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

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February 23, 2010

Biblical Readiness

Curtis Mayfield summed up the heart of New Testament eschatology best when he crooned, “People get ready, there’s a train a coming.”  But, of course, Jesus said it first: “You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Luke 12:40)

What does readiness look like? Is it holing up in a cabin in the woods? Is it trembling by the fire with a tattered copy of Left Behind? Should you sell all your goods and move to a commune in Montana? Stand on the corner with an apocalyptic sandwich board? Maybe. I know it is an affront to our collective postmodern disposition, but I’d welcome the sight of a few sandwich boards here and there these days.

Look, eschatology can be confusing stuff. But I believe we try to make it rocket science so as to keep ourselves clear of the basic obedience that Jesus calls us to.  We are to be ready- and our readiness is measured in how we steward our lives. I’d like to challenge you as a steward in four areas of readiness. The first area- and the subject of this post- is what I call ‘biblical readiness’.

Biblical readiness is exemplified for us in the lives of the Bereans of Acts 17:11, “Now these Jews [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were true.”

The Bereans were ready for the gospel because they were the sort who examined the Scriptures daily. They received the word with all eagerness. The knew the Law and the Prophets. They had their finger on the scroll and their concordance on their bedside.

What was Paul’s word to young Pastor Timothy? What was to be the commitment of believers as they wait for the return of Christ? They were to devote themselves to the ‘public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.’ (1 Timothy 4:13).  Paul equipped his charge with this instruction because “the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1) Ready pastors and ready leaders will be those who “preach the word, ready in season and out, reproving, rebuking, and exhorting, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). Why? “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching. But having itching ears will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Tim 4:3-4) 

Jesus asks his disciples, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8)  What will this faith look like? It will be characterized by biblical readiness. A belief and hope in the truth of God’s Word and a courage to entrust oneself to it in the face of trial, persecution, and worldly loss.

We all know Hebrews 4:12 well, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” But rarely do we set this great verse in its wonderful context. Verse 11 tells us that we are to “strive to enter that rest [the coming ‘rest’ of God’s people at his glorious return] so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience”.  Verse 13 reminds us that one day we will give an account to God.

The steward who believes the Lord is returning, who believes that his heart will be laid bare before his Master on that Day, will begin the work of exposure and examination today with the surgical work of God’s Spirit through His Word.

 

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posted by Erik Braun

February 18, 2010

Stewards of Anxious Thoughts

We’ve been walking through Luke chapter 12 for the past few weeks together on Sunday mornings. This chapter is fundamentally about our stewardship as disciples of Jesus. A steward is one who has been entrusted with something. A steward is more than a slave; a steward is a manager, a supervisor of the things put under him by his master.

Jesus says we are stewards of our talk- our confession (12:8-12). He has given us a message that is good news, minds to consider and understand it, mouths to bear witness to it, and providential opportunities to seize for his glory. What do you do with this great stewardship of confession? Luke 12:9 says plainly that you are accountable for this and one day will answer for this stewardship.

Jesus says we are stewards of stuff (12:13-21; 12:32-34). What we have is not ours, but our master’s- whether talent, time, or treasure. It is our duty as good managers to spend it in accordance with our Lord’s instruction and invest it according to God’s eternal plan. One day we will be accountable for the management of our stuff. So- whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Right now I am sitting in front of an expensive computer with books I’ve purchased drinking a coffee that cost $1.90. I am accountable for all of it. Am I using it, drinking it, thankful for it and aware of the reality of God’s eternal glory that is the source and goal of all of it? It is good to ask this now than to hear on the last day, “Fool!” (12:20).

Jesus says also that we are stewards of ‘anxieties’ (12:22-31). This is a tricky one. The Lord plainly says that we are not to be anxious, fretful, hand wringing. But the word for anxiety can be used in a negative sense (as Jesus intends here) or in a positive sense. In a positive sense we might use the word care or concern. In speaking of his helper in ministry, Timothy, Paul says to the Philippian church, “I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare” (Phil. 2:20).  It is a good thing that Timothy is full of concern for the believers in Philippi. In speaking of the use of spiritual gifts for the building of the body of Christ Paul says to the Corinthian church, “God has composed the body giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul spoke of his daily ‘concern’ for all the churches (2 Cor. 11:28).

When I am anxious I often ask the Lord to take away my anxieties. But, if I am a steward and all things are from my master and for my master, then this is not wise stewardship thinking. In this request I am like the steward who buried his talents in the ground. Or, I am worse! I forsake the stewardship altogether. “Just take the concerns away, Lord! I don’t want them. It is too hard to steward them. It is too much. Just make me comfortable and at ease.” Problem is- when we say this we are forsaking the stewardship and can no longer claim to be disciples. Our fear of the anxieties of this age (what I call an ‘inferior’ fear) has led us to forsake the glorious and ‘superior’ fear of God. When we forsake superior fears to avoid inferior fears we are on the road to hell (12:4-7). When we pursue superior fears by stewarding all inferior fears with prayer, good stewardship, eternal pursuits, gospel preaching, ministry, kingdom seeking…we are on the road to heaven (12:21, 31, 34).

What is your great worry today? That worry is like the dollar in your pocket. It is an opportunity for good and glory. Or, it is an opportunity for evil and vanity. Take that worry and lean into God. Take that anxious thought and seek God’s kingdom with it. How is that worry able to show your sin and lead you to repentance and faith. Do you believe that God is the source of hope in that concern? Take that worry to God’s Word. Don’t spend an hour on the pillow with worry. Spend an hour in bible study about whatever it is that is causing your anxiety. If you’re like me you’ll probably study yourself to sleep!

Jesus is clear- your life is more than anxiety (12:23). You have a soul that will last forever and God desires that all the time, talents, and treasures he has given you to steer that soul heavenward. The stewardship of anxious thoughts is the design of God to shape the hearts of his children.

So, “fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (12:32)

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posted by Erik Braun

February 13, 2010

Brutal Logic and Bad Law

You can read Mark Hohmeister’s original article in the Tallahassee Democrat arguing against the Personhood Amendment here. I wonder if Mr. Hohmeister is at all aware of the rather brutal utilitarian nature of his article. The logic goes like this, “Sick babies suffer. Mothers and fathers of sick babies suffer. So, it is best to kill sick babies.” Hmmm. This arbitrary moral code might just be applied to any who claim to suffer or cause suffering. According to the logic of Hohmeister and most of the ‘mercy killing’ party we really should cease and desist in all this painful Haiti relief. Just nuke em.

Here’s my Dad’s (Pastor Mike Braun) excellent response to Hohmeister’s arguments against personhood for the unborn humans:

Don’t let extreme cases determine abortion laws
Tallahassee Democrat, January 31, 2010

Mark Hohmeister warned Democrat readers of the dangers he believes would result from a constitutional amendment affirming children in the womb are categorically human beings.  (The Tallahassee Democrat, Section B, p.1, January 23, 2010)  He concludes with a remarkable statement.  If one, he says, would only agree with him that every child in the womb is not a “natural person with full rights” then there would be “a lively little debate.”  But if the point in question were conceded there would be no debate.  It is obvious that Mr. Hohmeister does not believe there is anything to debate.  He is certain that he is right and all who do not agree with him are wrong; worse, they are apparently ignorant, or heartless, or both. 

The proposed personhood amendment to our state’s Constitution holds that children in the womb are entitled to the same rights and protections afforded all other United States citizens.  In a day when such rights are even granted to foreign enemies of our country it is surprising anyone would object to extending such rights to our own unborn.  Mr. Hohmeister objects to the personhood amendment professing concern for individuals faced with extraordinary crisis pregnancies.  He fears protection of the unborn by a personhood amendment would threaten them and cites four specific examples of people facing crisis pregnancies who would, he claims, be placed in jeopardy and even punished by such an amendment.  He gives the impression that such extraordinary crises as those he refers to are commonplace.  They are anything but that.
The four examples cited in Mr. Hohmeister’s article do not hold up under closer examination though they are excellent examples of that principle of jurisprudence which states “hard cases make bad law.”  Two of his illustrations involve young women: a 12 year old victim of incest and a college student who had been raped.  Both found themselves with child as a result of these assaults.  Though these are tragic situations they are extreme occurrences and pregnancies resulting from such things are rare.  It would be unwise to attempt to formulate a law to accommodate them to the detriment of the far greater number of normal, healthy pregnancies.  It would be like removing all speed limits from our highways because though millions travel daily in relative safety at reduced speeds every once in awhile someone in an emergency must exceed the limits of the law to get to a hospital.  The truth is we acknowledge exceptions while insisting on maintaining speed limits in the vast majority of normal situations.  Why?  Because removing just laws would threaten everyone and hard, or exceptional cases make very bad law. 

The statistical reality is that only 1% of women under 15 years of age have abortions.  The chances of conception during rape are over 1 in every 2,000 instances and in cases of incest conception is even more remote.  Is it reasonable to focus on less than 1% of women in crisis and ignore 99% of those who need the protection and support of law? 

Mr. Hohmeister uses two other extreme examples to justify denying constitutional guarantees protecting children in the womb threatened by abortion.  He pleads rare medical cases such as ectopic pregnancies that occur in less than 2% of all pregnancies, and the even rarer cases of extreme genetic aberration effecting perhaps less than another 1%.  He cites these rarities as reason enough to oppose protecting 95% to 98% of all other whole and healthy human beings in the womb. 

Anecdotal tragedies divert the public.  They are rare instances and must be dealt with on an individual basis.  They must never distract us from the fact that an overwhelming number of innocent, healthy children are deprived of the right to life for no other reason than convenience or expedience.  Whatever legal authorities decide to do in exceptional matters it is wrong to justify yearly taking the lives of more than a million normal children in the womb because 1% or 2% of them may be victims of terrible and exceptional circumstances.  There must be another way to guard the personhood of such sufferers without denying the personhood of the vast majority of healthy and whole human beings who are in the process of being born.

The humane laws governing abortion in the state of Texas which were overturned by Roe v. Wade had ample accommodations for such terrible exceptions as raised by Mr. Hohmeister.  If the general truth of the sanctity of life in the womb were upheld in broad terms by our constitution such exceptions would be, as they had always been, dealt with in the compassion and wisdom of our courts, our families and our medical communities. 

Broad statements of constitutional rights do not obviate the sensitive, just application of law in extraordinary and exceptional cases.  It is when you remove the protection of law that you have harsh consequences. 

On January 22, 1973, seven justices of the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that the state no longer had a compelling interest in the life of children in the womb.  At that moment many innocent Americans were denied the protection of law and to date nearly 50 million human beings have had their lives ended before birth.  Many who feel the court had no moral or civil right to do this now believe they are left with little or no alternative but to amend our state’s Constitution.  When Roe v. Wade was contested in the past abortion activists raised the argument that it was “settled law”, a sacred right.  Ironically those who favor abortion on demand are to a large part responsible for the necessary if drastic measures to amend our Constitution.  It was outspoken pro-abortion advocates like Mr. Hohmeister who left those who oppose abortion on demand with little choice other than to seek such an amendment.

Roe v. Wade and the broad axe of abortion have crushed the legal and social framework of compassion that was in place.  Proponents of Roe v. Wade continue to disallow any attempts to reestablish compassionate intervention in crisis pregnancies.  They shout down those who seek to protect the staggering number of innocent victims who yearly fall prey to abortion on demand.  An example of such aggressive opposition is seen when pro-abortion activists continue to lobby against parental notification when minors seek abortion.  The result is today 40% of all teenage abortions are carried out without the knowledge of the parent.  Pro-abortionist activists seem intent to oppose all other reasonable efforts to restrain the wholesale access of abortion on demand.  They leave the rest of us with little or no option other than a personhood amendment.

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posted by Erik Braun

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