Category Archives: God’s Word

Daniel: Overcoming Chronophobia

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(Note: This is the 7th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Fear Of The Future

Have you ever been afflicted with “chronophobia” at some time in your life? Perhaps, you say, you’d admit it if you knew what it was! “Chronophobia” is the “fear of the future.” It manifests itself in many ways; but, it’s always related, in some way, to time— it might be like an anxiety rush sweeping over you because it feels like time’s moving too fast; or, maybe it’s a sort of “emptiness” you feel at your 40th birthday as the kids start to leave home; or, a paralyzing dread as you wonder what you’ve done with your life; or, an apprehension over a future event. For me, that “fear of the future” used to kick in when I started getting close to a doctor or a dentist appointment— any activity involving a procedure in which needles or drills were used!

The Apprehensions Of Life

All of us live with a certain apprehension as we look down the road of life; and, wonder where it’s going to take us! Daniel’s story encourages anyone suffering from chronophobia. Because God is Sovereign, we don’t need to fear the future! Because He has absolute supreme power & authority over time, space & all of creation, we don’t need to live in fear.  In the Old Testament book of Daniel, we note that King Nebuchadnezzar was suffering, in part, from a bout of chronophobia. Daniel ch. 2, v.1 says he “…had dreams that troubled him, and sleep deserted him.”  And, we find out later that what troubled him were future events. When Daniel came into his presence— after God had given him the dream & the interpretation— he told him, “Your majesty, while you were in your bed, thoughts came to your mind about what will happen in the future” (v.29). 

Contrasting Faith With No Faith

Much of Daniel’s story sheds light on the contrast between someone who has faith in God & someone who does not! Through all the pain, suffering & embarrassment of being dispossessed & exiled from his native land, Daniel had grown in his dependence & trust in God. He lived in the absolute freedom that a belief in the Sovereignty of God brings. The king, however, lived under the constant fear of losing his power & kingdom in the future. That contrasting lifestyle & worldview is what God eventually uses, in the king’s life, to bring him to faith! In Daniel, the king observed a quiet confidence in God’s wisdom & plan. His life showed such disparity from those around him, that the king began to take notice.

One Thing The King Didn’t Have

Daniel’s life & faith will eventually become so compelling to the king because he’ll come to realize it’s the one thing he didn’t have! And, all his power & all his stuff could never satisfy his troubled heart. Let’s remember that as we have the occasion to interact with unbelievers! It doesn’t matter how many of this world’s blessings & goods they have; if they don’t have Jesus there’s dissatisfaction there! For Daniel, however, there was no fear of the future. In the last half of chapter 2, God comes through like He always does. The timing might not be as we’d like it to be, but His ways are higher than ours & He always delivers! Daniel truly believed that God was Sovereign; so, he didn’t need to fear the future! The king, however, suffered from chronophobia & became preoccupied with his own life! That is a poisonous combination! And it’s something God will eventually point out to the king! Something that God will use to deliver him from himself & his chronophobia!

Daniel: Responding To A Crisis Of Faith

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(Note: This is the 5th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Responding To Impossible Demands

Powerful individuals often demand the seemingly impossible from their subjects! So, it wasn’t really surprising that Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar would dream a dream and insist that his counselors tell him WHAT he dreamed, in addition to an accurate interpretation! His threat— to kill them if they didn’t come through— was very real.  As the story unfolds— in Daniel ch.2— we’re invited into Daniel’s life, to see his response to a crisis of faith! His life was threatened, by the king’s impossible demands, as well! Would his actions match up with what he said he believed? Or, would he fall completely apart like the rest of the king’s advisory team?

The Bottom Line Of The Story

Daniel shows us how to respond to an impossible situation— that’s the big idea behind this post! That’s the bottom line here in our story.  First, the text, of Scripture, says that he responds with tact and discretion (v.14).  Tact is “a keen sense of what to say or do without being offensive; the skill of dealing with difficult or delicate situations.” And, this is about as delicate as it gets! Arioch, the king’s captain, is at your front door & he’s there to haul you away to be executed! What would you do? Run, panic, demand your rights?

A Better Way To Respond

Chuck Swindoll has noted that “some Christians think the only sensible response to unjust secular authority is brash rebellion.” That’s certainly a sad symptom of the American church today. Though Scripture commands us NOT “…to return evil for evil…” (1 Peter 3:9 for example); or to fight like the world fights, there are many in the church today who seriously lack tact and discretion. Daniel shows us another way! A better way! A Biblically approved way! His confidence in God’s Sovereign control, of the situation, allowed him to act with tact; and, with discretion. Discretion is “that quality of being wise & careful in the way someone acts or speaks.” 

Honoring The Governing Authority

He acts, with discretion, by asking clarifying questions! And, he was rewarded with an audience before the king (v.16). He honored the king’s authority & asked for time to satisfy the king’s demands. Many, in the Western church, would do well to follow Daniel’s example; and, honor the governing authority. He stood before a more wicked ungodly leader than any American president we’ve ever disagreed with; and, Daniel doesn’t use slanderous campaign tactics! He doesn’t rail at him for being unfair! He shows tact & discretion; and, that gains him an audience and respect from the king!

God’s End Game

We must never forget that God is in the details! He removed Israel from the land; and, He raised up wicked King Nebuchadnezzar to judge them! But, that wasn’t God’s end game! He planned to humble that wicked king and bring him to faith; and, God would use his budding relationship with Daniel to accomplish that. But, only because Daniel honored the king & used wisdom, tact & discretion; and, the king took notice— “…he found him ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom” (1:21).  May God help us to follow Daniel’s example when facing a crisis of faith! Give us Holy Spirit “filters” for our mouths! Give us wisdom, tact & discretion NOT to say everything that enters our mind! Let’s remember that because we still live in our sinful flesh, many times our 1st response is a sinful response!

God’s High Regard For His Name

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A Humanly Impossible Situation

There’s a great Bible read, in 2 Chronicles 14, about a “good” king named Asa. That’s significant because Israel & Judah had a lot of “bad” kings.  Asa, however, “…did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God…” v.2 says.  But, as God often does, in the lives of His saints, He uses “trouble” to grow their faith. In v.8, we read that “…Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin…”; and, then “trouble” shows up! It says that “…Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and 300 chariots…” Do the math! Judah found itself in a mismatch; a humanly impossible situation!

It Is Nothing For You To Help

And, what was King Asa’s response? “Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, ‘LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD,  You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’” v.11.  Why is it our tendency to make prayer our last resort? It is our general predisposition to try & work things out in our wisdom 1st.  We have this penchant for gritting our teeth; and, trying to work things out in our own strength! Only after we’ve exhausted all human resources do we finally pray about it! 

A Prayer That Get’s God’s Attention

Why?  Are we afraid we’re bothering God? Maybe we’re waking Him up? Scripture says, “…He never sleeps, He never slumbers…” (Psalms 121:4-5) I want to challenge you to go back to v.11 and reread Asa’s prayer.  Asa provides us with a model prayer for getting God’s attention! While his prayer was about his “circumstances,” it wasn’t really about his “circumstances”! It was a prayer about GOD! It was a prayer expressing concern for God’s Glory! “This battle isn’t about me God,” to paraphrase Asa’s prayer,  “It’s about YOU! There’s no one besides You!  You help those without strength!  We depend on You!  Your NAME is at stake here! Don’t let a mere mortal hinder You!”

His Glory Is Magnified In Our Weakness

God DOES NOT help those who help themselves! You’re deceived if you think that statement has any basis in Scripture.  It’s s human LIE! A fabrication! God helps those who are weak & depend upon Him! Asa understood that God’s ultimate purpose in everything He does is to magnify His glory! And His glory is magnified when weak, needy people admit that they are weak & needy; and go to Him for help! He is glorified when we confess our weakness, and we turn to Him where He can show Himself strong on our behalf!

God’s Glory: Our Greatest Concern

So, how do you define God’s “Glory”? It’s kind of like His “BEAUTY.” God’s glory is in the “BEAUTY” of His perfection; in His character; and His moral excellence! “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” James 1:13. God’s highest purpose is to preserve & display His infinite, awesome greatness & worth. That’s His GLORY! There is NOTHING of higher value! If God should have a greater affection for anything He created, He would be unjust— He’d be an idolater!  So, here’s the principle— King Asa prayed right because his greatest concern was for God’s GLORY; not, for victory in this battle!  Our prayers should always be a request for God to bring GLORY to Himself through His answer! His GLORY, through the answer, is more important than our need! May we humbly accept this truth!

How God Gets His Work Done

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One Messed Up Church

The Church of Corinth was one messed up church— they struggled with sexual immorality; and, they fought over the Lord’s Supper; and, their doctrine on the resurrection of the dead was problematic! So, when the Holy Spirit provoked the Apostle Paul to write a letter & call them out, he reminds them of the 1st time they met when he had introduced them to the Gospel:  “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified…. my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.

Embarrassed Over The Gospel

 I’m not intending to read into the text; but, it seems like maybe some in the Church of Corinth had become embarrassed over the Gospel. Perhaps they felt pressured to make the Gospel more appealing to their cosmopolitan neighbors by downplaying the cross, the shed blood & the atonement. If so, there’s probably an application here for the western Church— have we digressed so far from our calling that we feel compelled to sanitize the offensiveness of the cross? Have we become so “seeker friendly” that we’ve become “Gospel unfriendly”? Do we crave the world’s approval so badly that we feel compelled to “market” the Gospel by packaging it in a more user-friendly format?

A Doctrinal Reminder

It seems, in the reading of this letter, that Paul is intent on changing some faulty thinking! They needed a doctrinal reminder about HOW God gets His work done. To put it succinctly; and to the point, God doesn’t need our help! He doesn’t want us to figure out how to do church in our wisdom or strength! He will only bless the church whose strategy it is to follow His Sovereign plan! Paul seems to clearly emphasize interactive & relationships building discipleship over any kind of “church program.” Making disciples is all about life-on-life interaction! “…I came to you…I was with you” he said in vs. 1,2.  Paul also emphasizes the power of God over human performance. Human methods will come & go; so, focus on the one constant in the entire disciple-making process— the power of God to minister through us!

Do Your Ministry By God’s Grace

If our ministry focus is on us— how much effort WE need to put into it; or what methods WE create, our results will be sketchy at best! We’ll become neurotic & self-absorbed over whatever ministry we’re involved in because our efforts will center on us & our abilities rather than God & His power to do the spiritual work. Only He can do the necessary spiritual work in someone’s life! Only He can raise the spiritually dead to life, and make the spiritually blind to see again! When we attempt to do the work God’s work in the flesh, we can become very legalistic about it! When you compare doing ministry by “legalism” vs ministry by “Grace”, GRACE wins every time! When we perform ministry in the strength of the flesh it puffs us up; and, gives us the allusion that we’re helping God out; and He doesn’t need our help!

You Can’t Do Anything Without Jesus

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A Regular Rhythm Of Your Life

The beauty of Christ’s Commission, to us, is in its simplicity— “Go…make disciples of all the nations.” As you “go” through life, be “making disciples.” Making disciples needs to be a regular rhythm of your life. That’s what Jesus was getting at! It’s hard to imagine how that could be misunderstood. As a teenage convert, to Jesus, the hard part was not understanding it; but, doing it! I understood the command perfectly well; but, carrying it out terrified me! I’d nearly go into a cold sweat every time I thought about sharing my faith with my high school friends. How could I ratchet up the strength and courage to do it? How would I know the right things to say?

It’s Not About My Ingenuity

It wasn’t until many years later when someone finally shared with me, from Scripture, that I didn’t have to depend on my ingenuity to convince people they needed Jesus! I couldn’t arm-wrestle anyone into the Kingdom if I tried! In John 15, Jesus tells us that plan will never work! No one has ever come to Christ because of a big beautiful church building; or, a “professional” Worship Band; or, a multi-media experience! The work, of regeneration, is God’s work ALONE! We cannot do the work of God in our own strength— “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” John 15:5.  This is at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry; and, He’s preparing His disciples for His departure.  “I will build My Church,” He told them, “And, I’m going to use YOU.”

You Can’t Do It Without Me

But, they had to get one thing straight— “You can’t do it without ME! I am the Vine, you’re just the branches,” He taught them.  All the LIFE & all the POWER & all the RESOURCES to fulfill His Great Commission came from Him! And, the key to being a branch that produces fruit,  Jesus said, was to be connected to Him, the Vine! If we’re not abiding in Him we’ll shrivel up and die, Jesus says in v.6.  We can’t make disciples in our own strength— by reading books about making disciples; or, witnessing to 5 people a week; or, memorizing Scripture; or, making ourselves accountable to someone else. That’s NOT where we find the POWER to do Jesus’ work! He alone is the source! This is one of the most devastating mistakes any Church ministry can make— doing God’s work “in the flesh.” Man’s effort won’t get it done!

God Is Glorified When We Ask Him To Do It

The work of God gets done; and, He is glorified when we ASK Him to do it! Back to John 15, vs. 7-8 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified,” Jesus says, “that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” Jesus does the work, of God, for us & through us! Making disciples is HIS WORK! Every spiritual work is a supernatural work & only Jesus can do the supernatural! We’re just a branch; but, when we’re tapped into Jesus Christ, the Vine, He does great things through us; and God is glorified! “Ask what you desire,” He says. God is pleased when we pray for things according to His will! “And it shall be done for you,” Jesus says. The work of God can only be done by God! God answers when we ask Him for leading to & wisdom in communicating with unbelievers! It’s God who draws those to Himself who will be saved!

When Good Things Become Bad Things

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Passionate For God & Others

I appreciate believers that are “free thinkers”; who, think outside the box; and challenge the way things have always been done! Not with a spirit of rebellion; but, brothers & sisters, in Christ, that are just passionate for God; and, passionate for the souls of men! And, they’re always questioning whether there’s a better way to do God’s work more effectively and with a greater degree of success. I’m talking about men & women given to prayer; who, are begging God for wisdom to do His work His way! Followers, of Jesus, who aren’t trapped by the traditions of men; even, traditions of the church that can be elevated to a place of idolatry & prominence above the Word of God, if not viewed carefully!

The Mirror Of God’s Word

It’s time to look at ourselves through the mirror of God’s Word, church! It’s time to ask ourselves the tough questions; to, investigate whether we’ve gotten off course; if, we’ve wandered away from the wisdom of God, and settled for something less than the best of God’s plans for us! Because all the good things we do can become bad things when they take the place of God’s best; and when our motive is less than pure and holy!  The Apostle Paul called out the Church of Corinth for using their gifts in ministry, only when they could be seen prominently!  The praise of men can be intoxicating! Jesus noted that many religious leaders, of His day, prayed when they could be heard in public; and, fasted only to be seen by men; and, gave money if honored for it!

Guarding Against False Motives

We all have to guard against false motives when doing our ministry! Are there certain things that are “beneath us” because no one would see us? The Apostle John, in 1 John 3:16-18, says that our ministry is properly focused when it’s motivated by a love for Christ; and, a love for others! Jesus’ ministry was others-focused— “love” for the Father above all; but also a “love” for humanity crushed by sin! Good things also become bad things, for the Church, when they are given priority over Jesus’ mandate to “…make disciples…” That is our sole purpose for existence! That has to be the grid through which we make all our decisions, Church! If that’s not how we do ministry, the “tyranny of good things” will rule instead! We can do a lot of “good things” disobediently because we fail to do the things that Scripture clearly calls us to do!

Are We Living Like A Pharisee?

Like the Pharisees, we can become guilty of doing good things for “vainglory.” Praise can be intoxicating! And, while our motive for doing good things may be out of service at the start, it can quickly turn into a desire to receive the praises of men! That is vainglory! It’s always been man’s way, since “the Fall”, to form our own rules; and, ask God to bless them! Like the Pharisees, in Jesus’ day, we wanna play god! We’ve organized our churches as if God exists to meet our needs & cater to our comforts! Our discussions often revolve around what we want rather than what He wills! It’s time to repent; and, come home to the Father, Church! It’s time to admit how prone we are to exalt our work over God’s will; and, our dreams over God’s desires; and, our plans over God’s priorities! God’s blessing only comes to His Church when we live to make Him known among the nations! Let’s be faithful disciple-makers! That’s our calling!

Do You Believe It Can Happen Again?

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Jesus’ Great Commission

The book of Acts is an exciting book to read if you’re a genuine follower of Jesus Christ. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the early Church was bold & intentional to obey Jesus’ Great Commission to “make disciples”; and, the results were inspiring! On the Day of Pentecost, as Peter and others preached the Gospel in the Power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, it says  “…that day there were added about three thousand souls” (ch. 2:41). Wow! The 1st church started with 3,000 people! And then we read that “…the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (ch. 2:47).  A couple of chapters later we read, “Many who heard the message believed…and the number of the men came to be about five thousand” (ch. 4:4). The next chapter uses the term “multitudes” to describe those added to the church, “…all the more believers…multitudes of men and women were added to their number” (ch. 5:14).  From that point, the text says the number of disciples was “multiplied”; and, “…the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region” (ch. 13:49).

Disciple-Making Math

That’s the math of disciple-making— God first “added” to the church; then, “multitudes” were added; and, finally, the number of disciples “multiplied.” Once the Spirit begins to “multiply” the number of disciples, you have an incredible movement of God! What’s in your heart as you reflect on those events? Is it simply “historical” to you— another great BIBLE STORY that doesn’t hold much meaning for today? Or, do you believe that God still works like that when His people are genuinely broken enough to repent of their disobedience to His Commission; and, begin to intentionally love people & disciple them into the kingdom? Do you believe it can happen again?

The Fields Are White

It was like a couple of years ago that I had the opportunity to be part of a Gospel Coalition meeting in Omaha; and, I found it incredibly refreshing talking with several “20-somethings” who were passionately taking the Gospel to the city of Omaha. The number of new believers, coming to Jesus, is happening so quickly that they hardly have enough workers to disciple them all! By faith, they simply believe what Jesus said: “The fields are white, ready to harvest…pray the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth laborers!” Oh, how the church, here in the West, needs to faithfully & passionately pray that same prayer!

Yes! It Can Happen Again

Steve Smith, who wrote “A Discipleship Re-Revolution”, said this: “A discipleship revolution ignited a firestorm of loving evangelistic zeal and fervent obedience that took the kingdom into the remotest corners of the known world in a period of years & decades, not centuries…This process of winning new believers and training them to witness to others who believed & witnessed to others cascaded out in ripples that touched the farthest reaches of the empire.” Hey Church— let us repent! Let us come back to “ground zero” on this matter! For too long we’ve simply waited for unbelievers to just show up at our Worship services! For too long we have held onto unbiblical strategies for growing the Church! Jesus said, “I will build My Church” Matthew 16:18. The Church belongs to Jesus! And, He already gave us the strategy for building it! We are called to “make disciples”! That’s the way we change America and the world!

Parenting Adult Children

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-The Sinful Nature I Passed On

All the struggles & mistakes & rebellions of my adult children can be attributed, in large part, to the sinful nature I passed on to them! Bad parenting begets bad parenting! The answer is NOT to try harder to fix them! Your adult children will resent your “meddling” in their lives! The answer is NOT to read the newest “self-help” book on the subject, either! The Old Testament book of Genesis contains the sordid story of Jacob & Rachel and their dysfunctional family. Pick it up; and, read it all over again!  Especially read chapter 37.

-A Pattern Of Sin

What you will see is a pattern of sin learned from the previous generation. When Jacob’s sons deceived him with a robe covered in goat’s blood, they convinced him that their brother,  Joseph, had been killed. They learned to lie & deceive from their father, Jacob, and their grandmother, Rebekah, who hatched up a scheme to deceive her husband, Isaac, to bless Jacob instead of his older brother, Esau! Where did Isaac & Rebekah learn to deceive? From Isaac’s parents, Abraham & Sarah, who cooked up a story that Sarah was his sister (Genesis 20) over fear that a king would kill Abraham to obtain Sarah for his wife!

-God Alone Can Fix This

You’ll also find “favoritism”, “passive parenting”, “jealousy”,  and “hate”— all being passed on from one generation to the next! “The apple never falls far from the tree!” The answer to the dysfunction in our homes— and all of our homes ARE dysfunctional— is the Gospel! The “good news” of the Gospel says, “I cannot; but, God can!” I can’t save myself; but, God can save me! I cannot overcome my hurts, habits & hangups; but, God’s Spirit can help me overcome them! I cannot fix the dysfunction in my relationships with my children; nor, can I fix the dysfunction they’ve brought into their marriages & families! But, God can— that’s the hope we have in the Gospel! God alone can help us overcome the sinful dysfunction we all bring into our homes! Jesus took all our sins, our guilt, and our shame with Him to the cross & He paid for it all! His work atones for even our bad parenting if we’ll humble ourselves & confess to Him that we’re incapable of fixing it! Extend grace to your adult kids as God did to you!

-Don’t Become Their Judges

I’ve known of Christian parents who have “disowned” their children because they’re caught up in some sinful lifestyle! But, let’s think that through! Is that how God responds to us? I don’t think so! God is always extending a loving, merciful, gracious hand! He’s always there to forgive when we humble ourselves before Him and confess our sins! If we’re going to be faithful “image bearers” we need to represent God in our relationships with our adult children! It’s easy to become judgmental when it seems they don’t want to hear our opinions anymore. Maybe we need to listen more & talk less! If we don’t change the way we parent, as they become adults, relational tension will develop between us. If you desire to be a blessing to your adult children, begin by confessing your brokenness to them & God. Then, pray relentlessly for the Spirit to work on you & your adult children! Trust God to do the Spirit’s work that you cannot do. When you act like the Holy Spirit in their life, all they’ll hear is nagging! Give them over to God! They are His!

How Important Should Politics Be?

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-The Reaping & Sowing Principle

In my last post I talked about the Church’s well-intended; but, disastrous decision, to exchange Jesus’ commission to “make disciples” in the hope that their political clout— as a “Moral Majority”— could change our country, for the better, by electing the right individuals to office & through legislation.  Five decades later, we’ve discovered the accuracy of God’s word in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” It’s the reaping & sowing principle!

-A Biblical Theology Of Politics

The Church has severely shrunk in size; and, for the most part, the strategy of the “Moral Majority” of the 1970s and 80s, has failed to elect God-Honoring public servants or pass God-Honoring legislation. However, let us NOT get back on the pendulum; and, swing it to the other extreme, making government & politics of no importance! That’s reactionary, and it’s not a Biblically acceptable response either! What we need is a Biblical Theology of the “Christian & Politics.” Our Theology; and our Doctrine always have to begin with God! He’s the starting place for everything.

-Government Was God’s Idea

“The earth is the LORD’S and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” Psalm 24:1.  “For the earth is the Lord’s, and everything that is in it” 1 Cor. 10:26.  Government was God’s idea! He created it—  “Submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God…the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves” Rom 13:1,2.  The principle in Scripture is that God is Sovereign over human governments; and, uses them to advance His ultimate plans (Prov. 21:1;  Dan. 2:21; 2 Chron. 20:6).  At the same time, God blesses the nation that chooses Him (Psa. 9:17; 33:12; Isa. 60:12; Prov. 14:34).  There’s an element of man’s free will involved.

-Personal Responsibility Required

He’s made us a free moral agent; and so, people often get the government they’ve “chosen.” There seems to be some personal responsibility required; especially, if we have the freedom to choose our public officials as we do here in the United States of America. If we’re given the opportunity to choose good governments that exalt God, that’s what we’re called to do! Paul told Timothy to pray for good governments— “…for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity that provide a peaceful atmosphere for us to do the Lord’s work…” (1 Tim. 2:1,2).

-Balancing The Tension

In Philippians 3:20, Paul puts government & politics in its proper perspective—“But our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Peter says to “…conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary residence here” 1 Pet. 1:17. It’s ultimately a matter of “identity.” I must view my identity as a “citizen of heaven” and a “temporary resident” of this world and my home country!  The moment I lose sight of that I’ve made my nation an “idol”! As one whose identity is “in Christ”, my goal must always be to pursue Christ as the prize! At the same time, we’ve been blessed with the privilege and responsibility to vote! And we must vote our conscience, based on our understanding of Scripture! But, then we leave it there! We leave the results in the hands of our Sovereign God! No anger or rudeness toward leaders that God has installed for His eternal purpose! Now we pray for those leaders!

Politics Is Like A Skunk

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-The “Moral Majority” Years

That’s what a pastor friend of mine told me once:  “Politics is like a skunk: Touch it and that’s all anyone will notice about you for a long while.” Now that another election has come to an end, I thought it might do us well to talk a little bit about politics. When I was in my 20’s and 30’s I was very much involved in the political scene. I was part of the “Moral Majority” back in the ‘70s and listened religiously to political talk shows during the ‘80s and ‘90s. 

-Perspective Is A Great Thing

But, “perspective” is a great thing! It’s the only great thing about growing older! Perspective is “the ability to see all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship to one another.” Over the last 20+ years, I’ve gained a different perspective on the Church’s level of involvement in politics during the “Moral Majority” years. From my perspective, the Church exchanged Christ’s commission to “make disciples” for the hope that their political clout (because of their “majority” status) could change our country, for the better, by electing the right individuals to office who would see to it that God-Honoring legislation would be passed. 

-We’ve Reaped What We Sowed

Almost 5 decades later, we’ve “reaped what we sowed.” Because we backed away from our calling to “make disciples” the Church has severely shrunk in size. Some of the most recent statistics I’ve seen reveal that 9 out of every 10 churches in America are in decline.  And, only 1 new church is starting for every 2-3 that are closing! We’re no longer a “moral majority”! So, we’ve— for the most part— failed to elect God-Honoring public servants; and, we’ve failed in the battle to pass God-Honoring legislation. We’ve lost the “Culture Wars”! We’ve paid a great price for our disobedience, Church! And, I’m pointing fingers at this guy at the same time I’m calling out the rest of the Church! I’ve been disobedient to my calling! There, I said it! Will you admit it?

-God Is Still Sovereign

But, wait! This is not a message of hopelessness! All is not lost! God is still Sovereign! He’s still on the throne! He still listens & is moved by the repentant prayers of His Children! He continues to raise up “modern day prophets” who call the Church back to God; to brokenness & humility; to return to our calling; to fulfill our Lord’s Great Commission to “make disciples” as we “go” about doing life! We must remember that that is our calling! Jesus did not commission the church to “go” and make a “Christian nation.” Our core theology & doctrinal beliefs must be based on Scripture! We can’t make stuff up just because it would help us feel better or safer!

-Know What You’re Responsible For

Like most of you, I’m sick to death of all the negative campaign advertising! Glad it’s over for another couple of years! It would be really easy, for me, to just walk away from the political process altogether! I’d have no problem finding something else to do on election day & I’m sure many of you feel the same way. But, we can’t! Based on Scriptural principle, there is simply no way that I can—in good conscience—recommend that you stop voting. Just because politics is less important doesn’t mean that it’s not important! There’s tension there! It’s all about being a good & faithful steward! We need to know what we’re responsible for! As citizens, of this nation, we’ve been given the responsibility & privilege to vote! And vote our conscience, based on our understanding of Scripture, we must! But, then we leave it there! We leave the results in the hands of the Sovereign God! No anger or rudeness! Now we pray for our leaders!