Concerned

As a Christian and especially as a pastor, I am deeply concerned for the people who DO attend churches for Sunday worship.  I am concerned because something is amiss in many of their lives, at least, from that part of their lives which I can see.  They profess the name of Jesus, claim to have been saved or born again, probably are a member of a local church, and very often attend church almost every Sunday.  Yet when I listen to them speak and watch their actions (or lack thereof) outside the church's worship service, I see works which do not match their professed faith.

For example, how can a person who has been born anew by God's Spirit and indwelt by the Spirit have little interest or desire to be in God's Word.  Oh, some of them tell me they read their Bible every day.  Yet their ignorance of Scripture is very apparent.  They lack a simple familiarity with the Word of God which belies their claim to be students of the Word.  They often will not attend Sunday School classes or other free opportunities provided by the church to study the Scripture.  How can you be truly saved and not thirst for the Word?  Something is wrong and I am concerned.

Others who are members of a church will never attend a prayer meeting.  Why?  How can you be a child of God yet not want to meet with your brothers and sisters in Christ and lift up the needs of your church to God's throne?  Something is wrong and I am concerned.

For many of these self-proclaimed Christians, there is no evidence of growth in Christ.  There is no apparent desire to grow.  How can one be born from above and have no desire to grow in Christ.  Something is wrong and I am concerned.

I know a lady who, over a 5+ year period, has attended morning worship twice at most.  She claims to know Christ and is a member of a local church.  She often attends an evening Bible class at the church but never comes to Sunday School or prayer meeting or almost any church fellowship.  When asked why, she says she has trouble sleeping and can't get up early enough.  Yet some of her Facebook posts have been made on many mornings before 9 a.m.  No, not being able to sleep is not her problem; it is her excuse.  She does not want to come to Sunday School, worship service, or prayer meeting.  PERIOD.  How can a church member have such an attitude and truly believe they are born again, saved, and covered by the blood of Christ?  No, something is wrong, something is very wrong, and I am concerned.

Perhaps this has always been true in Christianity.  Perhaps the overwhelming number of local church members and attendees have actually been lost individuals either faking their Christianity or deceived into a false security of salvation.  But, given the impact of Christianity upon society over many centuries, I suspect this has not been the norm .  

Actually, it doesn't matter if this is normal for our faith or not.  Something is wrong and I am concerned.

I tremble and shake when I read the Lord's words on judgment day as recorded in Matthew 7:  "I never knew you; depart from me,  you workers of lawlessness."  Lord, what can I do for such individuals?

I appeal to everyone who reads this post.  Examine yourself as Paul tells us to do.  Is there spiritual growth in your life?  Be honest with yourself for your eternity depends on it.  Is there a true, deep, heart-felt desire to be like Christ?  Don't be deceived.  God will not be mocked in the end.  Claiming you are born again but living a life with no fruit (or even a desire!) loudly proclaims "I am LOST!"  Are you lost or are you saved?  Wanting to be saved and having a home in eternity is not the same as possessing such salvation.  You can't just want it or pretend to have or merely think you have it.  You must be born again!

If our local churches had true, converted, growing believers in them, we would be dynamically impacting our communities.  The saints would be living godly lives and proclaiming Christ daily.  How many churches are truly impacting their neighborhoods?  Often the pastor is blamed for the lack of community involvement.  But where are the church members who claim they know Christ?  

Probably sitting at home watching the NFL or some other sporting event; anything but ministering for Christ.

Something is wrong and I am concerned. 

Commonly Senseless

At the time of the Revolutionary War and the writing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine wrote a simple pamphlet called “Common Sense”.  His words helped inspire Americans to take up arms against Great Britain.  Simple common sense revealed this was the necessary path for those living in North America. 

In our United States today, the majority of people appear to have lost all common sense.  Instead I deem them “commonly senseless”.  The recent Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Count decision is a perfect example of the loss of human reasoning and common sense.

This court decision will live in American history as another damning demonstration of our nation’s degrading morality in the same way the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision did.  According to the court’s 5-4 majority report,

The Fourteenth Amendment requires a State to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-State.

Same sex marriage is now legal in the United States of America.  As noted in the report, this decision was based on the 14^th Amendment to our Constitution.  Unfortunately, this amendment has been much abused since its ratification in 1868.

Since I am not a Constitution scholar, I will refrain from debating the use of the 14^th Amendment to support this decision.  But the bottom line is that same sex marriages are now a right just as abortion has been deemed by this Court as a right. 

Such rights as abortion and same sex marriage, however, are “man-made” rights.  These rights are NOT on the same level as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as is often claimed.  If you remember the words of our Declaration of Independence:

“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.  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men driving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Our government exists, therefore, to secure the rights endowed “by their Creator”.  These rights coming from God are summarized as “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”.  Since these rights come from God, such rights do NOT include the right of abortion or same sex marriage no matter what men might say.

God has given life and commanded us to respect the lives He has created.  To kill an unborn child is not an idea that comes from God but from Satan.  Hence, abortion (‘baby killing’) is not a right “endowed by their Creator”.

God has defined and given marriage to establish the institution of family.  Genesis 2 clearly indicates marriage is one man, one woman, united before God in holy covenant forever.  God knows nothing of the right of two men to get married or two women.  In fact, He condemns such behavior both in the Old and New Testaments (e.g., Romans 1:18ff).  Therefore, same sex marriage is not a right “endowed by their Creator”.

So abortion is legal in our nation.  Same sex marriage is legal in our nation.  But both remain sin and immoral (and illegal) in the eyes of God.

Our justices have left the common sense of the words of both the Declaration and the Constitution in rendering such a decision.  Furthermore, they have left the Judeo-Christian foundations of our Founding Fathers.  Morality has been swept away from the minds of the people.  For so many Americans to rejoice over such a decision clearly shows that our nation is commonly senseless.

Let’s just call “commonly senseless” what it really is:  FOOLISHNESS!

Flags Unfurled!

The winds have not been blowing well for the flag of the Confederate States of America (C.S.A.) in recent days.  All across the nation there have been cries for its removal not only from flagpoles but also from monuments!  Stores at Civil War battlefields are withdrawing merchandise containing the “Stars and Bars”.  Political correctness is everywhere.  Even the “General Lee” from “The Dukes of Hazzard” has come under attack!

The reason given for this all-out assault on the “Rebel flag” is that the flag brings back memories of slavery.  The flag supposedly teaches that slavery is ok and represents bigotry.  As some folks see it, that flag only reminds them of slavery. 

For what it’s worth, I thought I would chime in on this lunacy.  First, some disclosures:

1.  I have a couple of “Stars and Bars” flying alongside some “Stars and Stripes” in my study at home.

2.  I despise slavery.  Involuntary servitude is wrong no matter who practices it (including several of our nation’s Founding Fathers).

3.  I am not and never have been a bigot or a racist.

4.  My ancestors served in the Union army during the Civil War.  It is possible some served in the Confederacy but, if they did, I am not aware of it.  I do know one ancestor died at Vicksburg and another defended the base of Cemetery Hill in Gettysburg.

5.  I was born and raised in Illinois so I am a “Northerner”.

6.  Two of my favorite persons from history are Robert E. Lee & Stonewall Jackson, both Southern generals, both slave owners.

Now, let’s look at the Stars and Bars.  Certainly slavery was a key factor in the outbreak of the War.  Slavery was a millstone around our nation’s neck since its founding and the “institution” needed to be removed.  But my study of the Civil War has led me to conclude that many of those Southern men who died fighting for the C.S.A. were not slave holders.  Despite how the South is often portrayed, not all “Johnny Rebs” had slaves.  Yet they died just the same.  You see, there is more than slavery wrapped up in the Confederate flag.

If you have spent any time in the South, you know the Civil War is referred to as the War of Northern Aggression.  Indeed, the Northern armies invaded the Southern states and attempted to force them to change their form of government.  Yet the 10^th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States confirms that the Southern states were free to govern themselves.

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

When the War began, the Constitution said nothing about the illegality of the institution of slavery.  This intentional omission (intentional from our Founding Fathers’ perspective) was, thankfully, remedied by the 13^th Amendment, ratified months AFTER the war.  The Northern states had no Constitutional right to force the Southern states to change their government.  And the South did not see anything “right” about the armies of the United States invading the Southern states and attempting to implement changes by force. 

So, you could also say the Stars and Bars not only represent slavery but the rights of States to govern themselves.  Our Constitution provided for a limited Federal government.  The true governing was to be at the state and local level, not from Washington.  In fact, one of the results of President Lincoln’s use of force in the Civil War is the continued growth of the Federal government to the detriment of the state governments.  Prior to the Civil War, that was not the case.

Many of those rebel soldiers gave their lives in order to defend their state and their way of life (even for those who owned no slaves).  The Confederate flag is viewed positively by many who lost ancestors fighting for states’ rights.  You see, that flag also has some very positive connotations.

But some can’t see past the slavery issue and that’s a shame.  They are so closed minded and hard-hearted, they see only what they want to see.  To them, there is nothing positive in the flag of the Confederacy even though slavery officially ended in this nation 150 years ago.

I think before leaving this subject, though, I need to take a moment and look at the “Stars and Stripes”.  What a beautiful flag it is!  It represents freedom and liberty and opportunity.  People from around the world want to come to America.  We are the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I love our country and believe we are the greatest nation on the earth.  We have the greatest governing document every devised by man, our Constitution, and the greatest philosophical document written by man, our Declaration of Independence.  Many of our citizens have boldly and bravely given their lives to defend our freedoms and I am truly thankful for them.  I love celebrating the nation’s birthday on July 4^th and would never want to be a citizen of any other country.  It is a wonderful feeling to see our flag flying high across the land.

At the same time, our flag is not untarnished.  While the Stars and Bars “supported slavery”, our Stars and Stripes “supports abortion”, does it not?  You tell me, which of the two is to be preferred:  enslaving men or killing them before they are born?  The Confederate States had no right of abortion while they existed and, hence, that stain is not on their flag.  But our nation permits unborn children to be killed, even as they are being birthed!  How does this action differ from the Holocaust, the terrible crime associated with the Nazi flag?! 

Perhaps there should be an outcry among our citizens about flying the American flag these days.  When you see the Red, White, and Blue, does it remind you of abortion?  Even if it doesn’t, can you deny that the flag represents that “right”?

Now I certainly do not want us to take down our American flags.  Yes, abortion is horrific and I hope and pray one day that crime will once again be banned by our nation.  Yet, compared to all the other nations in the world, we live in the greatest nation.  

So let us fly our flags gladly and reflect upon the freedom and liberty it represents.  But, at the same time, perhaps we should back off a bit about the flag of the C.S.A.   Yes, slavery is a part of that heritage.  But so is a defense of the rights of states to govern themselves.  Surely if one can overlook abortion they can overlook slavery.  The Stars and Bars no more causes slavery than the Stars and Stripes causes abortion.

So unfurl those flags.  Let both fly!  They are part of our imperfect but glorious history!

The Attorney General Eric Holder

The Attorney General of the United States has resigned and is leaving office.  The Honorable Eric Holder is ending his service as the chief lawyer of our nation.  Personally, all I can say is "Praise the Lord and may CHRIST reign forever!

In reflecting back over his years in this position, I can not recall even one action taken by Mr. Holder that I supported or believed was in the best interests of our great nation.  In my opinion, he is the lowest ranking Attrney General in our country's history.

In his exit interview, Mr. Holder said his critics may be partly driven by race.  I guess that means my low opinion of this man will be viewed by many as racist.  Well, I know my heart and I am not a racist.  My thoughts on his "reign" as Attorney General has NOTHING to do with his skin color or his ancestry.  The man was an absolute joke of an Attorney General.

In the same interview Mr. Holder was asked what book he would recommend young men coming to Washington, D.C. read.  Of all the wonderful books which have been written and published over the centuries which one did this man recommend?  "The Autobiography of Malcolm X".  Does Mr. Holder even know who Malcolm X was?!  Let me quote from the biography.com web site:

Born on May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm X was a prominent black nationalist leader who served as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 1950s and '60s. Due largely to his efforts, the Nation of Islam grew from a mere 400 members at the time he was released from prison in 1952 to 40,000 members by 1960. Articulate, passionate and a naturally gifted and inspirational orator, Malcolm X exhorted blacks to cast off the shackles of racism "by any means necessary," including violence. (http://www.biography.com/people/malcolm-x-9396195#synopsis)

To me that recommendation speaks volumes about the character and practices of our Attorney General.  Would not a work on Washington, Lincoln, or Dr. Martin Luther King be much more valuable reading than Malcolm X?  How about the Bible itself as a recommended work?  There are thousands of books of FAR greater value and which would contribute infinitely more worth to a young reader than a book on the life of this 1960s radical.

No wonder our judicial system has taken such a massive hit during his tenure.  From "Fast and Furious", "the IRS Scandal" to his remarks on the Martin and Brown events, I will, for the rest of my life, cionsider Eric Holder as the most disgraceful Attorney General our country has ever seen.

I pray to God no one worse is ever nominated or approved for that position!

OK, I'm done.  Throw your stones.  Prove to me why I am wrong and Eric Holder is such a great servant of our nation.

P.S.  I also read that President Obama wept at Mr. Holder's exit.  I believe such behavior says something about our President's character as well.