I admit I may not know all the details, so I am reacting to what I heard in the news. Since the news is filtered and managed, I never know whether I’m getting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Nevertheless, assuming what I’ve heard is essentially correct, I am livid. Apparently President Bush plans to veto a bill expanding poorer children’s health care benefits. As I understand it, this isn’t even a new program but an expansion of an existing one. Having approximately 45 million people without health insurance is bad enough for the world’s richest country, but Bush vetoing a relatively modest program to protect our children is absurd.
We are a country that views itself as fair, just, and compassionate. We send billions of dollars overseas in aid, we spend billions to fight a war in Iraq that never should have taken place, we are spending billions to rebuild Iraq while our own infrastructure continues to crumble, and we spend billions on welfare supporting people perfectly able to work. But Bush won’t help poor children in his own country. What is wrong with this picture?
I am writing this, not only to vent, but to encourage you to email President Bush and respectfully tell him that you support the expanded health care for poor children. We have to get this country on the right tract, so we must make our politicians accountable. Yes, he isn’t running for re-election, but he should care enough about what people think to take what we say into consideration.
In addition, pray for this country. We need it.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Christ’s Followers Part II
Saying people should not be part of the Church because of some of the terrible things done by church people is like saying marriage should be done away with because some marriages are terrible. Or cars should be banned because some people drive recklessly and kill with their cars.
It is sad that people say and do terrible things in the name of God, but we can’t blame God for that. Some people take certain verses of the Bible or the Qur’an out of context to justify breaking the laws of their own religion. They ignore the peaceful teachings of their religions because their hearts are evil.
We have free will. God doesn’t control us like we are puppets. God will guide us if we pray for guidance, and submit to God’s will. God has given us teachings and principles to live by as well. If you look at the Ten Commandments, for example, they are the way to a peaceful and orderly society. Our western legal system is based on those Ten Commandments because they are universal principles found in most religions and societies in some form or another.
So don’t let the actions of some keep you away from God. God loves you and wants you to be in relationship with him. Not because God needs you, but because you need God.
It is sad that people say and do terrible things in the name of God, but we can’t blame God for that. Some people take certain verses of the Bible or the Qur’an out of context to justify breaking the laws of their own religion. They ignore the peaceful teachings of their religions because their hearts are evil.
We have free will. God doesn’t control us like we are puppets. God will guide us if we pray for guidance, and submit to God’s will. God has given us teachings and principles to live by as well. If you look at the Ten Commandments, for example, they are the way to a peaceful and orderly society. Our western legal system is based on those Ten Commandments because they are universal principles found in most religions and societies in some form or another.
So don’t let the actions of some keep you away from God. God loves you and wants you to be in relationship with him. Not because God needs you, but because you need God.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Christ’s Followers
Some people point to the bad things done in the name of God, and condemn all religion as evil and a curse upon humanity. It is my opinion that there has been a lot more good done by people of faith and in the name of God than evil. People usually point to the Crusades and the Inquisition as examples of how bad Christians are (and I can think of a lot more than those). But the good that has been done throughout history far outweighs the bad, in my opinion (although there has still been enough bad, sad to say).
I can think of two examples of the good done by the Church. For much of the past 2,000 years, it was the Church and various Christian organizations that provided care for the sick, orphans, and the needy. It was the Church, especially monastic orders, which preserved western civilization and classical literature during the time when much of Europe was being overrun.
You may ask, then, why has there been so much evil done in the name of God? Why don’t people follow the teachings of their faith that emphasize “love thy neighbor” and forgive one another, which in one way or another are major principles in most religious traditions?
It’s because people are evil and have a sin nature. Some say people are born good and evil society influences them to sin. That’s a ridiculous statement, because what is society made up of? People! If the people are good, society will be good. If people are sinners, society will be evil. Christianity teaches that we are born with an inclination to sin, a sin nature. It is like a genetic flaw, there from birth.
When you truly become a follower of Christ, your inclination to sin should become significantly diminished over time, and you should become a better and better person because you are allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and conform you to the image of Jesus Christ (called sanctification). This involves submitting your will to God’s will, and no longer wanting to do things your way.
Also there are many people out there claiming to be followers of Christ, but they really haven’t truly committed their lives to Christ. They go through all the motions, but they are what the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 29:13a: The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (NIV) They give people of faith a bad name because of their behavior. Of course we also have to realize that nobody can truly judge what they are – only God knows the heart.
Then there are those who are followers of Christ but are misguided, in my opinion. They are legalistic and judgmental, trying to save the world by condemning it. They seem to forget about Jesus and what he taught, and prefer fire and brimstone over grace and restoration. That doesn’t mean we don’t fight against evil, injustice, and oppression when we find it, but that we have to be careful how we do it.
An unbeliever will never come to faith if he or she judges Jesus based on his followers. We are imperfect, flawed, disobedient, and self-centered (and those are the good ones!) We have to look to Jesus himself, the author and perfecter of our faith, and what he taught. He, and he alone.
I can think of two examples of the good done by the Church. For much of the past 2,000 years, it was the Church and various Christian organizations that provided care for the sick, orphans, and the needy. It was the Church, especially monastic orders, which preserved western civilization and classical literature during the time when much of Europe was being overrun.
You may ask, then, why has there been so much evil done in the name of God? Why don’t people follow the teachings of their faith that emphasize “love thy neighbor” and forgive one another, which in one way or another are major principles in most religious traditions?
It’s because people are evil and have a sin nature. Some say people are born good and evil society influences them to sin. That’s a ridiculous statement, because what is society made up of? People! If the people are good, society will be good. If people are sinners, society will be evil. Christianity teaches that we are born with an inclination to sin, a sin nature. It is like a genetic flaw, there from birth.
When you truly become a follower of Christ, your inclination to sin should become significantly diminished over time, and you should become a better and better person because you are allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and conform you to the image of Jesus Christ (called sanctification). This involves submitting your will to God’s will, and no longer wanting to do things your way.
Also there are many people out there claiming to be followers of Christ, but they really haven’t truly committed their lives to Christ. They go through all the motions, but they are what the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 29:13a: The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (NIV) They give people of faith a bad name because of their behavior. Of course we also have to realize that nobody can truly judge what they are – only God knows the heart.
Then there are those who are followers of Christ but are misguided, in my opinion. They are legalistic and judgmental, trying to save the world by condemning it. They seem to forget about Jesus and what he taught, and prefer fire and brimstone over grace and restoration. That doesn’t mean we don’t fight against evil, injustice, and oppression when we find it, but that we have to be careful how we do it.
An unbeliever will never come to faith if he or she judges Jesus based on his followers. We are imperfect, flawed, disobedient, and self-centered (and those are the good ones!) We have to look to Jesus himself, the author and perfecter of our faith, and what he taught. He, and he alone.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Using Your Brain
Sometimes people think that faith doesn’t involve intellect, and you have to leave your brains at the door when you enter a church. While not everything regarding faith can be explained by logic and reason, much of it can (called apologetics).
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, came up with what has come to be called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral for understanding the Bible: the four sides are Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. Tradition refers to the traditional understanding of Scripture as handed down in the apostolic tradition from the Church Fathers. Reason is that it has to make some sort of sense, especially when considering what is said on the subject elsewhere in Scripture. And Experience refers to what we have observed in the world and in our own lives. None of these other three supersedes Scripture, but are used to understand it.
By the way, the Protestant/Wesleyan understanding of Tradition is different from the Roman Catholic understanding. I won’t bore you with the details, but just be aware of it. Also, modern “liberal” scholars and theologians frequently depart from the traditional interpretations of Scripture, and much of what you read in the media reflects these nontraditional understandings.
Having doubts or questioning various aspects of your faith does not necessarily indicate a lack of faith, especially when you have already placed your faith and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior (trusting Jesus for your eternal destiny, in other words). Everybody has some questions and doubts about their faith. We will never know everything and we will never understand everything, as I’ve said before. That’s because we are dealing with God, who is so far beyond us that we just can’t comprehend it all. God tells us thru the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” NRSV
Not completely understanding the Bible or having some questions about faith should not keep you from having a relationship with God. Nor should the behavior of some who do bad things while claiming to be doing God’s will keep you away from God (see a future post on this subject).
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, came up with what has come to be called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral for understanding the Bible: the four sides are Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. Tradition refers to the traditional understanding of Scripture as handed down in the apostolic tradition from the Church Fathers. Reason is that it has to make some sort of sense, especially when considering what is said on the subject elsewhere in Scripture. And Experience refers to what we have observed in the world and in our own lives. None of these other three supersedes Scripture, but are used to understand it.
By the way, the Protestant/Wesleyan understanding of Tradition is different from the Roman Catholic understanding. I won’t bore you with the details, but just be aware of it. Also, modern “liberal” scholars and theologians frequently depart from the traditional interpretations of Scripture, and much of what you read in the media reflects these nontraditional understandings.
Having doubts or questioning various aspects of your faith does not necessarily indicate a lack of faith, especially when you have already placed your faith and trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior (trusting Jesus for your eternal destiny, in other words). Everybody has some questions and doubts about their faith. We will never know everything and we will never understand everything, as I’ve said before. That’s because we are dealing with God, who is so far beyond us that we just can’t comprehend it all. God tells us thru the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” NRSV
Not completely understanding the Bible or having some questions about faith should not keep you from having a relationship with God. Nor should the behavior of some who do bad things while claiming to be doing God’s will keep you away from God (see a future post on this subject).
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Elitist?
Because Christians believe Jesus is the way, critics and skeptics often consider them elitist or presumptuous. However, Christians aren’t making this up. It is based on what Scripture tells us (see previous posting for examples). If you don’t believe in Scripture, then that’s your prerogative. But I suggest that those who don’t buy it should not be so intolerant of those who do. Unfortunately those who preach the loudest about tolerance, the premier virtue of the new religion of political correctness, are also the most intolerant of those who don’t think as they do.
Others criticize God, saying they can’t believe in a God that would condemn somebody to hell. The point here is that God has actually given us an easy way to avoid our rightful punishment. It’s so easy that many can’t believe it, and so ignore it. Others would rather indulge in the temporary pleasures of this world and thus forgo an eternity in heaven. God doesn’t condemn us – we doom ourselves. God made the rules and provides the means of salvation – it’s up to us, who have free will, to make the decision.
For example, God made the laws of the universe, such as the law of gravity. If we jump off a tall building, the law of gravity takes effect and we will die when we hit the ground. God also made the spiritual laws, which we find spelled out in the Bible. Just as we take the physical laws seriously, we should take God’s spiritual principles seriously as well.
I admit that some Christians are rather obnoxious about their faith, condemning those who don’t believe. It’s not our job to condemn, only to point the way. God’s Holy Spirit will work within a person to move them closer to God (called in some traditions “prevenient grace”). We can choose to ignore the Holy Spirit or we can choose to obey. We have free will. If you have been ignoring the Spirit’s call, I encourage you to respond by attending a church and finding out what all this is about. The more you learn, the more you will be convinced that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
Others criticize God, saying they can’t believe in a God that would condemn somebody to hell. The point here is that God has actually given us an easy way to avoid our rightful punishment. It’s so easy that many can’t believe it, and so ignore it. Others would rather indulge in the temporary pleasures of this world and thus forgo an eternity in heaven. God doesn’t condemn us – we doom ourselves. God made the rules and provides the means of salvation – it’s up to us, who have free will, to make the decision.
For example, God made the laws of the universe, such as the law of gravity. If we jump off a tall building, the law of gravity takes effect and we will die when we hit the ground. God also made the spiritual laws, which we find spelled out in the Bible. Just as we take the physical laws seriously, we should take God’s spiritual principles seriously as well.
I admit that some Christians are rather obnoxious about their faith, condemning those who don’t believe. It’s not our job to condemn, only to point the way. God’s Holy Spirit will work within a person to move them closer to God (called in some traditions “prevenient grace”). We can choose to ignore the Holy Spirit or we can choose to obey. We have free will. If you have been ignoring the Spirit’s call, I encourage you to respond by attending a church and finding out what all this is about. The more you learn, the more you will be convinced that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Big Picture for Christians
In my last posting I said that we can easily get hung up on questions and doubts we have when it comes to faith. I like to look at the big picture, and avoid these traps. For Christians, what is that big picture?
The big picture is that we are all sinners (meaning we have broken God’s laws and rebelled against him by our ungodly actions throughout our lives); we fall short of God’s standard; we deserve punishment for all we have done to offend God in this life; we can do nothing to save ourselves; Jesus took upon himself the punishment due us because only he could save us; because Jesus paid the price, we are declared pardoned by God; because the price has been paid by Jesus, we go to heaven, guaranteed. Everything else is detail as far as I’m concerned. When Christians talk about justification, atonement, and salvation, this is what they are referring to (in a nutshell).
Below is a sampling of verses concerning salvation through faith in Christ, and upon which Christians base their beliefs:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)
Romans 3:22-25
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. (New Living Translation)
Ephesians 2:8-9
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (New Living Translation) (grace = unmerited favor, undeserved kindness)
Acts 4:12
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” NRSV
John 3:16-18
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” (New Living Translation)
The big picture is that we are all sinners (meaning we have broken God’s laws and rebelled against him by our ungodly actions throughout our lives); we fall short of God’s standard; we deserve punishment for all we have done to offend God in this life; we can do nothing to save ourselves; Jesus took upon himself the punishment due us because only he could save us; because Jesus paid the price, we are declared pardoned by God; because the price has been paid by Jesus, we go to heaven, guaranteed. Everything else is detail as far as I’m concerned. When Christians talk about justification, atonement, and salvation, this is what they are referring to (in a nutshell).
Below is a sampling of verses concerning salvation through faith in Christ, and upon which Christians base their beliefs:
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)
Romans 3:22-25
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. (New Living Translation)
Ephesians 2:8-9
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (New Living Translation) (grace = unmerited favor, undeserved kindness)
Acts 4:12
“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” NRSV
John 3:16-18
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” (New Living Translation)
Monday, September 17, 2007
Doubts and Questions
In my postings regarding various ways of interpreting the Bible, I mentioned that often we run the risk of focusing on details and trivia rather than the message God is attempting to convey by the story. Regardless of how you view the Bible, you run the risk of getting hung up on doctrinal and other questions, thus hindering your relationship with God.
For example, you may ask why does a supposedly “good” God allow bad things to happen to “good” people? Why is there so much suffering in the world? A question we asked 6 years ago: How could God allow 9/11 to happen? These questions can cause people to seriously question or even reject God if they can’t get satisfactory answers.
In addition to these questions of life, people have doubts or questions about various doctrines. What we must realize is that if you wait until you have a clear understanding of everything to place your faith in Jesus, it will never happen. That’s because there will always be some things we just will never understand. But when we decide to exercise our faith (and if a Christian, receive Christ as your Lord and Savior), the Holy Spirit increases your understanding. A spiritual principle is that “understanding follows faith”, not the other way around. God tells us in Proverbs 2:6:
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. NRSV
Don’t feel bad if you have doubts, questions, or sometimes feel God isn’t with you. God has given us his grace and the gift of faith. All we need to do is accept these gifts, be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and practice the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, and Bible study.
We just have to recognize that there will always be unanswerable questions, tensions that are difficult to resolve, and doctrines that make us uncomfortable. There are “hard sayings” of Jesus that make us scratch our heads, and there are attributes of God that seem to be in conflict with one another. But that’s why it’s called “faith.” If it were easy, no faith would have to be involved, only logic or reason.
As I said before, understanding follows faith, so why not accept what Jesus has for you, and then see what God does? I encourage you to do what God tells us through the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:6-7 (CEV):
You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
For example, you may ask why does a supposedly “good” God allow bad things to happen to “good” people? Why is there so much suffering in the world? A question we asked 6 years ago: How could God allow 9/11 to happen? These questions can cause people to seriously question or even reject God if they can’t get satisfactory answers.
In addition to these questions of life, people have doubts or questions about various doctrines. What we must realize is that if you wait until you have a clear understanding of everything to place your faith in Jesus, it will never happen. That’s because there will always be some things we just will never understand. But when we decide to exercise our faith (and if a Christian, receive Christ as your Lord and Savior), the Holy Spirit increases your understanding. A spiritual principle is that “understanding follows faith”, not the other way around. God tells us in Proverbs 2:6:
For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. NRSV
Don’t feel bad if you have doubts, questions, or sometimes feel God isn’t with you. God has given us his grace and the gift of faith. All we need to do is accept these gifts, be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and practice the spiritual disciplines of worship, prayer, and Bible study.
We just have to recognize that there will always be unanswerable questions, tensions that are difficult to resolve, and doctrines that make us uncomfortable. There are “hard sayings” of Jesus that make us scratch our heads, and there are attributes of God that seem to be in conflict with one another. But that’s why it’s called “faith.” If it were easy, no faith would have to be involved, only logic or reason.
As I said before, understanding follows faith, so why not accept what Jesus has for you, and then see what God does? I encourage you to do what God tells us through the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:6-7 (CEV):
You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.
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