As November begins, the 2008 election is just days away.  Candidates have been campaigning for years and, assuming you have not used an absentee ballot, you will vote soon.

 

Election Reflection #1 – Using Your Talent Well

One “talent” God has given each American is the right to vote.  One day, we will give an account for how we used that vote.  The question we will answer one day is whether we used our vote wisely, in accordance with biblical principles, whether we “buried the talent” out of fear or confusion, or whether we used our vote to tell God to get out of political life. 

 

At times like these, polls may make us think that our vote is irrelevant.  The headlines I read seem to be saying, “This election is already finished.”  Maybe your candidate is so far ahead or behind that your vote won’t tip the scales.  We need to remember at these times the words of John Quincy Adams who said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

 

What Adams says is true because God knows how we use our gifts.  If we vote based on biblical principle, with Christian love for God and our neighbor, even if we stand alone, we know that God will keep that and reward you in the end with His glorious words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  Don’t bury your vote - educate yourself on biblical principles and then choose the best candidate.

 

From my view, some of the important issues every Christian needs to consider are:

·        What is the role of the government in preserving freedom of worship and what stances does the candidate take that might undermine that right?

·        When does human life begin?   Is abortion murder?  Does the government have the responsibility to protect human life?

·        Is it the governments responsibility to relieve poverty or the role of churches and private citizens?

 

Certainly there are many other issues in this election.  These are just three of the questions we need to consider.

 

 

Election Reflection #2 – Jesus Shall Reign

Let’s face it, at this time, there is a good chance that your candidate is behind in the polls.  Your candidate may lose.  How do you respond?

 

Is Sunday November 9  going to be a day of mourning if the people you vote for lose on November 4? 

 

The most important truth to keep in mind that, ultimately, even our elected officials do not ultimately direct our nation.  It is important to elect good officials, as they are making important decisions as they lead our country.  Still the ultimate leadership of our nation is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. He rules every nation with His powerful hand.  We are in the midst of history - “His Story” as He brings all things to His conclusion.

 

Jesus is right now ministering at the right hand of God the Father.  God has promised that every nation will be the inheritance of His Son (Psalm 2:8).  All history is moving toward the day where “Every knee shall bow to the Lord, and every tongue shall give praise to God” (Romans 14:11).  In the past, God has even used some of Israel’s worst enemies to accomplish His purposes (think of Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, and Ahasuerus).  He allowed bad kings to rule over His own people (think of Ahab for Israel and Manasseh for Judah).

 

No matter what happens, no matter our degree of concern for the country, we continue to press on with Christ.  We must respond to the victory or loss of our candidate with similar actions:

 

1.)   Respond with Faith – Trusting that this world and all that is in it is the Lord’s.  He still reigns and shall accomplish His purposes.  Remember who your ultimate leader is – “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).

 

2.)   Continued Witness – we are called to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).  This responsibility does not change based on the political winds of our culture.  People find hope in Christ when they see that confident trust in God is possible whether we think our nation is moving in a positive or negative direction.

 

3.)   Grow in Christian Conviction – We need to continually study God’s Word to form a more complete conscience.  We need to know how God wants us to live in this world.  Statistically speaking, few Americans are able to connect their Christian faith with an understanding of our world.  As a result we are often directed more by liberal or conservative commentators than by biblical principle.  Many times we come to a position we want to hold and then try to defend it biblically rather than examining what the Bible says and coming to its conclusion on the important matters of our day.  This takes some work on our part.  It will not be easy.   We must not choose our Christianity because it is in line with political values.  Instead our political values must be shaped by our faith.

 

4.)   Show Mercy - We are called to

“Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9). 

 

With God as our strength we press on as God’s people to do what is right in the midst of the culture around us.

 

No matter who wins and loses the election, November 9 will be a day of covenant renewal as we worship our risen Savior, learn from His Word, and prepare to serve a world that desperately needs the hope of the gospel.  That need will not disappear no matter who is elected president.  We will continue to gather for the next four years with a shared conviction – that Jesus Christ died for sin and rose from the dead.

 

Election Reflection #3 – Whose Ambassador Are You?

I have seen a lot of passion about this election.  I have seen it over the last two elections in fact, each one being referred to as “the most important election in our nation’s history”. 

 

It is easier to become a spokesperson for a particular candidate than it is to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ.  Our nation divides up into two (or more) teams with fans on each side tossing jeers at the opponents and their fans. 

 

Why is it that we can be so passionate about a political candidate instead of the King of Kings who reigns over the universe, who loves us with unending love, who give true freedom, who actually gives everything he promises, and who is eternally faithful to His people?

 

Certainly our voting should be a reflection of our faith in Christ.  It is an act of faithful trust in God to vote.  You may have heard my passions, my concerns, and my frustrations with both major party candidates.  Does this election matter to me?  You bet it does! 

 

Still, in the midst of an important election, we need to remember that the right politicians are not the answer to our nations biggest problems.  That results in a top-down approach to national change that does not work.  The most critical think for us as a church is to continue to tell the world about the risen Savior, that many others may believe and trust in Him.  Only through this will our nation find the national repentance that God requires of us.  Individuals must be convinced that Christ is risen and calls us to repentance, faith, and trust in His finished work on the cross.

                                          

We may say that we are passionate about “Christian values”, but should not we be passionate about Christ Himself?  When have you last spoken to somebody about Jesus Christ the way you spoke about your favorite candidate in this election?

  “"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).  Let us make a case for Jesus Christ as the One every American needs.

Last week we learned about how asking good questions help us to know how to help other people.  But, once we get all that information, what do we do with it all.  We need to be able to organize what we learn so we can get truly understand what is happening.  That is what we are going to look at this week as we study Lesson 8 of Helping Others Change.

"A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out." - Proverbs 20:5

 

Jesus had an incredible ability to see into the hearts of people.  He was able to get to the point of their need quickly.  But he always addressed people at their point of need, not at the peripheral areas.

 

“He Himself knew what was in man.” – John 2:25

 

Think of the argument for position between the disciples in Mark 10:35-41, Jesus went to the heart of the matter.  The desired to be served, not to serve.  Or the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22 who loved money more than God.

Consider these quotes by Paul David Tripp in his book Instruments of the Redeemer's Hands,

“Personal ministry is not about always knowing what to say.  It is not about fixing everything in sight that is broken.  Personal ministry is about connecting people with Christ so that they are able to think as he would have them think, desire what he says is best, and do what he calls them to do even if their circumstances never get “fixed.”  It involves exposing hurt, lost, and confused people to God’s glory, so that they give up their pursuit of their own glory and live for his.  It is about so thoroughly embedding people’s personal stories in the larger story of redemption that they approach every situation and relationship with a “God’s story” mentality.  We need to be filled with awe at what the Lord has called us to participate in!” – Instruments in the Redeemers Hands, page 184

 

“If you do not help people to see their story from a distinctively biblical, Christ-centered perspective, your ministry will do nothing but lob theological platitudes and principles at them.  Their hearts will remain unchanged, and any behavioral changes will be temporary.  They will not only continue to be at war with others, but also with God who will not concede his exclusive claim on their hearts.” Page 186

Article: Let Christians Vote As Though They Were Not Voting

Sure the economy is bad, but I care about more ...

A friend recommended that I watch this video.

 

"Hard Work Pays Off Later- Procrastination Pays Off Now" - isn't this the danger of procrastination? We need to live with the end in mind!

A couple great articles on prayer and using the psalms in prayer, and to grow in prayer:
Article 1: Schooled by the Psalms
Article 2: Five Ways to Pray the Psalms

"Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried."

I need to go to war with the way I procrastinate using the internet.  There are so many things that seem so interesting to learn about...

Hope you are enjoying our Sunday school class on being an instrument of change in other peoples lives, helping them become what God wants them to be.  If you have not joined us, you are welcome to join us this Sunday - 10 AM in room 207 at New Life in Christ Church.

Briefly, as I don't have much time this week, I want to mention that this week we will cover Lesson 7 - KNOW - Getting to Know People; Discovering Where Change is Needed.

I'm looking forward to it.  See you Sunday!

Before I write anything about our class, let me ask, have you chosen your Personal Ministry Opportunity (PMO) for the class?  Look at the end of Lesson 4 to decide what relationship or group you are going to focus on as we work through the remainder of this course.  This is the most critical part of our course and it will determine the impact this class will have on your life.

Last week we covered Lesson 5 - How to build relationships where Christ's love can work.  How vital it is that we enter into people's lives instead of just lobbing answers at them.  Many times we are working with people who have come to us with a problem.  We need to enter their world.  Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."  We are called to rejoice along with them and to weep along with them.

The difficulty with this is that at times we are unable to discern when people are inviting us in.  For example how do we get enter the live of our teenage child who seems closed and short?  Often we are simply building the trust that comes when we listen and seek to understand the experience of the person we are talking together with.  So we are making time to listen (setting aside time that we can talk), and we are asking good questions, and we are listening for a.) emotive words, b.) self-talk, and c.) interpretive words (see page 5.10 in the workbook).

Often times, we simply don't have an open door with someone.  They don't trust us or they don't know they can trust us.  It is at those times we need to pray and ask God to open the door.  Even the apostle Paul said, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak" (Colossians 4:2-4). 

Sure, sometimes we need try to enter when no one has asked us to (say when a person is hurting themselves or others and is totally blind to their behavior - see Matthew 18), but generally speaking we ask God to open the door to the issues in peoples lives.  Then we ask good questions to understand, to empathize, and to incarnate the love of Christ.

It isn't easy, it isn't quick, but change takes time, relationships take time, and often people crack open part of their lives a tiny bit at a time, evaluating if we are a person they can trust.  They are deciding if we are a person seeking to push our own agenda, or to seek their good.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his true friend.  Therein is a drop of honey which will catch his heart - which, say what will you will, is the great road to his reason.  When you have once gained his heart, you have little trouble convincing his judgment of the justices of your cause, if indeed that cause is really just."

This week we will cover Lesson 6 and finish our discussion on building relationships where Christ works.  We will learn how to identify with the suffering of others and to accept others and still seek God's agenda for their lives.  Be ready to discuss what you are learning.

The late Larry Burkett spoke with Jim Dobson in 1992 about America's coming financial crisis.  The broadcasts can be downloaded on the Focus webpage (Title: The Coming Economic Earthquake #1 and #2).  It is worth listening to. 

The crisis we are in right now highlights the way we need to pay attention to Burketts long-term counsel - get out of debt!

Proverbs 22:7 -The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

Article: Worse than Ever: Christians knew the attacks were coming, but no one knew they would be this deadly

"Religion is for people who want to stay out of hell. Christianity is for people who have been there." - Lee Flowers

"No lie is more often believed than the lie that we can know God without someone else knowing us. Keeping secrets is lethal.  The core of individualism is pride, and pride isolates. [...] But deep change requires community, and community is always mutual.  We must be willing to tell our story if we expect others to tell us theirs.  Let's think story.  ... I call it transcendent curiosity." - Larry Crabb, Soul Talk, page 138.

I heard the class with Bob Rumbaugh went well last week.  I am thankful for Bob's partnership in teaching the class so I could go and speak at Hope of Christ where things went very well.

Last week Bob covered Lesson 4 - an overview of how God uses us as as an instrument, as an ambassador, to care for and help the people in our lives.  We saw that we are not aiming for external change - the change of behavior, but the change in the heart which leads to closeness with God, peace, patience, and growth.  True change when a person's mind and motivations are brought into consistency with the truth and love of God.

The rest of our time together we will unpack these four area of life-on-life ministry: LOVE, KNOW, SPEAK, DO.

This week we will work through Lesson 5 - Building Relationships in Which God's Work Will Thrive.

If you want to gain the most from the class, it is absolutely critical that you work through the homework for Lesson 4.  In lesson 4, you will pick a Personal Ministry Objective (PMO) that will apply the rest of the course to your personal life and decisions.  A PMO is some relationship that you are in, a family member, a friend, someone who asks you for help, or a group at work, a group at church, or a group you lead.

I will ask a few people to tell us what their PMO is.

I am looking forward to our time on Sunday.

Here is an educational explanation of the current economic crisis America is in.  Praise God that he is a sure foundation in the midst of trials.

  St. Augustine in his Confessions reasoned that these unfulfillable desires are clues to the reality of God. How so? Indeed ... just because we feel the desire for a steak dinner doesn't mean we will get it. However, while hunger doesn't prove that the particular meal desired will be procured, doesn't the appetite for food in us mean that food exists? Isn't it true that innate desires cor­respond to real objects that can satisfy them, such as sexual desire (corresponding to sex), physical appetite (corresponding to food), tiredness (corresponding to sleep), and relational desires (corresponding to friendship)?
 
 Doesn't the unfulfillable longing evoked by beauty qualify as an innate desire?  We have a longing for joy, love, and beauty that no amount or quality of food, sex, friendship, or success can satisfy.  We want something that nothing in this world can fulfill.  Isn't that at least a clue that this "something" that we want exists?  This unfulfillable longing then, qualifies as a deep, innate human desire, and that makes it a major clue that God is there.

Timothy Keller, The Reason for God, page134-135

The Christian says, "Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. Man feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same."

CS Lewis, Mere Christianity