Idols in our Lives: Technology

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Luke 12:34

 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(ESV)

The topic of statues and memorials has been in the forefront of the news in the last couple of weeks.  A statue or memorial is just a building, piece of stone, or bronze.  The point of dissention therefore is not the existence of the statue but the perception of what it stands for to the one looking at it.  For some, the statue or memorial is a memorial of events in history.  Sometimes these events are dark in nature such as statues to men like General Robert E. Lee who led the Confederate Army against the Union in the Civil War in the United States.  Some are offended by these statues and call for their removal but the simple removal of a bronze object will not eliminate the dark history of the Civil War.  Instead many believe the statues should stay as a reminder of the evils of slavery and serve as a reminder not to return to its evil practice. 

We must not allow these statues and memorials to take on the role of idols in our society stoking more hatred and divisiveness in our culture and instead let them serve as historical reminders.  After crossing the Jordan, the Lord instructed Joshua to take stones from the river bottom and construct a memorial.   The purpose of this memorial, to historically remind future generations about how the Lord miraculously held back the Jordan River so the people could cross over on dry land (Joshua 4:1-10).  Historical remembrance is the purpose of memorials and why they must stay.

The mention of idols and idolatry carries with it the image of some statue or memorial but idols in our lives today often do not take on the form of a statue or memorial.  In her book “Finding Truth,” Nancy Pearcey defines an idol in our life as anything we want more than God. (1) One such idol in today’s world would is technology. 

During my daily commute in Phoenix, I pass by several bus stops.  It is common to see people looking down at their smart phones while waiting for the bus.  This demonstrates how smartphone technology has quickly become prevalent in our lives.  I only hope those looking at their phones at the bus stop do not become so engrossed with their phone that they miss their bus. 

I am not saying that the smartphone or other forms of technology are evil for they do have many good uses.  For example, during my son’s recent surgery, I could keep family and friends, some of which live in other states or were in other countries updated on his status using my smartphone.  I also, like many at my church, use a bible app on my tablet to access my Bible during the pastor’s sermon.  However, like anything else, the smartphone becomes an idol in our lives when it becomes more important than God. 

So prevalent are smartphones and technology in our lives that Nick Bilton wrote an article in the May 13, 2013 New York Times entitled “How to Take a Break From Your Technology.”  (2)  The article begins with Nick stating it is his first time at Technologists Anonymous.  While this is a fictitious organization, the author is illustrating the fact that there are some who are as addicted to technology as one would be to alcohol or drugs. 

The article goes on to offer some excellent suggestions on how to avoid becoming addicted to our technology.  The article suggests,

1)      Establishing a gadget free zone in our homes (2) – This is a zone, possibly in the bedroom or kitchen table where technology like smartphones, tablets, and laptops are not allowed.  I especially like the idea of a tech free zone at the kitchen table, or wherever meals are eaten in our homes for it encourages face-to-face social interaction. 

2)      Switch to airplane mode (2) – Since we now use our smartphone to listen to music, take notes, or take photos, they serve many purposes.  However, if we want to take a break from the constant distraction of alerts or notifications, turn on airplane mode which turns off the wireless connections while still allowing you to take notes, photos, and even listen to music if it is not through live streaming. 

3)      Turn off notifications (2) – Often you still need to be wirelessly connected but do not want to be distracted by notifications.  This is where it is useful to turn off notifications which only allows phone calls to come through.  Since phone calls are a dying breed, this should greatly cut down on distractions.  A word of caution here however, be sure to let your close family and friends know that in the event of a genuine emergency they must call you. 

Luke 12:34 reminds us that where our heart is, there our treasure will be also.  While technology can enhance and enrichen our lives let us be on guard not to allow it to become an idol.  The Bible app that makes access to the Bible easier for us is great but it is still the content of the text it contains that we must treasure.  While technology makes it possible for us to instantly connect with others anywhere in the world about prayer requests, let us not forget to take time to pray after someone contacts us.  We must also guard against allowing streaming church services online or skype to replace face-to-face connection unless the situation makes it impossible. 

Technology is a powerful tool.  Let it remain a tool and not become an idol in our lives. 

1. Wegman, Hannah. Modern Day Idolatry: Putting Anything Before God. www.christianpost.com. [Online] The Christian Post, May 27, 2015. [Cited: August 26, 2017.] http://www.christianpost.com/news/modern-day-idolatry-putting-anything-before-god-139630/.

2. Bilton, Nick. How to Take a Break From Your Technology. https://mobile.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, May 13, 2013. [Cited: August 26, 2017.] https://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/bits/2013/05/13/how-to-take-a-break-from-your-technology/?referer=.

The Flawed Logic of Racism

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 5:8

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(ESV)

The tragic events in Charlottesville have once again brought the subject of racism to the forefront of the national discussion.  While President Trump's statement condemning both sides for the violence in Charlottesville has been condemned since it failed to point a finger at white supremacists and neo-Nazis (1), Trump was correct in stating that both sides committed acts of violence at Charlottesville (2) and was attempting to illustrate the futility of resorting to violence to resolve grievances.  Unfortunately, however, the racially inflamed rhetoric of our time has changed the meaning of what constitutes racism and created flawed logic on the issue. 

Even though many of the founders of the United States were slave owners, a common practice in the late 1700’s, many did condemn its practice.  While many founders condemning slavery owned slaves many of them released them after the United States declared its independence from the British Crown.  (3)  Part of the flawed logic driving the debate on racism post Charlottesville is the removal from history of any statue or monument of anyone who once owned a slave even if they condemned the practice and were part of the founding of the country.  While some may believe this practice will cause people to forget the practice of slavery in the history of the United States and provide assurance the nation never returns to this abhorrent practice, I believe this is flawed logic. 

The first five books of the Bible are what are known as the Pentateuch.  They are a record of the history of humanity from creation to Israel on the verge of entering the land God had promised them.  These books contain both the positive aspects of this history and the negative ones.  In Deuteronomy 6:7, God commands His people to diligently teach the commands contained in these books.  The purpose of history is not to offend us but to teach us.  Negative aspects of history are present to teach us what not to do while the positive aspects are present to teach us what to do more of. 

The removal of history from a culture is a dangerous thing and something tyrants have done throughout history in an effort to set themselves up as supreme leaders.  As we read through the list of these ruthless leaders we see a common thread of either burning books or murdering those disagreeing with them.  (4)  Just as God reminded the people of Israel to continue teaching future generations about their history, we too must allow monuments and statues pointing to both the negative and positive aspects of our nation’s history to remain as reminders of history in order to teach future generations what to do and most importantly what to avoid. 

Racism is an attitude of one’s heart and not something contained in some statue or monument.  This is why simply removing some statue or monument will not remove racism from the nation and may in fact cause future generations to forget the atrocities of slavery and return to it touting its benefits.  We know this can occur in our time for even though most countries in the free world, including the United States have made the practice illegal, slavery still exists in many parts of the world.  (5) 

Instead of removing statues and monuments believing this will somehow rid us of racism, we must use these statues and monuments as teaching objects in an effort to change the hearts of individuals reminding them of the vileness of slavery and racism.  This, I believe is what President Trump intended to do when he condemned both sides for their violence during the riots in Charlottesville seeking civil discourse and protest in an effort to shed light on any racism. 

This past Saturday, in stark contrast to the violence in Charlottesville, there was another protest in Boston Massachusetts.  (6)  Pictures of this rally show thousands lining the streets, exercising their constitutional right to free speech but this time minus deadly violence.  This is precisely what the founders of the United States had in mind when they passed the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  However, if we insist on removing any memory in history of these men, I fear we may soon forget their positive contribution to our history (i.e. the Bill of Rights) and not learn from their mistakes. 

History is history.  It is in the past and no matter what we do to attempt to whitewash it from our memories, it will remain.  Let us therefore not be offended by events that have occurred in the past and instead learn from them.  We therefore must allow monuments and statues to remain as reminders of our history and not allow them to be used as political objects causing further divisiveness in our nation but as objects to remind us of our past and teach future generations. 

1. Busette, Camille. On Charlottesville, racism, and President Trump’s comments. www.brookings.edu. [Online] Brookings, August 16, 2017. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/on-charlottesville-racism-and-president-trumps-comments/.

2. Murdock, Deroy. Trump Accurately Blames Both Sides for Charlottesville Mayhem. www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, August 18, 2017. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://www.nationalreview.com/article/450612/trump-blame-both-sides-charlottesville-statement-factual-correct-description-trump.

3. Wallbuilders. The Founding Fathers and Slavery. wallbuilders.com. [Online] Wallbuilders. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] https://wallbuilders.com/founding-fathers-slavery/.

4. Macias, Elena Holodny and Amanda. The 25 most ruthless leaders of all time. www.businessinsider.com. [Online] Business Insider, October 7, 2015. [Cited: August 20, 2017.] http://www.businessinsider.com/most-ruthless-leaders-of-all-time-2015-10/#qin-shi-huang-1.

5. The Global Slavery Index. In 2016, we estimate that 45.8 million people are in some form of modern slavery in 167 countries. www.globalslaveryindex.org. [Online] The Global Slavery Index. [Cited: August 20, 2017.] https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/findings/?gclid=CjwKCAjw5uTMBRAYEiwA5HxQNs9hKZEYlp1ZvG-wt9XuKHsK_lc9lDdU_sZCuQrARRLgyh3ZTcfLUBoCeCkQAvD_BwE.

6. Sanchez, Ray. Thousands march in Boston in protest of controversial rally. www.cnn.com. [Online] CNN, August 19, 2017. [Cited: August 20, 2017.] http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/19/us/boston-free-speech-rally/index.html.

Idols in Our Lives: Believing We Are Morally Superior.

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Isaiah 64:6

We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

(ESV)

Jesus had stern words to say against the religious leaders of His time.  In Matthew 23:1-36 Jesus issues seven woes against the Pharisees.  Perhaps Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:25 sums up the major problem of these people, they put on the appearance of righteousness by their outward actions and appearance but on the inside were full of greed and self-indulgence.  However, before we begin our own criticism of the Pharisees, we must insure we are not filled with a similar belief in our own moral supremacy. 

The events on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville Virginia were atrocious and sickening.  While the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution does grant each citizen freedom of speech, this liberty does not include the right to harm another person or their property.  What the founders intended with the first amendment was the civil debate of issues with voters determining which side they favored through the election of representation sympathetic to their beliefs.  However, the political rhetoric in the United States has been heated to a point where such civil debate is no longer possible and groups of individuals, absent of any morality, believe their voices must be heard and that they must resort to deadly violence to bring attention to their plight.  This leaves us to ask the question, what can society do to return to civil debate and end this deadly senseless violence.

The purpose of this blog is to bring a biblical point of view to the events of the day, therefore, let us take a moment to look at what Scripture tells us about these events and how the People of God must respond.  The Beatitudes provide good instruction on how to respond without setting ourselves up as morally supreme to others for they tell us to,

1)      Be poor in spirit void of pride (Matthew 5:3,Proverbs 16:18) – When we think of being poor in our society we picture someone destitute and lacking basic necessities in their lives.  The word translated poor in the text of Matthew 5:3 is ptwcoj.  (1)  While this word does carry the meaning of one living in destitution, it also can mean lacking in anything as respects one’s spirit.  This meaning is the context of what Jesus meant in this passage so what Jesus is teaching is for us to devoid ourselves of our pride and belief that we can obtain righteousness through our own works.  To obtain the kingdom of heaven one must rely on the righteousness of Christ through acceptance of His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross.

2)      God brings comfort during times of mourning (Matthew 5:4, John 16:33) – One of the major questions of those that do not believe in Jesus as their Savior is how could a God of love allow suffering in the world.  The short answer is that God did not intend humanity to suffer and that suffering came about due to the disobedience of man in the garden (Genesis 3).  The message of the Gospel is not one promising no more suffering once one accepts Jesus as their savior for Jesus warned his disciples that there would be trouble in their lives (John 16:33).   However, through His death on the cross Jesus overcame immense suffering for our sins and promises to be with us during our suffering and times of mourning (Matthew 28:20).    

3)      Those exhibiting quiet strength will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5) – Since meekness rhymes with weakness, many erroneously equate being meek with being weak.  However, the Greek word for meek in Matthew 5:5 is prauj and when directed towards God means one who has decided to wholly trust in God. (2) Jesus teaching here is that it is not those acting violently, like those in Charlottesville that will inherit the earth but those placing their trust in God.

4)      Hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6,Psalm 42:1) – I recently visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio.  As we might expect, there is an elaborate display honoring Elvis.  Part of that display was a collection of spiritual books including the Bible.  As I looked at this collection of books I pictured someone that was searching for answers in his live and we can only pray he found those answers in the Bible prior to his death.  As we develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness we must turn to the Bible, the Word of God, for it is only there that we can find the answers that fill the longing of our hearts.

5)      Show mercy just as Christ showed us mercy (Matthew5:7) – Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden created a great chasm between humanity and God.  It is impossible for humanity in this fallen state to bridge this chasm and achieve righteousness with God (Isaiah 64:6).  Thankfully God did not leave us to die in our fallen state but instead sent His Only Son to die for our sins and by believing in Him, we can receive eternal life with God (John3:16).  Instead of asserting his moral supremacy over fallen humanity, God showed us mercy.  We should likewise show others mercy praying they will accept God’s merciful gift of salvation.  

6)      Strive for pureness of heart (Matthew 5:8) – The only one pure of heart was Jesus Christ.  However, this does not mean we should not strive for pureness of heart in our lives.  For this reason, we as believers are encouraged to study God’s Word in order to go through the process of heart purification.

7)      Be a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9) – President Trump came out condemning both sides for the tragedy in Charlottesville and was condemned by both people in the media and lawmakers.  (3)  This is unlike his predecessor who was quick to take sides despite his initial reticence on race when it became politically advantageous.  (4)  Each time President Obama took sides in racial issues, the racial division in the country widened.  With his statement condemning both sides, President Trump was taking on the role of peacemaker attempting to illustrate the futility of resorting to violence to promote one’s opinion on an issue like should a statue of Robert E. Lee be allowed to stand.    

8)      The blessing of the kingdom of heaven is the result of persecution for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10) – When one takes a stand for Christ they are putting themselves at odds with a world dominated by hate.  As such persecution may result but Jesus promises in Matthew 5:10 that those suffering such persecution will inherit the kingdom of heaven. 

Let us not as Christians make the mistakes of the Pharisees and begin believing we are morally superior from those that do not believe.  We have all inherited a sin nature from our father Adam and need the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us of that nature.  We therefore must not allow the idol of moral superiority to govern our presentation of the Gospel and instead present it as a message of mercy and grace from a loving God who offered up His only son to redeem us from our sins. 

If you are reading this and have not made Jesus Lord of your life, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations, you now have eternal life according to John3:16.  Now I encourage you to grow in your relationship with your Lord by finding a church teaching the Bible.  I also caution everyone reading this to constantly be on guard not to allow moral superiority to govern your life but to strive to live according to the Beatitudes. 

1. Godrules.net. KJV W/Strongs Bible 0 Matthew 5. www.godrules.net. [Online] Bibleexplore.com. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre4434.htm.

2. —. KJV W/ STRONGS BIBLE - MATTHEW 5. www.godrules.net. [Online] Bibleexplore.com. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre4239.htm.

3. Dakshayani Shankar, John Verhovek, and Saisha Talwar. Lawmakers slam Trump for laying 'blame on both sides' in Charlottesville rally. abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, August 15, 2017. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lawmakers-slam-trump-laying-blame-sides-charlottesville-rally/story?id=49237327.

4. Alcindor, Michael D. Shear and Yamiche. Jolted by Deaths, Obama Found His Voice on Race. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, January 14, 2017. [Cited: August 19, 2017.] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/politics/obama-presidency-race.html?mcubz=0.

Changing the Object of our Worship

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 John 2:15-16

 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life^[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world.

(ESV)

God hates double-mindedness but loves those placing their hope in the Word of God and living lives of obedience to it (Psalm119:112-114).  As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us not to lay up treasures on earth but to instead lay-up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).  While Jesus teaching on what we are to treasure is often used to encourage believers to give to the work of the Gospel, it also carries a broader call to guard our hearts against false idols or objects of worship that supplant God from the throne of our lives. 

When we think of idolatry, we often picture someone bowing down to some statue of a pagan god.  However, idolatry in our modern age is often reflected by placing our trust or treasure in something of this world, placing it above our trust of God.  The most serious threat of these objects is that they may appear good and even harmless on the surface but when we place them above God in our lives become serious threats for even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). 

Some seemingly harmless objects of worship that can supplant God in our lives include,

1)      Government and politics – As government’s size has increased, so has its influence upon the lives of citizens.  Unfortunately, this increase in government’s influence has brought about the encroachment of government into the religious liberties of citizens.  This has increased the necessity for Christians to become involved in the political process as a means of defending their Constitutionally protected right to freely practice their religion in the United States as protected by the first amendment.  (1)  However, we must be on guard not to place our entire trust in the first amendment or government to protect our religious liberties and remember to place our primary trust in God.  In many parts of the world Christians practice their religion under the threat of oppression and even death and yet Christianity thrives in these nations.  (2) (3)  I believe Christianity thrives under these circumstances because these Christians are forced to place their trust in God.  Prior to persecution in the United States escalating to this level, we must learn to place our trust in God while doing what we can through the electoral process to insure the election of representatives that will protect our Constitutional right to freedom of religion.

2)      Work and career – Most of us spend most of our waking hours engaged in our work and career and as a result these pursuits can dominate our lives.  Just as the increasing influence of government in our lives can cause us to place our trust in it to solve our problems, placing our trust in our work and career to provide for our financial needs can become the object of worship in our lives.  Scripture reminds us to trust in God to supply our needs (Philippians 4:19). 

3)      Family – While family is important with scripture reminding us to love and care for our spouses and children (Ephesians5:22-33, Ephesians 6:1-4), making them number one in our lives in place of God is dangerous.  Our spouses and children must see us living lives in obedience to God and His Word.  For this reason, we must insure we all make daily time with God a priority in our lives in order to lead our families according to Godly principles. 

The true test of what one treasures in their lives is in what they do when a crisis occurs.  In crisis do we treasure God in our lives by taking it to him in prayer or instead do we turn to some earthly source like government, work, or career, or even someone in our family.  While these things may be beneficial, we must learn to make the main object of our lives our relationship with Jesus Christ and knowledge of His Word. 

1 John 2:15-16 cautions us against placing our trust in the things of this world because in the end, these things will fail us and not provide for our needs.  Let us therefore learn to make the main object of our worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

1. constitutionus.com. The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online] [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://constitutionus.com/.

2. Melchior, Julian Kay. China's Christians Thrive, Despite Increase in Persecution. www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, February 4, 2013. [Cited: August 12, 2017.] http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/339709/chinas-christians-thrive-despite-increase-persecution-jillian-kay-melchior.

3. Brown, Elijah M. Minority Report: Christian Persecution in Muslim-Majority Countries. fullerstudio.fuller.edu. [Online] Fuller Studio. [Cited: August 12, 2017.] https://fullerstudio.fuller.edu/minority-report-christian-persecution-muslim-majority-countries/.

Lessons from the Apostasy of Solomon

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Kings 11:1-2

King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. ² They came from nations about which the Lord had warned the Israelites, “You must not establish friendly relations with them! If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.” But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.

 (ESV)

Many a leader begins with a grand plan and good intentions often founded on Godly principles.  However, just because one starts with a Godly plan does not mean things will continue down that path.  Therefore leaders, especially godly leaders, must be on guard against apostasy and compromise when it comes to their values.  While Solomon began by seeking God’s wisdom and a discerning heart (1Kings 3:9), in the end he spoke of the vanity of life (Ecclesiastes 1:2).  Let us now take a moment and learn from the apostasy of Solomon so we do not as leaders succumb to the same apostasy.

1 Kings 11:1-2 tells us how Solomon started down the road to apostasy.  Even though scripture does not tell us specifically why Solomon fell for these foreign woman, I believe there may be two possibilities. 

1)      Political expediency – Solomon’s father David was a warrior king whose reign was dominated by warfare against the enemies of Israel (i.e. Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites).  Perhaps not wanting to engage in warfare against these nations in the future, Solomon believed marrying women from these nations would promote peace.

2)      Lust – Another possibility is that Solomon, like his father David, had a problem with lust (2 Samuel 11:1-5).  1 Kings 10 records the account of the visit to Israel of the Queen of Sheba and Solomon’s great wealth telling us that Solomon was well known among other leaders and someone of great wealth.  Perhaps the women of these other nations were attracted to Solomon’s great power and wealth and coupled with lust led to Solomon's disobedience to Gods specific command not to intermarry with the women of these nations. 

The United States began as a nation founded on the principle of unalienable God given rights with the purpose of government being the protector of these rights as stated in the Declaration of Independence.  (1)  Unfortunately, since that time the nation has fallen into an apostasy driven by political expediency and the lust for power.  This apostasy has led to an increase in governments influence over the lives of citizens through progressive taxation punishing the producers and job creators of the nation and onerous regulations curtailing creativity and productivity. 

Most recently with the passage of Obamacare, the door to single payer or government run health care has been opened which will give government control over the health care decisions of citizens.  With this control, government will be empowered to decide who receives life-saving health care, in essence determining who lives and dies.  If the authors of the Declaration of Independence were alive and able to speak today, I believe they would be among the loudest voices speaking out against this travesty. 

Unfortunately, our apostatized Congress and Senate who are driven to maintain their power and positions instead of serving the people electing them, are paralyzed when it comes to repealing this liberty stealing legislation.  (2)  This same apostasy also threatens Trump’s tax cuts and tax reform as legislators’ fear loss of political power provided through the progressive income tax system in the United States. 

The Constitutional purpose of taxes is the raising of revenue to fund necessary governmental functions such as national defense.  Unfortunately, since the passage of the sixteenth amendment legalizing the taxation of income, (3) taxation has evolved into a political issue empowering politicians to promote their agendas through “Initiating various tax reforms: decreasing (or increasing) tax rates, changing the definition of taxable income, and creating new taxes on specific products etc.”  (4)  The fact that the Supreme Court rules Obamacare’s individual mandate to purchase health insurance or be penalized through the tax code as constitutional stands as a clear example of how taxation is used to advance a political agenda.  (5) 

President Trump ran for and won election to office on a promise to drain the swamp.  The swamp he is speaking of is a swamp of political apostasy occupied by swamp creatures who run for office promising to help the common man but who once in office become obsessed with the lust for political power.  As such they resist any attempt to curtail their power through regulatory or tax reform, viewing it as a threat to their positions. 

2018 provides an opportunity for us as the voters to pull the plug on the drain in the swamp by removing from office the swamp creatures obsessed with the apostacy of political power.  These elections are a little more than a year away so now is the time to begin the process. 

1. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

2. Clark, Anita Kumar and Lesley. Fear of base voters keeps GOP lawmakers lined up with Trump. www.kansascity.com. [Online] The Kansas City Star, July 18, 2017. [Cited: August 12, 2017.] http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article162231703.html.

3. constitutionus.com. The Constitution of the United States. constitutionus.com. [Online] [Cited: January 21, 2017.] http://constitutionus.com/.

4. Roach, Brian. Taxes in the United States:. www.ase.tufts.edu. [Online] Global Development And Environment Institute, Tufts University. , 2010. [Cited: August 12, 2017.] http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/education_materials/modules/Taxes_in_the_United_States.pdf.

5. Shapiro, Ilya. The Obamacare "Tax" That Chief Justice Roberts Invented Is Still Unconstitutional. www.forbes.com. [Online] Forbes, May 12, 2014. [Cited: August 12, 2017.] https://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyashapiro/2014/05/12/the-obamacare-tax-that-chief-justice-roberts-invented-is-still-unconstitutional/#5f01722822b7.

When God Governs

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

(ESV)

It is always tough to be called upon to lead after someone who was an effective and powerful leader.  This is because everyone watching expects you to be as great as your predecessor.  This is precisely the position Joshua faces and why God gives him the encouraging words contained in Joshua 1:1-9.  Joshua 1:8 provides godly advice for anyone following a great effective leader and something worth considering in this post.

The first thing to consider is that even though your predecessor was good and effective as a leader, they were not perfect.  This is because all people, except for Jesus Christ, have sinned (Romans 3:23).  While Joshua’s predecessor was great in that he led the people of Israel out of their Egyptian slavery, he did have his faults. 

1)      Moses felt inadequate (1) – Exodus 3 records Moses’ burning bush experience.  God gets Moses’ attention by setting a bush on fire but does so in such a way as to not have the bush consumed by the fire (Exodus 3:2).  While a burning bush is an attention getter demonstrating the miraculous power of God, God goes even further for God then tells Moses that He has seen the suffering of His people and tells Moses that He has come down to rescue them (Exodus 3:7-8).  God then gives Moses his mission, to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10).  Moses replies with his feelings of inadequacy (Exodus 3:11).  Feeling inadequate when it comes to fulfilling God’s calling on our lives is normal and keeps a leader humble for it forces them to rely on God.  However, we must not allow the enemy to cause our feelings of inadequacy to stop us from fulfilling God’s calling on our lives.  God did not tell Moses to rescue His people but to lead them.  The heavy work of rescuing was God’s duty and something He miraculously performed.  Our job as leaders is to lead others while following God and living our lives according to His Word (Joshua 1:8).

2)      Moses had anger issues (2) Righteous anger directed at Pharaoh suffered no divine condemnation (Exodus11:4-8) but anger at the complaining of the people leading to disobedience of God’s commands did (Numbers 20:1-13).  What determines if anger is a sin or not is to whom or what it is directed.  There is little doubt anger was something Moses struggled with all his life starting with his murder of an Egyptian resulting in his exile to Midian (Exodus 2:11-25), but even this event in the life of Moses set up his burning bush experience.  However, Moses’ anger at the waters of Meribah meant he would not be the one to lead Israel into the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12), setting up the leadership of his successor Joshua.    

The encouraging words of God given to Joshua upon assuming the leadership role from Moses serve as a reminder to anyone assuming a position of leadership, we are not to gauge our performance upon our predecessor but instead are to follow God.  This, however, does not mean we should not be inspired by the successes of our predecessors, only that we as leaders must discover our own destiny.  (3)  In Joshua 1:8 God is instructing Joshua to seek his own destiny by studying and meditating on the Word of God and living a life of obedience to what it says. 

This is what it means for God to govern something the nation of Israel failed to understand when they asked God for a king to rule over them (1 Samuel 8:1-9).  In his dissertation telling the Israelites what would happen if they appointed a king to rule over them (1 Samuel 8:11-22), Samuel is basically telling the people they would be returning to servitude, not of Pharaoh this time but to a king from among their own people.  While Israel did have some good kings, mainly King David, they also had a history of kings that led them into rebellion against God resulting in their captivity (Hosea 9:15). 

Since all of us who have accepted Jesus as our savior have a calling to lead in some capacity, it is wise for us all to become students of the Word of God, studying and meditating on it and applying it to our daily lives.  We must then allow God to govern our lives first and as we follow God’s leadership we will be empowered to lead those God gives us to lead. 

1. Raymond Brown M.A., M.Th. Ph.D. Moses: The Problem Of Feeling *Inadequate. www.easyenglish.bible. [Online] EasyEnglish Bible Studies. [Cited: July 22, 2017.] https://www.easyenglish.bible/problems/tpaou02-pbw.htm.

2. David Woetzel, B.S. When Moses became Angry. www.icr.org. [Online] Institute for Creation Research. [Cited: July 22, 2017.] http://www.icr.org/article/when-moses-became-angry/.

3. TDJakes.com. Pursuing Your Destiny Means You Have To Do You. www.tdjakes.com. [Online] TDJakes.com. [Cited: July 22, 2017.] http://www.tdjakes.com/posts/pursuing-your-destiny-means-you-have-to-do-you.

Equipping the Godly Leader

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Luke 22:25-26

And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

(ESV)

The context of the above scripture is a time nearing the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus.  The disciples have witnessed many miracles during their time with Jesus and were beginning to understand Jesus was no ordinary teacher or prophet.  Perhaps they looked around and were beginning to believe Jesus must have thought they were something special leading to a dispute about which one of them would be the greatest in the Kingdom they believed Jesus would establish.  Their time of living under the tyrannical rule of Rome had provided a view of leadership as one where government officials exercised absolute authority over those they led and believed once Jesus overthrew their oppressors, they would be on the giving instead of receiving end of oppression.  Knowing this since Jesus knows all our thoughts, Jesus used this dispute as an opportunity to demonstrate the difference between ungodly secular leadership and godly leadership. 

Since all individuals have sinned (Romans 3:23), including those exercising earthly authority over us, there is no perfect leader among us.  However, it should be the objective of everyone in leadership to strive to lead in a godly manner and since we all lead at some level, whether it is at work, home, in the church, or in some elected position, equipping ourselves for godly leadership is something everyone reading this should strive for. 

Godly leaders demonstrate,

1)      Mature zeal – Leadership involves creating excitement or zeal among those that follow, but simply stirring emotions only lasts a short time.  David demonstrated a mature zeal in his leadership because the Spirit of the Lord was powerfully upon him as opposed to Saul who experienced the Spirit leaving him.  Godly leaders have the same mature zeal since the Holy Spirit lives within them.  This mature zeal is not one seeking personal glory but has the objective of bringing glory to God.  (1) 

2)      Empower those they lead – Worldly leaders must resort to fear and manipulation to get people to follow them.  Like the use of emotionalism to excite individuals, the use of manipulation and fear may result in people temporarily following a leader but as people begin to realize they are being manipulated, they rebel.  In contrast, godly leaders are followers of God first and seek His glory.  As such they do not lead through fear and manipulation but instead lead by pointing others to their source of empowerment, the Holy Spirit, eliminating any need to resort to fear and manipulation.  (1)

3)      Are moved by wisdom – After the rule of King David in Israel, his son Solomon began his rein.  After a day of sacrificing 1,000 burnt offerings to the Lord at Gibeon, Solomon had a vision from the Lord.  The Lord presented Solomon with a blank check, promising to grant him anything he asked for.  Solomon could have asked for riches or great authoritative power but instead sought wisdom.  Instead of seeking and exercising authoritative power over those they lead, godly leaders seek wisdom from the Lord and lead according to those principles.  Of course, the best book of the Bible in which to find words of wisdom is the Book of Proverbs authored by King Solomon, the one that asked God for wisdom.  (1)

Godly leaders have the qualities of,

1)      Seeking God’s direction

2)      Modesty not arrogance

3)      Peacemakers not seeking conflict

4)      Leading justly with fairness

5)      Seeking honest, trustworthy, and godly counselors

6)      A good learner

7)      Humility

8)      Sensibility and kindness

9)      Slowness to anger (2)

In addition, godly leaders are also disciplined demonstrating the disciplines of, 

1)      Purity

2)      Patience

3)      Forgiveness

4)      Understanding

5)      Integrity

6)      Faithfulness

7)      Sacrifice

8)      Love (3)

Galatians 5:22-23 teaches us that the Holy Spirit in our lives produces the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Even though no earthly leader other than Jesus is perfect and constantly demonstrates these qualities, it should be the objective of each of us, especially those in leadership positions, to demonstrate these qualities.  However, since these qualities are fruits of the Holy Spirit, the only way one can genuinely demonstrate them on a consistent basis is to be a believer in Jesus as their savior having the Holy Spirit within them. 

Our world is in dire need of more godly leaders.  We desperately need godly political leaders that will lead according to godly principles.  Business needs to see godly led businesses succeeding due to their adherence to godly principles.  The education system, currently dominated by a post-modernist philosophy (4) needs an injection of godly leadership to bring up a future generation of leaders that will lead according to godly principles.  Most importantly, we must have godly leadership in our homes spawning a generation of people serving the Lord Jesus Christ and filled with His Spirit. 

1. Dobson, Jonathan. Worldly Leaders vs Spiritual Leaders: 3 Key Differences. churchleaders.com. [Online] Churchleaders, October 3, 2011. [Cited: July 22, 2017.] http://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-how-to/154498-wordlly-leaders-vs-spiritual-leaders-3-key-differences.html.

2. Rinehart, Brent. 9 Essential Qualities of a Godly Leader. www.crosswalk.com. [Online] crosswalk.com, May 14, 2015. [Cited: July 22, 2017.] http://www.crosswalk.com/family/career/9-essential-qualities-of-a-godly-leader.html.

3. Wilson, Jarrid. 10 Disciplines of a Godly Man. churchleaders.com. [Online] Churchleaders, January 8, 2015. [Cited: July 22, 2017.] http://churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/245272-10-disciplines-of-a-godly-man.html.

Arrogance and Compassion: Lessons from the Good Samaritan

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Luke 10:36-37

 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

(ESV)

The parable of the Good Samaritan is perhaps one of the most well-known of Jesus’ parables.  Today we equate Samaritans with people or organizations that are compassionate to those in need.  One of the largest hospitals in my hometown of Phoenix Arizona is Good Samaritan Hospital.  Samaritan’s purse, an organization run by Franklin Graham is usually one of the first responders offering help to people around the world falling victim to some disaster.  However, in the time of Jesus Samaritans were not held in such high esteem.

Samaritans came about because of the division of the Nation of Israel after the rein of King Solomon (1 Kings 12).  The result of this split and separation from Jerusalem by the northern tribes of Israel, specifically the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh caused great antagonism to develop between the Jews and Samaritans.  (1)  So vile was this antagonism that it escalated to Jews wanting nothing to do with Samaritans.  (2)

Viewed in this historical context, we now see mention of a Samaritan in response to a question asked by a lawyer (Luke 10:25-29) attempting entrap Jesus would have been viewed as offensive.  In fact, another lawyer or even possibly the same one did admit to being offended by the words of Jesus (Luke 11:45).  The source of offense in comes because of words of rebuke uttered by Jesus towards the Pharisees about their religious arrogance (Luke 11:37-44).  Taken in this context we can now have a better understanding of what Jesus wants us to learn from the parable of the Good Samaritan for it demonstrates arrogance of the priest, and the lawyer who could not be bothered to stop and help the man in need (Luke 10:31-32), and the compassion of a despised Samaritan who demonstrated compassion (Luke 10:33-35).  By praising the acts of the Samaritan (Luke 10:36-37), Jesus was rebuking the animosity that had developed between Jews and Samaritans, both of whom he would die on a cross for providing salvation for sins. 

While it is easy for us, almost 2000 years later to stand in condemnation of the religious arrogance of the Pharisees and Lawyers of Jesus’ time, we must also guard against developing a similar arrogant gospel that condemns instead of points people to Jesus and his provision of salvation and restoration of our relationship with God.  This is the challenge of the church today, balancing the justness of God with his grace.  Unfortunately, I see many churches leaning heavily towards the extremes of moral legalism or cheap grace instead of striving to achieve this balance.  The reason this is unfortunate is that it,

1)      Legalism sets up people to fail – The purpose of the law of God is to serve as a school master showing us the high standard of God’s Righteousness (Galatians 3:24).  When I picture a school master I picture a cold person whose duty is to strictly enforce a set of rules and regulations.  In the case of following God’s law to the letter we all have failed (Romans 3:23) and even one failure results in a death sentence upon our lives (Romans 6:23).  While it is important for everyone, especially those claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ to live in obedience to the law (i.e. the 10 commandments) it is imperative that we remember we are not saved through our adherence to these rules but by God’s infinite grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).  To require total adherence to the Law of God in order to achieve salvation only sets someone up to fail, not something most would want to become part of.  Instead the Gospel is about God knowing our hopeless situation and sending His Son to take the death penalty for our sins.  I now want to obey God’s Word not out of some selfish desire to achieve salvation and eternal life but out of love for the fact that God Himself died to provide my salvation. 

2)      Cheap Grace lessens the value of what Jesus did on the Cross – The other extreme prevalent in the church today is antinomianism.  The word antinomianism is derived from the Greek and means lawless.  (3)  This belief stems from an extreme interpretation of Ephesians 2:8-9, believing that since grace saves us there is no longer any need to follow the Old Testament laws, including the 10 commandments.  While we indeed are saved by the grace of God since none of us has strictly followed God’s law to the letter, we must not use the grace of God as a blank check to live a life of sin, something condemned by Paul the same one authoring the words in Ephesians2:8-9, in Romans 6:15.  We cheapen the value of God’s grace when we fail to condemn sin instead of using sin to demonstrate our need to repent and turn to Christ (Romans 7).  Unfortunately, many modern churches lean towards antinomianism in an effort to boost their membership by not offending anyone with the sin in their lives.  Woe to the pastor that must answer to God some day for their failure to address the sin in their parishioner’s lives, sin that prevented them from achieving a strong and vibrant relationship with God through Christ.

Let us in the church today not fall into the trap of religious arrogance as did the religious leaders and lawyers of the time of Christ and instead adopt the attitude of the Good Samaritan.  While adoption of this attitude may result is us being despised as do-gooders by legalists, better to be despised by them then rebuked as were those in Luke 11:37-53.  However, let us not move to the extreme of antinomianism by fearing retribution for condemning sin.  Instead, let us point sinners to Christ through compassion and strive to live lives in obedience to God’s Word and encourage others to do the same. 

1. Brindle, Wayne A. THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY. Faculty.gordon.edu. [Online] Grace Theological Journal, 1984. [Cited: July 16, 2017.] https://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/ntesources/ntarticles/gtj-nt/brindle-samaritans-gtj.htm.

2. Bible.org. Hatred Between Jews and Samaritans. bible.org. [Online] Bible.org. [Cited: July 16, 2017.] https://bible.org/illustration/hatred-between-jews-and-samaritans.

3. Theopedia. Antinomianism. www.theopedia.com. [Online] Theopedia.com. [Cited: July 16, 2017.] https://www.theopedia.com/antinomianism.