Being a Christian is not for the weak or timid: Part 1

As Christians, we are often misrepresented as being weak of heart and mind. But nothing could be further form the truth. It is true that "God's strength and power are perfected in our weakness". 2 Corinthians 12:9. It is when we are at our most vulnerable and humble that God's power is most evident. In examples such as these, there is no place or opportunity for self-glorification, nor is there a chance to extol the virtues and merits of any "power" we may have. In cases such as these, it is all God who worketh for His own glory and for our good.

However, we are often portrayed by the world as being "too weak to face life without the crutch of religion." And that this weakness leads us to have inferior minds and lower intelligence than the more "enlightened" people of the world. This concept is not new. Fortunately, God, throughout the history of the world, has used the people and things the world considers weak and foolish, to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 18-31.

And consider the lives of early Christians. They were persecuted and executed for their faith in Christ. And yet, they still believed and held on to the promises God gave us in Christ. In the next post, we will look at some examples of how the "weak and foolish of this world" were made "strong and wise " by God in the face of adversity and certain death.'

Your brother in Christ

Politics and the Christian Part 5

Here I am one more time talking about the subject of politics and the Christian. This is my last post in the series.  I do not wish to belabor the point, and feel other topics need to be examined. Today, I want to focus on where the Christian puts their hope for their future as individuals, and the future of this country. Now my opinions, for whatever they are worth, should not be considered the gospel, for there is only one Gospel. But here goes.

I think Satan uses every measure possible to distract mankind from the things that really matter and that would bring us true fulfillment. The most important of which is to have an intimate and deep relationship with God in Jesus Christ. I think Satan uses politics to divide the masses. And not just divide the masses, but to destroy the very principle at the basis of the “greatest commandment”: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself’” Matthew 22:37.40.  This is not an optional platitude or some mission statement. It’s a directive. How does politics or the use of politics by the enemy seek to destroy this principle? By pitting neighbor against neighbor in the worship of their own political ideology. Our political ideology and party becomes our god. We trade in the strategic vision of the abundant eternal blessings, for the crumbs gained in the temporal political battle.

And this is not a new problem. Look back to the days of Jesus. If ever there was a viable political candidate, it was He. He related to the common man by sleeping in the fields and in houses of people who were generous enough to invite him in. He healed the sick, He fed the hungry, and He cared for the poor. He was also a true reformer. He ate dinner with tax collectors and prostitutes, He chased out those who turned the temple into a market place that exploited people desire to have their sins atoned for through sacrifices, and He pardoned the mistress caught in the very act of adultry. He had no wife, no mistresses, no shady business deals, and when given the opportunity to glorify Himself, He demurred. He refused to even debate with the body-politic on the subject of politics/religion. And He shared His power and authority with those who gave up the trappings of the world as He had done. Of course, His immediate ministry and future would be bright, right? The story ends with Him riding into town on a colt one Sunday. By Friday, a lynch mob had used the state political process to murder Him.

As a people, we can be quite vile, heartless, smug, self-righteous, and judgmental. And we can do this with very little effort. For all of the confidence we may have in our guile and intelligence, we can also be easily manipulated to do evil. Of course, we often disguise this natural tendency by keeping a close check on our behavior. But the problem still lurks in our hearts. It’s one of the many by-products of our sinful nature. Only in the sphere of politics is the aforementioned behavior justified. And not just justified, it’s encouraged.  And if someone has the gall to have a different political view, we consider them inferior to us. We have contempt for them. We mock them. We take glee in their shortcomings and their troubles. And we feel justified because our way is the right way. But is it?

In truth, God’s way is the right way. His ways encompasses everything that is true, right, and pure. He cares for the poor and the elderly. He also knows and loves the unborn. He hates the rich, who get rich by exploiting the poor and vulnerable. He also admires the diligent and productive worker who makes sound decisions with their resources. He calls us to emulate the ant, and not the sloth. But most importantly, He calls us to know and love Him, and to love each other.

Unfortunately, many Bible-believing, God-fearing Christians are so caught up in who is a Democrat and who is a Republican, we often end up discarding whole sections of the Body of Christ due to difference in our political opinions.   We are drawn into the little box that pumps out the clamor found on CNN, FOX, MSNBC, or the Big 3 broadcast networks. We feed on the words of the many experts, who provide so much information. Forgetting that this world has an appointment to be judged, and that Satan is working to ensure we are all caught by surprise when that appointment comes due.

We also tend to be highly selective of which tenets of God's word (which is His revealed will by the way), we think are important. We vote for candidates who will “take care of the poor”. Unfortunately, these candidates are either outright advocates or implicit accomplices of the killing of 50 million unborn in the past 35 years. We also vote for candidates who stand for “family values” and “small government”. But these same candidates voted for the greatest period of government spending in the history of this country, but not for the benefit of the common man. They also implicitly refuse to ensure the financial security of families who lose loved ones in wars they advocate. In short, the political system/parties/process only addresses a small sliver of the needs of mankind. It’s the same problem we’ve always refused to admit: That we can’t save ourselves or each other. God in Jesus Christ gets to the root of our needs: To be forgiven of our grievous offenses against God and each other, and to be restored to God. Jesus is the Remedy. Not Palin. Not Obama. Or any other Democrat or Republican.

As Christians, the desire to tell the world about the Remedy should be our work. Not wallowing in the cesspool of political group think the enemy so gleefully supplies us, in the hopes we forget about the eternal. And since we know what the enemy’s goals are, we should never be willing or unwitting participants in them. Again, please be mindful of the appointment that approaches.

Be blessed,

Your brother in Christ

 

Politics and the Christian Part 4

This is another post on the subject of politics, as it relates to Believers. I usually detest talking about the subject of politics, and I loathe the subject of politics when that discussion is framed as to which party is more in line with the things of God. Here is why.

God is the full embodiment of holiness and righteousness. We know that He is eternal (Was not created); He is omnipotent (Not confined by any time or space continuum); He is omniscience (All knowing); He is holy (completely set apart and perfect in every way); and He is immutable (He does not change with evolution of the cultures and is consistent in His application of righteousness).

In short, He is not confined by any of the limitations of understanding, intellect, purity, or consistency (although we humans are capable and often succeed at being consistently sinful) that plagues humans. And it is these qualities, among others such as His grace and mercy, which allows us to have an honest and open relationship with Him. A relationship in which He seeks to “prosper us, not harm us”. (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Now, politics, political parties, and politicians seek to do what they deem as good for their fellow man. But this intent is subjective and is often subject to every conceivable human frailty. Man’s intent apart from God’s wisdom is what makes that whole "intent" thing discomforting, assuming the politician in question even has a personal relationship with God. But here is where God and the concept of politics completely diverge. God is completely truthful. He is incapable of telling a lie, or even stretching the truth to be malleable to different circumstances. He cannot be bought and one can’t barter with Him to allow wrong to occur in exchange for some benefit. Furthermore, He is not just honest. His character is the full embodiment of TRUTH and INTEGRITY. He “delights in those who are truthful and detests lying lips”. (Proverbs 22). But where is the divergence between the attributes of God, and the dynamics within the political culture.

Firstly, politics, while seeking to do good to some degree, is rooted in misinformation, lies, half-truths, and distortion.Some would say the "the means justifies the end", but others may argue "that the ends are insignificant when considering the costs to attain them". But the chaos, disorder, and lack of honesty that is part of the political process, is accepted (and encouraged) as the cost of doing business in that particular environment. It’s what political junkies call “Spin”. And an entire cottage industry is built on this concept. Political discourse in the public forum is often based on a set of bullet point concepts where one denies any culpability or accountability for a problem, and places all of the blame on an opponent or opposing party… even when the politician or political operative knows this is false or not accurate. In short, it is a lie. This process is used to shape the minds of the electorate, who in turn support a candidate or issue through the campaign financing and voting process.

Another example of where there is a divergence between God and politics is the corruption that occurs due to the fact the political culture is built on the practice of bibery. While there are often cases of politicians accepting actual bribes as in the case of Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham, or as suspected in the case of Democratic Congressman William Jefferson, there are other more subtle forms of bribery. Lobby groups who favor a particular issue donate money to politicians, employ family members of politicians, lend luxury aircraft to politicians, and pay for junkets to exotic places for them. And as seen in the case of Halliburton’s dubious involvement in the Iraq War, and the political involvement in the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac housing institutions, the misconduct spans the political spectrum. It is not confined to one political party, and the followers of the political parties excuse the misconduct of their own party, by pointing to the misdeeds of the other party. It is this poisonous culture within the political system that often leads to two possible results: Either the voters entrench themselves in the poison of the culture (exchanging righteousness for partisan loyalty... even mistaking the two as being the same), or they become disillusioned and wonder where is the God of order and righteousness in our political process?

The truth of the matter is, in our country, both political parties are corrupt and ungodly. They use clever marketing schemes to incite the passions a voter may feel on a particular issue. But, while they may be seeking to feed the poor or uphold marriage between a man a woman, or protect a the rights of a fetus or provide social spending programs to the country, they are lining their pockets with bribe money... I mean political contributions and PAC money. They are either encouraging the growth of the billion dollar taxpayer funded military industrial complex, or they are encouraging the growth of the billion dollar abortion industry. They are completely mishandling and mismanaging the public's money. They are voting one way on legislation for an issue, and misrepresenting their prior statements and stances on on the same issue.They are involved in sexual misconduct, power grabs, awarding friends and family members lucraative government contracts, and actively seeking ways to create disunity among the electorate. And these are some of the more "honest" politicians. While regular citizens are on the verge of killing each other, based on the representations of their particular party's politicians, the very same opposing politicians are smoking cigars and sipping martinis with one another  in exclusive DC clubs..

If one is to profess faith and trust in God, then we must be honest about who we are, and we what we encourage (or allow) to happen. Can an outsider look at the conduct of a Believer and the conduct of an unbeliever in the politicaal realm and see a difference in conduct? Or would they see everyone foaming at the mouth, in the midst of all of the chaos? Furthermore, what options does a Christian have in making a difference in our society, yet alone the world? I don't have the answer, but God's perspective on these issues may shed some light.

Until next time,

your brother in Christ

Politics and the Chrtistian Part 3

It's been a minute since my last post, and luckily the free world is not depending on me for up to the minuet news breaks. I competed in a student mock trial competition earlier this month, and spend the few weeks before the election preparing for it. As it was, I was unable to keep current with my blogging.

But the election is over. Senator Barack Obama won resoundingly over Senator John McCain. The contest was over before 11pm on election night, which has been uncommon, the past few presidential elections. The country is in a transition from the Bush presidency to the Obama presidency, and that transition is rocky to say the least. The world's markets are collapsing... as they always seem to do every 8-10 years, and yet, everyone is "surprised" at the state of the economy. Particularly an economy that is built on the concept of credit. But that is another rant for another day. Unemployment is going up, and the world seems to be precipitously hanging on the edge of some new crisis.

Like all world leaders, President-elect Obama will have his hands full. We often envision a world with no wars, no hunger, no financial collapse, no political ruin, and no chaos. But that is not the reality that has been consistently outlined in the Bible. Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind AND the Judge of all creation, personally and through His messengers, has referred to Satan as the "prince of this world" ( John 12:31;14:30;16:11), the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), and the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, warned believers to "be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour". 1 Peter 5:8. Satan is also called "the father of lies" ( John 8:44), and "a murderer" ( John 8:44). In the Book of Job, we see a detailed account of how Satan instigates, and takes part in the attempted destruction of an innocent man, in an attempt to antagonize God. Job Chapter 1.

I say all of this to say that, any hope in a different outcome of the world’s problems is naïve and misplaced. God, for a season, is allowing Satan a certain level of control over the Earth. This includes the Earth’s political system, the economic systems, and the minds of the unsaved across the face of the Earth. In the end, mankind will be witness to the greatest and most anticipated battle in the history of creation, between God and Satan which will take place at Armageddon. Until then however, there will be a large degree of instability and chaos. This is not to say that the election of the President of the United States is an insignificant event. Particularly the first African-American elected president in the same country that outlawed slavery only 146 years ago, and continued to marginalize African-Americans in varying degrees since then. But President Obama is not Jesus, and as man, he is of limited resources to fix what truly ails the world. Granted, a godly man engages in the things of God, for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. But again, it is God who works to resolve those issues. And it will be God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, who will one day, fix all that ails the world. It is He, who should be our source of hope and security in times of uncertainty.

Be blessed.

 

Politics and the Christian... Part 2

I personally think that politics bring out the worst in people. That maybe an over generalization, but I doubt it.I think the quest for power, absent the spiritual discernment and influence of the Holy Spirit, puts sinful man on a path to destruction and chaos. Listen to the national tone, and you see some pretty harsh rhetoric coming from supporters of both presidential candidates. What is also evident is the bitterness, condescension, and contempt that is displayed among the rival supporters. I don't think this has anything to do with the candidates themselves, although I do acknowledge political candidates encourage this partisan atmosphere for their personal and political gain. 

Unfortunately, it has been this way in this country for every election since Adams ran against Jefferson for the presidency roughly 192 years ago. And even Adams at the time, detested the corrosive nature of politics. And while the dynamic of politics in our country has mostly been extremely polemic, it is even worse in other countries. Unfortunately, these attributes foster a sense of chaos among the electorate, which encourages chaos in the government's operation. Politicians often exploit this sense of chaos and partisanship for personal and political gain. But what is lost on most voters and politicians is the role God should play in a nation's governments. 

Romans 13:1 acknowledges that God's is the author of government: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Even more so, by reading Exodus 18, we understand that government should be comprised of people who fear and honor God: "21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. "

So, we see that God is the author of government, and that godly men (people) should be leaders in government. What else do we know about government? That God never intended for government to replace God as the savior of civilization. Samuel learned this firsthand. As judge of Israel, he provided godly leadership and instruction to the people. However, the people wanted a king. In Samuel chapter 8, Samuel, tried to dissuade the people that a king would " 6 take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots... 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle ^[b] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day... 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

Why would the people choose an earthly king as their ruler, over God? Galatians chapter 5 gives a clue: "17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. Additionally, "19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." 

This presents another question; Is our government dysfunctional because we are dysfunctional, or are we dysfunctional because our government is dysfunctional?

Politics and the Christian

This is Part 1 in a series of my thoughts, as a Christian, on the issue of politics and all that it involves. I'm no political guru. I am a law student, and a financial analyst by trade. I have B.S. In Biology, and an MBA in Finance. I state this not to brag about my accomplishments, as at this stage, I have only accomplished to amass a massive amount of student loan debt. But that is another rant for another post. I state this as an indication of my personality: Organized and methodical, rigid, a bottom line kind of mentality, one who is focused on just the facts. and one who categorizes something as truth, a mistake, or an intentional lie. In short, I think my nature is often antithetical to the political process

Now, politics, by its nature, is one half partisan and one half compromise. Very seldom is resolution of any given issue the goal, but is more so part of the process to gather power. This in itself is not ungodly per se, but can result in ungodly attributes in the individual immersed in the world of politics. At what cost is one's politics successful? And when that power is obtained, how should one maintain it?  Furthermore, as Christians, how far should we go to support one party's quest to maintain control, especially considering the goal of politics is not to solve problems, but to create chaos? What is one to think of the inevitable result that politics often divides the masses? Pits neighbor against neighbor?  Pits family member against family member?

Now, I think all Christians walk a tight rope when it comes to the issue of politics. We should all exercise our God-blessed right to vote. Especially in light of the fact that, what is my opinion, God helping to foster a country such as ours, where religious freedom to worship Him was one of the key principles of our country's founders. However, as Christians, we should not become so immersed in politics that we are sucked into the cesspool dynamic that have governed politics since the creation of government thousands of years ago.

The United States is currently immersed in a political season, that will soon come to a climax on November 5, 2008. Republican Senator John McCain is vying against Democratic Senator Barack Obama for the most powerful position in the world, the presidency of the United States. In my opinion, this election has been tame by most recent standards. But for me, the most remarkable aspect is not the candidates or their campaigns; Its what happens to most people who become immersed in politics? This inquiry is not just on politicians, but involves everyone. Even more, what effect does this dynamic have on the individual and their relationships with other people,  and is God in the midst of this obvious divisive environment?

I hope to examine how the issue of politics has played out in the Bible and throughout history, and try to look at the limited scriptures of how Christ reacted to dynamics and issues that were political in nature. I will also try to address two conflicting realities of how "God has the hearts of kings in His hands", and "how Satan is the prince of this world". These two biblical concepts alone imply a fact lost on most people, believer or not; That spiritual battles not only play out in our individual lives, but also in governments and their leaders.

Finally, I will prayerfully consider how should the Christian involve themselves in politics, and how we should prioritize our alliances with our party oriented government. This includes consideration of our primary roles as Christians doing the work of the Father, to bring light to the world, and winning souls to Christ. We often forget the fact that we are not of this world, and should be just as focused on winning people to Christ by being vessels of God's love and truth, as we are often focused on the things of this world. Should we check our politics at the church door, or should we check our spirituality at the door of the poll? I don't know, and don't know if I will ever have an answer. I do know that often when I am overcome with the noise and frenzied divisiveness that is part of the political process, a voice inside my head cautions, "He is coming back.  Stay watchful". I then fear, that politics is just one tool of Satan, to distract people from God and His impending judgment of this world.

Warning to Those Who Expolit the Vulnerable in the Pursuit of Wealth

"He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty." Proverbs 22:16 (NIV) 

God is a God of love and mercy. He is also a God of divine judgment... a just God if you will. In His infinite wisdom, He has declared that no person who has amassed their wealth at the expense of the oppressed, or who has tried to curry favor with the rich, by giving them gifts, will escape financial ruin. Why? 

To the first issue, God hates man-made systems that are created to enrich people at the expense of other people who are helpless or vulnerable. Is God against capitalism? I would think not, as he requires each man to be compensated for his work. In Leviticus 19:13, the Lord outlined within the law “Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.” In the marketplace where goods and services are exchanged for currency, God has ordained that we are to pay a fair wage for services or goods that we receive. Those who do otherwise will lose the wealth they so desperately cling to.

To the second issue, why would a person give a gift to a rich person who probably has more than he needs? While silent on the issue, the context implies that the rich person in this case is a person of influence and power. The gift is not given in the spirit of love, generosity or grace. If so, one could consider giving it to someone who was of more meager means than the giver. In fact, the gift is nothing more than a bribe, given to curry influence or consideration to future wealth or power. Here the goal of the gift is to obtain wealth. It controverts the principles outlined inProverbs 22:9 that states “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” and Proverbs 28:27 which also states “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.” One who seeks to obtain true wealth by means of a bribe or seeking to curry favor with the person who would actually receive the “gift” will not have the discernment to escape calamity, and will lose their riches.