7 THINGS THAT “FAITH INTERRUPTED” SAYS ISN’T IN THE BIBLE, BUT IT REALLY IS…

**Originally posted on my first religious blog; I ran across it tonight. I wrote this right after I graduated from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary; a year before I joined the UMC**

Normally I don’t post rebuttals to people’s opinions. Proverbs 18:2 states “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” However, I think that people need to realize that we are told not to lean on our own beliefs (our own understanding) but rather that we are to lean upon Christ and the understanding that flowed down from Heaven. A friend of mine shared an article about seven things Christians believe are in the Bible, but are not. She cited that her aunt is a graduate of a seminary and her uncle an ordained minister. However, being a graduate of a seminary doesn’t mean that your beliefs are right and neither does being an ordained minister. Tonight I am going to prove that these seven things are in the Bible. Why is this important I hear you say? Because as Christians we can’t allow, Satan have any amount of space in our lives. We give him one ounce and he takes the entire cake.

**my list runs 1-7; while the article does a countdown**

               

 Let’s look at the list:

1. The Rapture.

The Article: “It comes from a particular theology that was created around 100 years ago – an admittedly interesting concoction, composed of random pieces from Daniel, Revelation, and Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Thessalonica – and has been snatched up by plenty of theologians who act as though this was handed down by God before the creation itself. A brilliant assessment of this harmful, dangerous, and totally non-biblical theology can be found in Barbara Rossing’s The Rapture Exposed.  

 The Truth: In the original text of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 we find that the Greek word is harpadzo. It means to be “caught up.” Before you all flip and say well the word Rapture isn’t in the Bible, let me correct you and say that you are failing to realize that the true meaning of harpadzo is “rapture.” Proof is found in the fact that Jerome, in the 4th century composing his translation used the word rapturo. It is from that point that the word has come to be a favorite to describe the event in which Christ comes to call up His church.

2. God hates_____________________ (Fill in the blank)

The Article: Sorry, Westboro Baptist.  I’m not talking about Levitical codes or even judgment and damnation.  Show me the verse that has those words.

The Truth:  There are 6 things that God hates, look at the verses of Proverbs 6:16-19. While the things that we would think of Westboro Baptist as hating may not be listed, it doesn’t mean that God approves of them either.

3. Everything Happens for a Reason

The Article:  This is often coupled with other horrific theological statements said during times of tragedy – e.g. “God must have needed another angel/flower-in-the-garden/whatever” – that simply have no biblical basis. There is, you might say, a trajectory of God and God’s people, heading towards a final future of God’s commonwealth on earth – but the idea of things happening for a reason is often much more simplistic and harmful, and is often said because we don’t know what else to say. Luckily, it’s not in the Bible we’re fond of quoting at people.

The Truth: Ecclesiastes 1:1-8 even says “for everything there is a season.” Anyone who says this isn’t in the Bible has evidently NEVER read the Bible.

4. God is in Control

The Article: Nope.  If anything, story after biblical story shows a God whose mind is changed (Genesis 18:16-33; Exodus 32:1-14; the story of Jonah).  There are also stories that go off the deep end (i.e. the entire account of the Judges), where God is seemingly nowhere in sight.

This is a difficult concept, I know.  If God isn’t all-powerful the way we’ve been taught, then what can we believe in?  This is where we have to remind ourselves that our very concept of power is routinely subverted in the biblical story – most alarmingly in the story of Jesus, and his seemingly weak, powerless, and outright shameful death on the Roman version of the electric chair, the cross.

The Truth: Oh, Where to Start?!? Let’s look at Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Oh, Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” What about Isaiah 45:6-7 “That people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.” All these and many more talk about the God of Control. Does God change His mind? Of course, but it’s only because of the pouring out of the hearts of those who LOVE Him.  Dutch Sheets said in his book Intercessory Prayer “the concept of intercession can be summarized as mediating, going between, pleading of another, representing one party to another for but not limited to legal situations.” So yes, God’s mind can be changed, doesn’t mean He isn’t in control.

5. We must accept Jesus into our hearts as our personal Lord and Savior.

The Article: Nowhere does Jesus ask for this particular act to be done (much less say that it’s necessary for salvation) – he says a lot about inviting people to follow him, but doesn’t seem concerned about the act of “accepting” him into one’s heart.

The Truth: The truth of the matter is that the Bible does teach Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.  Our sins are OURS and we commit them; they are personal sins. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can also look at John 3:16b “For WHOSOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.” Accepting Jesus as your personal savior, the one who SAVED YOUR PERSON through HIS death and resurrection is Biblical. 

6. Jesus died for our sins

The Article: Whoa, don’t freak out.  Walk with me for a second. At least, this particular idea doesn’t come from the mouth of Jesus himself.  It’s nowhere in the Gospel accounts of his life (Mark, Luke, Matthew, or John). The closest we get are in the words of Paul (which, it’s important to remember, do not encompass all that Jesus the Christ was/is/will be).  In his letter to the Christian community in Rome (3:25) and his first letter to the one in Corinth (15:4), Paul wrestles with this idea (especially in the latter, where the words “Christ died for our sins” is right there, although it’s followed with “in accordance with the scriptures,” which begs the question – which scriptures?  The Hebrew Scriptures?  The Gospel stories?).

The Truth: Simply look at the Gospels to see that Jesus did die for the sins of the world, even in his old age, John wrote in one of his letters 1 John 2:2 “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Once the disciples and those who were with Christ realized why he had died, they began to minister the gospel of Christ’s death. But even Christ himself said in John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

7. God helps those who help themselves

The Article: No.  Stop saying this.  The quote is William Shakespeare’s to claim.  But, even more than that, the biblical witness points to the opposite of this particular phrase.  Again and again, God calls people who can’t seem to pull themselves up by their bootstraps – Mary, David, and Moses, to name a few.

The Truth: While this exact saying ins’t in the Bible, it doesn’t mean that it’s ideal isn’t placed in Scripture. I will concede on this one, but I do have something to say about helping oneself. In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless. We are all infected by sin (Romans 3:23), and condemned as a result of that sin (Romans 6:23). Nothing we can do on our own can remedy this situation (Isaiah 64:6). Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus paid the penalty that we were incapable of paying (2 Corinthians 5:21). God provided the “help” that we need precisely because we could not help ourselves. Apart from salvation, there is perhaps a way that the concept “God helps those who help themselves” is correct. As an example, if you asked me to help you move a piece of furniture, but then just watched me as I moved the furniture for you, I was not actually helping you. I would be doing the work for you. Many Christians fall into the trap of inactivity. Many Christians ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself.

Sources Cited:

The Popular Handbook on the Rapture; Tim LaHaye, Thomas Ice and Ed Hindson

Intercessory Prayer; Dutch Sheets

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001.

The Article: http://faithinterrupted.blogspot.com/2013/11/top-seven-things-people-think-are-in.html

Merry Christmas

Advent Week 4: LOVE

For hundreds of years the church has anticipated the coming of Jesus during the season of Advent. The fourth week of waiting for his arrival invites us to experience His LOVE. Jesus arrived after a period of 400 years of silence, confusion, and longing for the Jewish people. He demonstrated His love by taking on frail humanity and revealing himself to unlikely people. During Advent we celebrate the love that Jesus offers us by coming close to us in the midst of our suffering and sin. We also anticipate the day when His love will bring to an end all sin and suffering.

Love comes first in the fruit of the Spirit because love is the primary fruit of the Spirit. It is the most important fruit of the Spirit and encompasses all the rest. Love comes last in the four candles around the outside of the Advent Wreath, because love is also the most important of these, and in Advent we are working our way towards the most important aspect of Christmas, which is God’s love for us in Christ.

Maybe you are like Joie in this story: Christmas was an exciting time and Joie was excited too. He was only 10 years old and he was as excited as any ten year old boy could be. For him Christmas was still a time of wonder. He did the things most 10 year olds do. He played ball, rode his bike, climbed trees, went fishing with his dad. He was a happy kid. He just enjoyed life – every part of life. To him life was full of wonder and amazement. And Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year.

It was Christmas Eve and the ground was white with snow. It was cold and it was clear. The stars bright that night and seemed so close that you would have thought you could reach out and touch them with your hands. The family was on their way to the grandparent’s house – that was the family tradition. Joie could hardly wait. He was excited and his mind just raced with ideas about what he might receive this year. What present would be under the tree for him tonight?

Every year the family would gather in grandpa and grandma’s house. There was always a huge tree and there was always a present under the tree for each person there. The kids would seek peeks at the presents and find out where theirs was located. Joie was usually one of the first to find out where his present was placed – but this year it was different. He didn’t find his right away – even though he searched all over.

He began to worry because he couldn’t find it. Then his eyes caught a big box in the corner. It was a huge box – the biggest present he had ever seen. He slowly walked over to it and sure enough written on the tag were the letters – J – O – I – E. He was grinning from ear to ear. His eyes were wide with excitement.

Grandpa always handed out the presents. Grandpa was not very fast but this year he seemed especially slow and wouldn’t you know it – Joie’s name was the last one called. As soon as his name was called Joie bolted up to Grandpa – “Is this really mine, is that big present really mine?” Grandpa reassured him it was. As soon as he knew it was his – he tore into the package and what do you think he found? What do you think was inside that large box? It was the best Christmas present Joie had ever received.

What do you think it was…? We all have ideas of the best present is – don’t we. We can all picture in our mind what the best present is.

How do you measure the value of a present? How do you judge its worth? By its size? By its weight? Do you judge it by its cost or perhaps by its usefulness?

What I would like to do this morning is examine God’s present to us. It is wrapped up – it has bows on it – it is standing in the corner and it is large.
Usually around this time of the year, The Nativity Story, has shown on TV a number of times. And each time, I tear up when I see Mary speaking with the shepherd and he says “You have been given a gift.” Mary responds “He is for all mankind.”

You see that is what we tend to forget, Jesus was the best gift that we could possibly get for Christmas. He is the embodiment of God’s love for us.

I recently read Ray Fowler’s sermon on Advent week 4, and I want us to concentrate on what it says about the real meaning of Love in Advent: God’s love for sinners. This is really the heart of the Christmas story. The Christmas story is all about love. Joseph’s love for Mary and Mary’s love for Jesus are both important parts of that story, but they are not the most important. The central message of love at Christmas is God’s love for sinners.

This is evident from the angel’s words to Joseph about Mary in Matthew 1: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Why was Jesus born into our world at Christmas? It’s all in his name! The name Jesus means “Savior” or “salvation,” and Jesus was born into our world to save his people from their sins.

We read in John 3: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) The greatest gift ever given at Christmas was the gift of God’s own Son. God gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. Jesus did not merely come into the world. He was sent into the world. God the Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

If you ever doubt that God loves you, just look at his Son, Jesus. Look at Jesus the child born into the world as a baby at Christmas. Look at Jesus the man, teaching the people, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Look at Jesus the Savior, suffering and dying on the cross for your sins to bring you to God. Look at Jesus the King, risen from the dead, ascended to heaven, coming back for you to take you to be with him that you also may be where he is forever.

Nothing can ever separate you from God’s love for you in Christ. As Paul writes in Romans 8:
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

The Christmas story is all about love, but the most important part of the story is God’s love for sinners. God so loved the world, he gave us his Son so that we would not perish but have eternal life.

Heavenly Father,
The whole meaning of Christmas can be explained in one little four letter word…LOVE. You sent your gift of pure love to us that first Christmas. Love descended from heaven to be born of a virgin. Love lay in the scratchy hay of a manger in a meager barn in Bethlehem. All of your love, God, was robed in the delicate skin of a baby and wrapped in swaddling clothes. This final week of Advent, help us to reflect on the magnitude of love that was made manifest in Jesus.

Your word became flesh and you made your dwelling among us when Jesus was born. You set aside all of the glory and splendor of heaven and chose the most humble way to enter into your kingdom. Beneath the stars, surrounded by all of the hosts of heaven, Love came. Welcomed by an earthly mother and father, shepherds and wise men, Love came.
You are King and King and Lord of Lords, Messiah and Ruler of All, yet you came not as a lion but as a lamb. You came as an innocent baby whose purpose was walk this earth in complete love, and then to sacrificially give his life as an atonement for the sins of His children. Emmanuel. God with us. Love in the form of a man.

That was your plan. From beginning to end, you knew every minute of Jesus life. You knew that the cross of Calvary was waiting for Jesus, yet you still sent your only Son so that our sin debt could be paid and we could walk blameless because of the shed blood of Jesus.

There is no greater gift then this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. You willing gave the gift of your life because of your love. Your righteous blood covered our sin. You redeem and restore us when we confess you as Lord and Savior of our life. In that moment you give us the gift of your love for all eternity. We receive grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy in that moment.

The greatest gift of all came that first Christmas. It wasn’t wrapped in a beautiful package and set under a decorated tree. The greatest gift came wrapped in the flesh of baby Jesus and laid in the rough wood of a manger. Our perfect gift would later be rewrapped in the scars of our sin and nailed to the rugged wood of a cross on Calvary, all because of love.

Father, this final week of Advent, fill our hearts and minds with the significance of that truth.
Thank you, Lord, for loving us enough to send Jesus.

In Jesus’ precious name we pray.
Amen

Advent Week 3: Joy

Today, we light a candle that will be pink. It will represent what was once dark is now getting lighter--the anticipation of Christmas is upon us. Recently I read a sign that said “The first Christmas was simple, don’t worry if yours is.” As we all know Christmas is a time of hustle and bustle, we are re-arranging our to do lists, we are trying to get in as many family gatherings as possible as well as many gatherings with friends. Most likely we are attempting to get all the gifts on a list. Maybe you are even getting a bit Scrooge like and everywhere you go, you are greeted with a hearty “Merry Christmas!” And you mutter something back like “Yeah Happy Holidays to you, bah humbug!” Or maybe it’s just me… 

One of my favorite childhood Christmas songs, by Andy Williams, says 

It's the most wonderful time of the yearWith the kids jingle bellingAnd everyone telling you be of good cheerIt's the most wonderful time of the year

Yet at Christmas, as an adult, it is hard for me to come by joy—real joy. Not those feel good feelings, but genuine joy. And recently, I was reading a blog by Fr. Billy Swan, he reminded me that for some the irony is that the joy of Advent and Christmas is hard to come by.  He goes on to say "Part of the reason why many of us struggle to find joy at Christmas is because we confuse joy with feeling good. In the world of advertising which peaks at times like Christmas, we are encouraged to feel good all the time and to get whatever it takes to make our lives happier. The truth is that no amount of material things, stimulants, or comforts can compensate for a lack of joy that many experience in the depths of their soul. The source of our joy is not in what we have. It lies in “Emmanuel,” the name which means “God is with us” (cf. Matt. 1:23)."

In continuing my study of joy, I was reminded that Biblical joy is different than what most people think of as joy. It is not just a happy emotion that we either feel or don’t feel, it is a state of being that finds its source in God. The Bible is clear that joy comes from God (Neh. 8:9-10), and our joy is a product of what God has done and continues to do. It is gladness and contentedness flowing out of the well-spring of God’s faithfulness and mercy, quite independent of our circumstances. The Psalmist writes, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it...Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness” (Psalm 96:11-13). Isaiah declares, “Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering” (Isaiah 49:13).

This week however, I have taken time to really reflect on Christmas. I have a very simple handblown Christmas nativity globe. So simple in fact that it’s easy just to walk past it and not really give thought as to what it may be. Yet, for Christians, our joy is anchored in the fact that God fulfilled His promise in a small baby, born in a lowly manager to be our Messiah and King. Maybe take some time to really ponder the Nativity, let your heart pause with thankfulness as you prepare for Christmas. Look at the manger scene with the fresh wonder of all He is to you. Let joy seep into the changes of your life. No need or change that you face will not be met by Him. He is so much more than just a baby! Invite Him into your changes! Let joy fill your soul. 

Our week 3 advent prayer: Dear Jesus, help us focus on you during this busy season. May we stay aware of the joy you bring into our lives. We want to find you in the everyday moments and come with hearts of gratitude to your manger on Christmas. Amen.

Advice to Rev. Karen Clark Ristine: Just because you have a Microphone doesn't mean you should speak into it

The United Methodist Church has a long history of being involved in Social Justice. Wesley and the early Methodists expressed their opposition to societal ills such as slavery, smuggling, inhuman prison conditions, alcohol abuse and child labor. Our Social Principles are the church's prayerful and thoughtful attempt to speak to contemporary issues through a biblical and theological lens, seeking to "apply the Christian vision of righteousness to social, economic, and political issues." (Book of Discipline 2012, p. 53)

Rev. Karen Clark Ristine

Recently, a Methodist Church in Claremont, California "caged" the Nativity. They separated the holy family so that they could "make a statement" about the injustice of separating families at the southwest border. This year however, Rev. Karen Clark Ristine, stated she was "stirred to tears" by the depiction, says that the church uses its annual nativity scene to tackle a societal issue, such as the homeless population of Southern California.

Yet there is a time and a place to embrace our involvement in social justice. There is no doubt that detainment at the border is harsh; that in some ways it's inhumane, but it's also inhumane to leave home, and risk coming to a country illegally where you will be separated from your children. Even though the post does make mention that holy family fled to Egypt, they did so because they were under the threat of certain death. So real was the threat that the Magi, didn't return to the palace of Herod. So real was the threat that God himself sent an angel to tell Joseph to leave and flee to Egypt and after King Herod died, the Holy Family returned to Israel. 

Nativity Scene at Claremont UMC in California

However, the church's place is not to use the story of our coming Messiah to make societal statements. Matter of fact, on every Facebook post I have read, there are comments asking about the separation of Church and State. Yet very few, including our own Pastors really know what this means or even how it should be enforced.

No where in our constitution does it promise separation of church and state, matter of fact, the phrase "Separation of church and state was initially coined by Baptist striving for religious toleration in Virginia, who official state religion was then Anglican (Episcopalian) Baptist thought government limitations against religion illegitimate. Even non-Christian founders thought religion essential. None would have wished to upend the very basis for education, law or culture. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 states: “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”

What is difficult to write here is the fact that even though we should keep government out of the church, we can’t keep the church from making political statements. Yet, if the Council of Bishops in the UMC continue the church to make political statements then we are never going to stand united again. Frequently, in our arrogance, we assume that we can make political statements and nothing will be said. However, the church must remember, pastor’s especially should remember 

1. There is a time when we must speak.

The Scriptures are full of admonitions for God’s people to rebuke evil, sometimes with stinging specificity. Read through the prophets, and you hear God calling out injustices of all kinds—toward children, toward women, toward the outcast, the poor, the voiceless. The prophets trumpet a call for God’s justice, and justice always carries a political element. Men like William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King, Jr. frequently quoted from prophetic books like Amos to inspire our society to turn to justice.

In the New Testament, John the Baptist preached a “baptism of repentance,” complete with specific accusations about the ways that God’s people—and the local rulers—were disobedient to God’s Law. He called out injustices carried out by soldiers and rebuked Herod for sleeping with his brother’s wife. That latter decision eventually led to John’s death. If John were around today, I imagine that a lot of Christians would have told him to keep quiet. Stick to the church stuff, John. Stop commenting on public sexuality. What was Jesus’ assessment of John’s ministry? He called him the greatest prophet that ever lived.

The church has often failed to speak as directly and specifically as we should in the political realm. Dietrich Bonhoeffer learned this in Germany in the 1930s. The church there was content to simply say, “Discrimination is wrong,” a statement that the Nazi Party would allow. But Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church knew that obedience required them to take another step, getting their hands dirty by saying, “We must oppose the Nazis.” Like John the Baptist, he paid for it with his life.

In the 1850s, many Christian churches were reluctant to say anything specifically about slavery, even though they opposed the practice. Again in the 1960s, far too many churches stayed silent when they should have offered their hand—and their voice—to the Civil Rights movement. Both of those instances are embarrassments to the church today.

2. There is a time when speaking diverts us from our mission and dilutes our witness.

There is a ditch on the other side of this path, too. In our attempts to apply Scripture to our political situation, we run the risk of getting mired in areas outside our God-given scope.

The ministry of Jesus provides us with a helpful example. In Luke 12:13-14, when asked a specific social justice question (My brother stole money from me!), Jesus refuses to adjudicate: “Who made me a judge over you?” It’s not because he didn’t care about justice, or because he wouldn’t have been able to offer wise counsel. Rather, he didn’t want his kingdom to be too identified or tangled up in world affairs. So he avoided giving an opinion on this particular case, and instead preached a sermon on greed (Luke 12:15–21). Elsewhere we see Jesus, at the peak of his popularity, retreating when people wanted to make him a political king on the platform of solving world hunger (John 6:1-15).

The same pattern runs through the lives of the apostles. Paul, for instance, spent very little time arbitrating the various social ills plaguing the Roman Empire (of which there were many), focusing instead on spreading the gospel and planting churches.

There is time when we have to connect virtue with policy. But far too often, the temptation for the institutional church is to speak too specifically into areas outside the scope of our mission. Policy choices always seem so clear in the moment, but often the benefit of a little distance makes us wish we had not tied the church’s authority to specific policy prescriptions.

I believe that Rev. Ristine has forgotten to consider that the church, as the church, is neither capable nor called to address every important issue in the public square. This is not a cop-out. This is common sense. I’ve seen denominational committees call the church to specific positions regarding the farm bill, Sudanese refugees, the Iraq War, socially screened retirement funds, immigration policy, minimum-wage increases, America’s embargo of Cuba, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, global economics, greenhouse gas emissions, social welfare, and taxation policies. While the church may rightly make broad statements about caring for the poor and the oppressed, and may even denounce specific cultural sins, the church should not be in the business of specifying which types of rifles Christians may and may not use (a real example) or which type of judicial philosophy Christians should want in a Supreme Court justice (another real example).

Again, Machen’s approach is instructive. He insisted that no one “has a greater horror of the evils of drunkenness than I” and that it was “clearly the duty of the church to combat this evil.” And yet, as to the “exact form” of legislation (if any), he allowed for difference of opinion. Some men, he maintained, believed that the Volstead Act was not a wise method of dealing with the problem of drunkenness, and that enforced Prohibition would cause more harm than good. Without stating his own opinion, Machen argued that “those who hold the view that I have just mentioned have a perfect right to their opinion, so far as the law of our church is concerned, and should not be coerced in any way by ecclesiastical authority. The church has a right to exercise discipline where authority for condemnation of an act can be found in Scripture, but it has no such right in other cases” (394-95).

Maybe instead of grabbing every societal statement that can be made in a Nativity story, Rev. Ristine should have be prepared to fire when necessary, but keep her powder dry. There are times when the national crisis is so all-consuming or the political issue so obviously wicked (or righteous) that the minister will feel compelled to say something. Think 9/11. Or riots in your city. Or the declaration of war. But these are the exceptions that prove the rule. Our news media, not to mention social media, make us feel like every day is a global meltdown and every hour is a moment of existential crisis. Don’t believe the hype. There is no exact formula for when you interrupt your sermon series, when you drop a blogging bomb, or when you add current events into your pastoral prayer. These things call for wisdom, not one-size-fits-all solutions. But let me suggest that when it comes to politics and public policy, parenting is a good analogy: yelling works only when it is done sparingly.

My advice would be for Rev. Ristine and other pastors—Put down the phone. Close the web browser. Stop trying to change the world one tweet at a time. Let’s make sure we know our Bibles and know our people a thousand times better than we know the ins and outs of the Trump administration. And let’s not be afraid to be social media silent—not always, but often—in a world clamoring for political noise. Just because the internet gives us a microphone, doesn’t mean we have to speak into it.

Advent Week 2 Peace

Jesus Christ entered the world as the Prince of Peace. He even told us “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) Yet the world’s idea of peace is very different than the Christians idea of Peace. 

People everywhere search for peace. They sing songs about it and travel on pilgrimages to find it. They even wage war to protect it. Many wealthy, famous, and powerful people would trade everything for just one moment of peace.

It reminds me of a story I read once online, There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest…perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The King chose the second picture. “Because,” explained the King, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

The world’s definition of peace if fleeting, it’s build upon a weak foundation of compromise and it ignores the root of the problem. God’s peace is permanent and secure; it’s built upon His word and cures the root of the problem. The peace offered by the world is an empty promise and can only bring temporary comfort. God’s peace is a permanent peace offered by the only One who can be trusted to keep his Word and heal our sin.

My Advent Prayer today comes from Dynamic Catholic: Dear Jesus, you entered our world on Christmas as the Prince of Peace. This Advent, as we strive to become the-best-version-of-ourselves, fill us with a deep and abiding peace. Help us share that peace with everyone we encounter, especially those who need it most. Amen.

Modern Idolatry

Idolatry: extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone.

In 1997, when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris, I heard about it from the BBC. I was completely distraught, disillusioned and on the cusp of idolatry. You see Princess Diana was my hero. I loved everything about Diana. I never thought much of my admiration of Diana as being anything other than admiration, until one day I read a letter by Mrs. J. Warman in The Independent.(1) Her letter simply read “Isn't there a danger that the mass expression of shock and grief over Princess Diana's death is turning into idolatry?”

Today, I want to pose the same question, except it isn’t over the death of someone, rather it’s the unquestioning love of President Donald Trump. I am baffled that no matter what he does it’s not wrong, even when it goes directly against what God’s very word says. The president, who doesn’t regularly attend church services, has emerged as an unlikely ally of the evangelical right, building close relationships with influential conservative religious figures.

Trump himself tweets and uses Messianic jargon to compare himself to God. In August Donald Trump had the audacity to repeat the unfounded lies of Jew Turned evangelical Christian, Wayne Allyn Root by tweeting the Jewish people love him like the he’s second coming of God.

I have heard so many compare Trump to King Cyrus. On April 30, 2019, Brad Parscale, the president’s campaign manager even wrote on Twitter “Only God could deliver such a savior to our nation, and only God could allow me to help.” These are things that the false prophet will be saying about the Anti-Christ. Now before my readers flip out and call me a socialist, communist, fear-monger, amongst other names, let me tell you that I am not saying that Trump is the anti-Christ.

Everyday, we make for ourselves an idol of some sort or the other. And very rarely do we actually ask “What is an idol?” “Why is it dangerous and what do they look like today?”

As John Piper said “Maybe the best way to get at this instead of trying to reach out to the whole Bible and pull all the pieces together — which is not a bad thing to do — let’s just go to one verse, one passage of Scripture, because I think in this verse, in Colossians 3:5–6, the answers to all three questions are there. What is an idol? Why is it dangerous? What do they look like today? So here is the verse: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” (Colossians 3:5–6)"

Timothy J. Keller writes “One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief characteristics of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, ‘What a shame, how difficult,’ but rather ‘This is the end! There’s no hope!’

This may be a reason why so many people now respond to U.S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a certain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel.”

Theologically, such acts reject God. This idolatry begins with false worship of the self. Like all idolatry, it quickly rejects the entire law of God found in the Ten Commandments. It pursues improper relationships, murder, lust, theft, kidnapping, dishonesty and improper desires.
Human sin always results in death. Only God can call us to repent, seek forgiveness and healing.

Jesus taught us that the law of God can be summed up in the entreaty to love God and neighbor as oneself. Faith alone confronts us with the reality that God is bigger than lust. The relationship of faith draws us back to respect the relational boundaries that God established in love to save us from ourselves.

Anything that we put before God is an idol; anything that holds precedence over God’s will is idolatry. Ioannis Karavidopoulos, Professor of the School of Theology of the University of Thessaloniki, states “Of course, Christianity triumphed over the idols historically, but on a human level these idols still wreak vengeance on us, in an effort to take us back to the distant past.” He goes on to say that we don’t have to look outside the church to find idolatry, there is plenty in the church as well.

The Psalmist warned us that, Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. (Psalm 16:4a) Pope Francis warned us in 2017, “Worshipping false idols such as money, power and physical beauty is perilous because they "create confusion in our spirit" and "drive us towards death,” He continued by stating “Worshipping these idols do not set us on the right road or bring happiness.”

In distinguishing between obedience and love, state and country, Pope Leo XIII points out that the Christian response to the modern world should not be a matter of rejecting it a priori, but of thoughtfully and responsibly engaging it.(2)

1.Warman, Mrs J. "LETTER : Beware idolatry." Independent [London, England], 4 Sept. 1997, p. 17. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A66977542/ITOF?u=vic_liberty&sid=ITOF&xid=a4b0f401. Accessed 7 Dec. 2019.

2. Jakelić, Slavica. "Nationalism without Idolatry." Commonweal 11 2019: 19-21. ProQuest. Web. 7 Dec. 2019 .

Advent Theme 1: Depression and Hope

This weekend something happened, that while I am not directly affected by it, I am definitely affected by it. On Friday, my boss asked me "Where is exit 45?" I told him it was the exit just above the Lowe's exit. He said his wife was stuck in traffic because someone had just jumped to their death on I-77 and the interstate was closed. 

My initial reaction was "Just goes to prove not everyone is happy during the holidays." Mental health is not spoken about a lot in our society, matter of fact, we tend to shove it under the rug. It's not like a broken bone where you can see and sign the cast. Matter of fact, it's almost always hidden--unless you have someone like me who is vocal about having a mental illness diagnosis. 

Matter of fact, we tend to wait for happiness. We wait for the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect Mr. Right; but this myth is actually harmful to our mental health. It is harmful because our overly high expectations can instigate a major crisis when we realize that achieving those dreams has not made us intensely happy (or for as long as we thought they would.

Unfortunately, the holidays are replete with daily trials, strains, and aggravations. The cookies are burnt, the car won’t start, the luggage is lost, the alcoholic family member ruins brunch once again, and the children are fighting. We conveniently forget our penchant to become overwrought during car trips or our tendency to revert to adolescent behavior when criticized by a parent or upstaged by a sibling. Accordingly, when our holiday fantasy is confronted by everyday reality, more often than not, it fails to live up. Why aren’t we happier during the holidays? Because, despite being annually challenged, our expectations for holiday joy remain over-optimistic and over-confident year after year. (1)

However, even though the holidays are not happy for everyone, there is one thing that we have all year around; we have hope. It is a little less evident during the Advent season because we tend to get caught up in the hustle and bustle. The book of Jeremiah tells us that God has a plan to give us hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11). And that is what I want to address today---Hope.

Today is the first day in Advent, it's also the first Sunday of the season. I am missing out on a lot of things today because my ceiling started leaking terribly last night and I have an inch of water in a basin--it's not a good situation, but even in this, there is hope. And maybe this isn't such a big problem, but as a homeowner, it's a problem nonetheless. It's definitely a stressor here at the holidays. Yet, I still have hopes of a good holiday season. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our sufferings here are momentary, and for some it's hard to understand that--especially when the weight of depression hits them. 

I can't say with any certainty where the soul of the person who died Friday went. I can't promise the family that he is in Heaven, I can't appease the folks who think all who commit suicide are in Hell. What I can tell you is that we need to grasp on to hope; which is found only in Jesus Christ. Proverbs 23:18 tells us Surely there is a future and your hope will not be cut off.

I want to end this post by offering some suggestions to those who may be suffering this season, and especially to those who may love them. 

1. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE LOOKS AND SEEMS HAPPY, DOESN’T MEAN THEY ARE.

So many people look so happy during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean they truly are happy, or that they’re hiding their emotions. Many people can become very good at hiding their emotions and their feelings, so just because someone looks happy doesn’t mean they truly are happy. The same thing applies with social media. Just because someone is posting happy, well-lit, gorgeous pictures of their holidays, doesn’t mean that’s how they really feel. Now, just because this is the case sometimes, doesn’t mean it’s the case all of the time. People post happy pictures when they’re happy.

2. JUST BECAUSE OTHERS ARE HAPPY DOESN’T MEAN IT’S NOT OKAY THAT YOU’RE NOT.

I know a lot of people look at others that are happy and feel bad that they are not, I do that. But, just because other people are happy, doesn’t mean you have to be. Just because it’s a struggle doesn’t mean you have to pretend to be happy or convince others that you are. It’s okay to feel bad or sad during the holidays. Don’t look at everyone’s happy social media pictures and posts and think you have to be happy too, or feel even worse because you aren’t happy.

3. IT’S OKAY TO REACH OUT TO YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

I know that you don’t want to bother your friends or family during the holidays. You don’t want to drag them down and make feel bad during a happy time of year, but your true friends and family want to help you through your difficult time. I know it’s looked down upon to suffer from a mental illness and we are meant to feel like we have to keep it inside, but it isn’t good to do that. Bottling emotions inside makes you feel worse, it eats away inside your mind. Don’t feel like you can’t reach out to your family and friends.

4. CHECK IN ON YOUR FRIENDS, EVEN THE HAPPY ONES

Make sure you check in on your friends, not just during the holidays, but any time of year. I know we always say “oh you can always reach out if you need to talk” but many people don’t want to admit when they’re struggling. Many don’t want to, or can’t bring themselves, to admit that things are not going well. This is why it’s also important to check in on your happy-looking friends as well. Like I mentioned, many people are good at hiding their emotions.

My Hope of Advent Prayer is: Father God, every word in scripture points to the gift of hope that we have because of Christ Jesus.  The Christmas story wasn’t the beginning of that message of hope because the old testament is full of glimpses of your plan to redeem your people and restore them into a relationship with you, but we are able to truly begin to see and understand just how great your love for us is when we read the story of Jesus’ birth in scripture.

You showed us a glimmer of that hope as you chose to send your son into this earth through a family tree that was a little bent and scarred.  We glanced it again as you chose a tribe that was small and a city that was lowly. It can be seen when we recognize that you don’t send your Son to be birthed in a fancy palace among the wealthy and the elite, but our King of Kings and Lord of Lords was born among common shepherds and livestock in a barn.

The family wasn’t ideal.  The surroundings weren’t grand.  The situation wasn’t without its’ difficulties, however, you came in the midst of all of that.  Emmanuel.  God with us.  God in the messy.  God in the dirty.  God in the difficult and the troubled.  

Your plan to redeem and restore mankind was to dwell among us, fully God and fully man.  You chose to come to earth enrobed in the fragile soft skin of a newborn baby and set aside all of the glory of heaven for one purpose.  You came to be with us.  You came to love us.  You came die for us, so that we might live.

Help us to see that you are with us.  Nothing is too difficult, too messy, or too dirty for you.  Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through the salvation that only you, our Heavenly Father, can give when we believe on your Son, repent of our sins, and confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. 

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-happiness/201312/why-arent-we-happier-during-the-holidays

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13