Opposing tyranny

Romans 13:1 – 5 (NIV) ¹Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  ²Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  ³For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.  ⁴For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.  ⁵Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me. — Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892 – 1984)

Because we honor justice and the common good, we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family. We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s. – Manhattan Declaration

As the nation reels from the tragic news that Oprah will be ending her show sometime in 2011, as it endures the suffering of paying $3 for a cupacoffee at Starbucks, and prepares to storm the megastores on Black Friday, the United States Senate will be wheeling and dealing into the night in an attempt to bring a cobbled up 2,000 page health care bill to the floor for debate.

And so it might be easy for us to overlook a significant Christian document which was released yesterday.  It’s called the Manhattan Declaration.  Its 19 pages can be read at: http://www.demossnews.com/manhattandeclaration/press_kit/manhattan_declaration_signers.

Drafted by Chuck Colson and others, and endorsed by 149 Christian leaders embracing the spectrum of faith life in Amerca, from Catholic, Anglican, Protestant and Evangelical traditions, the document details how the Body of Christ has rescued and kept civilization true to the principles espoused by Jesus Christ for century after century.  Though little noticed by the mainstream media (I have yet to hear mention of it on National Public Radio news), the Declaration draws a line in the sand, putting the Congress on notice that there are some things in the popular psyche that are intolerable for Christians.

For example a provision in the bill currently under consideration by the Senate which compels everyone covered by national health insurance to pay a fee which will pay for others to abort their babies, a procedure which will be made available to all under this legislation.

The Manhattan Declaration goes so far as to call upon Christians to engage in civil disobedience in the tradition of William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King Jr., whose leadership brought an end to the slave trade in the 1800’s and restored civil rights to the citizens of this nation in the 1900’s.

Because it advocates these extreme measures, the Manhattan Declaration deserves the thoughtful consideration of every Christian.

• Should the church concede its stand in the debate concerning the morality of homosexuality under the threat of the penalties of hate-crime legislation?
• Should your pastor be compelled to perform same-sex marriages when a refusal to do so might be construed as a violation of someone’s civil rights?
• Would you be willing to risk heavy fines and possibly be forced to undergo psychological treatment should you refuse to fund the operation of America’s national sin of abortion?

The publishing of the Manhattan Declaration mandates that we consider our options in these matters because this is no longer a matter of speculation, but is about to become a matter of fact.

The national debate on this subject is no longer a matter of the church trying to impose its “right wing agenda” on the nation.  It is about to impact the freedoms guaranteed to all by our Constitution.

In Romans 13, Paul tells us to submit to the authority of our national leaders.   He gave us this instruction under the direction of the Holy Spirit during a time when Christians were eaten by lions in the Coliseum or who were burned alive to provide light for the Emperor’s parties.  And so they are appropriate to provide guidance for us today.

The essence of the Bible’s teaching in this matter is this:  If you’re going to purposely defy man’s laws, you had better be prepared to pay the penalty imposed by man on those who break the law.  No complaining,  as sheep led to the slaughter are silent, endure the penalty.

Therefore the time to speak out is now, while this threat to everything that we believe is still to become the law of the land.  Martin Niemöller who was liberated from a Nazi death camp in 1945 would understand the urgency of this situation.

Revelation 12:10 – 11: ¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:  “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  ¹¹ They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

Who’s on first?

Matthew 6:31 – 34 (NIV) ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The bottom line or driving force against which decisions [by people in generational poverty] are made is important to note.  For example, in one school district, the faculty had gone together to buy a refrigerator for a family who did not have one.  About three weeks later, the children in the family were gone for a week.  When the students returned, the teachers asked where they had been.  The answer was that the family had gone camping because they were so stressed.  What had they used for money to go camping?  Proceeds from the sale of the refrigerator, of course.  The bottom line in generational poverty is entertainment and relationships.  In middle class, the criteria against which most decisions are made relate to work and achievement.  In wealth, it is the ramifications of the financial, social and political connections that have weight.   –Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D., A framework for understanding poverty

I’m getting a little tired of living in a city where we react to tragic events by holding a candlelight vigil and then go on with our lives as though nothing happened.

Animal right advocate seek justice for their pets. Photo by Memphis Commercial Appeal

This past week, after seeing photographic evidence of starving and abused dogs at the Memphis animal shelter, yet another candlelight vigil was held by animal rights groupies.  It all resulted in the firing of the shelter’s director by Mayor A.C. Wharton.  And then life returned to normal.

Two weeks ago two children aged 3 and 5 died in a house fire while their mother and aunt had gone shopping.  It was the second time that day that the children had been abandoned and left unattended.  Earlier in the day the mom and aunt went to get their food stamps.  The aunt’s biggest concern when she returned to the scene was whether her food stamp card had been burned up in the fire!

To date no charges have been filed in this matter.  No candlelight vigil has been held.  The Memphis Fire Department has yet to acknowledge the deaths of the two boys on their “days without a fire fatality” sign outside their Union Avenue station.

The day before the candlelight vigil at the animal shelter was held, a 15-year-old was shot multiple times and left to die in a north Memphis park.  With all the trappings of being a gang-related event, it was 15 hours later that his birth, or his gang family came forward to report his disappearance.  Even the Commercial Appeal relegated its notice of this event on the inside pages where it usually places the day-to-day notices of homicides in our city.

I work at a facility where it is not uncommon to see frustrated parents drive up to our door and push their drug-using, rebellious sons onto our doorstep for us to attempt to rehabilitate.  I suppose that’s preferable to taking them to the animal shelter with its reputation!

In all this, it’s disturbing to realize that we live in a community where we have more concern for lost dogs than we have for lost sons.

We live in a city where the majority of its residents live at or below poverty levels. As Ruby K. Payne in her book A framework for understanding poverty notes, it is this framework of poverty, not race, which forms the mindset for problem-solving.  According to Dr. Payne, the solution to our problem is going to involve a lot more than candlelight vigils.  “To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for achievement (at least for some period of time.)”, Dr. Payne writes.  She goes on to state, “Four reasons one leaves poverty are:  It’s too painful to stay, a vision or goal, a key relationship, or a special talent or skill.”

We see young people leaving Memphis and escaping poverty all the time because they have a skill at playing basketball or singing the blues.  But these take place on an individual basis and not a neighborhood level.  Reveling in a city’s musical or sports heritage will not lift a city out of poverty  What is needed, then, is a vision or goal or a key relationship.

And it is that solution which Jesus proposes to us at the conclusion of his Sermon on the Mount.  He tells us that the key to lifting a city or a nation out of the morass of problems which keep it from fulfilling its destiny is to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”  What He is telling us is that generational poverty or lack of universal health care are not the biggest problems that we face as a city and nation.  The mechanisms for solving those problems are already in place, but they haven’t been used to their full potential.  What is missing is the failure of each one of us to recognize that it is our lack of a Kingdom vision and our resulting lack of righteousness that keep us trapped in our problems without a solution.

It is when we discover that our righteousness lies not in what we’ve done, but in what Jesus Christ has done for us in taking our sins away and paying with his life the penalty our sins deserve, that we become free to think of others more highly than ourselves, and we begin to progress as a community toward our utopian dreams.

According to Jesus’ method of problem solving that will allow us to see the untapped good in the people around us.  Including the ones who worry about animal abuse which is rampant in our city.  Including teen-age mothers who realize that one way to get the love they need and to provide for the needs of the children they love, is to have more of them so that they can get a larger welfare check.  Including young boys who find more love and models for their maleness in the members of a gang than they get from the rest of the world.

The justice we seek in matters such as this has already been secured for us when Jesus lived out what He taught, in His death and in His resurrection.   His love for us, while we were still sinners, expressed toward others in the same condition, will set the stage for the solution to tomorrow’s problems.

We must start today! Only with God’s help can our city and our nation be saved.

Lessons I have learned from NASCAR

1 Corinthians 12:14 – 20 (NIV) ¹⁴Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be?  ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

1 Corinthians 12:24 – 28 (NIV) ²⁴. . .But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

“Our goal is to field for our sponsors and fans competitive race cars on a consistent basis with the goal of winning races and championships. Our expectation is that we will be able to see in our growth and success, things that would have never been accomplished except by the direct intervention of God.” — Joe Gibbs Racing Mission Statement

Some time ago when I was living in Montana one of my friends, who owned a vintage Covette, fulfilled a lifelong dream of his one winter when he left town to spend a week in Daytona during their annual Speed Week.  At that time he was the only person I knew who had an interest in Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty,  Darrell Waltrip or others who are now gods in the pantheon of stock car racing.

And then I moved South.

In this ‘nother world, when I got to know all the people I was related to by marriage, I began to realize that most of them had a favorite stock car driver whose exploits on the track they followed passionately.  For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what they could possibly see in watching a bunch of guys bump into one another at 150 miles per hour while they were going around and around and around in circles!  And I sure couldn’t understand why anyone would fly from Montana to Daytona in the midst of winter (even if there was a significant difference in climate) to watch this exercise in futility.

And then one fall afternoon I skipped work and went to Memphis Motorsports Park, paid my $5.00 to watch some of these guys practice for their race the next day.  To me that was a safe investment, a lot cheaper than the $50 it cost to see the actual race.

I heard the roar.  I smelled the fumes.  I felt the shockwaves.  I tasted the Pronto Pup.  And I saw the multi-colored blur as they roared around and around.   And that day I became a fan.   Like everything else, it was more than I could take in from the TV.   It had to be experienced to be appreciated.  At the next family gathering I announced that I, too, had a favorite driver (Tony Stewart, in case you’re wondering)!  The more I saw, the more I liked it.

In the seven years since my first experience at the racetrack, I have begun to think about why an otherwise sane person would experience this strange attraction to NASCAR-type racing and I have come up with some sort of explanation which is this — NASCAR is a picture of how life is lived!

Allow me to explain.

• As in life, in NASCAR everyone starts out with the same equipment.  Even though the cars have different brand names on them, they must conform to a similar design.  Before each race, each car goes through an inspection where every detail of the car’s design is measured against a standard set by the governing body.
• It takes a team to make that basic set of equipment to operate at peak efficiency.  And so there are experts in aerodynamics, car suspension systms, and motors.  There are similar systems in real life — pastors, teachers, prophets, evangelists and apostles.  All exercise their gifts so that I can accelerate toward the finish line.
• When a car breaks down or begins to wear out because of the stress on the track, another team comes around it quickly to replace and refuel what is spent, and to repair what can be repaired.  Life  tends to wear us out.  We need a “pit crew” who can come alongside us at a moment’s notice who are concerned about keeping us going.  My pit crew is those who know me at my church.
• In racing, you can take others out of the race by the way in which you bump into them.  Or in some cases, your performance can be enhanced momentarily when someone bumps into you.  It is seldom that someone wins a race in an immaculate car.  You cannot live life without bumping into people.  Some are out to hurt you.  Some are there to motivate you.  Forgive the former, heed the latter.
• The actual winner of the race, however, is determined by one person — the one at the controls of the car, the representative of all the team members who make it possible for that car to compete.  To put that car and that driver on the racetrack is an incredibly expensive proposition.  My Bible tells me that I have been bought with a price.  It tells me that that there are clouds of witnesses watching me compete.  And it tells me that how I finish my race reflects less on my ability and more on the skills of those who brought me to the racetrack.
• And in racing as well as in life there is an enemy of sorts who seeks to profit from the exploits and mistakes of those on the track.  That one is the owner of the track.  My Bible tells me that there is a god of this world who continues to exert a great amount of influence on the conditions of the race in which I must compete.  The good news is that his influence is diminishing daily even though his mission remains to steal, kill and destroy.

This week Dover Motorsports Inc., the owner of Memphis Motorsports Park, announced that it was closing the facility, due to the economics of the times.  I will miss the convenience of watching others compete for the prize in my backyard.  But there are other places, more distant, where the competition takes place at a higher, more intense level.  Perhaps that is where I need to go to learn more about how to excel in life.

Meanwhile I have my own race to run.  Boogity, boogity, boogity, let’s go racin’ boys!

An abuse of power

Matthew 20:25 – 28 (NIV) ²⁵Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  ²⁶Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  ²⁷and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

“Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations; but, on a candid examination of history, we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power, by the majority trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions, which, in republics, have, more frequently than any other cause, produced despotism. If we go over the whole history of ancient and modern republics, we shall find their destruction to have generally resulted from those causes.” James Madison — Speech at the Virginia Convention to ratify the Federal Constitution

About 15 years ago, I heard a tape by Christian apologist Josh McDowell who was addressing a major denominational group.  In his remarks he said that the next threat to face the church and we as Christians will be the public’s perception of our lack of tolerance for those who  are on the outside of God’s perfect will.

For example, you and I have had to explain what Jesus was saying in John 14:6 when He made the incredible statement that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  What about all the good Muslims, Buddhists, etc., out there?  Aren’t they going to heaven?

What about Paul’s proclamation in Galatians 5:19-21 about those who are sexually immoral, who practice witchcraft and drunkenness, etc.,  are not fit for the Kingdom of God?  Isn’t that a little narrow-minded to say that about a supposedly loving God?

Twenty years later Josh McDowell’s prophecy has come to pass.  It is now a federal hate crime to tell a homosexual that his/her lifestyle is not correct.  Pastors will have to count the cost now when they preach from Leviticus and Romans.  Fortunately there are some out there who are like Peter and John who believe that obeying God holds more promise than obeying men.

In all this, in Barak Obama’s refusal to recognize FOX News as a legitimate news-gathering organization, in his disdain for the views of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when it comes to health care reform,   in Nancy Pelosi’s and Harry Reid’s bull-headed tactics in Congress, there is a lesson here for us as Christians to learn about the abuse of power.

In 2 Samuel 13, there is a story of rape, dishonor, and murder that can serve as a guide for us to follow as this new oppression comes upon us.

Here’s the story which you can read for yourself.

• Amnon is King David’s first-born son and heir-apparent to his father’s throne.
• Amnon is love-sick for one of David’s daughters (born to a different mother), Tamar.
• Amnon plots to lure Tamar into his chambers in order to have sex with her.
• She is ordered to prepare a meal  for him, and when she brings it to him, he orders everyone out of the room, and against her will, rapes her.
• With his sexual drive for power satisfied, Amnon orders Tamar away from his presence.  “He hated her more than he loved her,” the Bible says. (Verse 15)
• Tamar leaves in disgrace.  The Bible characterizes her as “a desolate woman.” (Verse 20)
• For his abuse of power, Amnon was assassinated by Tamar’s brother Absalom, bringing to pass Nathan’s prophecy to David following his rape of Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, that “the sword will never depart from your house.” (2 Samuel 12:10)

What this says to us as Christians

The news coming out of Washington lately indicates that the tactics currently employed by President Obama and the leadership of Congress are clearly an abuse of power.

It establishes a pattern that is common to all those who are self-seeking in their desire for power.  It is a pattern that Jesus refers to when He instructs the disciples on the difference between leadership styles.  He impresses on them that, as His followers, we are here to serve others out of our supposed love for them.  That is in stark contrast to secular leadership who we serve out of fear of their power.

Serving others, including those who disagree with our worldview and those who hold power over us, makes us immune from any abuse of our heavenly authority.

One of the laws broken at Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin stated that if the court delivered a unanimous guilty verdict against a defendant, that the defendant was to be released, because there was not an adequate defense provided for him.  According to Jewish law, the main concern of the judges was to see that the fairest possible trial was held, hence the difference between Jewish and American jurisprudence.

In Obama’s, Pelosi’s and Reid’s world, once the steamroller starts,  there is no room for dissent even to be heard.

When power is sheathed in love, dissent will at least be given a voice.

If we stand by silently when those in power abuse that power, we become complicit with them in that abuse.

One of the reasons that Christianity flourished in the First Century rather than wither under the oppression of Rome is because its martyrs were not silent.  Before the death sentence was executed against Stephen he said his accusers were a “stiff-necked people. . . . just like your fathers [who] always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

When we characterize homosexuals as “sinners” we are putting them in the same category as ourselves, for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  We must all allow ourselves to be changed by God’s irresistible power lest we come under his irrefutable judgment.

Tamar did not speak out against Amnon’s abuse of power.  According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary that called into play another law of human nature:  “Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris”, i.e., “It is the property of human nature to hate one whom you have injured.”

We see this principle illustrated in the Holocaust when the Lutheran Church in Germany remained silent when the Jews came under religious persecution.  The silence of the church emboldened Hitler and his propaganda machine to their despicable actions.

A few weeks ago the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community bought space on billboards drawing attention to God’s love for them.  Some of us thought those billboards should be torn down.  What we did not realize, however, was the dangerous precedent that such a move would set.  The Constitutional provision  that allows the church to function in our culture is the same protection given to all of those, regardless of whether they are in or out of God’s perfect will.  God’s love for us is not diminished nor  embellished by our spiritual condition!

James Madison, author of the Federalist Papers during our nation’s birth pangs, recognized the dangers in both the abuse of our liberty and the abuse of power, and warned that both have historically led to the demise of great nations.

The politicians in our midst have apparently forgotten that lesson.  And until they are reminded of its truth, Christians will not be the only ones to experience the wrath of unleashed power.

I had a dream

Acts 2:14 – 21 (NIV) ¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Habakkuk 2:1 – 3 (NIV) ¹ I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. ²Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. ³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

At the outset of writing this post, let me say that what I have written is going to appear weird.  Weird because I don’t usually deal in the prophetic, although my life has been profoundly affected by the prophets (living and dead).  Weird because there is an urgency in writing this down before this fades into the mists of memory.

I had a dream in the early hours of this morning.  I was outside of my house on a day when there were heavy clouds, when the light appeared as dusk although it was midday.  Then there was a break in the clouds and another bright light, like a strobe light, shone through.  And even though that light was intermittent the scene that I was looking at became brighter.

And in that light I saw birds of prey which appeared from the distance to be falcons and eagles dive down from the sky.  But when they got closer and landed in the trees and on buildings, were more like the pictures of prehistoric raptors.  And when their wings were unfurled they were emblazoned with colorful graphic symbols of a royal nature.

To me and those around me it appeared as though a new king had come and was about to establish his realm.

In my dream the people around me set out in pursuit these wonderful signs, reveling in their new found busyness.  And while I was tempted to follow after them, a voice inside of me reminded me that though the light which I saw was bright, it was not as bright nor as steady as the sun which was still obscured by the dark clouds.  The voice said, “There is only one version of the Truth, and that Truth is my Son.”

For the remainder of my dream, I was telling those around me to follow the Truth.  And what was amazing to me is that many listened and stayed true.

SO WHAT??

I find it interesting that I should have that dream at a time when there are so many bright lights that people are drawn to.

Louis Farrakhan

Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, better known as the Black Muslims, is in town speaking to the people, and holding closed-door meetings with the city’s former mayor and present candidate for the House of Representatives W.W. Herenton and other black leaders, presumably addressing issues of black-on-black crime, the deplorable state of education, rampant fatherlessness and other problems which prevail in a city and culture undergoing decline.  I find it interesting that writing in The Final Call, the Nation of Islam’s official organ, that Minister Farrakhan felt compelled to extend a warm welcome to Muammar al-Gadhafi, the Lybian head of state,  who staged a hero’s welcome to the only person convicted in the bombing of the Pan Am flight which crashed in Scotland a decade ago, to come and die in his country.  What is amazing is that such an anachronism would draw a crowd that would fill up my living room, let alone the Cook Convention Center!

A.C. Wharton

In a few days Memphis is going to have a new city mayor.  A.C. Wharton waved to me in the final moments of his campaign from the corner of Crump @ Third Street on my way to work on election day.  His landslide victory in which he drew 60 percent of the 25 percent of the electorate of this city who bothered to vote indicates that not everyone is of a mind to follow those who would offer vague and easy solutions to our problems, nor are they content to put up with the corruption which has formerly characterized the business-as-usual in City Hall.  They see in Mayor Wharton a man who is most likely able to build alliances which will move Memphis toward that end.

When my pastor preached this morning about the deadly sin of sloth, he pointed out that according to outward appearances, we are not a slothful people.  However he pointed out that there is an inward sloth which makes us susceptible to the “medicine shows” which come along and offer simple solutions to complicated problems.

Minister Farrakhan said on Saturday that prostate cancer is a tool of the big drug companies to fatten their bottom lines.  What he neglected to mention is that prostate cancer often goes undetected in black men because they neglect important details such as regular doctor checkups.  The same is true about other problems in the deteriorating neighborhoods of Memphis.  Whether blight or crime, it is symptomatic that we have failed to rein in small details until they became big problems.

The challenge which awaits Mayor Wharton as well as the rest of us who live and work in the Memphis area is for us to focus on the truth that each of us, regardless of our skin color, is created in the image of God, and that He has created us to enjoy an abundant life which he allows us to seek after for ourselves, for our children and for our neighbors.  Being slothful in the details of this task will only make us vulnerable to the fluff offered by the likes of Herenton, Prince Mongo, Farrakhan and the other candidates in the recent election who sought more glory for themselves instead of offering to do the hard work of rebuilding this city into a place where we can be proud to call home.

The challenge for Mayor Wharton and for the rest of us  is to keep focused on the truth, that we will not be distracted by the darkness of the day, nor the balls of fire who are here today and gone tomorrow.  There is hard work to be done in breaking through the clouds of prejudice and distrust. And when we are able to do that, the sun will shine on us again!

A question of priorities

Genesis 2:24 – 25 (NIV) ²⁴For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. ²⁵The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Matthew 6:9 – 10 (NIV) ⁹“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.–First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Constantine's Converstion by Peter Paul Rubens

Those of us fortunate enough to live in Memphis have been given several reminders lately that October 11 is National Coming Out Day. I expect that there will be parades, parties and other festivities which will make our celebration of National Pickle Week pale in comparison.

All of which causes me to ask the question of what is the point of our of us expressing our passion and support of those who produce pickles or advocate alternative life-styles? Perhaps if we look at things from a historical perspective we might find an answer that will aid us in bring our plight as inhabitants of this planet back into some sort of perspective.

A Christian perspective, I mean.  So those who may be reading this with some other worldview will only become angry rather than edified might be well-advised to turn back now before it becomes too late!

For those with courage to continue then, let’s begin with a basic truth given to us shortly after Creation Week when God defined the family as one man plus one woman who leave their parents’ home in order to establish their own home and family.  This truth which we hold to be eternal, not some recent proclamation from a state legislature, forms the basis of our worldview.

As followers of Jesus we are encouraged to pray that our Father in Heaven would establish His Kingdom which is based on this very principle on earth, and that every inhabitant on this planet would come under its protection and beneficial environment.  Protection from the devastating effects of divorce and sexually transmitted disease.  The beneficial environment where every child is assisted by loving, committed parents to achieve his maximum God-ordained destiny.

History further reminds us that how the Kingdom of God is established is ultimately left to God’s will and should not be imposed on others by man nor his government.

Christianity experienced supernatural growth beginning from the Day of Pentecost until until it was declared to be the state religion of the Roman Empire in 306 A.D. by the emperor Constantine.  From that time on, history reveals a corruption of Christianity’s basic truth of salvation by grace, not works, which lasted for 1000 years, a period which has come to be known as the “Dark Ages” or the “Devil’s Millenium”.

The lesson we learn from Constantine’s establishment of a state religion is this:  Whenever the government exerts its influence into cultural and economic realms it usurps from man’s conscience the role of being the arbiter of the nation’s values. As citizens of such a nation we are then forced to look to that government for our own validation.  The result is massive “bailout” legislation or sexual orientation becoming a “civil rights” issue.

In his famous heirachy of needs, psychologist Abraham Maslow states that once our physical and financial needs are met, we begin to focus on our need for self-esteem.  It has always been God’s intention that we base our self-esteem on what He thinks of us as demonstrated by His Son’s atoning death for our sins on the Cross.   In that manner is the Kingdom of God established and its influence expanded.

The European church is powerless because it’s validation is found in its status of government sponsorship.  And that is why the first afterthought of the founders of our republic was to prohibit its interference in matters of religion, speech, assembly and justice.

Because they have not learned this lesson, that is why the extremely small minority of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people in our nation will be taking to the streets of our cities on Oct. 11.  They will be marching in search of their own self-esteem.  And because of the shallowness of their focus that is why they will justly deserve to be mocked by true advocates of civil rights.

It will help us to put the events of October 11 in perspective as we ponder the words which  Martin Luther King Jr., spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the crucial days of the civil rights struggle:

“I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream — a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality.”

Our self-esteem can never be found in our skin color or sexual orientation or  government proclamation.  It is to be found only in the content of our character and how we respond to the challenges of life.

There is more to concern us on Oct. 11 than the lack of esteem of a population which has abandoned truth in search of pleasure.  Corruption in city government, the critically sick national economy, the  threat of rogue nations with nuclear weapons, etc., all trump the issue of what other people are thinking about me as a person.

God has called us to higher things:   Micah 6:8 (NIV) He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Ramadan: Why can’t we just get along?

Psalm 122:6 (NIV) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.

Isaiah 9:6 – 7 (NIV) ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,^£ Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Have you noticed the increase in spiritual traffic in the past week?

• Ramadan is over
• The Jewish High Holy Days leading to the Day of Atonement have begun
• Muslims gather in Washington for prayer
• Hallowe’en merchandizing is in high gear
• And the world’s nut cases disguised as heads-of-state use the United Nations stage to validate their state of mental health.

The other night during my church’s home group, I received a distinct impression from the Lord which went something like this: “I have good news and bad news.  The bad news is that your life is going to be dramatically changed.  The good news is that Jesus is still LORD!”  That is in addition to other prophetic words given by men with more credentials in this area than I:

http://www.gracecenter.us/sermon/prophetic-word-for-the-church-larry-randolph/ or http://jamesryle.blogspot.com/2009/09/storm-is-coming.html

Both agree that the next few days or weeks are crucial for what could be a spiritual paradigm shift.

Today’s politically correct breed of journalists are more prone to report on the settings and personalities of the people they are sent out to write about, rather than the substance of those events.  Such was the case in the reportage coming out of Friday’s Muslim day of prayer at the U.S. Capitol.  The reporting focused on the radical backgrounds of its organizers and the conflict between some of the Christians who showed up to counter their prayers.  There was not much said about the what the specific supplications made to Jehovah or Allah in regard to our country or world peace.

In it all I felt the frustrations we all have with the zealots among us who seize such opportunities to exploit their monopoly on truth.

That “sound and fury, signifying nothing” was also evident in the rantings of the tinhorn dictators from the forum of the United Nations, and from the announcement that Iran was further along toward the development of nuclear weapons that had been heretofore thought.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the things I did during Ramadan was to listen to the testimonies of various Muslims around the country regarding their experiences of previous celebrations of the holiday.  One that struck me as particularly significant was from a woman who lived in a neighborhood of an American city with a strong Middle Eastern culture.  Since the dates for Ramadan are based on a lunar calendar, her particular memory took place during Christmastime when Ramadan, Hannakuh and Christmas all fell during the same season.  During this time she and a Jewish cousin went on a drive to see the Christmas lights.  They stopped outside a house where Christmas music was playing and she recalled singing carols — “Silent Night”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, etc — together.  She said that evening she experienced a deep sense of peace come upon her.  Could it have been the result of the presence of the Prince of Peace?

I come away from my observance of Ramadan and the events of the past week with a deeper realization of the peace which my relationship with Jesus has brought to me.  That in a world gone mad in the pursuit of its lusts, that peace can be experienced on a personal level, and that when the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace is finally established, what is now appropriated by faith will be reality to all.

John 14:25 – 27 (NIV) ²⁵“All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Ramadan: Night of power

Tonight, the Night of Power, Muslims will be seeking a revelation of God through dreams and visions. Pray that they will meet Jesus.

Acts 1:6 – 9 (NIV) ⁶So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Acts 2:14 – 21 (NIV) ¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.  ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!  ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Leyla al-Qadr, the Night of Power, commemorates the night in which the first revelations of Islam and the prophethood of Muhammed began.  It is the holiest day of the holy month of Ramadan.  It is the celebration of the arrival of the Qur’an.

Various sects celebrate the night on various days, usually on the odd-numbered nights of the last 10 nights of Ramadan.  Many celebrate it on the 27th night of Ramadan (which this year is the evening of Sept. 15).

Here’s how the night is mentioned in the Qur’an:

Qur’an 97:1 – 5 We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:  2. And what will explain to thee what the night of power is? 3. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.  4. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand:   5. Peace!…This until the rise of morn!

To celebrate the Night of Power, some Muslims will take the day off work so they can stay up all night and will often spend this night in the mosque.

The general belief is that on this special night, God gives heed to their requests.  They are open to dreams and visions as they seek for guidance and revelations.  Many pray all night seeking a response to specific requests.  One common belief is that angels will shower down the peace and blessings of God an all who remain awake during the night.  According to the Qur’an, God either listens directly or via the angel Gabriel, to requests of Muslims concerning their fate.

It is on this night, and during the following weeks, that many Muslims have had supernatural encounters with God.

We should not be surprised that these are the kinds of prayers which God loves to answer in unexpected ways:

Matthew 7:7 – 11 (NIV) ⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Isaiah 65:1 – 4 (NIV) ¹ “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;   I was found by those who did not seek me.     To a nation that did not call on my name,     I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ ² All day long I have held out my hands     to an obstinate people,     who walk in ways not good,     pursuing their own imaginations— ³ a people who continually provoke me     to my very face,     offering sacrifices in gardens     and burning incense on altars of brick; ⁴ who sit among the graves     and spend their nights keeping secret vigil. . .

Researchers contend that 80 percent of new Christians in South Asia come to Christ as a direct result of supernatural encounters.  More than half of new believers in Iran (where it is a capital offense to proselytize) have had a dream or vision of Jesus, and at least 35 percent of all recent Turkish conversions were in response to a dream and/or vision.   In most cases, these supernatural encounters are in relation to a specific need or answer to prayer and are the result of years of prayer and labor by God’s people, including martyrdom.

There are many accounts in the Bible where God spoke through a dream or vision:  Genesis 41; Genesis 46:2-3; Daniel 4, Judges 7:10-15, Ezekiel 11:24; Matthew 2:12, 19, Acts 10:3-20; Revelation 1:1.  In many of these cases, the end result was for the purpose of salvation or physical safety.

We began this series of Ramadan by stating that most Muslims are not the radicals who strap explosives to themselves and walk into the marketplace and set them off, or who fly hijacked airliners into office buildings.   Instead most are like you and me, seeking a relationship with a God with whom they can find acceptance, a reason for living, and a chance to start their lives afresh.  Tonight they will be looking for all of those things.  As  we have pointed out in this series, the Allah of the Qur’an can supply none of that.  But Jesus can.  When we seek Him, we will find Him and He will answer.

Pray that when Jesus reveals Himself, those who seek Him will take the next step and find someone with whom they can grow spiritually.  Even in cultures that are officially closed to the Gospel, these helpers are there and can also be found.

Lord, on this holy night we release angelic messengers to an obstinate people, yet loved by God.  As they lift up the name of Jesus draw men from the North, South, East and West to Yourself.  Guide them to others who are like-minded so they can grow together.  For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Ramadan: What do we believe about Jesus?

Luke 24:17 – 27 (NIV) ¹⁷He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.  ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” ¹⁹“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;  ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  ²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning  ²³but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.  ²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” ²⁵He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”  ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – 23 (NIV) ¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  ¹⁹For it is written:     “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;     the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” ²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

A Turkish painting of Jesus ascending into heaven

In Islam Jesus is considered to be a messenger of God, albeit on a level lower than the prophet Muhammed.  In fact, belief in the personhood of Jesus is an essential tenant of Islam.

Many people who are not Christians also believe in Jesus, even exulting Him as an above-average historical figure.  He is placed on the same level as Adam or one of the Old Testament prophets.  Around the world Jesus is revered as a great teacher, a great moral philosopher.  But many would stop short of equating Him with deity

However scripture warns us about minimizing Jesus’ stature.  James 2:19 states: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”  What God seems to be telling us through His Word that the message defines the messenger.  Perhaps a good illustration of this is that many people believe in God, yet they also believe that He is mean and angry and arbitrary in His judgments.  Whereas the Apostles  paint quite a different picture of God.  Paul says that He is kind and gentle (Romans 2:4).  Peter says that He is patient, not wanting any to perish under His judgment (2 Peter 3:9).  Jesus himself refers to His own gentleness and humility (Matthew 11:29).

Whatever we believe about God must also be consistent with who He is.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  I would not serve a god whose treated me with kindness one day and with spiteful anger the next.  It is for that very reason that those of us from abusive homes find it difficult to honor our parents.

So what is there about Jesus which would indicate that He is more than just another created being?  What is there about His character that would indicate that He is equal with God, that He is God?

Let me submit to you that the answer lies in the work He did on the cross.

Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross.  Rather prior to the crucifixion, Jesus was taken into heaven in much the same manner as Enoch (Genesis 5:24).  Muslims believe that someone else, perhaps Judas, was crucified in Jesus’ place.  Here are a couple of passages from the Qur’an which articulate this, in my opinion, implausible belief.

Qur’an 4:155 – 159 (They [the Jews] incurred condemnation) for violating their covenant, rejecting GOD’s [Allah’s] revelations, killing the prophets unjustly, and for saying, “Our minds are made up!” In fact, GOD [Allah] is the One who sealed their minds, due to their disbelief, and this is why they fail to believe, except rarely. (They are condemned) for disbelieving and uttering about Mary a gross lie. And for claiming that they killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of GOD [Allah]. In fact, they never killed him, they never crucified him – they were made to think that they did. All factions who are disputing in this matter are full of doubt concerning this issue. They possess no knowledge; they only conjecture. For certain, they never killed him.  Instead, GOD [Allah] raised him to Him; GOD [Allah] is Almighty, Most Wise. Everyone among the people of the scripture [Jews and Christians] was required to believe in him before his death. On the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.

Qur’an 3:54 – 60 They plotted and schemed, but so did GOD [Allah], and GOD [Allah] is the best schemer.  Thus, GOD [Allah] said, “O Jesus, I am terminating your life, raising you to Me, and ridding you of the disbelievers. I will exalt those who follow you above those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is the ultimate destiny of all of you, then I will judge among you regarding your disputes.  As for those who disbelieve, I will commit them to painful retribution in this world, and in the Hereafter. They will have no helpers.”  As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, He will fully recompense them.

Did you notice how the god of Islam is portrayed in these passages — a “schemer”, a vengeful, manipulative, puppeteer kind of a god, who sets up people to become objects for persecution in this life and divine wrath in the next?

Quite a contrast with the love with which John portrays Jesus in his Gospel or the Jesus about which the author of Hebrews writes:

Hebrews 1:1 – 4 (NIV) ¹In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  ³The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. [emphasis mine] ⁴So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The New Testament emphasizes that when God became flesh, His primary purpose was to take on Himself the sins of the world, and to become the once-for-all sacrifice which satisfied the requirements of His law that those who sin must die.  He thus becomes at once, a God who loves sinners, and yet a just God who is willing to satisfy the justice He requires by taking our punishment in our place!

For the Muslim there is no way of knowing whether the righteous deeds done in this life are enough to satisfy their capricious god.  “If Allah wills it” is  their only hope.  And yet for the Christian who believes that Jesus died on the cross, there is a certainty that we will one day rule and reign with Him who conquered death and even now reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 John 5:13 -15).

As the 30 days of Ramadan enter their most crucial time, the “Night of Power” on Sept. 15 and 16,  pray that as Muslims seek a revelation of God fasting and praying through the night, that they will receive a vision of a loving, gentle, patient, resurrected Jesus who has come to save them from both sin and uncertainty.

Memphis prays on 9/11/2009

Prayers went up to God for justice on the eighth anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, as intercessors gathered on the lawn of the Shelby County Courthouse.  The time of intercession was part of Cry Out America, a program organized to call every county in America to pray for spiritual awakening.

Photos of the Memphis can be seen by clicking on the “Memphis 9/11/2009″ link at the top of this blog.