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Archive for November, 2008

What does it mean to choose God?

[ 0 ] November 13, 2008

In the 11th chapter of Hebrews, there are two words that are some of the
most powerful words every penned, “God is!”  In the first chapter of
Genesis, there are equally powerful words, “In the beginning, God!”  In
the third chapter of the gospel of John, the character and nature of
this God of creation is made clear by these often memorized words, “For
God so loved the world!”

The last few months have been a whirlwind of news, world changing
events, economic uncertainty and even a few days that seemed to be on
the verge of chaos — at least according to CNN and Larry King.  What do
we do?

Choose God!  I long ago learned that politics are going to be volatile
and often confrontational, that economic news and facts will constantly
change and that the world I live in will always have huge elements of
uncertainty beyond my control.  And when I depend on the solid things I
can hold in my hand, any shaking creates fear and anxiety.  But when I
realize it is not what I possess, control or hold, but God who possesses
and owns me, then the peace that passes all understanding — the peace
the Bible so often talks about — becomes mine.  As I so often say, it
is not what we own, but who owns us.

What does it mean to choose God?

We choose to live by faith and not by sight — but not just faith that
anticipates life going as I want or wish, but faith that I can trust God
with everything.  After all, “God is” and “For God so loved the world.”

In the world of 1st Peter, things were a thousand times tougher than
most of what we might experience.  Peter writes, “Do not be surprised at
the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your strengthening,
as though some strange thing were happening to you!”  Certainly the
church of the first century was wondering why hard times came upon them
so often.  Then at the end of chapter 4, the simple solution is given to
living in a world of fiery ordeals or uncertain times, “Trust God and do
what is right!” (paraphrase)  What is God going to do?  The God that is,
the God that created, the God that loves, the God we choose, is going to
be faithful.  What do we do?  Trust Him with absolute faith, a faith
solidified and strengthened by life, prayer, worship and Bible study.
And, do right; live as He teaches us to live.  When this happens, we
discover faithfulness as its own reward.

  • “God is.”
  • “In the beginning, God . . .”
  • “For God so loved the world . . .”
  • “Choose God.”

My task is to be a Christ-centered person and to live a Christ-centered
life in my marriage, friendships, family, workplace, church and world.
It is God’s task to deliver, bless, save, form and shape us and lead us
into abundant living.

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An historic election comes to a close

[ 0 ] November 5, 2008

I was born in 1953 when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.  He was newly
elected after leading the Allied Forces during World War II.  I was in Mrs.
Tanamachie’s 5th grade class when she came into the class room with tears in
her eyes to tell us that John F. Kennedy had been shot.  In high school,
during the height of the Vietnam War, it was shocking when the President
from Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson, announced that he would not run for a second
term even though he won his first election by a landslide. It was a scary
time as the Vietnam War continued to escalate and my brother and I were only
a couple of years from facing the draft.  I can still remember Richard Nixon
getting on the helicopter with arms raised in a singular gesture he often
used after his resignation as President. I still remember Jimmy Carter as
president who was broken by high inflation and the Iran hostage crisis.  I
have an image of Ronald Reagan standing before the Berlin Wall proclaiming,
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”  I believe many of us can still see in
our minds George Bush standing at Ground Zero after 9/11 surrounded by
firefighters and police seeking to inspire a nation as, together, we entered
uncharted waters after an awful terrorist attack on American soil.

This morning we awaken to a newly elected President, Barack Obama.  What do
I think?

America began a great journey more than two centuries ago; a journey called
“democracy” — democratic ideals based in freedom.  When the call came from
many to make George Washington king or at least allow him to be president
for life, this magnanimous hero said no.  The people of this new country
would decide its most powerful leader by giving every American the right to
vote, regardless of economic class, rank, place in society, or education.
It  was  an  amazing thing to have a nation “by the people and for the
people.”  Most of the world felt that the common people could not decide for
themselves much less rule themselves.  They waited for democracy to fail.
But the Christian ideals that supported so much of American ideals, rejected
the elitism of most of the world and celebrated the intrinsic value of every
man.  During this season the major blot on this amazing (and I believe God
wrought and God inspired American dream) was slavery, which I believe was
and still is (they say there are still more than 20 million slaves in the
world) a stench in the nostrils of God.  Even after slavery was abolished at
the  cost  of  hundreds of thousands of lives in the Civil war, racism
continued. Even though African Americans were officially given the right to
vote in 1871, it took the 1965 Voting Rights Act to actually make it happen
(democracy at work).

When a soldier fights for freedom, whether it be on the beaches of Normandy,
the hills around Gettysburg, the heights of Bunker Hill, or on the road
between Basra and Baghdad, aren’t they fighting for men, women, young, old,
poor, rich, white, black, Hispanic, educated, uneducated, people of many
different opinions, yet all Americans, having the right to choose their
president?  In a sacred way, these men and women (who we will celebrate at a
special Veteran’s Day Service, November 11th at 7:00 p.m. in our Sanctuary)
fought for Barack Obama to be President, or whoever Americans chose to vote
for, have voted for in the past, and will vote for in the future.

It’s the unique American way, a way with a touch of Divinity that celebrates
the spark of God’s love for everyone.

Even though sometimes those I vote for win the election and sometimes those
I vote for lose. Even though our leaders sometimes fail us and other times
rise to the occasion, I am proud to be an American.  Not because of who our
president is, but because we have a sacred freedom to choose our presidents.
Just as we have a sacred freedom to choose Christ and the way of grace in
which He calls us to live.

I am a Christian, first and foremost.  My patriotism extends from my faith
with  a great amount of love for a country I believe has and does so much
good and a nation I also believe God can still use for a special purpose. I
will pray for our new president as I prayed for our last one and have for
all our previous presidents. I will struggle to teach people to embrace
Christian values, give their hearts to Christ, love their neighbor, grow in
Christ centered living, reach out to the least, the last, and the lost,
embrace  the Jesus Christ in courage and faith, and encounter Biblical
faith.

I will seek to be a blessing to my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my
church, each of you, and the America God has given me to love.  May God
bless each of us. May He use our Church to do great things in our world. May
America grow in greatness and positive impact in our world, and may God
bless, with great wisdom, the President-Elect, Barack Obama.

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