What can Christians (And non-Christians) do About Politics?

Between the recent Supreme Court decision and the apparent upcoming Executive Order for employers to stop discriminating against the LGBT community, a Christian might be thinking that the government is sending mixed opinions. Some see one as a win and the other as a loss. Some see both as neutral. Some have strong voices on either side. I'm not here today to debate those issues.

The issue is a larger one. If Christians believe that our country was founded upon Christian/Bible principles and if we believe that our nation/government is moving away from Christian/Bible principles, then this leads to several questions.

1) Regarding those who oppose Christian/Bible principles, how did they get our country so turned around to their views?
Well, they talked about their views with many people. They made sure they taught their family and friends about their views. They marched and held rallies. They got involved with politics in an attempt to pass laws and legislation for their views.

2) Have Christians truly done these things regarding our views/religion?
No. We back down. We talk about it with those of like faith, but we don't try to proselytize and teach non-Christians our views. (Yes, we have many who will Bible-bash about their views, but not many who truly debate, teach and share.)

3) What can we do about politics?
We can pray for wisdom for our leaders. We can pray for their salvation.
We can also get involved. That means more than just voting for the president. That means voting on all votes. That means contacting your congressmen about issues. Get involved. Speak up.

4) Why are we letting the government teach us and our families against the Christian/Bible principles we value?
Those with opposing views taught their views to their families when they were in the minority. Even in the Bible days, ethics and morals were taught at home. As Christians, let's teach our children our Christian/Bible principles, even if those Christian/Bible principles are now in the minority.

What am I getting at?
If you don't vote at the presidential elections, then how can you complain about whatever president we have?
If you don't get involved in politics and let your voice be heard, then how can you complain that those who hold opposing views are getting legislature in their favor?

Finishing strong: Parts 7-10 of 10

It was my hope to continue this series for all 10 points; however, it seems that time is not allowing me. Below are the rest of the points, as shown on thomrainer.com:

7.  Are you exhibiting the work of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:19-23)? Here, allow the Word to guide your self-evaluation: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious:sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy,drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. . . . But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,gentleness, self-control.” Which traits most characterize your life today?

8. Who is walking more with God because of your influence this year? That is, are you making disciples? Have you purposefully pointed away from self to direct others to follow the Son of God (John 1:29)? Or, to ask the question in the negative, is there anyone who walks less with God today because of your example and influence this year?

9. What steps have you taken to spread the gospel to the nations? The Great Commission is a global calling (Matt. 28:18-20), even for those not called to go to the nations full-time. Have you intentionally studied about God’s work around the world this year? Are you praying for missionaries by name? Are you fully open to taking a mission trip this year or next?

10. How would your family assess you as a family member and a believer this year?  Those who live with us are most equipped to evaluate our spiritual walk. If I were to ask your family about your walk with God, what would they say? Would they say your life – all of it, including behind the scenes – models Christ? If not, decide today what steps you will take the next six months.

Are ya going to church? (part 6 or 10 of the mid-year checkup)

There's the question: Are you going to church? 

No, I don't mean going to church like you would go to the doctor (1x a year, or if you have a problem). I mean are you going to church like you would to your favorite restaurant (at least 1x a week) or like you watch your favorite channel (a couple times a week).

Thomrainer.com lists the question as:

Are you serving faithfully in a local church? The church is much more than a place to attend; it is a family that loves us and provokes us to good works (Heb. 10:24). Through the first half of 2014, have you used your spiritual gifts as a member of a local body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:1-11, 1 Pet. 4:10)? Are you supporting His work financially? Commit today to invest yourself in God’s church throughout the rest of 2014.

If you are a Christian, what is holding you back from going to church?

If you are a Christian, God has a place for you in the church. 

And, no, it's not just to warm the pew. It may be to serve as a greeter, to take up the offering, to serve on a committee, or any number of things. You might be thinking, "yeah, but Mr. So-and-so always does everything, there's nothing for me to do." Perhaps Mr. So-and-so does everything because others are not coming out and serving in those positions. Perhaps he is doing everything because someone has to do it. Perhaps you can ask him what you can do to take alittle of the burden off of him. Perhaps God will use it as a way to show you where you are needed in the church.

They say that 20%  of the church does 80% of the work. Unfortunately, most of that is out of necessity. 

Come out and be a part! Support the work of the church in every way you can! Let's serve God together!

Another mid-year checkup (5 or 10): Memory?

So far we've looked at Bible reading, prayer, Evangelizing, and sin. Now on to another checkup for the middle of the year. How are you doing with Scripture memorization? Even though we have Bibles on our smartphones and tablets, that doesn't mean that we will use them when we are in a situation, we should have God's word memorized.

The post from Thomrainer.com goes as follows:

What scriptures have you memorized this year? Do you echo the desire of the psalmist: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You” (Psalm 19:14)? Based on your memorization of God’s Word this year, would I conclude that you treasure God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:9-11)?

Scripture memory is a tough one for many of us.

Why not commit to memorizing 1 verse by the end of the year? Why not start by writing that verse out and placing it where you will see it every day (like the bathroom mirror)? I like the concept that Word of Life does, where they have scripture on business cards for you to memorize.

Although memorization is tough for many of us, it's another thing we should commit to doing.

Mid-year check-up, 4 of 10: Sin?

This list is going from the easy (reading your Bible and praying) to the more difficult (evangelism). Today is no different. The fourth one on the list on Thomrainer.com deals with sin. It says:

Are you faithfully fighting sin in your life? Be honest – have you experienced victory over sin this year? Is there a sin that continually haunts you even though you’ve sought to overcome it? If so, what steps do you still need to take this year? Confess that sin to someone? Seek accountability? Simply repent?

Think about that for a moment. We all accidentally sin every day, and hopefully we confess that as soon as we can. But what about our "pet" sins?

What ongoing sin or sins came to mind in January? What sins did you tell God that you want Him to help you get rid of this year? How is that going? God doesn't let us down, but we have to be willing to do our part too and stop running after that sin.

Did you just flippantly ask God to help you get rid of that sin?
Or did you come up with a game plan to quit that sin?
What steps are needed to free yourself from that sin? Do 1 step each day toward freeing yourself from that sin. Ask God to help you each step of the way. Share the steps with an accountability partner - someone who will help you accomplish the steps and will bug you until you do them.

Mid-year checkup, 3 of 10: Evangelism

The 3rd topic on the thomrainer.com mid-year checkup list is a tough one: Evangelism. It asks

How often have you shared the gospel this year? Is the gospel so striking to you that you cannot keep it to yourself? Have you reached beyond the church world to develop gospel-centered relationships with unbelievers? For what non-believers are you praying as Paul did (Rom. 10:1)? Ask God to increase your burden for lost people (Rom. 9:1-3) throughout the remainder of this year.

As Christians, isn't that our Goal? to share Christ with others? to bring them to a saving knowledge of Him? to eventually evangelize every person on the face of the earth? Then why aren't we doing it?!

Though it is easy to think that the pastor will evangelize everyone, or the missionary will, you need to realize that some people don't want to talk to a minister or missionary. They have a wall up when it comes to speaking with someone who is often considered a "professional."

However, as a Christian who is a friend of someone who is lost, oftentimes they will listen to you, watch you, and learn from you.
What is the non-Christian world seeing in you? A Christian who does just what the world does and nothing different? therefore, there's no need for them to be saved?
What is the non-Christian world hearing from you? The same bad language and talk about the same bad movies/TV, etc. as them? The same criticizing speech as them?
What is the non-Christian world learning from you? Are they learning that you believe that there is a God? and that you believe God loves them and wants them as His children?

Although you may have seen the clip a hundred times, I leave you with a clip of Penn Julliett, a staunch atheist who makes the valid point that Christians shouldn't be afraid to witness and if you call yourself a Christian, you should be witnessing.

Mid-Year Checkup 2 of 10: prayer

Continuing the Mid-year checkup theme, from Thomrainer.com, here's the next point that was listed:

Are you praying daily? Are you praying regularly and recurrently (1 Thess. 5:17)? Do you pray for those in authority, including government and church leaders (1 Tim. 2:2)? Are you praying by name for other believers to speak the gospel boldly and clearly (Eph. 6:18-20, Col. 4:2-4)? Do you pray for your enemies (Matt. 5:44)?

Seems overwhelming, doesn't it?
May I suggest that you do it in pieces?
1. Write down the names of those in your family, those in authority over you, those leaders in your church, and others you want to pray for.
2. Star the ones who are really important to you, who you want to pray for each day (such as your spouse, children, etc).
3. Divide the rest of the list by 7.
4. Create 7 new lists, 1 for each day of the week.
5. Include the starred name each day.
6. Include 1/7th of the list each day.

Example:

Sunday - Spouse; Children; Pastor; People 1-3
Monday - Spouse; Children; Boss; People 4-6
Tuesday - Spouse; Children; President of USA; People 7-9
Wednesday - Spouse; Children; Governor of your state; People 10-12
Thursday - Spouse; Children; Mayor of your city; People 13-15
Friday - Spouse; Children; Courts; People 16-18
Saturday - Spouse; Children; Legislators; Enemies 1-3

Mid-Year Checkups, part 1 of 10

Just as we might get a health checkup, dental checkup, or vehicle checkup throughout the year, I like the idea of a yearly spiritual checkup (as Chuck Lawless posted over on Thomrainer.com). This and the next several blog posts will be based on his blog.

In regards to daily Bible reading, he writes:

Are you reading the Bible daily? If you adopted an annual reading plan at the beginning of 2014, is your reading up to date? If not, take time this week to caught up. You might choose, if necessary, to adjust your plan – but still read daily. If you did not adopt a plan in January, pick a strategy for rest of the year.

The Plan

There are several good Bible reading plans out there. Blue Letter Bible has a few good ones here.

By December: If you want to still get through the Bible in 1 year, pick a yearly plan and do 2 readings a day (as it is the halfway point of the year).

In 1 Year: Otherwise, why not start that yearly Bible reading now, and read July through June each year.

An Easy Approach: Even if you only read 1 chapter a day out of the New Testament, let's get to reading the Bible.

The Benefits

There are several benefits to reading through the Bible, alittle bit each day:

Daily Variety: Some readings will encourage you and lift your spirits. Other reading may point out things that you need to stop doing. All in all, the daily readings will help you in your spiritual walk with the Lord.

Beyond Sunday School: Though many of us know several Sunday School stories about David, Noah, Adam&Eve, Jesus, and others, there is a lot more to read and explore in the Bible. The Bible is not a G-rated book (or R-rated; it would probably be X or NC-17); therefore, there are many things that we cannot teach and preach in a general setting. Many of the in-between stories in the Old Testament are fascinating. Many of them wrestle with the same issues we wrestle with today. Read it to see what you are missing.


So, let me encourage you, dig into God's Word each day. Even if you only do it 1 time in your life, you will be glad that you did.

Billy Graham Library

One of the places my wife and I recently visited on our vacation was the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. Overall, we were impressed.

Upon our arrival, we walked up to the main building to start our tour. The tour was about half videos and half exhibits. The videos told the story of Billy Graham’s life and accomplishments. The exhibits included various memorabilia from Graham’s life and ministry.

Throughout the videos, the Gospelwas clearly stated and a plea for salvation was made. However, it was not overly preachy.

The only drawback for us was the fact that there were donation containers everywhere and you continually received donation envelopes with everything. With that aside, the Museum was great.

Then, we went to the garden. There, you walk a sidewalk in the shape of a cross until you reach the foot of that cross. There, you find the grave of Ruth Graham and a spot for Billy. Over to the side, you see the graves of George Beverly Shea and Wilma “Billy” Barrows.

Then, we ventured to the old homeplace (still on the grounds) where Billy grew up. It was fascinating to see the furnishing and layout of the quaint home. Another interesting point was that one of the tour guides, who was leaving shortly after we arrived, was one of Billy Graham’s nieces.

We would definitely recommend the Library to anyone. Feel free to check out our photo album on Facebook from the Library.

Should Southern Baptists wash feet?

I recently read a list of commands that Jesus gave Christians. One of the commands was from John 13:14, which says: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” So the question arises: how literally should we take this?

In Jesus’ day, the people walked on dirt roads and wore open-toed sandals. No matter how clean you were, your feet would get dirty just from walking. It was common for a wash basin and towel to be by the front door. It was also common for the household servant (if you had one) to wash the feet of those coming into the house. So foot washing was the role of the servant. (Not the role of a leader, teacher, lord, master, etc.)

While the disciples were in to the Upper Room, Jesus adopted the role of the servant by washing the feet of the disciples. This act is recorded in John 13:1-11. In verse 12, Jesus asked if they understood what He had done. In verses 13-15, Jesus explains it. Jesus said that He was in fact their Lord and Teacher (vs13) and if He humbled himself and did what a servant should do, they should do likewise (vs14). He said that he gave them an example to follow (vs15).

Here’s the two ways that we are to apply this passage. First, and foremost, all Christians need to be servants one to another as Christ was a servant. Second, literal foot washing ceremonies are great reminders of that command that we are to follow.

“But, wait, foot washing is gross.” “After all, it’s just symbolic, we don’t actually have to go through with it.”

Well, although it may be symbolic, there is nothing wrong with actual foot washing ceremonies. It truly teaches humility and servanthood. It is puzzling to think about this and to think about baptism. Baptism is a step of obedience and one of the things that it does is it announces to the world that you are not ashamed of being a follower of Christ. This could be done by just making an announcement, couldn’t it? Yet, as Southern Baptists, we believe that the way to do this is for the pastor and the new convert to go fully clothed into a body of water, for the new convert to be fully immersed, for both to leave the water, dry off, and change clothes. But then, we don’t want to kick off our shoes and socks and wash each other’s feet?!

To Sum Up: Jesus’ command to wash feet in John 13 is a command for us to serve each other. Foot washing ceremonies are good humbling reminders of that command.

Full disclosure: I was a member of a Grace Brethren Church which regularly practiced foot washing as a part of their three-fold communion service. After becoming a Southern Baptist youth minister, I once demonstrated actual foot washing with the youth group.