Being A Godly Citizen - Bible Study corresponding with celebration of Independence Day
Here are notes from the study I presented Sunday evening entitled “Being A Godly Citizen”. It involves a quick scan through a section of I Peter, highlighting some practical applications. The conclusion lists six practical guidelines.
I PETER 2:9-17 (NASB)
9 - But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
KJV - "peculiar" ; A people whom God has chosen to be peculiarly His
Therefore, has called us out of darkness and into light We live differently Have different set of priorities
Our overarching purpose of life is to show forth the praises of Him
Not too worried or embarassed about looking and living differently
10 - for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 - Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.
Strangers and pilgrims - just passing thru, pitching our tents for a while
Fleshly lusts - appetites of an unrenewed mind
12 - Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
KJV - "conversation" - behavior, conduct Honest - honorable We are expected of God to behave before others, in our personal and business lives, in a way that can be characterized as above-board 13 - Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
Every ordinance - every law
for the Lord's sake - so that our personal live do not detract from our witness
Exception would be when we must choose between obeying God and obeying man
Every ordinance: Taxes Traffic laws - speed limits, stop signs, etc Licenses and ordinances - fishing, hunting, etc
14 - or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
Two positive services of human government: (1) Punishment of evil To protect you from those with evil intent Lock away those with propensity to harm others Police and militia
(2) Reward of good Give you the freedom to pursue happiness Provide helpful environment for that purpose
15 - For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 - Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 - Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
God alone is to be feared. Reverence & dread. The king (government) is to be honored
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PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR GODLY CITIZENSHIP: (1) Show respect for those in positions of authority There are genuine, substantial differences of philosophy and policy between political parties Philosophy and policy are worthy matters of vigorous debate I do not think there to be honor, or godliness, in vicious personal attack upon a political opponent
(2) Pray for elected officials and government leaders Don't dare say one bad thing about any person unless you have first prayed for him, and sought God's guidance in your understanding of him Daily
(3) Vote What a privilege you have to peaceably effect change through the will of the people You forfeit that right when you do not vote I do not require that my elected leader be a church going, Bible-talking person I look for policies and principles
(4) Obey the law Even laws you consider to be superflous and frivolous
(5) Do all you can to foster a government that punishes what is evil and fosters what is good Enforcement of the Law Promote a citizenry that need not fear it's government and law enforcement
(6) Make sure your government allows for you the right to be peculiar, different because of your faith Genius in our understanding of proper relationship of church/government is hallmark practice of the separation of church and state Even though what we teach and practice may be considered "peculiar" to many, let there be no interference on the parts of federal, state, or local governments Leave us alone; we will prosper, and so will our nation
Last night, as I normally do, I wandered into the Youth classroom and was blindsided by a verbal firestorm. There is a particularly brash young lady, I’ll call her Blaster, who yelled out as I walked into the door, “Hey. What are you doing dissin’ Pentecostals?” ; I was expecting to walk in and enjoy a few moments of lighthearted interaction, and was not prepared for her aggression. Still, I knew what Blaster was talking about.
On Sunday mornings I am preaching a series entitled “How Jesus Is Unique”, and last Sunday I preached about His sacrifice. My understanding is that His death and resurrection hve brought about a solution for man’s problems of sin and isolation from God. I focused upon Isaiah 53. Verse five reads, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, hewas bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. “ The point I made in the sermon was that the healing, effected through the sacrifice of Christ, goes to matters much deeper than the physical- all the way to the heart. I shared the contrast that such is an important variance from the Pentecostal/Charismatic interpretation that Christ’s death upon the cross enables the healing of all physical maladies. I am rather sure that God is infinitesimally more interested in our eternal well-being. I do believe in divine healing, at God’s discretion, and I think it is patently unfair and unscriptural for anyone to brazenly guarantee it for the spiritually elite.
Sunday morning, another young lady was visiting our church by invitation from a relative. Apparently, she was deeply offended by the statement. She and her Aunt had to get up and leave before the service was over. I think what I had to say was reasonable, and a point worthy of being made considering the scriptures we were studying. I even made the point that, although in this particular matter of Biblical interpretation I am fairly confident, in no way should I consider myself a better Christian than others with a different viewpoint. But, it seems, none of the context of the statement mattered to the young lady who was offended.
So I was accosted by the angry words of Blaster. I took a moment to compose myself and looked to the teacher, asking what was going on. Apparently the offended party had shared her experience, and Blaster had taken it upon herself to take up the cause of defence. O.K. At least Youth have a somewhat refreshing tendency to be straightforward. Honest I am not going to say, because this young lady had plenty of opportunity to confront me personally and privately about the matter if it were so bothersome. But I guess the human tendency to is show greater boldness in the absence of one’s nemesis and also when with a crowd of peers?
I looked to the group of Youth, about 20 in number. Most were just kids with nothing invested in the issue, ever feigning boredom but for some reason having just enough energy and interest to come to VBS every night. Blaster I know. She has serious issues with personality and relationships, and I do worry very much for her future. I asked why she thought it was her job to settle this issue? Was she even in attendance at church when I made the supposedly offending statement? Of course she had no adequate answer, and now seemed backed into a corner. I told her that I did not feel the need to address her concerning this issue. I then looked to the young lady at the heart of the matter, and asked if she would like for me to give a fuller explanation? She was sheepish and embarrassed. I waited for a moment and then continued. I spent a few minutes discussing the difference between the addressing of issues and the attacking of persons. I explained that the scriptures being considered last Sunday required that I address the interpretation of verse 5, of vital importance to what I believe to be the ultimate mission of Christ. Then, I told her this was not a breaking point for Christian fellowship. It is a matter of biblical interpretation that should be considered seriously, but of which many Christians have decided to agree to disagree. And finally, I told the group that all through life we will encounter people with points of view that challenge our current ways of thinking. The mature and proper response is not to get angry. Kids get angry. Close-minded persons get angry. And the moment you allow someone’s expressed point of view to cause you to respond in anger, then you have lost the debate. Instead of anger, respond with thoughtfulness. Consider what he has to say. How does it stack up with what you believe? How can you thoughtfully defend you views in the light of this new belief?
There was no verbal response from the group. Just quiet. Teenagers! We will get together again tonight. I am scheduled for about 15 minutes with them. It should be interesting!
We are in the midst of Vacation Bible School at church, a busy and fun time for me.
For those who may not know, VBS is a time-honored tradition for most Protestant churches. Well- for all I know, Catholics, Mormons, and Swedenborgians may get into the act as well. It involves a week where the children gather for crafts, music, and Bible study, all carefully planned and carried out by the laypeople of the church. For us it is a big outreach event. We promote heavily, and strongly seek for the un-churched people of the community to make connection.
A local church is having VBS, and actually charging the participants $25 apiece to participate! I have never heard of such, but apparently it has been their policy for many years. It causes me to recall, from dusty lectures in Church History, to a time when people owned their own pews in church. There would actually be a lock upon the bench, to keep others from sitting upon private property. Seems to me a $25 charge is a good way to say to those, already ambivalent toward church, “Keep Out! Trespassers Will Be Shot.”
I help to lead the worship rallies, and then basically wander around interacting with staff and kids for the rest of the time. It is fun, but I’m told I can be a pest. Although I am good at it, I am not sure that should be the role of the pastor. Anyhow, I struck up a conversation with Lawrence. He was out in the parking lot, sitting in his car waiting for his kids. We talked about the weather and baseball. He is a Yankees fan, proudly wearing his hat, which is a foolhardy stance here is Atlanta Braves territory. He did not seem to be too worried. And we talked about church and God. He and his wife work a lot. They struggle to pay bills. There is much turmoil in his life and family. He wants to go to church, and periodically makes the effort. Lawrence is a good guy with many imperfections. I can relate! And, for me, that conversation in the parking lot was worth the whole evenings’ effort of VBS. Ministry is all about people and connecting them with the Lord.
I hear the high-pitched whine from down the hall. It is not comforting. And what is that on the television? Barney. Who watches Barney at a time like this? That's not important. Soon she will come. Then, it will not matter. This chair is not comfortable. It hurts my elbows, and strains my neck. Then... I hear the patter of tiny footsteps. She enters. I guess she would be considered attractive, at a different time and place. She says very little. She knows my language, but it is not native. That is o.k. I am not here for conversation, or friendship. What is she placing into my mouth? A giant Q-Tip. The taste is sweet and bitter and just a tad sickening. I am left alone, to succor this pacifier for the moment. I gaze toward Barney. Then I notice the innocuous, commercial art upon the wall. I guess it is supposed to be artsy. To me, it simply is bad. Surely my heart is skipping more than a bit faster. Hands are sweaty. Throat is dry. Q-tip soggy. My nemesis returns. She does the dirty deed. I feel the cold metal upon my cheek. It hurts but only a tad. Again I am left alone. The smoky, antiseptic smell drifts from the other room. I hear the sounds of their strange language from down the meandering hallway. And I only wish for this to soon be over. Not soon, but finally the time does come. She proves slow, methodical, precise. The motor whines. Tiny spatter flecks upon my glasses. The deed is done. A weaker man, perhaps even myself at a weaker time, would have fled. But this I braved with hardly a flinch. Yes, my lips did quiver and eyes were wide. Yet I endured. Yea, even I thrived. Go ahead, grind to your heart's content. I do not care. Novocaine is my friend.
On the evening of Father's Day I wanted to go to a movie with my two girls, and they let me choose. Of course I paid, but I guess such is expected of a dad. I checked Yahoo Movies, a great resource to find out what's playing, and narrowed it down to two choices: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Happening. Sarah Marshall has been out for quite some time. It's now on at the Dollar Theatre. I love to see films at the Dollar Theatre, because I know what I'm getting. Recently I went there to see 10,000 B.C. It came with bad reviews and one of my kids already told me it was bad. Thus, when I found the simple plot and graphics to be mildly entertaining, then I was pleased with the investment of my time and dollar. I caught a clip of Forgetting Sarah Marshall on Yahoo Movies, and saw that the critics gave it favorable ratings, so I was pretty sure it would be fun. And I think I could relate to the sad-sack protagonist. So, I was a bit disappointed when both daughters wanted to see The Happening. I thought it was my choice?
The movie has been highly promoted on television and the Internet. This was the premier weekend, so the theatre jacked up the prices. We went to the 9:40 p.m. showing, and the attendance was fairly packed.
The movie? I'll pass along to you my opinion. I'm not a professional critic. But since I was a kid and would regularly walk to town on Saturday mornings to see the matinees, I've enjoyed films. And I've seen a lot of them, and I think I know a good movie when it comes my way. The Happening is a bad movie. The acting is not good. It is stiff, especially the doe-eyed wife of the school teacher and main character. But I will focus upon the theme. It is silly. It basically could be summarized as "The Revenge Of Nature". Now I have seen this theme portrayed in a more entertaining manner. The Birds. The Frogs. Pirranha. I vividly remember a scene from the latter, in which a guy is soaking his feet in the water one minute, and then the next scene he is lying upon his back motionless and with no feet. Now that is entertainment. Albeit, mindless. The Happening is not mindless, but impossibly complicated. It seems that the trees and weeds have had enough of man's careless mistreatment, and thus somehow decide to release some kind of deadly pherome. It causes people of all persuasions to commit mass suicide.
Yech- if I want thinly veiled, apocalyptic, make-believe, environmentalist preaching, then I will rent Al Gore's latest documentary. I sure don't want to pay $10 a ticket, and miss a Braves game, for it.
Now, this one should make it to the dollar theatre very soon. I recommend that you skip it and go to your nearest Dollar Theatre to see Larry The Cable Guy, or Larry The Cucumber. Or, just stay home and watch Larry "Chipper" Jones hit another homer for the Braves.
It is easy to dislike him from afar. And, I've been cultivating this matter of extreme abhorrence for quite a while. Notice I carefully avoid the word "hate". It has no place in polite and correct Christian vocabulary. Of course I love the guy! Simply, I have almost total disdain (notice, I did not use the "h" word) for all things about him: appearance, mannerism, thought, words, how he expresses his words, etc. My attitude toward him is the cultivated result of disagreements and clashes over many things, and usually spiritual issues. Without saying, concerning all of these matters of God and morality and church, I've been right and he has been wrong. Therefore my opinion of him has continued to plummet. For the Higher Cause, I've feigned kindness. And I've only let a few of my most righteous associates know of how I truly feel. That way, they can help me pray for this man's soul. And I do pray for Him. I don't presume to tell God what to do. If He wants to bring about a conversion, so be it. Or move him to another community, far from here.... Or kill him.
If he would only stay distant- across the world, or at least across the room- then I could continue to carefully nurture my attitude and strategy of righteous disdain. But yesterday we found ourselves at the same table, discussing a matter of mutual concern and rare agreement. Surely I could question his motives for being there, and even his twisted reasons for participating in anything associated with my Noble Cause. Still, there we sat. Of course, obligatory conversation ensued. His daughter has a rare health condition. I did not know that. He will need to get a haircut later in the day. He and the extended family- he's very close to his parents and grandchildren- will go to their favorite restaurant later in the evening. We discussed and strategized about our common project. And, through it all, he seemed mostly reasonable. And quite human. And, if it were possible... even likable.
This will surely not do. He's expended far too much effort earning my dislike. And this has become a matter of heart to me. I've used great energy and time and creativity in developing a sound, reasonable, and deeply-seated disdain for this man.
Soon, our meeting will be over. He will go his way, and I will go mine. Then it will be easier.
Here in the greater Atlanta area, we have an online review site called kudzu.com, with which you can write in to share personal experiences and opinions about all kinds of businesses and services. They often run promotions over the radio to encourage participation. For example, my wife wrote ten reviews and received a $5 gasoline card- pretty good deal! I've yet to participate, although whenever I have a negative experience with a retailer, I think about it.
So, yesterday I was checking out some of the local restaurants. There is one I often drive by, their marquee advertises a lunch special, and I've thought about stopping for a meal. This site offers 18 customer reviews, many of them positive. However, a couple grabbed my attention:
ericpierce2 shared the following insight 11/5/2007- Our waitress was in desperate need of additional help. Due to her being the only one working service was very slow.Also she worked up a sweat which we saw drip into several people's food.
(However, he gave it 2 stars! What in the world would a restaurant have to do to garner a 1 or 0 star in his rating system?)
sherrickahudson passed along the following experience from 12/29/2005- The food is pretty expensiveand the last we went, there was hair in our drinks. There was also hair in the replacement drink.Needless to say we left.
(Yeah, the bums probably did not even leave a tip!)
I do not know the stories behind such reviews. I do know it seems to be human nature to forget to praise good service, and yet to be sure to make note of bad service. And I also know that either of these bad reviews could be motivated by less than honest intent. You get fired, or turned down for a date by the waitress? A bad person can always attempt to get even by writing a bad review. It seems to me, in analyzing such review sites, it is best not to put too much weight upon individual opinions. Instead, consider overall averages and trends.
I just finished reading The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. Now I feel fully equipped to face almost any emergency that may come my way. And since I have an honest interest in the well-being of my friends and fellow bloggers, I offer the following words of brief guidance concerning a dilemma anyone could face.
Parachute Fails To Open The words of wisdom from our book is to quickly connect with someone with a working parachute. Entangle your arms into his harness, and be prepared to break both arms with the jolt of the opening parachute and at least a leg with the landing. Now that sounds like fun.
But, I wonder what you do if you have no fellow parachutist? There is no guidance. So, with a simple desire to help, I offer the following suggestions: (1) Take off your jacket or shirt. Take off your underwear and tear into four equal strips, tying each to a corner of the jacket. This will improvise a makeshift mini-parachute. It will require considerable skill to coast to safety, but with a bit of luck and strong headwinds, you will make it. Upon landing be sure to cover lower extremities so you will not offend those you may encounter. (2) You will be speeding at terminal velocity, about 120 mph. Once you break through the clouds, search the landscape for a dumpster. Preferably, it will be opened and filled with cardboard boxes or discarded foam. Now, here is a key: when you land in the dumpster, land upon your back. Your body will naturally bend upon impact, and if you land upon you stomach, the bend could break your back. Hopefully the contents of the dumpster will sufficiently soften your fall, and you should walk away smelly and bruised but otherwise alive. (3) Seek a body of water. When you enter the water, do not dive, but rather land feet-first. Tightly close your buttocks to prevent water from entering, and cover other soft parts of the body. Try to avoid hitting rocks and large aquatic mammals. And be sure to take a deep breat immediately before entering the water. And when you swim to the surface, be careful of speeding boats.
So, you see, falling from a plane without a parachute can be a serious, but not insurmountable, dilemma. I wish you the very best. And, should you survive this worst-case-scenario, or you can offer other suggested means of survival, then please leave comment.
So, let's say you are the catcher. Your team has suffered because the ump has called a lousy game. It's hot, and you're angry. You'd like to get even....
This involves a big-news item in the local sports page around here. Stephens County was badly losing the High School playoff game. The pitcher threw a high fast ball, and the catcher appeared to intentionally duck, allowing the projectile to hit the umpire in the face. The pitcher and catcher have denied any evil collusion, claiming they were crossed up with the pitch. I guess that is possible. If the catcher is looking for a change-up or a slow curve ball, and the pitcher surprises him with high heat, the ball could be badly missed. And no one knows the absolute truth about the matter except the pitcher and catcher. However, the matter appears to be obvious. Stephens County has been fined $1000 and placed on a probationary watch by a sports regulating authority. And the news today is that the catcher had his College Baseball Scholarship withdrawn because of the incident.
The heat of the battle provides a test of genuine character. Do you respond with sportsmanship and dignity when you are hot, and losing, and you perceive that the other guys are not treating you well? In the midst of such a situation, should opportunity come along to inflict pain upon your nemesis, how do you deal with such temptation? The opinion of most is that the kids from Stephens County failed the test. However, the good and bad news, is that another opportunity will come along. Thus will come the possibility of redemption. My thinking is that, if this catcher wants to play baseball in College, he should work hard to make his case. Convince a gatekeeper that he simply messed up, and this is not a reflection of ongoing character. And prove it.
You have probably seen the old "Pride & Joy" trick.
When The Jerk Within was closer to the surface, sometimes I would walk up to an acquaintance and ask, "Have you seen my pride and joy?" I would open up my wallet and show the following:
This was usually followed by a roll of the eyes and a weak smile.
Well, I called my wife over to the computer, and said, "Honey. Look! They've found water on Mars. There's proof. Here's a photo!" She came running over to look.
Just got a call from my son. He is about half an hour from the Marine Base at Paris Island, S.C. It was good to hear from him; we chatted just a bit, and he told me again that he loved me. Those words have been uncommon coming from my tough boy, but this is the second time in as many days. Yesterday it was time for him to leave. I thought I was handling matters quite well, but right when he was walking out the door... I cried like a baby. It involved tears, snot, blathering- the whole bit. Quite a spectacle. So he walked back into the house, gave me a big hug, and said those words. I think it made him feel rather awkward, because I'm usually pretty good at being rather stoic and in charge of myself. Well, it seems, except when the kids are making major transitions. I remember when my youngest girl stayed away one-too-many nights, and I knew it was up to me to make the break. The next day we cleaned out her room, locked the doors, and told her she could not come back. She was taken aback that I could be so tough. And unknown to her, I went into her empty room, and cried. And, I remember moving my oldest girl into her College dorm. It was up several flights of stairs- a hard day's work. I was o.k., until I saw the misty eyes of the mother of her roommate, and then I wept. Truly it must have been embarrassing- a bunch of women, and dear ole' dad weeping at the doorway.
He is scheduled to graduate from Boot Camp on August 29. This gives me 13 weeks to get into good physical condition, so I can continue to show him that I'm tougher than him. Since losing my dog and best pal, Bailey, I've been unable to resume my daily 3-mile-walk. It was our ritual. Today I took the walk, again. It was familiar grounds. And, arriving at the head of the trail, I opened up the glove compartment and saw his leash. It was just as I had left it, last time we took our walk together. I'll not bother to tell you my emotional reaction to that moment. The leash remains in my car.
I've begun a walking and swimming routine. It will be healthy, and for me it has always been good to begin a new ritual during times of major change. Tough guys do these kinds of things.
