The Declaration of Dependence

 The Declaration of Dependence

We celebrate the 4th of July as if it is the birth of our nation. Actually it isn't. On Independence Day the Colonies, not the United States, declared their independence from the crown of Great Britain. In fact if you read the Declaration of Independence most of it sounds like an indictment of a criminal, in this case King George. Before we became the United States there was that messy business of the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, and the adoption of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. As we celebrate the 4th of July there are a couple of things we will do well to remember. 

In the Declaration of Independence there is a significant declaration of dependence. On three occasions, in this relatively short document, there is a direct appeal and statement of dependence upon God.   

In the first paragraph it is stated that the colonies are entitled to, “...the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them,...”  In other words national liberty is a trust from God, not something issued by the state or the ruler.

In the second paragraph we read a declaration about the equality of all mankind.  ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator…”  While it took some time for this to be fully realized, the founders understood that the foundation of human equality is in creation by God. The further we move from a deep understanding and commitment to God the less likely we are to enjoy the benefits of human equality.

After the brutal indictment of King George our founders, in the conclusion of this Declaration of Independence, make their appeal to ultimate authority. And the last paragraph they write, “...appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions,”.  Rectitude is not a word that we use very often. It simply means moral righteousness.  The founders were saying, “We're doing this because we believe that the ultimate Judge of the universe would have us behave this way”.

There is no sense in which freedom has intended by our founders to mean that we are free to do whatever we want. We are free to do that which is right. That which is right is determined by the Supreme judge of the universe. 

Which brings us to the question that we need to ask of ourselves and our nation. The question is not, “Am I free to do this or that thing?”  The question ought to be, “Is this the righteous, moral and godly thing to do? Our Declaration of Independence has at its core a declaration of dependence. As America drifts away from depending upon God we can be assured that the freedoms that we have enjoyed will be lost.

So many times we hear politicians, especially during campaigning season, say things like ‘God bless America’. I would suggest that we change that, let our cry be “America, bless God”. 

Charlie's Challenge 6.25.23

 Charlie’s Challenges: Extras from the sermon and links for additional information

It is about being a Disciple

Memory verse:  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes  and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

Off the cuff can you list the 10 Commandments? 

What are some of the reasons that rule keeping a hopeless approach to faith?

Why is it so popular, and practiced by so many people?

How do you understand “Living by the Spirit”?

What is the difference between ‘sin management” and “heart change”?

How might their results be different?

Love is powerfully expressed in prayer.  With this in mind how do we pray for and love our enemies?

Discuss the connection between not being in a hurry, communication and love for God.  Why can’t we love God in a hurry?  How do we slow down to love God?

Links to outside resources that might be of interest.

Prohibition for work if you want to keep the Law

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shabbats-work-prohibition/

Here is a list of the 613 commands in the Torah

https://www.jewfaq.org/613_commandments

Passages:

Acts 15:8-10

Matthew 5:17-20

Matthew 5:21-22

Matthew 5:29-30

Matthew 7:7-8 

I Cor 13:1-4

The Church in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend

This week Lorie and I got a chance to visit the site of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.  This was the battle which effectively ended the resistance of the Creek Indians to the expansion of settlers into what was at the time the Mississippi territory.  While the back story to the battle is interesting it is also long so I want to jump to just one part of the conflict.

The Creek Indians that opposed the settlers moving into the area were led by Chief Menawa.  Under Menawa’s leadership about 1,000 warriors and a much smaller number of their kin took a position on a bit of land that was shaped like a horseshoe by the meanderings of the Tallapoosa River.  Across a narrow section of the horseshoe they built an impressive defensive line.  They were depending on the river to protect both of their flanks and their rear.  At this point, the battle was lost to the Creeks.  All they actually managed to do was give themselves a false sense of security and confine themselves for slaughter.  

The U.S. forces, lead by Andrew Jackson, outnumbered the Creeks nearly 3 to 1.  They also had vastly superior fire power armed with muskets and artillery.  The Creeks had a few muskets but were for the most part armed with clubs and bows.  With their rear covered by U.S. forces to prevent escape and with allied Creeks and Cherokees crossing the river Menawa’s defeat was an inevitability.  The lopsided casualties of the battle indicate how bad Menawa’s strategy actually was: U.S. Losses: 70 killed and about 200 wounded.  Creek Losses: about 800 killed and about 200 wounded.  

As we toured the battlefield I thought about the church in America.  We all know that the church is not a building, but the people.  But that factoid in our brains seems to have trouble working its way into the function of our lives.  If someone asked you, “Where is your church?” how likely would it be that we would give an address or directions to a building.  If we said our church was a large brick building would we be talking about a group of people?  The damage done by mistaking the church for a building and vice versa is immeasurable.  I am not anti-building,  Buildings can be very useful tools.  What concerns me most is that as there is growing opposition to the church (the people of God) that we will retreat more and more into our church buildings.  If we do so, we will, like the Creeks, seal our own doom.  

What can we do?  It is my opinion that the church more than ever needs to get outside of it four walls for as many things as possible.  From Small groups to fellowship events to even our worship we need to move the church’s life out of our building and into the community.  Rather than asking the community to come to church (by which we mean an event at our building) let’s invite the community to our lives in the community.  Better yet, find ways to invite ourselves into the lives and events of our community.  

Charlie's Challenge 6.18.23

 Charlie’s Challenges: Extras from the sermon and links for additional information

It is about being a Disciple

Memory verse:  When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him. Matthew 5:1

“In Spiritual warfare the strongest weapon is obedience”.  Why is this the case?

How has Matthew 5:1 changed your perspective on the Sermon on the Mount?

Using your Bible list only the conditions described in the Beatitudes?  What happens when Chrsitians try to make this the terms of being a follower of Christ?

Select any one of the conditions that Jesus calls blessed and consider the opposite alternative. Think about or discuss the logical conclusion of that opposite condition.

The title Christian is used only 3 times in the Bible.  Acts 11:26, 26:28, and I Peter 4:16  Read over these passages and contrast what you find there with the term Disciple.

The blessing is not in the condition but that we can be in the Kingdom regardless of our condition.  What conditions might seem to make it hard to be in the Kingdom?  Why

Links to outside resources that might be of interest.

This is an excellent resource from our Catholic friends.  Obedience is the most powerful weapon in spiritual warfare.  

https://youtu.be/GSzvnN0wiRg

We are called to make disciples.  Sometimes the church becomes entertainment.

https://youtu.be/TgcmH9Gwfu0

Introducing Pastor A.I.

Rarely do I have such a strong negative emotive, spiritual or gut reaction as I had this week.  There are occasions when you see, hear or experience something and at a very deep level you know it is wrong.  Sometimes you can say that because it is something that contradicts scripture, sometimes it is something that is clearly destructive, and sometimes it is the awareness that what you have just witnessed is dangerous and reflects incredible evil.  

For me this happened last week when I read reports coming out of German about a church service that was planned and led by artificial intelligence (AI).  At a gathering of protestant Christians in Germany the Sunday Service was the result of the processes of AI.  A theology student basically told an AI program to do the service. AI came up with Psalms, hymns and a sermon.  On this Sunday morning a screen was set up and four different avatars conducted the entire service.  I haven’t yet found the text of the sermon but the outline was something to the effect of 1) leave the past behind, 2) focus on the challenges of the present, 3) overcome the fear of death, 4) Never losing trusting in Jesus.  While not horrific in itself, it sounds somewhat sophomoric.  

There are so many things wrong with this I hardly know where to begin.  I am a luddite and am generally not positively disposed to the newest things.  But my concern is not there.  Without the content of the sermon text I can’t offer much of an evaluation, but the confrontation of the word of God needs to be driven by the Spirit, not by algorithms.  But my concern is not there.  The removal of the human element from worship is clearly problematic.    But my concern is not there.  

My biggest problem was actually with the criticism of the AI service by those who attended.  The critics of the attendees tended to focus around the presentation.  ONe attendee put it this way: “There was no heart and no soul. The avatars showed no emotions, had no body language and were talking so fast and monotonously that it was very hard for me to concentrate on what they said.”

What if AI developed so that it could produce what appeared to be heart and soul?  What if the engineers were able to write in better inflection and pacing of delivery?  Could the video be enhanced so that the avatars could express body language that was consistent with what was being said?  If these things were accomplished would a worship service from AI be acceptable?

This AI experiment expresses the problem with much of the worship of the church in the 21st century.  It began with the seeker sensitive/driven movement in which churches were attempting to attract crowds, as distinct from making disciples, by becoming relevant, contemporary and relatable.  It has evolved to the point that some churches have become little more than entertainment venues.  In an effort to attract an audience many churches focus on pleasing people.  (For an example you may find this interesting: https://youtu.be/TgcmH9Gwfu0 ).  An AI church could be the next  expression of personalized and self-serving worship.  

There is a singular problem: we have made worship about us, our likes, dislikes, taste and preferences.  Jesus said in Luke 12:5 “But I will warn you whom to fear; fear the one who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes I tell you fear Him.”

When worship becomes an expression of our wants, it is no longer worship, it is entertainment.  May we come to worship the One who will be our judge, who has the authority to send us to hell, but in His mercy and grace rescues us.  That will cause two things in our lives: one we will in gratitude love Him and desire to please Him, second we will be challenged to die to ourselves.  If we are left in fear of God and loving Him and dying to self, then it is worship.   

Charlie's Challenges 6.11.23

  Charlie’s Challenges: Extras from the sermon and links for additional information

Hearing God is more direct than we think.

Memory verse:  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Have you ever felt like communication with God was through a dial-up modem?  How did that change for you?

In what ways might the god of this world attempt to blind our minds?  What can we do to work against that?

Samuel didn’t know what the call of God would be like, and Elijah expected something different.  How can we become attuned to the actual voice of God and not miss it by ignorance or misguided expectation?

Why do you think our general reaction to the Law is negative?  What can we do to gain a proper perspective about the Law?

God speaks to us by the Word and the Spirit working in our thoughts.  Do you think that is more like a wind storm, blast of fire, earthquake, or whispering voice? Why do you think we generally expect God’s word for us to be ultra dramatic?

Think about the connection between the mind and the body.  In view of Romans 12:1-2 how might our bodies mislead our minds or our minds mislead our bodies?

We need to listen carefully and with humility.  How do we express those two traits?

What are some of the things that describe the word we receive from God?

Links to outside resources that might be of interest.

Interesting article about the new speed record for digital communication:

https://bigthink.com/the-present/japan-internet-speed/

VBS just for fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt4lcgIKEKM

Strong words for the church

https://youtube.com/shorts/WmVXCSNx-W8?feature=share

The Tribe is Growing

This week we welcomed a new member to our family.  Our youngest daughter gave birth to a 6 pound 15 ounce 20 inch long baby boy known as Nico.  He is adorable.  (For privacy reasons we don’t post pictures or give his full name online.)  That day was the day I paid the insurance bill, filled the truck with gas, took the garbage out and placed an order for some stuff I needed.  In some ways it seems odd that such a grand occasion should occupy the same space as the radically mundane.  

But I believe that is what it is like to be a disciple.  As a follower of Christ we are already living eternal life, but we are also physically moving toward the day our bodies stop working.  We are living in a  world with rampant evil, while at the same time in communion with the Holy One.  We are buying, selling, working and functioning in the world, but at the same time we are doing all these things to the glory of the Ever Living God.  I email people who are regular folk, but are also the tabernacle of the Holy Spirit.  

Have you ever considered how the most earthly of moments are actually the place where God is at work.  In Matthew 1 we read the ‘begat’ passages, “Abraham begat Issac”.  About nine months before Issac was born Abraham and Sarah were engaged in an activity that may not have at the moment seemed especially religious and holy.  But in that moment God was there and at work bringing about a little boy named Laughter.  Perhaps there are no little moments, only our inability to perceive, understand or trust the greatness of every second call now.  

So if your world did not experience a cosmic shift when Nico was born that is okay.  Because the nature of the world is that in the same moment there is both the grand and holy and the plan and ordinary.  Our God is so great that by His love and grace even the most mundane moment can be pregnant with the awesome.  

Welcome to our tribe little Nico may you come to know the grace, love and joy of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in all of your now’s and for all eternity.

Charlie Challenge 6.4.23

  Charlie’s Challenges: Extras from the sermon and links for additional information

The way of Christ is an invitation to holistic healthy life.

Memory verse:   For momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 2 Cor 4:17

“If you are planning on dying then you will be disappointed.” and “I am an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God’s great universe!”

Compare these two statements with John 8:51 What do you find.

Christian spiritual formation can be defined as becoming and acting like Jesus.  How is your spirit being formed now?  What are the positive and negative influences for you?.  

Why is it that for spiritual formation to take effect we must set our focus on things above?

What kind of things are most likely to make you lose heart?

2 Cor 4:16-17 This passage is a good description of what it's like to live life in the Spirit.

What are some tools we can use to help renew our inner man every day? Acts 2:42

Why do you think hardships are so good at producing positive effects in our lives?

What are the three contrasts Paul uses and which is most meaningful for you?

Have you ever used a scope?  When using a scope what is the most important thing to do?

What do you believe is the best way to focus our scope on eternal things?

Suggestion on how to celebrate Pride Month, it is in the last paragraph.

 It seems that our society has lost its mind regarding all issues sexual.  While the statements of scripture are pretty simple and straightforward. What we hear in popular culture is confused and chaotic.  This week begins gay pride month in the U.S. In the year of Target, Bud Light boycotts and the accusation that even Chick-fil-A is progressing toward progressivism one has to wonder what happened to get us to this point?  Theologian, historian, and Catholic priest Fr. Chad Ripperger offers a perspective that is hard to argue against.  Ripperger associates the rise of sexual misbehavior in our society with the growing influence of demonic forces.  I believe he is correct.  Historically the decline of a nation’s sexual morality follows a predictable pattern.  We can see it in our own history with great clarity.  

First there is a rise of impurity.  The sex act is removed from the exclusive context of marriage.  Biblically the union of a man and woman in marriage is for the two to become one flesh, to reproduce, and to provide a picture of the Trinity.  In this first stage there is redefining the sex act to be primarily recreational.  It is just for fun, so do whatever you feel like doing.  We saw that in the “Free Love” movement in the 1960’s.  It is worth asking when was the last time the church gathered to pray about or speak about being set free from the spirit of sensuality?

As we see in Roman 1 God gives sensual people over to ever degrading forms of sexual misbehavior.  Which corresponds with the second stage or phase: the rise of effeminate homosexual men.  As late as near the end of the 20th century a person could be arrested for being a transvestite.  This was part of the police action in the Stonewall area of New York. The Stonewall Riots, which occurred at the the intersection of underground homosexual activity, human trafficking and the Genovese crime family, is considered by many to be the beginning of the Gay Pride movement.  Till this point it was expected that homosexuals would keep their sin a secret.

The next phase is the rise of homosexuality in masculine men.  This is specifically marked by homosexuals coming out of the closet.  The homosexual community was very careful to make sure that homosexuals were, at least at the early stage, presented as being clean cut up standing members of the community.  Leathermen, BDSM, drag queens, NAMBLA and the more extreme expression of perversion were effectively kept out of the spotlight.  Homosexual men were invited to come out the closet especially those whose societal roles were seen as masculine or heroic.

The rise of female homosexuality typically follows.  The presentation of female homosexuals are at first more attractive.  As one Christian man once said to me while commenting on a publicity piece about a lesbian couple, “Frankly I find both of them very attractive.”  The ‘bull dykes’ again are closeted until the behavior is generally accepted.  The beautiful face, form and figure has the capacity to open opportunities not available to less appealing persons.

Historically the next stage is child sacrifice. In U.S. history we moved out of order a little.  Rather than have child sacrifice as the final stage we experienced in the sexual revolution with Roe v. Wade.  We have now entered into a new phase and that is the ritualization of abortion.  The Satanic Temple is opening an abortion clinic in New Mexico.  The Satanic Temple Abortion clinic will be available for women “who wish to perform The Satanic Temple’s religious abortion ritual.” We have at least in one place entered into ritualized child sacrifice.

So how did we get from a couple having sex out of wedlock to sexual chaos?  Simply put, as we build a vice we develop a compatibility with that vice.  When we accept as normal something that God said is wrong, we have sided with the powers of the demonic.  The powers of the demonic are never satisfied with a little, they will work for and want more and more and more.  

So what do we do?  Rather than go into great detail let me offer a few bullet points.

• We must not compromise on the Biblical expression of sexuality and sexual behavior no matter the cost.

• We must pursue holiness and purity in our own lives.

• We must pray for deliverance from the temptations of the flesh and for repentance in our churches.

• We must be willing to pay the price.  If persecution comes to the church in America I believe it will begin at the intersection of sexual politics and the practice of our faith. 

• Pass on to the next generation at every opportunity what the Bible says about human sexuality.

 

Let us celebrate ‘Gay Pride’ month in sincere and heartfelt repentance and prayer asking God to begin a mighty work in our land.