Politics and faith

Does it matter? It seems Christians have a tendency to go from one extreme to the other when it comes to politics. Some think it doesn't matter. What difference is one vote going to make? Still others would die on a hill for their particular issue or candidate.
Politics is important. Whether we like it or not they make decisions regarding the life of unborn children, how much of our own money we can keep, decisions about war and so on. What should scare you is that these are often the same politicians who will sometimes flat out lie to us. That makes the decisions even more difficult.
No matter who is in power Jesus is still our savior and peoples souls are more important than the condition of our country. I will go to the poles and I will vote for what is apparently the lesser of two evils. I will trust God and hope for the best.

Independance Day and Taxes

I want to warn you, this will get a little political.

On this fourth of July we went out to breakfast with my dad (John Sr.) our kids and my niece. I took this opportunity to talk to my daughter about Independence Day. She did really well. She remembered that this day celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html). This declaration identifies many truths including the proper role of government (found also in Romans 13). Let us remember the signers of the Declaration as heroes who have protected us from tyranny.

Let us also remember that this tyranny was primarily exercised through taxes without representation. Today we have representation in the form of senators and state representatives. This great country is ours, not theirs. These senators are in Washington on our behalf. When they take our money it is because we let them, when they use that money for fund abortion it is because we let them, when they use that money in irresponsible ways it is because we let them. It is irresponsible for the citizens of the united states to ignore government. There are many issues that require our attention in November, but there is none more important than taxes. I say this because it is money that gives power, it is money that supports programs, and it is money that motivates. There is a reason that Jesus spent as much time talking about money as he did.

Every time the people give up more of their money to government they give up more of their freedom and more of their power. God forbid that we should give up our money and our power because we are too lazy to take care of ourselves.

However you decide to vote this fall make sure it is an educated vote. Don't skip voting and then complain that the government is not doing well. Pay attention, read the declaration of independence, the constitution, and maybe even a little history so that you understand where we have come from.

Role Confusion

I was recently asked a question regarding Jesus and politics. The question went something like this, "Would Jesus be a Socialist?" This is not a question that can simply be dismissed, nor can it be assumed the answer is a resounding yes. Without too much depth I think we can come to some important conclusions about this subject.

Many believe that since Jesus was so concerned about helping the poor or less fortunate that government programs which do these things are Biblical. It is true that Jesus was concerned about the poor as He was all people. It is also true that He sometimes chastised people for their lack of concern. There is one ingredient that must not be overlooked. Jesus did not attempt to change the government, instead he was concerned about people's heart. When Jesus commanded the Rich Young Ruler to give what he had to the poor it was not because Jesus believed the man had too much money and it wasn't fair. Instead Jesus told him to give what he had to the poor because the rich man valued his possessions too much. Jesus was not suggesting that the man be forced to give what he had to the poor rather that he willingly and joyfully give what he had. This is consistent with Paul's exhortation to be joyful givers.

In the past few years I have seen many people make what I believe is a significant mistake regarding the role of government in helping the poor or those who have had misfortune. Jesus teaching about compassion and love towards those who are less fortunate in some way is for the church, not the government. The government does not promote joyful and compassionate giving, it promotes forced and resentful redistribution of wealth. I don't want to dive too far into the political side of things, but it seems to me that forced compassion is no compassion at all.

When we allow the government to begin taking on these roles, we diminish the opportunity the church has to fill this very role. We take away ministry opportunities, and perhaps even opportunities to share the gospel. We make it easy for the church to become complacent. Some times a "good thing" or a "good program" in the wrong place or for the wrong motivation becomes less than good. Role confusion is not a small matter, it is actually very significant.

How Long Will It Be?

Recently congress has seen fit to take valuable time they should be spending debating some important issue regarding our liberties or the defense of our country and instead censer Rush Limbaugh. I don't know what you think of Rush, and honestly I don't care. This is not intended to be an apology (not the sorry kind) on behalf of Rush. Instead I want to pose a much more important question. When is this going to happen to a pastor for something he says in his own church or on the radio?
It is appalling that congress should take time to debate the words of a private citizen. It is not their role and it should not be. This kind of action is terrible and will eventually lean on our own liberties. You remember the first amendment don't you? It guarantees the freedom of speech. Even if you think Rush is an arrogant jerk who doesn't know up from down this kind of action by congress is still ridiculous and wrong!!
The consequence of setting this kind of precedent is severe. Our government should not be spending time condemning the free speech of private citizens. If this kind of action can be taken against Rush, why not John Piper, John MacArthur, or your pastor? What is stopping congress from becoming the "free speech" police?

The Greatest Nation and The Christian Faith

I love the U.S. I believe it is the greatest nation ever to exist on this planet apart from perhaps the nation of Israel when it was a true theocracy. I want to hang on to this nation as it was established as long as I can. Still I am under no illusions. This great nation will likely not be great forever. Its greatness may last another 5 years or maybe another 500 years. However long it lasts I will enjoy it. But what of my faith? Is my faith connected to my country? Should it be?

Sometimes I struggle with this, there is definitely some dissonance regarding my citizenship in the U.S. and the kingdom of God. I love Jesus first and foremost, but I find myself wanting to engage in political conversations more than spiritual ones. Maybe this is because I think politics are easier to talk about than spiritual things. I often find myself dealing with this conflict between my role as a pastor and my political convictions. In reality the two cannot be completely separated.

I don't stand up and preach politics even during presidential elections. A lot of the times I avoid making any kind of statements from the pulpit. Still there are a lot of political issues that should be heavily influenced by the convictions of our faith and a Biblical worldview. I don't want those who tend to have more liberal political views to be offended because my views tend to be more conservative. Yet it is hard for me to understand how people who believe and value God's word can come to conclusions that are different from mine (in certain areas).

So what am I to do? I don't know. I guess I will continue to stumble along trying to be mindful of what is appropriate in different situations. I will probably stick my foot in my mouth a few times, but oh well.

I'll Say It If No One Else Will

It seems like no one really wants to say what is on every one's mind. The war on terror is essentially a war on Islam. I hate to say it, but Islam seems to breed terrorists. I know there are peace loving Muslims and most of them are not terrorists. Still after authorities stopped the attack on Fort Dix it seems the fight is broader than just organized terror groups.

These men were Muslims and they were terrorists, but they had no organizational connection to Bin Laden or any other terrorist groups. Yes they were radical, but radical seems to be in vogue with too many Muslims. This is a religious war between everyone who is not Muslim and those who claim to fight on behalf of Allah.

I am not blaming all Muslims for what some of them are doing. Still I rarely hear peace loving Muslims going after these Radical Muslims. If there are so many good Muslims then I would like to challenge them with these words: "All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing." (Author Unknown) I fully support our president and our troops, but I do wonder if this war can be won if we do not know who our enemy really is. Perhaps we will win in Iraq, but the war on terror may last beyond this generation.

Are You Really Free?

Everyone wants to be free from something. Christians want to be free from the bondage of sin, people in general want to be free from oppression, and I want to be free to do the work of God. Unfortunately that freedom is at risk. I want Muslims, JW's, and Mormans to all be free to evangelize people to their religion and to stand up for what they believe good morals are!!

Unfortunately we have elected a bunch of thought police to congress. They are once again interested in punishing people for what they think rather than what they do. There are a bunch of maniacs communicating stupid messages, but they are free to make fools of themselves. The thought police in Washington are moving down a road that could eventually outlaw communicating any kind of moral message at all. Read this!!

Carbon Credits, Indulgences, & an Inconvenient Truth

With the earth warming and man running around destroying everything it seems there is a simple solution. The solution is Carbon Credits (hereafter called indulgences). Rather than actually doing something to limit the "Carbon Foot Print" of mankind we can simply write a check to Al Gore or whoever it is that is planting trees in an effort to "offset" the treasure chest of grace in our favor.

Whatever you think about Global warming let's be honest. Those who are running around spreading this inconvenient message would have been great Catholic Priests back in the day. Not only do they want live High on the Hog (whatever that means), but they want to make everyone else pay for it. They are just like the Pharisees praying on the corner. They live in extravagant houses that take lots of energy to heat and light while flying around in their private jets, but don't worry!!! They purchase Carbon Credits so everything will be OK!!

So Here is my idea. When the offering gets low just hit your congregation up for a few indulgences. I guess it's not a new idea, but it is being recycled in politics. I say keep your money and spend it on a hybrid car that can't pass emissions.

Jumping on the Gun Law Bandwagon

I hate to say it, but my mom was right again. Before I elaborate on what exactly she was right about let me make some things clear. Guns scare me. I love hunting and I enjoy shooting guns of all kinds. Still I have witnessed guns going off accidentally. Fortunately care was being taken and the gun was pointed in a safe direction! The only thing that got hit was the dirt. Of course one of my brothers accidentally shot his middle toe off with a deer rifle while deer hunting. Fortunately no deer were harmed in the incident.

Last year a student at Virginia Tech got in trouble for legally carrying a concealed hand gun to class. He had a permit to carry the weapon and was not breaking any law by doing so. Virginia Tech evidently believed a gun free zone was the best way to keep students safe. I wonder if we would be talking about this tragedy in the same way had VT decided to allow students who went through the necessary applications and training to acquire such a permit to carry on campus?

The thought of incompetent or unqualified people carrying around a hand gun scares the living daylights out of me. Still I continue to think about what my mom said, "if we outlaw guns only the outlaws will have guns!" It turns out in the gun free zone VT had created that adage was true. I guess mom is smarter than I thought.

Christianity and the Fairness Doctrine

I don't care what your political views are! Actually I do, but not for the moment. Whether you are liberal or conservative this is a big deal. The Fairness Doctrine (some of you may remember this idea from the mid 80's) is making a comeback. Basically this doctrine says if you propagate a conservative view you MUST also provide a liberal view on public airways. The reverse is also true.

At first this idea sounds good. You might be thinking, "hey this may allow my viewpoint to be heard by people who may not want to hear it, and that would be good!" Ya, you might be right about that, but is that really what you want? The opposite is also true. For the moment this doctrine is focused on political speech, but again what is good for the goose is good for the gander.............. OK, I don't know what that means but my grandma says it, so it must be good. I think it means that if this principal applies to political speech why wouldn't it apply to religious speech?

Imagine for a moment holding a church service in which you were preaching the gospel story (hopefully that is every Sunday) This service was going so good you thought an alter call might be appropriate. You had given a convincing presentation of the gospel story and there were many "unbelievers" attending that day. many people responded to the gospel, well say 15. What a day!!! Then when you were done a Muslim got up and pointed out all the flaws in your argument and presented the "Muslim gospel." If you think your services are long now, just wait!!

Of course this is crazy, it would never happen right! Don't be so sure. The right to free speech does not guarantee the right to be heard. We have to earn the right to be heard. That is as it should be. Examine the problems of preaching God's word in countries that do not allow free speech in a similar fashion to the United States. That should motivate you to pay attention to this political issue. Perhaps persecution is exactly what the church needs, but I would like to try without it.

Jesus Would Shop At Walmart

Recently a T.V. add was released in Little Rock, Ark. asking the questions, "Would Jesus Shop At Walmart?" I think there is a clear answer to this question. Of course He would. I am so sick of people picking on Walmart because they provide a valuable service to the communities in which they have stores. Let's examine for a minute what would happen if people stopped shopping at Walmart:

• The largest employer in the country would go out of business leaving people who are willing to work out of a job including some people who may not be qualified to do anything else.
• Those who work there for a part time income would not be able to maintain the standard of living they currently have.
• People across the united states would have to pay more for the products they buy causing them to have a lower standard of living, including those who make minimum wage as it is.
• Those who depend on Walmart for an income including those working the cash registers and stocking the shelves would be left to depend on welfare or some other social program to survive. That would do wonders for their self-esteem and desire to work.
• Certainly the government would have to come up with some kind of new program to support former Walmart employees.
• Walmart might be coerced into providing health insurance and paying more to their employees meaning they would have to raise prices on their products. Of course that means the employees they just gave a raise to would have to pay more for the products they buy. Probably lowering their standard of living because Walmart would also have to pay for their health insurance instead of paying the employee that money.

Since when did health insurance become a right? I don't have health insurance, it's a scam anyway. I am so sick of hearing people whine and cry foul because the company they work for doesn't' give them health insurance. Work for a different company or shut up!! You don't have a "right" to health insurance and you don't have a "right" to be wealthy.

Jesus would shop at Walmart because the people there need to be employed. They need money to survive. Jesus would shop there because the people working there are not doing anything unethical. Jesus would shop there because he is more concerned about their spiritual health then their physical or financial health. He might even heal people while shopping. Jesus would shop there because it is more difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven then for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Of course all things are possible with God.

Bible or Koran

Kieth Ellison is the first Muslim to be elected to congress. At the ceremony to be sworn in Rep. elect Ellison wants to use the Koran instead of the Bible. Dennis Pragar (A Jewish talk show host) has asked Mr. Ellison to use the Bible because of its influence in the establishment of our country.

I thought we could take a little pole to see what everyone thought. Should he use the Bible or the Koran? Respond to the post with your vote.