Bright Wings

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with Ah! Bright Wings.

Next Page >>

September 17, 2008

Knowing Where You (and They) Stand

It is my duty to preach the Word and shepherd the flock. It is not my duty to tell you who to vote for. Yet, it is my duty to lead you in making choices with biblical discernment- speaking to matters of moral and biblical import. Here is a helpful pamphlet regarding the guidelines binding us as a non-profit religious organization. There is a good deal of misunderstanding about these issues as well as a good deal of grey as to what a pastor/church leadership can or can’t say or do. We go forward with God’s grace and in His power. I’m fairly certain that a day is coming when we will have to forego our tax-exempt status as churches of conviction and clear conscience in speaking prophetically amongs a wicked and perverse generation. Pray that day comes later rather than sooner. Though, it’s just money. Remember- John the baptist lost his head because he rebuked Herod. We can stand to lose some cash.

The Bayly bros. continue in their always prophetic and provocative assesment of what is happening amongst our ‘younger’ evangelicals. I’ve been meaning to write up a post reminding all of you of your duty as believing American citizens to vote with knowledge, discernment, and a clear conscience. A good portion of your clear conscience comes in knowing where our candidates and their party stands on the host of issues that are so crucial this election year.

So, go here and read the platform of the Democratic National Convention Committee.

And go here and read the platform of the Republican National Committee.

Let me pull a couple of choice quotes for you- and you can well imagine on what issues they will be.

Abortion and Gay Marriage.

I have made it clear that abortion - genecide - is a defining issue that is crucial to a wise and godly vote. Let me remind you of the stats (I pulled these straight off the Baylyblog post- I have generally seen them as correct) from a strictly ‘death toll’ priority.

Malaria: 1.5 million
TB: 2.6 million
AIDS: 5.2 million
Diarrheal diseases: 3.1 million
Childhood cluster diseases: 1.9 million
Nutritional deficiencies: 800,000
Traffic accidents: 2.0 million
Violence: 948,000
War: 240,000

GRAND TOTAL: 18,500,000

SLAUGHTER OF BABIES: 78,000,000

Wow. You want to feel the cold hard truth of this deathtoll? Go over to worldclock and watch the abortion counter click steadily on. Baby after baby dead. So, the stance of our two parties on this great global evil is rather important as we stand before our creator who created human beings in His image. Remember- your God will be the only other one there in the voting booth with you.

I believe as well that the issue of homosexuality and ‘gay’ marriage is crucial to our whole understanding of the nature of human behavior, relationships, family, and the well being and health of our children. Marriage and our convictions regarding it stand at the heart of any society. Our convictions regarding this institution are not ‘private’- they have far reaching implications to our homes, our covenant communities, our neighborhoods, our cities, states, and nation.

That being said, you can see that I am in complete disagreement with this rather amorphous caucus of so-called younger, emerging ‘evangelicals’ who are saying these issues are peripheral. Speaking as a young(er?) evangelical pastor- I say they are important and singularly so. And I stand upon God’s Word in this conviction and not as one with his finger in the wind. So there.

The Republican platform on the sanctity of human life:

Maintaining The Sanctity and Dignity of Human Life

Faithful to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence, we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.

We have made progress. The Supreme Court has upheld prohibitions against the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion. States are now permitted to extend health-care coverage to children before birth. And the Born Alive Infants Protection Act has become law; this law ensures that infants who are born alive during an abortion receive all treatment and care that is provided to all newborn infants and are not neglected and left to die. We must protect girls from exploitation and statutory rape through a parental notification requirement. We all have a moral obligation to assist, not to penalize, women struggling with the challenges of an unplanned pregnancy. At its core, abortion is a fundamental assault on the sanctity of innocent human life. Women deserve better than abortion. Every effort should be made to work with women considering abortion to enable and empower them to choose life. We salute those who provide them alternatives, including pregnancy care centers, and we take pride in the tremendous increase in adoptions that has followed Republican legislative initiatives.

Respect for life requires efforts to include persons with disabilities in education, employment, the justice system, and civic participation. In keeping with that commitment, we oppose the non-consensual withholding of care or treatment from people with disabilities, as well as the elderly and infirm, just as we oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide, which endanger especially those on the margins of society. Because government should set a positive standard in hiring and contracting for the services of persons with disabilities, we need to update the statutory authority for the AbilityOne program, the main avenue by which those productive members of our society can offer high quality services at the best possible value. 

The Republican national platform on marriage:

Preserving Traditional Marriage

Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives.

Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character. Children in homes without fathers are more likely to commit a crime, drop out of school, become violent, become teen parents, use illegal drugs, become mired in poverty, or have emotional or behavioral problems. We support the courageous efforts of single-parent families to provide a stable home for their children. Children are our nation’s most precious resource. We also salute and support the efforts of foster and adoptive families.

Republicans have been at the forefront of protecting traditional marriage laws, both in the states and in Congress. A Republican Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, affirming the right of states not to recognize same-sex “marriages” licensed in other states. Unbelievably, the Democratic Party has now pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which would subject every state to the redefinition of marriage by a judge without ever allowing the people to vote on the matter. We also urge Congress to use its Article III, Section 2 power to prevent activist federal judges from imposing upon the rest of the nation the judicial activism in Massachusetts and California. We also encourage states to review their marriage and divorce laws in order to strengthen marriage.

As the family is our basic unit of society, we oppose initiatives to erode parental rights.

The Democratic national platform on abortion rights:

Choice
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.
The Democratic Party also strongly supports access to affordable family planning services and comprehensive age-appropriate sex education which empowers people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions.
The Democratic Party also strongly supports a woman’s decision to have a child by ensuring access to and availability of programs for pre- and post-natal health care, parenting skills, income support, and caring adoption programs.

The Democratic national platform on (gay) marriage:

We support the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, and support equal responsibility, benefits, and protections. We will enact a comprehensive bipartisan employment non-discrimination act.
We oppose the Defense of Marriage Act and all attempts to use this issue to divide us.

Of course, each platform is rather lengthy. So, check them out and know where they stand.

 

 

 

Tags:

posted by Erik Braun

September 11, 2008

Almost Eight Years of Exposition

In preparation for what most likely will be three years in Luke, I was looking over my various preaching series’ from the past. I came on at Four Oaks on the last Sunday of the year 2000 (the distant future). I preached on Esther and God’s Providence (and about a month and a half later our own little Esther, a portrait of God’s providence to us, was born). Then I began our first series together in Philippians. Some of you remember the novice preacher well, I certainly do. We have yet to put those messages in mp3 format- and mostly because of my vanity. But, God is faithful. And as I listen occasionally to those first messages, I remember why biblical exposition is crucial to a faithful and godly pulpit ministry. Though the preacher be flawed- the Word preached does its work.

Over these eight years I have been able to preach about 16 different series’ (depending on how you count). Hopefully we will be able to post and archive them helpfully in the coming days (years?). Just for the fun of it, I thought I’d run through them for you as best I can track it (not in chronological order).

Philippians
Romans 5-8
Genesis 37-50
Philemon
Jude
Ruth
the Pilgrim Psalms
1 Corinthians
Communion Meditations thru Matthew
the ‘Core’ series: evangelism, discipleship, the church, worship, spiritual disciplines
Christian Liberty: Romans 14
Leadership Series: 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1
Stewardship Series: the Journey and Impossible Tour
the Four Oaks Series: Hebrews 13
8 Pro Life Messages
Theology 101

A few things I am grateful for:

1. The infinite well of truth and grace that springs forth weekly from our Father God’s Word to His people. 
2. The redemptive work of Christ which is a constant source of grace in the face of my sin and task of preaching.
3. A wife and family who allow me to do the work of ministry.
4. A father (and mother- and this is no small parenthesis) who showed me how to be an expositor with a life of pulpit ministry.
5. A church family who not only endure my preaching and teaching, but receive it, embrace it, and apply it.
6. A council of elders who hold me accountable for this work, encourage me weekly through prayer and exhortation, and purpose to see us act on God’s Word.
7. A team of pastors who make it their goal to make the pulpit a singular focus of power and authority in the family of God.

What an extraordinary privilege to be a preacher in Christ’s church!
Thank you God, and thank you brothers and sisters of Four Oaks. I look forward to -at least- eight more years (maybe eight more in Luke alone!) if Jesus tarries and continues to give me life and the grace of ministry.

Tags:

posted by Erik Braun

September 10, 2008

A More Clear Knowledge of Christ

In the introduction to his commentary on the Gospel of Luke, J.C. Ryle (more from Ryle here) gives us the goal of his exposition:

I have a strong conviction that we want more reverent, deep-searching study of the Scripture in the present day. Most Christians see nothing beyond the surface of the Bible when they read it. We want a more clear knowledge of Christ as a living Person, a living priest, a living physician, a living friend, a living advocate at the right hand of God, and a living Saviour soon about to come again. Most Christians know little about Christianity but its skeleton of doctrines. If I can do anything to make Christ and the Bible more honourable in these latter days, I shall be truly thankful and content.

I could not offer a better summary of my main aim in preaching through this wonderful book of the New Testament. I encourage you to begin reading and meditating upon Luke as we enter into a new expository season.

Tags:

posted by Erik Braun

Next Page >>