I have long maintained that the most prominent idol in America is America. I freely admit that I was once the greatest offender, having a love of country that far exceeded my love for God, His Word, or His Son. God revealed my sin to me and I suspect it is because my eyes were opened to this particular sin in my own life that I so readily see it in the culture around me. But, I am greatly encouraged to know that I am not the only one. Laurance Vance has been pointing out this particular sin for longer than I have. Today he offers a little self test for those who wonder if they love their country more than they love God. Warning: You may be offended — which brings us to another matter…
Our world is full of people who apply the name “Christian” to themselves who have no concept of the Gospel. It is imperative, therefore, for actual believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to A) know the Gospel, B) be aware when false teachers stand up and proclaim a false gospel, and C) call them on it. Consider just the two examples of this from this past week…
When officers in the United States Army enter the service, they take an oath…
“I, (state your name), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of (state your rank) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”
Their oath is to defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies — foreign AND domestic. You may be thinking that domestic enemies of the Constitution are rare, and really no threat at all. I disagree. The Constitution is under assault daily…
After the bombing of the Boston Marathon, the citizens of that area were subjected to marshal law and forced from their homes while their homes were searched without warrants in direct violation of the fourth amendment.
The federal government of the United States appears to be bent on banning guns from private ownership in direct violation of the second amendment.
Memorial Day is upon us. We will all likely hear that it is fitting for us to honor those who “fought for our freedoms.” It is true that many have fought for America’s freedom in the past. But, if the military wants to continue to enjoy the distinction of being the ones who “fight for freedom” perhaps they need to know that the greatest threat to our freedom is not from some other country — it’s from Washington, D.C.
And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Judge Andrew Napolitano thinks…
Phil Johnson, the founder of the Pyromaniacs blog, once wrote an incredible essay on the dangers of the Church befriending the world. In it he said the Church, under such pretexts as “contextualization,” “missional living,” and “relevance” has demonstrated an unbridled willingness to accommodate Divine truth to human preferences.
Strong words.
You know what? God’s words are stronger…
“Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” — James 4:4
Accommodating sin is never an appropriate means of reaching sinners.
Phil Johnson’s essay, which originally ran in February 2009, has been reposted today. Read it for yourself. It’s worth it.
My first stop on the internet each day is daveblackonline.com. Yesterday He offered the following thoughts concerning the church…
Much of what we call “church” today originated, not in the New Testament, but in post-apostolic times.
The Lord’s Supper has changed from a celebration to a ceremony.
Worship has changed from participation to observation.
Witness has changed from relationship to salesmanship.
Leadership has changed from servanthood to professionalism.
Mission has changed from being missionaries to supporting missionaries.
Body life has changed from edification to entertainment.
Buildings have changed from functional to sacred.
Child care has changed from the hands of parents to the hands of strangers.
The New Testament shows us that the great need of modern Christianity is to return to biblical faithfulness and the profound simplicity of the New Testament.
How important is the local church? Dan Phillips offers his view.
Mark Twain, the American writer, humorist, and philosopher, was avidly anti-imperialistic. He maintained that people — including groups of people up to and including nations — should mind their own business. He also recognized that people — especially when grouped together in nations — are prone to interfere in the affairs of others. This, of course, often results in war.
Toward the end of his life, Twain wrote a poem entitled “The War Prayer.” It is a scathing indictment of the blind nationalism that frequently leads to war with no regard for its causes or consequences. In particular it is an indictment against those who call for war in the name of God or who call upon God for success in their endeavor to interfere in the affairs of others.
His poem has been made into a short film. Please watch…
By the time Twain wrote “The War Prayer” he was a highly successful and influential writer. Yet even he was reluctant to publish this work for fear of reprisal. He was afraid the story would be considered too “sacrilegious.” Twain still had to earn a living and did not want to be seen as a lunatic or fanatic.
His illustrator, Dan Beard, asked him to publish it anyway to which Twain replied, “No, I have told the whole truth in that, and only dead men can tell the truth in this world. It can be published after I’m dead.”
It was left unpublished until after his death in 1910.
Twain was likely not a Christian. Many of his writings indicate this. However, I find it interesting that even a non-Christian can recognize the destructive influence of man’s sinful nature and that our prayers, when guided by our flesh instead of by the Spirit of God, are selfish and self-glorifying.
It is more interesting (sad, even) that those who most frequently engage in such prayers call themselves Christians — the very ones who ought to repudiate such prayers. What does it say about those of us in the Church, when even a non-believer can recognize this error on the basis of empirical evidence alone? Not only do we (believers) have access to the same evidence, but we have the clear instructions of our Lord…
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” — Matthew 6:9-13
Perhaps we should take our cue from the Lord, rather than from men. Perhaps our mission should be the spread of the Gospel and the demonstration of Christ’s love to the nations — not the expansion of a worldly empire by the conquest of nations.
