Religious Liberty in Jeopardy

I'm currently reading through Jeremiah during my devotions and came across chapter 12:1"..Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are Ll those who deal in treachery at ease?" I must admit that my first thought was of the horrible wickedness and treachery that seems to engulf me as I listen to the news and see those who traffic in these trades prospering. Then my thoughts went to the fact that usually when the question of Jeremiah 12:1 is asked, the answer usually has something to do with--"Look at yourself" I'm thinking Amos 1-2 and Habbakkuk. So I'm reminded to look again at my own heart and repent of sin that the Lord reveals. I'm also reminded to look at the heart of the country in which I live and the world in which I live and seek God' forgiveness for the overwhelming wickedness that surrounds us. I want to come humbly and not self-righteously to seek God's refining work in me and His redemptive work in others. One of the many manifestations of wickedness that saddens me deeply is the erosion of religious liberty in America. Over the past four years particularly disturbing developments have caught my attention and serve as the basis for my thoughts today. First of all, I'm concerned that preaching the truth of God's Word may soon be considered "Hate Speech" or "unprotected speech." Some background for my concern is necessary. When the Iowa Supreme Court declared the 1998 Defense of Marriage Act (that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman) unconstitutional a few years ago it basically legislated from the bench a new law in Iowa. They legalized civil unions between same sex partners. But what about those of us who believe strongly that the Bible clearly forbids same sex marriage (Gen.2:24-25; Genesis 19:6-11; Romans 1:24-27; 1Cor.6:9)? Will our commitment to proclaim the truth about what constitutes sin (i.e. same sex marriage) be deemed "hate speech"? There is no desire to single out one offense against God over against other sins. Our desire is to lovingly call all sinners to repent of their sins, but that necessitates identifying their sin. Christ died to pay the price for sin so that we could be forgiven and be restored into right relationship with God. The rising tide of political correctness may just lead to a point at which it is deemed necessary to silence all who speak against what the "elite" determine to be acceptable. You think I'm over-reacting? Well consider events from recent history--the recent uprisings across the globe targeting U.S. embassies, their personnel and American Citizens. Think Lybia, Egypt, Pakistan for starters. The President, his Press Secretary Jay Carney, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. recently set about on a planned public relations mission to deliberately deceive the American people regarding the reason for, the nature of, and the implications of the recent embassy attacks. The "talking point" was that some obscure movie trailer from YouTube had incited these attacks and that they were not coordinated, planned; that the perpetrators weren't angry with America or Americans, neither were the attacks reflective on the current U.S. foreign policy. Now we all know that these "talking points" were all blatantly untrue. Yet, the mantra about "the movie" that stirred the uprising ( a movie by the way that many of the people interviewed that were involved in the uprising have never seen or heard about) continues to the point that high level discussions are being held to the end that any comment made that could incite others to anger would be considered "unprotected speech" like yelling "fire" and inciting panic when there is no fire. I'm not making this up. Listen to what Mike Huckabee said, "But some of our intelligentsia have a solution. In an L.A. Times op-ed, Sarah Chayes of the Carnegie Endowment suggests we should declare insulting Muslims to be unprotected speech, like yelling “fire” in a crowded theater. She argues speech should be illegal if you know it will spark a violent reaction." This would mean that any information about another religion whether factual or not could be considered illegal if it would incite someone. That's pretty scary stuff. I find it more than ironic that the current administration has been in "full court press" mode to make sure that those supposedly offended or who could potentially be offended by what was in this movie understand that everything is being done to create a climate of tolerance. This basically amounts to apologizing for Freedom of Speech. I'm not saying that I agree with crude, rude, vulgar, or untrue statements that are made by others about what matters most to them. I am a champion of civility. But the same people preaching tolerance of Islam are the same people who want the name of God removed from their party platfrom, references to God and Jesus banned from graduation ceremonies, and prayer forbidden in school. They are first to defend placing a cross in a bottle full of urine as "Art" and a freedom of expression protected by the 1st Amendment. Religious liberties are also threatened by the current Health Care legislation as Secretary of HHS requires people of faith to violate their conscience and religious convictions by providing health care coverage for employees which covers birth control pills including those that cause abortions. Recently the owners of "Hobby Lobby" were reluctantly driven to file a suit against the federal government in order to seek exemption from this mandate. The owners are believers and feel it unbiblical to provide for abortion causing contraceptives for their employees. So it is time to wake up and see what is happening and to pray for wisdom guidance and courage in the days ahead. Of course I encourage every person of faith to support those candidates who truly support what God teaches and to oppose those who don't. I also encourage us to oppose anyone who is party to removing our Religious Liberties.

It's Definitely Time to Pray

As I sat in my office earlier last week after listening to clips from speeches that were aired covering the latest political convention I was stunned, sobered, and set back. I realized in a fresh way that it is truly time to pray...to pray for our leaders, to repent of our national sins, to pray for truth to be seen, for justice to prevail, for wickedness to be revealed, for people in this country to turn back to God, not merely invoke His name as a secret code in hopes that by doing so He will bless us. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness...” (Is.5:20). Did I actually hear people publicly promoting, advocating, and championing the taking of the unborn under the guise of “women’s rights?” YES. There are 1.2 million abortions a year in America. President Obama has proven not merely to lend passive acceptance but active promotion to this scourge on our country. His record proves that he favors the taking of unborn life and he voted two times to block legislation that would provide for the care of infants born after a botched abortion. He also disregards our religious liberties and requires persons of faith to violate their conscience and abandon their principles through their support of abortion in His signature legislation--"Obama Care." Each year Planned Parenthood receives millions of tax dollars to fund their abortion mills. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sabelius recently ordered (her prerogative under the new Health Care Bill) that every business provide for contraceptives including abortion inducing contraceptives as part of the health care coverage for employees. To fuel the fire even further Sandra Fluke--law student dubbed poster child for the Administration’s “support for women” campaign--gave a speech heralding the necessity of government funded contraception as if supporting her promiscuity is now our collective responsibility. Of course the grizzly business of abortion is an evil we call good under the guise of promoting women's rights. It seems that when the President’s support for women is praised it refers only to his support for women who agree with his pro-abortion agenda and has nothing to do with pro-life women and those millions of unborn females who have been aborted. God’s word is clear that we are created in His image (Gen.1:26-27), life begins at conception (Ps.139:13-17); taking a life is a horrible sin (Gen.9:6). Did I get this right that a reference to God was expunged from a Party Platform? YES! Nobody is told that they have to put God in their platform. Since the majority of Americans would say that they believe in God to include His name in a party platform seems logical. But to Remove God from the platform must necessarily have been a reflection of conviction. The party must predominantly see itself as godless in world-view. Only amidst an uproar from people in the country was God put back in the platform. This happened in a most embarrassing and hostile display as rarely seen before on the national scene. For a vast number of those attending their worldview is godless. This should be very disturbing for those of us who realize that the viability of our republican form of government depends upon a “religious people” (meaning a Judeo-Christian people who believe in God). What a testimony to the secularization of our country that a major political party would be so adamant about eliminating mention of God. Reinstating God’s name with such contention seems clearly to reveal that doing so was not a matter of overwhelming conviction but one of political pandering and appeasement. And to think that the same folks who were so cantankerous, obnoxious, and upset over reinstating the name of God have been virtually silent in condemning the recent attacks on our U.S. embassies and personnel overseas including the death of at least four Americans by people who are doing so in the name of their god. This seems obviously duplicitous and hypocritical to me. Did I hear the President say, “Divine Providence is on our side”? YES I did. What a bold statement when so many of the President’s policies are in direct violation of God’s will and way. To invoke Divine approval and consent on the direction of a political party and His presidency is dangerous at best and deceptive at worst. The speeches and the party platform and the practices of the current administration reveal that they not only accept, but advocate abortion--the taking of unborn life. They not only condone, but celebrate homosexuality. They not only proclaim, but practice robbery euphemistically labelled “redistribution of income.” God does not champion but condemns the taking of human life (Gen.9:6). God does not champion but condemns perversion (Romans 1:24-27; 1Cor.6:9). God does not champion but condemns stealing (Ex.20:15). Mandatory income redistribution is actually a form EXTORTION and TYRANNY. God DOES CHAMPION VOLUNTARY INCOME REDISTRIBUTION (2Cor.8-9) but NOT MANDATORY REDISTRIBUTION by the government. Did I hear numerous people say that we are better off than we were four years ago and that the economy is turning around? YES, that is what I heard and NO that is not the case. By every economic measure the vast majority of people in the United States are worse off than we were four years ago. Gas prices are double, food prices up 15 % GDP has dropped, fewer people are working, unemployment is over 8%, national debt rose 5 trillion, our Stock rating was reduced, median income fell to 1995 levels, and I could go on. My point is not to argue about what is the best plan for the economy, but to highlight the level of blatant deception that characterizes our country. It is extremely disturbing to hear the "spin" coming from the White House and the media in regard to the latest attacks on U.S. personnel. We have four people dead in Lybia and the White House Press secretary has the audacity to tell us that this has nothing to do with Anti-American Sentiment or U.S. Foreign policy. We have the President of Lybia telling us that the attack was a coordinated assault by terrorists while the White House line completely different. Evidence is overwhelming that this was a premeditated retaliation deliberately done on 9/11/12. The protestors in every case are burning the American Flag and shouting "Death to America." And we are to believe that their hostilities are not directed at America or Americans? The LIES we are told either indicate Ignorance that bespeaks incompetence or Intentional deception that insults our intelligence. There is a way to turn our moral degeneracy around. “...and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2Chronicles 7:14).

We Will Not Forget

Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center was attacked? I remember watching in disbelief as the second tower was impaled by an airplane and then as both towers incinerated before my eyes crumbling to the ground in a pile of ash. I remember being horrified at the thought of how many people who were instantly incinerated. I remember being shocked at watching people jumping to their death from 40 stories. I remember the fear on the faces of American citizens running down the streets of New York to escape the ominous cloud of ash that engulfed them. I remember the pentagon being hit and then the report of flight 93 that went down in Pennsylvania. In the same way that my grandfather remembers the bombing of Pearl Harbor as a "day that will live in infamy" so I will remember 911 as a day that will live in infamy. In a series of terrorist acts over 3,000 Americans and some visitors from other countries lost their lives...souls ushered into eternity without warning. As the ash cloud cleared two steel girders that remained standing but badly damaged formed a cross--a symbol of hope. Following the attacks there was a serious surge in spiritual interest. The frailty of our humanity and our vulnerability was exposed and people turned to God. At least for a while. It was, as we now know, a fleeting fit of spiritual interest. Sadly, our country did not experience widespread repentance and returning to reliance upon God. People initially went to church looking for answers but many did not stick around long enough to hear. Twelve years later the sorrow of that day is remembered. The countless lives, the fathers, mothers, children, parents, separated from the ones they love is deeply moving. I hope that we will pause to pray for the people who lost their loved ones, to appreciate our public servants who risk their lives each day to keep us safe, to thank the numerous federal, state, county, and local workers who have been on duty since then to safeguard us. I also hope that we will take time to ask, "And what of America Now?" Are we only going to pat ourselves on the back for the advancements we've made in technology to keep us safe, or on the wonderful monuments to the people who lost their lives? And there is nothing wrong with a certain degree of appreciation for those things. But what of our SOUL? Have we taken stock in the direction our country is headed? Have we sobered up enough to realize our own frailty and depravity? It seems to me that we have a great responsibility to inform people of how they can be prepared to die, be prepared to move into eternity at any moment because our future is as uncertain as it was on 911. Oh we may have better preparedness against a terrorist attack in some areas, but our demise may not be from a terrorist. We have the life-changing message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that is the only real preparation for entering eternity joyfully. Lord, help us to point people to You--"Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Mt.11:28). Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me" (Jn.14:6). May we remember that death is not something to fear, but something to prepare for. If trust Christ's death as the payment for our sins then we can truly be forgiven and have the promise of eternal life. For all of the families of the survivors we pray for Comfort. For all of the survivors we pray for Conversion.

Unalienable Right #1 is LIFE

I was deeply saddened to hear a clip from the President of the National Abortion Rights Action League heralding President Barack Obama as someone who really cares about the women in this country. The comment insinuated that Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney doesn't really care about women. What constitutes "caring for women?" From the perspective of those who support the taking of human life during abortion, President Barack Obama is their chief advocate. From his first day in office he has made it known that he is an avid supporter of abortion when he signed an executive order providing federal funds to pay for them. Even before he was elected President he had proven that in his mind the life of an unborn child is expendable. Carol Tobias, President of National Right to Life states. “Not only has Barack Obama heartlessly refused to support a ban on sex-selection abortion and late-term abortions past the point at which unborn children feel pain, he voted four times to deny constitutional protection to children born alive after a failed abortion – preferring to leave their fate to the abortionist who, only moments before, sought to kill them.” Each year there are 1.2 million abortions in the U.S. God's Word is very clear that human life begins at conception (Ps.139:13-15: Jer.1:5) and that taking a life is detestable (Gen.9:6). It is deeply troubling that support for a procedure that leaves one person emotionally scarred and the other party dead can be "spun" so that it is heralded as caring for women. Statistically half of all abortions are females. Which means that 600,000 female lives are willingly, knowingly, and proudly disposed of each year. Are we suppose to understand this as a demonstration of the current President and administration CARING??? I hardly think so. I find the current administrations open support for abortion and their direction of federal funds to support abortions (U.N. funding, Obama Care, Planned Parenthood) deplorable, reprehensible, and unconscionable, but not Caring. I guess the only women for whom CARE applies are those outside the womb. To our peril we remain silent, remain complicit, remain supportive of the evil of abortion. To care for women who are pregnant and don't want to be is to provide them with counseling and support that preserves both the emotional health of the mother and the life of the baby. It also includes assistance in helping with having some of the babies adopted. To care is to offer the love and forgiveness that Christ affords to those who are scarred and torn up by a prior abortion (2Cor.5:21; Ephesians 1:7).

The Lord Reigns; let the earth rejoice

So many things happening in our lives right now. Much of the United States is experiencing a serious drought with many regions of the country 5-15 inches below normal in their annual rainfall totals. Hurricane Isaac just ravaged the Gulf Coast and left devastation, destruction, and discouragement in its wake. One parties political convention is past and another one is about to begin as things heat up for the upcoming election. Unemployment, fuel prices, and food costs still remain high and no relief appears to be in sight. Many in this country are discouraged and disillusioned, but there is reason to remain hopeful. The Psalmist reminds us, "The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad...be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones; and give thanks to His holy name"(Psalm 97:1,12). In between verses 1 and 12 are many reasons to rejoice and be glad. God's control over nature is proclaimed in verses 2-6. In verses 7-9 those who worship idols are challenged to "Worship Him..." (vs.7) because He is "The Lord Most High over all the earth" (vs.9). These verses encourage me to keep perspective. It is easy to get discouraged given all of the turmoil in the world. Last week I was privileged to preach the funeral of a 22 year old young man who leaves behind a wife and two young daughters. Three days later I officiated at a wedding of two young people in the throes of love. What a contrast in emotions. What a very different place each of these families found themselves in. Life seemed so conflicted for me last week. How could this be? One family with heart-wrenching pain and the other in the heights of joy and bliss? Such is life for us...sadness and disappointment one minute and wonderful joy the next. With all the chaos, confusion, and contrasts of life everyone who is trusting in Christ as Savior has this firm confidence--God is ruling over it all. He is in charge and the wrongs of today will be "righted" someday. While our particular circumstance may not be joyful still we can be thankful because first of all, we are redeemed, forgiven, pardoned and secondly, we will one day be in heaven where there will be no more sadness, sorrow, or injustice. So I was encouraged today to read--"The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice...be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones..." Every Child of God can be glad in the Lord--in our relationship with Him--because we are forgiven and our future is certain. Blessings, Steve