If God "chose" Donald Trump to be President

Beliefs not firmly connected to a Christian foundation, or the implications of which have not been fully examined, can be extremely dangerous.  Recently White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said during an interview on CBN, "I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that's why he's there and I think he has done a tremendous job in supporting a lot of the things that people of faith really care about."  There are several significant objections to the theology of such a statement.  (1)  God does indeed call those who serve him, i.e. disciples of Jesus Christ, to serve his Church as apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists (Ephesians 4:11).  The call of God to such people is a call to service, not self-advancement, to sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not fame, power, and wealth in service of a political agenda.  What is the Biblical basis for the belief that God chooses, and then puts in power, secular political leaders?  If the answer to that question is Nebuchadnezzar, or Cyrus of Persia, both of whom God used with respect to Israel (the first to punish and the second to bless), the objection would be simple: (2) America is not Israel.  We are not a nation being directed by God according to a Covenant of blessings and curses awaiting a promised Messiah.  In the New Covenant, God works primarily through his Church, not through national politics.  When God works "all things" (Romans 8:28-29) he is working for the people he has called to accept the Gospel, to transform them into Christ-like disciples, not for the benefit of particular ethnic groups, kingdoms, or nations.  The Church transcends any grouping of humanity, and the goal of God's will in the New Covenant is clearly stated: to increase the number of redeemed saints worshiping the Lamb at the end of time.  (3)  If God wanted Donald Trump to be president, on what basis was that decision made?  His politics or his character?  On what basis are the politics of Donald Trump, or any politician, judged to be aligned with those of God?  Are there some issues God cares about more than others, and how would we know?  Is God choosing the most Christ-like candidate to support, or the least, or somewhere in between?  (4)  If God chose Donald Trump, did he also choose Barrack Obama, George Bush, Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., etc...?  If God chose one, then why not all?  If your answer to that is, "because I like this President's politics, but I didn't like the last one."  Let me simply say that assuming that the will of God, maker of the universe, whose loving-kindness extends to all generations of all of humanity, is aligned with your exact political preferences is an expression of ego worthy of fear.  (5)  If God chose Donald Trump, was it to bless America or punish it?  This one bears thought.  Those who cheer Donald Trump, like Sarah Sanders, assume that the "choosing" they believe in was a blessing, not a curse, but on what basis is that judgment being made?  Is it God's intention, at this point in history, to bless America for its righteousness or to curse America for its wickedness?  There is plenty of righteousness and wickedness to be found in America if you want to support your conclusion, but concluding that this moment is a time of blessing, or a time of punishment, is an arbitrary decision that says more about your perspective than anything else.  (6)  The assumption that the things that "people of faith really care about", are in alignment with the things that God cares about.  Church history, and that of Israel before us, is replete with examples of the people of God focusing upon the wrong things, ignoring things of tremendous importance, and generally being foolish in all manner of areas.  Perhaps "people of faith" know exactly what God would desire for a republic in the 21st century, or maybe they don't, either way, their priorities are not necessarily God's priorities, to assume so is arrogant.  It is the Word of God which declares the will of God, NOT the priorities of "people of faith".  {There is an unspoken word in the sentence from Sanders, one that goes without saying during an interview on CBN, that is "what Republican people of faith really care about."  God, and his Church, are not now, nor have they ever been, limited to one political party.  What of the priorities of Christians who support Democrats, Independents, or none of the above?  God is not a Republican, nor a Democrat, both parties support policies consistent with, and both parties support policies contrary to, the Word of God, neither represent God, it is impossible for a political party to do so.}

Lest you think this is personal, the same objection would have been raised about such a claim regarding any American president, member of Congress, governor, mayor, etc. {Evidently, President is the only office important enough for God to choose who inhabits it, or else objection #4 is much larger}.  I don't pretend to know what God's will is for the United States of America.  I have no idea if God is pleased with our charity and attempts at justice, or infuriated at our greed, immorality, and pride.  To claim to know the mind of God regarding a nation, any nation not named Ancient Israel about whom his Word is specific, is presumptuous and dangerous.  I do, however, know the will of God concerning his Church.  Why?  Because the Word of God has made the mission of the Church, the quality required of its people, and its status as an organization, "in the world but not of the world" clear.  We know because God has spoken through the inspired Scriptures.  We, the Church, have been called of God, to repent and turn to righteousness, and to serve the Gospel.  To speculate what God is, or is not, doing beyond the Church, is just that, speculation, foolish at the least, dangerous at worst.  In the end, the Word of God is our standard for Truth, not what "people of faith really care about."

Sermon Video: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" - Acts 26:1-16

Imagine spending your life, all of your passion and effort, on behalf of God, only to learn at the end that your entire attempt was not simply ineffective, but actually entirely counter-productive and detrimental to the very cause you thought you were serving.  Such was the mind-blowing revelation that occurred to Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus when he discovered that the voice from Heaven was that of Jesus.  Up until that moment, Saul had been firmly convinced that he was doing the right thing, that his violent response to the followers of Jesus was justified by zeal for the Law of God.  Saul was, catastrophically wrong, and but for the amazing grace of God he would have gone to face his Maker with their blood upon his hands.
Certainty without wisdom is folly.  As Christians, there are a limited number of core Truths regarding the Scriptures, the nature of God, and the person and work of Jesus about which we must be certain, and for which we ought to be willing to lay down our lives (although not be willing, ever, to kill for them).  Upon these central Truths we must stand and not be moved, but beyond them we claim absolute certainty at our own peril, and would better be served by confident belief that allows for others to disagree.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Strong Church support shown for local homeless shelter

Last night's zoning board meeting in Oil City highlighted the significant support being given to Emmaus Haven by the local Church, as evidenced by the more than a dozen ministers and other church workers in attendance.  After nearly three hours, the issue was tabled until next month after the discussion by the board revealed several issues needing legal clarity prior to a ruling.  As you can tell by my comments that were quoted in the newspaper article (The Derrick/New-Herald once again doing a stellar job of covering local news), the primary assertion that those who were there to support the shelter took issue with was the idea that Venango County doesn't have a problem with homelessness (not an assertion made by the board itself, the article explains who made that claim).  Having served this community over seven years, and having been involved for over six years with Mustard Seed Missions, I can categorically state that the problem is indeed real, it is local, and it isn't going to be mitigated without a significant effort.  In 2016, Emmaus Haven, with Mustard Seed Mission's help, opened a 6 bed facility in Franklin.  That transitional housing unit has been full since its inception, helping 47 individuals, 31 of which now have permanent housing.  While this has been a tremendous asset to those seeking to help with housing needs in our community, the problem is clearly bigger than can be resolved with only space for six people.  If the Oil City zoning board ultimately denies Emmaus Haven the ability to operate a larger shelter at this location in Siverly, the need to help the homeless won't go away, nor will the Church's commitment to being instrumental in its solution.  No matter what happens next month, churches here in Venango County are moving forward, thankfully with great partners like the Human Services Department of Venango County.

Sermon Video: Paul appeals to Caesar - Acts 25

Having newly been appointed governor of Judea, Festus visits Jerusalem to acquaint himself with the leadership there, and while doing so, is made aware of the ongoing desire on the part of the leading priests to rid themselves of Paul.  Festus wastes no time in beginning the trial, but is dumbfounded by the bizarre (to him) Jewish theology which is at issue between the two sides.  Unable to decipher what is going on, Festus suggests moving the trial to Jerusalem, prompting Paul to appeal to Caesar to avoid the corrupt influence of the Sanhedrin in the trial.  Having little choice but to send Paul on to Rome, Festus asks Herod Agrippa II, whom the Romans considered to be an authority on Judaism, to hear Paul's case and offer a suggestion as to what to write to the emperor about Paul.

Throughout the proceedings, Paul maintains his position as a reformer and not a rebel, and is willing to utilize his rights as a citizen in his own defense.  Throughout Church history the line between reformer and rebel has been a difficult one to walk, with Paul being the first of many to attempt it.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

How we interpret and apply the Bible matters a great deal - an objection to WWUT.

"What Does the Bible Say About Paying Your Fair Share of Taxes?" is a video posted on January 9th, under the channel named: When We Understand the Text, which is a ministry of Pastor Gabriel Hughes of the First Southern Baptist Church of Junction City, Kansas.  I Understand that Pastor Hughes is trying to simplify issues into short responses of only a few minutes, and that complicated issues are not always conveyed the way the author/speaker intends when brevity is attempted.  My objection to this particular video, regarding taxation, is not based upon its conclusion per se, but its methodology.  The conclusion reached by Pastor Hughes is that a progressive system of taxation (i.e. that the rate increases as the taxable amount increases) is "not fair".  And while the merits of various tax systems for both effectiveness and morality can and should be part of the political discussion of any free society, in this particular case the WWUT video rejects any non-flat tax (i.e. any tax system in which different rates are applied to the poor and rich) as being un-Biblical, and hence immoral and therefore a violation of the will of God.

The key question here is this: How is that conclusion reached in the one minute and thirty-two seconds of the video?  The primary point is made by making a reference to the taxation system instituted by the Law of Moses for ancient Israel, that is the Old Covenant.  The video makes the case that Israel's system treated the poor and the wealthy the same, briefly mentioning that it had provisions to help the poor (while not mentioning the most significant aspect of the Law of Moses against the accumulation of wealth, the Year of Jubilee), quickly mentions quotations about the need to pay taxes, in principle, attested by Jesus and Paul, and then simply concludes that this model from Israel should be applied, or at least the principle of a flat-tax taken from it, to America in the 21st century.

The use of the Bible to defend or bash Republicans or Democrats is extremely distasteful to me, and something I find to be detrimental to the Church's call to preach the Gospel and make disciples.  If that was all this video contained it wouldn't stand out all that much from so many other attempts to use the Word of God to bolster political viewpoints.  In addition to being politically tinged (the video shows an interview by Anderson Cooper of Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, thus not overly subtly hinting that Republican taxation policy must be closer to what God wants than that of Democrats), the video also makes a classic mistake of Biblical interpretation by conflating/equating Israel and the Old Covenant with either the United States/Church and the New Covenant.  Thus whatever God told Israel to do, we too must do (again, forgetting that Israel was also told to cancel all debts every 50 years and return all property to its original owners to prevent both extreme poverty and extreme wealth, I'm not expecting a video advocating that practice).  Does the New Testament address taxation rates?  Nope.  Does Paul write about what he believes a "fair" tax rate to be?  No again.  The Church is not Israel, it did not inherit the promises (or curses) of the Old Covenant, it did not take the place of Israel, but has only temporarily been "grafted in" until the "full number of the Gentiles has come in" (see Romans 11).  Any question, then, of applying the Old Covenant's stipulations is not a simple matter of cutting and pasting what God commanded Israel to do onto the modern world, as if in this case God's grander intention when he gave Moses the Law concerning the taxes the Israelites were to pay was to eliminate the possibility that any other system of taxation could be possible, and every other way of collecting taxes must be immoral.  The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) are exceedingly valuable, and are as sacred and authoritative as those of the New Testament, but that does not mean that they should be read as if they are written directly to anyone other than Abraham's descendants.  To mentally replace Israel with either America (or England, Germany, or any other nation) or the Church (as a whole, or any one in particular) is to do a disservice to the original intent and original interpretation/application of the Word of God given to the people of the covenants of Abraham/Moses/David.  God gave Israel a flat-taxation system with a reset button every fifty years.  What then should be the ideal taxation system for a society consisting of both Jews and Gentiles, Christians and non-Christians, in an era when most incomes are not directly tied to land ownership?  To simply say, "the same as Israel, end of story", is not good enough.

This is not the first time that I've blanched at a video from WWUT, I refrained from posting about earlier ones because they didn't feel egregious enough to warrant a response, and I hesitate to question what another pastor/church is advocating without good cause (this objection is not an accusation that assumes motives, nor a reprimand that claims authority, but a word of caution concerning the handing of God's Holy Word).  It isn't the issue of taxation that prompted this response, nor the issue of playing politics with Scripture, but rather the utilization of an Old Covenant provision to American taxation policy as if it was a case-closed obvious conclusion.  Well meaning and God-honoring Christians can, and do, have a variety of beliefs regarding the application of Biblical examples and principles in our society and individual lives today, that is to be expected and not a negative thing.  The important question here is more basic: How do we interpret the Bible and apply it to our lives today?  Treating America or the Church as Israel is not the solution.

The Pursuit of Happiness?

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" may be the unofficial motto of America, but it is not, much to the chagrin of many, the mantra of our Creator, in particular the last part.  The goal of the will of God for humanity as a whole and individual human beings as well, is not happiness but godliness.  In other words, God's aim is not that we feel happy, but that we be holy and righteous.  And while there is some overlap between feeling happy and being a person who practices holiness and righteousness, there are most certainly not the same thing.  To be a person who,  by the grace of God, chooses holiness and righteousness in this fallen world, is to be a person at odds with the prevailing self-centered worldview upon which human culture, not just American culture, is built.  It is to be a person who eschews personal gain in favor of service to others, who rejects temporary advancement in favor of projects whose fullness will not be realized until our lives are over, and it is to be a person who is willing to sacrifice one's own comfort and material possessions in the service of a kingdom which, while already established, awaits the return of its king and the manifestation of his justice.  It is, then, to be a person somewhat out of time and out of place, a person serving a king and belonging to a kingdom whose reality is not yet what it one day will be, and thus a person who is not seeking happiness, not at least according to any definition that those living for their own ends and purposes would understand or accept.  And yet, with far-ranging negative consequences, much of modern Christianity seems to have missed this point, to have accepted that the job of the Church is to help people be happy (or worse yet, to make them happy).  This is both a deviation from Biblical teaching, and a great hindrance upon the mission of the Church: to share the Gospel and make disciples.

One of the more well known portions of Scripture regarding this topic is this:
Matthew 16:24-26 New International Version (NIV)
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

There are many more examples of the call in the Word of God to serve through self-sacrifice, among them, these words of John:
1 John 3:16-18 New International Version (NIV)
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

In the end, as a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, it isn't just about you.  Christians are part of something greater than themselves, part of God's plan for all of humanity, and have committed themselves (whether they know it or not) to serving the Kingdom of God, which means that our lives are not about pursuing happiness.

Sermon Video: Paul defends his conduct before Felix - Acts 24

Having safely arrived in Caesarea, the Apostle Paul now faces an attempt by the High Priest Ananias to persuade the Roman provincial governor Felix that he ought to be put to death for being a "troublemaker" who stirs up riots.  In his defense, Paul points to a lack of witnesses to this supposed quarrelsome conduct, and asserts that, "I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."  For us, the example of Paul is important.  As Christians, we may face persecution because of the Truth that we proclaim in the Gospel, but we must not be liable to charges of being troublemakers.  Let the message be rejected if it must, we cannot allow the fault to lie with the messengers, there is no excuse for Christians who character and conduct is destructive not constructive.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The vanity of conspiring against the will of God - Acts 23:12-35

After having placed the Apostle Paul in protective custody following the riot instigated by his enemies in Jerusalem, the Roman garrison's commander, Claudius Lysias, learns from Paul's nephew that a conspiracy of over 40 men has vowed to murder Paul in the streets after their co-conspirators in the Sanhedrin have used a false pretext to request Paul appear before them.  Upon learning of this disturbing plan, one that includes the blasphemy of using the authority of those who are supposed to represent God to plan a murder, the commander sends Paul away to Caesarea with a strong escort of soldiers.
What do we make of this text?  (1) That the providence of God is not thwarted by the conspiracies of evil men, (2) that while evil thrives in the dark it only takes a little like to begin to counteract it (in this case the courage of Paul's nephew to come forward), and (3) that even if we are the target of an attempt to discredit or destroy us, even if we personally face persecution, that we remain, as was Paul, in the care of Almighty God.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

We need a homeless shelter, and the Church needs to support it

There is an article in today's News Herald/Derrick newspaper about the upcoming zoning hearing in Oil City regarding the transformation of the former fellowship hall of the Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Siverly.  The article mentions that the organization trying to create this shelter is Emmaus Haven of Venango County, and that they already operate a facility (6 bed) in Franklin that was renovated by  Mustard Seed Missions of Venango County.  As the President of Mustard Seed Missions, and one of the people who helped organize what became Emmaus Haven, I can confirm from my own experience in these roles and as the pastor of 1st Baptist of Franklin that our county very much remains in need of a homeless shelter.
There are those in our county who believe, erroneously, that we don't have a homeless problem here in our rural county of only 50k people.  They are, unfortunately, wrong in that assessment.  Emmaus Haven has operated the shelter (in cooperation with Venango County Housing) since 2016, and it has been at capacity ever since.  How do I know this?  In addition to reports from the leadership of Emmaus Haven, I have on numerous occasions tried to help a homeless person sitting here in my office, standing on my porch, or calling me on the phone, only to discover that the shelter is currently full.  If someone is telling you that Venango County doesn't have indigenous people suffering from homelessness, in other words, that the only homeless are outsiders (and hence evidently less of our problem), they're wrong, very wrong.  We may not have the chronic homelessness visible on the streets of Pittsburgh, but each day in our county there are individuals, and families, without shelter for the coming night, I know it to be true, they come to me for help.
Which leads to the second half of the equation: our obligation to be a part of meeting this real need.  As followers of Jesus Christ, servants of the kingdom of God, we have a clear and abiding mandate from Jesus to help those in need whenever, and wherever we can.  Each person that we encounter that is in need is a human being made in the image of God, a person of worth beyond measure, and one for whom Jesus Christ was willing to die, just as he was for us.  To turn our backs on the homeless, whether through indifference, racism, or some other reasons to dismiss this need, is to fail to be the Church that God has called us to be.  We may not be able to solve a problem like homelessness, but we had better be a part of the effort to try.
When this new facility in Siverly opens, it will give Emmaus Haven and the County the flexibility it needs to handle both short and medium term housing problems, bringing into play resources that ten years ago would have seemed beyond our reach as a community.  In this we have had willing partners, the hard work of volunteers, and the grace of God.

Do Christians really need to care about those in need?  Read the words of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew, and then get back to me on that one.

Matthew 25:31-46 New International Version (NIV)
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”