A Look Beyond the Election

I've posted the following thoughts before, but given that the election is rapidly approaching, I felt like I wanted to re-state these truths (with a few very minor adaptations to fit our current context).

Election day is tomorrow in the United States of America. Not only will the presidential election be held, but votes will be cast for and against many other candidates and issues.  As an American, you have a right to express your opinions and vote for the candidates that you feel best represent them. Some would argue that these are not just your rights, but your responsibility.  So go ahead and vote.

As you vote though--especially if you're a Christian--I want to remind you of these important facts: Regardless of who is ultimately elected, 

• They will serve not just because they got the most votes, but because it is the will of God that they do so (Romans 13:1), even if it's not "your candidate."
• As such, and in light of their position, they are entitled to our respect (1 Peter 2:17), even if it's not "your candidate."
• We are to pray, intercede and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2), even if it's not "your candidate."

Ultimately, we need to remember that whoever wins this (or any election), we must not fall into the trap of believing that their election will fix (or ruin) everything. Things are already pretty messed up, and that goes back not to any decision made by a politician, but to Adam’s decision in the Garden of Eden to forsake the will of God (Genesis 3:17-19).

There is One coming though who will set all things right. But he will not come to power on the basis of the electoral college in accordance with the laws of the land. Rather he will come with power that is already his in accordance with the promises of God (Revelation 21:1-5).

Regardless of political trends and election results, may our ultimate prayer on election day (and every day) be this: Come, Lord Jesus!

Don't Vote Your Fears; Vote Your Faith

This is an excerpt from a sermon delivered at Calvary Presbyterian Church on October 16, 2016 entitled, "The Power of Christ."

Think about the Apostle Paul and some of the hardships he faced. He speaks about these in 2 Corinthians 11:

• Hardship in labors
• Many imprisonments
• Countless beatings, often up to the very doorstep of death
• 5x received 39 lashes
• 3x beaten with rods
• Once stoned
• 3x shipwrecked, including one night & day adrift at sea
• Danger from all directions and all sorts of enemies
• Sleepless nights,
• Hunger and thirst
• Cold & exposure

And in the face of ALL OF THIS, he says in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” He trusts in the power of God.

Then you look at us, coming into next month’s election, and we are filled with fear. There are those among us who can’t fathom voting for Hillary Clinton, and you're scared of what our country will become. Others among us can’t imagine voting for Donald Trump and you're terrified at the prospects of him being President. Yet others of us have consciences which won’t allow us to vote for either of them, and we fear what is going to become of our nation either way.

I plead with you, on November 8, step into a voting booth and cast your vote. Do so prayerfully; do so thoughtfully; but do so in faith, trusting in God and not making a decision based on fear. The same Jesus that enabled Paul to be content in all situations is sovereignly in control of this election.

As my friend Chuck Jacob wisely once said: "The Kingdom of God will not arrive on the wings of Air Force One."

Often we say that the President is the most powerful person in the world. That is a lie. The most powerful person in our world was, is, and always will be JESUS CHRIST. It was true when he created the world, it is true today, and it will be that way for all of eternity.

We Must Do Something

This is a little out of the ordinary for the topic of a post here. But I thought there was much wisdom in the words of Joe Scarborough in the video below. He powerfully makes the point that whatever we, as individuals, happen to believe about various issues related to mass murders such as that in Newtown, Connecticut, two things are certain:

1. It is a complex, multi-faceted situation, with no simple solutions, and 
2. We MUST do something.

Take a few minutes and watch the video below, which is an edited clip of a longer statement made by Scarborogh on today's Morning Joe.



Click here to view the full context of Scarborough's remarks.

Russell Moore on Honoring the President

After a long night (and a far longer campaign), Russell Moore's blog post this morning really resonated with me and reflected much of what I've tried to communicate to others throughout this election cycle. The whole post is certainly worth reading, but if you must only take a quick glance, try the following paragraph:

"Christians, above all people, should pray for and show respect for our President and all of our elected officials. After all, unlike those who see politics as ultimate, we recognize that our political structures are important, but temporal, before an inbreaking kingdom of Christ. We don’t then need to be fomented into the kind of faux outrage that passes for much of contemporary political discourse. And, unlike those who see history as impersonal or capricious, we see behind everything a God who is sovereign over his universe."

A Christian View of the Election...and the Four Years That Follow

I've posted the following thoughts before, but given that the election is tomorrow, I felt like I wanted to re-state these truths (with a few very minor adaptations to fit our current context).

Tomorrow is election day in the United States of America. Not only will the presidential election be held, but votes will be cast for and against many other candidates and issues.  As an American, you have a right to express your opinions and vote for the candidates that you feel best represent them. Some would argue that these are not just your rights, but your responsibility.  So go ahead and vote tomorrow.

As you vote though--especially if you're a Christian--I want to remind you of these important facts: Regardless of who is ultimately elected, 

• They serve not just because they got the most votes, but because it is the will of God that they do so (Romans 13:1).
• As such, and in light of their position, they are entitled to our respect (1 Peter 2:17).
• We are to pray, intercede and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Ultimately, we need to remember that whoever wins this (or any election), we must not fall into the trap of believing that their election will fix (or ruin) everything. Things are already pretty messed up, and that goes back not to any decision made by a politician, but to Adam’s decision in the Garden of Eden to forsake the will of God (Genesis 3:17-19).

There is One coming though who will set all things right. But He will not come to power on the basis of the electoral college in accordance with the laws of the land. Rather He will come with power that is already His in accordance with the promises of God (Revelation 21:1-5).

Regardless of political trends and election results, may our ultimate prayer tomorrow (and every day) be this: Come, Lord Jesus!

Should I Even Vote?

In a month, Americans will be beckoned to the polls to vote on (among other things) who should be President of the United States. While there are other candidates on the ballots in many states, for all practical purposes, it would seem that this is an election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the candidates of the two major parties.

I have friends who are Democrats who love President Obama. I also have friends who are Republicans who think Mitt Romney would make an incredible President. That being said, in all honesty, I have a hard time getting excited about either candidate.

Thabiti Anyabwile apparently shares this sentiment. He wrote a post on Wednesday as well as a follow-up post today in which he explained why he would not vote in next month's presidential election. I don't necessarily agree with all of Anyabwile's conclusions, but I found his thoughts to be (at the very least) thought-provoking as I consider my duty as I serve Christ in this election as well as others.

In his final paragraph today he writes:

It’s not rhetoric I want in my candidate, or invented lives and embellished pasts, faux images and focus-group-tailored soundbites. I want to elect a free man, someone who stands flat-footed and leans into the cross-current of moral drift with conviction and courage. If he’s out there, he has my vote. And if a two-party system denies a righteous man opportunity to stand for justice then the system itself is the evil we need to oppose.

You can read today's entire post by clicking here. I'd love to hear your feedback on this topic.

Heading to the Polls

Tomorrow is election day in the state of Michigan. Not only will the presidential primaries be held, but votes will be cast for and against a number of other candidates and issues.  As an American, you have a right to express your opinions and vote for the candidates that you feel best represent them. Some would argue that these are not just your rights, but your responsibility.  So go ahead and vote tomorrow.

If you’re a Christian though, let me remind you of these important facts: Regardless of who is ultimately elected, 

• They serve not just because they got the most votes, but because it is the will of God that they do so (Romans 13:1).
• As such, and in light of their position, they are entitled to our respect (1 Peter 2:17).
• We are to pray, intercede and give thanks for them (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Ultimately, we need to remember that whoever wins this (or any election), we must not fall into the trap of believing that their election will fix (or ruin) everything. Things are already pretty messed up, and that goes back not to any decision made by a politician, but to Adam’s decision in the Garden of Eden to forsake the will of God (Genesis 3:17-19).

There is One coming though who will set all things right. But He will not come to power on the basis of the electoral college in accordance with the laws of the land. Rather He will come with power that is already His in accordance with the promises of God (Revelation 21:1-5).

Regardless of political trends and election results, may our prayer tomorrow (and every day) be this: Come, Lord Jesus!

Can We Expect a Husband To Be Faithful?

I saw something today that caught my attention. It occurred in the political arena, but my thoughts, I assure you, were anything but political. In the last couple months, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has risen from relative obscurity to near the top of the polls, only to then experience a precipitous dip in light of numerous rumors of extramarital affairs.

Author and commentator Ben Stein appeared on "The Early Show" on CBS this morning to discuss politics. The Cain situation was the first thing they tackled and Stein had this to say:

"I keep thinking to myself, yes, he is a sinner. Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone.  He's not running for pope. He's not running for saint. He is running for president. We've had lots of presidents who had girlfriends. We had President Kennedy who was a great president, he had girlfriends. President Roosevelt who was with his girlfriend when he died, he was one of the greatest presidents that's ever been. Thomas Jefferson had a very well-documented affair. I'm not saying it's a great thing; I'm just saying people are human. We can't judge people by super-human standards." 

From a political point of view, I was not surprised by the comments that Stein made. I've gotten to the point where I'm not sure that there are any political comments (made by Republicans or Democrats) that could surprise me. From a different point of view though, I am enormously grieved by part of what Stein says. What especially grieves me is that I think most people in our culture probably share Stein's basic point of view on this:  He says, "We can't judge people by super-human standards."

Setting aside the topic of whether a candidate's marital fidelity is at all relevant, this comment prompted a couple of thoughts: First of all, while I'd agree that it is futile to attempt to hold others to super-human standards, when exactly did the standard of being faithful to one's spouse attain the level of "super-human?"  When I promised sixteen years ago to forsake all others, until death do us part, I harbored no illusions that my abilities were "super-human." And yet I made that promise, that vow, anyway. If I (or anyone else) should fail to keep such a vow, it isn't because we are NOT super-human; it is because we ARE sinners.

Secondly, while we might want to be careful about holding everyone else to super-human standards, we should never forget that God demands that his people not only be "super-human," but "holy" and "perfect" (Leviticus 19:2 & Matthew 5:48). This is, of course, something that none of us can or have done. None, that is, except the promised Messiah who 2000 years ago came for his people to be their covenantal representative, their sacrificial lamb and their long-awaited bridegroom.

This advent season especially, let us remember that "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). And let us forever rejoice that Christ is, and always will be, faithful to his bride.

A Christian View of the President

Today President Obama spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast, which caused me to consider how we Americans (and especially evangelical Christian Americans)  tend to handle our thoughts about the faith of our Presidents.  As I contemplated this, it occurred to me that either we're not being honest with others or we're not being honest with ourselves.

The Christian Right championed George W. Bush, largely because he publicly  proclaimed that he trusted in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  They then by-and-large gave him a pass when he said distinctly non-evangelical things like the Bible is not literally true, Muslims and Christians worship the same God, and we all go to heaven.

Yet when President Obama speaks (as he did today) about how, "I came to know Jesus Christ for myself and to embrace Him as my Lord and Savior," it is assumed by many of those same people who supported President Bush that President Obama must be lying about his faith.  And whenever he says anything that is even vaguely conciliatory toward Islam, he is branded as being a closet Muslim.

The purpose of this post is not to suggest what either man actually believes -- frankly, I have no idea.  Nor is its purpose to convince you that you should like Barack Obama's policies as President.  He certainly (like President Bush) has political positions to which I take great exception.

It is just to point out that perhaps we are too quick to claim someone is in our religious camp because he shares our political viewpoints, or to separate from them because they don't.  Perhaps a better attitude toward our Presidents (Democrat or Republican, Christian or non-Christian) would simply be to honor them (1 Peter 2:17), to submit to governing authorities, realizing that all authority comes from God (Romans 13:1) and to offer supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for them (1 Timothy 2:1). That, I think, would be a truly Christian way to act.

Christianity: Conservative or Socialistic?

I read an interesting op-ed piece  today which deals with the question of whether the Bible calls Christians to be politically conservative or politically liberal.  In it Dr. Brian Lee says the answer is clearly, "Neither."

Those looking to dig into the Bible and find a political platform are going to be sorely disappointed. It’s not there. That is for the simple reason that it is not a book about politics, but about God, and how He is saving His people through Jesus Christ. This distinguishes Christianity from Old Testament Judaism and modern day Islam, both of which contain detailed political agendas. Well-meaning Christians that want to outline a detailed “Christian” agenda of their own, however, will simply not find one.

He goes on to point out that as Christians, we are members of of two kingdoms, as citizens both of heaven (Philippians 3:20) and of the state.

But where Christians go wrong is when they confuse the two kingdoms in which they live, when they think that their politics can bring about the heavenly kingdom they so long for. When they think they are called to take up the weapons of politics and its powers of coercion to advance the gospel or their biblical vision of justice — it stinks to win 49% of the votes. This is one of the oldest and most persistent errors of Christian practice, from Constantine to the Crusades to the Moral Majority. Biblical religion cannot be imposed on a minority and remain biblical.

Ironically, our Pilgrim fathers made just this mistake when they came to America. Fleeing their own religious persecution, they set up another. The 1647 Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts identified 15 capital offenses, including idolatry, blasphemy, and atheism, along with a predictable litany of sexual offenses. Now that’s conservative. Unfortunately, it’s also not the foundation of a just and pluralistic society.

You can click here to read the entire article and I'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

Book Review - Republocrat

With election day nearing, Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative by Carl Trueman seemed to be quite a timely read.  Lately, I’ve been noticing some of Trueman’s blog entries at Reformation 21 and have appreciated both his thoughtful approach as well as the sharp wit displayed in his writing.

Trueman, the Departmental Chair of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, fails to fulfill certain caricatures, in that he is a very conservative Christian with very liberal politics (on most issues). In fact, Trueman’s goal in this book seems to be to highlight the truth that too often the line becomes blurred between Christian conservatism and political conservatism. “The gospel,” he rightly contends, “cannot and must not be identified with partisan political posturing.”

He does spend some time in Republocrat arguing for his political perspective. In this, I imagine that many (most?) political  conservatives will find Trueman’s arguments unpersuasive, the occasional strawman sneaking into the mix. But I am quite sure he would make the point that his goal was not to argue for his view on issues, but rather to simply point out that we need to realize that whichever way we vote, there are certain trade-offs we are making. In light of this truth, Christians need to engage the political process in what is truly a counter-cultural way.

“I look forward to the day,” Trueman states, “when intelligence and civility, not tiresome clichés, charater assassinations, and Manichaean noise, are the hallmark of Christians as they engage the political process.”

In Republocrat, Trueman has succeeded in writing a very thought-provoking book which I would heartily recommend to any Christian who takes their political views seriously. I do not agree with all of his positions; one could scarcely hold to an identical combinations of views. But then again, that is pretty much the point of the book; we should critically examine all of the issues and not simply default to what a certain political party tells us is the appropriate liberal position, the appropriate conservative position, or (most especially) the appropriate Christian position.

(The Lack of) Civility and Content in Public Discourse

Carl Trueman had an interesting and thought-provoking post the other day at Reformation 21.  In it he cited last week's much publicized argument between Bill O'Reilly and Whoopi Goldberg.  In case you missed it, O'Reilly was a guest on The View.  As he and the panel discussed the so-called "Ground-Zero Mosque," the discussion quickly devolved into a shouting match, culminating with Goldberg (as well as co-host, Joy Behar) walking off the set.

 I recently purchased, and very much look forward to reading, Trueman's book, Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative.  Though I don't always agree with him, I enjoy reading what he has to say because he is almost always thought-provoking. And while I sometimes have my sensibilities offended by Trueman, I appreciate the fact that he is definitely an equal-opportunity offender.  I think this comes through in these comments on the O'Reilly-Goldberg tête-à-tête, in which he decries the lack of civility and content in contemporary political discourse:

The most popular TV pundit of the Right, who yet cannot define "socialism," versus the advocate for women's rights who does not regard the drugging, and forcible and perverted sexual violation of a thirteen year old girl as "rape."  If ever we needed a microcosmic demonstration of all that is wrong with left and right, those two say it all: it is all about empty posturing, extreme slogans, and, above all, entertainment.

Against this cultural backdrop, Trueman calls on Christians to raise the bar, both in what we expect and in what we exhibit.  He points out that those who (like me) subscribe to the Westminster Standards are bound by such statements as the Larger Catechism's answer to Question 128, which reads as follows: "The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against, their persons and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonour to them."  He goes on to make the following suggestions:

Christians, right and left, should model intelligent civic engagement, not help to destroy it by pandering to the moronic soundbites and posturing of the TV pundits.  And anybody who holds office in a confessional presbyterian denomination and who calls the President a Marxist (or carries around a picture of him at a rally photoshopped to make him into Hitler or the Joker), or anyone, for that matter, who claims that the Republicans are all Fascists or racists -- anybody who does such, I say, should be charged in the courts of the church with breach of vows and, if unrepentant, dismissed from office.  Criticism and dissent are vital in democracy; but  how we express that criticism and dissent should be shaped by our Christian commitments and, for those of us who hold office, by our solemn vows.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.  Please comment below.  You can read Trueman's whole post here.

President Obama Comments on His Faith

Much has been made of President Obama's religion.  In spite of his unwavering self-designation, one recent survey found that only one in three Americans identifies him as a Christian.  In light of this fact, I found the video below quite interesting. 

In my opinion, there is much that President Obama gets wrong in what he has to say here.  In the midst of all of it though, in the thirty seconds from 2:20 to 2:50, he gets one thing (and I might add, the most important thing) quite right.  Please leave your comments as I'd love to hear your thoughts.



(Please forgive the short commercial at the beginning of the video. I don't know how to make it disappear.)

Glen Beck and American "Christianity"

By now you've likely heard of the rally organized by Glen Beck this past weekend in Washington D.C. I'm not here to make statements about Beck's political views. Many love them; still others hate them just as much.

I do however like what Russell Moore had to say in regards to what this weekend says about the state of American Christianity:

Too often, and for too long, American “Christianity” has been a political agenda in search of a gospel useful enough to accommodate it. There is a liberation theology of the Left, and there is also a liberation theology of the Right, and both are at heart mammon worship. The liberation theology of the Left often wants a Barabbas, to fight off the oppressors as though our ultimate problem were the reign of Rome and not the reign of death. The liberation theology of the Right wants a golden calf, to represent religion and to remind us of all the economic security we had in Egypt. Both want a Caesar or a Pharaoh, not a Messiah.

You can read his whole post here.

A (Different) Conservative Christian Perspective at the Fourth of July

Fourth of July weekend is upon us and for most of us, that means it’s time to celebrate. Some of us just celebrate a day where we don’t need to go to work, but others of us will actually celebrate our nation’s independence and the freedoms that this secures for us.

Okay. Let me just lay my cards on the table. I’m what most people would probably refer to as a “conservative Christian.” And conservative Christians are supposed to have certain views regarding church and state, our founding fathers, and America’s identity as a “Christian nation.” I guess I just don't quite fit the stereotype.

I do feel that those who seem actively opposed to all things Christian have a tendency to go way too far in their attacks on the idea that we have a Christian heritage and Christian principles upon which our nation was founded. At the same time though, I feel that conservative Christians tend to massively overstate their case as well, overreaching their position and leaving them as easy targets for those who would disagree with them.

From time to time (mostly through emailed urban myths) you’ll hear about the ACLU or some other like-minded organization suggesting that we need to remove the words “In God We Trust” from our currency. I had a pastor once who actually suggested that the Church ought to beat the ACLU to the punch and spearhead the movement. His line of thinking was that, as a nation, we certainly did not trust in God, and to say that we did was to use the name of God in vain.

I’m not sure I agree with where his reasoning led him, but I’m not sure I disagree either. We tend to have this presumption that we as a nation are the people of God. While I feel there is no doubt that this nation has been immeasurably blessed by God, it is wrong to say that this marks us out as His nation (other than in the sense that all nations are His).

The idea that we are especially His often ushers us into the misapplication of the Bible. One classic example would be the (mis)use of 2 Chronicles 7:14 which reads, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Conservative Christians (at least those who are Americans) are eager to apply this verse in such a way that understands the U.S.A. to be a proper referent for “their land.” At first glance it seems reasonable. After all, as the song goes, “This land is your land, this land is my land…”

What needs to be kept in view though is that the Church/State nexus that was Old Testament Israel is actually to whom this promise was addressed, and the “land” to which God is refering is that very same land about which he speaks one verse earlier in 2 Chronicles 7:13 where he sets the stage for his promise with, “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land…” You see, God’s promise here really has more to do with agricultre than with American culture.

That’s not to say that there is no modern day application for us in this passage. If there is an entity with the right to apply the ideals in this promise, it would not be our nation, but the Church. If the Church were to humble itself, pray, seek God’s face and turn from whatever evil ways it might have, then God is indeed faithful to forgive our sin and and bring healing within our midst.

One of the other big issues for conservative Christians seems to be prayer in school. We are told that the moral slide of our nation began when prayer in school was outlawed and we can trace everything bad back to that. Well, it’s not quite that simple.

First of all, as Richard Hardy, one of my political science professors in college taught me, as long as teachers give exams, there will be prayer in schools! Of course he was making a joke and what we’re talking about is something altogether different.

It occurs to me though, that I’m pretty sure I don’t want a teacher (who might worship some false god or no god at all) being the one who is leading my child in prayer, modeling for them how one should pray. Conservative Christians are often quick to object to certain subjects being taught from the atheistc viewpoint of certain teachers, but they want to open the door to prayer being modeled and thus taught by the same atheistic teachers? It seems to me that the wall of seperation between church and state, which is intended to protect the religious practice of people from the government intervention (not vice versa), actually serves us pretty well here.

The moral decline of our culture did not begin with removal prayer from schools. It began in the Garden with the Fall (see Genesis 3). And I reckon that the lack of prayer in public schools is nowhere near as influential in the continuation of this decline as the lack of prayer in our homes. It is we parents who have too often failed to train up our children in the way they should go, and for this we must repent.

Okay. Now that I’ve ticked off 90% of the people who might actually read this blog, let me finish off by taking care of the other 10%. According to our Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I think it is a legitimate question to ask this 4th of July, that if we, as a culture, cease to accept the fact that there is a Creator, what does it say about those rights? Would not logic dictate that they were not quite so inalienable after all?

You see, God is indeed the source of all our rights, and of all that is right. We are his and he has made himself known to us through the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ. He did this not so that we could have a Christian culture or a Christian nation, but so that we could have forgiveness from our sins, and be, as the Church, his bride.

May we be thankful that he has blessed us as Americans to live in a land and a time where we are among the most blessed people ever. May we be thankful that we live in a land where we are free to worship him. But most of all, may we be thankful that God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Now that’s reason to celebrate!

President Obama's School Speech

President Obama is going to address school children across our nation on Tuesday. This has been met with some trepidation on the part of conservative Christians who fear that their children might have their impressionable young minds shaped by the smooth talking of a President who does not share their values.

Regardless of your political bent though, Doug Wolter has what I would consider some good thoughts for Christians regarding this topic.