Voting in Jesus' Name

Well, how would Jesus vote? I say at the beginning I am aware that I do not speak with any kind of flawless authority. And as a man I am prone to error. My effort here is simply to give voice to biblical values, and briefly. Having said that I offer this:

1. I think Jesus would vote to protect the unborn. The Source of life is pro-life. For a really good word on this, and on our standing before God in judgment for how we vote, hear my pastor's sermon from yesterday. Click here. (Hit the "sermon" link and look for the message dated 11/4/2012).

2. I think He would vote against debt. The freeing God is for financial freedom. A president that continues to borrow to placate constituents while increasing the financial load upon citizens should be fired. In addition, there is nothing good about increasing a society's dependency upon its government. If Jesus tells the truth, how we relate to work and money says as much about us as anything, and more than most things.

3. I think He would vote for a truth teller. Jesus is Truth personified. Obama continues to tell flagrant lies about Romney's automobile company bail-out plan, among other things. And when corrected our president simply revs up the lying. Romney may be lying about things too. But if so, I don't know what they are. In my opinion, our president should have resigned due to the Fast and Furious scandal. And now we have the Benghazi debacle to settle. Again, a resignation is in order, not a re-election. I have a host of other dishonesties in my mental list, but I digress.

4. I think He would vote for humility. Jesus is not proud.

5. I think He would vote for a leader. Jesus gives sound direction and counsel. He's also not effeminate.

6. I don't think He would vote with His own financial interests as the primary matter. He's not selfish.

7. I think He would vote for heterosexual marriage, the way He designed it. He is true to His purposes.

8. I think He would vote for the same tax rate on all people - rich, poor, and otherwise. This is how God governed His people Israel. Surely we realize that a particular percentage on more money is more money; meaning that the greater one's income the more taxes she pays. So the wealthy do pay more, but not wrongly, as they would by being required to contribute a higher percentage of their income. A government's taking money from the wealthy and using it to supply services for the poor is a form of stealing. Robin Hood is a thief. He is simply one the poor love. Voting a higher tax rate for others than we would vote for ourselves is not just, or loving. And Jesus is both.

Personally, I'm not excited about either of the candidates. I prefer a Ron Paul Revolution, which has its own flaws, but not nearly so many. With the Democratic and Republican Parties, we are forced to choose between big Democrat government or big Republican government. I'm for neither; nor were the founders of our country.

How much does any of this matter? It matters in that we all do stand in the the light and fire of God's just judgment upon us for our choices, which flow from our hearts. And it matters because who the US President is does affect people, including God's people. But it doesn't matter in any saving sense. I have no hope invested in Obama or Romney to be to me and my family any sort of savior or provider. God is God alone. God alone saves, and takes care of His people. So I'm not counting on Uncle Sam for much of anything, including my children's education, my income, or our health care, to mention only a few.

What's sad to me is that tomorrow I will, God willing, vote for a professing Mormon over a professing Christian. What's more sad is that the Mormon's values are seemingly more in line with those of Jesus than are the "Christian's". I vote values, not titles.

Sunday Post for Shepherds -- Courage & Reformation

Wednesday was Reformation Day; for on October 31, 1517, German Augustinian monk Martin Luther inadvertently, but somewhat formally, began the Protestant Reformation. And while his intention to begin a world changing movement was not present, his courage certainly was; courage to challenge long held beliefs precious to his own church. May God grant Christian pastors of our day the same kind of protestant courage, a courage rooted in Bible doctrine and our certainty of God's trustworthiness when He speaks. We will know this has come when God's men "do not shrink back from declaring the whole counsel of God" (Ac 20:27); when God's approval means more than that of the congregation (Mt 10:28); when we lean on God's grace and not our paychecks (Mt 10:31); and when we see the fruit of such preaching -- thriving and dying churches. For the Word of God is a hammer (Je 23), both softening hearts unto repentance and hardening hearts unto damnation (Ro 9). The chief weapon in the growth of one church and the killing of another is the same -- the proclaimed Word of God.

And when hearts are moved unto repentance and faith by God's Word, our outward practices also change to reflect what has happened on the inside. For pastors this means our gatherings begin to look and sound and feel different, because we are trusting God the Holy Spirit and detesting man-centered religion where numbers and reputations reign.

So go on brother pastor, preach the Bible systematically. Say about God what God says about Himself. Teach doctrine and stop with the "how to" sermonnettes, for we are designed to know Him (Jn 17:3), not "success." Abolish the altar call which forever ties God's saving work to something we do. Rid your congregation of the songs that could be more fittingly sung to our pets. Take that American flag out of the auditorium and teach your folks that Christians, not structures, are the Lord's sanctuary. Set up a book stall filled with resources that help your flock better understand the Bible. Design your gatherings in a way that enables your people to do all the "one another" commands of the New Testament. Establish a council of biblically qualified elders to rule the church under Christ's headship (You might want to do this first, so that you aren't trying reform alone). And then lead them to mercifully excommunicate faithless members of the flock. Begin to sit together at the Lord's Table often enough for it to actually serve its good purposes. And when you do, use the elements our Lord consecrated for the meal, including wine. And if the elements do not matter, and therefore a shot of grape juice is sufficient, then we might as well serve Coca-Cola and Little Debbie oatmeal cream pies.

In other words, we must pray and labor to see both ourselves and our flocks reformed by Scripture. This is not only what Luther would do, but what Jesus commands (Mt 28:18-19). Trust the Lord of the Church enough to do it all His way. Move at a reasonable pace, and with great patience (2 Ti 4:2). But by all means, do move! For to do so is to love Christ and His people (1 Pe 5:1-5; Jn 14:14-22).

It is quite possible, and even common I think, for a pastor to preach the Scriptures but then not lead his folks to do them. Doing them (reformation) gets worked out in the meetings and conversations and decisions. It is not enough to say what God says. Doing what God says is our vocation (Ja 1:22).

Sunday Post for Shepherds -- Think.

I simply exhort you to be a thinker; to love God with your mind (Mt 22:37), to gain biblical understanding via God's means -- the work of the brain, like my son Joah here. Or is he sleeping?

"Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything."
The Apostle Paul to Pastor Timothy, in 2 Ti 2:7 

Treating the World the Way the World Treats Jesus

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." -- The Apostle Paul, Ga 6:14

Sinclair Ferguson comments: "What is to be done to the world in the Christian life? It is to be crucified. It is to receive the same treatment at the hands of the Christian as Jesus received at the hands of worldly men! . . We must deal a mortal wound to its influence in our hearts and lives. Just as the Lord Jesus was an object of revulsion and rejection to the world, so it must be to us." -- From "Grow in Grace", page 60.

The Physical Body Matters to God

As a follow-up to yesterday's post on exercise via P90X, I offer the quote below, which I read this morning. I would also refer you to the many Scripture texts that refer to our bodies and how they are connected to right worship and service of God. I am not saying these texts command physical fitness. What I am saying is that Dr. Murray is right (see quote below); our bodies matter to God. They must matter to us also.

"There is a more fundamental and foundational life than the Christian life; 'creature life.' Before we are Christians, we are creatures. . .A renewed understanding of our full-orbed creatureliness, with due place given to the body, will produce safety, piety, productivity, and creativity. . .Starting with salvation rather than creation often results in a dualism that views the soul as the only important element of our humanity, the body being a hindrance or an irrelevance. All our problems are "spiritual problems," and the almost-exclusive focus is soul health. In general, those who cultivate healthy souls enjoy healthier bodies. However, God did not just give us souls to protect our bodies; He gave us bodies to protect our souls. If we rest well, exercise well, eat well, and so on, our minds will be clearer, our emotions will be steadier, and our moral defenses will be higher."

From the article "Created to Create" by Dr. David Murray, found in the Oct 2012 edition of Tabletalk, pages 44-45

Commending Fitness Via Suffering Via P90X

In past posts I have commended exercise and shared a little about its benefits. Now I commend it via a particular program, because I am under the impression that most of us need coaching and training and encouragement when it comes to this realm. Many possess little useful information on how our bodies work and what our bodies need. And it's quite normal to struggle to maintain a regimen without help. Let's face it, discipline does not come naturally to us, and even the most disciplined among us is prone to drift from even long embraced good habits. All of this leads me to commend Tony Horton's P90X, and its affiliate programs, found at beachbody.com.

I found Horton himself to be a pleasant, realistic, and encouraging fellow. He seems obsessed with fitness, as one might imagine. But he doesn't appear to be under the impression that everyone ought to be just like him. He also offers modifications regarding the exercise moves thereby accommodating various fitness levels. In short, he understands the struggle to be fit and does what he can to help. This includes not only the exercise program, but an eating guide and all the hands-on scheduling tools that are useful when taking on a new routine.

And now, as a P90X grad, I offer these additional comments:

1. The program is designed for folks who are already fit to become even more fit, or extremely fit, which is the reason for the "X" in P90X. Having said that, I have heard folks who were not remotely fit say they gained much from the program. This is understandable. If a person is willing to work, suffer, and sacrifice, then he/she can get into good shape by this program even if in the beginning he/she struggles mightily. It should be said though that the Beach Body company offers less intense programs for weight loss and fitness.
2. This program is difficult. I thought I had strong and fit legs, until I engaged in P90X Plyometrics. And over a lifetime of intense exercise, I have never been sore like the Legs & Back Workout made me sore. Related to this, I noticed during the 90 days that I was at least a little sore almost every day. All this to say that if you are considering this program, take the "X" seriously. In speaking with someone who had begun the program and quit, his reason for stopping was that "the workouts are too long". Well, the program does advertise as "extreme". But actually, most of the workouts are under an hour. And that includes the warm-up and stretch before each session, and the cool-down at the end. That's really not very long, especially when you consider how much time it takes to drive to the gym, exercise, and then drive home.
3. This is not like your gym workout. At the gym, if you are working biceps, for example, it is normal to engage in 5 or 6 exercises (with multiple sets), but waste time in between those sets, and waste more time moving from apparatus to apparatus. But with P90X there is zero wasted time, and many more sets with many more reps. Many of the moves in the program were previously unknown to me. One of the benefits of the program is its pace. It keeps you moving, so that every workout is to some degree about burning fat, not just building muscle.
4. It works. As Tony says, keep showing up and keep pushing play. 

Get Wisdom - Post 28

Proverbs - Chapter 28

There are multiple themes that run through this chapter. They include wickedness in contrast with righteousness (v1, 4-5,12, 15, 28), the evil rich in contrast with the honorable poor (v6, 8, 11, 19, 22, 27), and the law-hater in contrast with the law-keeper (v4, 7, 9). Other topics are wisdom (v26), understanding (v2, 7, 11, 16), integrity (v6), repentance (v13), work (v19), contentment/generosity (v8, 24-25, 27) and the fear of the LORD (v14). The text also speaks of what we produce, that is, our fruitfulness for good or evil. Another way to say this is to talk of consequences. All of us are producing something in this moment. What is that something? So God warns, "Whoever trusts in His own mind is a fool"; And promises, "but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered". In other words, our own minds are not naturally wise minds. They are in contrast quite foolish, unable to please the Lord, because they do not operate from faith (See He 6:1-6; Ro 3:11-20, etc), and "that which is not of faith is sin" (Ro 14:23).

The Scriptures repeatedly tell us that our minds are naturally hostile to the law of God and twisted beyond any human ability to straighten. Consequently, we are easily deceived. So the sanctification of the mind is a must if we are to get wisdom, that is, live to please God. This sanctification happens by digestion of God's Word (Jn 17:17) which washes our minds clean (Ep 5:26). So let us do the joyous work of learning to love God with our minds by cultivating the thinking of Christ (Mt 22:37; 1 Co 2:15-16) -- the perfectly sane, never deceived, and altogether wise One.

To do this, I suggest a weekly participation in the hearing of sound preaching/teaching. This is a chief means God has given. So gather with God's people for it. God has designed the church so that His people mature by being taught by those built for the work. In addition, consider a listening plan -- an audio Bible, and/or a reading plan -- something like "Read the Bible for Life" by George Guthrie. You can give it a look here.

The Scriptures make extraordinary claims about themselves and about their eternally good effects upon the the one who learns, believes, and does them. We believe these claims or we do not. Our affection level for the Bible and our practices with it reveal our confidence in it, and it's Author.

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God"

Jesus, Mt 4:4

"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop as the rain, and my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the grass, and like showers upon the herb. . .take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of the law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life. . ."

Moses, Dt 32:1-2, 46-47