Tag: Christian

Is this you? Why?

Silva

This morning I read the USA Today headline: Most religious groups in USA have lost ground, survey finds. Interesting.  Surely there are poorly managed denominations, others that believe strange things, still others that have storied histories.

Then, I was browsing on Drudge and I found the following article: More Americans Losing Religion. Embedded there was this:

Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey.

affiliated-faiths

Why would it be true that fewer people are religious?  Is this you?  Why?


What will we say?

Silva

Part of my morning ritual (as of late) is to spend time reading the Bible and then reading things written by some old dead guys.  I don’t normally have this stuff laying around, I use the Free Grace Broadcaster.  I’ve been reading in one whose title is “The Godly Home.”  In it, there’s an article by A.W. Pink (1886-1952).  He was a Baptist preacher and writer in England. The title of the article is “Family Worship.”  He goes right for the jugular almost immediately:

There are some very important outward ordinances and means of grace which are plainly implied in the Word of God but for the exercise of which we have few if any plain and positive precept….An important end is answered by this arrangement: trial is thereby made of the state of our hearts.

Translation: some of us fail to have family worship because we don’t see examples of it in the Bible.  But, what if it is “plainly implied”?

It serves to make evident whether, because an expressed command cannot be brought requiring its performance, professing Christians will neglect a duty plainly implied.  Thus, more of the real state of our minds is discovered, and it is made manifest whether we have or have not an ardent love for God and for His service.

Translation: our failure to have family devotions speaks to our level of devotion to Christ.  And, our understanding of our responsibilities as Christian Parents. He then goes on to prove from Scripture that there is mandate enough to command our efforts at family devotion (Genesis 18:19; 12:7; 13:4; Galatians 3:29 & John 8:39; Joshua 24:15; 2 Samuel 6:20; Job 1:5; Daniel 6:10; see also Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4).

An old writer said, “A family without corporate prayer is like a house without a roof, open and exposed to all the storms of heaven.”  All our domestic comforts and temporal mercies issue from the lovingkindness of the Lord and the best we can do in return is to gratefully acknowledge, together, His goodness to us as a family.  Excuses against the discharge of this sacred duty are idle and worthless.  Of what avail will it be when we render an account to God for the stewardship of our families to say that we had not time available, working hard from morn till eve?

Translation: “Lord, I was really busy at [work, sport, leisure] and my family, we were also really busy at [work, sports, leisure] so we didn’t have time to devote ourselves.”  Or “The kids just have to get up so early for school.”  Or “I just have to get up and leave so early for work and we’re so tired at the end of the day.”

No one would quarrel with the fact that family devotions are difficult.  But the stakes are high, no?  How many voices are out there in our culture that beckon a child to the Cross for devotion and worship?  On the contrary, there is not a single one.  Could that be by design?  Parents are supposed to be the primary and first voice.

What makes “Christian Parenting” Christian?  Isn’t it that we are primarily committed to the faith-lives of our children?  Isn’t it that we order our lives and family activities so that our children can grow in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7) and the knowledge “of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God  (Colossians1:9-10)?

Can we say we’re really taking our responsibility as Christian parents seriously if the sum of our efforts are academics, athletics and career? Or, do we think we’ve met the requirement because our children are involved in some kind of children’s ministry program at a church?

Did you ever stop to consider why are these around, anyway?  Parental failure.  Like God “permitting” divorce because of our sinfulness (Matthew 19:8), God has permitted successful Children’s ministries because as a general rule, we as parents are pitifully devoted to the faith of our children.  (My own failures as a faith-imparting parent are surely bolstered by the rich ministry my children receive at church.  Thank God.)

Few would make such an admission of pitiful devotion to our children’s faith.  But, in light of our typical weekly schedules, no admission is necessary: the proof is obvious.

Hey, we’ve all got plenty of room to grow.  Yet, our past failures will not be a valid reason for our failure.  Are the resources of heaven not sufficient to generate time and energy for your family devotions?

By the way, quit saying you don’t know how to start.

Here’s some help:

Don’t Vote Like a Dolt

Silva

This election, like others, is chock full of hazards.  Maybe this one is particularly significant given its uniqueness (black man, white woman, young man, old guy, etc…) however, the way that we should approach this election is unchanged.

I’ve been thinking about voting and listening to friends of mine who tell me that they know people of conviction and intellect who may vote like dolts.  What do I mean?  Thoughtlessly.  A Christian brother and pastor-friend of mine has written a paper outlining what I think is a very reasonable methodology for voting.  Voting matters as does how we vote.  What follows is his paper with permission – I would encourage you to read it.

Q. If God is sovereign, why does it matter how I vote or who I vote for?

A. Throughout the Bible, God made it plain that it is His will for those who govern to be people who desire the good of those who live under their authority (Romans 13:1-7).  One of His blessings to us in the United States is our opportunity to be a part of the selection of our leaders, from our town councils to our President. That blessing comes with the responsibility to study the issues and learn about the candidates, then compare both the issues and the candidates to what Scripture teaches.

Q. How should I vote as a Christian?

A. We believe it is both our privilege and our duty to vote – as Americans, and specifically as American Christians.  The Bible gives us clear instruction about the Christian’s duty to the State in Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-5 and 1 Peter 2:13-17.  In order to be “salt and light” for God in this world (Matthew 5:13-16), Christians should fully engage in the political process, as both those who vote and those who run for office.

We advise [church] members to vote for the candidate(s) they believe best meet the following qualifications:
1. A person of virtue:
• classical virtues (courage, prudence, temperance, justice)
• theological virtues (faith, hope, charity; 1 Cor. 13:13)
2. A person of vision, who possesses…
• A vision that informs policy (party platform)
• A cogent and coherent ideology (system of beliefs)
• The power of lofty ideas (ability to inspire)
• A moral philosophy (a worldview that is good)
3. A person of validity, characterized by…
• Substance over style
• Character over personality
• Proven record over image
• Willingness to tackle the tough issues
4. A person of values, according to how they stand on key moral issues…
• The sanctity of life
• The nature of marriage
• Racism, poverty, justice, morality
• Energy, ecology and economics, etc.
• Their personal, theological, religious convictions

We believe that Christians should measure the candidates against the aforementioned “checklist.”  The Scriptures should guide us in principle in our voting, which will lead to the person for whom we vote.  Christians should not elect a candidate for merely personal or selfish reasons: e.g., social security issues, tax breaks, or “pork barrel” legislation that benefits them.  We should vote on Biblical principles of what is best for the most people.

These Scriptures should govern, guard and guide how we vote:

“He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

“But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24)

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.” (Romans 13:1-5)

“What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.” (Proverbs 19:22)

And Psalm 72

Q. How do I choose a presidential candidate?  Does [our church] endorse a specific candidate for the presidency?

A. By American law, [we are] not permitted to endorse a specific candidate for any political office.  For us to do so as a church would be to jeopardize our tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  [Our church] complies with this legal stricture.  However, as a church our clergymen are allowed to preach and teach general guidelines for voting, consistent with our theology and our interpretation of Scripture.  In that way, we are allowed to Biblically shape the way our members vote without endorsing candidates by party or by name.

When considering who we might vote for as President we should consider these three things:

1. The platform of the party the candidates represent.  Which platform is more in line with Biblical principles such as the structure of families, the value of human life, our responsibility to the poor, global ecology, racism and civil rights, and religious liberty?

2. What we know about the man or woman’s character. While we certainly won’t know everything and we should expect to find human failings, it is proper to look at what we do know about candidates in the areas of family life and marriage, honesty and integrity, voting record on moral issues, and the associations with which the candidate is affiliated, including his church membership and religious affiliation.  A person’s moral character is most shaped by his or her church and its theology.  How a candidate worships does shape how he/she will govern.

3. Judicial appointment criteria. Because of the significant and long-lasting impact of their appointments, we need to know what each candidate will consider most important in selecting judges for appointments to the federal judiciary, especially the Supreme Court.

No matter who we choose to vote for, or who wins, we must be faithful in our prayers for our leaders, asking God to give them His wisdom and His protection.