This is part 3 in a series of posts about foreign policy.

• Wrong Assumption #1 Giving Foreign Aid Promotes US Regional Interests
• Wrong Assumption #2 Limited Number of Terrorists

Many conservatives have religions motivations behind their foreign policy. They look at the violence advocated in the Koran and realize that, when interpreted literally, Islam is a violent religion. They then propose as a solution that we kill the Islamic Extremists before they can kill us. This kind of thinking is amplified by those who think we should “just nuke the whole desert and be done with the danger.”

This thinking lowers us to their level. It is also based on wrong assumptions, since bullets don’t stop ideas or religions.

The only way to stop ideas is with other ideas.

History teaches us that when you persecute something you legitimize and promote it. The tighter we squeeze the middle east, the more countries will slip through our fingers. If it didn’t work for Darth Vader it won’t work for us.

We would have done much better to send an army of missionaries to share the hope of the Gospel than to send an army of troops to shoot at their ideas. We will content to struggle to have moral legitimacy to share the Gospel of Peace when we are shooting at our mission field.

Trying to stop a religion with bullets is like trying to put out a fire out with gasoline. I didn’t work for Caesar, it won’t work for us.

Related posts:

1. Wrong Assumption #2 – Limited Number of Terrorists I think President Bush believed that there are a fixed...
2. Why Those Who Oppose Ron Paul’s Foreign Policy are Wrong Lately I have been listening to people raise various objections...

Back in January, I gave my first Sunday sermon at Hope Chapel. Many of you came out to hear my “first real sermon” and I really appreciate your support. Even though that was the Sunday all the church leaders were out on a retreat, the sanctuary was full. Thank you.

The sermon was about the most mysterious woman in the old testament. We don’t even know her name but she wrote one of the most famous passages in the Bible. Curious? You will have to listen to the sermon to find out who she was. Or read Jim Davis’ notes below.

The first service I completely fell on my face technologically. I forgot my VGA adapter and even when someone in the congregation had one the projector completely failed to work. I have never in my life had a technical failure so catastrophic in front of so many people. The sound guy gracefully cut the first few frantic minutes of the sermon from the recording.

Listen/Watch

• Listen to the recording of the first service (right click and then click save as).
• Watch the video from the second service (right click and then click save as).

Here are the notes put together by Jim Davis. He created the notes for small group discussion.

Lesson

Satan intends to kill the current generation of God’s people and destroy the mission God has given them, but God heals and protects His children.

Text(s)/Resources

• Proverbs 31:1-9, Matthew 28:19-20, and Psalms 139
• AlmightyMusicVideo.com

Ice-Breaker:

1. Have you experienced an interest/hobby consuming large amounts of your time? Dominating your interests and thinking?
2. Have you felt an “adventure-shaped” hole in your heart, your thinking? Do you long for a more interesting/exciting life?

Background:

Proverbs 31 is famous for its description of a competent woman, but the first 9 verses are the words of a mysterious (unnamed) woman, the mother of King Lemuel. She speaks to her son, who is (or will be) a king. Notice that she has advice, feedback for him, but she speaks from the perspective of her listener. She speaks to his identify, before she speaks about what she thinks he should do. Rather than admonishing him to avoid a failure she anticipates, she speaks to his identify and encourages him to live up to the level of who he is.

Satan is the opposite. He would have his hearers forget who they are: children of God Almighty. Rather than encourage, Satan seeks to steal, kill and destroy.

Point 1 of 3: Steal. Thomas shared that as a child he loved computer games. They consumed his interests and time. Near the time he was finishing high school, an older brother (Lester Haines) spoke a word to him: “It is time for you to be about your Father’s business.” Thomas knew (though perhaps Lester did not) that his life was oriented in large degree around gaming, to near-addictive levels. The addition to activities can be very similar to drug and other addictions. So Thomas understood God to be telling him to  give up gaming.

Thomas further understood that he wanted adventure and that gaming attempted to fill the “adventure-shaped” hole in his heart. Soon after this word was given him, Thomas began to experience the adventure of evangelism. Sharing the gospel with others was scary. But riding a roller coaster is scary. That is why one rides them. The scariness is an adventure, the ride is exhilarating. The enemy would steal true adventure from us. Don’t let him.

Point 2 of 3: Kill. The mysterious woman of Proverbs 31:1-9 told her son to avoid drinking, a metaphor for forgetting one’s role. She told him to live up to the levels required/expected of a king and to protect and speak for those who are helpless. Today, the mute and helpless are the unborn. 1 in 3 Christian woman have an abortion. These women are much more likely to suffer psychological disorders later and experience shame, guilt, and brokenness because they are unable to seek forgiveness and healing.  Babies are killed and mother’s souls are grievously wounded.

Point 3 of 3: Destroy our mission. God intends this generation to make a difference, to carry out His purposes. To take actions and/or speak out. Failure to do so results from apathy. Apathy means “hard heart.” In this generation there is a word “meh.” Meh can be defined as a verbal shrugging of the shoulders and it is growing more widespread. At a time when we should be embracing the mission of going into the entire earth to share good news, the enemy promotes the response of meh — because he wants to destroy this generation’s mission.

Digging Deeper:

• What has been stolen from you? What are you now missing that you believe you previously possessed and used?
• What is your current identity? Who are you?
• What adventure calls to you? What stops you from pursuing it?
• What can others you trust do for you to help you recover your identify and mission?

Wrap-Up:

• Pray for each other to encourage recovery of identify in Christ
• Pray for each other for forgiveness and healing of secret shames and guilt.
• Prayerfully remind each other that all need saving and as we are able to give Jesus our guilt and shame, He is faithful to give us joy and life, healing and wholeness.

Outreach/Mission:

• We are not all called to be involved in every area of outreach. Some may seek to help the homeless, some others seek to help the unborn. What jazzes you? Think of a person whom you really hope will recover what has been stolen from them. What could you say to, or do for, that person this week?
• Do you want more information, or training, in the area of sharing good news? Who can you ask to teach you, or partner with you? Plan to speak with that person.

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Praying aloud can be scary particularly in a group setting where others can agree or disagree.

Fear in Prayer

Praying out loud can hit the root of our insecurities. We fear man. We fear our own pride. But it is as we pray anyway that we begin to find true healing. What better way to find freedom from the fear of man than in prayer to God.

Remember, if you have turned from your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ you have become a child of God (Romans 8:16, 1 John 3:1-3). This makes talking to God aloud no more strange than talking to a human father. Praying aloud forces us to view God as our Father for how else could we even approach Him?

Viewing God as our Father by no way diminishes his grandeur. Jesus knew the perfect balance when he prayed in this way “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Mathew 6:9b-10

Pride in Prayer

Sometimes people refrain from praying out loud because they don’t want others to think they are proud. This is a poisonous blend of pride and fear. The antidote for this toxin is faith and action.

We don’t want to be the pharisee who prays on the street corner just to be heard by men. But the solution is not to hide in fear. That is the Devil’s solution. The Kingdom path is the path of faith and action.

You won’t overcome this challenge until you start praying out loud. Ask God for humility. Fear God. Focus on Jesus. This takes a mental discipline that you only learn through practice.

What do you think?

• Are you afraid to pray out loud? Why do you think that is?
• For those of you who overcame this fear how did you do it?

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2. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Agreement (Part 1) Someone once asked me. "Why should we bother to voice...
3. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Authority (Part 3) If you can write company checks in the boss’ name...

Power of the Tongue

We live in a world spoken into existence. The power of God’s tongue created the world.

He made us in His image and our tongues have power as well. In fact, of all of the faculties imparted to mankind the tongue may be the most powerful.

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
- King Solomon

“The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”
- King Solomon

The Sword of the Spirit

The Bible often compares the tongue to a sword Psalm 57:4, Psalm 64:3, Proverbs 12:18. Swords were the primary weapon in the ancient world and the tongue is our primary weapon in the spiritual war.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” Hebrews 4:12.

Praying aloud allows you to brandish the sword of the Spirit. The unspoken word of God is about as deadly as a sword still in it’s scabbard. As you put His words in your mouth you will see the world change around you. When you pray in your mind only God hears you. But, when you pray aloud the unseen spiritual hears you, and trembles.

A Dangerous Weapon

Like a rudder on a ship the tongue can change the course of history. It can build up and tare down. Of the many uses of our tongue, prayer is the least likely to do harm and the most likely to do good.

But still we must be careful for as Saint James asks, “Who can tame the tongue?”

Jesus has given His followers the authority to influence the unseen spiritual realm in His name. We must be careful not to take his name in vain by doing something he wouldn’t do. If I have the authority to sign company checks I must buy only what my boss would buy.

If you are unaccustomed to praying aloud, praying the scriptures is a great place to start. Start by praying the Psalms. Then move into other books. For example, after you read about Jesus exhorting his disciples to preach the Gospel, pray aloud that God would give you boldness to obey.

A great book I would recommend on prayer is From Duty to Delight: Finding Greater Joy in Daily Prayer.

Walking in Victory

God has given you a mighty weapon. Will you achieve victory without using it?

Are you

• Struggling in your spiritual walk?
• Going through a tough season?
• Feeling defeated?

If so, brandish your tongue and pray out loud in boldness. You will see the world around you change. You will see yourself change. You may move the heart of God.

What do you think?

• Do you think that prayer effects the unseen world?
• When you fight spiritual warfare does it help to pray out loud?
• What keeps you from paying out loud?

Related posts:

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2. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Authority (Part 3) If you can write company checks in the boss’ name...
3. Spoken Prayer and Our Insecurities (Praying Aloud Part 4) Praying aloud can be scary particularly in a group setting...

Someone once asked me. “Why should we bother to voice our prayers when God already knows our thoughts?” In response I have come up with four benefits to praying aloud. This is an adaptation from a series I did on my old blog.

Silent Prayer is Fine

Using our tongue to pray is by no means the only way to pray. In fact, it is possible to pray aloud for the wrong motives Matthew 6:5-8.

We must be careful how we pray but I am convinced that voiced prayer offers at least four benefits over silent prayer.

Team Prayer

Praying aloud allows those with you to agree with you in prayer. For some reason there is great power when people agree in prayer.

“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 16:19-20

Perhaps, part of the power comes from numbers. We see this in nature. A pack of wolves are more powerful than a lone wolf. But there is a spiritual component as well.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12.

Think of it this way, when people agree with you it is like they amplify your prayers. When you pray silently no one can agree with you because they do not know what you are saying. You might as well be praying in tongues or in a foreign tongue.

When you send a delegation to the king wouldn’t you want more than one person? God wants His body to work together. God calls us to pray in the closet but he also calls us to pray in agreement with each other.

What do you think?

• Do you find it easier or harder to pray with others? Why?
• What keeps you from agreeing with others in prayer?
• Do you feel your prayers are more effective when you pray with others?

Related posts:

1. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Power (Part 2) We live in a world spoken into existence. The power...
2. Spoken Prayer and Our Insecurities (Praying Aloud Part 4) Praying aloud can be scary particularly in a group setting...
3. The Benefits of Praying Aloud: Authority (Part 3) If you can write company checks in the boss’ name...

I have started a new website Practical Courtship! The goal of the website is to help make courtship work. So in a way it is a critique of courtship but it is also a guide. So far, it has received a fair bit of traffic and a ton of great comments. I encourage you to come by and check it out. Leave a comment and join the conversation.

Also, let me know if you are interested in writing an article for the site.

Here are some of the recent courtship posts:

• Does Courtship Work?
• Courtship & Predestination
• Courtship Definitions
• 7 Reasons Men Wait to Get Married
• Leaving is Hard to Do

There are a lot more to come.

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Some explanation is in order. No, I did not go on a date last night. No, I did not have yet another awkward encounter with a woman. But there is a story here and an interesting conclusion.

The tweet was the result of three completely unrelated things blending in my mind.

Thing 1: Barrack Obama

There has been a lot of chatter online about this photo of Obama at the G8 summit.

In light of the chatter, I have been thinking about how men ought to look at women. And, how they ought not look at women. The base forces of nature seem to war with the moral law. The specific social rules seem to vary by community. What is appropriate?

Thing 2: Girl in Parking Garage

As I left the apple store yesterday, I walked to my car in the parking garage. A young woman drove past me and as we made eye contact she unconsciously whisked her hair behind her ear. I wondered why she would do that, at that moment.

Thing 3: James Bond

Yesterday my family watched Quantum of Solice. So, as I walked through the parking garage, the movie swam through my mind.

In the movie, James Bond’s credit card gets denied at an airport. He looks deeply into the eyes of the lady at the counter who denied him the charge… and she melts. He asks “in a few moments you will get a call. Tell them I’m going to Cairo.” She smiles at him and he walks away.

Why would she melt? Why is this scene believable? Why can’t I do that?

I started adding up all the differences between me and James Bond. It was a depressing 30 minutes. Then I started eliminating the things James didn’t have to help him at the counter.

He had no gadgets, no money and no bad guys to beat up. But he still had one thing: His striking good looks and crystal blue eyes. If he had been ugly and peered into her eyes she would have looked away disgusted. I know. But James didn’t get disgust. He got permission. The woman gave him permission to look into her eyes because she wanted to look back into his.

The only difference between Bozo and Bond is permission.

So What?

You girls who are probably saying. “I could have told you that!” I know. Several of you already have on Twitter and Facebook. But to me this is a profound truth and I feel it applies to much more than just guy/girl relationships.

Gospel Permission

There is a Gospel application here. Before we can talk to someone about their soul we need their permission. Otherwise they won’t listen. Permission does not need to take long. Permission just takes tact. I find that tracts and humor can help break the ice.

But how did Jesus get permission? He healed people, raised the dead and offered hope. But, he had also something more. He could look into a man’s eyes, say “follow me” and the man would. Permission is power. Jesus’ power is supernatural. If we want permission that goes beyond gimmicks like tracts and treasure lists we need supernatural power too.

Business Permission

I have given Amazon permission to email me book recommendations. The emails are relevant because Amazon knows about the books I buy. If Barns & Noble were to send me an email recommending the same books I would spam it. Why? Because, Barns & Noble doesn’t have my permission to talk to me. They haven’t earned it.

If you want to grow your business you need to stop thinking of ways to spam people and start thinking of ways to earn their permission. Twitter is a good way to learn this skill. It doesn’t take much permission to send 140 characters once every other day.

Political Permission

The more I get around the more a realize that most people actually do care about politics. They just don’t care to hear about my politics. This is an important distinction. It is easy to write people off as complacent when I really just lack permission. Are people apathetic or do they just distrust both parties? A political party needs permission before it can have discourse. It must have discourse before it can sway opinion. It must sway opinion before it can win elections.

How do you get permission to influence someone’s political views?

I’m not sure. Striking good looks don’t hurt. Why else would Hollywood celebrates and Ann Coulter get such power? Humor seems to work too. I’m not sure what the answers are here. I know I often get into a political conversations on Facebook after sharing a link to a political YouTube video. What do you think?

Take Aways

• Permission is more valuable than money.
• Money can’t buy love, but permission is an ingredient to love.
• Money can buy spam, but spam can’t build a relationship between you and your customer.
• Money can’t buy votes, but permission can get attention and attention can change minds.

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Some are gifted at intercession, but we are all called to pray.

Some are gifted at understanding the scriptures, but we are all called study the Word.

Some are gifted at mercy, but we are all called to act with compassion.

And some are gifted at evangelism, but we are all called to fulfill the great commission.

Sharing the Gospel is just as essential as prayer and Bible study to the Christian walk. If we truly love our neighbors like ourselves we will do everything in our power to warn them about eternity. Not having a gift is no excuse for disobedience.

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Here are seven reasons why I think sarcasm is unhealthy and wrong. I would love to hear what you think by leaving a comment .

1. Sarcasm is a lie and not the language of the Kingdom.

When I make a sarcastic comment I lie, assuming my listener knows my words to be untrue. What a trick of the devil to put lies in the mouths of Christians! It is only when we are honest with ourselves and with others that we can speak the language of the Kingdom. If we cannot speak the language of the Kingdom, how can we expect to live at peace with its residents?

Who speaks lies as his native language? Hint: not Jesus.

Lies are the language of Satan. “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

2. Sarcasm fosters insecurity.
Sarcasm often comes either out of a place of insecurity or into a place of insecurity. Think of it like a bank, people deposit their insecurities into sarcasm and then get them back with interest.

3. Sarcasm interferes with authentic community.
The things we say sarcastically are often things we are unable to say seriously but still feel. True intimacy and community are hard to find because of this. It can often be a challenge to sort out the truth from lies when a sarcastic person speaks. The people making sarcastic comments sometimes are unsure of the truth themselves.

Buried within many sarcastic comments hides a small nugget of truth. Sometimes people say what they feel sarcastically so they can’t be held responsible for their true feelings. Their sarcasm allows them to maintain their mask of hypocrisy. This hinders both communication and authentic community.

4. Sarcasm discourages inquisitiveness.
In my experience sarcasm is often used to deride people for asking simple questions. It causes some people to be cautious to talk at all, particularly to strangers. I ask simple questions. When I reveal my ignorance on a topic I often must brace for the sarcastic blow that may or may not fall. My confidence is in Christ and not myself so these comments do not destroy me but are nevertheless unappreciated. I think we would all learn a lot more if we were a lot less sarcastic.

5. Sarcasm interferes with good leadership.
Secure people make good leaders. If sarcasm is a symptom of insecurity then the better a leader you are the less sarcastic you will be. Can you Imagen Moses, Jesus or William Wilberforce being sarcastic? Sarcasm is like a false save that temporarily numbs our pain of our insecurities but ultimately makes the root problem worse. One of the things I admire about John Moore, our college pastor, is how authentic he is. John is a speaker of the truth and I appreciate that.

The false save of sarcasm keeps dells our pain and keeps us from taking our insecurities to Christ. Sarcasm hinders communication and undermines trust. Vital elements of good leadership.

6. Sarcasm undermines true humor.
Some people are naturally funny. They put those around them at ease by finding the lighter side of life. Others, myself included, try to compensate for their lack of humor through sarcasm. Yet sarcastic “jokes” are rarely funny and they rarely put people at ease.

Sarcastic remarks are easy to make and keep us from cracking jokes that are actually funny. How many times have you ever belly laughed to a sarcastic comment? The best you can hope for from sarcasm is snicker.

7. Sarcasm is the language of bullies.

Sarcasm can be used as a way to attack other people without given them a chance to respond. It is like a kid with a bat in one hand and a trash can lid in the other. When he says a biting sarcastic comment (bat) he defends himself (lid) by saying he was only joking. He can then take a second swing with the bat by accusing the listener of having no sense of humor.

The only way the other children could play with such a bully is if they too get bats and lids. This is how sarcasm like a virus infects a community.

Do you ever remember coming home from school crying because a bully said something mean. What did he tell the teacher? “I was only joking.” I contend that sarcasm is still a subtle form of bullying, regardless of age.

Conclusion

There is a difference between sarcasm and hyperbole. Hyperbole is the contrasting of extremes to make a point. So when God tells Job to tell him how the world was formed since “Job was there” God is using hyperbole to emphasize the fact that Job was not there and does not know. While like sarcasm hyperbole is different in the fact that it makes the truth clear instead of cloudy.

Do I make sarcastic remarks? Yes. In my insecurity I still speak lies instead of truth. But it bothers me. My conscience bugs me about it though and I try to apologize. I am a poor standard. But I ask that you keep me accountable to only speak the truth from now on.

Do you agree/disagree? Leave a comment and let me know what you think .

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I talked with a good friend the other day about what a Godly man looks like. We have both been reading Wild at Heart and we decided to compile this list.

A Godly Man is…

• Someone who knows he is a man
• Willing to take risks
• Spiritually Violent (Mat 11:12)
• Knows where his strength comes from
• Tenacious
• Confident in God
• Respected
• Full of wisdom
• Willing to be a servant
• Willing to fight against all odds
• One who chases after God.
• One who knows who he is in God
• One who holds his brothers strong and helps them to stand
• One who doesn’t back down under fire
• Humble
• Passionate
• Obedient
• Selfless

An Ungodly man is…

• Self absorbed
• a Hypocrite
• Lazy
• Predial
• Self confident (confidence comes from self not God)
• a Coward
• Takes the easy way
• Spineless
• Insecure
• Greedy
• A traitor
• Condemning/Judgmental
• Tolerant of his own sin
• Hard Hearted

No related posts.

I used to go to church to learn the word, fellowship with other believers and to minister to them. I picked a church that I would get a lot out of.

But something has happened in the last two weeks that has changed all that. I have spent the service in the Boiler Room the last two weeks and it has changed my life.

What if church was not about my learning, my being ministered to and my being blessed? What if church were about ministering to God, blessing Him and glorifying Him? What if we spent an entire service doing nothing but thanking God for what He has done? Would that be a waste? Or would that be true church?

American Christianity has become so focused on people that Jesus Christ has become just a tag line to end our selfish prayers with. What rot. The church was never about the people.

Something changes when you pray for 30 minutes without asking God for anything. Something shifts in your life when you pray for two hours and ask only for the needs of others. I used to wonder how the great Christians of old could pray for hours and hours. But when you thank God for what He has done, praise Him for what He is doing, and worship Him for who He is, there are not enough hours in the day to even begin.

Not only is the self focused "feed the people" form of church wrong, it doesn’t work.

Many Christians have listened to hundreds if not thousands of hours of sermons and yet cannot pray aloud, share the Gospel or interpret the Scriptures. We know the the importance of these things but they don’t spring out of our hearts because our hearts are not connected to the Spring.

19 out of 20 Christians have never read the entire Bible . According to Bill Bright, only 1 in 50 Christians regularly share their faith with others. Many Christians feel uncomfortable praying out loud because they do it so rarely.

Something is broken and its not on God’s end.

We don’t need another sermon on the importance of Bible reading. We need to make Jesus the first thing. The Bible is great but without God it is just ink and paper. If Christ is not the Source of our Spring then the second things have nothing to flow out of.

"You can’t get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first."

-C.S. Lewis

Changing the purpose of Church from ministering to ourselves to ministering to the Lord shifts everything around. Or rather, it shifts us around so that we point in the right direction. The ends become the means and the means become the ends. Jesus and His Kingdom become the goal to which all of life is but a means.

This changing of direction could be called repentance. I call it faith. It takes faith to believe that if we focus on Christ alone our needs will be met. Or, that it is ok if they are not. Believing God’s ways are best and walking in that belief is an act of faith.

The Kingdom is not about location, it’s about direction. It’s not in words but in power. You are either walking behind Jesus or you are walking your own way. In programing we call this a binary value. Following Christ equals either yes or no. There is no sorta.

Are you following Christ? Or are you trying to get Him to follow you? If Jesus is not before you, if He is not the first thing, you are pointing in the wrong direction. Repent.

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The Bible disagrees with both of these views.

“If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:26-27)

God has given us a model for what true religion is and yet we de-emphasize it to the point of near extinction. This can allow us to avoid those things that religious people must do. Religion will not get us to heaven but it should govern our earthly actions.

The Biblically religious man must control his tongue. We live in a world spoken into existence and we must be able to control language in order to change the world. Controlling the tongue is not just keeping one’s foot away from one’s mouth. It means that we must learn how to wield the tongue for the kingdom and not against it. If the tongue, like a rudder, can direct a large ship, we must plot a good course for our words or suffer the consequences.

We also must learn to visit and care for widows and orphans. The church in America does this less than almost any other nation. We vote in leaders who take our money away and then give it to widows and orphans in the name of the government, not in the name of Jesus, who they most desperately need. You see, we can feed someone straight into hell. Only Christ can truly save. Virtue cannot exist in the absence of free will.

Good works can be either a bushel hiding the light of the Gospel or a mirror reflecting it far into the distance. The choice comes in how we wield the tongue. When we allow others to visit widows and orphans we silence our tongue and darken our light.

In past when a king became angry he would beat his whipping buy until he felt better. The king that is, the whipping boy rarely felt better after a visit with the king. This abuse didn’t solve any problems, but only made them feel more distant.

As we beat religion we alleviate the felt need of direct service to widows and orphans. We don’t feel that we need to care for our needy because the government does it for us by taking 10-15% of our paycheck before we ever get to see it and before we pay the income tax.

Finally, religious people must keep themselves unspotted from the world. I contend that this means there are things the world does from which we should abstain. This does not just include avoiding sin but also avoiding folly such as debt and short term romantic relationships. We should not walk as fools but as wise.

Remaining unspotted does not mean we should avoid interaction with the world. We must go into the world in order to reach it. But, we must not sprinkle the holy water of evangelism on the dung pile of sin in order to justify our disobedience.

Jesus never went into a prostitute in order to reach her with the Gospel. In that same way we should not err in order to do good. Going to an inappropriate movie just to spend time with a lost friend is not the path of righteousness. The end is only as just as the means to achieve it.

We must stop beating the whipping boy of religion. Instead of praying against the “spirit of religion” we should ask God to raise up religious people once again. We must live in such away so that the definition cannot become tainted with dead works and empty rituals that find no precedent in the scriptures.

As we live religious lives by wisely wielding the tongue, helping widows and orphans and staying unspotted from the world we will see the world around us change for the better.

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The van after the wreck.

Why did God spare me and Mark when He did not spare Kristi in her car wreck last week?I pondered this question as I read my Bible this morning. I read a character overview of the Apostle James. Not the James that wrote the book of James, but James the member of the inner circle with Peter and John. We don’t talk about James much because He died only 12 chapters after Jesus rose to heaven.

I’m sure the disciples wondered why James died so soon as well. James has fewer mistakes and blunders recorded than Peter. Why did God send an angel to get Peter out of jail (Acts 12) and not James (Acts 12)? Jesus spent just as much time investing in James as he did with Peter and John, more than all the other apostles. James saw Jesus transfigured. I bet many of the believers would have much rather had James alive than Peter. Peter was brash and often spoke first and thought second. What a waste of James’ life!

Its hard to understand that the Chess Master rarely consults His pieces on where to move them. Those who play chess know that sacrificing a piece can sometimes set up a great move. We don’t know why God let James live so short and the other Apostles so much longer. Paul does go out to the gentiles a chapter later, maybe there is a connection.

It would be easy to be angry at God if we had His perspective and could see His mistakes. But, if we could see as He does, we wouldn’t find any errors. We would only see how His ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts. I am sure a queen would think it a mistake to be sacrificed for a pawn. But the Chess Master knows what he is doing.

Interestingly, Peter wondered these same things. In John 21 Jesus told Peter how he would die. Peter looked over at John and asked “What about him Lord?” Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain until I return what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

If you are reading this you have been spared from death just like me and just like Mark. It’s ok to ask questions. But, I think God’s answer to us would the same as his answer to Peter, “As for you, follow me.” We must follow Jesus! When the Bible says to preach the Word in season and out of season we need to do it! When it says to love our neighbor as ourself and to think of others as more important than ourselves, we must do it! Kristi gave her life to making disciples as Christ commanded. WE MUST DO THE SAME! We can’t depend on Peter, James and Kristi to do the work of the Kingdom for us. They have finished their race and have passed the baton to us.

Have you given your life to making disciples? Are you getting close enough to God that you have part of Him to give away? Are you reaching out of your comfort zone to the lost and feeding the lambs that Jesus has brought to you? Watching and paying others to make disciples is like paying someone else to go to the bathroom. It looks the same and makes the same sounds but it has no effect.

Here is an easy way to answer those questions. What do you spend money on? What do you spend your time at? If the majority of our money and time go to pursue our own pleasure then we have made gods of ourselves. Kristi and James both spent their money and time investing in others, in making disciples. We must follow Christ by doing the same. The torch of God’s work shined brightly in the hands of Christians like Peter, James and Kristi. Now the course is set, the blocks are down the contestants are ready. The official is raising his gun. It’s our turn to run. Bang.

The front of the van

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Am I proud of our nation? The fact is there are a lot of things about this nation I am not proud of. I don’t like how we have one of the most permissive abortion laws in the world. Even European nations place limitations on second and third term abortions.We are not a perfect nation, we never have been. But, the past centuries have seen their own evils just as vile as the ones we face today.

I have done little to make our nation better. I have no right to be proud nor should I be even if I had contributed even in some small way. The apostle Paul once asked the Corinthians this question, “who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7) I think we Americans can ask ourselves that same question.

Everything we do have has been given to us be God. When I saw that sign I realized that my American pride was a sin. I was robbing God of something that belonged to Him alone. Pride is not a virtue but a sin - a sin that oozes the slime of hatred for God. We need to repent of our American pride and how we look down on those born abroad .

But what about the feelings I have towards this country?

I do feel something. I get goose bumps when I hear Rick Green and David Barton talk about our founding fathers and our godly heritage. I like how free we are (no thanks to the Bush administration or John McCain though). I enjoy our freedom of religion and I savor the fading mist of our freedom of speech even as it fades into memory.

What I feel about this nation and the state of Texas is not pride, not any more. What I feel is thankfulness. What I have as an American I have been given. God endowed us with certain inalienable rights and He rose up men who understood that the just powers of government are not derived through the sword but through the consent of the governed. I thank God for His sovereign intervention to allow our nation to survive these last many years.

I am also thankful to the millions of men who have given their lives to protect our constitution and our lives from enemies abroad. I am thankful for the statesmen who have stood on principle throughout the years to preserve our constitution from her domestic foes. I thank God for sending periodic revivals and great awakenings to keep us following Him. God has blessed us. We have nothing that we have not been given.

No I can’t be proud that I am an American and neither should you. But I thank God that he placed me in this place at this time. I wouldn’t want to be from anywhere else.

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A family once had a pool party at their home. Friends from all over filled their back yard, laughing and talking as they mingled around the grill.

While no one was looking, a two year old boy toddled over to the pool and fell in. Soon a lady pointed the child out to the group.

“That kid can’t swim.” She said.

“Then help him?” a guests replied.

“Oh no,” the lady responded. “I am just the eyes of this party. I don’t have the gift for saving people.” She then turned back to eating her food while the child gasped for breath.

One guest thought about saving the boy but then decided he might offend someone by implying that children shouldn’t swim.

Another guest felt sorry for the boy, so he ate his food at the edge of the pool. He hoped to make the dry ground look so good that the child would ask to leave the water.

The man behind the grill was so busy serving the guests that he never even noticed the drowning child.

“I will call my father about this.” A man hesitant to get wet said. “He lives just in the next town and loves children. I am sure he would love to come and do this for us.”

Finally, a teenage girl saw the baby, now floating face down in the water. She jumped in, grabbed the boy, and tossed him out of the pool. She listened for any breathing. Hearing none she then started roughly pressing on the baby’s stomach. Green water and bile flowed from the boy’s mouth.

As the girl tried to administer CPR the guests gathered around and started criticizing her feeble efforts. “You are being much too rough with that poor child” one man said “you really should be more gentle.”

“You’re not pushing hard enough” an elderly man commented, “and you’re pushing in the wrong place.”

Finally, in desperation the young girl cried out. “Will one of you just call 911!” The guests, offended at her brashness, at first did nothing. But finally, one of the women sighed and walked inside to find a phone. Soon, the air filled with the colorful lights from rescue vehicles as paramedics quickly whisked the baby away.

As the sirens faded into the distance the guests turned on the teenager. “Who are you to order us to call 911?” Said one. “Did you see how you rudely splashed water all over those guests when you jumped in? You are going to scare visitors away from this party.”

These comments hurt deeply. She didn’t intend to be rude or scare anyone. All she wanted to do was save the baby’s life. But, the guests continued.

“You should be ashamed of yourself for how insensitive you were to that child.” one man remarked. “You just grabbed him and tossed him out of the water. You should be more loving.”

“He didn’t even ask to get saved” said another “Who are you to jump in and force your dry ground on someone else? You should never shove your own air down someone’s throat.”

Finally, the girl could take it no more and ran from the party weeping bitterly. The guests never did find out if the baby survived or not. But, they reassured each other that they really did… care.

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The question according to the media is a matter of justice. The fact that the Jena Six attacked the white boy does not seem to be the question. The question is: are they being tried fairly by the Louisiana court system?

If race were not a factor, I would understand the court getting concerned about the escalating retaliatory violence in Jena and deciding to start throwing the book at those kids. But we cannot ignore race which was the root of the retaliatory violence and so the fact that the book is getting thrown only at the African American students is suspect.

If they were throwing the book in good faith then I think they would have moved the trial to a different area where the fervor was not so rampant. They would have had a diverse jury and they would not have tried Mychal Bell as an adult. Unfortunately, they did not and the judgment of second degree murder does seem harsh.

There are only two solutions to this problem: the historic one and the true one. Historically the only solution to racial hatred is through intermarriage. I can point out numerous historical racial problems that were exceedingly violent (Normans and Saxons for instance) until they faded away through generations of intermarriage.

Unfortunately, both white and black parents often discourage their children from interracial marriages, which limits the effectiveness of this proven means. Ultimately I think the solution will be found in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. We as a nation no longer fear the Living God. We see God as a loving Santa Clause type that forgives everyone of everything. This is not supported in scripture. Jesus said it himself “unless you repent you will likewise perish.” The hatred is the same as murder according to Jesus. So, the Jena Six will be tried in the courts of heaven for murder as will all the white students whose violence precipitated the attack.

Regardless of what the court decides on the Jena Six case we know that before God as a nation are guilty and unless we repent of our hatred we will likewise perish. We need to turn away from killing our children through abortion and dishonoring our parents. Our lust and materialism gives off the reek of sin that can be smelt as far away as Saudi Arabia. They hate us because they see what we refuse to see. We are a wicked self-righteous people.

It is easy to point the finger and condemn the Jena Six or the corrupt white jury but we must realize there are three fingers pointing back at us. Do we love our neighbor as ourselves or do we think of them as less than human, illegal or unclean? We have a lot to repent from as a nation and it needs to start right here right now.

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