Petitions/Boycotts - Should We?

What do some Christians hope to accomplish when they petition a company or a government?  Do they believe they are going to convince the company or government to become Christian?  There is no such thing as a Christian company or government.  Do they believe they are going to bring nonbelievers into the Kingdom?  I hardly think that strong arming a company into doing something is a good witness.  Instead the world sees the Christians as a band of bullies, demanding their way yet again.  What happened to being the face of love?  Do we only love when things are going our way?  That sounds like the way of the world, not the way of Christ. In fact, Jesus tells us himself that we will be persecuted and hated:

"If the world hates you,¹ keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you² out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  John 15:19-19

But even more important is this word from Jesus:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matthew 5:10-12

So we should REJOICE in bad times and times of persecution.  We know it's coming, Jesus told us to expect it.  And how we react is important.  When our Lord was persecuted, did he ask his apostles to petition the soldiers or the Roman government or the Pharisees?   God tells us to petition HIM, not the world:

Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. And God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace will be with you.

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 4:9 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek.

Footnotes:

1. Philippians 4:7 Joseph ThayerA Greek-English Lexicon.
2. Philippians 4:7 William Gurnall, cited by Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.

Phil 4:6-9

His name is Friedrich Nietzsche. He was a German philosopher in the late 1800s. He was the son and grandson of pastors. He despised the Christian concept of God. He asked the question, “What is more harmful than any vice?” He gave the answer, “Active sympathy for the ill-constituted and the weak—Christianity.” He disdained Jesus as God on the cross. He believed Christianity was man’s greatest misfortune. He said the church left nothing untouched by its depravity. He defined good as all that heightens the feeling of power. Weakness was bad.

He used the word “Übermensch.” It can be translated “overman” or “superman.” The Nazis and Hitler co-opted the word and used it racially for a superior white race. But for Nietzsche Übermensch or superman was a counter value to God. Man becoming superman no longer needs God. Our goal in life is to be superman. What use then do we have of God? He would say none. God is dead. He is superfluous. In some ways Nietzsche is similar to Ann Rand and her coldly objective survival of the fittest. Only the strongest have a right to survive.

The point of all this being, Nietzsche’s response to hurt, insult, and persecution would be retaliation; the use of power because power is good and weakness is bad. The conclusion is that anytime we respond to insult, to a hurt, to persecution, with retaliation of any kind, we are more like Nietzsche than Jesus.Pastor Michael Wheatley, West Chester Presbyterian Church

Another aspect brought up by Father Jonathan Morris on FOX this morning is how signing these petitions is like saying you are speaking for all Christians when in fact, you aren't.  Petitions and boycotts are negative, punitive acts that diminish what Christianity is all about.

We need to respond to troubled times in a positive, loving way which is hardly found through petitioning and boycotting.  Encouragement and prayer for those being persecuted are positive ways to respond.  Pray that they would be faithful and obedient throughout their ordeal.  Pray that it would bring glory to God.  Pray that God's will be done.

Finally, the Robertson family will be fine.  They don't need nor have they asked for our petitions.  Their faith seems solid and I doubt the father is going to retract his statement.  Could he have said things in a more loving way?  Possibly.  But no matter how he said it the world was going to find it offensive because the world doesn't get it.  If dropped from A&E the Robertsons will probably get offers from other networks who see dollar signs in their duck calls.  We should be praying that the Robertson family would hear God loud and clear concerning what direction He would have them go at this point.  And pray that OUR family's response would be pleasing to God and glorify Him in the highest.



 

Christmas Hijacked?

There are so many articles and comments from secularists concerning Christmas and how one doesn’t need Jesus to celebrate the holiday.  It boggles my mind how anyone can even see the word CHRISTmas and think it’s okay to take Christ out of it.  All you are left with is MAS.  Perhaps that’s what the secularists should celebrate – but oh, wait, then that would mean they need to go to a church service or mass, right?  They definitely wouldn’t like that.  Back to square one.

 

The more I thought about it, the less sense it made.  I don’t see the secularists hijacking Hanukah or Ramadan, insisting their god be taken out of the holiday so all can celebrate.  I don’t see articles and comments desecrating the Jewish or Muslim holidays.  Only Christians seem to be the focus of hate.  Then it hit me.  Who hates us more than anything?  The enemy.  Yes, Satan and his followers want nothing more than to upstage, desecrate and ruin the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  Satan has slowly but surely lured us into his world of materialism – lights, music, shopping, gluttony – until even we Christians have been lulled into a stupor. 

 

Awaken sleeping Christians!  Take back Christmas by using the one weapon Satan does not possess -  LOVE!  Spread the love of Jesus through the land and the enemy will fail yet again.  He has no weapon in his arsenal that can overpower the love of Jesus.  Spread the Good News everywhere you go.  Remember what Christmas is really about.  And most of all, invite the unchurched to church so they can hear the Gospel. 

          The best thing we nonbelievers can do, in fact, is be honest about not celebrating the religious side of Christmas. Each Christmas and Easter, churches have to struggle to accommodate the extra crowds who show up for holiday services. While pews may be partially filled or even deserted on a Sunday over the summer, the holidays see a huge increase in attendance as the CEOs (Christmas and Easter Onlys) stop by. The problem is particularly pronounced in Catholic churches, as Christmas is a holy day of obligation. When holiday church attendance is motivated by guilt instead of a genuine state of religious worship, it creates headaches for everyone—and takes up valuable pew real estate. Torie Bosch, editor of Future Tense

This is Satan’s plan -  to keep as many nonbelievers out of the churches, away from Christians, deaf to the Good News, as he can.  Struggle to accommodate the extra crowds?  Those are Satan’s words, not ours – we love the crowds and the opportunity to share God’s Word.  As far as the CEO’s -  hey, it gives us at least two opportunities a year to reach them!  Praise God!!  Remember our battle is not with the flesh and blood of this world, but rather with the spirit forces of evil (Eph 6:12).

 

Articles by nonbelievers:

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2008/12/no_reason_for_the_season.html

 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/12/24/no_need_to_put_the_christ_in_christmas_if_you_re_not_religious_christmas.html

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865592614/Most-Americans-celebrate-Christmas-but-not-all-as-religious-holiday.html

 

Lester

I'm wondering -  do the homeless have their obituaries posted in the newspaper?  Do they have a funeral or memorial service?  Are they remembered at all or missed?  Or are they just a fleeting remembrance in the lives of a few people whose paths they crossed in their final years.  Yet they were someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, aunt or uncle.  They may have had children of their own and are someone's mother or father, grandmother or grandfather.  They were created by God, lived their lives and returned to the earth. 

I don't know much about Lester's personal life.  I know he was in the military.  I know he loved to find funny dog pictures and jokes on his computer to show us.  I know he worked hard in the kitchen on Thursday nights at Halo.  And I know he was saved.  Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.

Those who knew Lester would agree he was a character.  At first meeting, he seemed gruff and aloof.  Quiet, maybe even a little grumpy.  That was the exterior.  Inside, Lester was caring and compassionate.  He would ask about others all the time.  He loved to laugh and tell jokes.  He had a certain way he liked to work the kitchen at Halo and we all learned to do it Lester's way - it was, afterall, the best way. 

The last time I saw Lester he was eating dinner at Halo and I went to say hi to him.  He looked so much smaller and weaker than the robust military guy I met.  His voice was frail and I could barely hear him above all the noise of the dining hall.  He asked about Paul with a smile on his face.  Still thinking about others even with death at his door.

I still don't know what happens to the homeless when they die.  I suppose the state does something with their bodies.  I know that Lester's soul lives on in Heaven and one day the gang at Halo will see him again.  And I know that for me, Lester will be more than a fleeting remembrance as he touched our lives and left an impression.  And if he did that for those of us on Thursday night at Halo, I'm sure he did that for many people he came in contact with.  God bless him, he'll be missed.