Weekly Articles

This holiday season, like every one before it, has brought its share of tragic stories as well as its share of joyful ones.  The joyful stories warm our hearts and remind us why most of us look forward to Christmastime every year; some of these heartwarming stories included the nine-year-old boy who suffered an “orthopedic decapitation” (where the skull lifts off of the spine, destroying the related connective tissue), but who has almost fully recovered three months later; many stories of charitable giving and acts of kindness came out this last week from Toronto, Canada to Houston, Texas and from Atlanta, Georgia to Los Angeles California. 

But these good stories are then tempered by the sorrowful ones.  Several recent news stories bring to mind some of the craziness of the holiday season:  the annoyed man who shot and wounded the father of a noisy family in a movie theater; the recently divorced man who dressed as Santa and proceeded to massacre his ex-wife’s family and burn the house down, later killing himself; and the thirteen-year-old boy whose father and stepmother beat and tied to a tree (as punishment for disobedience), leading to his death by dehydration and heat stroke.

At any other time, this would simply be seen as a balance of “good” stories and “bad” stories; but during the Christmas season, the heartwarming stories are brought forth as part of the “good” that we expect from Christmas, and the horrifying stories seem as an intrusion of the “bad” that we expect to banish during this time.  And while I use the “holiday season” interchangeably with the “Christmas Season,” it is definitely Christmas that makes us expect the good and want to banish the bad.  Neither Hanukkah nor Ramadan have the same effect on the hearts of mankind.

It is not Santa Claus and decorated trees that gives power to this time of year.  It is the story of the birth of Jesus, over 2000 years ago, that gives power to this season.  Not because of some magical connection to a birthday (this would be the wrong time of year, of course), but rather because of what was said about the birth:

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  (Luke 2:10-14 NIV)

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.  When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:  “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”  (Luke 2:25-32 NIV)

You see, the holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus is special.  No matter how patriotic you are, Independence Day will never move you in this way; no matter how much you want to remember the past year and “ring in the new,” New Years Day is not going to break your heart and soften your spirit to give to others.  But the story of the birth of Christ does have that effect.  The magic is not because of the day of the year or any fear of coal in your stockings; the magic comes from the one “through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Let this season serve us as a reminder for the coming year:  a light of revelation has come to earth, and has brought “glory to God in the highest” and peace on earth “to men on whom his favor rests.”  Jesus Christ has done this and more, promising that all of us can have eternal life with him, if we will do what the Magi did two millennia ago, and seek him out.

-Charles Peterson

There is a lot of contention within the Church about whether or not it is permissible for a Christian to celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter as religious or sacred.  From outside of the Church you can find critics that take every view from “Christians in the Church of Christ are hypocrites because they give presents and put up decorations” to “Christians in the Church of Christ are cultists because they condemn others for celebrating the birth of Christ”; and everything in between and around these positions.  From inside the Church, I have encountered every belief about this matter from believing that Jesus was born on December 25^th to believing that putting up wreaths and decorating trees amounts to pagan worship.  And yes, all of those mentioned, both outside of and inside the Church cite scripture to prove their position.

I wish to focus here on the positions within the Church, mainly because those from the outside are largely purposed to attack rather than to profess a sincere ideology.  Those within the Church have diverse enough views for discussion.

Those who believe that Jesus was born on December 25^th are certainly welcome to believe that; but what they are doing is expressing faith in a view that comes not from the Bible but from human contrivance.  The date seems to have been chosen to replace a pagan holiday with a Christian one; all indications that are given to us in the Bible lead to the conclusion that wintertime is a very poor fit for the descriptions of the events surrounding his birth.  Does this invalidate the celebrating of Christmas?  No, it simply puts into perspective the beliefs about the holiday; the nativity scene incorporating both shepherds and magi appears to be in error in terms of historical accuracy, while it correctly portrays the whole of the story symbolically.  And to be honest, isn’t Christmas a symbolic holiday at its heart?

Those who believe that participating in any manner in the Christmas holiday is direct pagan worship need to relax and read the scriptures a bit more.  While few with this view take things quite to the degree that I’ve indicated with that sentence, they do tend to push their view that since Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible it must be an unauthorized addition that God forbids.  But if that is the case, why do we accept so many other things that we have made up:  communion trays, songs not recorded in the Bible (which is almost all of them, by the way),  Wednesday night services, and a Bible that is divided up by chapters and verses (invented by Stephen Langton in the mid 13^th century A.D.).  No, it is not the lack of mention in the Bible that should be the focus of their reasoning on Christmas but rather the conformity to the basic tenets of the Christian faith as expressed in the Bible.

Now, there are relatively few in the Church that actually fall into one of these two extremes; the majority are (predictably) in the middle.  Many believe that the symbolism of  Christmas as expressed in the traditional Christmas songs such as “A Child this Day is Born,” “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” present a proper expression of the importance of the birth of Christ.  Many others believe that to set aside a religious day in a similar manner as was set forth for the Jews exceeds what the Apostles instituted, and is thus improper for the Church.  Paul addresses these points quite well in Romans 14 and Colossians 2.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.  Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.  He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.  He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.  For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.  If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord.  So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  (Romans 14:5-7 NIV)

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.  (Colossians 2:16-17 NIV)

Now, I have focused here mainly on Christmas, but the same principles can be applied to any holiday – not just Christmas and Easter.  Independence Day should be about thanking God for our freedoms and blessings as Americans.  Thanksgiving Day should be about thanking God for the bounteous goodness of his provision for our needs.  Labor Day should be about thanking God for our jobs and productivity, and the earnings he provides through them.  Paul tells us that we are free to set aside special days, and we are free not to.  But we are not free to do so only for ourselves!

So if you are not celebrating Christmas, rejoice and give thanks to God for the freedom of Christianity.  And if you are celebrating Christmas, rejoice and give thanks to God for the birth of Jesus, without which we would never have been saved through his death and resurrection.  Either way, rejoice and give thanks to God!

-Charles Peterson

The 2008 Presidential Election season brought out many disturbing religious overtones, specifically concerning the Democratic candidate Barack Obama.  The leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, said that when Barrack Obama spoke it was “the Messiah speaking.”  Jeremiah Wright, newly reinstated leader of the Trinity United Church Of Christ, recently linked Obama to messianic themes by claiming that he resembled the “Virgin Mary”.  And while this is fairly disconcerting, what really bothers me is the number of Christians who voted for the party whose goals are the elimination of Christian values from American society and the establishment of Government as the highest authority (replacing God).  So the question is:  does Religion affect us, or do we affect it?

There are a great many Christians who voted for the party that is aligned against Godly religion.  This alignment is clearly seen in issues such as abortion, prayer in schools, the public assault on Christian churches while actively promoting Islam as the “religion of peace”, and the democratic-run media’s constant slander of Christianity.  This article is not meant as political commentary, but rather it is trying to illustrate a point.  Does our religion affect our politics, or do our political views affect our religion?  This question is not in any way limited to politics.  Look at the financial problems that beset many Americans.  How many Christians find themselves mired in destructive debt and thus find themselves consumed with chasing money?  How many Christians choose to work overtime hours instead of attending church services?  How many Christians put more of their money into the coffee shop than they do into the collection plate?  Does our religion affect our finances, or do our financial decisions affect our religion?

This question can also be expressed with regards to socialization.  With whom do we spend our time, and in what relationships do we invest the most of ourselves?  Christians often see each other only two or three times a week; in fact many Christians fellowship with the Body on only a weekly basis.  How many Christians spend more time in hobbies than in Bible study and fellowship?  When we chat with coworkers, are we most eager to talk about Jesus Christ and his gospel message, or are we anxious to discuss sports news or movie critiques?  Does our religion affect our friendships, or do our friendships determine our religion?Our religion is often warped by the world; if this is so, then how do we know what our religion should be?  The answer for all of these is the Bible!

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.  If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  (James 1:22-27 NIV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Does our religion affect our politics, finances, and friendships or do they affect our religion?  God has shown us the answer to our question – our religion is supposed to affect all aspects of our lives.  James tells us that the Word (Bible) is our guide, and that we must control ourselves (especially our speech) and help those in need.  Paul tells us that our worship is one of being Godly in the pattern of our lives, thoughts, and deeds.  If we heed both of these passages, we will surely have a religion that positively affects us and those around us. 

-Charles Peterson

In an article titled “Many of Amsterdam’s Brothels, Marijuana Cafes to Close” (www.foxnews.com) the Associated Press revealed that the government of Amsterdam (Netherlands) is closing many of the immoral establishments for which it has achieved notoriety.  The article stated that the city government was attempting to reduce the influence of organized crime by getting rid of businesses that “generate criminality” such as brothels, pot shops, and gambling establishments.  Apparently drug-dealers have been using the legitimized businesses to conduct money-laundering operations and the prostitutes are supplied by human traffickers.  Amsterdam is reaping a harvest of crime and decadence because they sowed seeds of immorality.

I find it hard to believe that they thought that this would turn out any differently!  What did they think would happen if they encouraged prostitution, gambling, and drug usage?  Probably the same thing that organizations such as pro-legalization of prostitution group COYOTE say would happen here:  utopia.  But it never seems to happen that way.  The reason may have to do with reaping and sowing:  a farmer who sows corn expects to reap corn.  In the same way, if you sow immorality, how can you expect a harvest of anything other than a rise in the criminal element?  They are the ones who benefit the most from those sorts of businesses!

The Dutch are not alone in this:  all mankind seems to desire to change morality into whatever they want it to be.  But no one can do that, because morality is even more fundamental than gravity!  Morality is defined based on God’s character, not just on some principle of this universe (such as gravity). 

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  (Galatians 5:19-25 NIV)

As you can see, the sinful nature has a four-fold form:  lust, idolatry, selfishness, and indulgence.  I find it interesting that in Revelation 6:8 John tells us that the four riders (commonly called the Four Horsemen) are given power to “kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:8 NIV).  Now, I am not interpreting the Revelation letter to be referring to this passage from Galatians; I am simply making a point about consequences.  Lust is often punished by disease (plague); selfishness is the root of many wars (sword); indulgence has a corollary punishment in famine; and idolatry leads to man acting like (and believing himself to be) a beast.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8 NIV)

Sowing the seeds of the sinful nature leads to despair and destruction.  But sowing the seeds of righteousness leads to a harvest of life – the one seed of the Spirit grows into the nine fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control!  These nine fruits help us to avoid the pitfalls of the sinful nature and to grow into mature children of God.

-Charles Peterson

There is a trend today that calls for each person to give “according to his ability” and to receive “according to his needs”.  Many feel that this is compassionate and fair, that this has the substance of wisdom and is surely from the Bible.  It is not, of course; it actually comes from the socialist philosophy of Karl Marx.  It is not a new idea – the Pilgrims tried this in the 1600’s at the Plymouth colony and discovered then what everyone has discovered since:  collectivism fails miserably every time it is tried.  In fact, the Pilgrims were only blessed (leading to the first Thanksgiving) when they embraced the individual responsibility and freedoms of a free market system.  Each system depends on a source of blessing:  the individual in the free market system depends on God for his blessings; the collectivists depend on the collective (the government) for their blessings.  God will never bless a collectivist system (remember the story of the Tower of Babel – God broke up the first collective human effort).

There is a coming healthcare crisis because of collectivist (governmental) policies including Medicare and Medicaid.  Doctors used to provide services based on individual need and ability to pay (including bartering services and “pro bono” work).  Now a whole industry is needed just to handle the medical billing to insurance companies and governmental agencies.  Canada’s crisis is in full bloom, as years for medically necessary procedures; their collectivist response to this problem was to outlaw private insurance options.  And they are not being blessed.Similarly our retirement system is in dire jeopardy due to collectivist (governmental) interference.  People used to save and maintain responsibility for their financial futures; now people scream for the government to protect them from loss – no matter that the loss came from unwise choices.  Millions of Baby Boomers who were taught to gamble in the stock market are faced with destitution and the governmentally provided safety net is predictably bankrupted.  Naturally, the call goes out for the government to therefore take over all retirement.  No one calls for God, but they instead run to the government for salvation.

Christians, however, must trust in God!  Many say that “God helps those who help themselves”.  Nonsense!  God helps those who cannot help themselves.

When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.  (Deuteronomy 24:19-22 NIV)

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.  Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight!  Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.  (Isaiah 1:15-17 NIV)

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury.  Many rich people threw in large amounts.  But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.  Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”  (Mark 12:41-44 NIV)

Too many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving as a secular holiday.  They have forgotten (or were never taught) that the first Thanksgiving was a response of man towards God, after man had already failed to do it his way.  We have so much to be thankful for!  And we can see that every time man tries to put himself in control of natural systems and relationships, things break down.  But when man turns back to God, the floodgates of God’s blessings are opened.  Let’s be mindful of his abiding presence in our lives, as we remember to turn toward God in our need, not a collective of flawed men.

-Charles Peterson

Throughout history the quality of a nation’s soil related directly to its power in the world.  In the ancient world, this meant that the population could thrive in good times and survive the bad times.  Few places on Earth are more synonymous with the term “breadbasket” than ancient Egypt – after all, why did Israel send his sons there, but to buy grain?  When Roman power was at its peak, whole navies of transport vessels transported grain from Egypt and Anatolia to Rome to support its multitudes.  Both of these areas were placed in what would become the Eastern Roman Empire (or Byzantine Empire); notice that the half of the Roman empire that contained the breadbasket regions survived the other half by a thousand years!

One of the most productive areas in the world is the well-named “Grain Belt” of the Midwestern area of the United States.  Without this region’s produce, much of the world might starve.  This region is one of the best examples of the natural abundance of the United States.  But not all soil is the same – compare the Grain Belt states to the Gobi Desert!  Just as there are areas of the world that seem to overproduce, there are areas that are known as agriculturally non-productive.  No matter how much water you bring, corn is not going to survive in the vast dunes of the Sahara Desert – the soil is shifting and barren.

In addition to rocky, barren deserts is the presence of weeds.  Often the bane of gardeners and those with allergies alike, weeds are quite simply unwanted plants that thrive to the detriment of other plants.  Pine trees, for example, will grow to the point that they block out the sunlight – starving all of the other nearby plants, including smaller pine trees.  The presence of weeds in a garden will lead to the death of that garden if they are not dealt with, because the weeds will overtake the wanted plants, choking them out.  Weeds can turn even the best soil unproductive.  Look at the Parable of the Sower that Jesus told. 

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:  when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is the seed sown along the path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”  (Matthew 13:18-23 NIV)

When people hear this parable, they often focus on the fact that the farmer spread seed on the path.  But look again:  the path seems to be a small part of the field that was sowed.  Three of the four mentioned places rationally make up more than seventy-five percent of the field (unless you have a four-lane highway running through your farm)!  Ignore the path (where the seed will never take root) and look at the field:  the rocky soil is bad soil, because plants there will not establish deep roots; the thorny soil is bad soil because the weeds choke out the seed as it tries to grow.  Only in the soil that has been cleared of rocks and weeds can produce the harvest!

The lesson is usually given as a tool for evangelism, but I want you to take it as one for your own life!  What does your own field look like?  Have you cleared the field of your life of rocks and weeds?  If not, you are risking spiritual death.  If you do not establish strong roots through rigorous Bible study, a dedicated prayer life, and meaningful fellowship with the church, then you will likely die a quick death amidst the persecutions that inevitably come.  If you do not clear out the weeds and thorns of life – the worries of the worldly life and the pursuit of empty wealth – then you will likely die a slow death of choking on worldly desire and being starved of the light of life.  Either way, there is death in the soil if that soil is not prepared for God.

-Charles Peterson

I was looking at the RSS feeds from Fox News on my computer recently and saw  the headline “Oldest Possibly Hebrew Inscription Possibly Found.”  This understandably drew my attention, so I clicked on the link and was presented with the news story; the article informed me about a ceramic shard that was found at a site that has been dated to 1000BC-975BC – contemporary with King David.  The story then proceeded to explain that “some scholars and archeologists argue that the Bible’s account of David’s time inflates his importance and that of his kingdom, and is essentially myth” (article).  This is said to come from an objective viewpoint.

Now compare this to the “facts” of the story of human evolution.  Java Man, Piltdown Man, Nebraska Man, and Ramapithecus were all at one time or another proclaimed to be evidence of the evolution of man from a “common ancestor” with apes and other primates.  They have all been subsequently revealed as frauds:  Java Man had been manufactured out of small fragments from two different creatures; Piltdown Man was a deliberate hoax, Nebraska Man had been conjured up from a pig’s tooth, and Ramapithecus turned out to be an ape.  Neanderthal Man has tested out as human in every way:  DNA, lifestyle, etc.  So if it walks like a human, has the DNA of a human, and acts like a human – maybe it is human?  But Anthropology is given the benefit of the doubt – they “know” humans evolved, so they will keep searching until they prove it.

Similarly, look at the “facts” of the origin of the universe.  The universe “obviously” began as an infinitely small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense point that exploded outwards into the universe that we know today.  Out of that, over 100 Billion galaxies were born, each with maybe 100 Billion stars – that’s ten thousand billion billion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 1×10²²) stars!  So the argument is that we cannot possibly be the only living beings.  Astrophysicist Hugh Ross, in his book The Creator and the Cosmos, laid out forty-one parameters needed for a planet capable of sustaining life – such as type of galaxy, star mass, tidal force, thickness of crust, atmospheric pressure, etc.  He made the calculation that the probability of a planet meeting all forty-one parameters is one in a hundred thousand trillion trillion trillion trillion (1×10⁵³).  That means that even in a universe with ten thousand billion billion stars, there’s only one chance in one million trillion that a single planet could exist!  But stating that we are the only ones here shouts volumes about the power of the creator, so astronomers claim natural origins (no God) and are given the benefit of the doubt.

Every discipline that makes the claim that there is no God, or that the God of the Bible is not real, is given this benefit!  No serious historian doubts the authenticity of Caesar’s Gallic War, The History of Thucydides, or The History of Herodotus, and yet there is not a single manuscript that dates to within less than 900 years of the original writing!  But the New Testament documents are always held up to scrutiny and called into question as being inauthentic, even though there are literally thousands of manuscripts existing that date to within a couple of centuries (150-200 years), with a fragment of the Gospel of John that dates to within fifty years of the original!  But the doubting historians are given the benefit of the doubt.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written:  “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”  Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified:  a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.  (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 NIV)

We need to take comfort in all of this; God has placed before us the cross of Christ, which our modern “intellectuals” view as foolish and ignorant.  But these same individuals place their faith in the flimsiest evidences and latch on to anything that will tell them that there is no God.  But if look at the two sides, the atheist position needs the benefit of the doubt, while the God-believing side deserves it.

-Charles Peterson

There is a common misconception that forgiveness means you overlook wrongdoing by others; for example, those who are opposed to “harsh” sentences for sexual predators, murderers, and the like, will often tell us that Jesus told us to turn the other cheek and forgive – meaning that in effect we should not punish the criminal.  This kind of thinking has moved our system of justice from a punishment-centered one to a rehabilitation-centered one.  As a consequence, we now have prisons bursting at their seams, rising costs per inmate (as the quality of “service” is demanded to increase), and recidivism rates that are just plain ludicrous.  Our inmates have a more comfortable lifestyle that most of the population of the world:  there are many inmates who, in addition to free food, shelter, and medical care, are also able to earn tax free income that dwarfs the average pay throughout much of the world.  Frankly, which are you more afraid of:  being sent to an American prison or residing in North Korea?  In terms of the death penalty, the US executed forty-two in 2007, while China executed 470 (confirmed, while reports are that the true figure could have been as high as 8,000) – at least some of whom were political dissidents.  The US has definitely embraced a doctrine of leniency.   

Within the church, this kind of thinking leads us to tolerate numerous outrageous doctrines and behaviors.  Some things are fairly subtle, such as statements or questions raised during Bible classes that drift towards unhealthy ideologies – if they are challenged, the person challenging the wrong ideas is often accused of being aggressive or unchristian.  Other things are more blatant, such as the person who carries out adulterous behaviors but is never dealt with because the other members of the church are trying to “be forgiving” and treat with the person in love.  Overlooking sin is not forgiveness, it is indulgence – and it is condemned in the Bible!

I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters.  In that case you would have to leave this world.  But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.  With such a man do not even eat.  What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?  Are you not to judge those inside?  God will judge those outside.  “Expel the wicked man from among you.”  (I Corinthians 5:9-13 NIV)

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time.  After that, have nothing to do with him.  You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.  (Titus 3:10-11 NIV)

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.  They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up.  Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.  (II Peter 2:1-3 NIV)

This is serious business!  We are supposed to expel the wicked man from our assembly!  Not kindly exhort him; not ask him gently to try being a little less wicked; not, please keep it quiet and out of view.  We are suppose to warn a divisive person twice, and then have “nothing to do with him”.  What happened to forgiving your brother however many times he needs it?  Well, that is itself a flawed theology!  Jesus didn’t say to forgive him however many times he needs it; in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew, it is pretty clear that the forgiveness came as a result of the repentance of the transgressor. 

Clearly, forgiveness that is the result of repentance is powerful, binding both the forgiven and the forgiver in love; forgiveness that comes without repentance simply indulges the transgressor, rewarding bad behavior and allowing them to proceed unchecked towards destruction.  This should be an easy concept for the Christian.  After all, God’s forgiveness is open to all to receive, but only through repentance and atonement.  God is willing to forgive sinners who repent, but he simply refuses to indulge sinners who want to keep sinning.   And he wants us to forgive, but never to indulge, sin.

-Charles Peterson

I was reading an excerpt from Hedge Fund Manager Jonathan Hoenig’s book “Greed is Good: The Capitalist Pig Guide to Investing” wherein he said that the point of life was to be as happy as possible (rough paraphrase).  The immediate reaction that arose in my mind was the wrongness of this notion; obviously our existence here is not for the purpose of our happiness.  But then I started to rethink this:  what if he is right?

No, I do not think that what we commonly think of as happiness is the point of life here on Earth.  Most people (especially Americans) will define happiness as something along the lines of comfort, carnal-satiation, or wish-fulfillment.  But if you extrapolate the end result of those things, does it lead to happiness?  Try unfettered gluttony – you will end up seriously obese, with major health problems and possibly even some emotional trauma.  Try doing only the things that come easily, avoiding any sweat, pain, or effort – you will become thoroughly unproductive and lacking in any accomplishment (and probably friendless, as well).  Seeking after simple wish fulfillment (as opposed to working towards goals) often leads the unwary into the snares of conmen and predators.

But what about true happiness?  What is it, and should we be seeking it?  For example, there are both immediate and long-term benefits that come from productive labor:  the immediate benefits are a sense of accomplishment and increased fitness (physical, mental, and/or spiritual, depending on the type of labor); the long-term benefits are an increase in health and wealth (fiscal, physical, mental, social, and spiritual).  Understanding this does not require a tremendous leap of faith or the wisdom of Solomon.  Our cultural history is full of fables and proverbs such as Benjamin Franklin’s – Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

God’s word provides more teaching about this than mere common sense; God goes further by showing why this is so. 

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.  Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.  (Philippians 4:10-13 NIV)

What does the worker gain from his toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on men.  He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.  God does it so that men will revere him.  (Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 NIV)

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!’  (Matthew 25:23 NIV)

In the first passage, the Apostle Paul states that he knows the secret to being content in all situations:  drawing on the strength of the Lord.  This is not saying that he pays no attention to pain or suffering, nor is it saying that he never feels privation or hunger; on the contrary, he makes it plain that he is fully cognizant of need and discomfort – he has simply drawn on the power of God to be content no matter what be happening.  This is much akin to Proverbs 30:8-9 in which the writer asks for God to keep him from being too rich (and thus arrogantly forsaking God) or too poor (and thus dishonoring God by stealing).  The second passage shows that God made man to be happy (in food, drink, and work) and in doing good (precluding abuses of food, drink, and work).  The third passage shows that the servants of the master can only share in the happiness of the master through faithfulness.

Our existence on this Earth is precisely for the purpose of our happiness – but that happiness is only obtainable through our relationship with God.  So I’d have to say that our happiness is very important.  Let’s work to be happy through a better understanding of, and a stronger connection to, the Living God.

-Charles Peterson

Do you ever find yourself exasperated at the thought of how some people seem to be able to live however they like, doing whatever they want, without having to suffer the consequences for their wickedness?  I certainly do!  I recently read an article on the Fox News website - “Pop Tarts: Nobody Cares About Holly Madison Without Hugh Hefner,” by Hollie McKay (http://www.foxnews.com).  The point of the article was that this woman was no longer able to be center stage in the nightclub scene because all of her “star power” really came from being attached to Playboy Magazine mogul Hugh Hefner.

Now in all honesty, I am fairly unsympathetic to Ms. Madison’s plight (that’s the results of living that life), but I do find it frustrating that a man who has built his wealth on using young women’s bodies to prey on the darker side of men’s sexuality never seems to be called to account.  I do not wish the man any harm, but it would be satisfying to hear about him suffering the consequences of being a pioneer in the commoditization of sex in America.

No, we are not likely to get that satisfaction.  We are told in the Bible many times that what we see here on Earth is only part of the picture.  This means that we are likely to see unfairness in the way things work out; for example, Hugh Hefner has been using up young women (and thereby a great many men) for decades now, without any apparent stigma attaching itself to him:  he is a fairly popular cultural icon, an invitation to his mansion is much sought-after, and he is a man in his eighties who has young, beautiful women flocking to him.  But that is only what we see here.

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  (Matthew 5:45 NIV)

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NIV)

So, on the one hand we see that God causes many things in this world to work out for man regardless of his actions.  So, whether in politics or the business world or in the entertainment scene, a wicked man can prosper just like a just man.  But on the other hand, there are eternal consequences for the lives we live here.  It is because of those consequences that we should thank God whenever our evil schemes land us in trouble – God may be disciplining us!

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children?  It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child.”  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.  For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate children at all.  Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it.  How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!  Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  (Hebrews 12:4-11 NIV)

God only humbles and disciplines those he loves!  There is a Day appointed on which the whole world will be humbled.  But on that day, those who have humbled themselves towards God here on Earth will be exalted as the sons of God.  God wants you to be in that group, so he disciplines you here.  Those who reject God are not humbled – they prosper or are destroyed, but they are not disciplined.

Now as for Mr. Hefner and Ms. Madison and any others out there, we should truly pray for them to come to repentance; do not wish them any harm.  But also, do not lose any sleep over the lack of consequences – we do not see everything, nor do we need to.  What we need to see are the problems and consequences in our own lives that serve to discipline and humble us – learn to listen to God, and he will help you become the person you were intended to be!

-Charles Peterson