Who Shall Serve?

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave... (Matt 20:25-27)

We are preparing to elect the next president of the United States. As Christians, what kind of president do we want?

I watched part of the Republican Presidential Debate last night. Only part because I slept through most of it. Not because it was boring, I was tired. There are many good candidates; lots of good ideas and dreams; but, there are some pretty bad ideas, as well. History should remind us that some of those promises will not be fulfilled. They can promise all they want; but, we have a checks and balance system in our government. Just because someone who is running for president promises you something doesn't mean that it's going to happen. We need to ask ourselves, given that we have three branches to our government, not to mention a binding constitution, how realistic these promises really are. Which candidate can actually work with others best for the good of all people?

To tell you the truth, the egos of some of the Republican as well as the Democrat candidates put me off. Do we really want a narcissist as our next president? There has been at least one really good candidate who has stayed in the top of the polls; always near center stage during the debates. But, I don't hear much about him. He seems to get asked less questions during the debates and he gets a whole lot less press coverage. His name is not even usually mentioned as a front-runner by the press. The candidates in front of him and even behind him are mentioned quite often. I cannot help but wonder: what is up with that? I'm thinking it may be because he appears too gentle. He is not a bully. He actually appears, do I dare say it, "humble."

Humility in the Kingdom of God is a virtue. Narcissism is not. Pushing people around is not. Slander is not. Lying is not. Minimizing the harm done to others is not. Idolatry is not. I personally pray that God would call a humble man to this position. One who will serve, not according to his personal ambitions; but, for the sake of the country; even of the world. None are perfect. No one is. But, there are a few candidates who might fit this bill better than others. May God reveal the true natures and ideologies of all of these men and women so that voters might discern for the good of all people.

God's Peace - Pr. J
 

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 United With The Mind of Christ

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 NIV
Others may not have a clue to the mysteries that we have comprehended and sometimes we may forget that they don't. We expect them to understand what we might even call "common sense." But, it is not common sense that leads us to follow Jesus and to discern God's will for us. It is the Spirit of God who does this.

By the Spirit of God we are united in Christ. We are one. We who are of the Body of Christ have the mind of Christ. He is our head. Is it any wonder that we should be able to discern the things that come from God?

My prayer this New Year's Day is that God would open eyes, ears, hearts, and minds that all whom we love would be able to discern God's gracious and loving will for them and for all people.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Romans 9:1-18 Speak With Integrity

Romans 9:1-18 NIV
"I am speaking the truth in Christ - I am not lying..." (vs 1) This verse never fails to bring a smile to my face. It reminds me of some young ones whom I know and love.

It is good when we can say with Paul I am speaking the truth, my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit. But, sadly that is not always the case. It is difficult to know when someone is truly speaking the truth and so we must depend upon the Holy Spirit within to help us discern the truth.

Paul's truth in Christ, sometimes hurt people. The truth is not always pleasing to hear. May we always speak with integrity for the good of those whom God loves.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Matthew 7 - Judge Fairly

Today, I get to say something about this often misquoted and misinterpreted verse from Matthew. It is usually quoted without considering the context of this whole chapter.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matt 7:1 NIV)

Often I hear people remind others that no matter what someone does we can not judge them. Let's look at verse 2: "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." That is; when someone is to be judged, it should be done fairly, based on the facts. We don't get to go around falsely accusing someone of something without hearing all of the facts. Everyone deserves a fair hearing. Everyone deserves the opportunity to present their side of the story. We do not want an innocent person judged guilty because we were not willing to hear all of the facts. Likewise, someone who has gravely damaged others should not be left off of the hook, just because we were unwilling to use discernment of hurtful behavior or to judge between right and wrong. We would not want someone judging us without being able to present our side nor should we be judging anyone without hearing their whole story, either. But, sometimes the rest of the story must be told and a judgment made, once all of the facts are made known (but, not before).

Verse 6, of this same chapter of Matthew. gives us an example of why we need to judge fairly, although it must be an honest and fair judgment. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." In order to follow these instructions, it is necessary to use a good deal of discernment and, yes, even judgment. But, be cautious again as to what measuring stick you are using to do the discerning. Verse 16 tells us,  "By their fruit you will recognize them."  Everything must be weighed and judged appropriately. "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. Be careful that you do not advocate sin, by your silence, because you think that God does not allow you to judge between right and wrong.