All the Kingdoms of the World

"We live in a world where Loyalty is a tattoo, Love is just a word, and Lying is the new truth."

                                                                               ~ Anonymous

In a few days, a new President of the United States will take office; to the joy of some and to the chagrin of others.
Neither side can understand the other, name-calling and accusations remain as the rift politically threatens to widen and deepen - with the help of those who seek to keep the American people divided.
Millions looked to each candidate as 'the answer' to America's problems

I have finally settled on who fits that bill - nobody.

Well, not anybody on earth anyway.
Please allow me the latitude to delve into political science just for a moment.
I promise I will weave everything together in the end.

I am a political junkie, I admit it.

And as I researched the Presidential election, I found tracking data on everybody and everything; genders, races, economic bracket and by generation.

Every generation, that is, except one: Generation X.

And this does not surprise me in the least.

Nor did it surprise me when I began to look at those who were born between 1962-1979, whom they voted for in the election.

Across gender, religious faith, and race - Generation X mostly voted for the winner of the Presidential election.

In the areas of the country where they sided with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump still held a respectable, if not sizeable, minority.

That's when it occurred to me, Generation X swung this election in favor of Donald J. Trump.

And that is the first time Gen. X has held that type of influence over the nation.

Then something amazing occurred to me shortly after this revelation - this totally makes sense.

The question ought to be: Why wouldn't Gen. X vote for Trump?

In my doctoral research years ago, I dug into the evangelism and church outreach it would take to reach Gen X.

One thing that became very clear was that most of society, including the church, never really cared about Generation X, opting to first focus on what was called 'the Greatest Generation' and their children 'The Baby Boomers.'

One had money and the other would sustain the church in the long run, or at least they hoped the children of the greatest generation would sustain the church; and bent over backwards trying to appease a generation of people who thumbed their noses in the face of faith, society and government organization.

As the Boomers rejected the church and would not conform to tradition, they left.

The church then spent years trying to get them back; as Generation X was being born and raised, churches seemed to focus on their parents giving little but lip service to those of my generation.

By the mid-1990s, many churches/denominations had realized how they dropped the ball and decided they needed to focus on the youth; so, the church went after them.

That's great and all, but the problem was by this time, Gen X were in the mid-20's to late 30's. Nobody really sought to win them for the Lord or try to understand them.

As of today, the Church as a whole has yet to make any type of solid effort in reaching Generation X for Jesus Christ.

One must wonder, as Gen Xers are in their late-30s to mid-50s, if anybody in the Church will EVER seek for them.

But I momentarily digress.

It only makes sense that Gen X would vote for Trump, and here's why:

- We were the Latch-Key Kids - That means we were abandoned by our mothers who were told it wasn't enough for them to be mothers; so, they gave us an empty house to come home to from school while they chose to work.

-- This is where the term 'couch potato' originated for my generation.

-- Oh, and by the way, when this happened, divorces sky-rocketed; not that there could be ANY correlation between millions of women flooding the workplace.

- We were the first generation to face death before we were even born.

-- Talk about something that can really make you ego take a hit!

Millions of my generation weren't even given the opportunity to take a breath in the world.

-- Oh, and it did occur to many of us later in the 1990's, when we were hit with the largest tax ever levied on Americans in their 20's and 30's, that the tax burden would not have nearly been as high IF the other 40 million of us could have lived.

They would have been working and paying taxes we would have not to make for; but they weren't given that chance.

-- And it is ironic, nearly 25 years after that happened, the same justification was used in the most recent election, 'everybody has to pay their fair share,' even though we were promised the United States would be debt free by 2013.

- We remember some of our 'feminist' parents mourning the death of Valerie Solanas.

-- Now, you may not know who this is, but I remember; I remember one of my teachers in high school mourning this woman.

-- One of my favorite Solanas quotes:

"The male gene is a biological accident; the Y gene is an incomplete X,                                   female gene, that has an incomplete set of chromosomes."

                        

-- It doesn't matter that this woman was totally and biologically wrong; millions of people bought into it and then began to teach us in SCHOOL that men were a mistake.

-- So much for all people being equal and all genders being on the same playing field.

- We were called 'Slackers.'

-- You know why?

-- It's simple. We had the good sense not to stage a school walk-out or protest anything because life was fairly good.

-- Due to how we were treated early on, we appreciated what we DID have. So, I guess, we were slackers because who in their right mind protests a good thing?

- My personal favorite: We are the Generation that Killed Superman.

-- Dr. John Dever first wrote those words of Generation X; and I sat in his class seething when I read his book.

-- I cannot explain how appropriate it was for the first Gen X comic gurus to take control of

Superman, to kill him and later bring him back to life because he was never really dead. It spoke of imagination, of art, of tricking the knowledge in the mind.

But that's not how the hippie generation took it; they saw it as a personal insult.

It's amazing, really.

After all these years, they still don't understand their own children.

You see, Generation X watched the adults when they were children and saw a virtual Sodom & Gomorrah playing out in the 1980's in many of our homes.

We remember the greed of that time period; punctuated by the S&L Scandal that ruined millions of lives.

We remember the hypocrisy of our parents, who slept with everybody and advanced Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and then told us not to sleep with anybody because it wasn't appropriate.

And today, Generation X is watching Social Security being drained because it has been raided so many times due to the pet projects of the Baby Boomers and politicians trying to keep their vote.

We are watching health care balloon out of control because the Boomers were not responsible enough to plan head and Generation Y & Millennials don't understand simple economic theory and personal responsibility.

We have been watching 40 years of politicians get elected and reelected without doing much of anything but becoming experts at lip service.

So, then a man walks across the American Stage, a flawed man to be sure but a fighter in his heart, whom we have seen our entire lives.

And this guy says the things we're thinking; he is crisscrossing the country giving the middle finger to the mainstream media.

He blows off silly accusations.

He doesn't trust the norm because he's been stabbed in the back by the 'norm' before, with the scars to show for it.

He reflected the kids of the 1980's, even though he isn't one of us, and had the money to back up and follow through on what he said without being in debt to an outside influence; and he refused to be ignored as Gen X has been ignored.

Millions saw in him a reflection of what had been done to them for years; but he could fight back.

That's why Generation X voted for Donald Trump.

Why wouldn't they?

But for Gen X, the hope of the future does not lie in any president, nor any man, nor a political party.

It's understandable why my generation would favor a man who is as unpredictable as Gen X itself; it's understandable, but it isn't a solution to the basic problem which lies in the heart of man.

The truth of the matter is that the American culture and our society is 'post-Christian.'

We might see flashes of our roots on occasion, but 'Christian' certainly does not describe America any more.

Maybe that was one of the driving factors in the election; things aren't like they once was and we want them to become stable again.

With the church's neglect of my generation, the witness has truly failed us; but God never has, not once.

We live in a time when it is almost as if God haunts society, like an ever-present but little spoken of ghost who lives in the attic.

But I know, as do many others my age, God is greater and His presence is stronger, than any "ghost."

And  we have known of the results and seen some of them in our life time; or rather, the absence of the societal sin.

Due to the presence of true Christians in America, slavery ended; women's rights have advanced; segregation is gone; most discriminations have become a thing of the past.

Now, it may have taken Christians a little while to wake up at times; in my lifetime the Southern Baptist Convention followed by the Assembly of God denomination, publicly apologized for their role in slavery, discrimination and segregation.

We may take a while to wake up, but we did awake from our slumber.

Generation X is waiting for someone to awaken the from their slumber to something greater; something they have only heard of but not known how to achieve it.

You know, something like, 'Make America Great Again.'

Perhaps we've entered a new Dark Age, where nobody really knows how to lead any more; mutual fear of the unknown stagnating each side from reaching out to the other and just being content with the status quo spiritually is what has seemingly replaced the Great Commission.

And on the societal level of our nation, Christians are seen mostly as the moral police; by my generation, many Christians have appeared as hypocrites trying to force rules down our throats without ever following the rules themselves.

As to the older generation, many of the Christians in these groups see themselves as the last of a persecuted minority. Being hunted down isn't far away because there is nobody taking their place in the Church pew.

To many, in their minds an Orwellian destiny awaits, a country with thought police and a people who is hostile to religion in general.

But Gen X has never really been opposed to religion; they're just opposed to hypocritical religion.

Where did this come from? Simple.

It originated from television ministers and the public failures in the mid-1980s and then it was kept alive by watching seemingly 'Christian' adults carry forward with two lives.

One for church and another at home.

Honestly, I have heard more than once, from believers and non-believers alike from my generation, a deep-seated anger toward faith, parents, society, media, government and the church.

Maybe, the Boomers and Gen X and the Millennials need to learn how to respond to one another in an adversarial environment.

In other words, maybe we need to respond to one another with more grace than the others deserve; hence, grace.

The Christians of Generation X, some of whom are reading this right now, some voted for both political candidates; but we do not hate each other typically. No, we tend to respect one another though our political views are greatly different.

There are people who attend church that are reading this right now who are straight, gay and bisexual; and although with faith, we may disagree, by and large, we respect one another and listen to one another.

There are people who have never been to church and never plan to go to church or maybe even ever go again that are reading this blog; they too have felt the sting and hurt of when a body of believers reject them and are mean-spirited instead of grace-filled.

I could go on and on about the Gen Xers who are reading this who are vastly different; but that would eventually get extremely boring because it all points to one thing in particular.

Generation X tends to hang together; we had each other and little else when we were growing up.

The challenge for the Christians of Generation X is to reach those of our generation so they don't get left behind, while there is still time.

You see, with all the animosity that has built up in my generation, there is still only one solution for it; the redemption and renewal found within Christ alone.

And for the Christian, we must remember, Jesus sent people out; He did not gather them and hunker down in a first-century bunker and hide them.

No, He sent them out; as they went out, so must we - even to those who by whom we were wronged.

Equally bad to 'hunkering down' and waiting for Jesus to come is the tendency for Christians to, historically, appeal to secular power attempting to achieve the Gospel mandate.

Throughout my life I have heard of Christians wanting to, 'get our country back.'

My question: 'Back from what?'

If they mean from where it is now, well, whose fault is that again?

But I digress.

Forget about this notion, fictitious might add, of returning the country to historical Christianity. The founders of this nation were by and large Christians, but they certainly weren't uniform in their faith.

They desired a place where all could worship God as the individual saw fit according to conscious; however, I must concede they did  have the Christian God in mind and heart at the time.

It must also be conceded that the Constitution was the first document creating a government in the Western World which did not cite God as it's founder/author.

The truth is that the Christian ought to want Christian people running the country; but this does not alleviate the personal responsibility each Christian has to 'make disciples' as Christ commanded.

We must never expect the government to embrace our faith and enforce it; that would simply be wrong of Christianity or any religion.

Historically, may I remind you, when Christians have attempted to enforce spiritual truths through secular laws, they have always fell to the temptation of governmental power which has ALWAYS resulted in anti-gospel practices.

- Charlemagne ordered the death penalty for all Saxons who would not convert.

- Spain, 1492, the Jews were ordered to convert or be expelled.

- On this continent, Salem in the late 1600's; how many 'witches' were executed? None. But there were many hanged under false accusations and according to a judicial order led by the Church.

When Christians are aligned with the government, bad things usually result; mostly an abuse of power.

Afterwards, the backlash is predictable; we're seeing this in Europe at the present and soon it will cross the Atlantic.

The point of this entire essay is this - Christianity only works from the bottom up and never from the top down.

To Gen X, they largely went for Donald Trump in the election; but a sizeable minority voted for Hillary Clinton.

But before you judge one or the other, I can guarantee that the majority of Gen Xers voted for both of them because they didn't want the other to win.

And the rest of Gen X who did cast a ballot, truly believed their candidate who stick a boot in the rear-end of the country.

In both cases, the result will ultimately be the same; Christianity isn't really advanced. Christ isn't really profiting from our elections.

No, top-down faith doesn't work; our faith must be spread to others from the bottom-up.

It doesn't matter who was in the White House; Jesus is still King.

Having said all of the above, to my politically inclined mind; it makes sense why what happened, happened.

It does not make sense that the church, media and government continues to ignore Gen X.

But I do know this, Jesus still makes sense and there are millions upon millions of Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials who are seeking the real answer to life's issues...and we have that answer.

You see, when Jesus was on earth, not only did He send people out with His message; He also was tempted.

In fact, Jesus resisted of having authority over 'all the Kingdoms of the World.'

When One is King, they need not have a false authority before ascending His throne for all eternity and before all humanity.

When one is a servant and follower of the same King, we need not wallow in hurting insults or injuring of the past; we need not embrace political power rather than Kingdom Authority.

We should, however, embrace to the fullest, even though we may have been ignored by the world, the Great Commission of our Lord and seek to reach every tribe, tongue and nation for His glory.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Case Against Santa Claus (Satire)

Each year between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the people of the world are bombarded with the greatest propaganda in the history of the world; tis the propaganda attempting to force us to believe that one Mr. Kris Kringle, aka 'Santa Claus,' aka 'Pierre

 

Noel,' is on the side of the mass of humanity.

After much research, I have personally discovered there is evidence enough to charge, prosecute and convict the 'Jolly Old Elf' of multiple crimes.

And at the very least, if not imprisoned, he certainly should be banned from the children on the world for the good of decent human society.

It is our contention that the great leader of a bygone era, Burgermeister Meisterburger, was indeed accurate and right in the proclamation to protect his citizens from this man.

Mr. Kringle remains, at least in this author's mind, Public Enemy Number One.

The very character of the man, who routinely frequents shopping malls in his outlandish clothes and sometimes scantily-clad, female elves, holds a character of non-existant integrity that would make the most notorious criminal blush with shame.

Today, we take a break from our normal theological ponderings to consider, above all, the Case Against Santa Claus.


At first, we must consider his cohorts in society; those with home he is said to have frequent encounters with - as attested by the film industry.
There is Mr. E. Bunny, who shameless enters homes throughout North America without invitation, leaving some of the most highly sugar-saturated chocolate behind; influencing our young to commit 'rabbitcide' with chocolate representations of himself.
Whether this is an act of contrition or brainwashing, thinking himself to be some type of god, is unknown.

Then, we must point to an elusive, wing creature who steals the dislocated teeth of children, leaving behind miniscule amounts of money. Yes, it is the one fairy who evidently was bad from his fairy birth. Who knows what contraption or value these horded fangs have?

Could it be a scheme of monopolizing the enamel for some future valuable market to which we are unaware?

And should we mention the man who throws dust in our faces, inducing deep sleep?
Could it be that the Sand Man, E. Bunny, Santa and the rest of his notorious, yet rarely seen friends, are involved in a world-wide crime syndicate operating only at night and the wee hours of the morning?
Time will tell.


As for Mr. Kringle, it is the humble and accurate opinion of this author that he has evaded authorities and consistently skirted laws for years.


Take for example the clear evasion of privacy through an annual 'breaking and entering' campaign, which takes place on the holiest night of the year; the eve of our Lord's birth.
It is quite the criminal genius which can determine the ONE time of year when people will be asleep, so that he can enter their homes, moving about as he pleases.


His entry comes from the chimney; a chimney for crying out loud. And this is done after landing on the roof of each house he enters.
It seems he is not concerned about the shingle damage or the wear and tear of metal roofs on the various homes.


Again, he lands on homes with a flying sleigh.
There are at least two problems with this:
First, what clearance does this man have with the Federal Aviation Administration? Does he even have a license to fly? And if so, how old is this certification?
What type of air traffic must be diverted unsafely off course due to his midnight wanderings throughout the land?
These are issues that must be dealt with by the Federal government; let us hope in President-elect Trump's plan to 'make America great again,' that included is a mission to make our air traffic patterns safe once again.


Secondly, the reindeer pulling the sleigh; this is a huge issue.
Where is PETA or any animal rights organization?

These animals MUST have been somehow genetically altered or under the influence of black magic; it is not normal for a reindeer to fly, especially considering a reindeer can only run about 8 miles per hour, tops.

Do these organizations not care that Kringle could very well be using a synthetic drug for stealth, speed and genetic manipulation?

Something must be done before others discover the secret formula and ruin the natural genetic code of these poor animals.


Also considering his treatment of reindeer - should we not consider his total abuse of power and authority?
Think of it!!!
He idly sat by and allowed one of his reindeer to be excluded and bullied away from the herd because, as American icon Gene Autry revealed, he was not 'allowed to play any reindeer games.'
And then this Mastermind had the nerve and audacity to go back and ask this poor, lonely reindeer for his help the very first time he needed it on a foggy, Christmas Eve.


INSANE BEHAVIOR!!


As a Chaplain in the USAF, I must also point out Mr. Kringle's total disregard for every person of every faith and also his delay, which seems to be discrimination against those located in the region South America.


In the first instance, when have you ever heard of the great Santa Clause frequenting a neighbor of Jewish or Muslim children?

HE WILL NOT!


Can we conclude anything other than this individual could very well hold anti-Semitic and Islamiphobic leanings in his heart?


Secondly, most of the Western World, receives their annual breaking and entering (yet another felony) on Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning.
But this is not the case with children in Mexico, Spain or  the vast majority of South America.
These wonderful individuals must WAIT for him to spread his so-called joy with gifts until 12 Days later, on January 6th.


My question is 'why?'
Why must these children, many of whom are underprivileged, wait?

Without going into great detail, we must mention the habitual and flagrant ignoring of indoor smoking regulations in which he engages.

This man does not even 'Vape;' he recklessly continues to SMOKE a pipe, oftentimes the smoke forming a magic ring above his head.

Then, of course, there is his support of fossil fuels; handing out chunks of coal to some CHILDREN, not even reaching adulthood when it is received.
His lackluster support of the Global Warming contention is quite underwhelming.


And then there is the violation of noise ordinances throughout the land.
It has been previously reported by Mr. Clemet Moore, one man and his wife was awaked from their slumber because of the noise from one referred to as Saint Nick.
In the victim's own words, '...out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, that I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.'


As for his unhealthy lifestyle - living off of milk and cookies!
This would drive any nutrition-minded human being up the wall and down the other side.
How does this man live with himself; he is already overweight but continues to beg for these items in every home he enters.
Certainly, if we do not stop him, diabetes certainly will.


Yet, we must not linger on minor charges; for there are far more important matters to consider.


For example, we must contend that this man is guilty of the WORST type of stalking; predatory behavior concerning our innocent children.
It has been reported across the airwaves famously by none other than Mr. Bruce Springsteen, that Mr. Clause will seek to observe our children at all times.
In reference to such acts and I quote, "He sees you when you are sleeping; He knows when you are awake..."


Can there by anything worse than the unauthorized watching of our children?
Yes, yes there can be and there is; millions upon millions of parents have been deceived by this man and willingly take their children to him so that he can readily listen to their heartfelt desires.


We must stop being duped!
He may use this information, but to what end you may ask.
The answer is so simple and is hiding in plain sight.

It is our contention that Mr. Kringle may very well be the last hold-out of the Soviet Union and Communist Party; a leftover from the Cold War in which he never surrendered.

All we must do is check the obvious and well-know facts; soon the truth will enlighten your mind.

First, Mr. Kringle wears, predominately I might add, the exact same color which is to be found on every Communist flag in the world: BRIGHT RED.


Secondly, he is clouded in secrecy.
We do not know from whence he was born, nor anything about his parents or his education level.

Yet, we do know that he lives in a remote village; residing in a castle above his workers whom he is supposed to support; however, it is my contention that it may very well be forced child labor camps instead of toy workshops, as evidenced by the fact that elves certainly do not exist.

In further evidence, he distributes to the masses, without cost - supposedly.

But all Capitalistic, Freedom-driven citizens know that nothing comes from anywhere that is free.

Finally, Mr. Kringle has engulfed the world with one of the greatest ploys known to man.

Disguised as one of his 'elves,' throughout the world today, one of his highly trained minions rests safely on the shelf of millions of homes, watching and observing the activity of each family.

And what color to these agents of evil wear? RED!!

Just as in the days when the Soviets attempted to get the upper hand on Freedom-loving people everywhere, these agents remain as the last spy syndicate of the Communist Party.

And admittedly, to whom do they report?
To SANTA CLAUS himself!!!


Friends, we must band together to stop this assault on such a sacred holiday and return to sanity as we keep our children safe and away from all harm.

NOTE: The above ramblings is intended as total satire; a joke to which we can all laugh and have a little fun while too many are taking life entirely too serious.
We must laugh, for time on earth is too short and slips away too soon.


I do pray you have a wonderful Christmas.
Until next time, win one for the good guys.

View from Above

' O' Lord, Our Lord, How Majestic is Thy Name in all the Earth...'

                                                                                          ~ Psalm 8:9




Many years ago, I sat in the cockpit of a C-130 Hercules as we flow over Birmingham, Alabama.
From the seat, I looked to might right and saw night descending across the eastern portion

of the American continent; but to the left, the west was still holding daylight.
Below,  I could see roads and rivers, buildings and backyards, people and cars; one person being chased by flashing blue lights, while another was being transported in an ambulance with red flashing lights in a completely different part of the city, the two had no connection to one another whatsoever and were miles apart.
While I knew some things were large and others much smaller; everything had the appearance of being small because I was above them.


I could see everything and anything I wanted to see; teaching us once again that Air Superiority one of the most important factors during times of military conflict.


Spiritually, the view I had so long ago of the earth and its contents from that cockpit of the rumbling plane is the permanent view of God Himself, perpetually, continuously and eternally.
And to Him, we must seem extremely small, in size physically and in the realm of eternity, to One who endures from 'everlasting to everlasting.'


To place it in another context, if our Milky Way galaxy was the size of North America, our solar system would fit into a coffee cup.
Amazing, isn't it.


Yet, it is prayer, true prayer to a true God, which helps us draw near and know that we are not as tiny as we may think; that we are not so small in the universe or in eternity.


Prayer helps correct us while drawing us near to the purity and holiness of God.
Prayer corrects our innate irresponsibility as humans to think of ourselves in a self-centered, self-glorifying manner.
In other words, it cures what I call 'the fuzzy navel disease.'


You've seen this disease even if you don't realize it; it effects people in such a way that they are so centered on themselves or on someone else that they can see the fuzz in another person's navel without ever looking beyond that focus.


To put it in a more spiritual context, prayer helps us stop thinking of how God should serve us and our needs in life, and then we begin to serve Him better through our lives.
And Christians learn this through prayer, though the prayers offered may be in anguish, in pain, or even in doubt - yet, the result tends to be the same in the end.


The great patriarch Job learned of prayer's value to refocus our hearts during a time of self-pity and anger.
He saw how magnified and how far God is truly above us in all always.
You and I would do well if we meditated on the same.

True prayer, not conditional prayers, not ambiguous prayers, not prayers with wrong motives, but true prayer - lifts the believer above the pettiness that occurs in life.
It can even displace the horrible circumstances one faces, as God adjusts our hearts and minds to see the true context of pain, cancer or death.


It is true that in the physical, grand scheme of things we seem to be tiny and insignificant; yet, God has made humans valuable, significant, important and, once grace is received, something that even angels desire to be like.
The reason - humanity has been chosen as God's unique creation, the apex of all His holy works; but not just humanity, it is true for you and I individually.


In prayer, in a true time of communion with God, we should feel humbled and small; while at the same time, we should feel empowered and strong.
The difference is not in ourselves; but rather, in what God has made the Christian through the sacrifice and grace of Jesus Christ.


Now, I do realize this may sound somewhat odd to some believers in the Lord; that's OK.
It's not that we have differing opinions because one of us is absolutely wrong; we may differ because we have forgotten, or have never known, what it was once like in our relationship with God.


You see, there was a time, a time long ago, when conversation and communion with God was as natural and normal as the involuntary beats of your heart or the breath you draw at this moment.
Prayer was not the vehicle by which we talked to the Divine; the state of man's communion with God was a personal relationship in the presence of God Himself. Walking and talking with Him was a daily occurrence, if not more regular.


Since the fall of Adam and mankind's rebellion against the command and will of God, each passing generation seems to have become more and more removed from our Creator.
As a result, today - even among Christians - we are off our theological axis as our moral and spiritual equilibrium is skewed.


One problem Christians have with prayer  today is a problem never encountered by Adam nor by Jesus when He was on the Earth; today's believers will pray and they don't even know if they have been heard after they say, 'Amen.'
Maybe if you and I would pray in a manner appropriately we would see better results.
Maybe if we would stop 'directing' our prayers to God, as if we are organizing a military unit; maybe if we would stop 'ordering' our prayers like a lunch item off a menu and maybe if we would actually ask for specific things that we can see answered - then, maybe we can see the evidence of God moving and answering our petitions and thereby bolstering our faith, giving us a greater desire to serve and commune with God.


When a person prays, we are actually asking the Sovereign Creator of the Universe to suspend all natural laws and sensibilities on earth, for ourselves.

That's what we're asking and we have no idea how it works; but, as I can attest, be assured prayer does indeed work.


When a person prays a prayer, their words somehow cross from our material/physical world into a realm which is neither physical nor material.
It is immaterial and spiritual; it is God's domain.
Yet, in that invisible world, we do not know how our prayers work when received by God Himself.
That invisible, spiritual world seems less real to us than it did to Adam; maybe it's because he had met with God continuously and was the direct handiwork of the Almighty. Or maybe it is because we haven't made it real in our own hearts and minds.


This is not a new problem; of all the things the disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them, they asked not to learn to preach, or prophesy, or speak in tongues, or sing,  or reach the masses or anything else that is normally associated with the various sects of evangelical Christianity.
The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.


And Jesus began then, what is now known as the Lord's Prayer.
His first words, 'Our Father;' these may very well be the key to every prayer; our understanding of the very nature of God Himself.


We tend to pray downstream rather than going to the source of the flow; it is from the mouth of God Himself by which every person lives and is sustained.
We tend to pray as if God needs to be informed and updated on all the things that are happening in our lives; sometimes, I begin to think that God may get bored with the same information He already knows, similar to how one would get bored in the middle of a movie they have seen 79 times.
We tend to pray in a manner which invites God to help us overcome whatever horrid circumstance we find ourselves in at the moment; rarely do I ever hear one pray who asks God to change their character so that these situations will not be entered into from the beginning.


But....
If a Christian will start with God, begin with 'Our Father,' approach the Source of all, they will soon realize God already knows, He already cares, and He is already moving before your thoughts were directed into words.
God knew of my cancer before it was ever discovered or diagnosed; He was also working to remove it in an unexplainable manner before the idea to ask ever became a notion in anyone's mind.


In communion with God through prayer, a person will also discover that His grace descends.
It is God Himself who bears the primary responsibility for the Earth and all its inhabitants; it is His grace that sustains us through the trembles and terrors of life.


In that bird's eye view from the cockpit I received a small portion of what God sees constantly. He sees you. He knows you. He loves you.
If you begin with God, your prayers will change because you will change.


And only prayer, true prayer, can change our hearts to become more like His.


Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Saints in a Sick Society

"Can one who goes the way of the Cross sit in the seat of Pilate when it falls vacant?"

                                                                                ~ Leslie Newbigin




The above quote is actually asking an age old question which every true Christian must ask themselves.
"How far are you, as a member of the Body of Christ, willing to work with the world which oftentimes opposes you and your beliefs?"


It's a deep question, but a relevant question.

The truth of the matter is that the Church as a whole will never fully reject or accept the culture in which we live.

We cannot; for, it is impossible, regardless of where we might live in the world.

Scripture indicates that the individual Christian is ultimately a citizen of Heaven.
While this is true, it must also be acknowledged that we have dual citizenship; we may belong to Heaven but at this time, we reside on planet Earth.


There is a universal moral law which is to govern us spiritually and it effects our practice in life ethically and religiously.
At the same time, we live in the world and in its societies; societies which seem to be growing sicker by the day.
And while we are in the world, we are to obey the world's physical laws of the land; that is, until we cannot morally or consciously do so.


To top it all off, Scripture gives us no clear guidance on the matter; nor does history.


Kings David and Solomon virtually combined what we would call 'Church & State;' the government of their time was interwoven with their personal faith; the rest of society was expected to follow suit.
Yet, the Prophet Elijah vehemently opposed King Ahab, who was a descendent and successor to both David and Solomon.
And while Elijah condemned Ahab for his practices and faced the wrath of his wife Jezebel, the Prophet Obadiah was in his court, virtually running it, while he was silently and secretly sheltering other true prophets from the persecution of the crown.


Isaiah was the court prophet in Hezekiah's reign; yet, Daniel was a government bureaucrat, serving in high offices in two pagan governments.
Is there any doubt both men served God and fulfilled His will?


Church history is just as muddled.
John Calvin sought to make Geneva a Protestant Christian 'haven;' yet, in his ruling, exact laws were enacted which governed how many dishes to be used at a meal, the length of a woman's hair and executed those caught in adultery.
Others have sought the solitude of desert monasteries, remaining as hermits, or rejecting society altogether and abandoning it.

Let me ask you - who was right?
Was Martin Luther correct in opposing the Church/State alliance of the German states or was the Lutheran Church correct in supporting and identifying with the Nazi regime?




Again, there are no clear answers where moral injustice or absolute wrongs do not exist.
Maybe the answer lies somewhere in the middle with our own leading of God's Spirit and the common sense He gave us.


As Christians, we will and should, reject some parts of our culture/society; such as acceptable reasons for murder, rampant or legal prostitution and tyrannical or excessively oppressive governments.
But we will also accept other parts of our society, such as the infrastructure (Paul used Rome's to spread the Gospel throughout the Empire), its transportation and its institutions.
And these should be used, specifically - for the benefit of the faith.


While we will accept or reject some parts of culture, Christians will also use some aspects to our own benefit, like the arts. Beethoven and Mozart both wrote music for the Church; today, where a missionary would be executed, their music speaks of God's truth in closed lands.
Not only will we accept/reject/use various parts of culture or society; Christians will also invent our own and inject them into society to advance humanity. This has happened through soup kitchens, clothing banks and adoption services for unwed mothers.


Yet, the question remains as to how the Christian rightly fits into modern society, while retaining our faith, which seems so ancient and outdated to the modern world.
It can be difficult, especially when many in modern culture view Christians as people who are 'right-wingers,' wanting to tell everybody else how they ought to be living.


It must be remembered, Jesus sent people out; He didn't hunker down with them hoping God would come and rescue the faithful.
But to accomplish the same purpose of Christ, Christians must act and display the virtues of Christ in living flesh through our actions, not through government or authoritarian means.


In the United States, the current year is an election year.
Even now, local politicians are courting the Evangelical Christian vote; one misconception has been that the Christian is faced with the choice between political right and left. In reality, the Christian should only face one choice, that between right and wrong.

It should also be noted that evangelical involvement with politics is a recent phenomenon; yet, it isn't an unheard of action.
In centuries past, when the Church pressed into the political realm, it caused a backlash for generations to come against the Church itself.
As evidence, one must only look to Europe's empty cathedrals and know that the vacancy was caused by a Church holding a tight grip on the people through the authority of the local governments.


The Evangelical Christian involvement in politics in the United States was caused by being left out of the process or ignored in the early part of the twentieth century.
Policies and governmental directions were taken which were contrary to their values.
Yet, what is happening now within the Church is the same thing that happened to Europe; a backlash.


The truth is that the more the Church has gotten into politics and have become more and more vocal, the more negatively it is seen by the public whom we should be seeking to reach.
In reality, the Body of Christ's involvement has caused the Good News of God to be obscured in favor of temporary advancement in the world.


Friend, we are to seek to persuade; not coerce.


Still, America's Bible Belt is also her Safety Belt.


So, how are we to fit into modern society?
The same way Jesus Christ told His followers to fit into their society.
We are to listen to His words in the Sermon on the Mount, and then go among the people and live the Beatitudes.


It really is that simple.


Until next time, win one for the good guys.

Seeking Common Ground

"People react to fear, not love; they don't teach that in Sunday School, but it's true."

                                                                              ~ President Richard M. Nixon

There is a lot of truth in the above quote by the late-President Nixon; many do react in fear rather than love.

Yet, it is the overarching love of God for His Creation which compels each person within the Church, to actually BE the Church instead of simply attending a Church.


Rather than the Ten Commandments, which are part of God's perfect Law, Jesus preached the ideal to His followers in what we now call, 'The Sermon on the Mount.'
As He spoke, Jesus Himself gave extremely high standards for us to follow.


Have you ever committed adultery? No.
But that is not the standard anymore; instead, have you lusted in your heart?
Probably.


Have you ever murdered anyone? No.
But have you hated?
Most likely.


Unattainable?
Only by human standards, in God's grace all things are indeed possible to overcome.


A prostitute. A thief. A man considered a murderer. A follower who commits treason.
These were Jesus' original followers; yet, there was one thing each of them had which caused their lives to be transformed.
There is one thing which is the common ground among them all, although they came from different walks of life.
That one thing is God's Grace.


Sadly, many of Jesus' followers today take the extreme opposite approach and have great difficulty in trying to communicate grace to those who need it.
Some churches lower the ideal given by Jesus; accommodating the culture with a downgrade of values based on the ever-evolving social and cultural norms.
To do so, cheapens grace; for, when you tolerate all things, there is no standard.

Still others go to the extreme opposite, seemingly and practically barring grace.
In this case, faith becomes a religion of 'do's' and 'don'ts;' as a result, those who are in the most need of grace are turned away unwelcomed and empty-handed.


Seriously?
How in the world does a Christian fail in seeking to give the same grace we have received?
Simple.
We become interested in our own Kingdoms rather than the Kingdom of God.


In American Churches, especially among Evangelical circles, there is a constant call toward the culture to 'try' to get society to return to a more 'spiritual' time in our heritage.
I often wonder exactly what time they are referring to; is it the 1950's? Might it be the Victorian Age or antebellum South?
Or could it be as far back as the Puritans, where civil law and religious doctrine blended?


The truth is that American pastors are not the same as the prophets who proclaimed God's message in Jerusalem so long ago.
No, we are to be dispensers of grace which light the way to the One who gives grace.


Instead of preaching to those of their failure in morality, indifference toward Truth and ethical errors like the Prophets of old once did; the Body of Christ should reflect more the approach of the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill.
We live in a society that is not only post-modern, but also post-Christian; as a result, there is a divide between the believer's understanding and that of a person engulfed within the culture.
Therefore, Paul's approach in our time would work; he simply looked for Common Ground and then once established, made the proclamation that there was One God who bridges the gap between society's understanding and the Christian's understanding.


Don't misunderstand, there are definitely times when a Christian MUST confront wrong in society and culture; but these must be true wrongs, not preferences we believe is wrong simply because it effects us in an adverse way.
When the Christian does this, we as the Church, can certainly bring clarity to moral and ethical issues; but only if we truly live what we say we believe.


There have been times when the Church has embraced fully the trends in culture; only to our own detriment.

Francis Galton

An Englishman, Sir Francis Galton was a cousin to the infamous Charles Darwin; he applied his

cousins evolutionary principles to humanity through social philosophy.
In the course of his work, he set forth the idea that by removing, 'inferior' or 'defective' humans from the gene pool, the survival would only be of the fittest and a greater humanity would emerge.


Sound familiar?


This same argument is now used by abortionists to justify 'eliminating', 'unwanted' children before they are born.
But this isn't a new idea to our generation.


The result in Galton's time was that everybody from scientists to politicians supported the movement.
No less than the esteemed Winston Churchill and Theodore Roosevelt thought this was a splendid idea to inflict upon society.
Yet, no one could ever state who would determine what it meant to be 'inferior' or 'defective' other than society-at-large; which simply translates into 'government' or worse, those financially supporting those in government.


And what began to happen was that 'Fitter Families' began to appear at State Fairs across the nation; these put on display families, but only those with 'desirable' traits.
Again, who is qualified to determine that which is desirable as opposed to 'undesirable?'


Soon, state legislatures across the South began to forbid interracial marriages.
Others began to enact legislation that forbid the marriage of those considered 'undesirable,' such as, 'morons,' 'idiots,' and 'retarded' persons.
Then, when taken further, the next step was to begin to enact legislation which required the sterilization of criminals, of unwed mothers and the mentally ill.
Some countries even began the sterilization or even 'eliminate' altogether those considered to be part of 'degenerate' groups, such as the poor, homosexuals, gypsies and promiscuous women.


The formal name of this idea for humanity was called Eugenics.
As you can trace the lineage above, one can see the slippery slope involved; yet, one took Eugenics to its logical conclusion.
His name was Adolph Hitler, and had the support of Germany's State Church.


You see, when the Church begins to mesh or support ideas or policies which clearly run counter to Biblical morality and ethics, only moral confusion results.


The appeal of the Church in our time is to seek Common Ground with those who do not share our faith, our morality or our belief.
What one believes about humanity, matters; this is the key theological issue, for it is THE issue of the Gospel.


Does one forfeit their right to live because they are born differently?
In other words, by birth is it OK for society to determine your end; whether you are a baby or elderly?
No, of course not.


The dignity of a human life is our common ground; which is purely a Christian ideal - all life matters.


In the past, Churches have railed against homosexuals.
The result is that homosexuals were vilified, turned away and segregated from the rest of 'normal' people. All the Church did was further alienate and hurt human beings who were already disowned, disavowed, alienated and hurting.
While Biblically, homosexuality is a sin; it is no more or no less a sin than any other sexual sin given to us in Scripture - which means, the person who engages in this is in just as much need of God's grace as any other person.


As Christians, we cannot receive God's grace and redemption for our sin and then refuse to demonstrate God's grace to a person who sins differently than we do.

In the past, there were churches who vilified races who were of a different race than the congregation.
This has been true throughout the history of the church; black, white, Hispanic, Asian...etc. We tend to worship and want to worship with those who are like us, mostly like our skin color rather than the importance being on our theological beliefs.
One has even said that the most segregated time in the week is on Sunday morning between 10:00 AM and Noon.


I believe that this is still true.


One of the greatest times I ever had as a minister was standing in front of a 'Gospel' congregation while deployed overseas.
You see, though nobody would ever admit it, 'Gospel' is a code word for 'black'.
Honestly, it was one of the most fulfilling, spiritually-charged, loving congregations I have ever ministered within; if I ever had the opportunity, I would jump at the chance to do so again.
But I digress.


The point of it all is whether we are different races or engage in different sins, the one Common Ground issue with society and culture is the dignity and value of human life.
The Apostles recognized this because Jesus demonstrated it in His time on earth; as a result, the Early Church and first generation of Christians embraced the Gospel mandate of 'all tribes, tongues, people and nations.'
Only then can the Common Factor among us within the Church be God's grace.


On second thought, maybe the doom & gloom preachers of our modern era are right; maybe we do need to proclaim that society and the Church needs to return to a time of yesteryear.
But instead of it being the 1950's, or the Victorian Age; the Body of Christ needs to set its clock back 2,000 years, to the first century, and embrace the Gospel mission of the Early Church.


Until next time, go win one for the good guys.