Biblical Convictions About Politics

Unless you’ve been living in a cave you have been bombarded by political information recently. We are rushing fast towards the election of a new President. There have been non-stop advertisements, a plethora of commentators, three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate. And not only are we electing a president for the United States, but also representatives and there are local and state issues on the ballot as well. So here are my biblical and personal convictions about elections.

1. You need to be informed on the people running for office and on the issues that confront us. Don't rely on advertisements, dig into the issues. There is nothing noble about being ignorant. Ignorant voters hurt everybody, and Christians are to benefit others not hurt them.

2. The Bible commands us to pray for our political leaders (I Timothy 2:1-2.)

It's sad, but there are people that have spoken out against political leaders and how "evil" they perceive them to be, but have never gone to their knees and prayed for these people. It is also very difficult to hate someone for whom you are praying. And even if a political person is an enemy, didn’t our Lord say that we should pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44)?

3. Christians should vote! We should vote early and often (no wait, that’s the old Chicago in me). But I once heard someone relate to me that people in the Bible didn’t vote. Thus we should avoid politics. Duh!! That’s because they couldn’t vote! We can vote and we should. Those who are striving to think and live biblically should help shape the culture around them. If you are not registered to vote, as Larry the Cable guy would say, “get’er done”!

4. What we understand morally and ethically from the Scriptures should influence how we vote and for whom we vote. A Christian should not just vote his pocket book, nor should he or she be in unthinking lock-step with any political party. The reason behind our vote should be biblical reasoning.

5. Disagreeing with someone politically doesn’t mean that you have to be disagreeable. Let’s stop calling people names and just debate the issues. A whole lot more in our nation could be accomplished if we would stop yelling at one another and start talking with one another.

6. Godly men and women should run for elected office. Everyone has a divine calling on their lives. Some of us are called to be preachers, some doctors, some business men and women, others bakers, bankers, artists, scientists and yes – elect officials. Proverbs 29:2 declares “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

7. As American Christians, it's helpful to be reminded that the epicenter of Christ's kingdom is not located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And the purposes of God have never been thwarted at the hands of men or women (a streak that's not about to end on November 6). To understand this doesn’t mean we’ve given in to quietism or escapism—just biblical Christianity.

President Obama and Governor Romney are, like you and me, feeble creatures of dust. They're worthy of respect because of the office they hold (Ecclesiastes 10:20; 1Peter 2:17), but never our full trust or hope (Psalm 118:9; 146:3).

So pay your taxes (after all lawful deductions!), choose your candidate, and cast your vote (politics does matter, after all), but do so as one whose trust is anchored in “the age to come.” As citizens of "a better country" (Hebrews 11:16; Philippians 3:20), we the people of the risen King await "new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13).

Whatever comes of our trip to the ballot box, we can rest in the sovereign goodness of our Father who sits enthroned in the heavens and, with majesty and mystery, does whatever He pleases (Daniel 2:21; Psalm, 135:5,6).

7. Finally, no matter how elections turn out and who is elected, we need to be about our Father’s business. Daniel served God in Babylon and the apostle Paul proclaimed the good news in the Roman Empire. Let’s make known the good news in both words and deeds, because it will lead people to the ultimate hope for a free world, filled with love and peace; the coming kingdom of God under the leadership of the King of kings, Jesus Christ (Isaiah 9:6,7; Revelation 11:15).

 

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

The Christian’s participation in Halloween is a controversial subject. Some Christians celebrate the holiday innocently with their children dressing up like little princesses, cowboys, clowns and super-heroes. For them it is a harmless fun time with candy and other party activities. Still other Christians are adamant that Halloween is a satanic event that should be avoided at all costs.

Today, in the United States, Halloween is a huge holiday. Last year American’s spent almost 7 billion dollars on candy, food, costumes and decorations. And what was once the holiday for children has now become increasingly an event for adults to party. Over 50% of costume sales are for adults! Adults use Halloween as their escape holiday. It is an excuse to have a good time.

Before I give my advice on how or if a Christian should celebrate Halloween. Let’s look at its history. You may be surprised to know that Halloween is actually a very religious day. Halloween originally dates back thousands of years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1st, which marked the end of harvest time and the beginning of the dark winter. This supposedly was the time when their sun god, Muck Olla, was losing his strength, since the leaves were dying and the days were getting shorter.

They believed that on the night before their new year the demons were at the peak of their power and the ghosts of the dead revisited the earth to possess and haunt people. The Celts believed that the laws of nature were suspended on this night, which allowed the dead and the powers of darkness to freely interact with the rest of the world. In order to avoid being possessed, the Celts would dress up in hideous costumes and parade around town, making all kinds of noise and wreaking havoc in an effort to scare away the evil spirits.

The Druid priests would lead the villagers in diabolical worship ceremonies where offerings were burnt over their "sacred" bonfires. Some accounts speak of human sacrifices and various acts of black magic. The people would leave delicacies and wine outside their homes so that the spirits would not "trick" or curse them. But if these pagan practices happened so long ago (dating back to about 2500 years ago) then how is it that many of these customs have been carried all the way down to our time?

The ancient Romans conquered much of the Celtic territory and they adopted a great deal of these traditions as their own.  When the Catholic church sprang up in the heart of Rome and became the official religion of the empire, many pagan rituals were unfortunately incorporated by the church as a way of making Catholicism more appealing to the heathen (remember, this was the beginning of the "the Dark Ages").

In the 6th century, "Gregory the Great (A.D. 540-604) advised the Archbishop of Canterbury to retain the Druid sacrifices and celebrate them in honor of the Christian saints. During the 7th century, in an attempt to replace the Celtic festival with a similar, but "holier" holiday, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 as a time to honor "saints and martyrs" and called it "All Saints' Day". This celebration was also known as All-hallows or All-hallowmas and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and eventually, Halloween.

Then in the year 1000, the Catholic church set up November 2 to be All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated much like Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, while the people dressed up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. Eventually the three celebrations were combined and called Hallowmas.

Since the Catholics believed that their departed loved ones were in a state of limbo known as purgatory, this festival of the dead was significant. They would go from house to house begging for "soul cakes". The more cakes they received the more prayers they would offer for the dead relatives of those who gave the cakes. These practices were encouraged by the church, but were based on superstition rather than the truth of the Bible.

Halloween is still a sacred day for those who practice the religion of Wicca. And it is still full of horror and evil. Consider the gruesome decorations around some homes and movies like "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Halloween", and "Friday the 13th." Movies like these are popular viewing fare at Halloween parties. But these movies are full of sadism, sexual violence, Satanism, torture, mutilation and bizarre murders. All of this causes people to become calloused to these behaviors. And many psychiatrists tell us that every year film violence and real-life violence continues to get worse.

So, back to my original question, should Christians celebrate Halloween? The holiday is difficult to escape. The Bible, in both the Old Testament and New Testament informs us to stay away from that which glorifies evil and sorcery. In Acts 13:6-11 the apostle Paul called Elymas, a sorcerer, a child of the devil. And in Acts 19:19 new converts to Christ burned all of their evil and magic paraphernalia.

Christians are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are to walk in light and not in darkness (Ephesians 5:8-13).  If you decide to celebrate Halloween with your children find some way to remove as much of the devilish elements as you can. Gather together with other believers and host an event where there is wholesome fun. But most importantly teach your children the truth that our world is filled with goodness from God (Psalm 100:5) and evil from Satan (Ephesians 2:1-3). Teach them the truth that they can be saved from the evil that brings people to destruction (John 3:16). And that as Christians they have power over evil and darkness through Jesus Christ (1 John 4:4).

 

 

 

Christ’s Special People

As a Christian you are special. The Bible says so. Titus 2:14 says that Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” The Greek word translated “special” is periousios and Titus 2:14 is the only place in the New Testament where the word appears. The old King James Version translated it as “peculiar.” The word “peculiar” though carries the idea of odd or strange in our day. That works for me but I don’t want to put that label on you.

Periousios literally means to be around. Draw a dot and then draw a circle around it. As the circle is around the dot so Christ is around His people. They are his own special treasure. We have been saved from a world full of lawless deeds and surrounded by Christ so that we can zealously do good works – not to earn salvation but to show the fruit of our salvation (Ephesians 2:4-10).

Being Christ’s special people also means that we are in a place of protection. Place a dot outside the circle that has the original dot in it and label this new dot trials and temptations. Then draw an arrow from this new dot to the one in the circle. Just as the arrow cannot reach the dot until it goes through the circle, so there will be no temptation or trial in your life unless Christ allows it. And why would he allow trials and temptations? The apostle Peter says that we are tested “if need be…by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6, 7).

Just as the purity of gold is brought forth by the refining fire, so the reality and purity of your faith is revealed by life’s trials. This is like when a coach puts a good athlete in a difficult spot so that he or she learns to be more skilled in the sport. And God will never allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear. He will always provide a way for you to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13, 14). The grace of God given to us in Christ is sufficient to face every trial with faith, love and hope as we overcome it (1 John 5:4, 5). Rejoice! You are Christ’s special people!

 

 

Saint Francis And The Gospel

I’ve come across a quote a number of times on Facebook and in a few blogs I read. Perhaps you have heard this particular quote before. It is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel. Use words if necessary.”

Almost instinctively we get the point. As Christians, we should live our lives in such a way that what we do points to the goodness and love of God that is revealed in Jesus Christ. Our lives should model grace. Amen—so true. Some Christians talk too much and do too little. But there are two problems with the quote. First, Francis never said it.

Mark Galli author of the biography “Francis of Assisi and His World (IVP)” has pointed out that there is no record of Francis ever speaking those words. And no biography written within the first 200 years of his death contain the saying. If the quote was from Francis it is almost certain that his early disciples would have preserved it and modeled it.

Second, Francis was a prolific preacher. He belonged to a preaching order. Hundreds of people came to hear him preach at the Assisi church of St. George and later in the cathedral of St. Rufinus. Later in life he took on an itinerant ministry preaching in up to five villages a day. And he was quite the preacher. It is said that when he preached on the Nativity people felt as if Mary was in labor right before their eyes. When he taught on the crucifixion his listeners would weep. Francis’ preaching has been called kind, humorous, bold and even fierce.

So why is the quote, wrongly attributed to Francis, so popular? Perhaps it’s because many of us do not want to take the time to think through how best to talk about the gospel with others. Many of us hope that our friends will somehow catch on to the good news by our lifestyle. After all we do not want to offend people by what we say.

I’m all in favor of walking the talk, but let’s also talk. The prophets, Jesus and the apostles put a great value on preaching the Word of God. There is no biblical account of Jesus ever performing a miracle and not speaking words of comfort or a direct challenge afterwards. And Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is a monument to the power of preaching.

The age we live in has given us a postmodern view that words are empty, without power and meaningless. But when God spoke forth His Word and said, “Let there be light (Genesis 1:3)” light burst forth into the universe. The gospel is God’s Word; it is a message, it is good news. And the good news cannot be shared without words any more than the evening news.

Words can be cheap, thoughtlessly spoken and even designed to hurt. But words can also heal and bring hope. The New Testament declares, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?...How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!...So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:14-17).”

In a world where so many words are designed to deceive let us speak forth the truth with love and boldness. Preach the gospel and then back it up with action.

The Dutch Death Descent

The death descent has fallen on the Netherlands. It has recently been reported in Dutch news stories that 10% of all deaths are now due to doctor assisted euthanasia (meaning “good death”) and half of these are involuntary. But that’s not the whole story. Repeated studies reveal that doctors fail to report at least 20% of actual euthanasia deaths. So the percentage is really much higher.

Babies with serious illnesses and disabilities are euthanized. The old and disabled are euthanized, and so too are psychiatric patients. Euthanasia among people with early stages of dementia has doubled in the last two years. In fact the total number of euthanasia cases rose 18% last year to 3, 695 people. The same rate in the United States would mean 77,000 euthanasia killings per year!

But wait, there’s more. The Dutch Parliament is actively debating whether or not to expand the practice of assisted suicide to include those who are simply tired of life, those who are lonely, those with financial trouble, lack of social skills or those who feel that their lives are complete and are ready to end it. In fact, medically assisted euthanasia is so prevalent in the Netherlands that those who don’t want to be knocked off carry “please don’t euthanize me” cards! Seriously!

Belgium has also legalized euthanasia and the Swiss have walk in clinics. Will “The Good Death Store” franchise open across all of Europe? Will it cross the pond and come to the good ole’ USA? It may be coming sooner than you think. In The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obama care) the law makes a specific reference to assisted suicide. It does not prohibit it. What it does do is prohibit discrimination against hospitals and other institutions that do not provide for assisted suicide. In other words euthanasia is expected (section 1553 of the law).

Note: Just came across a story that the elderly are being euthanized in England (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161869/Top-doctors-chilling-claim-The-NHS-kills-130000)

Once a culture agrees that some suicides are good or that intentionally ending the lives of the seriously ill and disabled is permissible, the categories for who can be killed will continue to expand. Don’t doubt it.  The Bible reveals that human life is sacred. First, Genesis 1:26-27 reveals the truth that both men and women are made in the image of God. We are different than apes or birds or dogs—you don’t just put us down. Secondly, in Genesis 9:6, God forbids murder because people bear His image.

Since human life bears the image of God, no other human being has the right to simply take it. A part of the Hippocratic Oath states, “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. But I will preserve the purity of my life and my arts.” Some physicians should take heed to their oath. Just saying.