Make Jesus Lord
“Dad, we got Osama bin Laden!” shouted my son as he awakened me from sleep. I said little and rolled back over to continue my Sunday night rest.
The next morning, like a lot of Americans, the reality sunk in. The number one criminal in the world had been executed in a daring, heroic raid. I watched the President’s announcement from the previous night and, like most other people in the world, sighed in relief that this perpetrator of evil was gone.
And yet, at the same time, I sensed sadness. The sadness that such a person would misuse his life so horribly, becoming a hardened killer. When one considers the wealth, intelligence, organizational and leadership skills of Osama bin Laden, it makes you wonder how much good he could have done, if only Quranic teaching had not warped his mind. There are two things for which we can thank Osama bin Laden: he taught the world what a fully committed follower of Muhammad acts like practicing jihad, which Sunni Muslims refer to as “the sixth pillar of Islam.” Osama also taught us that justice always prevails in the end. You just can not do wrong and get away with it.
Romans 13 has something to say about the role of government in fulfilling natural law (God’s law) on earth. “(The government) is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil” (verse 4). There are other verses that say the equivalent, promising that God will use human agents (government, military, law enforcement) to bring justice to bear against those who practice evil.
No one, regardless of how wealthy, clever or charismatic he may be, can perpetrate evil against others and last. Those whose names are remembered with respect are those who understand natural law and, even if they do not acknowledge Jesus as the source, practice the ethical and moral teachings of Jesus (Mohandas Gandhi, for example, who used Jesus as an example of how to live, but did not acknowledge Jesus as his personal Savior). The names we remember with pain and disgust include Hitler, Jack the Ripper, Timothy McVeigh, Lenin, and now you may include the name Osama bin Laden.
God establishes government. A major purpose of government is to prevent and punish evil (violation of natural law). The government that chooses instead to perpetrate evil, thus defying God’s natural law, will crumble. As for me, I commend the Navy SEALs who fulfilled our government’s role in seeing that an evil man was eliminated and justice was done. I am proud to be an American, proud of our military, our intelligence service and of our President and his staff in seeing this operation through to completion.
But in another vein I consider the lost potential of bin Laden’s life. A lot of “what if’s” cross my mind. What if someone had presented Osama with the truth claims of Jesus when he was younger? What if he had used his wealth and personal magnetism for good? What if he had not become so proud that he had chosen to bow before Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord? What if his arrogance had not led him to become a law unto himself? What if he had chosen to honor natural law rather than violate it? What if he had desired to treat others by the Golden Rule rather than murdering them? What if he had chosen God’s grace and mercy rather than God’s justice (and the instrument of government that delivered this justice)? What if…
Today I view the justice that has prevailed as regards Osama bin Laden. I remember that justice always wins in the end. I know that government is to be respected as an instrument of natural law and justice. I pray that those in government will know this and practice it. I remind myself that the teachings of Jesus show me the way to live.
Most of all, I celebrate the grace and mercy of God that is freely bestowed upon any person willing to acknowledge the pride and vanity that are latent within the heart, and who turns away from such to make Jesus Lord.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Worship Him
This week I have been working on two sermons – one for Good Friday and the other for Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as Easter.
Then, on Thursday, I was informed by my younger son that Good Friday coincides with Earth Day. Furthermore, that school children will be taking field trips to his place of work for Earth Day. He didn’t say it, but it is doubtful any public school will be commemorating the death of Christ on Good Friday.
We call it “Good” because it was good for us and the cosmos, not Jesus. It was by His death that our personal sins were forgiven and, according to Romans 8:22 – 23, all of creation will be redeemed. Good Friday is a day when Christians reflect upon the sacrifice of Christ and express sorrow for their sin.
I know what Earth Day means, and I know how it is sometimes celebrated. I know it was promoted by Senator Gaylord Nelson and environmentalists and first held in 1970. It is not a coincidence that Earth Day was placed on the calendar in such close proximity to the most important Christian holiday. By the way, “holiday” comes from “holy day” and is derived from Christian holy day observances.
Earth Day is a pagan holiday for some – a time to worship earth. For others it is a day to reconsider their roles in taking care of earth. For promoters of Earth Day It is the time to express worry about Mother Earth. Is Mother warming too fast? Is Mother having too much difficulty with carbon dioxide? You will observe that the typical participant in an Earth Day rally is a privileged person whose basic needs are met. People who worry about earth are people who have the luxury to worry about earth. It is easier to worry about earth when pressing personal needs are met. Have you noticed that people who live in underdeveloped countries where sanitation measures are lacking and disease is rampant or where famine is stalking don’t seem to celebrate Earth Day? Earth Day is a creation of the affluent and those with too much time on their hands.
I wish everyone in North America would read The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg. Lomborg details in his work the environmental problems that have been overcome in recent years. He then considers the more radical concerns of present day environmentalists, doing a cost versus benefits analysis of their agenda. He puts things into perspective. Disaster, my friend, is not around the corner.
Here is the point: as American culture has abandoned its Christian heritage, it has grabbed at ideals and false gods to fill the void. Mankind is religious. If Good Friday demands I repent of my personal sin and I don’t want to do that, then I will substitute something for it. In this case, I replace Christ with Earth. I will not speak of a Heavenly Father, but of a planetary Mother. I will disregard the stories in the Bible, and replace them with legends of the pre-industrial, pristine past. I will ignore the possibility of living in a perfect heaven and I will attempt to create a perfect earth – by my standard of what is perfect, of course, not yours.
We should work together for clean water and air, healthier environments and lifestyles. This we should be doing as good citizens of the planet – 365 days a year. But while doing this, let’s never forget that it was Christ who gave us this earth in the first place. He owns it and He will redeem it. He visited this planet to show His love for it and for mankind.
Worship Him.
This week I have been working on two sermons – one for Good Friday and the other for Resurrection Sunday, otherwise known as Easter.
Then, on Thursday, I was informed by my younger son that Good Friday coincides with Earth Day. Furthermore, that school children will be taking field trips to his place of work for Earth Day. He didn’t say it, but it is doubtful any public school will be commemorating the death of Christ on Good Friday.
We call it “Good” because it was good for us and the cosmos, not Jesus. It was by His death that our personal sins were forgiven and, according to Romans 8:22 – 23, all of creation will be redeemed. Good Friday is a day when Christians reflect upon the sacrifice of Christ and express sorrow for their sin.
I know what Earth Day means, and I know how it is sometimes celebrated. I know it was promoted by Senator Gaylord Nelson and environmentalists and first held in 1970. It is not a coincidence that Earth Day was placed on the calendar in such close proximity to the most important Christian holiday. By the way, “holiday” comes from “holy day” and is derived from Christian holy day observances.
Earth Day is a pagan holiday for some – a time to worship earth. For others it is a day to reconsider their roles in taking care of earth. For promoters of Earth Day It is the time to express worry about Mother Earth. Is Mother warming too fast? Is Mother having too much difficulty with carbon dioxide? You will observe that the typical participant in an Earth Day rally is a privileged person whose basic needs are met. People who worry about earth are people who have the luxury to worry about earth. It is easier to worry about earth when pressing personal needs are met. Have you noticed that people who live in underdeveloped countries where sanitation measures are lacking and disease is rampant or where famine is stalking don’t seem to celebrate Earth Day? Earth Day is a creation of the affluent and those with too much time on their hands.
I wish everyone in North America would read The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg. Lomborg details in his work the environmental problems that have been overcome in recent years. He then considers the more radical concerns of present day environmentalists, doing a cost versus benefits analysis of their agenda. He puts things into perspective. Disaster, my friend, is not around the corner.
Here is the point: as American culture has abandoned its Christian heritage, it has grabbed at ideals and false gods to fill the void. Mankind is religious. If Good Friday demands I repent of my personal sin and I don’t want to do that, then I will substitute something for it. In this case, I replace Christ with Earth. I will not speak of a Heavenly Father, but of a planetary Mother. I will disregard the stories in the Bible, and replace them with legends of the pre-industrial, pristine past. I will ignore the possibility of living in a perfect heaven and I will attempt to create a perfect earth – by my standard of what is perfect, of course, not yours.
We should work together for clean water and air, healthier environments and lifestyles. This we should be doing as good citizens of the planet – 365 days a year. But while doing this, let’s never forget that it was Christ who gave us this earth in the first place. He owns it and He will redeem it. He visited this planet to show His love for it and for mankind.
Worship Him.
Friday, April 15, 2011
It’s Time to Pray and Act
I am tired of reading, listening, and watching news about the budget debate in Washington. What is there to debate? The March 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report shared that for the forty years prior to Barack Obama’s election, federal deficits averaged around 35% of the country’s annual GDP. That number rose to 62% by the end of 2011. If action is not taken that number will rise to 87% over the next ten years. This information is easily accessible to anyone owning a computer by accessing www.cbo.gov.
Most businesses, every single church I know of, and families all had to tighten the belt in recent years. Job losses and the worst recession since the Great Depression forced such changes.
Here is the news the federal government needs to produce: debt reduction is real, not a political illusion. The country will not go broke. The government is tightening its belt, and while it may hurt for a while, it is a long term cure for what ails us. Remember when the budget debate was about “millions” or even “billions”? Well folks, it is now about “trillions”. Is this a runaway train or what?
What is wrong with a picture where businesses, churches and families all can cut back spending on non-essentials, but our government cannot? My hunch is that our political leaders, with some exceptions (like Paul Ryan) are afraid of cutting back. The political repercussions are too scary – note the government union workers and their spirited demonstrations in Columbus, then multiply that by about, oh, one hundred and you can see what could happen. That would be a mob and would mandate force and a possible police state. It is a politician’s worst nightmare. Cool heads and steady hands must prevail in this debate and political posturing should end. This is a critical moment in our country’s history. The financial mess in which the nation finds itself is non-partisan. Both parties are responsible and both parties must find people willing to work together to lead in this matter. Let’s be frank about it: unless the country cuts spending seriously and begins reducing debt just as seriously, the term “trillions” will be replaced very soon by “quadrillions” and every cent gathered by the government will be used for debt repayment.
But really, I want to take another tack. The scriptures say, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
My tack is twofold. First, this is the time for people to pray. Pray that God gives our political leaders courage. They are all pretty bright individuals who understand what needs to be done. They do not lack in intelligence. Neither do they lack knowledge. But many seem to lack courage. And they appear to live from election to election. Pray that God will raise up statesmen and save us from mere politicians.
And here is the second tactic: put some strength to your prayers. Write your congressman and senators and ask that they work with others, even those from the opposing party, to bring the ravenous spending appetite and mindboggling debt of the federal government under control – for our sake and the sake of our children and grandchildren. Be nice – they are people, too. Be encouraging. Let them know you are praying for them and our country. Perhaps we will see a great movement of God in our time and through our government, one that would parallel the beginning of America through the Continental Congress.
It’s time to pray – and act.
I am tired of reading, listening, and watching news about the budget debate in Washington. What is there to debate? The March 2011 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report shared that for the forty years prior to Barack Obama’s election, federal deficits averaged around 35% of the country’s annual GDP. That number rose to 62% by the end of 2011. If action is not taken that number will rise to 87% over the next ten years. This information is easily accessible to anyone owning a computer by accessing www.cbo.gov.
Most businesses, every single church I know of, and families all had to tighten the belt in recent years. Job losses and the worst recession since the Great Depression forced such changes.
Here is the news the federal government needs to produce: debt reduction is real, not a political illusion. The country will not go broke. The government is tightening its belt, and while it may hurt for a while, it is a long term cure for what ails us. Remember when the budget debate was about “millions” or even “billions”? Well folks, it is now about “trillions”. Is this a runaway train or what?
What is wrong with a picture where businesses, churches and families all can cut back spending on non-essentials, but our government cannot? My hunch is that our political leaders, with some exceptions (like Paul Ryan) are afraid of cutting back. The political repercussions are too scary – note the government union workers and their spirited demonstrations in Columbus, then multiply that by about, oh, one hundred and you can see what could happen. That would be a mob and would mandate force and a possible police state. It is a politician’s worst nightmare. Cool heads and steady hands must prevail in this debate and political posturing should end. This is a critical moment in our country’s history. The financial mess in which the nation finds itself is non-partisan. Both parties are responsible and both parties must find people willing to work together to lead in this matter. Let’s be frank about it: unless the country cuts spending seriously and begins reducing debt just as seriously, the term “trillions” will be replaced very soon by “quadrillions” and every cent gathered by the government will be used for debt repayment.
But really, I want to take another tack. The scriptures say, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
My tack is twofold. First, this is the time for people to pray. Pray that God gives our political leaders courage. They are all pretty bright individuals who understand what needs to be done. They do not lack in intelligence. Neither do they lack knowledge. But many seem to lack courage. And they appear to live from election to election. Pray that God will raise up statesmen and save us from mere politicians.
And here is the second tactic: put some strength to your prayers. Write your congressman and senators and ask that they work with others, even those from the opposing party, to bring the ravenous spending appetite and mindboggling debt of the federal government under control – for our sake and the sake of our children and grandchildren. Be nice – they are people, too. Be encouraging. Let them know you are praying for them and our country. Perhaps we will see a great movement of God in our time and through our government, one that would parallel the beginning of America through the Continental Congress.
It’s time to pray – and act.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Do Something for Japan
James Hudson Taylor was founder of the China Inland Mission in 1865. Now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship (www.omf.org), OMF is an outstanding missionary organization. Taylor would be pleased to see OMF today.
One of Taylor’s primary concerns was that Christians around the world – and this would include affluent Chinese Christians – share any abundance they might have with those less fortunate, the poor. Although J.H. Taylor is renown in church circles as a missionary spokesman who spent his life in China, the truth is that he made frequent return trips to England to impress upon people his worthy cause, to raise money. He needed funds! As someone (not Taylor) once said, “Prayer is what turns the wheels of the church, but money is the grease.”
Okay, here is what I am driving at in this week’s column: would you consider giving a special gift to help Japan? Almost overnight many Japanese lost everything. They lost loved ones, their home, their job9 and their possessions. I mean everything.
When Taylor would return to England and address the need to give in the churches, he would use Psalm 41:1 – “Blessed is he that considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the time of trouble.” Taylor would then proceed to tell people that the one who is blessed is not the one who quiets his own conscience by gifts that cost no self-denial. Rather, the blessing that God promises is for those who “consider the poor” – those who think about their plight and what it must be like. The blessing is for those who ponder what spending a week in the shoes of the poor would be like. The blessing is for the one who decides that he, materially well off, could do without a few (or many) things and redirect his spending to make sure the very basic needs of the poor are met and their misery is lessened. The one who is blessed is the one who sacrifices in order to provide for the poor. In some supernatural and wonderful way, God in Heaven will make certain that such a one is blessed himself. Taylor would then remind his audience that Jesus spent a great deal of His time ministering among the poor and afflicted, seeing that their basic needs were met. He would conclude his exhortation by telling his audience that such giving, to assist the poor in their desperation, is Christ like.
As I write this, reports are that another earthquake has shaken northern Japan, and a tsunami may follow. If ever you have wanted to help people, now is the time and Japan is the place. The evangelical churches and mission societies in Japan have come together in an effort called CRASH Japan, and your donation through either OMF or The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) will go to that fund. Our church recently sent funds to TEAM, P.O. Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187 and designated those funds for the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Or you may donate online by going to either the TEAM or OMF web site (TEAM’s web site is www.teamworld.org). I found the TEAM web site easier to navigate.
Now is the time to…
Do something for Japan.
James Hudson Taylor was founder of the China Inland Mission in 1865. Now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship (www.omf.org), OMF is an outstanding missionary organization. Taylor would be pleased to see OMF today.
One of Taylor’s primary concerns was that Christians around the world – and this would include affluent Chinese Christians – share any abundance they might have with those less fortunate, the poor. Although J.H. Taylor is renown in church circles as a missionary spokesman who spent his life in China, the truth is that he made frequent return trips to England to impress upon people his worthy cause, to raise money. He needed funds! As someone (not Taylor) once said, “Prayer is what turns the wheels of the church, but money is the grease.”
Okay, here is what I am driving at in this week’s column: would you consider giving a special gift to help Japan? Almost overnight many Japanese lost everything. They lost loved ones, their home, their job9 and their possessions. I mean everything.
When Taylor would return to England and address the need to give in the churches, he would use Psalm 41:1 – “Blessed is he that considers the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the time of trouble.” Taylor would then proceed to tell people that the one who is blessed is not the one who quiets his own conscience by gifts that cost no self-denial. Rather, the blessing that God promises is for those who “consider the poor” – those who think about their plight and what it must be like. The blessing is for those who ponder what spending a week in the shoes of the poor would be like. The blessing is for the one who decides that he, materially well off, could do without a few (or many) things and redirect his spending to make sure the very basic needs of the poor are met and their misery is lessened. The one who is blessed is the one who sacrifices in order to provide for the poor. In some supernatural and wonderful way, God in Heaven will make certain that such a one is blessed himself. Taylor would then remind his audience that Jesus spent a great deal of His time ministering among the poor and afflicted, seeing that their basic needs were met. He would conclude his exhortation by telling his audience that such giving, to assist the poor in their desperation, is Christ like.
As I write this, reports are that another earthquake has shaken northern Japan, and a tsunami may follow. If ever you have wanted to help people, now is the time and Japan is the place. The evangelical churches and mission societies in Japan have come together in an effort called CRASH Japan, and your donation through either OMF or The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) will go to that fund. Our church recently sent funds to TEAM, P.O. Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187 and designated those funds for the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Or you may donate online by going to either the TEAM or OMF web site (TEAM’s web site is www.teamworld.org). I found the TEAM web site easier to navigate.
Now is the time to…
Do something for Japan.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Glorify God in Art
Last week I attended an art show sponsored by the Canton Institute of Art. The majority of the works were realistic expressions of the world and life. My favorite was a watercolor of a village at dusk. It was calming and meditative. It reminded me of having seen the paintings of the Dutch Masters a few years ago when they were on tour. The Dutch Masters, heavily influenced by the Reformation in northern Europe, painted for the glory of God. They painted God’s world as it really exists.
Then today I received a photograph of a fresh snowfall on fields. The beauty of the photograph is directly related to the reality of the world as God has made it.
These experiences make me realize that God’s world possesses unsurpassed beauty. This reality expressed through art is what makes it meaningful.
Philosophy and art have always been twins. Philosophy, the way leaders in society think, forms the culture. Art then becomes the expression of the philosophy and the culture. If the society is, well, bankrupt of Judeo-Christian values then the art will reflect it.
In the last century most, if not all, moral restraints were removed from art. In music, “rap” lyrics speak of rape and other assorted sordid practices; in visual art, Robert Mapplethorpe’s homosexual representations - and the works of others - openly flaunted every measure of good taste, not to mention morals. When even the standard of good taste is violated, one must assume that art, and society, have gone about as low as possible. I might have written “gone to the dogs”, except that I have too much respect for dogs. The rejection of absolute morals and the secularization of our society has produced art that, while called contemporary, is often ugly and, frequently, downright repugnant.
There is a point in time when contemporary art as we know it began. In 1913 at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York City, critics and patrons were stunned at Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase #2”, a completely new style of work by the cubist painter. It is a good thing the work was named, or no one would know what Duchamp was trying to express. Due to the attention given this work and sensing the change in cultural values (in prior shows, such work would not have been admitted), the race was on. Now artists became “contemporary”, competing to see who could come up with the most extreme and strange interpretations of modern life.
That competition may now be slowing. There is a swelling opinion among art critics that it has gotten out of hand. The bizarre has become the norm, and this does not bode well for galleries and funding.
But this style of art does say something to us. It says, “Society has lost its way. We as a people have lost our values, purpose, sense of awe and destiny. And we are going crazy as a result.” I use the term “crazy”, but the Biblical word is “fool”, as in “The fool has says in his heart, ‘There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). If art is a reflection of the culture, and it is, then what are we to make of it when every standard of decency is violated, when religion is mocked, when respect for others is ridiculed? Doesn’t it say that our society is bankrupt of morals and the traditional values that have built a strong nation? Have we become a nation of fools?
By contrast, the paintings of the Dutch Masters, the village at dusk and the photograph of freshly fallen snow over fields are refreshing to the spirit and express the beauty of God’s creation and that may be found in life.
If you are an artist, or an aspiring artist, please consider these suggestions. Forget about impressing your peers with your avant-garde style. Separate yourself from the craziness of the world of geopolitics. Instead of attempting to be novel and provocative, how about concentrating on balance, color and unity? How about looking for real beauty in the creases of an older person’s face, an infant’s innocence or a mountain’s grandeur? How about less subjectivism and more objectivism? Maybe, just maybe, your art can influence philosophy rather than the other way around. Maybe you can, through art, help rescue society from the craziness of atheism, humanism, evolutionism and the other isms that are unraveling society and individual lives.
Like the Dutch Masters, the village at dusk and the photograph of freshly fallen snow -
Glorify God in art.
Last week I attended an art show sponsored by the Canton Institute of Art. The majority of the works were realistic expressions of the world and life. My favorite was a watercolor of a village at dusk. It was calming and meditative. It reminded me of having seen the paintings of the Dutch Masters a few years ago when they were on tour. The Dutch Masters, heavily influenced by the Reformation in northern Europe, painted for the glory of God. They painted God’s world as it really exists.
Then today I received a photograph of a fresh snowfall on fields. The beauty of the photograph is directly related to the reality of the world as God has made it.
These experiences make me realize that God’s world possesses unsurpassed beauty. This reality expressed through art is what makes it meaningful.
Philosophy and art have always been twins. Philosophy, the way leaders in society think, forms the culture. Art then becomes the expression of the philosophy and the culture. If the society is, well, bankrupt of Judeo-Christian values then the art will reflect it.
In the last century most, if not all, moral restraints were removed from art. In music, “rap” lyrics speak of rape and other assorted sordid practices; in visual art, Robert Mapplethorpe’s homosexual representations - and the works of others - openly flaunted every measure of good taste, not to mention morals. When even the standard of good taste is violated, one must assume that art, and society, have gone about as low as possible. I might have written “gone to the dogs”, except that I have too much respect for dogs. The rejection of absolute morals and the secularization of our society has produced art that, while called contemporary, is often ugly and, frequently, downright repugnant.
There is a point in time when contemporary art as we know it began. In 1913 at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York City, critics and patrons were stunned at Marcel Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase #2”, a completely new style of work by the cubist painter. It is a good thing the work was named, or no one would know what Duchamp was trying to express. Due to the attention given this work and sensing the change in cultural values (in prior shows, such work would not have been admitted), the race was on. Now artists became “contemporary”, competing to see who could come up with the most extreme and strange interpretations of modern life.
That competition may now be slowing. There is a swelling opinion among art critics that it has gotten out of hand. The bizarre has become the norm, and this does not bode well for galleries and funding.
But this style of art does say something to us. It says, “Society has lost its way. We as a people have lost our values, purpose, sense of awe and destiny. And we are going crazy as a result.” I use the term “crazy”, but the Biblical word is “fool”, as in “The fool has says in his heart, ‘There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). If art is a reflection of the culture, and it is, then what are we to make of it when every standard of decency is violated, when religion is mocked, when respect for others is ridiculed? Doesn’t it say that our society is bankrupt of morals and the traditional values that have built a strong nation? Have we become a nation of fools?
By contrast, the paintings of the Dutch Masters, the village at dusk and the photograph of freshly fallen snow over fields are refreshing to the spirit and express the beauty of God’s creation and that may be found in life.
If you are an artist, or an aspiring artist, please consider these suggestions. Forget about impressing your peers with your avant-garde style. Separate yourself from the craziness of the world of geopolitics. Instead of attempting to be novel and provocative, how about concentrating on balance, color and unity? How about looking for real beauty in the creases of an older person’s face, an infant’s innocence or a mountain’s grandeur? How about less subjectivism and more objectivism? Maybe, just maybe, your art can influence philosophy rather than the other way around. Maybe you can, through art, help rescue society from the craziness of atheism, humanism, evolutionism and the other isms that are unraveling society and individual lives.
Like the Dutch Masters, the village at dusk and the photograph of freshly fallen snow -
Glorify God in art.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Trust God’s Heart
By now everyone in the world has learned of the terrible earthquake and tsunami that has shattered Japan. On top of the natural disaster, nuclear plants at Fukishimi have exploded, sending radiation and contamination throughout the region. Only time will tell how many people are injured by this radiation. Some, perhaps many, will experience premature death.
Such events have happened before in history. On November 1, 1755 a three minute long earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal. We now know this earthquake would have rated a 9 on the Richter scale. Buildings shook and fell, leaving massive amounts of rubble. As the earth shook, people fled their homes and other buildings into the streets where gaping holes, some as wide as fifteen feet, suddenly opened in the earth and into which untold numbers were swallowed. Thousands went the Tangus River in the middle of the city, thinking it safe. They were wrong. Within a short time following the quake, an enormous tsunami several feet tall swept into the Lisbon harbor and up the Tangus. Boats, rafts and all those aboard were tossed around like toothpicks by the violent current. A large number of drownings occurred, and the waves caused by the tsunami were later noticed in Britain and north Africa. This event, known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, rates as one of the worst natural disasters of all time. All of Europe and most of the world was shocked. Lisbon, a city with 100,000 residents, had seen half that number very suddenly and tragically wiped away by death. Its buildings lay in ruins, with many precious works of art and history destroyed.
A lot of thought was later given to this tragedy. Whenever something on this magnitude happens, people try to understand. Had God sent it as judgment? Or perhaps there is no God, and it just was “one of those things.” Or maybe God didn’t cause it, but permitted it. Or maybe evil is inherent in the world, and this is an example. Maybe the earthquake and natural disasters are just the result of what we call nature. The French philosopher Voltaire in his work Candide made this last view popular. He proposed that evil surrounds us and we must learn to live with it. His explanation might have satisfied some in France, but it did nothing to help the Portuguese who were stunned, grieving and desperate for a word of hope.
While no one can fully comprehend natural disasters, and so cannot adequately explain them, the scriptures call us to faith in God at such times. It is precisely because we cannot comprehend fully nor explain adequately such mindboggling, numbing events that we must turn to God and find our consolation in Him.
The Biblical character Job is our role model. He lost his family and his possessions. He then lost his health. There was no scientific or philosophical explanation that satisfied him. His friends tried, but failed to solace him with their explanations. They even tried to invoke God in the discourse: “Job you are getting what God thinks you deserve.” Job’s reply was, in essence, “Well, I know God. He is my friend and He is not like this.” It took some time, but eventually Job was proved right. God is not like that.
Toward the end of the book, God replies to Job. God knows what is happening and it is all under His control. It really doesn’t matter whether Job understands it or not. Actually, there is much Job does not nor will ever understand – just like us. Job has a responsibility, and it is not to understand all of God’s ways. It is rather to understand God’s character, God’s heart. His then to trust God’s heart. God will bring good from every situation, and especially one that involves pain.
The disaster striking Japan is mind numbing and any explanations we offer are inadequate. I hope you are praying for the Japanese people. If possible, I hope you will consider helping the churches of Japan during this time by making a donation (I suggest www.teamworld.org and look for Japan Earthquake Relief Fund).
There is only one message we can offer that provides hope: trust God. Trust God in both the good times and the bad. He is good and good will triumph.
When difficulties arise you do not understand,
Trust God’s heart.
By now everyone in the world has learned of the terrible earthquake and tsunami that has shattered Japan. On top of the natural disaster, nuclear plants at Fukishimi have exploded, sending radiation and contamination throughout the region. Only time will tell how many people are injured by this radiation. Some, perhaps many, will experience premature death.
Such events have happened before in history. On November 1, 1755 a three minute long earthquake struck Lisbon, Portugal. We now know this earthquake would have rated a 9 on the Richter scale. Buildings shook and fell, leaving massive amounts of rubble. As the earth shook, people fled their homes and other buildings into the streets where gaping holes, some as wide as fifteen feet, suddenly opened in the earth and into which untold numbers were swallowed. Thousands went the Tangus River in the middle of the city, thinking it safe. They were wrong. Within a short time following the quake, an enormous tsunami several feet tall swept into the Lisbon harbor and up the Tangus. Boats, rafts and all those aboard were tossed around like toothpicks by the violent current. A large number of drownings occurred, and the waves caused by the tsunami were later noticed in Britain and north Africa. This event, known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, rates as one of the worst natural disasters of all time. All of Europe and most of the world was shocked. Lisbon, a city with 100,000 residents, had seen half that number very suddenly and tragically wiped away by death. Its buildings lay in ruins, with many precious works of art and history destroyed.
A lot of thought was later given to this tragedy. Whenever something on this magnitude happens, people try to understand. Had God sent it as judgment? Or perhaps there is no God, and it just was “one of those things.” Or maybe God didn’t cause it, but permitted it. Or maybe evil is inherent in the world, and this is an example. Maybe the earthquake and natural disasters are just the result of what we call nature. The French philosopher Voltaire in his work Candide made this last view popular. He proposed that evil surrounds us and we must learn to live with it. His explanation might have satisfied some in France, but it did nothing to help the Portuguese who were stunned, grieving and desperate for a word of hope.
While no one can fully comprehend natural disasters, and so cannot adequately explain them, the scriptures call us to faith in God at such times. It is precisely because we cannot comprehend fully nor explain adequately such mindboggling, numbing events that we must turn to God and find our consolation in Him.
The Biblical character Job is our role model. He lost his family and his possessions. He then lost his health. There was no scientific or philosophical explanation that satisfied him. His friends tried, but failed to solace him with their explanations. They even tried to invoke God in the discourse: “Job you are getting what God thinks you deserve.” Job’s reply was, in essence, “Well, I know God. He is my friend and He is not like this.” It took some time, but eventually Job was proved right. God is not like that.
Toward the end of the book, God replies to Job. God knows what is happening and it is all under His control. It really doesn’t matter whether Job understands it or not. Actually, there is much Job does not nor will ever understand – just like us. Job has a responsibility, and it is not to understand all of God’s ways. It is rather to understand God’s character, God’s heart. His then to trust God’s heart. God will bring good from every situation, and especially one that involves pain.
The disaster striking Japan is mind numbing and any explanations we offer are inadequate. I hope you are praying for the Japanese people. If possible, I hope you will consider helping the churches of Japan during this time by making a donation (I suggest www.teamworld.org and look for Japan Earthquake Relief Fund).
There is only one message we can offer that provides hope: trust God. Trust God in both the good times and the bad. He is good and good will triumph.
When difficulties arise you do not understand,
Trust God’s heart.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Most Innocent Neighbor Among Us
I recently attended a banquet sponsored by The Alliance Pregnancy Center (www.alliancepregnancycenter.com). This is a wonderful group of people performing a great service to the northeast Ohio community. While I listened to presentations regarding statistics and needs, the thought kept running through my head, “I wonder what God must think about elective abortion?”
Actually, I know what God thinks about it. While several passages of scripture teach the Creator’s high regard for life, there is one in particular that comes to mind. Amos 1:13 – “This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders...”
Ammon is now known as “Amman” and is the capital city of Jordan. You can see that centuries ago the strife between Esau and Isaac, Arab and Jew, was real. Not only was it real, but it was brutal. Greed for land had bred a cruel genocide – the killing of pregnant women and their fetus. This particular brutality is singled out by the living God deserving judgment (“even for four” is a figure of speech meaning the about to be mentioned item is the worst). I suppose this dreadful act is especially marked for judgment because the fetus has never sinned against any one.
When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He replies by giving the Shema of Deuteronomy 6 (“love God”) and then quickly adds, “And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). What is interesting about this episode from the life of Jesus is that He was asked for one specific commandment- “ What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus provides an answer that links two commands, one to love God (Deuteronomy 6) and the other to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). It is hardly an act of love to kill an innocent child, whether born or unborn. Amos’ point is: this is a particularly grievous sin against God. It was not Amos’ opinion; it had come from the LORD, who was fully aware of what was happening. Amos was simply God’s messenger.
I have heard and spoken words of forgiveness and reconciliation to women who have chosen abortion. The regret and guilt many bear crushes them. God is merciful and does forgive and a woman need not carry guilt– but there are consequences to a person’s behavior and living with regret can be one of those consequences. Living with “what might have been if…” can be difficult.
Perhaps it is time to offer a preventive rather than a redemptive word, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So here is my word of preventive therapy: God will take notice of brutality against the unborn.
Elective abortion of an unborn is under God’s watchful eye. If the killing of the unborn in Amos’ day, about 750 years before Christ, caused God to take note you may be assured that He is taking notice today. It does not matter whether abortion as a choice is protected by the Constitution of the United States or not, it is still wrong in God’s sight. Just as He brought judgment and punishment upon the Ammonites for murdering pregnant women and their fetuses – whom He counted as persons – so He will judge the person and nation that violates the lives of those made in His image and likeness today.
We have been led into thinking that national peace and material prosperity are the measures of a country’s greatness. Political leaders tend to dismiss morality as being irrelevant or personal. But the scriptures teach clearly that the morality of a state is what genuinely determines its greatness. This is because the morality of a state is foundational – peace and prosperity are the results of a strong moral foundation.
Loving neighbor as self is one of the building blocks for a strong foundation. Let’s begin to love and provide resources for the unborn child…
the most innocent neighbor among us.
I recently attended a banquet sponsored by The Alliance Pregnancy Center (www.alliancepregnancycenter.com). This is a wonderful group of people performing a great service to the northeast Ohio community. While I listened to presentations regarding statistics and needs, the thought kept running through my head, “I wonder what God must think about elective abortion?”
Actually, I know what God thinks about it. While several passages of scripture teach the Creator’s high regard for life, there is one in particular that comes to mind. Amos 1:13 – “This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders...”
Ammon is now known as “Amman” and is the capital city of Jordan. You can see that centuries ago the strife between Esau and Isaac, Arab and Jew, was real. Not only was it real, but it was brutal. Greed for land had bred a cruel genocide – the killing of pregnant women and their fetus. This particular brutality is singled out by the living God deserving judgment (“even for four” is a figure of speech meaning the about to be mentioned item is the worst). I suppose this dreadful act is especially marked for judgment because the fetus has never sinned against any one.
When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He replies by giving the Shema of Deuteronomy 6 (“love God”) and then quickly adds, “And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). What is interesting about this episode from the life of Jesus is that He was asked for one specific commandment- “ What is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus provides an answer that links two commands, one to love God (Deuteronomy 6) and the other to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18). It is hardly an act of love to kill an innocent child, whether born or unborn. Amos’ point is: this is a particularly grievous sin against God. It was not Amos’ opinion; it had come from the LORD, who was fully aware of what was happening. Amos was simply God’s messenger.
I have heard and spoken words of forgiveness and reconciliation to women who have chosen abortion. The regret and guilt many bear crushes them. God is merciful and does forgive and a woman need not carry guilt– but there are consequences to a person’s behavior and living with regret can be one of those consequences. Living with “what might have been if…” can be difficult.
Perhaps it is time to offer a preventive rather than a redemptive word, since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So here is my word of preventive therapy: God will take notice of brutality against the unborn.
Elective abortion of an unborn is under God’s watchful eye. If the killing of the unborn in Amos’ day, about 750 years before Christ, caused God to take note you may be assured that He is taking notice today. It does not matter whether abortion as a choice is protected by the Constitution of the United States or not, it is still wrong in God’s sight. Just as He brought judgment and punishment upon the Ammonites for murdering pregnant women and their fetuses – whom He counted as persons – so He will judge the person and nation that violates the lives of those made in His image and likeness today.
We have been led into thinking that national peace and material prosperity are the measures of a country’s greatness. Political leaders tend to dismiss morality as being irrelevant or personal. But the scriptures teach clearly that the morality of a state is what genuinely determines its greatness. This is because the morality of a state is foundational – peace and prosperity are the results of a strong moral foundation.
Loving neighbor as self is one of the building blocks for a strong foundation. Let’s begin to love and provide resources for the unborn child…
the most innocent neighbor among us.
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