Matthew 24:37, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."
By now all of us have seen the horror that unfolded in Florida on Wednesday. 13 students gunned down by a former classmate. Whether it be this shooting, or Las Vegas, Ft. Hood, Orlando, San Bernardino, Sandy Hook, Columbine, or any other of a growing list, the result is always the same. Innocent people dead, and unanswered questions as to why.
As I've engaged on social media, in conversations, listened to the radio and watched the news reports, almost everyone keeps asking that question. Why? I've heard many accounts of how when folks went to school, parking lots were full of pick ups with gun racks, and guns, in the back, yet no one shot up the school. I grew up in such a time in suburban Greenville, SC. We carried knives, in the school, in to class, yet no one was stabbed. Sure, we had fights, what high school doesn't, but nothing like this. That was just a generation ago. This phenomenon is something that has really emerged over the last 25 years. Sure, there was Austin, Texas in the late sixties, but that was an isolated incident then. Now, this is so commonplace, they just seem to run together. So why?
Many say it's guns. There are over 300 million legal guns in the United States, almost one for every citizen. Now, I'm all for the Second Amendment, but do I think there could be some changes to our gun laws. Yes, I do. When an 18 year old can legally buy an assault rifle, but can't legally drink a beer, I think that's insane. I'm not a gun owner, though I know multitudes who do own, some own private arsenals. Personally, I'm not sure what other purpose an assault rifle has than to kill another person, but that can be said of handguns as well. But friends, the United States has ALWAYS been a well armed nation, so why this regular occurrence of mass shootings now? Guns have always been accessible. Why this proliferation of mass shootings over these last 25 years?
Some say it's the video game culture that mandates violence and death to win the games. That these games have created a numbing to actual death. We didn't have these games when I grew up. We went in to the woods and played Army and shot BB and pellet guns at each other. Is it really much different? Heck, our play games were far more dangerous in reality. So why this now?
Some are saying it's mental illness. Is mental illness a new thing? We could probably list many, many things that could contribute to these mass shootings, but none will answer the question as to why?
The verse from Matthew 24 at the top of this blog is a part of what is called the Olivet Discourse, covering Matthew 24-25. Here Jesus is teaching about His return, and one of the things He says is before He comes, it will be like it was in the time of Noah. We don't have much detail from the bible of this time, but we do have God's opinion of these times. In Genesis 6:5-6, the bible tells us; "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." Yikes! That was, well, I'm not sure how long ago, but a LONG time ago! And you want to know what hasn't changed? The heart of man! Since the fall of man in the garden at Eden we read about in Genesis 3, this has been humanity. Jeremiah the prophet, speaking for God in Jeremiah 17:9. tells us that the heart of man is "deceitfully wicked." That only God can know it, the good it is capable of doing, and the astonishing wickedness.
The purpose of this blog, for the most part, is to try to apply the bible, God's word, to the world we live in. As I look at scripture, this is the answer to that question......why? You see, all of the things that have been mentioned repeatedly these last 25 years have always been present for the most part, in some form. What hasn't changed is the human heart. If a person is intent on killing masses, he doesn't need a gun. Terrorists killed nearly 3000 citizens on 9/11 with box cutters to commandeer jet liners. The last church I pastored was in a small town named Chesterfield, SC, population 1500. There a student was arrested with enough explosives to level the local high school, and that was his plan. He could have killed hundreds had he not been caught. You know what was happening right before he was caught? Christians from all the local Southern Baptist churches were prayer walking the high school in preparation for a county wide revival we were to be conducting in the gymnasium. Coincidence? I think you could guess where I land on that! Evil people are going to do evil things, regardless. They will find a way.
And you know what else Jesus said in Matthew 24? In Matthew 24:8, after giving a partial list of things we can expect to see before He returns, Jesus says; "All these are just the beginning of sorrows." That phrase literally translates to "birth pangs," what we would call labor pains. In other words, when you see these things, when the world begins to resemble the "days of Noah," where evil was rampant, think of it as labor pains. What happens with labor pains? The contractions begin lightly, but as birth grows closer, they grow stronger, more painful, and more frequent. Is that what we're seeing?
I don't have a concrete answer for that, as Jesus also told us in this discourse no one knows exactly when He will return. But I do know before His return, evil will grow worse and worse, because He tells us that.
There really are no words to comfort the families of these victims, or any of the other countless acts of evil we seem to witness on a regular basis. My prayer is we'll see it for what it really is, and not focus on secondary causes. These mass shootings happen because there is a heart problem. It's called sin. Evil. If you want to know the root cause of why, look no further than that. And there is only one way to defeat evil, and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness that He alone offers, "by grace, through faith." Those who knew Him that were killed on Wednesday have now overcome this wicked world through Him. They have victory. Do you?
In the end, that's the only answer to the evil of this world.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
Political Toxicity, the Media, and the Church
Recently, a famous talk radio host was asked an interesting question. Syndicated conservative talker Rush Limbaugh was asked by a self identified liberal caller, "is there any objective media source from which I can get news?" Limbaugh's answer was obvious to anyone with a TV, radio or internet access. "No."
We live in an age where everything from the media and government comes from a particular perspective, a distinct ideology. This is nothing new. Partisanship is as old as life itself. People have always taken sides, and always will. It's just today, with the emergence of alternative media through the internet, we are flooded with more sources for "news" and opinion than ever before. Our natural tendency to lean one way or another is reinforced more stridently than ever, and according to Limbaugh's opinion on the matter, there really is no place we can go to find information not tainted by an ideological leaning. I agree with that opinion. So how do we as the church proceed in a world where presented truth is almost certainly coming from a distinct ideological perspective? To me this is one of the most important questions we have to answer. Because if we become drawn in to partisan political battles and allow those to override our true mission, we become "of the world," and our witness to all people becomes as tainted as the political climate in which we live.
I've been a member of four churches since I was saved at age 39 in 2003. The first in lay leadership, the second as bi-vocational staff, and the third and fourth as pastor. The first three were monolithic in their political leanings. Like most conservative Christians, those that profess and believe the word of God is our final authority, those leanings were distinctly conservative, and thus Republican. Politics really wasn't a controversial subject as nearly everyone leaned the same direction. Then in 2011 I came to my fourth church, one in a highly culturally diverse community with an equally diverse political perspective. The difference in the church was astounding. Political discussions became highly divisive. I found myself in a position where I had to examine how we handled things as a church. Our mission is to reach all people, but political opinion stood in the way of that, as when conversation turned to that subject, the body of Christ became divided.
It's a tricky situation, as all of us come with ideological leanings. But one thing is crystal clear from scripture; God desires us to be united, not divided. How can this be accomplished in such a toxic and divided cultural and political climate? As always, the bible does have the answer.
One of the rather obscure apostles was named Simon the Zealot. The term zealot, according to many scholars, was associated with the Jewish freedom movement of Jesus' day. These were people who sought political freedom from the oppression of Rome. For Israel to become an independent nation again, something it had not been since the Babylonian Captivity in 586 B.C. From that point forward, Israel was always under the rule of a foreign nation politically.
Many scholars believe that several of the apostles belonged to this movement. Yet Simon alone is tagged with the name "Zealot." Perhaps he was the most zealous in these beliefs. Yet these beliefs did not align with the message of Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 8:31-32 that true freedom comes from abiding in His word and knowing truth, and that truth "shall make you free." We may not have much information on Simon, but one thing we can be sure of is that he followed Jesus, denied himself, and turned from his cultural and political view of freedom and to Jesus' view of what freedom truly is. Simon the Zealot can teach us a lot.
Before Jesus's ascension to heaven, the apostles asked Him a question in Acts 1:6. They asked, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" For Jesus to establish His kingdom would mean freedom from the oppression of Rome. It was of keen interest to all of them. Jesus' answer is telling, and instructive for us. In Acts 1:7 he tells them it is not their place to know the "times or seasons" of the Father, then in Acts 1:8 Jesus repeats their mission on earth, the Great Commission. While on earth they are not to concern themselves with "political," issues. We are to serve His kingdom, not an earthly one. The apostles went on to establish His church that was divorced from the politics of the day, an incredible achievement. You simply do not find evidence in scripture of the apostles or the early church becoming entangled in the political battles of the day, and like today, they were plentiful. It's a real balancing act!
You see, the political battles of then, and now, involve issues we must engage in. Israel was oppressed by Rome, and the bible teaches us we as God's people are to minister to the oppressed. To stand up for them. It's how we minister to them that is important. Our focus must be on His heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one. No nation, or political party, has the answer for what all people desperately need. Jesus! Micah 6:8 tells us that we are to "seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." We must do this! But we can never do it if we allow ourselves to be overcome with our personal political ideology, and allow that to permeate the church. When we do, we alienate many whom we are called to reach with the gospel and love of God. We create a worldly stumbling block to the mission we are called to carry out.
Our works to minister in areas such as race, immigration, the poor, and many others must be kingdom focused, not driven by political ideology. If they are not, we cannot sow the seeds we are called to. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay straw, each one's work will become clear, for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so, as through the fire."
It is extremely challenging to block out the noise created by the politically toxic climate, tainted by a biased media, in which we live. It requires a full submission to the cause of Christ, denying ourselves and our own ideological leanings. But it is possible.
Simon the Zealot shows us this!
We live in an age where everything from the media and government comes from a particular perspective, a distinct ideology. This is nothing new. Partisanship is as old as life itself. People have always taken sides, and always will. It's just today, with the emergence of alternative media through the internet, we are flooded with more sources for "news" and opinion than ever before. Our natural tendency to lean one way or another is reinforced more stridently than ever, and according to Limbaugh's opinion on the matter, there really is no place we can go to find information not tainted by an ideological leaning. I agree with that opinion. So how do we as the church proceed in a world where presented truth is almost certainly coming from a distinct ideological perspective? To me this is one of the most important questions we have to answer. Because if we become drawn in to partisan political battles and allow those to override our true mission, we become "of the world," and our witness to all people becomes as tainted as the political climate in which we live.
I've been a member of four churches since I was saved at age 39 in 2003. The first in lay leadership, the second as bi-vocational staff, and the third and fourth as pastor. The first three were monolithic in their political leanings. Like most conservative Christians, those that profess and believe the word of God is our final authority, those leanings were distinctly conservative, and thus Republican. Politics really wasn't a controversial subject as nearly everyone leaned the same direction. Then in 2011 I came to my fourth church, one in a highly culturally diverse community with an equally diverse political perspective. The difference in the church was astounding. Political discussions became highly divisive. I found myself in a position where I had to examine how we handled things as a church. Our mission is to reach all people, but political opinion stood in the way of that, as when conversation turned to that subject, the body of Christ became divided.
It's a tricky situation, as all of us come with ideological leanings. But one thing is crystal clear from scripture; God desires us to be united, not divided. How can this be accomplished in such a toxic and divided cultural and political climate? As always, the bible does have the answer.
One of the rather obscure apostles was named Simon the Zealot. The term zealot, according to many scholars, was associated with the Jewish freedom movement of Jesus' day. These were people who sought political freedom from the oppression of Rome. For Israel to become an independent nation again, something it had not been since the Babylonian Captivity in 586 B.C. From that point forward, Israel was always under the rule of a foreign nation politically.
Many scholars believe that several of the apostles belonged to this movement. Yet Simon alone is tagged with the name "Zealot." Perhaps he was the most zealous in these beliefs. Yet these beliefs did not align with the message of Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 8:31-32 that true freedom comes from abiding in His word and knowing truth, and that truth "shall make you free." We may not have much information on Simon, but one thing we can be sure of is that he followed Jesus, denied himself, and turned from his cultural and political view of freedom and to Jesus' view of what freedom truly is. Simon the Zealot can teach us a lot.
Before Jesus's ascension to heaven, the apostles asked Him a question in Acts 1:6. They asked, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" For Jesus to establish His kingdom would mean freedom from the oppression of Rome. It was of keen interest to all of them. Jesus' answer is telling, and instructive for us. In Acts 1:7 he tells them it is not their place to know the "times or seasons" of the Father, then in Acts 1:8 Jesus repeats their mission on earth, the Great Commission. While on earth they are not to concern themselves with "political," issues. We are to serve His kingdom, not an earthly one. The apostles went on to establish His church that was divorced from the politics of the day, an incredible achievement. You simply do not find evidence in scripture of the apostles or the early church becoming entangled in the political battles of the day, and like today, they were plentiful. It's a real balancing act!
You see, the political battles of then, and now, involve issues we must engage in. Israel was oppressed by Rome, and the bible teaches us we as God's people are to minister to the oppressed. To stand up for them. It's how we minister to them that is important. Our focus must be on His heavenly kingdom, not an earthly one. No nation, or political party, has the answer for what all people desperately need. Jesus! Micah 6:8 tells us that we are to "seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." We must do this! But we can never do it if we allow ourselves to be overcome with our personal political ideology, and allow that to permeate the church. When we do, we alienate many whom we are called to reach with the gospel and love of God. We create a worldly stumbling block to the mission we are called to carry out.
Our works to minister in areas such as race, immigration, the poor, and many others must be kingdom focused, not driven by political ideology. If they are not, we cannot sow the seeds we are called to. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay straw, each one's work will become clear, for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so, as through the fire."
It is extremely challenging to block out the noise created by the politically toxic climate, tainted by a biased media, in which we live. It requires a full submission to the cause of Christ, denying ourselves and our own ideological leanings. But it is possible.
Simon the Zealot shows us this!
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