The Kingdom of this World

The following is a book review of "Death by Liberalism, the Fatal Outcome of Well-Meaning Liberal Policies," by J. R. Dunn. One of the prime appeals of political liberalism is its alleged high moral stance of wanting to help improve people's lives. But in order to do this they must rely on the coercive powers of government. I am reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 22:25 "And he said to them, 'the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and those in authority over them are called benefactors." (ESV) Our current benefactors have the best of intentions but their track record reflects a culture of death. Consider these examples: Federal Automotive Fuel Standards, which require the use of lighter and flimsier materials= approximately 128,000 unnecessary traffic deaths. The ostensible reason is to reduce "greenhouse gases." Even if we accept the dubious premise that it is necessary to reduce, automotive emissions are a tiny percentage of these gasses. Criminal Justice Reform in which those who commit crimes are considered the "victims." ( 265,000 deaths) Health Care Reform: Up to 450,000 deaths a year. DDT pesticide ban 30-50 million deaths. DDT is the most effective pesticide every created. Its use reduced or even eliminated many insect borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever in the places where it was used. Yet a single book with deeply flawed findings championed by a complicit media resulted in its ban virtually everywhere, and a concurrent rise in these diseases once thought conquered. Over one million children under the age of five die in sub Saharan Africa every year due to malaria alone. Talk about racism. And the evidence mounts. The judicial murder of Terri Schiavo, fifty-five million slaughtered unborn children, the release of hundreds of thousands of formerly institutionalized mentally ill people onto the streets. This should not surprise anyone with a truly Biblical worldview. 1 John 5:19b states that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.' 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers." Jesus tells us "the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy..." ( John 10:10a) Paul writes "The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved." ( 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 ESV) A pagan culture needs a steady supply of victims. In our culture we see them on the nightly news, or with the Internet, at any time. I lived in a small city of about twenty thousand people for fourteen years. The only time we ever "made" the national news was one year, the day after Christmas, when a man entered his workplace and slaughtered six of his co-workers. If he had only killed one we would have made local news, but half a dozen catapulted us to national prominence. Dunn explores the concept and evidence for "democide," in which governments either fail to protect or actively endorse policies resulting in many deaths of their own citizens. What he fails to write about is the spiritual reality behind these actions and policies.

Persecution

P E R S E C U T I O N In over forty years in the church in America, I do not believe that I have ever heard a message on the subject of persecution. In that same period I have preached the Word a minimum of two hundred times and I have never taught on the subject either. Christ followers in many other countries have this experience on a regular basis. The following is a selection of Bible verses on this theme. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” ( Matthew 5:10-12 ESV from the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.) “And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Words of Jesus in Mark 13:13 ESV) “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” ( John 15:18-20) “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” ( 2 Timothy 3:12 ESV) “Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated.” ( Hebrews 11: 36-37) “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one- I am talking like a madman- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned...” ( 2 Corinthians 11:23-25a ESV Testimony of Paul the apostle) “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.” ( Hebrews 10:32-33 ESV) “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you... Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” ( 1 Peter 4:12-14, 16 ESV) Persecution is here in America, and intensifying.

Good Friends

In English we have different words, such as friend and acquaintance, to express different depths of relationship. An acquaintance is someone whom we have met and have spent a little time with. We do not know them well, and the relationship may continue in that vein or it may deepen into friendship. Friendship indicates that we have developed a level of trust with a person usually due to having spent more time and effort in the relationship. Then we have good or best friends. These are those people whose company we relish. Often we have gone through hard times together. Our relationship is rock solid and we know that we can count on that person and they on us no matter what. As Proverbs 27:9 says "the sweetness of one's friend comes from his earnest counsel." These are the people, probably few in number, that we are willing to have speak into our lives even if we really don't like what they say. I was struck yesterday by the parallel between friendship and our relationship with God through His Word, the Bible. In my observation over four and a half decades most people who self identify as Christians have virtually no interaction with the Scriptures or are merely acquainted. A small minority progress to something analogous to friendship but it is rare to find someone to whom the verses and passages of the Bible are like old, good friends. For example, I first read Psalm 37:25 as a young man. It reads, "Once I was young and now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread." Now I am an old man and I have experienced the truth of that verse throughout my life. When I read in Hebrews 13:5 to "Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you," I receive it as the visit of an old and dear friend. Or when i look at Psalm 31:7, which reads, "I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction and know the anguish of my soul," it is just as true and comforting today as it was in !991, the worst year of my life. May the God of the Bible put in you a hunger for this relationship. May the verses and passages of the Bible become good and precious friends to you.

Whimsy

Last night and this morning i am visiting a friend whom i call the "Bacon Man." Normally I never eat bacon but he loves it and puts it on many things, like our hamburgers last night and our eggs this morning. The Bacon man also has the rare distinction of being one of only about half a dozen people in my entire life who actually think that i am humorous, and who laughs at my attempts at humor. I would say that there is probably something wrong with him, but he also happens to be one of the most genuinely humble people that I know, which is propelling him towards ever closer conformity to the image of Christ. ( Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:18). God has used this humility to "turn the switch," changing this man from someone who just goes to church to someone who is a true disciple of Jesus Christ. He is someone to whom the Holy Spirit can minister through the Word of God resulting in a truly changed life. Also visited the brother who is enhancing my discipleship. He is going through a major challenge at this time, standing on the Word and taking hold of the Rock which is Christ. As the world around us grows darker, and the prejudice and persecution of Christians intensifies, only genuine disciples will endure to the end. ( Matthew 24:13) Several verses that have impacted me on this theme are: "I discipline my body and make it my slave lest, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." ( 1 Corinthians 9:27) "but exhort one another daily, while it is yet called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end." (Hebrews 3:13-14 NKJV)

Visiting a Regular Church

The title refers to visiting a group that meets in a building rather than a home. Sunday evening had the opportunity to visit a church for the first time. A friend had e-mailed asking for my assessment of a different group in the same town. After reviewing their information, i found this group. Three things got my attention. One was their purpose statement, which said that the church existed to make disciples. The second was their list of recommended books, which placed the ESV study Bible first. The third was their statement, found among their distinctives, which said that they believed that men and women were equal in worth and value, but different in role and authority. Upon arrival I was warmly greeted by several people, not a given in American churches. The worship was contemporary. I find it amazing that well into my fifth decade in the church that there can be so many songs that i do not know. The preaching was balanced, Biblical, challenging, and expositional. ( 2 Peter 1:1-15) Most of the congregation are university students, some international. I was very blessed to speak Portuguese with three Brazilian exchange students. One of the two pastors sat down with us and I spoke with him. He expressed a desire for a multi-generational church. He also said that a primary goal was to induce people to actually read and study the Bible. Finally, for the first time in many months, it is possible today to open the sliding door to my suite and allow a little fresh air to enter from outside. Sadly, we will have more cold days in the months to come. My memory verse for today is Psalm 37:25. "Once I was young and now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor their seed begging bread."

An Ordinary Man; an Extraordinary God

Deep down inside I think i have always felt that i was somehow special, that I would eventually accomplish something of importance, that no matter how many years ( decades) that I spent in the desert of obscurity, that, like Moses, I would emerge into significance. Perhaps I would write a best-selling novel, or have a expanding ministry. As I live in my seventh decade, I find that I am just an ordinary man, with far more failures than successes, that my sense of feeling special is just typical human pride. I have done nothing to distinguish myself from the sea of humanity around me. While my life may not have been, in the famous words of Winston Churchill, "nasty, brutish and short," it has been unremarkable. Titus 3:3 speaks of my and our lives without Christ. "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." Verses 4 and following speak of the action of an extraordinary God. "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." ( Titus 3:4-7 NKJV) God placed an incalculable value on me, and on you, by giving what was most precious to Him, His only Son, to suffer for our sins. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins." ( 1 John 4:10 NKJV) An extraordinary God has mercy on ordinary people. Another thing that God reminded me of this week is the truth that we are not entitled to anything. Everything that we have, every breath, every heartbeat, is a gracious gift from Him. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights..." ( James 1:17 NKJV) Finally I am the least handy person of modern times but for the first time in recorded history I managed to fix something around the house by myself. ( Something with the bathroom sink) All by His grace.

The Dignity of Work

One of the growing cultural trends, particularly among younger people, is the belief that they are entitled to a job or career that is fulfilling, enjoyable and meaningful. For those who do not believe in Christ, this is understandable because they probably spend much of their time working. What about for those who profess to follow Christ as Lord? Should we expect that work is going to meet many of our non material needs? Will our worth and value be determined by the work that we do? Or is work intended to provide for our material needs because God is the One who gives us worth and value? Can the janitor have as much dignity in his labor as the CEO? In everything the disciple of Christ should look to Him as our example. In most societies prior to the advent of universal education, children began to work, assisting their parents, at an early age. Jesus, born into a poor family (2 Cor. 8:9)and the oldest of at least seven children ( Matthew 13:55-56) worked until He was thirty. (Luke 3:23) This was hard, manual labor without the benefit of electricity or power tools in which everything had to be done by hand. If the God who created the universe (Hebrews 1:2)worked with His hands, then He gives dignity to work no matter how dirty, arduous or unpleasant. We see the same example in the life of Paul. Instead of demanding to be supported by those to whom he had ministered the gospel and shepherded,( 1 Cor. 9:12) although he had that right ( 1 Cor. 9:14, he also worked hard physical labor. (2 Thess 3:7-9, 1 Thess 2:9) The Bible admonishes us to work. "That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you lack nothing. ( 1 Thess 4:11-12)"Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need." (Ephesians 4:28) "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak..." (Acts 20:35) The Scripture does not indicate that we must derive happiness, fulfillment or purpose from our work. This would elevate work to a place of idolatry. Our worth, value, purpose and fulfillment comes from Christ alone.