My rights are less important than doing what is right

As an American Christian, I have rights and privileges that were given to me when I was born in the United States of America, and I have obligations to do what is right (in the sight of the Lord) that I chose to adopt when I became a follower of Jesus Christ.  At times, these two sets of rights come into conflict.  There are many things which I have a right to do, as an American, which I will not do because it isn't morally right.  This probably shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, Christian or otherwise, that moral rights and legal rights don't always agree, but I have often heard Christians defend behavior which is hardly Christ-like by falling back upon their right as an American to do what they have done.  You may have a 1st Amendment right to say what you are saying, but that isn't good enough for a disciple of Christ.  You may have a 1st Amendment right to belong to that group or patronize that gambling establishment or strip club, but that isn't good enough for a disciple of Christ.

We are held to a higher standard as Christians than the Bill of Rights.  In Philippians Paul wrote, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)  I will regularly choose self-denial of my rights in order to do what is right, as will millions of my fellow Christian Americans, for we answer to a higher authority, are called to a higher purpose, and have been commanded to imitate a higher example (Jesus) than the legal rights of any citizen of any nation.

Why the killing won't stop...

After yet another horrific mass shooting in America, this one breaking the "record" for most people killed in one incident, a "record" that continues to horrifyingly climb, talk will invariably turn toward questions of prevention revolving around issues of law enforcement, mental health programs, gun ownership, and safety precautions.  All of these conversations are necessary, and useful, but they won't solve the problem because the problem lies deeper.  Combating the inhumanity of man against his fellow man, is not like combating a communicable disease.  Education, treatments, and vaccines have a chance at wiping out a disease, and even though some diseases which were thought to be no longer a threat have made a bit of a comeback (often due to laxity in keeping the vaccinations going), there remains realistic hope that solutions are possible to even the deadliest and most widespread diseases.  The human propensity toward violence is a far different problem, and far worse.
Why do people commit heinous acts against each other?  The answer is simple: mankind is flawed; deeply.  This is not a new concept to those who are part of the Judeo-Christian worldview, for scripture contains the first recorded act of violence among humanity, the story of the murder of Abel by his brother Cain spurred on by simple jealousy, as well as ample teaching that repeats again and again that our individual and collective hearts are darkened.  The psalmists and the prophet Isaiah wrote (as paraphrased by Paul in Romans), "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one...the way of peace they do not know.  There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18)  Making the same point, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)  In Christian theology this viewpoint regarding innate human nature is known as Total Depravity.  Its conclusions are simple: (1) All of mankind is flawed, in rebellion against God, (2) Nobody is capable of fixing this problem for themselves or anyone else, (3) therefore mankind is entirely dependent upon God's grace and transforming power.
We ought to do what we can as a free society to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm, but we also ought to recognize that the underlying cause is a spiritual one, not one of economics, education, or ideology.  Why do people kill?  Because their hearts are full of sin.  The only solution to this depraved state is the grace of God given freely to mankind through Jesus Christ our Lord, anything else is a band-aid on a bullet hole.
Pray for those who protect the innocent in society, but don't expect them to win this war anymore than the war on drugs, or the ongoing scourge of sexual slavery, the heart of man is too far gone to be restored by anything less than the power of God.

Sermon Video: God curses unfaithful priests - Malachi 2:1-9

After warning the priests and the people about offering blemished sacrifices, Malachi's prophecy turns toward the priesthood in Israel itself, and admonishes them with dire warnings of blessings being turned into curses because of their failure to accurately teach the Law of God to the people and apply it impartially.  What happens when the leadership of the people of God fails to champion God's Truth?  They lead the people of God astray and stumble into error.  The warning of Malachi against this danger rings true throughout the history of the Church as well, when the priesthood/pastorate fails through a failure to preach the truth and/or a failure to maintain a morally upright example, it is the people of God who suffer.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Sacrifices Worthy of God - Malachi 1:6-14

Following up on his explanation as to how God has loved his people, Malachi examines the way in which God's people have shown love, devotion, and honor to God in return, and the results are not good.  The priests in Israel had been offering animals for sacrifices with significant defects, in violation of the Law of Moses.  The implications of this violation are very serious, not only is it a sign of great disrespect for God, it will also result in sacrifices which are not accepted by God, causing a rift to develop between God and his people.
Now that Christ has fulfilled the sacrificial system, the equivalent of Malachi's warning for the Church age is the ongoing need for God's people to show respect and gratitude to God by giving God acceptable offerings of love, worship, prayer, and service, offerings that reflect our best not our leftovers.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Jacob I Loved, Esau I Hated - Malachi 1:1-5

The last of the prophets before the 400 years of silence preceding John the Baptist, Malachi brings a message to the people of Israel reminding them of their covenant obligations.  The Word of the LORD through Malachi begins with a hypothetical conversation between God and his people in which the people question the validity of God's statement of love for his people.  In response, God replies with, "I have loved Jacob, but Esau I hated".  The use of the example of Jacob and Esau, Abraham's twin grandsons, serves as a stark reminder of the nature of the relationship between God and his people, for it is a relationship founded entirely upon grace.  Esau was the older brother, but God chose to make Jacob the heir of Abraham's promise, before the boys were even born.  It was not a question of which brother was superior, for Esau displayed greater character than Jacob, but of the choice of God.  Because God's love is an act of grace, not obligation, those who receive it have no basis to demand anything of God, and ought to simply respond by praising the goodness of the Lord.

To watch the video, click on the link below: