Category Archives: Issues

Praying and voting

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Our ultimate hope and need is not in a certain political leader. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9).

Ultimately the only hope for change in a country is in change in the human heart, and that can only be effected by God, not government.

But though our hope is not in leaders, God uses them to accomplish His purposes. We have in this country the privilege of voting for our leaders. Not every country in every time has been able to do this, and I don’t see how we can take this responsibility lightly or ignore it. Neither candidate is my ideal choice, but one clearly edges out the other in the issues of highest importance to me.

So I urge folks to vote their conscience as well as to pray for our country, its leaders, and its people.

Here are a few other thoughts on the election, more thorough and eloquent than mine:

Thinking about the election from a Biblical point of view.

Conscience, Christ, and the ballot box.

Election.

Notes on the election for believers.

A Prayer for America on Election Day. (Mohler)

I am going to vote (Piper).

A prayer for the election (Piper).

Discernment

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I was dismayed recently, when reading through the comments on a somewhat controversial blog post, to see that when one commenter tried to bring the Scriptures to bear on the topic, he was called legalistic and judgmental (and this by other professing Christians.)

Conversely, the Bible says the Bereans “were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:10). Searching through the Scripture to see if what was being said lined up with what was there was considered a noble thing.

A couple of nights ago, the evening reading from Daily Light on the Daily Path contained several verses on this topic:

The ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat. Job 34:3

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. I John 4:1

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. John 7:24

I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. I Corinthians 10:15.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Colossians 3:16a

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith. Revelation 2:29

He that is spiritual judgeth all things. I Corinthians 2:15a

Take heed what ye hear. Mark 4:24a

I know thy works, … and how thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. Revelation 2:2

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. I Thessalonians 5:21

Several of those verses that speak of judging. Someone might say, “Whoa, wait a minute…I thought we weren’t supposed to judge.” That’s one of the most misunderstood concepts from the Bible. We’re not supposed to judge in the sense of condemning someone on the assumption that we know what what their motives are, condemning someone’s actions that might be different from ours when there is not a Scriptural principle involved, acting as if we’re superior in some way, etc. But to exercise discernment, to judge whether this or that statement or action is in line with Scripture (especially when the one saying or doing says it is but seems to be a little off-base) is another thing entirely.

According to a Greek lexicon the word used for “judgeth” in Acts 17:11 and I Cor. 2:14-15 quoted above means:

examine or judge

  1. to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinise, sift, question
    1. specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation
    2. to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses
  2. to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing

I’ve linked back to some of the other definitions in the verses themselves so as not to be too lengthy here.

Sometimes what another person advocates won’t seem major, but as one pastor put it, if you’re taking a trip and start off on the right path, and then turn just ten degrees the wrong direction, it won’t look like a big difference at first, but if you keep going you’ll find yourself way off course.

Of course, there are some areas where Christians can have differences of opinion and practice, where the Bible doesn’t speak directly or in clear principle, and we should allow each other the grace to do so (Romans 14). But many today are taking Christian liberty to mean “I can do whatever I want and other Christians shouldn’t judge me for it,” when Romans 14 teaches the exact opposite, the reigning in of one’s freedom so as not to cause others to stumble. And even the premise there is wrong: we’re not free to do “whatever we want” as Christians.

I was stunned recently when a blogger I read and love linked to another’s post advocating a certain position that is controversial in the church today, and the author of this post effectively swept away all the New Testament arguments against her position by saying the N. T. is about attitudes rather than rules. That should raise a number of red flags to any discerning reader.

The Bible has many warnings against false prophets. Paul warns that it is not just those from the outside, but even some from within the church will lead some astray: “ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20: 29-30). But he goes on to say in v. 30, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”

Soak in the Word of God. Hold it to a higher esteem than anyone else’s words. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” Colossians 3:16a.

For more on this topic, see also:

Tension.
Controversies.
Analyzing vs. criticizing.
Just what does “judge not” mean, anyway?
Does niceness really matter?
Doctrine.

The real problem with Facebook

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From time to time I see articles or blog posts saying there is a downside to Facebook in that it can make us depressed or at least miserable. Why? Because everyone’s life supposedly seems happier than ours.

I don’t know about anyone else’s Facebook experience, but mine is a wide variety, People post funny observations, family news, interesting quotes or links to articles they’ve found valuable. Some use it to vent frustrations. Some post hymns or Scripture or prayer requests: one friend who was in the hospital Easter day said the songs, quotes, and Scriptures everyone shared were a help to her as she missed being in church that day.

But even if it were true that people felt miserable because everyone else on Facebook had more or better “stuff,” more friends, seemed happier, got more comments or “likes,” may I humbly suggest that the problem isn’t Facebook? The problem is in our own hearts.

The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice. If someone got a new job or house or whatever, good for them!

Same with someone who seems to have more friends. “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). If you want more friends, take the initiative and be friendly to others. And I don’t say that lightly: I’ve always been shy and introverted and had a hard time initiating friendships. But though it is hard, it is not impossible. Sometimes we have to extend ourselves beyond our comfort zones.

If people only seem to post “happy thoughts,” know that they do have their down times as well as anyone else. Be glad, in fact, that they don’t post every little mundane thing. I had one FB friend who did that and I had to adjust which of her posts I saw because I was being flooded with her plans for the day, itinerary, what she was making for dinner, etc., etc., several times a day.

Whatever gifts, talents, or possessions we have, someone else is always going to have more or better. The Bible does warn us about envy, calling it a mark of carnality. It also warns us about comparing ourselves with each other.

These reactions aren’t new or exclusive to Facebook, of course. Facebook is just a microcosm of how people think and react. One of my closest early married friends used to constantly compare herself unfavorably to others. She thought her home, her clothes, everything, in her eyes, was less nice than other people’s. That’s not really humility. It can be a symptom of discontentment. I don’t know what it was in her case, but I am fairly sure that no one else looked on her that way. She was generally thought of as a sweet, warm, creative person. We were all in a state of “early-married poverty,” as I call it, and none of us had  heaps of nice things. But even if one of us had…that’s between them and the Lord. If He allowed them those things, then they’re stewards of them. And even if other people do actually flaunt what they have, that’s a problem in their hearts and shouldn’t be a problem in ours.

Besides feeling that other people have more or nicer things, sometimes we feel other people accomplish so much more than we do. I had trouble with that with another close early-married friend. We were both married with a child or two. But she worked part-time, was active in various church ministries, sewed for her family and home, her house was not only clean every time I was there but nicely decorated. Meanwhile I felt like I was fighting to keep my ahead above water. Often I asked myself how she did it and why I couldn’t. Once her family had ours over for dinner. I don’t know if she sat still more than five minutes at a time: she was constantly up and down, getting something, doing something with the children, doing a little here or there. I thought, if that’s what it takes to get as much done as she does, not only would I never be in her league, but I didn’t want to be. Honestly, as a guest I would much rather have had her sit down and visit with me: it was not a very restful visit to have the hostess constantly on the move. I’m not condemning her: I just realized we were very different personalities, and that was okay. No one was comparing me to her or thinking I should be like her except me, and I learned to stop it. 🙂 There was much I could learn from her, but I didn’t need to try to be just like her or beat myself up because I wasn’t.

Another time when I learned that a man who had been a younger college classmate a couple of decades ago was about to become a college president, at first all I could think was, “Wow. A college president, and he’s younger than I am. So what have I been doing with my life?” Well, I was raising children, keeping my home, ministering in various ways. Our callings were different from each other, neither necessarily better than the other in themselves.

If we’re doing what God wants us to do, we don’t need to feel inferior to anyone else, and we need to stop being preoccupied with comparing ourselves to others. If someone else accomplishes more because they’re more diligent, better managers of their time and efforts., etc., we can learn from them and be inspired  to make whatever changes we need to, but we don’t need to sit in a corner feeling sorry for ourselves.

If Facebook truly makes someone miserable for these reasons, perhaps it would be best to give it up. But a better approach might be to go to it without comparing ourselves and our status to anyone, seeking to be a blessing to others, grateful for and content with the gifts and life God has given.

“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light”

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A couple of weeks ago I came across an article that horrified me titled “After-birth Abortion: Why Should the Baby Live?” in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Two authors promoted the proposition that babies could be killed during their first few days of life using the same reasoning as that used to justify abortions.

They use such chilling statements as:

“Fetuses and newborns do not have the same moral status as actual persons.”

“We claim that killing a newborn could be ethically permissible in all the circumstances where abortion would be.”

“The moral status of an infant is equivalent to that of a fetus, that is, neither can be considered a ‘person’ in a morally relevant sense.”

“It is not possible to damage a newborn by preventing her from developing the potentiality to become a person in the morally relevant sense.”

“Failing to bring a new person into existence cannot be compared with the wrong caused by procuring the death of an existing person. The reason is that, unlike the case of death of an existing person, failing to bring a new person into existence does not prevent anyone from accomplishing any of her future aims.” Note that they are not talking about failing to bring a new person into existence in the sense of deciding whether or not to have a baby or whether to use contraceptives: they are saying that a newborn is a potential person rather than an actual person and therefore it is not wrong to kill it.

 They want to call it “after-birth abortion” rather than infanticide.

As Carrie said here, though this is horrifying, it shouldn’t be surprising. We had been warned for years that if people started justifying abortion in their thinking, it wouldn’t take long before such devaluation of life spread to increased euthanasia and now newborns. According to this article, one of the authors once gave a talk at Oxford titled, “What is the problem with euthanasia?” No wonder he has no problem with killing babies. I can’t fathom a career in encouraging the taking of life that he deems not worthy.

And that’s one of the problems. The main problem, of course, is the intrinsic devaluation of life. The second is that, once a society decides it’s okay to take a life, then whose standards and morals will decide such a thing? How many people have lived with serious health issues who would not have wanted their life snuffed out just because someone else didn’t think their quality of life was good enough?

The deadline for my next newspaper column was coming up just three days after I read this article. Normally I like to have a column mostly ready a week or two before it is due, and then every time I look at it, I think of better ways to say something, something to include, something to cut out, etc. I had two other columns nearly ready and was trying to decide which one to use when I saw this article. The more I thought about it, the more I felt I really wanted to address this in a column. It would probably have been a better column if I had waited til my next turn, but that’s six weeks away, and I really wanted to address this while the original article was still fairly recent. So this is what I finally came up with.

I received a few supportive comments and e-mails, but as you can imagine, some of the comments were quite vicious. All that some could see is that I am against abortion, and they unleashed all their animosity against the whole pro-life movement. I knew to expect some negative reaction, but I can’t say it didn’t hurt, especially when they extrapolate that since I said this I must mean that and get into name-calling, etc. I tried to answer some of them, but it’s clear there is no reasoning with some of them.

And that raises another issue. How do we talk to these people? I don’t think Christians are the only ones who are pro-life, though our conviction that life is a gift of God is the foundation of our beliefs. But it seems even thinking, reasonable people who might not be Christians could see the fallacies of abortion, euthanasia, and killing infants.

Years ago our former pastor’s wife mentioned Romans 1:28 in a class: “Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” I used to think “reprobate” meant a really bad sinner. But she explained it meant “unable to make sound judgement.” Other version use “depraved” or “debased.”

Though I believe it is right to speak out and take a stand on issues, ultimately what people need is a new heart. Even if they have a right position on abortion and related issues, what affects their standing with God is what they do with Christ. And none of us can “think right” without Him. How we need to pray for Him “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith” (Acts 26:18).

Book Review: Words

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Words by Ginny Yttrup came highly recommended by Quilly, (and maybe one or two others whom I can’t remember) and her review as well as the first few paragraphs she had posted from the book drew me in immediately.

I was going to say this at the end but thought perhaps since some of you might feel the same way that I should say at the beginning that normally I would not pick up a book which has abuse a big factor because it would either make me very angry or very sad (or both), and because some books sensationalize it. But Ginny does not sensationalize: unfortunately she speaks from sad and all too real experience, yet her book is as much about healing as it is abuse.

Ten year old Kaylee has lost her words, her voice: she hasn’t been able to speak since her mom left, abandoning her to the care of the mom’s boyfriend — though you could hardly call it “care.” The boyfriend, Jack, not only neglects to take care of Kaylee, but he does unspeakable things to her. Kaylee stays because she has nowhere else to go, no resources, no help, but also she wants to be there in case her mom comes back. Meanwhile, she takes refuge in a dictionary that belonged to her mother, savoring words and their meanings and storing them up in her mind.

Sierra is a woman in her thirties who cannot forgive herself for a wayward period in her past that caused great pain to her family and the loss of her daughter’s life twelve years earlier. She tries to bury the pain that is too raw to bring to light and expresses herself in her art, but those who love her worry that she’s going to crack if she continues to keep her emotions inside. Though she has amended her ways, she has not returned to the God of her childhood.

God brings Kaylee and Sierra together in their vulnerability and works in and through each of them to bring healing through the Word, Jesus Christ.

It’s hard to believe this is Ginny’s first novel: she does a masterful job not only telling the story in a compelling but not maudlin way but also in layering various subtexts throughout the plot. The book is riveting, hard to put down, eloquent, and full of depth.

I especially appreciated one section in which Sierra realizes that oft-misapplied John 8:32 (“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”) isn’t just referring to telling personal truth, but to the fact that Jesus is the truth that heals and frees us.

This book is one of my favorites read this year, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Here is the book trailer:

And a short interview with the author:

(This review will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)

Laudable Linkage and Fun Videos

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Here are a few things that stood out to me online this week:

Filling my home with the unseen, HT to Lizzie. Both the photos and the sentiments are lovely.

Pray to BLESS. I’ve heard and read a number of acronyms as a help to prayer, but I had never come across this one before. Very helpful.

The New Evangelical Virtues. Tim Challies masterfully discusses “characteristics that seem to pass as virtues today…doubt, opaqueness, and an emphasis on asking rather than answering questions.” “Humility is not found in doubting what is true, but in believing that what God says is true is true indeed.”

Spring Cleaning Your Facebook Account. No, not a discussion of purging your “Friends” list, but rather helpful questions to check our hearts. It’s not that the technology is bad, but what’s in our hearts is going to reveal itself even there.

Why Books Still Matter.

I almost labeled this “Luggage Inspectors,” but I didn’t want to be snarky. 🙂 Let’s just say don’t leave a parked car where there are monkeys:

This is amazing. I could never do this — not only because I can’t play music, but I’m sure I would knock over more than one glass.

Happy Saturday!

Controversies

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There have been a couple of controversies brewing within Christendom over the last few weeks, one quite well known, and one not known by quite as many (and if you don’t know what I am talking about, don’t worry about it. I’m not addressing these particular conflicts themselves).

What almost always seems to happen with this type of thing is that people quickly take sides.

On one side is the “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” crowd. I think many women fall into this category: we want everyone to play nicely. Do you know that that sentence is not in the Bible? Of course there are warnings about gossip, idle words, schisms, doubtful disputations, etc. But in one message I heard, the speaker said he used to feel that way until he bought a red letter edition of the Bible and noticed some of the things that Jesus said. Paul in his epistles deals with many controversies of his day and ours and even names names publicly. He publicly rebuked Peter at one point. There are admonitions in Scripture to take a stand against error — not just the error of those who do not know God, but the errors of those who profess to:

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. I Timothy 2:4.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. Acts 20:28-31.

The Bible does teach that there should be unity among the brethren, but not a unity at all costs:

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. II Thessalonians. 3: 6

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. II Thessalonians 3: 14-15.

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. I Corinthians 5:9-11.

On the other side of controversies are the “contenders for the faith.” Jude does exhort us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (verse 3). Yet there are some who become needlessly contentious in their contending. There are sometimes sharp words used in Scripture, and some define their whole personality and outlook on those words, forgetting the ones about “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:14-16) and the admonition that “the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (II Timothy 2:24-26).

Doctrine is important. I am so grateful for the balanced voices of discernment who wisely and carefully lay out the issues and their importance with as much grace as possible after careful study of the issues. May we learn from them to take a strong, bold stand when necessary but in a way that brings Scriptural light to the situation rather than just stirring up the heat of controversy.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. (Ephesians 4:14-15).

Amazing video

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Some of you may have seen this going around Facebook. I read a book about Gianna Jenssen, a survivor of an abortion, Gianna: Aborted…and Lived To Tell About It, some years ago — amazing story.

Part I:

Part II:

Remembering 9/11

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(Graphic courtesy of Lee Hansen Graphics)

“Time is passing, yet for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives with grief. We will remember the fire and the ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.” George W. Bush

I Remember.

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers”

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I am both a Christian and a conservative, and consequently I am not always happy about the state of affairs in our country (though I suppose non-Christians and liberals could say the same thing). But I don’t usually appreciate forwarded e-mails from good people whose position on an issue I might agree with but whose tone is angry or despairing.

I came across a truth in Our Daily Walk by F. B. Meyer for today’s reading which I wish I could send to them all:

You will not remove the evils of the world by all your anxiety, or by wrath.

To put that sentence in context, he was commenting on Psalm 37, especially verses 1-8, and his whole paragraph reads:

The Psalmist says: “Do not fret. Evil is transient, evil-doers shall be cut off, in a little while the wicked shall not be.” You will not remove the evils of the world by all your anxiety, or by wrath. It is not worth while to lose your peace of mind. Be quiet in your heart, full of prayer, looking up to God that He would interpose to deliver.

You can find the rest of his devotional for today by going here and scrolling down to June 8.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Psalm 37:7.

That doesn’t mean passivity or stoicism. In our particular culture we do have a voice, and we can let it be heard by voting and writing to our elected officials, newspaper editors, executives in the entertainment industry, etc., about those issues with which we’re concerned. But we need to deal with the issue or problem and not attack or demean the person. And we need to remember our ultimate hope is in God, not men. Only He can change hearts. And whatever is going on in the outside world, by His grace we can live the way He wants us to. Historically some of Christianity’s best moments were when the world was totally against it.

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118:8.