Govt. tries to step into the pulpits of our nation and tell us what we can and cannot say about behaviors, beliefs, mindsets and policies in our nation, from a Biblical perspective.
We will say it anyway.
We do not bow our knees to men and their governments…we bow our knees to Jesus only.
It may surprise you to hear that, in some ways, I agree with President Obama…our nation is NOT a Christian nation—not now.
After all, a ‘nation’ cannot be Christian.
CHRISTIANS HAVE TO BE CHRISTIANS!
We—in the Church—we Christians and Christ followers—may have relied on the govt. to be our friend over the years.
Sometimes we even thought that, by electing ‘our guys and gals’, our nation would be transformed into ‘heaven on earth’.
I don’t believe it will—period.
And that’s o.k., because here’s the truth:
No matter who is elected, and no matter what laws are passed, this nation will not be full of actual Christ followers UNLESS WE –the current followers of Jesus Christ—START LIVING IT OUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT MORE.
Our hope for our nation does not lie in laws and governments, but our hope for our nation lies in Jesus Christ…and ‘governments’ cannot turn to Jesus Christ, only individuals can.
We DO need to be convinced—today more than ever—that we are Christians first, Americans 2nd.
We need to be people who are committed to following Jesus, no matter what goes on in our culture.
We need to be educated and prayerful, and we need to be INFORMED when we vote. (And, I believe, we need to vote for those who we believe best fits with our identity as Christians.)
We need to get the Word out about God, about Jesus, about sin and salvation—one person at a time.
As to the nation, I still believe that the best days can be ahead…but it will only be that way IF the Church is the Church…not relying on the govt. to do what we should be doing—sharing the word, sharing our resources, and bringing both to those who need it…Living holy lives, dedicated to conformity to His Word and His Character, regardless of what our culture—and even our govt.—says about it.
Does God still want to “Bless” America?
I don’t know.
I don’t know what God’s plans are for the country of “the United States of America”
I DO know what Gods wants from the Church—he wants people who are committed to Him, living life according to His word, and loving Him and loving others—as He said.
He wants us to be purified, committed, and dedicated to Him.
As we do that, we will impact those around us.
…and I believe that THAT is America’s best hope—people coming to Jesus Christ.
So this weekend…and this week…let’s make sure that WE are “humbling ourselves” and ‘Praying”, ‘seeking His face” and “turning from our wicked ways”.
This weekend, Celebrate our Independence…but celebrate it in the right spirit—celebrate our DEPENDENT Independence!
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