Article for Courier-Times Christian Perspectives Article for July 4, 2009
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ~ Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
The current "Tea Party" organizers have resurrected many of the slogans that were popular during the American Revolution. One of the most popular is "Live Free or Die" which actually was coined after the war.
That phrase, now the motto of New Hampshire, came from a toast by General John Stark in 1809. He was a famous Revolutionary War soldier and was unable to attend a reunion of the Battle of Bennington, so he sent his regrets with this toast: "Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils."
Scripture has a lot to say about freedom. In fact, God loves freedom so much that he has given us the freedom of choice. God is pro-choice! This is what he told the Israelites through Moses: This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ~ Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV)
God gives us the freedom to choose, but he expects us to make the right choice. When we fail to make the right choice there are always consequences. In the 34th chapter of Jeremiah we read the story of the Israelites a little further down the road of history.
Included in the instructions that Moses gave the people was the policy that, every seven years, the Jews were supposed to free anyone who had sold themselves into slavery; a Sabbath Year. For decades the people of God failed to observe this practice and continued to force people, those who had sold themselves into slavery, to remain in slavery.
Jeremiah recounts the story of King Zedekiah and how he made a covenant, or a sacred promise, with the people to obey God's directions about the Sabbath Year and setting the captives free. But as the years rolled by, they changed their minds and re-enslaved the people they had promised to free. God was not happy!
"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the LORD--'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth."
God gives us freedom of choice, but he expects us to choose life, to choose justice, to choose integrity, to choose freedom. When we fail to choose correctly, we will suffer the consequences. No nation or people, no matter how great, can choose to ignore God's law, his desire for people to live free, and expect to escape the consequences.
Paul, the apostle, wrote to the church in Galatia and challenged them, "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free!" In other words, You've been given this great gift, so use it! He could say the same thing to the church in America.
Barna Research has found that evangelical Christians were the least likely demographic to contact their Congressmen and Senators. You've been given this great gift, so use it!
The Constitution has given us the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to practice our faith as we choose, the freedom of assembly, and yet these rights are being eroded almost daily. A pastor in California has just been told that he cannot have a bible study in his home without a special permit from the county. A Catholic church in Connecticut has been threatened with a fine for using its web site to encourage parishioners to call their Congressmen and Senators. PBS has announced that they will no longer allow any new religious content on their stations. You've been given this great gift, so use it!
Benjamin Franklin said, "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security." Many in the American church have traded their religious freedom, not for security, but for a life without controversy. You've been given this great gift, so use it!
General John Stark and the original Tea Partiers may not even recognize the Americans that are found in many churches today.
Hear their cry, "Live Free or Die!"
Better yet, hear the call of Christ, "Die to yourself so that you can truly live free!"
Questions or comments? Contact me at curt@smdcog.org
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
It's Time To Think . . .
Courier-Times Article for June 6th, 2009
It's time to think . . .
Earlier this year, a prominent U.S. politician said , "Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values, [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], in our nations and others. And that's why we can never sacrifice them for expedience's sake."
The statement sounds thoughtful and profound, but is it? It sounds like a truth that spans generations, but is it?
As Americans, we've gotten lazy. We don't like to think much. Just go with the flow; live and let live; my truth may not be your truth. Unfortunately, in many cases, the church has stopped thinking as well.
We used to be called people of the WORD, but now we spend much of our time debating whether that word is TRUE. Should churches ordain homosexuals or bless homosexual unions? After all, THOSE parts of the bible might not be true. Should we be more concerned about babies who were aborted or those chained by poverty? Let's pick one and ignore the other . . . That's the content of many of our discussions.
The Word of God is the Law that governed the Israelites, and the foundation that birthed the church. At some point, many in the church have become untethered from the Word of God and have now turned around and questioned its veracity. This behavior would have utterly confounded the Christ-followers in Berea.
Dr. Luke records that the believers in Berea, after listening to the preaching of Paul, examined the Scriptures every day to determine that what Paul said was true. To the Breans, scripture was the source of truth, the measuring stick to determine whether the greatest preacher of their time was speaking truth. Moral authority was found in holy scripture, not in the sacrifice of fellow citizens.
The Bible speaks very clearly about the sanctity of life; about our responsibility to the poor, the orphaned and the widow; about God's view of homosexual behavior. The church needs to rediscover the authority found in the Word of God and stand on it. However, that kind of stance could become something more than politically incorrect, it could become illegal.
The U.S. Senate is considering a Hate Crimes Bill (S.909) which could be used to prosecute ministers for declaring God's truth on homosexuality. Will the church "search the scriptures" to find the truth, or will we poll the people to find out what is acceptable?
If we fail to think through all of these issues, and instead follow "thoughtful and profound words" blindly, we will end up in places we never thought we would be. After all, if our moral authority lies in the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens, then both the Palestinians and the Israelis have moral authority. The Nazis and the Japanese had moral authority during World War II, just like the Allied Forces. If shedding blood is the only prerequisite for establishing moral authority then gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, the Mafioso, the MS-13, and the Yakuza each have the same moral authority as the fighting men and women of the U.S. military.
Moral authority can only be found in the author of morality. It's time to learn from the Christ-followers in Berea. It's time to search the Word of God for timeless and time tested truth. It's time to think. Don't ya' think?
Thanks for reading!
It's time to think . . .
Earlier this year, a prominent U.S. politician said , "Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values, [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], in our nations and others. And that's why we can never sacrifice them for expedience's sake."
The statement sounds thoughtful and profound, but is it? It sounds like a truth that spans generations, but is it?
As Americans, we've gotten lazy. We don't like to think much. Just go with the flow; live and let live; my truth may not be your truth. Unfortunately, in many cases, the church has stopped thinking as well.
We used to be called people of the WORD, but now we spend much of our time debating whether that word is TRUE. Should churches ordain homosexuals or bless homosexual unions? After all, THOSE parts of the bible might not be true. Should we be more concerned about babies who were aborted or those chained by poverty? Let's pick one and ignore the other . . . That's the content of many of our discussions.
The Word of God is the Law that governed the Israelites, and the foundation that birthed the church. At some point, many in the church have become untethered from the Word of God and have now turned around and questioned its veracity. This behavior would have utterly confounded the Christ-followers in Berea.
Dr. Luke records that the believers in Berea, after listening to the preaching of Paul, examined the Scriptures every day to determine that what Paul said was true. To the Breans, scripture was the source of truth, the measuring stick to determine whether the greatest preacher of their time was speaking truth. Moral authority was found in holy scripture, not in the sacrifice of fellow citizens.
The Bible speaks very clearly about the sanctity of life; about our responsibility to the poor, the orphaned and the widow; about God's view of homosexual behavior. The church needs to rediscover the authority found in the Word of God and stand on it. However, that kind of stance could become something more than politically incorrect, it could become illegal.
The U.S. Senate is considering a Hate Crimes Bill (S.909) which could be used to prosecute ministers for declaring God's truth on homosexuality. Will the church "search the scriptures" to find the truth, or will we poll the people to find out what is acceptable?
If we fail to think through all of these issues, and instead follow "thoughtful and profound words" blindly, we will end up in places we never thought we would be. After all, if our moral authority lies in the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens, then both the Palestinians and the Israelis have moral authority. The Nazis and the Japanese had moral authority during World War II, just like the Allied Forces. If shedding blood is the only prerequisite for establishing moral authority then gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, the Mafioso, the MS-13, and the Yakuza each have the same moral authority as the fighting men and women of the U.S. military.
Moral authority can only be found in the author of morality. It's time to learn from the Christ-followers in Berea. It's time to search the Word of God for timeless and time tested truth. It's time to think. Don't ya' think?
Thanks for reading!
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