Life’s Be-Attitudes

When it comes to dealing with life’s issues our attitudes are just as important as our abilities. Your attitude always parades itself before you. It is seen by others and remembered. Christians should have their attitude adjusted to the truths of Scripture. So here are several “be-attitudes” to help you be your best.

Be composed – In John 16:33 Christ said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). Take heart and be encouraged that you can face any challenge.

Be content - Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).” Someone will always have more that you do and you will always have more than someone else. You really don’t need that new smart phone that badly! After all it will be obsolete tomorrow. Take good care of what you have, enjoy it, use it to bless others and remember—God will never let you down.

Be diligent – It is written in Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” It doesn’t matter if you are flipping burgers, representing a client, digging a ditch, sweeping the floor or acting as  Judge in a court of law, treat what you do as if you were doing it for the Lord—and you will be. There is great reward in that kind of attitude.

Be generous – the Bible commands us not “to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. And we are encouraged to “do good” and to be “rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share (1 Timothy 6:17, 18).” Be willing to share your time, knowledge, and resources with others. Encourage others and build them up. The world tears people down without a thought. Be the kind of person who is more willing to give than to receive.

Be humble – “By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life (Proverbs 22:4).”The key to humility is recognizing your dependence on God. It has nothing to do with being weak. You can have great God-given talents and still be humble if you understand your abilities are God-given. Your humility exalts God and ultimately exalts you – “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:5, 6). Finally,

Be upright - The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust (Proverbs 11:6). When you do the right things for the right reasons in the right way you will have nothing to hide and you’ll be blessed in the end. Nothing is ever gained in life by the lazy, devious or sneaky individual. Be biblical!

Handicapping Our Kids to Make Them Equal

“The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General (Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut).”

Actually, contrary to the quote above the year is 2013 and we are on our way to 2081, thanks to the unceasing work of socialist liberals. French President Francois Hollande (becoming the young person’s superhero) wants all French schools to nip homework in the bud. French families are stressed to the max. They need time for relaxing dinners with good wine and family conversations.

Oh, wait! That’s not the reason why Hollande wants to put an end to homework. The President wants to end homework in order to give every French child an equal opportunity to succeed. According to France 24 News, Hollande told an audience at The Sorbonne, “An education program is, by definition, a societal program. Work should be done at school, rather than at home.”

Why, you ask? The President went on to say that it is unfair for students to have parents who help them with their school work, because they will gain an advantage over those students whose parents are not involved. Therefore students should spend more time in school doing assignments. French students are already in school longer than many other nations. But that’s OK, because the longer students stay in government run schools the less they are at home and at risk of parental involvement.

France’s social liberals recommend the elimination of homework “as a way to equal the playing field for all children.” Hollande is correct; children whose parents do not help with homework are at a serious educational disadvantage, So, yeah, why should you help your kid to succeed when I don’t help mine? What kind of parents are you? Give everyone the opportunity to be mediocre. Liberty for everyone, Viva La France! And bring it here to the good ole’ USA.

Alright, seriously, a child’s success begins very early in life, not just because of what happens in school. Parents who are involved with their children, who talk with them, read to them and even more importantly bring them to a life of biblical faith, are giving their children great advantages. Loving, involved parents are a blessing. And the presence of two parents, a mother and father, doubles that advantage. But the liberal logic of statism is that only the government has the answers to inequities.

By adding more hours to the school day, France is on its way to making all children wards of the state. This has been done by statists ranging from Plato to Lenin and to a lesser degree, advocated by American educational philosopher, John Dewey. But all this approach does is undermine and weaken the family. And subverting the family is ultimately deadly to society, unless you want a society run by the United States Handicapper General’s office. You really should read the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. I’m sure you can find it online.

No Faith, No Hope

A recent Gallup Poll about religion discovered that the number of people in the United States declaring themselves religious has dropped about 50% since 2005. In fact atheism is up about 5%. What’s behind this fall from grace?

One major factor is that many churches are chasing the modern trends of liberalism rather than being rooted in a core of biblical beliefs. Take for example the Episcopal Church of America, a member of the Anglican community. The church’s legislative body has approved a ceremony for same-sex marriage (so too have many other mainline protestant churches). They have adopted this measure to show that we are “all God’s children.” The Bible however denies this saying “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God (1 John 3:10).  Homosexuality is not a righteous act (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10).

They have also removed barriers for transgendered people to serve as priests. During the debate on this issue one bishop cautioned that this would bring about theological confusion. Another responded that confusion is precisely what was needed! At a communion service to celebrate their victory, a lesbian bishop recited a prayer thanking “the Spirit of Life” for “disordering our boundaries.” She then asked the non-patriarchal spectre “to feel” his/her own “laughter.” God may be laughing, but not in the way the bishop may think.

I’m not making fun of homosexuals, but I am making fun at the way liberal Christians are running like lemmings off the cliff of progressive thought in many areas of sound doctrine. Remember Wile E. Coyote from the old Warner Brothers cartoons? One of these days liberal, non-biblical Christians are going to look down and realize that there is no ground under their feet. Swoosh!

But don’t bust your shirt buttons yet conservatives, your churches are losing ground too. According to a major study by Robert Putnam of Harvard and David Cambell of Notre Dame, all organized religion in the US is in decline. Is this good news for atheists? Not necessarily. The authors of the study coin a new term for the growing numbers leaving the church. They are the “Nones” (as in check which religion you are - Catholic, Protestant, Orhtodox, None). The “Nones” do not belong to a church, but they believe in God. And the “Nones” are mostly young people who disagree with the biblical teaching on homosexuality and chaff at a Christianity married to conservative political values.

These “Nones” are not joining liberal churches; they are not going to church at all. According to the study “Nones” believe that God exists and that He wants us all to play nice. God is concerned about our being happy. He plays the role of a divine butler or cosmic therapist and is never judgmental. And so I understand dropping out of the church scene. If God is nothing more than a spiritual bell-hop why get out of bed on Sunday morning? Hey, Lord, bring me a Latte.

But here’s the rub. It seems that some “Nones” are discovering that their “spirituality” cannot give them the hope they need to really understand life and live above the level of shallow pop culture. They do not have the inner strength to endure trials and suffering. With no deep Scriptural faith in the God of the Bible, the Father of Jesus Christ, they find themselves “having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12).”

But where will those who have a “come to Jesus moment” go? Will they find godly nourishment in churches that have traded in the will of God for a pot of progressive ideals? What is needed is a church where faith is rooted in Holy Scripture. In Jeremiah 6:16 the Word of God declares. “… ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.”

If you are in the Chicago, IL area you are welcome, on Sunday mornings, to visit the church I pastor, Grace Ministry International. For those of you outside of greater Chicago you are welcome to visit our web site (www.graceministryinternational.org) and help yourself to the many biblical teachings there. I suggest you begin with “The Powerful Christian Living” class. This is a foundational class on the Bible offered free of charge. The class link is at the top of the “Teachings” page.

A Biblical Perspective on Gun Control

Last week I was asked to write a blog concerning what the Bible has to say about gun control. With the recent slaughter of children at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, gun control legislation is a hot topic in local, state, and federal politics. The argument is that gun crime is increasing, and if the killer did not have access to semi-automatic weapons he would not have been able to kill all those children. Therefore it is the goal of some people to ban as many firearms as possible, if not altogether.  

But would this help solve the problem? Studies have shown that the previous “assault-weapons” ban, in place from 1994 to 2004, did virtually nothing to stop crime, murder, or mayhem, despite promises by its supporters. One 2004 study by the National Research Council stated that the ban "did not reveal any clear impacts on gun violence."

 
Even the Justice Department explained that it had “no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence, based on indicators like the percentage of gun crimes resulting in death or the share of gunfire incidents resulting in injury.” When the ban expired, anti-Second Amendment extremists claimed murder and mayhem would be sure to follow. Of course, that never happened.

From the FBI web site (FBI.gov), statistics show that in 1992 the violent crime rate was 757 per 100, 000 people. In 2011 it was 386 per 100, 000 revealing a big decline in violent crime. The murder rate in 1992 was 9.3 per 100, 000 and in 2011 it was 4.7, again this is a decline. The FBI statistics state that most of the robberies and violent crimes in the US are in inner cities, cities where strict gun bans already exist. The underlying problems for violence in these cities are broken families, poverty, gangs and drugs. But many politicians do not want to deal with these issues.

It is also asserted that there is very little violent crime in countries that have extremely strict gun laws. This is not necessarily true. In 2011, in England and Wales there were 1, 361 violent crimes per 100, 000! That’s 3 ½ times that of the US. Guns are a very convenient weapon for someone bent on killing. But suicide bombers demonstrate that there are other weapons one can use.  The man who bombed the Federal building in Oklahoma city years ago used fertilizer! If criminals or psychotic people want to harm or kill someone they will find a way with or without a gun.

OK—you’re asking, “What about the Bible, Chuck?” The Bible doesn’t specifically deal with the issue of gun control. But there are principles we can learn from and apply. In Genesis 4 the Bible records the first murder. Cain killed his brother Able (Gen. 4:8). There were no guns at that time. Cain may have used a knife or a rock or even his bare hands. God’s response was not to ban rocks, knives or hands; He banished Cain. Later during the time of Noah (Gen. 9:6) God instituted the penalty of death for murderers. Rejecting God’s commandment, today’s wisdom locks murders in jail for a number years and then let’s them out!

Exodus 22:2-3 declares, “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed.” In other words if someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night you have the right to defend yourself even if it results in the thief’s death by rock, knife or gun. During the day you can punch his lights out but don’t kill him. Judges 5:8 reminds us of what happens to a foolish nation that disarms it’s citizens, “They chose new gods, Then there was war in the gates; Not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel” God is not against self-defense and the second amendment to the US Constitution gives us the right to bear arms for defense against our enemies—foreign or domestic. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Amin and Chairman Mao all disarmed their citizens.

King David wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).” So we trust God to watch over us and protect us. But this does not contradict David’s praise where he exclaimed “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1).” At one time Jesus told his followers to arm themselves saying, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one (Luke 22:36).” Earlier when Christ sent out his followers they were to expect God to sovereignly meet their needs. But here they were to use normal means for their own support and protection. By the way, the sword was the best weapon a soldier could have in those days; the equivalent of an “assault-rifle.”

The problem is not rocks, knives or guns, it’s the human heart. Jesus declared, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:19).” Nowhere in Scripture does God make any commandment about any weapon used in crime or self-defense. God is concerned about our sinful hearts. People are responsible for what they do; the problem is not one’s weapon of choice. Most gun owners in the U.S. are law abiding and have never hurt anyone. They use their guns for hunting, sport and yes, if necessary self-defense. Banning guns takes them away from law abiding citizens, not criminals. And it doesn’t solve the problem of sinful hearts. Last year more people were killed with a hammer than with a rifle—think about it.

Obama Care Verses the First Amendment

It would have been unthinkable at one time in our country, but not anymore. The federal government is running rough shod over an individual’s conscience and religious faith.

This past January 1^st, the Hobby Lobby company began being punished by the federal government with a $1.3 million dollar daily fine for not obeying a provision in Obama Care.  Hobby Lobby is refusing to pay for contraception and abortions in their health care plans.

The Hobby Lobby company is a national arts and craft store with more than 500 stores in 41 states. But it is not a publically held company, but solely owned by the Green Family. And the Greens are devout Christians. The Green’s believe “it is by God’s grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured” and they desire to honor God by doing business “in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.”

The Green family believes the Obama Care mandate to provide the “morning after” pill and the “week after” pill violates their religious beliefs.  They believe in the sixth commandment that prohibits murder (Exodus 20:13). And they believe that abortion is murder. The company will provide health insurance for its employees but they do not wish to pay for health services they deem to be immoral. Hobby Lobby’s employees can still have access to contraception or abortions; they just have to pay for it themselves.

Hobby Lobby is being fined after Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor denied Hobby Lobby’s emergency request to be exempt from the contraception/abortion clause of the new health care law. And as I said her ruling would have been unthinkable at one time. Why do I say this? I say it because of the First Amendment to our Constitution called The Bill of Rights. It states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

One would think “no law” means just that—no law! According to the Constitution, Hobby Lobby is not in the wrong, but parts of the new health care law are in violation of The Bill of Rights! Sotomayor’s ruling is a blatant act of aggression against religious liberty. Interestingly, however, this same Supreme Court Justice ruled in favor of a Muslim inmate who was denied Ramadan meals. She stated that the meal was religiously important to the practice of Islam—stunning! This is not impartial justice, this is law with prejudice. Citizens of the United States need to wake up to the freedoms they are losing. At least Hobby Lobby can still bring the issue before lower courts because the full Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the issue.

Finally, no matter what type of government you live under, you should never go against your religious convictions. Scripture tells us to honor laws and to pray for those in government who lead and serve (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2). But when those in authority command us to act in a manner that goes against our understanding of the will of God, we must take our stand. The apostle Peter was warned by his government not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ. And the Bible reveals what happened: “So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (Acts 4:18-20).’”

Do not allow yourself to be kowtowed into ever disobeying the will of God. And while you still have rights under the Constitution of the United States, defend your rights.