Zimmerman / Martin: Final Thoughts

Not Guilty. That was the verdict this past weekend for George Zimmerman, an Hispanic, accused of murdering Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old black man. I wrote about this subject when it first occurred. You can read the blog dated March 26, 2012 here: http://essentialmatters.blogspot.com/2012/03/killing-of-trayvon-martin.html. The case has been politically and racially polarizing. It has been abused racially and politically. Some people believe justice has been served while others do not. Thinking biblically now for over 40 years I realize that justice is never really fully met in this world. Full justice awaits the final judgment of God (Psalm 7:10, 11; Psalm 58:10, 11).

But I have been thinking a lot about boys. As the father of three young men I know about the talks fathers have with their sons, or should have with their sons. I have talked with my sons many times about many issues. But there is one talk I have never had or ever will have with my sons—what to do when the police pull you over or you are suspected of bringing trouble because you are a young black man. There are prejudices

To be a young black man is to be in a dangerous place. But the reality is that the most dangerous place for a young black man to be is with other black men, especially in certain cities and certain areas within these cities. Most young black men are killed for no good reason; gang violence, etc. by other young black men. Chicago has been the murder capital of the United States since 2008. There were 205 homicides in Chicago from January to July 4, 2013. Of those killed 91% of those were black, killed by other black people. Where is the outrage here? Why hasn't the national media focused on this violence? Where is the Obama Administration and the Department of Justice? Do I smell the stench of political correctness?

Trayvon Martin had been sent to his father by the Florida Authorities. The hope was his father could help straighten out a troubled young man. But the father and son relationship, finally being built, late but not without hope, never bore fruit. And there is deep pain and sorrow in both the Martin family and the Zimmerman family. These two families will never be the same again. Tragedy has struck both. Prayers should be offered for both.

I pray for the young black men in my church. And I am thankful and honored to serve the godly, faithful black parents whose families I dearly love. Their only hope, our only hope, for all men, women and families is the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ and the wisdom that we can receive from Holy Scripture—God’s Word.

Parents, talk to your children, especially about God’s plan of salvation. Begin when they are small and continue talking when they are young men and women. The Old Testament declares “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:4-7).” And the New Testament proclaims, “fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).”  Do it, please.

 

Losing My Religion

Every fall Christian parents worry about sending their kids off to college only to have them come back as unbelievers. The fear of this happening is why many parents strongly encourage their children to attend Christian colleges or at least a school with a good Christian presence on campus. But this is not a guarantee either.

For sure, the Christian faith is attacked in academia. But according to a new study the cracks in a young person’s foundation of faith occur long before the day he or she sets foot on campus. That’s the message from a recent article in the Atlantic Monthly[1]

The author of the article is Larry Taunton. He is the Executive Director of the Fixed Point Foundation. Larry has often visited college campuses to debate atheists like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins. After his interviews with many collegiate atheists he was surprised by why many young people left the faith. It wasn’t because of the lure of secular humanism or even Christian moral teachings. It was that the Christianity they left wasn’t Christian enough!

One young man named Phil said, “Church became all about ceremony, handholding and kumbaya.” During the interview it became clear where the turning point was for Phil. In an effort to attract more young people the church wanted the youth pastor to teach less and play more. The youth pastor was replaced by someone else “who didn’t know anything about the Bible.” And the church got what it wanted: the youth group grew. But Phil left.

Most of the young atheist left the faith not because their worldview had changed as much as a reaction to tepid Christianity. Students said that in church they learned about social justice, community involvement and being good. But they knew nothing about the good news. They knew nothing about the connection between Jesus Christ and a person’s life. They had questions—tough questions about God, sex, evolution vs. creation, the reliability of the biblical text, the purpose of life and on and on. But no one was speaking biblically about these questions from the pulpit; no one shared God’s Word anywhere! Many concluded that church was shallow. They got bored and left.

Christopher Hutchins was once asked why he did not verbally attack Mr. Taunton, the author of the article, in their debates. He answered “Because you [Taunton] believe it.” Michael, a political science major said something similar. “I really can’t consider a Christian a good, moral person if he isn’t trying to convert me.” A surprising number of students said the same thing.

 

The atheist illusionist and comedian Penn Jillette made a similar statement. “How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Quoting Michael, the political science student: “Christianity is something that if you really believed it, it would change your life and you would want to change [the lives] of others. I haven’t seen too much of that.”

We are not squeamish about proclaiming the truth and answering tough questions at the church I serve, Grace Ministry International. We've lost our religion to follow Christ. If you are in the greater Chicago area you are welcome to join us for worship Sundays at 10:30am at The Gorton Community Center, 400 East Illinois Road, Lake Forest, Illinois. Our Foundational Bible Class and all other teachings are available free of charge at the “Teachings” section of www.graceministryinternational.org. 

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[1] July 2013

Political Corruption and the Bible

As we approach the July 4th holiday that celebrates the independence of our country, let's take a moment to think about the scandals affecting Washington, D.C. It’s like someone took the lid off the garbage can. The news headlines are full of them: the terrorist attack cover up on Benghazi, the IRS targeting conservative groups, spending millions on conferences and granting lucrative contracts to pals. Then there are the secret e-mail accounts for government officials to hide behind. There is the justice department spying on reporters. And the National Security Administration spying on all of us! We have come to expect another shoe to drop every day. Congress is busy (maybe they will leave us alone with all of these investigations!).

 

 

White House spokesman Jay Carney is sweating it out parsing his words as he tries to keep the president as far away from all of this corruption as he can. Maybe that's why he is in African promoting homosexual marriage. But as the old saying goes, a fish rots from its head. In the corporate world a company’s culture, by default or intent, flows from the fountain head of management. Even so a government’s worldview and behavior spreads from the top down.
 

I’m not just picking on the Obama administration here. We have a rich history of wickedness in government. President Warren Harding was a womanizer, a gambler and he flaunted and scorned laws he swore to uphold. He set a culture in his government that led to his justice department being nick named the “Department of Easy Virtue.” His Secretary of the Interior “was the first to pick the pockets of his countrymen.” Harding’s Veteran Bureau head took money that was to go to WW1 vets and stuffed his own pockets with it.[1]
 

I could go on: the Kennedy administration was far from Camelot, Nixon’s was immoral and paranoid, Clinton’s was sleazy, the Bush presidency pushed the boundaries of constitutional law and now the foul odor from the Obama government. These problems are almost biblical—well, actually they are. Reproving the leaders of his own day the Old Testament prophet Hosea said, “The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark (Hosea 5:10).” In other words leaders have boundary-moving power. When they stretch the moral limits then those who serve under them think they can play outside the rules too.
 

Proverbs 29:2 could be a headline written today: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Our republic was designed to be led by the godly. John Adams said “[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
 

Samuel Adams declared “[N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.” And the Father of our country, George Washington had this to say, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

 

 

Do what you can to promote freedom. Write or call your representative and senator. Be involved and informed. Understand the issues and vote your conscience. But most importantly, pray for our country; do not be afraid to speak the truth, especially the truth of God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:1-4). Character still matters.

 

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[1] “New World Coming” by Nathan Miller