Stop putting your hand out!

by | Oct 29, 2015 | America, American, culture, politics

US FlagLast night the Republican political party candidates met and entered into a debate. I missed most of it due to other obligations (though I typically try to set aside time to listen to the debates on both side of the political spectrum to hear “first hand” what the candidates have to say). This morning, I hit the “highlight reel” with two news organizations (again from opposite sides of the political spectrum). I listened to the 4 minute interviews with the candidates in the “post-mortem” of the night.

Perhaps what pushed me back in my chair the most, was not the prepared soundbites of the political candidates; rather, it is was the “impromptu” questions posed to the candidates by “real people” via social media.

I heard things like, “What will you do as President to help ME as the middle class?” This question took different forms but the substance was the same. Unfortunately, while the answers were nuanced, no one really said what I longed to hear.

I personally would love to hear a candidate say in a grandfatherly “Reaganesque” voice…”The role of government is such that it cannot help you. Government is not the answer to your problems. Government, in many cases, is the problem. The most helpful thing the government can do for you is to insure it does not hurt you as you do what a nation built on the ideals of freedom has promised you are possible and attainable. ”

The “attitude” that a potential candidate should have a plan to help the people is just a dressed up “liberal” concept. Yes…those on the “Right” of the political spectrum bemoan the attitudes of the “Left” that want more money for no more work. (Yes…you hear about a living wage, but you don’t hear employees crying out, “How can we make our McDonalds Restaurant more profitable?”) The attitude is reflected in asking for something to help YOU achieve what YOU want. While more palatable to the “Right” by the way the question was asked, it is still the same question.

Dear Mr. or Ms. Candidate of whichever Party:

Please say (as leaders must…even if they don’t get elected), “The best way for me to help you is to get out of your way. You have it within you as a human being and particularly as an American to do well…to achieve…to prosper…to contribute to Society. You do not need government to engineer your ‘salvation.’ You need government to stop trying to pick winners and losers and point the populace to care for one another and seek the greater good for all.”

Frankly, I know the depraved heart of man well enough that I don’t trust a politician to orchestrate what’s “best” for me. I desire a leader to help me see what’s best for me. I don’t need a “phone” or free internet. I don’t want you to hand me free food every month. I certainly don’t want your help “making it” as a middle-class American. You’re not! You have limited understanding of what it is to be me…a middle-class American. I simply want you to step back and scale back your good intentions and ask the question regarding the laws on the books and those that will cross your desk in the future, “Does this law/regulation/executive order fit within the Founding Father’s vision of limited Federal Government or not? Does it reach beyond the role intended for government? Does it inspire dependence or independence? Does it stifle productivity or encourage it?

Most importantly…I want the citizenry to recognize that we have the ability to succeed without the government’s help. We should not look to them to save us. We should see them, not as a facet of “business” to adjust to, but as an overarching regulatory body that insures we are operating according to agreed upon standards. For heaven’s sake…reduce the power of government by walking away from the “free stuff” and “help me” lines. When we stop putting out our hands and simply roll up our sleeves, we will begin to shrink the influence of the ominous power structure known as Government…and only then might we see it returned to its original design of “a Government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people.

Jesus doesn’t have Conversations…

by | Oct 16, 2015 | Devotions

Open Bible 1Now before you pick up a stone…let me define the title further so that the statement makes sense. I am not speaking of dialogue such as recorded in the Gospels or the sense of petition and answer in prayer. I am not speaking of the declaration that Jesus calls us “friends.” What I am speaking of is the authority behind His declarations, whatever they may be.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that it is through the foolishness of the preached message that God saves souls! That is not some slighted statement…the foolishness of the “words of the cross” is actually the power of God unto Salvation to those who believe. The preached message is not a conversation. The Message (words) of the Cross is not an interpretive dialogue. It is a declaration of truth and a decisive call for acceptance by a divine authority, namely God Himself.

My point is: God is not negotiating with you and me. God is not asking for our opinions or seeking to build consensus on certain issues. God declares what is good, what is right, what is expected, and what is holy. He does so with authority and He wraps it in immeasurably abundant grace! But it is still authoritative.

One may ask…what if I don’t agree? What if I dispute and have a good argument? What if someone else stands up and says differently? Do any of these things change the fact that what God declares is already Sovereignly and righteously decided in Heaven? The answer is certainly, “No.”

In our cultural understanding of what is “acceptable” by OUR norms, we like to soften authority and make the determination of what is authoritative more subjective than we ought. We want to have conversations rather than hear declarations. We hear that “the Bible says…” and we say, “Yes, but I am not certain I agree with that.” Friend, honestly…that doesn’t matter. Jesus doesn’t have conversations about whether something is right or wrong, expected or optional. He declares truth and we decide to obey or disobey. Those are our options. He is our King. His Word is settled. His declarations are unimpeachable.

Shalom, CA

Righteousness by Compulsion is not…

by | Oct 15, 2015 | Devotions

open-bible 2Philemon is a pretty amazing story of Paul discipling a brother, Philemon, in how to live out an aspect of the gospel practically. He says, among other things, that Philemon should rejoice over a “run-a-way” slave who probably stole from his master…because he crossed paths with Paul and now was a Christ-follower. Tons of lessons bubble up from the text. We ought to rejoice over the salvation of an enemy. We ought to serve and honor God above all else and pursue His agenda as priority. When we fail and sin against another, we should repent in humility and trust in God’s grace (Onesimus).

Another nugget presents itself in verse 14: “but with out you consent I did not want to do anything [that is, keep Onesimus, your slave, with me to minister to me and chalk it up to you being a brother and assume you would want to do the right thing], so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.”

In this verse, we are confronted with the importance of heart motive. If we do something to please me or because of peer pressure…even if it is a good thing, it is not righteous. If we feel guilty and therefore do a good “act” we are still not acting righteously.

God looks on our hearts. WOW! I know many people who say that as if it were comforting… “I may not do right, but God knows my heart” they may say! Well, that terrifies me more often than it brings me comfort. I know how to DO the right things…but sometimes I do them without the right motive. I may correct a person out of a desire to help myself more than to help them. I may do charitable deeds for more of how it makes me feel than for how it reflects Christ or serves the other person. These actions are then, in effect, wicked in God’s sight because they are right things done by compulsion or with wrong motives.

It sometimes terrifies me that God knows my heart…because as much as I know my own heart…it is sometimes wicked. Not always…but sometimes.

Paul seeks to disciple Philemon in this letter. He is not concerned with what is right. He is not concerned with the ability to do what is right. Paul is concerned with Philemon WANTING to do what is right of his own free will.

That requires heart surgery!

Friends…this letter encourages me BECAUSE of two things. One…God is at work on my heart. He is changing, softening, crushing, and rejuvenating it. Second…God graciously saves me KNOWING my fits of wickedness and strongholds of selfishness. The Gospel reminds me that it is not my good works that provokes God’s goodness toward me. His goodness toward me proceeds from His nature which is completely good and gracious, and merciful.

Today…don’t just do good. Beg God to help you to want to do good and when you sense that your heart is not in it, ask God to change your heart rather than trying to justify your wickedness as somehow righteous.

Shalom, CA

#P5: Devotion Much?

by | Oct 14, 2015 | Devotions, Pastor's Reflections

open-bible 2Several years ago I began promoting in the churches I served, churchwide Scripture reading plans or corporate devotional initiatives of some sort…plans to get folks into the Scriptures that might not otherwise step over the initial “hurdle” of beginning a devotional discipline. I remember one man in one church coming to me and strongly declaring that he would not be joining us in the initiative because it wasn’t deep enough for him. He soon left the church I served and connected to another for  short season. Now he doesn’t attend anywhere and by all accounts I am familiar with…faith has no role in his lifestyle, choices, or desires. That grieves me because I was investing in his discipleship. He was in a place of leadership and influence and we had an accountability relationship.

You might ask, “Where did he run off the rails?” My answer: He lacked discipline. He was not devoted to the best things. Sure, he did some good things but he did not do the best things. He was familiar with “Jesus stuff” but not devoted to Jesus.

A better question is, “How could he have prevented the slide into practical agnosticism?” (An agnostic is one who does not deny that God may exist, but operates as if it doesn’t matter either way). That term may seem a bit strong but I don’t know what else to call it when you live daily as if you alone are the source of your own strength, peace, and security.

One of the ways (assuming he was and is born-again…an argument I am not making but am allowing for since I can only judge the fruit in his life) is by choosing discipline.

Discipline is when we choose to act in a certain manner because we have decided it is best, particularly when doing so is uncomfortable. It is skipping dessert when we want the cake but we need to shed a few pounds. It is going for a walk when we might prefer to watch television. It is setting aside 15 minutes in the quiet of the morning to read from the Scriptures and maybe a devotional guide along with prayer.

As a pastor, I hope it goes without saying that I have read the Bible numerous times and that I have a “better than average” knowledge of the Scriptures. Yet, in my “normal” PERSONAL Christ-follower discipline…I read daily from the Scriptures, read from 3-4 devotional guides, meditate/consider what I read…and pray. My discipline involves 30 mins to an hour daily. This, of course, is outside of my sermon/message prep and study discipline for teaching.

Here is the question: “If I find a need to discipline myself in pursuit of quiet time/devotion…how might someone with less exposure to the Scriptures find it less necessary for themself?”

Regardless of where you are NOW, you could start a devotional discipline if you choose, or start back in your discipline. Choose today to give God your focus and attention for a certain period of time every day. My guess…what begins as DISCIPLINE will blossom as DEVOTION very soon.

Shalom, CA