Christians in the Culture

In our world around us, Christians and Christianity itself are both not popular. I don't mind that so much. One thing that does bother me is the fact that in the fiction, either written or on screen, Christians are usually portrayed as nut-jobs, hypocrites, or self-righteous Pharisees. In almost every book, TV show, or movie; any hero, smart guy, or kind person is shown as an atheist, agnostic, or of some other religion other than Christianity. Usually, the smart person will make comments about religion as if it is only for the stupid, and act as if all of the Bible has been disproven and science shows actual facts that support things like macro-evolution and the lack of a soul.

Ironically, one of the few accepted Christians in our modern world is, a comic book character. In a place that one would hardly expect to see even tolerance to faith, we find a character that is an example of standing up for truth, morality, and the weak. As in most comic books, these ideas are merged into a comic book character - Captain America. Here is one of my favorite recent quotes from Cap.

(NOTE: He is quoting Mark Twain in this panel as well)
Now, I know that characters change depending on who is writing the current issue of a comic, but I find that Captain America is one of few characters in the modern world who's faith is not ridiculed, but respected. He is not a fraud, hypocrite, or self-righteous. His attitude of submission and morality is an example we don't see much in the modern world. We are told that there is no right or wrong, we cannot tell others that wrong is wrong. In this world of political correctness, it is nice to have a constant Christian in fiction that is not made to look the fool, is not created only to disprove Christianity.

Is this a deep post? No. But I just wanted to show appreciation for the fact that not all Christians in media are made to be frauds.

In the end, lets remember to stand for our faith as well; let us not be frauds. Instead, let us be what Peter told the churches of his day, to be such an example that when people want to make fun of Christ or Christianity, that they cannot do so because of us. Let us be a light, a firm tree planted by the river of truth.

Chronologically Christian

As a boy, my father taught me the importance of being on time. It was ingrained in our family that we were to be at least fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. To be late, I was told, was disrespectful. It wastes other peoples time and shows little respect for them or their schedule. In fact, my father often said he would rather not show up than be late. He felt that not showing up was less disrespectful than being late if it was a non-obligatory situation.

Now, I know that sometimes we cannot help being a bit late, but often we see that lateness is a character trait, not just a coincidence. Does this matter? Is it really this big of an issue?

Well, let's take a look at what the Bible says about being late. There is no verse that states, "Thou shalt be on time"; however, we do find something that can be applied quite well to the situation.

In Matthew 5:37 and James 5:12 we find that we are to let our yes be yes, and our no be no. In other words, we are to be consistent. We are to be trustworthy; and being on time is one form of trustworthiness. Indeed, we could say, let your "12:00 be 12:00, and your 1:00 be 1:00."

If our word has no meaning when we say 5:30, how do people know that we are serious when we talk about other things? If 3:00 can be 4:30, what does it mean when we say, yes or no? Or more than that, what trust can be given to us in situations where people cannot observe us? If we visibly disregard our own words is things like being on time, why should we expect people to trust us when they cannot see what we are doing?

In the end, we are to be respectful and honest with both our time, and with other people's time. We are to do all things decently and in the proper order.

Is this a requisite in Christianity? No, but it is one of the things we do need to work on as Christians. All of us have items that need improving, and we are to strive to do so. As Jesus said, "be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect."

Republican Religion

So, this might not apply to all areas of Christianity, however, in the part of the world that I live in Christians all seem to be Republicans. In fact, I know that for some well-meaning people, the words Christian and Republican are just as entwined as birthdays and cake. But is this a good thing?

Well, lets take a look at a few reasons most Christians support the Republican party. The Republican party is, for the most part, anti-abortion. We as Christians feel strongly that abortion is murder, and therefore we support shutting it down. But realistically, most modern Republican politicians have no real vested interest in stopping abortion. There are exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, they spend their time working on other subjects. Don't get me wrong, I am appalled by the abortion industry, and I would also label it as evil. The concern I have is that Republicans are now just riding the emotions of their voters without doing much about the issue.

Another reason many Christians are pro-Republican is the fact that the Republican party is, again for the most part, against big government and over-taxation and spending. As they often point out, lack of government intervention leads to more money for the citizens; at least, the hardworking ones. Although this is mostly true, the money that is made usually ends up in the pockets of those in charge, not necessarily in the pockets of those who are doing the actual work.

Small government leads to a few more problems. What happens when companies pollute the environment? Before you write me off as a liberal whack-job, let me remind you that we are called to take care of the earth. (Genesis 2:15; Numbers 35:33-34; Ez. 34:17-18) God also warns us that He will punish us if we fail to do so. I do not believe that humans should die, starve, or be injured to protect the environment; however, we are to take care of it even if it does cost us a bit extra time or money.

Did you know that Pittsburg was once so polluted by the steel industry that it was known as a "three shirt a day" city? That means that the air was so filthy that businessmen changed their shirts three times a day just to keep clean and professional. Here are some pictures of the city at that time.

That fog you see is actually pollution. The greed of the major companies caused the city to become so filthy that people were dying of lung disease, cars used their headlights in the city at all times, and nothing was ever actually clean or healthy at any time. Eventually, the government passed regulations to clean the city, but it is still one of the dirtiest places in the United States.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this: if we as humans were basically good, kind, and unselfish; the Republican party would be perfect. But, instead we have greedy fallen humans to work with. As such, the church should step up and take the responsibility to take care of those who are less fortunate. Sadly, we haven't been doing a good job, and the government has had to take over. This is one redeeming side of the Democratic party. They try, in their own flawed way, to take care of those who are less fortunate; whereas the Republican party is more concerned with making the rich richer rather than actually helping those in need. Again, I am not supporting the Democratic party, merely pointing out some good traits. We, as the church, have left the poor and distressed to fend for themselves while we profit from our business deals, and someone else has stepped in to do our job. Now, I do not think the Democrats are doing a very good job of it; however, they are doing more than what we are.

This is why we have laws that prohibit pollution, support welfare, and give the government control over our personal lives. We have failed as a church to help those in need. If we do not do it, then it falls to our un-Godly government to do so. It is a sad fact, but that is what has happened. The Democratic party of our modern world seeks to make the poor better off. This is indeed one of the mandates of the Church, but in our lack of interest and lack of support, we have turned over that responsibility to the Democratic party. In doing so, we have also unintentionally given them the right to 'help' the poor in ways we do not agree with, viz. pay without labor, abortion, and an attitude of entitlement.

How did Jesus handle politics in His day? Oh, believe you me, there were a lot of hot political topics in His world. The country He was born in was under foreign rule and they were forced to pay taxes to an emperor they despised. They asked Jesus about this in Mark ch. 12. Jesus did not get involved in the political aspect of the question, instead, He did what we should do: He turned His focus on God.

So am I telling you to become a Democrat? Not at all. Am I saying you shouldn't be a Republican? Not that either. In the end, you need to follow the conviction God gives you. But remember, Christians are no longer of this world. We have our loyalty to God, not to country or party. We are loyal to God, first and foremost, after that, it is not my business what you do, as long as you follow the conviction God gives you.

How do we know what our convictions are? We pray, we ask God to convict us. God will convict us if we listen. After that, we need to remember what Paul says in Romans 14:22.  

The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.

Two Toned Testimony

I was reading a few cartoons by Jeff Larson from The Back Pew just a minute ago, and came across this one.

This describes our Christian walk far too well at times. We try to minister and bring the Gospel to people that we do not treat according to Godly principles. We forget that Jesus first preached repentance, then the Sermon on the Mount, before telling his disciples to go and make disciples.

So what do I mean with this? Do I mean to imply that we should not witness? No, I am saying that we need to make sure that our interaction with people shows the love of Christ before we attempt to minister to them. We need to remember how Jesus interacted with people, how He loved them and was concerned for them. Too often we 'witness' to ease our conscience; it has nothing to do with a burden for the lost.

We need to be consistent testimonies with our lives before we can affect people with our words. Not that long ago, I saw a flyer advertising weight loss coaching. There was a picture of a rather large man that was displayed prominently. I assumed this was a motivational pic, but it turned out that this was the 'weight loss coach.' I had a hard time taking the ad seriously because it looked like the man needed what he was selling. I don't mean to be rude, but frankly, if you can't do it for yourself, than it is doubtful you can do it for others. 

In the same way, people will view our Christian message. If we live lives that are not Godly and righteous through God's grace, than people would naturally assume that we do not have God's spirit. It is tragic, but true. We bless God and curse our neighbor. James talks about this in the third chapter of his book as well. We can see that the early church had the same problem. What does James tell them? Stop. This cannot be so. It needs to end.

How can we stop this? Well, James gives us that answer too. We cannot. Its that simple. It is impossible for us to do this. What does that leave us with? What kind of encouraging answer is that? Well, it is the foundation of Christianity. We cannot do it; only God can. And He will, provided that we come to Him with empty hands and a humble heart. We cannot assume that we are even close to good enough in this regard, or in any other. However, God's grace is amazing, He will help us, He will stand in for us and renew us, if only we admit that we cannot and never could. We have to let go, and let Him do His work within us. This is true of our daily walk, and also of our ministry to the people we interact with. Once we let God work through us, He will guide us in our evangelism as well.

Now, this is not a one time thing. This is daily, a denying of ourselves and an admission to God that we need Him to do it through us. That is the core of Christianity. It starts and ends with God.

Election or Predestination?

One of the things that often comes up in Theological studies is the concept of election and predestination. I am not planning on tackling the actual question in this post, I just wish to clarify the defintion and difference between the two terms.

Predestination, or  προοριζο,  means to choose ahead of time. This implies choosing something before it happens. This term is used six times in the New Testament.

Election, or εκλεκτοσ, means to be chosen to preform a duty or task. (e.g. a president or minister may be elected.) another definition is as follows: chosen: an exclusive group of people; "one of the elect who have power inside the government".

Now, we see that both terms are used in the Bible to refer to God's people at different times. However, we also need to remember that just because someone is elected, or elect, if you will, does not mean that it was chosen before time. A minister may be elected, but that is not a predetermined item. It takes the choice of those in the congregation. We have the same thing with a president. They are elect, but that does not mean they had no choice.

We also see that predestination also is a Biblical principle. However, we need to be careful in how we use these two terms. Although many people may use the two to mean the same thing, they most certainly do not. We may have an elect group of School board members, but that does not mean they were predestined to be there.

In other words, predestination requires election, but election does not require predestination. This is not an attempt to refute anyone's theory, just to define the terms thrown around as if they were interchangeable.

In other words, all people in a position of authority, privilege, or grace, are elect in their position. That includes presidents, parents, teachers, employees, employers, and most definitely Christians. We are elect. We are indeed an exclusive people chosen to preform a duty and fulfill a task. That is the meaning of being elect in any area of life.

For more examples of how we must make sure to use reasoning correctly in Theology, see this earlier  post.

Sacrificing Stories

Today we were getting together with some friends and one of the guys mentioned that he didn't read fiction any longer. He viewed it as a waste of time. While I may say that anything indulged to excess is a bad thing, I am saddened at the thought of eliminating fiction entirely.

Why is that, you may ask? Aren't stories just for children? I would say that that is far from the truth. Stories carry over much truth, morals, and imagination. It helps us think, reason, process, and understand.

Jesus himself taught much in the form of fiction. His parables were not true in the sense that they actually happened here on Earth, but true in the sense that they taught us lessons and morals.
 This gift of God, language and literature, is precious and can be used for great things. In fact, stories often outlive their teller, with authors who have died hundreds of years ago influencing the minds and lives of those who remain.

But even non-fiction stories often fall under the ax some people give literature. This is indeed a great tragedy when this occurs. Without it, so many things fall to the wayside. When God gave us the Bible, it was written mainly in story form for us to learn from. I am not saying that our writing is on par with the Holy Scriptures, but I do believe it is a wonderful medium that God has given us.

I'm not saying God doesn't convict some people of this. But I also believe that we shouldn't eliminate the good with the bad. Paul talks about denying things for the sake of denying them in Colossians  2:16-23. It is not good to assume that asceticism is good in all things. Sometimes self denial is a bad thing.

Bad? But I thought we were supposed to deny ourselves? Yes, but only in so far as it is actually good for us. If we eat to excess, we need to deny our impulses, that is one area I have had to continually deal with myself. But a person with bulimia or anorexia needs to make sure to eat enough. If they deny themselves food, it is not for their own good anymore.

A historical example that hits close to home for me would be the Anabaptists of Mexico. My parents grew up in a small colony there. Just a few generations ago, they were people of Godly faith and conviction. They denied themselves many things in order to focus more on holy things. Don't get me wrong, I believe that God does indeed deserve our attention. But if we are not careful with how we do it, people will adhere to what they see these spiritual people adhere to. And almost every time, we see that it only takes a generation or two to become a group that has no idea why they abstain from things, but they do so. In fact, it tragically becomes what Paul warns of, self-righteous self-denial.

So how can we avoid this? Well, one thing is to not put such an emphases on what we are not doing, and instead focus on what we ARE doing. Instead of talking about all the things we don't believe or do, instead work with the things we do believe and are doing. If we put our focus in the correct area, than each can follow his own God-given convictions and not attempt to instead follow someone else's.

Giving to God

Father's Day is just around the corner. That means that this weekend there will be many young children who are going to get their father a gift. It's a wonderful thought, and both the father and child will most likely enjoy it. It's not unlikely that some kid will ask his father for five dollars or so to buy a gift of some kind. Excited, the child will pick out whatever small item they think their father would enjoy and gleefully give it to him. The father will enjoy the gift, and the thought behind it, but very few will do so because they actually think they profited five bucks. The money was theirs to give in the first place and as such was always really theirs.

In much the same way, we give gifts to our heavenly Father. We gleefully use what He has given us and wish to present something to Him. Just as gladly, He receives it, not because He profits out of our giving or generosity, but because of the spirit of giving that comes with it. This is why the Scriptures say, "the Lord loves a cheerful giver." It isn't the gift God is worried about, it is why, how, and who of the matter that He is concerned with. This is also why Jesus says that the poor woman had given far more to God than the rich had. God view us as His children in many ways, some we like and some make us feel rather childish, ironically. His view of gifts is not based on the value others put on the gift, but instead on how much dedication, personal sacrifice, or thought and caring was in that gift instead.

So this Father's Day, let us honor our earthly fathers, as the Law commands. But let us do so in a way that also honors our heavenly Father. Let us give of ourselves to Him, both in word and in deed.