Character and Tactics matter

It has become common in some circles of those claiming to be followers of Jesus Christ to excuse questions of character and moral tactics in the realms of politics, war (terrorism), and even the debates and controversies within the Church.  There are two primary justifications for this attitude: (1) The stakes are high, therefore any way of "winning" is permissible, and/or (2) the other side uses such tactics, therefore we must too.  For those who try to justify the use of lies, character assassination, cheating, and even when push comes to shove, blowing our enemies to bits, it is necessary for us to remember that the Word of God has weighed in on this issue, repeatedly, and not on the side of those advocating a "win at all costs" mentality.
In Romans 3:8, Paul, while writing on a different matter, nevertheless illuminates this discussion with these words: "Why not say - as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say - 'Let us do evil that good may result'?  Their condemnation is deserved."  For Paul, it was slanderous to think that you could accomplish good by embracing evil.  How could God reward those who violate his Law in their efforts to serve him?  Likewise, when scolding the church at Corinth for sexual immorality, Paul warned them of the way in which sin grows and spreads, "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?" (1 Corinthians 5:6)  If we countenance the use of immoral means to pursue moral ends, we open ourselves up to the corrupting influence of sin, even if we "win" by achieving our goal, we will lose when we stand before God to answer for not only our actions, but our motivations and methods as well.
The United States has been down this road before, and with disastrous results.  Facing the trial of WWII, racism was allowed to manifest itself in the internment of Japanese citizens, and expediency was allowed to prevail over morality when the cities of Germany and Japan were firebombed after it was determined that bombing strictly military targets had been unsuccessful. That the Nazis did far worse (and of course they did) is no excuse.  Nation after nation throughout history could be cited for choosing power over morality, that such Machiavellian thinking is common, does not excuse it before God.
The Church has been down this road before, and with disastrous results.  The Spanish Inquisition had as its goal the conversion of non-believers to the faith and the salvation of their souls, but who will stand up and celebrate the use of torture and forced-conversion at the point of a sword as the means to this end?  Example after example could be given of the Church's fateful compromises with power and money, choices that brought corruption and besmirched the message of the Gospel.
We face difficult times and difficult circumstances, and so did our ancestors, there is nothing new under the sun.  If you care more about achieving the goal that you long for than about how that goal is achieved, you aren't walking in the footsteps of Christ.  Every time we compromise morality for the sake of expediency, we not only weaken the witness of the Gospel, but we invite upon ourselves the judgment of God who will not hold us blameless for choosing wickedness over righteousness, power over purity, to "win" in this life at the expense of the next is the very definition of a fool's bargain.

Sermon Video: The Church's One Foundation - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

In speaking about Christian unity, Paul expresses the fundamental truth that all who belong to the Church, i.e. everyone who is a Christian, must be built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.  It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the apostles shared to found the Church, and therefore anyone who builds upon any other foundation is building something that is NOT part of the Church.
Once the unity of Christians upon the foundation of Christ has been established, the question shifts from where we build to what and how we build.  God has entrusted his people with building his kingdom here on earth, and it is our responsibility to build with both wisdom and diligence.  If we build well, we will receive our reward from God, if we build foolishly or selfishly, our work will fail, thanks to the mercy of God salvation will not be lost, but such a person can hardly expect a reward.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Quarreling in the Church: A sign of stunted growth - 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Where there are jealousies and quarrels within a church, there you will find the immaturity of stunted growth.  Paul warned the church at Corinth that they had failed to mature as they ought to have done, a diagnosis he was confident of because he had heard reports of the fights among them, and something they needed to grow beyond.  Every Christian must begin with the basics, whether they are young or old when they first believe, but if we are to mature into useful servants of the kingdom of God, we must adopt the humble attitude of a servant that Jesus modeled by putting away our pride and ambition.  In the end, we as a Church must be of one purpose, united in our effort to share the Gospel and make disciples.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Pastors may be legally able to engage in partisan politics? No thanks.

The President of the United States recently spoke in favor of repealing the 1954 Johnson Amendment which prohibits endorsements of political candidates by those working for non-profits (including churches) with the possibility of the organization's tax exempt status potentially being revoked for violations.  This law is rarely enforced, during the past election cycle a significant number of prominent religious figures made endorsements and even actively campaigned for a political candidate, in violation of the law, without apparent consequence.  It is apparent that these men and women have some sort of justification in mind for their violation of the teaching of Romans 13, it will of course be God who judges the heart on this matter.
It isn't the law which prevents me from making political endorsements, or even speaking publicly on politics in general (aside from encouraging democratic principles and good citizenship), but a deeply held belief that any marriage between the Church and a political party is destined to be an uneven and abusive relationship.  Politics offers a Faustian bargain to pastors, promising them access to power in exchange for their reputation, in the end, power will prove an illusion, betrayal will occur, and one's reputation will never be the same.
I already have a boss, the God of the heavens and the earth, the judge of the living and the dead, I don't need another, I won't yoke myself willingly to a political boss.  I already have a mission, to spread the Gospel and make disciples, I don't need another, especially one that has the potential to weaken or destroy my effectiveness to do the first.  I am a firm believer in Free Speech, without it, Freedom of Religion could not exist.  That I have the freedom to say or do something does not mean that it is wise, prudent, or morally upright to do so.  I choose to self-limit my political speech, that I might better serve the kingdom of God, that I might better be the salt and light that our world so desperately needs.
If the Johnson Amendment is repealed, it won't change my actions at all, but it will tempt others of my brothers and sisters serving the Church to exchange the unchanging Truth of the Gospel for the changeable power plays of politics.  Not all speech is free, some of it comes as a cost, this cost is too high.

The Gospel or the Gun: Which do you trust?

In 1945, General George Patton wanted to invade the Soviet Union and wipe out the Communists with the help of the remnant of the shattered Nazi army.  In 1951, General Douglas MacArthur wanted to nuke China during the Korean War, forcing President Harry Truman to fire him.  There are always those who believe that the answer to a threat is the barrel of a gun.  It is indeed true that the strong must protect the weak, and a military solution may be the only moral option, but it is also true that militancy and nationalism can run amok with potentially peaceful solutions (or at least less violent ones) lost in the hysteria of fear and fear-mongering.

It is becoming increasingly clear that a number of American and European Christians, including some famous people in leadership positions, view a global war with Islam as inevitable, and perhaps even preferable.  One of the reasons for this militant stance is often a Pre-Tribulation Eschatology that sees a WWIII style conflict as a precursor to the Rapture, and something that cannot or should not be avoided, as it would usher in the return of Christ.  I've written before about the dangers of letting a particular view of Eschatology color your morality and attitude, so that's nothing new, but the issue of confronting Islam has another element that is also troubling.  It would appear that many of those in the pro-war camp are leaning that way because they envision Islam spreading globally and taking over the West through immigration and higher birth rates.  While such an argument might hold water with a statistician, how is it that those who believe in the power of faith, and the triumph of the Gospel, are terrified of the spread of Islam?  If this is simply a battle of ideas, like the Communism vs. Capitalism debate of the Cold War, then it truly would be a confrontation with an unknown outcome, but this is not what Christians believe, at least they shouldn't.  Christianity is based upon historical fact, and those who follow Jesus Christ believe in the triumph of the Gospel over the forces of darkness, whatever they may be.  In Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul speaks of the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ, and foretells the day when "every knee should bow...and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."  Do God's people really believe these words, or do they put more faith in the power of the gun?  How could a professing Christian's priorities be so eschew that he/she would prefer a war, and with it the tens if not hundreds of millions of civilian casualties that would result, to letting the Gospel contend, as it has since the founding of the Church 2,000 years ago, with whatever philosophies, ideologies, or religions which oppose it?

The triumph of the Gospel, foretold in Scripture, is found in the conversion of the Lost, the redeeming of those apart from God, not in the obliteration of those who disbelieve in the explosion of a bomb.  I believe in the power of the Gospel, it will triumph over Islam, and all other beliefs, no matter what they may be, in the end, I'm not looking to destroy those who oppose the will of God, it is my responsibility as a disciple of Jesus Christ to share the wonderful grace of Jesus with them, that they too might willingly and gladly bow their knee before the King of Kings.