Hope for Change

 At least once a day, I hear from someone who is worried about America: "What can we do?" "Where is the church?" "Where is the hope?" "Pastor, why don't you speak more on _____________?"

Some are afraid. "What will America look like after the election?"

Politicians cannot change the soul of America.Neither can new laws. The Old Testament as a whole is proof that unless the hearts of the citizens are changed, there will be no national change.

What can we do? First of all, we pray. Not only for the leaders we like but for the ones we don't like. Paul says to the young pastor Timothy, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions..." (1 Timothy 2:1,2 emphasis added, ESV). 

Not, "First of all, vote." Not, "First of all, call your Senator." Not, "First of all, volunteer for your favorite candidate." No. "First of all...pray."

Why? "...that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Note that God's desire is for all to be saved, not that all will agree on issues.

All that being said, are issues important? Yes, absolutely. And yes, we should witness to the power of Christ and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. We should warn people when we get the opportunity, in love. The greatest need our politicians have is not to be persuaded to shift on public policy. "God's desire is for all to be saved." Even our elected officials.

The current hot-button topics are not the reason for the spiritual decline in America. Rather, they are the evidence of it. Watch the news and you'll see a glaring reality: the souls of American citizens are in need of an awakening. The spiritually dead don't need another law. The dead need a resurrection. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to do that.  

And yes, we should be influential when and where we have the power to do so. Those who have integrity, character and gifts of government should run for office. Many times unqualified people rise to levels of influence simply because no one challenged them in the race. (Some gifted Christians have simply been reluctant to step into those fearful waters of being vetted for public office. I understand their reluctance. But maybe it's time?) 

Lastly, we should vote. Not just in these high profile elections but in the smaller ones. Do you pay attention and vote for new school board members? For new county council members? Do you check the records of judges when their names come up? These local elections have sometimes as much impact on our daily lives as the national ones.

Let's not neglect our civic duty. Voting isn't just a privilege. It's a responsibility. But the changing of our nation will not happen because of one election. It will happen when good people pray, run for office, and vote. I wish it was as easy as one election. But it isn't. God help us. And God stir up good and decent people to do more than get amped up once every four years.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermons Now Free

Some said his preaching was so powerful that it came with the force of an electric shock. He thundered from the pulpit and London was moved. One lady writes of her experience here:
 
"In an extraordinary way, the presence of God was in that Church. I personally felt as if a hand were pushing me through the pew. At the end of the sermon for some reason or the other the organ did not play, the Doctor went off into the vestry and everyone sat completely still without moving. It must have been almost ten minutes before people seemed to find the strength to get up and, without speaking to one another, quietly leave the Church. Never have I witnessed or experienced such preaching with such fantastic reaction on the part of the congregation." (Iain H. Murray, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981, p. 377.)

Now the sermons of Martyn Lloyd-Jones are online and they are free! Thanks to the MLJ trust, now the great preacher of Westminster Chapel can be heard as he preached more than 30 years ago. The style is much different than today. The sermons are deep and meaty and it takes some listening but we need to stretch our minds now and then. One of my favorite messages is "A Gospel of Power" based on 1 Thes. 1:5. You can sign up for a free account HERE.

Virtual Repentance

The saying was popular a few years ago: "Love means never having to say you're sorry." This is one of those ideas that "sounds good" but isn't Biblical. It leads to something that looks like repentance but is only "virtual repentance."

Taking this a step further it becomes, "Repentance means you don't have to give back what you stole." Again, this sounds good but it isn't Biblical. Repentance includes restitution (when possible).

Remember Zaccheus? A lot of people know about his desire to meet Jesus, how he was too short to see and had to climb a tree. But there is another great example from his life about true repentance:

Luke 19:8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

"If I have cheated...I will pay back." True repentance includes restitution.

• If you lied, repentance isn't JUST saying, "God, forgive me for lying." It also includes going to the person you lied to and saying, "I lied. Forgive me."
• If you broke your neighbor's lawn mower, don't give it back and say, "I'm sorry." Get it fixed.
• If you gossip about someone and slander their character, repentance isn't just saying, "I confessed that to God." It also includes going to that person and saying, "I was wrong. I hurt you. Will you forgive me?"

Anything less than that isn't true repentance. Anything less, will not lead to Biblical forgiveness and reconciliation. 

No, restitution isn't always possible. For example, you can't "pay it back" for a girlfriend's abortion which you demanded years ago. It's impossible to get the baby back, and restore your girlfriend's life to the way it was before the abortion. You can't "fully pay" for the broken heart your affair caused. You can't truly pay restitution for stealing a girl's virginity. (Although, the court may require you to do so by the law, it still can't fully PAY for something that is priceless! And yes, you should abide by the law as a Christian.) The point is that yes, some things are priceless and can't be re-compensated. In those instances, we ask for forgiveness and mercy. That's what we do with God. We can't repay our debt for our sins against God. 

But this doesn't apply to human relationships, to churches, friends and saints who have it within their power to "make things right" by admitting sin, asking for forgiveness, paying back what's stolen, fixing the situation when possible and seeking reconciliation. In these settings, forgiveness isn't only vertical. It also has a horizontal component. 

Matthew 5:25“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.^d

^{Anything less is virtual repentance.}  

^{(For some excellent content regarding this and teens, check out Mark Gregston's blog here: Vandalism and Forgiveness.)} 

 

UNITY IS A BEAUTIFUL THING

She said, "I want to tell you a story." She told me about a family she knew who unexpectedly acquired another member--a young man, suddenly displaced needed a home. This family welcomed him in but there were emergency needs: clothes, money, and more. When my friend heard this, she told her, "Let me see how can I help." She started texting and calling friends, her circle, many from previous small groups at Crosspoint. Within a few hours, there were clothes and gift cards. The family was bowled over with kindness! "The best part?"my friend said, "We didn't even have to call the church office for benevolence. God's people just stepped up and did it! I love my church!"

Watching the Olympics 2012, I'm reminded: unity is a beautiful thing. It's powerful. And it must be protected. Paul says, "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit..." (Eph.4.3 NIV). In other words, if you don't tend to it, it won't be there when you need it. And we all know how ugly things get when unity is lost:

• the goal isn't acheived
• the friendship that's lost
• a church divided
• a home divided

No, we can't live in unity with everyone. It's not possible nor is it healthy. I can't be in unity with someone who's out to destroy what God loves: the authority of Scripture, the church, my marriage or my family. But that doesn't mean I have to be unkind to them.

Still, what is the greatest threat to our unity? Most of the time it's not the big stuff. Nor is it our differences. Differences can make for great unity when we appreciate them. No, the greatest threat to our unity is selfishness.

It takes effort to protect unity, to guard it and keep it. The biggest part of the effort comes back to me: How is my selfishness feeding the potential divisiveness? Unity is a treasure worth keeping. It's a beautiful thing. 

Five Keys to Raising a Hypocrite

1. Never admit you blew it. If you sin, cover your tracks before your kids see it. The important thing about mistakes is not that you make them, but to make sure that no one knows. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Another way is to let time go by because doesn't time erase hurt? For example, when you hurt your child's feelings by not keeping your word, take them for ice cream and distract them for a few days. This way you won't have to confess your faults.

2. Focus on appearances. Any kind of talk about your feelings or their heart will only confuse them. Keep the chat at surface level always. Make sure your comments about their behavior include lots of phrases like, "What will the neighbors say?" Or, "What will your friends at church think about you?" Make a big deal out of bad words instead of silly trivial things like evil input through horror flicks. Don't worry about your Bible staying in your car until next Sunday or what you post on Facebook. They will understand that your life at church and your life on Facebook are two different things. Go ballistic over tattoos on their arm and never ask about God's Word on their heart. Remember tattoos are for life! One more thing: it's more important to keep their room clean than their mind clean. Remember focus on appearance only.

3. Pray louder and longer at church. It's important to let your kids hear you pray at church. Use a lot of spiritual words and phrases like, "Lord, we adore You. Manifest Yourself among us." Or quote long verses when you pray so that your kids will be impressed with that verse you learned in Sunday School. Make sure you go longer than anyone else in the prayer circle. Longer and louder prayers will impress everyone and most of all, your child, if they are within hearing distance.

4. Talk about prayer in the schools and the 10 commandments in politics. Don't worry about praying at home. It's more important that they do those things at school. It's no big deal that the Ten Commandments are never mentioned or posted in your home. But it is important that we vote to keep them in the Town Hall. In the White House, but not in your house, that's the way!

5. When all else fails, change churches or move. When people get too close to you, they will begin to see your flaws. You want to protect that from happening. Accountability is over-rated. Faith is a private thing. Keep it that way. When people get too close to you, lose those friends. If you have to, you can always move to another church where no one knows you and you can keep your distance.

There are many more things I could tell you but these are five sure ways to nurture the hypocrite in your child.

Perspectives on Aurora

After the tragedy in Aurora, we've been inundated with news commentary: Who was Holmes? What makes a graduate student like him snap? Is it time for gun-control? Who were the victims? And some of it is heart-wrenching--the loss of life, the new normal for the Holmes' family. It's right to pause and reflect. But it's also right to keep perspective. While we are shocked over the loss of 12 lives in a theater as well as the others whose lives will never be the same, we should also consider:

On the same day of the Aurora tragedy, 

• ~3,700 babies were aborted in the U.S. (73% mothers report religious affiliation) Source
• ~435 Christians died for their faith (Average based on World Christian data)
• ~100 people committed suicide (Third leading cause of death in ages 15-24) Source 

Perspective changes as we think about these. What's the common need in all these things? Hope.  Let's be the purveyors of hope: hope for the Moms who feel trapped, hope for those contemplating suicide, and eternal hope for those who are suffering today for their faith.

Make Sure You Can Go Home

It's hard to watch the stories from Colorado--what once were houses full of life and love are nothing but ashes. What they are learning even through the tragedy, however, is that the most important things in life are not things, but people, memories and relationships.

Are you living in a way that you will always have a home? I'm not talking about a house, but a home.

Just about every week, I'm hearing another story from a guy who realizes too late he has the wrong priorities. It was his career, his sports league, his hobby or his ministry. Then he wonders why his kids don't want to hang with him when he's at "Sunnyside Retirement Center."

Or a Mom, who is all about the house, the decor, or the kids and their dance recitals. Then the kids grow up and she looks at the husband she has neglected and says, "Who are you?" She has no home. Only an empty house with a great color scheme and a silent partner.

Wayne Cordeiro writes:

"Learning the difference between a concern and a responsibility may save your ministry, your family, and your sanity...One day after years of ministry with a wonderful congregation, I will say my good-byes, pack my bags and, with many tears, walk out of the church. But when I walk out of the church, there’s only one place I can walk into. Family. If you miss building that home base, you will have nowhere to go when your ministry days are over. You’ll arrive back on your doorstep with your boxes of books and notes, and you’ll have nothing to walk into – except shards of yesterday’s mistake of putting your job, ministry, or career ahead of everything else." (Leading on Empty, 140)

The Christ-follower must lead like this: 

1. Jesus first

2. My spouse second

3. My kids third

4. Everything else (including me)

Do that so you can always have a home.