Health Care

Well, for the time being, the US has reformed health care. It remains to be seen whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depending on your politics, tax bracket, and ideology/philosophy.

As one who is trying to view life through the lens of Scripture, I struggled a bit on this one. On the one hand we are to help those who are less fortunate, but on the other is it fair to require someone else to involuntarily pay for it?

I have read numerous articles on this subject and a "Biblical" case can be made for both sides. At times in the Old Testament there was required dispersing of property and goods, such as the tithe. In th New Testament Christ turns the focus from law to grace, so pretty much giving becomes an example of conscience.

The more I think about it, this issue could have been avoided had the church been doing part of its calling and helping others. Instead we have relegated this to government to care for the widows, orphans, and poor.

Getting back to what should be our response to the health care debate is to give more of the gifts from God to others, as we rely on the Lord more than relying on government, employers, family, friends or even ourselves.

There are some days when stoicism looks good to me. Our age seems to be more wrapped up in how we 'feel' than about what is right or wrong.

Back in the late 60's there was a saying that pretty much reflected the sentiment of the times: "If it feels good, do it". Today that sentiment seems to have evolved to: "If it feels good it is good and no one should tell me otherwise". 'Feeling' has become the primary means of assessing the world. It is almost, it seems for many, a worldview, an ideology. It is the demise of objectivity and the rise of subjectivity both personally and publically.

This is manifesting itself in law. For example, simply expressing an opinion can now lead to losing a job if what is stated 'offends' another person, often regardless of the validity of that statement. The measure is fast becoming not real damage but percieved damage to the individual.

All over the media it is all about 'feelings'. All over the workplace it is about 'feelings'. The world is becoming saturated with 'feelings'. Even the Church, which is based on law and grace has embraced the "feeling" culture of our times.

And I am tired about worrying about 'feelings' - mine and someone elses. I am tired of reading that the cause of all problems is someone's 'poor self-esteem' when Scripture tells us in James 4 that it is the "passions at war within" us. Focusing on 'feelings' allows us to make up our rules as we move along.

The problem with this is that there are rules - both physical and Spiritual. Physical rules tell me that I cannot walk through a wall without doing some damage regardless about how I 'feel' about going through that wall. Spiritual rules tell me that there is a penalty to pay for disobedience to God.

We don't want to believe that subjectively, but reality has this way of negating false beliefs with true knowledge.

As Christians, we need to guard ourselves form embracing the current fads in thinking and finding ourselves more like the world than like Christ. Our rules are not made up as we stumble along. Our 'rules' are spoken to us from God to Scripture to our eyes and ears. We have a Lord. It is Him whom we need to obey, and not the whims of the moment.

Christian Stoicism is following Christ even when we are 'feeling' like otherwise. It is glorifying God above our 'self', not living for our 'self'. It is finding joy in something other than your 'feeling'.

FHG,
Tom

The World Around Us

I took some time off from writing as it had become more of a burden than a joy. I wanted to breathe deeply for a while and enjoy the world around us. The world God has created.

It culminated last weekend with a trip to Mackinac Island where automobiles and trucks are basically banned and access is by a ferry boat. Sitting on a street in town all one hears is the low drone of people talking, the whirring of the bicycle wheels going by and the clopping of horse hoofs.

The views are so peaceful, both the natural beauty and historical buildings abound (they claim to be the most historical spot in Michigan). It was both refreshing and relaxing, though I missed having all the family there.

Then we came home, and the world hadn't changed much. There is still that problem neighbor and the bills to pay and the issues at work and the politics in Washington and the cultural, economic strife and death, destruction, mayhem and chaos of both the man-made and natural world around us.

It makes me want to hop back on the boat and move to Mackinac Island to one of those mansions on the bluff overlooking the lighthouse. This world makes me want to call Mackinac Island home, not the slowly dying city of Saginaw.

Scripture reminds us, though, that the world around us is not home (John 15:19). The book of Revelations points out that this world will once day cease to exist, and that humans are eternal beings who will dwell forever in one of two places. Those who reject God will dwell away from Him in Hell. Those of uswho profess Christ as Lord and Savior, who have recognized our sins and turned from them (though we may desire to do them), who have recieved Jesus' gift of salvation will live in a place called Heaven. Hell will not be a place one should want to reside (you think your current circumstances are unpleasant, Hell is indescribably worse). Heaven is a place described as having no more tears (Rev 7:17) or pain (Rev 21:4). It is a place so much better than the world around us or even Mackinac Island.

This world around us is only a moment in time. It is the waiting in line on the dock for the ferry boat to take us to the Island. We need to remember that when we get all wrapped up in the political, social, economic, emotional, cultural, entertainment times. This is not our world. This is not our true home. We are just visiting and we are just visitors, and I find great comfort in that thought, but it would be nice to hear the clip-clopping of a horse or any whirr of a bicycle wheel over the rev of an engine just one more time.

For His Glory,
Tom

That Which The Lord Hates Part 7

(Proverbs 6:16-19) There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Lets look at the 5th thing which God hates - "feet that make haste to run to evil".

I like how that is phrased.  

It could have been stated simply - a desire to sin, but instead it is feet running to evil.  This is not just conceptualizing sin and then doing sin, it is a rush to sin, not just a crawl, a walk, a stroll, but a "haste to run" to evil.  It is a condemnation of all men of what is found in our heart - that we do not, at the innermost, desire for God to be glorified but for us to be glorified, for us to be on the seat of the King.

We lunge to sin when given the opportunity.  We thrust at it when temptation calls.  It is who and what we are.

We don't like to admit it.  We don't like to face it as a reality.  We want to believe otherwise, but deep inside we know that we are good despite the evidence of our lives.

But the facts speak otherwise - who has not sinned?  Who has not taken God's moral perfection and twisted and distorted it into our own image?  Who has not done that which they believe to be wrong?

Sin is our common denominator.  It is where we are all shown to be equal.  It is the true state of our heart.

Yet, here is God, who despises our rush to rebellion and His response is to sacrifice Himself in our place, opening the way for our redemption by simply realizing who we are and what we need - Christ our Salvation, our Redeemer, our Savior, our Lord.

The Atheist Placard in Washington State is great news

According to a Fox News and others, an atheist group in Washington State, from a demand of "equal time", have been allowed to erect a display near a Nativity Scene on the State Capitol in Olympia in honor of "Winter Solstace".  The placard on the display reads, in part,: ""There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."  There is also a "Holiday" tree up as well.  All the displays are placed by private groups.

There is a minor uproar about this, coming from Christian centers, because the statement is an overt attack on "religion".  It would not surprise me to learn if there are not protest letters and small rallies being held on the Capitol building planned as "Christians" are "offended" by the statement.

I think, though, that this is sign is great news, and if we Christians waste our time trying to silence the statement we will miss that opportunity.

Obviously Washington State is now allowing displays that do more than "honor" a holiday, like the sign by the Nativity indicates, but allowing for the discussion of what that religion believes, like the sign by the Winter Solstice.

For years, the criteria from the courts has been that "religious" displays, such as the 10 commandments, are allowed if they are "cultural" or "historic".  

Thus, in Washington State,  the Nativity Scene was placed near a "Holiday Tree" and, in past times, there was a Menorah.  In many places, Nativities on public grounds have to have other signs of the season such as Santa or reindeer or such.

Now, though, at least in Washington State, the display can do more than make a cultural statement, it can actually be used to promote your viewpoint!

The atheists' statement is clearly proselytizing their beliefs.  It is not a explanation of the holiday like the one next to the Nativity which says that the disply is to "commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ which is celebrated by Christians around the world".  

So, since atheists are now allowed to openly express their beliefs, irrelevant to the holiday, then I would urge the private group to change the sign on the Nativity to something like -"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son and whosoever believes in Him shall be saved". Maybe they could even have a little stand there with some tracts to "explain" their beliefs more fully.

While many of my brothers and sisters in Christ will lament this display as another "loss" in the culture wars, it is really a victory.  A victory for free speech and for the re-opening of allowing divergent viewpoints to be displayed.

It will be a victory only if we take this great news and use it to tell the Good News, but that should be our response to everything, anyway.  In all news, point it to the Good News.

By the way, if Santa were to use the 10 Commandments, would you be naughty or nice?

To find the answer, click here

For His Glory,

Tom