Reconciliation

wokeRacism is an important topic to discuss in that to be a Racist qualifies you as one of the more detestable human beings on the planet. Wherever it shows up, regardless of to what extent, it needs to be identified and addressed as the godless and evil disposition that it is.

A Manufactured Majority and the Promotion of Socialism 

These days, however, Racism isn’t always a “topic” as much as it is a “tactic” and you can tell which approach is being taken simply by observing the extent to which the person speaking uses labels, mobs and crowds to make their point.

By using a faceless collective or the actions of a solitary figure to represent an entire people group (White Privilege, White Fragility, White Evangelicals, Black Crime Rate, Police Brutality), you can avoid having to elaborate on the personal history or individual character of those persons that make up your manufactured majority.

With this approach in place, you can characterize an entire race as cruel, a particular profession as sinister or make a criminal appear heroic.

But you can’t assume the conduct of one individual defines the morality of an entire group any more than you can use the behavior of a group to define the morality of an entire race. To do so makes you a Racist and it’s here where those who use Racism as a tactic become the very thing they claim to despise.

In that instance, it’s not Racism being contested as much as it’s Socialism being promoted.

Socialism doesn’t acknowledge the existence of fools. In the mind of the Socialist, there are only two categories of individuals:

  • The System which consists of the rich and the corrupt
  • The People who are poor and abused

Psychological Extortion

This is why everything you hear from the Democrat camp is framed around the “victim.” In addition to it being consistent with the paradigm they’re wanting to establish, you can’t criticize someone who’s in pain or the person who’s trying to help without appearing insensitive and cruel.

This is how you…

  • shut down anyone who challenges your platform
  • prevent anyone from seeing your true purpose
  • justify demonizing anything or anyone associated with your opponent

Still, you can’t claim to be a casualty of a flawed system if the majority of your wounds are self inflicted. Your cry for equality is nothing more than a demand for immunity if your personal record is littered with bad decisions and your appeal for “justice” is revealed as a veiled attempt to vaccinate yourself from the consequences of your actions.

When any kind of psychological extortion is being deployed – when certain assumptions are being forced into the conversation by claiming to be hurt and ignored – you’re not championing a platform as much as you’re concealing a poison. As least, that’s how you’ll be perceived by anyone who values the Truth over a soundbite.

From a Biblical Perspective

From a Biblical perspective, Racism doesn’t exist in the mind of God or anyone who understands the substance of Grace.

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-29)

You are responsible for your actions. Not your parents…

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! (Ez 18:30-32 [see also Jer 31:29-30])

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Lk 6:43-45 [click here to read about the “generational curse”])

…nor your environment:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. (Jas 1:13-14)

No Posing

Posing as a victim in order to avoid taking responsibility for your actions is futile, selfish and wicked…

No matter how you want to make your situation appear in the eyes of others, God sees your heart and nothing gets past Him:

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Sam 16:7)

If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? (Prov 24:12)

“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jer 17:10)

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Rom 8:27)

Blaming others is cowardly and demonstrates an unhealthy preoccupation with one’s self. As has already been referenced in the context of Ezekiel 18:30-32 and James 1:13-14, God evaluates your morality according to your heart and your actions and not the behavior of others.

In addition, you can see throughout Scripture examples of individuals attempting to pose as a victim of someone else’s influence in order to avoid being held accountable for their actions. In each scenario, not only did it prove to be a pointless effort, it revealed the true nature of the heart behind the sin.

Here’s a few examples:

When God confronted Adam and Eve about eating the forbidden fruit, Adam started off by blaming Eve: “The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Gen 3:12). Eve responded by blaming the serpent: “Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Gen 3:13)In both instances, you’ve got an individual who’s trying to pose as a victim of outside forces rather than admitting the fact that they’re nothing more than a victim of their own poor decision making. As a result, not only did their attempts to avoid discipline fail, they showed just how weak their resolve was to obey God in the first place. In 1 Samuel 15, King Saul was instructed to destroy the Amalekites and their livestock. Instead, he spared the king and the best of the sheep and the cattle. When he was confronted by Samuel, he started by lying and saying that he had done as he was told and when pressed, he said, “The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”Whatever doubts may have been lingering about Saul’s true character, they were laid to rest when Saul attempted to conceal his own wrongdoing by implying that he was being blamed for the actions of other people. You could say that he was insisting he was a victim of a an unjust system…Samuel responded by informing that Saul would no longer be king… In Luke 19, Jesus tells a story of three men who were entrusted with different amounts of money that they were expected to invest and multiply. Two of them came back having done just that, but the third man had done absolutely nothing and attempted to blame his boss by saying that, “I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.“The fact of the matter was the servant was both lazy and wicked. He was lazy in that he failed to do what would’ve been a simple and easy thing by simply depositing the money and letting it gain interest. He was wicked in that rather than admitting his guilt, he not only attempted to make excuses, but he went as far as blaming his master – the one who gave him the money to begin with – for the shame that he now had to contend with.

In the Absence of Truth

In John 7:24, Jesus says to stop judging according to mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. In other words, be certain that you’re basing your convictions on what’s true – an evaluation of all of the facts – and now just on what’s accurate, which oftentimes is nothing more than a manipulation of just some of the facts.

In the absence of Truth, Love is Neglect, Compassion is a Subsidy and Justice is Favoritism.

Moreover, Reconciliation, in this instance, assumes that someone has been wronged and the oppressed is now magnanimously reaching out to the oppressor and offering forgiveness.

But if there is no “oppression” – only a campaign to either blame someone else for the mistakes you have made or a resolve to evaluate an entire demographic based on the character of a select few – than Reconciliation is nothing more than the Psychological Extortion that was referenced earlier, but on an even grander scale.

Now, you’re not just blaming another individual or even a select group of people. You’re blaming another race and labeling every Caucasian as being a problem, not because of who they are as an individual, but because of the pigmentation of their skin.

There’s a word that describes that mentality…

Racism.

Bottom Line

You and I are perpetually poised on the threshold of great things because the One Who made us has equipped us for a life characterized by purpose and fulfillment (Josh 1:8; Jer 29:11; Eph 2:10).

It’s True! It’s not “positive thinking.” It’s “profound thinking” and it’s right out of the Bible.

But we can’t blame something or someone else for wherever we failed to do something right (Gen 3:12-13). Nor can we expect our best performance to always be embraced and applauded if we would reach that place where we’re able to experience the life that God offers to those who trust and obey (Jn 16:33).

Those that we admire not only owned their mistakes and learned from them, they also persevered when they encountered disappointment and didn’t rush to demonize those who enforced a certain standard without first ensuring they were able to meet that standard themselves before voicing any concerns or criticisms (Matt 7:1; Lk 19:20-26).

The bottom line is that these days, in order to label something as “racist” you have to be a Racist yourself. The question isn’t, “Is he a black man?” or “Is he a white man?” The question should be, “Is he a good man?” That’s the mindset advocated by Dr. Martin Luther King and, more importantly, that’s the only criteria used by God when He evaluates the conduct and the character of an individual that He has made (1 Cor 3:12-15).

As long as your platform consists entirely of labels, mobs and crowds as a opposed to a name, a person and a choice, you’re employing the very same sinister mindset you would condemn in others and you are the very thing you claim to despise.

This is why Reconciliation, Woke, BLM, Reparations etc. fails to secure the collective endorsement of the public in general because of the way each of these campaigns reek of the very thing they supposedly detest.

Whatever racial tension or injustice exists, you’re not going to defeat it using the same mindset it is founded upon. In other words, you don’t destroy racial prejudice with more Racism and until those that are truly concerned about the welfare of those they represent focus on the individual character of the people being considered and not their skin color, they’re not helping anyone, they’re just making a bad situation worse.

You Have to Talk to Thomas

thomasApart from first hand knowledge, everything we know about the world is based on what we’ve been told.

Provided your resources are credible, you’re on solid ground in the way you formulate your convictions.

But when there’s more than one perspective being circulated and it all seems to be based on something authoritative, what might otherwise be a consensus is now a disparate group of passionate voices all convinced that they’re right and everyone else is just trying to catch up.

In such a situation, it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction and what’s true becomes defined more by one’s philosophical preferences than actual events and whole conversations.

In the end, the truth is going to be defined by evaluating all the facts. That, as opposed to scenarios where the commentator is manipulating just some of the facts.

Take, for example, the Resurrection of Christ.

You could talk to Pilate and get one perspective. You could talk with John and get something entirely different. If those two individuals are your only sources of information, in the absence of something undeniable, you will be drawn to the personality championing the platform more so than the platform itself.

But at some point, you have to talk to Thomas.

Pilate sentenced Jesus to death, John saw Him die but it was Thomas who refused to believe anything as nonsensical as Jesus having come back to life unless…

…unless he was able to physically touch where the spikes had gone through His wrists and put his hand into the wound created by the spear that had punctured His side.

The NIV Text Note for this particular verses says, “Hardheaded skepticism can scarcely go further than this.”1

Unless you talk to Thomas, or at least objectively consider his experience, your take on Jesus having conquered death is going to be based more on what you want to believe than what’s actually the case.

You have to talk to Thomas.

And the same thing applies to similar situations where you have a variety of viewpoints.

You have to consider all of the players involved and give extra consideration to the one that represents, not just an eyewitness, but someone whose testimony makes no sense apart from it being absolutely true.

And when you encounter a differing viewpoint who would accuse you of being biased in an effort to make their perspective appear more credible, figure out who the “Thomas” is, make sure you’re familiar with what “Thomas” said, and then say to your opponent…

You have to talk to Thomas.

 

1. NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1985, p1637

Truth

is_it_trueI was watching an interview between Don Lemon and Sheriff David Clarke back in 2016. They were talking about the recent events in Baton Rouge where three police officers were killed and three others were wounded. The first question Lemon asked the Sheriff was, “…we spoke to the heads of the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department and the State Police down there and they told us how their hearts are reeling – their message is peace and coming together as a country. What’s your message?”

At this point Clarke looked at Lemon with a look of disgust – which is understandable given the fact that regardless of how he might choose to answer Lemon’s question, it would sound like he was wanting something other than “peace.”

What do you say in response to a question like that?

I was thinking about that recently and I decided that a good answer would’ve been…

Truth.

“That’s my message, Don. Truth. Peace in the absence of truth is nothing more than unopposed violence and that’s what you’ve got going on in Baton Rouge.”

And then go from there.

Regardless of the news outlet or the commentator, no matter how noble the “message” may sound, in the absence of truth it’s nothing more than evil dressed up as a pretty lie.

Apart from first hand knowledge, everything you and I know about the world is based on what we’ve been told. Provided the source is credible, our convictions are sound. If, however, that source is intentionally incomplete, yet insists that it’s telling the “truth,” at that point we’re not being convinced as much as we’re being conditioned.

Before we rush to condemn or defend a particular personality or premise, the first question we need to ask is “Is it true?” And we can’t allow ourselves to be influenced by the presentation as much as we need to focus on the substance of the answer.

It can become subjective and our philosophical preferences will influence our willingness to accept one testimony over the other. But that doesn’t change the fact that there is a bottom line and objective tests can be applied in order to know with at least some degree of certainty the difference between truth and fiction, regardless of what we want to be the case.

So, when you hear someone talk about “change,” or accuse someone of wrongdoing, regardless of how justified their disposition may appear or how passionate the witness may sound, before any action is taken or any conclusion is drawn, the first question that needs to be asked is, “Is it true?”

However well intended your convictions may be, if you’re basing your approach on an incomplete truth or a flat out lie, it’s like going the speed limit but headed in the wrong direction.

Regardless of what they say, no matter how they sound or how things appear…

Is. It. True?

 

Three Questions

I believe the way you answer the following three questions do an excellent job of revealing the “practical reality” of your walk with Christ (Col 3:18). By “practical reality,” I mean either those times when “ministry” includes working alongside dynamics that aren’t agreeable or safe, or… you’ll see what I mean.

Here we go:

1) If you had to create a billboard that promoted a relationship with Jesus Christ and you couldn’t mention anything about heaven or hell or how Christ helps you with your problems, what would your billboard say?

2) You’re the Good Samaritan. But instead of encountering the victim after they’ve been beaten and robbed, you encounter him as he’s being beaten and robbed. What does your ministry look like?

3) Your neighbor’s house is on fire. You’re working alongside several people put out the blaze when all of a sudden you realize that among those you’re working with, there are several whose lifestyles you seriously disagree with. Do you keep working to put out the fire or do you walk away believing that it’s wrong to be a part of any effort involving people who don’t believe as you do?

If you had to create a billboard that promoted a relationship with Jesus Christ and you couldn’t mention anything about heaven or hell or how Christ helps you with your problems, what would your billboard say?

It’s not “positive thinking,” it’s “profound thinking.” And you’re not using Him or His Word to forward your agenda as much as you’re following His Lead in order to accomplish His Purpose, know His Peace and wield His Power in way that translates to a game winning strategy regardless of what race you’re running.

Pray Big!

Your “ministry” is not just what you do at church. It’s the way you excel and achieve by doing the right thing at the right time in the right way for all the right reasons regardless of where you are or what the circumstance may be. That includes the way you show up to work on time, the way you love your family, the way you vote, the way you work out and even the way you mow your lawn!

Paul says in Colossians that you need to be doing everything in a way that merits Christ’s Signature. When you make a point of doing everything “…with all your might” and couple that with the moral excellence that characterizes the believer who’s on top of his spiritual disciplines, you’re not the kind of employee that people hire, you’re the kind of person people promote (consider the story of Joseph).

Do it right and you are perpetually poised on the threshold of great things as a believer because you’re processing every moment as an ordained opportunity and not just another task to get done. He created you to make a difference and not just an appearance. Put that kind of approach into place and you won’t look at a Monday morning the way way ever again!

How does Jesus help you succeed? That’s the question you need to answer in this exercise. It’s not just how you “deal” with life, it’s how you “succeed” in life. Messages like:

  • Don’t just be smart, be wise (Jas 1:5)
  • Don’t just be happy, be fulfilled (Ecc 12:13; Jn 4:32; Gal 5:22-23)
  • Don’t just be right, be effective (Lk 12:11-12)
  • Don’t just be confident, be certain (Matt 7:24; Phil 2:13; 1 Jn 5:13)
  • Don’t just prosper, succeed (Josh 1:8)

You have the Mindset, the Manner and the emotional Muscle of God cruising through your veins. In other words, His Spirit lives in you. That’s the Divine Trademark that’s been stamped on your life (2 Cor 1:22)! You have the ball! Move it down the field and put some points on the board!

He’s not just a Divine Emergency Kit. He’s also a Divine Tool Kit. He doesn’t say you’ll never be broke, nor does He say you’ll never lose or be sad. What He does say is that if you stick with Me, I’ll make you wise (Jas 1:5). If you make Me your priority, I’ll make your Strong (Is 41:10; Phil 4:13). And if you follow My lead, I’ll make you the kind of person who lights up the room when you walk in (Job 29:11; Matt 5:16; Jn 5:35; Phil 2:15; 4:8)!

There are times where something tragic has happened or you’re up against the wall and, apart from God, you have absolutely no other options. In those times, should someone come alongside you and suggest that if you had more “faith,” you wouldn’t be as concerned or as sad, you’re not listening to someone who’s sensitive as much as you’re hearing someone whose approach to Scripture is based on a handful of verses as opposed to the Bible as a whole.

We are to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Rom 12:15) Denying yourself or others what amounts to a healthy emotional response to a loss or a threat is neither holy nor compassionate. We don’t grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thess 4:13), but we do grieve. Courage isn’t the absence of fear as much as it’s the strength and the confidence to do the right thing regardless of how scared you may be.

We have access to that Strength and Confidence  in Christ (Is 41:10), but Jesus wept just before He raised Lazarus from the dead and He also sweat just before Golgotha.

Yes, there’s rest and healing to be had and it’s important to remember who you are apart from Him and how utterly dependent you are on His grace (Jn 15:5). But He’s created you to make a difference and not just an appearance. Because of Who He is in you, you lack for nothing as far the resources needed to achieve and excel (1 Tim 4:8; 2 Pet 1:3).

What we’re talking about here is not the minimizing of the holy compassion and the divine charity that is needed to strengthen and comfort those who are hurting. What we’re emphasizing is the fact that you are more than your wounds and better than your sin because of Who it is that lives and moves within you. That said, yes, there is a time to hurt and a time to heal, but there’s also a time to win and you don’t want to let yourself become more preoccupied with what you can’t do instead of what it is that He can do through you. That’s motivating and that’s the kind of thing you want to have on your billboard! Things like:

Don’t Just Try. Win. Do It Right Dream Big, Pray Bigger Don’t Just Make an Appearance, Make a Difference

 

Your situation is not something to be processed merely as a random collection of walls and warnings. Rather, it’s nothing but doors and directions when you allow His Truth to shape your perspective.

Do it right and you are perpetually poised on the threshold of great things because you’re processing every moment as an ordained opportunity and not just another day to get through. Put that kind of approach into place and you won’t look at a Monday morning the same way ever again!

Go God, boo devil! Make a Difference!

For more reading on one’s “billboard,” click here.

You’re the Good Samaritan. But instead of encountering the victim after they’ve been beaten and robbed, you encounter him as he’s being beaten and robbed. What does your ministry look like?

Life isn’t always sectioned off in a way where the resulting shapes are characterized by straight and even lines. In order for the Truth to make an impact, you have to follow Christ’s example and communicate it in a way that addresses, not just the situation in general, but the unique “shape” of the situation to include the personalities that are involved, the topic being addressed and the setting that you’re in.

Rarely are you going to be in a spot where only one verse applies. Instead, there will be several verses to consider which is why it’s so important to be taking your cue from God’s Spirit and His Wisdom as opposed to a collection of guidelines and techniques that you manufacture on your own based on a portion of God’s Instructions as opposed to the whole Handbook .

Standing up for what is right is not always done in the absence of a physical / violent altercation. There is an evil out there that doesn’t respond to a gentle rebuke or even a stern warning. And to twist Christ’s admonishment to “turn the other cheek” or God’s command to not take revenge on someone for a wrong they’ve done to you in order to justify not standing up to Goliath or to insist that Jesus was talking about a pocket New Testament when He told the disciples to go purchase a sword, is an irresponsible and inaccurate application of God’s Word.

‘Turning the other cheek” is the biblical response to an offense, not an assault…

As in much of Jesus’ teaching, pressing his illustration the wrong way may obscure his point. In fact, this would read Scripture the very way he was warning against: if someone hits us in the nose, or has already struck us on both cheeks, are we finally free to hit back? Jesus gives us a radical example so we will avoid retaliation, not so we will explore the limits of his example (see Tannehill 1975:73). A backhanded blow to the right cheek did not imply shattered teeth (tooth for tooth was a separate statement); it was an insult, the severest public affront to a person’s dignity (Lam 3:30; Jeremias 1963:28 and 1971:239). God’s prophets sometimes suffered such ill-treatment (1 Kings 22:24; Is 50:6). Yet though this was more an affront to honor, a challenge, than a physical injury, ancient societies typically provided legal recourse for this offense within the lex talionis regulations (Pritchard 1955:163, 175; see also Gaius Inst. 3.220). (“Avoid Retribution and Resistance”, IVP Commentary, accessed April, 2 2009)

And to suggest that the New Testament somehow nullifies every Divinely sanctioned use of force in the Old Testament is to suggest that God changes His mind when it comes either swinging your fist or firing a weapon.

He doesn’t change His mind.

Ever (Num 23:19).

Judges 3:1-2 makes it clear that God placed a premium on making sure that the Israelites knew how to fight. It makes sense, given the number of times Israel was called upon to strap on their swords and do battle with the enemies of God.

In the New Testament, while Jesus does make it clear that to be reckless and hasty in resolving to remedy any and all disputes with a weapon is foolish (Those who live by the sword, die by the sword [Matt 26:52]), and He encourages believers to respond to insults and offenses by “turning the other cheek,” the context and verbiage of His admonishing the disciples to arm themselves taken along with God’s obvious endorsement of military force in the Old Testament compellingly demonstrates the Truth and Biblical place of “sanctified violence.”

So, if you were to come on a scene where bandits were beating and robbing someone, you’re doing the right thing by stopping them however you need to in order to stand up for what is right and protect those who may not be able to protect themselves.

Your neighbor’s house is on fire. You’re working alongside several people put out the blaze when all of a sudden you realize that among those you’re working with, there are several whose lifestyles you seriously disagree with. Do you keep working to put out the fire or do you walk away believing that it’s wrong to be a part of any effort involving people who don’t believe as you do?

Solomon followed the example of his father in that he contracted King Hiram of the Phoenicians for laborers and building materials. David used the cedar logs, stonemasons and carpenters provided by King Hiram to build his palace (2 Sam 5:11). Solomon used the same resource for the cedar needed to build the Temple (2 Chron 2:3).

King Hiram resided in Tyre and ruled over a people who were descendants of Canaan. Canaan’s father was Ham  who was the son of Noah that had demonstrated an outrageous disregard for God in the aftermath of the flood. Noah saw the same belligerence in Canaan and rightfully prophesied that his descendants would go on to become perverse idolaters and wind up being the object of God’s Wrath in the context of the Israelites conquest of the Promised Land.

Tyre, however, was a boundary and not a target (Josh 19:29). It’s not that the Phoenicians were a God fearing people (Ezekiel 26:2; Lk 10:13). They were descendants of Canaan, but those that resided in Tyre were able to somehow distinguish themselves in the sight of God as being undeserving of the punishment that was doled out to Sidon and other neighboring Canaanite cities. Perhaps that was one of the contributing factors that allowed for a friendly relationship between Hiram and David and then, later, Solomon.

Their true, spiritual colors would be revealed later when they cheered as Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Israel and for that they themselves would be destroyed, as Ezekiel prophesied in chapter 26.

The point being, however, that God can, and often does, use unconventional means and a variety of spiritual dispositions to do His work. In those moments, you want to support His efforts and not question them any more than you would refuse the cedar coming from Hiram simply because he was a Canaanite. Yes, he was an idolater, but he was used by God to do good nevertheless.

At one point, the disciples were agitated by the fact that some people were casting out demons in the Name of Christ, yet they weren’t a part of Christ’s inner circle of disciples…

38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. (Mk 9:38-40)

However petty the disciples may have appeared to be –  as far as feeling like they were only ones capable of doing any good, being that they were a part of Christ’s inner circle – it’s not an uncommon complaint.

Appearances can be distracting. A person’s manner, their background – if it doesn’t line up with tradition or convention – it can be mistaken for something sinister.

Fact is, the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Ps 24:1). Everything that was created was made by Christ and for Christ (Col :16;Rev 4:11), so however dirty or different the glove may be, it’s the Hand inside the glove that’s doing the work and you don’t want to be so preoccupied with appearances or qualifications that you fail to appreciate how God uses different people to do His bidding.

That doesn’t mean you throw caution to the wind and assume everyone is reading from the same page of music. 1 John 1:4 says to test the spirits, but that’s not always accomplished by focusing exclusively on a person’s checkered past or a vulgar outburst.

King Cyrus is a great example of how God can use someone that doesn’t have a relationship with Christ and may even be a little offensive in their manner to do God’s bidding.

The Jews were in exile and their city was a mess. The Temple was a heap of rubble and the walls were completely torn down (see 2 Chron 36:15-19). God had said that the Jews would be allowed to return, but if you were to look at an aerial photo of Jerusalem, you’d be pretty skeptical – especially given the very unlikely scenario of your enemy permitting the reconstruction of your city let alone financing it.

King Cyrus of Persia would put things in motion by paying for the rebuilding of the Temple and issuing a decree that would allow any willing Hebrew to return to Jerusalem to get it done.

Here’s the thing:

Cyrus is addressed by name in Isaiah 45. God refers to him as someone He has anointed for the sake of his people. He also says of Cyrus:

For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor,  though you do not acknowledge me . I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you,  though you have not acknowledged me  so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is note beside me. I am the Lord, and there is not other. (Is 45:4-5)

Cyrus didn’t believe in God, but that didn’t change the fact that God used him to accomplish the reconstruction of Jerusalem.

The same thing applies to us be it a politician, a doctor, a contractor or any kind of service provider. No, you don’t applaud their sin but you do support them in whatever role they’re playing in accomplishing God’s Purposes. In other words, you vote for King Cyrus, you make the appointment, you go with the best option and you don’t sneer at the cedar that’s being delivered to your doorstep for the construction of whatever God is building because its being delivered by a bunch of idolaters (see sidebar).

Conclusion

There’s a difference between compromise and wisdom. Basing your convictions on personal preferences seasoned with some carefully selected Scriptures that can be taken out of context and made to sound like a solid biblical reinforcement of your prejudices is not the same thing as basing your outlook on Scripture as a whole and refusing to allow your life’s experiences to replace the Word of God simply because you’re more comfortable with your opinion than you are with the Truth.

Discipleship is not being accurately presented if it’s taught as something that only applies in the context of a crisis. Standing up for what is right is not always accomplished by a mere rebuke. David defeated Goliath with a sanctified response that included both a weapon and a word (1 Sam 17:45-47). And however rough around the edges God’s human instrument may be, Scripture proves over and over again that your focus needs to be on the Plot and not the players in order to determine who you should support and who should resist.

There is, and always has been, an aggressive campaign in place to exchange the Truth for a lie (Jn 8:44; Rom 1:25; 1 Peter 5:8). If the author of that campaign is to be defeated, not only can we not afford to be petty, we don’t have the time to watch our countermeasures fail because they were based more on tradition than they were on the Substance of God’s Word.

And even when your convictions are on point, your delivery has to be just as Inspired if the end result is going to be a legitimate win (Prov 15:23; 25:11; Mk 13:11; Titus 2:7-8).

The bottom line is this: You’re here to make a difference and not just an appearance. Christ is the Filing Cabinet and not just a file folder and to restrict His Instruction and all the advantages that accompany obedience to those times that line up with your traditions is to gut His Word, kill your witness and give the opposition all the more opportunity to do some damage.

On the other hand…

Be the kind of workman referenced in 2 Timothy 2:15 and you’ve got a winning strategy in place that will benefit you and everyone He puts in your path because instead of you working without Him, He’s now the One working through you.

When Politicians Become Theologians

bonhoefferWhen politicians begin to position themselves as society’s theologians, at that point politics is no longer a spiritually neutral arena and the question isn’t whether or not the church is becoming too political. Rather, it’s to what extent is the government attempting to replace the Bible.
 
That’s why it’s not only appropriate, but it’s absolute necessary for believers to step up and voice their support for those candidates that champion a platform that’s in line with Scripture. Otherwise, you’re leaving the door of the fence open and all kinds of pain, hurt and corruption make their way on to the property and the only ones that are happy about it are those that walk up to God every morning as He’s sitting on His Throne and tell Him to get out of their chair.
 
Regulating the outward expression of one’s faith to taking care of widows and orphans is to qualify God’s command to influence our world according to singular gestures as opposed to a comprehensive ministry. The fact is, we’re supposed to help all those who are in need. But you fail those same people by obligating them to contend with a sinister society as opposed to a godly one by remaining silent when it comes to the way they’re governed (1 Chron 12:32; 1 Tim 2:2), educated (Dt 6:5-9; 2 Tim 2:15) and informed (1 Thess 5:21). In short, looking after the downtrodden includes the improvement of the world they’re living in and not just the house they’re sleeping in.
 
The ideal that is America is worth protecting and promoting. It’s unique among all other nations in that our approach to government is based on Divine Absolutes. It’s that premise that attracts people from all over the globe to our shores whether they’re able to articulate that reality or not. Dismissing any kind of passion or resolve when it comes to the maintenance of who and what we are as far as the motto on our coinage as “white nationalism” is irresponsible, ignorant and downright wicked.
 
When you place the Liberty Bell alongside the Iwo Jima Memorial, the graves at Gettysburg, and the Vietnam Wall, you’re not looking at a paradigm that was created to promote a specific race. You’re looking at a biblically based ideal that was designed to promote all races because of the way all races are created equal under God. The personalities that have used an American flag to facilitate an evil agenda are not representative of what we are as a country. The baggage and sin they bring to the table is theirs alone and not a systemic anomaly let alone a national transgression. To believe otherwise is to embrace a campaign that seeks to portray America according to the faults of some of the fools we have within our ranks in order to usher in a godless philosophy that is as toxic as it is treacherous.
 
Moreover, the term “white nationalism” reduces the substance of what generations of statesmen and soldiers have sacrificed their lives for to something self serving and vulgar. Not only is it outrageously disrespectful, it ignores the obvious manner in which our Constitution facilitates the rights that are ours according to Scripture. Where there is room for improvement, that space is built into its design. You don’t evaluate it according to the character flaws of those that wrote it as much as you evaluate it according to its substance and those who are critical of if forget that their criticism is allowed because of the rights guaranteed by the very document they supposedly despise.
 
Bottom line: Believers are the keepers of the philosophical and spiritual foundation upon which our nation is built. To say that God doesn’t particularly care about politics or that Christ followers are allowing themselves to be distracted when investing any time and energy into governmental affairs forget the way in which God works through rulers and elected officials to either prosper a nation or run it into the ground. Our obedience makes a difference. To withdraw from the conversation – to be ignorant or apathetic – is to be disobedient and it’s not enough to merely informed, you have to be wise.

God Cares About Politics

downloadTo say that God isn’t interested in politics represents a twisted interpretation of Scripture.

God works through human institutions and authorities to accomplish His Purposes. You see that in the way He hardened Pharaoh’s heart to facilitate the Exodus (Ex 4:21). He used King Cyrus to give the Israelites the legislative green light they needed in order to begin rebuilding Jerusalem (Ez 1:2-4). He used Quirinius to institute a census that would bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem (Lk 2:1-3), He used taxes to illustrate how we are to allocate our sense of duty and responsibility.

The Old Testament devotes four books to chronicle the actions of all the kings of Israel, we’re commanded to pray for kings and those in positions of authority that we might live peaceful and godly lives (1 Tim 2:1-3), He stresses the importance of godly leadership by highlighting how citizens beneath the tyrannical boot of a wicked ruler are miserable (Prov 29:2). He commends godly leadership (1 Kings 3:9-10), He despises evil rulers (1 Sam 15:11), He hates dishonest scales (Prov 11:1) and He encourages political involvement (Ex 3:10-12; 2 Chron 7:14; Neh 2:4-6; Acts 23:11). Furthermore, “…there are 642 verses that refer to law, laws and lawlessness. There are 211 verses that refer to judgment, judges, and judging, and 561 verses that speak about justice. There are 195 verses that talk about courts, 301 verses that talk about ruling and rulers, and 100 verses that speak of governing and government.1

Just prior to the Battle of Jericho, Joshua comes upon an imposing individual standing in front of him with his sword drawn. Joshua asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The man replied, “Neither,” and went on to say that he was the commander of the Lord’s armies.

Some use this passage to suggest that God is indifferent to Politics – that the discussions, divisions and elections that dominate the headlines irrelevant when compared to more lofty, theological concerns. But that’s not the case. The angel was not relaying Divine indifference to the upcoming battle, he was reminding Joshua that this was God’s campaign and as such they could be confident of a victory. But because it was God’s battle, they couldn’t look upon it as a mere military action and their heart and their minds had to be focused on Him.

God cares about Politics.

Warnings and Rewards

Dishonest scales” are referenced in Proverbs 11:1. That’s referring to cheaters and liars. He hates them.

He hates them.

He also says this the monarchs reigning in Judah:

“Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says to you, house of David: “‘Administer justice every morning; rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it. (Jer 21:11-12)

To whom much is given, much will be required (Matt 20:25-28; Lk 12:48; 1 Pet 5:1-3). If God places you in a position of authority, you are accountable to God for the way you lead. Your honesty (Prov 12:22), humility (Jn 19:11) and compassion (Is 1:17, 23) are crucial to the way you administer the affairs of those in your charge.

God cares about Politics.

I Will Bless Those Who Bless You

And here’s something else to bear in mind while we’re talking about it:

The nation is like a mighty lion; When it is sleeping, no one dares wake it. Whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, And whoever curses Israel will be cursed.” (Num24:9 [see also Gen 12:3])

Palestine is giddy that Biden has won. And before you begin to think that the PLO represents an honorable cause, understand that in the aftermath of WWII, the UN set up a territory that was supposed to be two separate nations: An independent Arab state and an independent Israeli state. Six days after this arrangement was made, war broke out which was initiated by the Arab world and the hostilities have endured since.

Hamas is a terrorist organization that doesn’t respect Israel’s right to exist. And while the majority of their efforts are directed towards Israel, they are part of a network that is undeniably opposed to any supporter of Israel, including the US. Click here to learn more.

The US, under Trump, has been supportive of Israel. Biden and his like minded compatriots are not. In fact, Obama sent 221 billion dollars to the PLO during his last hours as President.

Now, however you want to process all this is up to you. But don’t think for a minute that God is somehow detached from politics and encourages neutrality. It’s not so much what side God is on, it’s whether or not the nation in question is on God’s side. It’s that nation that thrives and regardless of how stately or crass the leadership may appear on the surface, it’s their actions that reveal, not only their personal disposition, but the collective perspective of the country that voted them into office.

Conclusion

The thing is, God does care about Politics because it’s not just “politics.” It’s either His Purposes or man’s rebellion being played out in the context of legislation and foreign policy.

God cares about politics.

 

1. “First Person: Does God Care About Politics”, David Shelley, August 30, 2010, https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-does-god-care-about-politics/, accessed March 30, 2021

Questions and Answers

emblemThe Bible needs to be studied and not just read. Otherwise, things that critics love to cite as examples of how God supposedly endorses the very things He labels as sin appear to be credible when they’re really not.

Here’s some samples…

1) 10 virgin wives –  They’re not married. It was part of the way weddings were celebrated in that culture. ” It was a custom sometimes used among the Jews on that occasion, that the bridegroom came, attended with his friends, late in the night, to the house of the bride, where she expected him, attended with her bride-maids; who, upon notice given of the bridegrooms’ approach, were to go out with lamps in their hands, to light him into the house with ceremony and formality, in order to the celebrating of the nuptials with great mirth. And some think that on these occasions they had usually ten virgins; for the Jews never held a synagogue, circumcised, kept the Passover, or contracted marriage, but ten persons at least were present. Boaz, when he married Ruth, had ten witnesses, Ruth. 4:2.” The point of the parable is to always have your game on spiritually so when Christ does blow the whistle, you’re not wishing you were more on top of things (Matthew Henry Commentary).

2) Killing lots of people. Noah had three sons (Gen 9:19). These guys didn’t just hear about the ark, they were on it. They saw the flood and how God responds to, not just sin in the context of trying to get it right and falling short, but the kind of evil that was nothing short of heinous (Gen 6:5).

Ham was one of Noah’s sons. He was an idiot. After seeing all that he had, he was still inclined to think and do things that were comparable to what had triggered God’s decision to wipe everything out to begin with. Bottom line: He knew better than to do what he did to his father.

In Genesis 9:20-25, you see Ham “doing” something to Noah(look at verse 24). The Bible doesn’t go into any detail, but it was reprehensible and Noah saw that toxic lack of character and disregard for God in, not only in Ham, but Ham’s son, Canaan. In fact, he says that Canaan will go on be a slave to his brothers (Gen 9:25). And it’s not that Noah was merely infuriated with Ham as much as he was forecasting what Ham’s inherited idiocy is going to translate to down the road, and he was right.

Deuteronomy is establishing the ground rules for what’s going to happen as part of the conquest of the Promised Land. By the time the Israelites had left Egypt and were ready to enter the land that had been promised to them, the decadent mindset of the Canaanites (descendants of Canaan) is in full swing. Israel (descendants of Jacob [Abraham -> Isaac -> Jacob {name was changed to Israel in Gen 32:28}]) isn’t engaged in a mere military campaign at this point. God’s using the army of Israel to do what had been foreseen centuries beforehand.

Again, the Canaanites weren’t just descendants of Ham in terms of bloodline, they were carbon copies of his disdain for God Himself. To give you an idea of just how insane these guys were, know that part of their religious ceremonies including burning children alive (2 Chron 28:2-3). Keep in mind too, these are descendants of a guy who was on the boat. They didn’t ignore God because they didn’t know or understand Who He was. They were just resolved to spit in His Face because they could.

As a result, certain hot spots were slated for total and complete destruction. Not because Israel was superior in tactics and arms, but because of the insane amount of evil represented by the people living in those cities (Dt 9:5).

So, there’s more to what may appear to be on the surface when you read a couple of passages in Deuteronomy. It’s a sick and twisted record of evil leading up to what amounts to the wrath of God. It’s not random nor is it casual. It’s intentional and it’s deserved.

BTW: There was always an offer or peace extended to those cites. But with the exception of one, every other city God off (see Dt 20:10-15; Josh 11:19-20).

3) Wear a hat or go to hell – There’s some things in Leviticus that talk about wearing clothes comprised of different kinds of fabric that are forbidden because of the way other cultures equated that particular practice as something reserved for the purpose of honoring some bogus deity (Lev 19:19). In 1 Corinthians Paul tells women to keep their hair covered because back then, depending on how you wore your hair, it was signaling loose morals (1 Cor 11:11-16). Bottom line: Look at who’s being addressed and consider the cultural dynamics of the time and it will make more sense than it would if you just look at what’s on the surface.

4) Zombies – They weren’t zombies anymore than Lazaurus was a zombie when Christ brought him out of the grave (Jn 11:43). Here’s the thing: If Christ can rise from the grave, if He can call the universe into existence (Col 1:16), there’s no good reason to believe that He can’t do pretty much anything He wants to (Matt 19:26).

5) Women aren’t to have any authority over men – When you combine the multiple examples of women excelling in leadership roles throughout Scripture and the literal meaning of the words Paul used in the context of addressing difficult characters in the local church, it’s difficult to process Paul’s direction to the church in Ephesus and Corinth as universal prohibitions of women leading or teaching in general. Fact is, when you look at the resume of Deborah and the courage of Priscilla and Aquilla, it’s obvious that God has gifted both men and women with exceptional gifts and character traits that you wouldn’t ever want to dismiss based on a mere portion of God’s Word as opposed to Scripture evaluated as a comprehensive whole. Click here for a list of women leaders in the Bible.

6) Shrimp and Bacon – Shellfish and Pork can translate to some pretty serious sickness if it’s not cooked correctly. Why God would target these foods as “unclean,” is a matter of speculation. But it’s not unreasonable to think that He may have been wanting to protect His people from getting either Trichinosis or Vibriosis. In addition, making these foods dietary staples, however tasty they may be, is a bad idea just because of the heath risks attached to them. You won’t find the detrimental affects of Pork or Shellfish lingering near the top of the pile of data that can be easily accessed on the internet. But if you dig, you can find how the aggressive consumption of meat in general is a bad idea.

7) Slavery – First of all, kidnapping is a capital offense (Ex 21:16). Given the way the Slave Trade was structured in the 18th and 19th century, had it adhered to that one precept, it would not have existed.

As far as the manner Slavery is represented in the Old Testament, it’s represented in three different ways: Paying off a debt (Lev 25:39), punishment for stealing (Ex 22:3) and an alternative to war and judgment (Dt 20:10-15). The first two obviously temporary so they don’t really qualify as “slavery” the way we typically envision it.

The third kind is the one reserved for the enemies of Israel. The nations that surrounded the borders of Israel were both vocal and aggressive when it came to the way in which they worshipped other gods. To raise your hand against the Jews was to take your idolatry to a new and even more insidious level in that you were not only worshipping a false god, but you were now looking to destroy those who revered the one and only True God.

Still, as guilty as these nations were, God offered an option that allowed a person to live in peace among the Israelites as a servant, rather than be executed by God at the hands of a Hebrew soldier.

This was not “slavery,” in the way we envision it according to the paradigm that existed in the 18th and 19th centuries. This was an enemy of God being granted a second chance in exchange for their labor and the surrender of their contention for God Himself. It was not a punishment as much as it was grace, given the fact that the punishment would’ve been an execution that was more than justified. Furthermore, when you look at the exchange between the Gibeonites and Joshua in Joshua chapter 9, the Gibeonites embraced the opportunity to surrender. In addition, their work as woodcutters and water carriers was in the service of God as opposed to being personal servants of the Israelites themselves and when Solomon built the Temple it was located at Gibeon.3 Later in 2 Samuel 21, you see how God intervened on behalf of the Gibeonites for the injustices exacted upon them by King Saul by punishing Israel with three years of famine. If these people rated no more than the kind of consideration the typical slave received in modern day history, neither their pleas nor their territory would’ve been acknowledged.

Bottom line: The slavery referred to in the Old Testament has no modern day parallel and does not in any way represent a Divine endorsement of the slave trade as it existed in the US or any other part of the civilized world during the seventeen and eighteen hundreds.

8) Tattoos – “You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves; I am Yahweh. (Lev 19:28).” It’s not the tattoo, it’s why it was being done that was the problem…”hey must not make cuts or prints in their flesh for the dead; for the heathen did so to pacify the infernal deities they dreamt of, and to render them propitious to their deceased friends.” (Matthew Henry Commentary) They weren’t getting tattoos for the sake of merely inscribing something on their body as much as they were doing it as part of pagan ritual.

Women Leaders in the Bible

phoebeMultiple Passages

Anytime you have multiple passages in the Bible that talk about the same issue, you have to combine their individual meanings into a comprehensive whole. Only then is your perspective based on a genuinely biblical foundation. Otherwise, you’re formulating your convictions on human traditions and personal preferences more than you are Divine Absolutes.
For example, women occupy leadership positions throughout Scripture, yet Paul seemingly says that a woman should never teach or speak up in a worship setting.

How does that work?

A Bad Situation

First of all, in 2 Timothy 3:6-7, Paul references a situation where false teachers had wormed their way into the minds of some households where the women were loaded down with guilt and regret. Because they were listening to bogus content, rather than embracing what amounted to a biblically based transformation (2 Cor 3:17), these ladies not only subscribed to a facsimile of the real thing, they were the kind of unruly personalities who were not shy when it came to voicing their personal opinions.

In 2 timothy 3, Paul refers to a group of individuals who “worm their ways into homes and gain control over weak-willed women.” It’s this passage that suggests that the situation Paul is referring to is exclusive to a specific fellowship that had some ill informed women who tended to be disruptive. In other words, he was addressing a unique scenario as opposed to proclaiming a general guideline.

It’s reasonable to believe that the situation described in 2 Timothy was what prompted Paul’s instructions to Timothy to tell the women in his church that they needed to stop being disruptive and cease those activities where they were trying to tell others how and what to teach…

11 A woman should learn in silence with full submission. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent. 13 For Adam was created first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and transgressed. (1 Tim 2:11-14 [see also 1 Cor 14:34-35]).

Paul was addressing a situation where certain women were obstructing what would otherwise have been an orderly worship service. And while Paul is referring to the situation as it existed in Ephesus, it seemed to be an issue in Corinth as well (see 1 Cor 14:34-35). But to process his instructions as being utterly against any kind of female leadership or involvement is to ignore the original Greek as well as the numerous examples of the way in which women were used by God to lead and to teach large groups of people and even the nation of Israel itself.

Women Leaders in the Bible

Consider the following:

Women Leaders in the Bible
name reference context
Miriam Exodus 15:20 Miriam is referred to as a prophetess and understandably so in the way God had spoken through her (Nu 12:1-2). She was a significant and well known figure in Israel’s history (see also Ex 15:1-21; Mic 6:4).
Deborah Judges 4-5 Deborah did an amazing job as Judge over all Israel. Barak, general of Israel’s army, listened to her and regarded her counsel as that which came directly from God (Jud 4:14). God uses her to pen an entire chapter of the Old Testament (Jud 5). Israel prospered and had peace under her leadership for 40 years (Jud 5:31).
Huldah 2 Kings 22:11-20 Huldah was the one that Josiah sought out to interpret the portion of the Law that was found in the Temple. He sent an all male delegation to her to find out how God was going to work. She was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah.
Noadiah Nehemiah 6:14 Not much is said of either one of these two women, but they are nevertheless addressed as “prophetess.”
Isaiah’s Wife Isaiah 8:3
Anna Luke 2:36-38 She’s referenced specifically as a prophetess. She was a contemporary of Simeon and, in like fashion, she approached Joseph and Mary and publicly reinforced Jesus’ true Identity and Mission.
Daughters of Philip Luke 2:36-38 Four daughters of a well-known evangelist described in the books of Acts as women who prophesied.
Lydia Acts 16:40 Lydia is an early convert and her house becomes an important location in Philippi where believers met to worship in a society where being a Christian was a huge risk. It’s here where Paul and Silas went after being released from prison before leaving the city. She’s not referenced as a leader, but she nevertheless stood out among her male counterparts as a crucial part of the evangelical work in that city (click here for more information).
Phoebe Romans 16:1-2 Paul describes Phoebe as a “servant” of the church in Cenchreae. That word “servant” is translated “diakonos” which is where we get our word, “deacon.” Paul uses that term to describe himself (Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:23), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21-22, and even Jesus Himself (Rom. 15:8). For Pheoebe to rate that kind of title, it’s doubtful she was a mere spectator in her congregation.
Priscilla & Aquilla Romans 16:3 Paul refers to Priscilla and Aquilla as “fellow workers” who risked their lives for him.
Eudodia & Syntyche Philippians 4:2-3 These women are described as two who had “contended for the gospel.” The word “contended” is “synthaleo” which means to “fight or work alongside someone.” It’s not stuffing envelopes or answering phone calls. The fact that they’re referenced alongside Clement is significant as well because there’s good reason to believe that he would go on to be the leader of the church in Rome. To be listed referenced among those who had “strived” and would go on to lead and not just serve does little to support the idea that women had no leadership role in the early church let alone any real place in today’s efforts to teach and lead others when it comes to the gospel.

 

The English Language

The English language doesn’t possess the kind of expressive ability that’s characteristic of the Greek language. While Paul’s words can appear abrupt, the Greek word for “submission” comes from the Greek word “hupotasso” which is a military term that’s more about the voluntary alignment and organization of one’s resources beneath the heading of someone else’s authority. It’s not a forced obedience. The word word for “quietness” is “hesuchios” which refers to an “inner calm.” It’s not a dictatorial muzzle. It’s how you look and act when you’re at peace (click here for a full translation of 2 Timothy 2:11 as it appears in the original Greek).

Both Men and Women

So when you combine the multiple examples of women excelling in leadership roles throughout Scripture and the literal meaning of the words Paul used in the context of addressing difficult characters in the local church, it’s difficult to process Paul’s direction to the church in Ephesus and Corinth as universal prohibitions of women leading or teaching in general. Fact is, when you look at the resume of Deborah and the courage of Priscilla and Aquilla, it’s obvious that God has gifted both men and women with exceptional gifts and character traits that you wouldn’t ever want to dismiss based on a mere portion of God’s Word as opposed to Scripture evaluated as a comprehensive whole.

Because That’s What You’ve Been Told

toldFor the last four years, you were convinced that regardless of what President Trump accomplished or said, he was a fool and a fiend. Therefore, anything he did was suspect and could be comfortably categorized as either irrelevant or detrimental…

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

His election wasn’t credible. He colluded with Russia. We spent two years and 32 million dollars investigating a claim that turned out to be untrue. But in your mind, he’s still guilty and the 2016 election wasn’t legitimate…

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

He should’ve been removed from office. He made a call to the President of the Ukraine and you sat glued to the TV watching a parade of unelected officials insist that Trump was guilty of abusing his authority. The Ukrainian President himself insisted that the call in question was devoid of any such conversation, implied or otherwise. But you still believe that Trump was guilty and the only reason he wasn’t removed from office is because the Senate refused to do their job.

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

COVID-19 has a 98% recovery rate and of those that have passed away as a result of the virus, 94% had, on the average , 2 potentially life-threatening pre-existing conditions. The CDC has said it’s not an airborne disease. Yet, you still wear a mask and support the idea of staying distant, closed and compromised and believe anyone who wants to get the vaccine and move on is reckless, selfish and even cruel.

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

There’s over 1,000 signed affidavits and sworn testimonies testifying to the fact that this past election was fraudulent. The State of Texas has a publicly accessible pdf that details why Dominion’s software is not a secure voting mechanism. President Trump delivered a speech that detailed several instances of suspicious activity. It wasn’t aired on any major network because several courts and attorneys insisted that none of what had been submitted constituted any real evidence. You’ve not read any of the testimonies yourself, you weren’t in any of the swing states to observe what went on, but you nevertheless believe that President Biden’s election was honorable and accurate.

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

President Trump said nothing that could be construed as a call to violence on January 6th. A transcript of his speech is available for public review. Anderson Cooper from CNN interviewed someone posing as a cameraman merely filming what was going on in the Capital. It turns out, however, he’s part of a BLM group and was caught on film agitating the crowd and urging people to “Burn this sh** down!” Yet, any questions pertaining to the true political convictions of those who broke into the Capital and evaluate them on an individual basis as opposed to labeling the entire crowd as insurrectionists is dismissed as pointless. This would be a healthy and logical step to take to find out how multiple peaceful rallies held both in Washington and throughout the US suddenly took a violent turn. But it doesn’t matter. You believe Trump and anyone who supports him is violent, godless, racist and a threat to Democracy…

…because that’s what you’ve been told.

Freedom of Speech is now determined by what party you support. Arguments are won not according to the substance of your content, but on the effectiveness of your methods. American interests and security concerns are prideful restrictions that only people who lack compassion would even consider. Moral Absolutes are cruel and antiquated traditions that need to give way to open dialogue and the right to be happy. And you heartily agree with all of this..

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

With few exceptions, none of us have actually worked with Trump, we’re not on a first name basis with Biden, we’re not experts in viruses and even when we attempt to google things and seek out additional information, we’re still drawn to those sources that possess a philosophical bent that leans in our preferred direction. In other words, we are what we eat and we’re hesitant to listen to anything or anyone that doesn’t agree with our worldview.

When you think of the current political climate, then, it’s not so much about what’s true as much as it’s about who we believe is telling the truth.

Is it Anderson Cooper or Rush Limbaugh? Is it Newsmax or NBC?

Are we listening to media committed to informing public opinion or are we listening to resources determined to shape public opinion? How can we tell?

One thing that can used as a good indicator is to ask the question, “Am I being presented with a commentary on what’s being done or who’s doing it?”

For example, Moral Failings are heinous. But the public reaction to those indiscretions is bound to be different if one instance is presented as a misstep and the other situation is displayed as grounds for dismissal. If the activity is the same, but the reporting is completely different based on the personality involved, you’re not listening to “news” as much as you’re listening to a “campaign.” You’re not hearing topics as much as you’re hearing tactics, regardless of what the headline says.

In that moment, you have legitimate cause for concern. Reason being is that among the strategies typically used by sinister elements who are promoting an agenda is to silence their opposition by casting them as villains. By doing so, anything that person champions is now associated with something reprehensible and whatever platform is being proposed as an option now looks far more appealing regardless of how toxic it may be.

Does this sound familiar?

How many times have you seen a person been excoriated for their behavior while their political counterpart isn’t even criticized? How many times has a particular issue been promoted by implying that anyone who doesn’t agree doesn’t just have a different opinion, but they are immoral?

Truth is not how certain facts are manipulated, it’s how all the facts are evaluated. And you don’t arrive at the truth without seeking both sides of an issue and dismissing those accounts that are focused more on personality than principle.

We’re at a point where we can no longer allow our convictions to be dictated by media outlets that are focused more on who said something as opposed to what was actually said. We’re all dependent on the headlines to some extent. But we can choose who to listen to. We can seek out second opinions and we can resolve to filter out those voices that are more preoccupied with assaulting someone’s character than objectively examining their content.

You’ve got to be like the Bereans that Paul talks about in Acts 17 – people who examined what was being said to find out if it was true and not let the personality speaking be more of a priority than the point they’re making. That’s how you arrive at a legitimate bottom line.

Now, you may not agree with any of this and if you’re determined to trade truth for accuracy and gossip for substance, chances are you’re doing so because you’re convinced that any news or information coming from anything or anyone other than those who share your worldview are bogus.

And why do you feel that way?

Because that’s what you’ve been told.

A Faith That Wears Slippers vs A Faith That Wears Boots

bootsI’m Not Going to Vote

I’ve heard people say we need to “Trust in God for the outcome of the election.” These same folks, in some cases, either didn’t vote or they penciled in their own candidate believing themselves to be pious in the process.

But “trusting in God” should never be used as an excuse to be disobedient. It’s not what God CAN do, it’s what He IS doing. In the context of this election, you had two options and to assert a third that doesn’t exist is not being obedient as much as it’s being presumptuous (meaning that I refuse to engage the situation as is, instead I’m going to insist that God can and should alter the playing field according to my perspective). And to dress up what amounts to a vote that allows for a godless platform to assume the Presidency in the guise of “being spiritual” is not wise, no matter how a person wants to spin it (Prov 29:2).

Loving Your Enemy

Another Biblical sounding justification for remaining either disconnected from the political process or hesitant to defend what’s right in the name of being Christlike is the idea of “loving your enemy.” First of all, the Bible is full of admonishments to not just be cordial, but to be genuinely compassionate where your enemy is concerned (Matt 5:43-48; Rom 12:19-21;  1 Pet 3:9). But when your adversary crosses the line that distinguishes the difference between a belligerent individual and a legitimate threat, you’re now interacting with them in the context of justice and a holy obligation to stand up for what is right . In other words, your disposition must now be based on more than one verse, but the whole of God’s Word and from that perspective you have a Biblical basis for stopping them even if it means the use of deadly force (see Sanctified Violence for more information and a list of the applicable verses).

In the context of Politics, loving your enemy is not a mandate to withdraw from the conversation as a way to ensure a rapport that allows for a conversation about their eternal destiny. That isn’t to say that you create tension unnecessarily when the debate revolves around mannerisms and personal preferences. But when Politics becomes a topic that isn’t so much about how people are governed, but an assault on the One that all governments answer to, you’re no longer talking about Legislation as much as you are Desecration.

In the context of Politics, loving your enemy is not a mandate to withdraw from the conversation as a way to ensure a rapport that allows for a conversation about their eternal destiny. That isn’t to say that you create tension unnecessarily when the debate revolves around mannerisms and personal preferences. But when Politics becomes a topic that isn’t so much about how people are governed, but an assault on the One that all governments answer to, you’re no longer talking about Legislation as much as you are Desecration. From that perspective, you need to be engaged and when parties and pundits start promoting laws that contradict Scripture, you need to speak up . Divisions To assume that any kind of division is to be automatically categorized as an unhealthy interaction is to ignore what Paul said in First Corinthians. In verse ten, he says…

Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. (1 Cor 1:10)

If this is where you stop, you’ll be inclined to think that any kind of disagreement needs to be resolved in the context of compromises and concessions. What’s right is secondary to what “works.” It’s more about making people happy that correcting whatever it is that’s wrong. But that’s not all Paul has to say about “divisions.” He goes on to say…

No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. (1 Cor 11:19)

Not everyone is right. You have sinister dynamics being packaged as noble causes. To assume that everyone is on the same moral footing and therefore needs to be accommodated by weakening what otherwise would be a theological given is wrong. In the absence of wisdom, “unity” is nothing more than contamination and you don’t justify a toxic practice as inconsequential anymore than you overlook a lethal wound by saying it was caused by a small caliber bullet. And before you allow yourself to be overly concerned when you hear folks insisting that a community is “polarized” or “divided,” as much it’s about being revealed. There’s a difference between loving your enemy and equipping them. Categorizing any kind of arguing as evil or being un Christlike is to ignore Ephesians 5:11. You don’t expose darkness nor do you champion righteousness by being silent let alone complicit (Prov 18:21; 31:8-9).

Taking a Seat or Taking a Stand

There’s an abundance of spiritual sounding garbage out there right now that has believers taking a seat when they should be taking a stand. And those that are looking for their chair are doing so because they’re buying into a listless faith (Prov 25:26) that wears slippers when it should be an active faith that’s wearing boots (1 Pet 1:13; Jas 1:22; 1 Jn 3:18) . The bottom line is Wisdom (Prov 9:10). Too often, being Christlike is reduced to a perpetual appeal for peace despite the fact that, on occasion, it is a call to arms (Ecc 3:8). There is an element within the church that processes Christ’s command to love one another as a way to justify either a tacit encouragement of wickedness or simply remaining silent altogether. Neither of those two things are justified in Scripture. We’re commanded to reprove that which is bogus in Ephesians 2:11 and to “..rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed.” (Jer 22:3 [see also Psalm 72:4]). In other words, you speak up when you see something evil and you stand up for what is right.

Two Kinds of Believers

In effect, you have two kinds of believers. There’s the kind that pads around the house all day in biblical sounding slippers. They’re forever encouraging believers to remain at a distance from the tension that characterizes the struggle between good and evil (Is 30:10-11). And then there the believer whose faith wears boots and doesn’t shy away from the dust that is kicked up when accuracy is revealed as insufficient when compared to the Truth (Matt 4:5-7). To be wise is to be balanced (Ecc 7:16-18). Yes, you love your enemy but not in a way that enables them (Dt 7:1-2; Ps 26:4-5; Matt 5:43-48). Yes, you are kind, but not at the expense of Justice (1 Cor 5:13; Eph 4:32). Yes, you ignore insults, but you fight evil evil and those that promote it. (Ps 18:30-40; Matt 5:39 Lk 22:36). In short… You wear boots and not slippers.