Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Mark Hershey Who is my neighbor? Pt. 1.

“Who is my neighbor?” – Luke 10:25-37 - Part 1 of 2

Luke 10:25-29 The scenario went down like this…

A lawyer (or scribe) tested Jesus by asking what he had to do inherit eternal life.

Jesus replies, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

The lawyer replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus replied, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

Now, understand that Jesus does not think that you have to do good works to get to heaven, as some may say this passage says. No, Jesus’ response shows that this verse is saying, “a devotion to God is expressed in a devotion towards others, so that there is no distinction between devotion to God and treatment of people (c.f. Colossians 1:3-5, 1 John 4:11, Romans 8:1-11… To “do the law” means, in essence, to love. To live by the Spirit means to love and do righteousness).” (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke, Darrell Bock, 1025)

But the lawyer wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The lawyer’s whole purpose in asking this question was “to justify himself”. Luke provided that important detail that to explain that, “The lawyer is looking for minimum obedience required, but Jesus requires total obedience. It shows that he is approaching God on human terms and not on God’s. Jesus refuses to allow this limitation… Jesus refuses to turn people into a subspecies or into things that can be ignored.” (Bock, 1028)

Others agree that Jesus correctly identified the corrupt motivation of the Lawyer’s question.
“He (Jesus) does not like this question. Carving humanity up into groups some of whom are worthy of our love and others are not. Jesus does not answer the question, ‘Who is my neighbor?’ He tells a parable that changes the question." Piper continues, "Jesus tells a story that changes the question from ‘What kind of person is my neighbor?’ to ‘What kind of person am I?’ He changes the question from ‘What status of people are worthy of my love?’ to ‘How can I become the kind of person whose compassion disregards status?’" (John Piper, www.desiringgod.org)

Thoughts? Questions?

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Getting Down To the Heart of the Matter by Akele Parnell


“It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.”
- Bono

Unless you’ve been living under a rock then you’ve heard of the economic crisis our country is currently going through. It seems all the big name financial services companies were well on their way down the tube. Of course that was until the current administration and its advisors decided that a 700 billion dollar bailout might save our economy from taking a nose dive into a depression. While this 700 billion dollar “rescue plan”—as it is now being called—has not yet passed through congress, some sort of extremely expensive bailout is likely. I think it averages out to over 2,000 some odd dollars per tax payer. Now, I’m nowhere near a professional economist, so for me to say whether or not the bailout is a sound economic idea is simply above my pay grade. Still, I think Bono has made a good point here. Prior to the chaos related to this economic debacle our economy was already going through ruff times. I heard non-stop talk about the country’s massive debt and the excessive cost of this administration’s plans and policies. But low and behold, we had 700 billion dollars we could spend to save our economy and rescue our nation and from possible economic ruin.

So what’s the lesson here, well for one it’s amazing what we can find when we really need too. But seriously, as I thought about Bono’s quote I thought about how I handle my own finances. Anytime I’m in need or there’s something I really want, I always find a way to either get it, or find the faith that God will provide, and that’s good. But do I find that same sort of zeal when someone else is in need? The answer is certainly not as much as I’d like. I can find 4.00 dollars to get something at Starbucks when I’m broke, but can’t seem to find the time and money to adequately help those to whom 4.00 bucks means the difference between eating or not eating, life or death. When a missionary is raising support to go serve among the unreached, forgotten peoples of the world, do I search for money the same way I would if I was trying to get a new X-box, or go on a road trip with friends. I can’t say I do.

Jesus said “do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” For the 25 to 30,000 children who die every day of well known preventable diseases and poverty related issues, we as a nation can’t seem to find the political capital to scrape up the necessary 3% of the 700 billion dollar government bailout which congress is now considering (Despite popular opinion we actually spend less than .2%, not 2%, of our GNP on foreign aid, one of the lowest percentages among developed nations. Most goes to places where we have military involvement or interest, and less than .1%, not 1%, goes to purely humanitarian aid in the places that need it. Additionally, we spend thirty times more on military expenditures than on foreign aid based on figures before the Iraq War).

As disappointing as these figures may be, if I break down the percentages of what I spend in my own life, I’m afraid I’ll find a similar pattern. Jesus said in Luke 12:34 that “where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” In other word’s you can tell what a person really loves by where they spend their money. Where do you spend your money? The two greatest commandments Jesus gave are to Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. Love is first and foremost a matter of the heart, but it overflows into the way we live our lives. Matthew 15:19 states that out of our heart come evil thoughts and actions, murders, adulteries, lies and the like. Thus, we can tell if we love someone by how we treat them and we can tell what we love in our hearts by what we spend our money on. If we take this understanding and measure our lives by it, then clearly we as a nation need a heart change, and more than likely we as individuals need the same. We need the grace that changes hearts and the faith that changes actions.

Lord, touch our hearts and soften them, may your Holy Spirit help us to Love you and to Love others. For love that doesn’t act, isn’t really love at all. Help us to be obedient to your will and to “do unto others” as we would have them do to us, moreover let us do onto others as we do for ourselves. Lastly, God change the way we spend our money, I pray that you would get down to the heart of the matter.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Why Christians Should Not Vote by Nicholas Walker

Preserving life or care for the poor? Personal responsibility or aid for America’s impoverished communities? Environmental concern or crime reduction? This year’s election will force voters to make important decisions as to what values they think are most important to our nation. As disciples of Jesus, we must make these decisions based on the values that our Savior taught us. The problem comes, though, in trying to vote for the candidate which best represents God’s Kingdom values. I would argue that both candidates in this year's presidential election will support some Kingdom values while leaving others neglected. As followers of Christ who attempt to be obedient in our choice of a candidate, we find ourselves in the situation of having to order and prioritize which values we see as most important. We find ourselves in the difficult position of choosing which Kingdom values we will work to see implemented and which we are willing to allow to be neglected.

However, as people called into a New Community of Christ in which we live out the Kingdom of God on earth, we can never put ourselves into a position of working towards some Kingdom values at the expense of others. In order to live out the Kingdom that we have been called into, we can never uphold one set of Kingdom values over another. When we support some aspects of God’s Kingdom while neglecting others, we loose our prophetic voice. I am defining the Church’s prophetic voice as the voice declaring God’s rule which is to be lived out in our context and which is spoken through God’s people. God’s Kingdom is not a political platform which changes based on the current situation but is the timeless call for God’s will to be done on our earth. In voting, the Church looses its prophetic voice by failing to express the fullness of God’s concern for all people. Casting a vote for a candidate inevitably means advocating social justice for some while oppressing others. Therefore, voting prevents Christians from maintaining the prophetic witness we are to have in the world as well as preventing us from maintaining the fullness of Kingdom values.

Casting a vote for a candidate is a sign of allegiance to that candidate and what they stand for. Therefore, as a follower of Christ, the witness that we have in the world for Christ is compromised unless that candidate encompasses all of the values of the Kingdom of God. To cast a vote for a candidate means allowing your voice to be heard through that candidate - letting the candidate speak for you. As long as we allow candidates to speak for us we will be unable to maintain our prophetic voice.

Through abstaining from voting I am not calling for followers of Christ to abstain from society, the world, or politics. I am not calling for a withdraw from the world but for a better way of engagement, one that will allow us to advocate for all of God’s values instead of merely allowing us to play our individual part within the culture wars. Christians should abstain from voting because direct action in the world is a far better and consistent method of engagement with the world than voting. We cannot continue to expect politicians to do the Kingdom work which Christ has called His Church to do. If you sense God’s concern for the poor, I challenge you to look for ways in which you can engage the poor in our community. If you want to work for the reduction of abortion in our country, volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center and share in the pain of these mothers. Instead of debating over which presidential candidate is godlier, Christians must unite in action and do the work which God has called us to do.

The Kingdom values of Christians need to be lived out in every aspect of our lives instead of just by casting a ballot. If you have no intention of actively getting involved in any of the issues that are important to you in choosing a candidate, then I encourage you to vote. The little that is accomplished through voting is better than no action at all. However, if you passionately seek to live out the values of the Kingdom of God and work to see God’s will done on earth, I encourage to you vote with your entire life and not just with a ballot every four years.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Seeking the Kingdom

Yesterday, as I was thinking about the new launch of the FaithAliveonline blog, I was drawn to reflect on some concepts of the kingdom and some questions about its implications. During this time of reflection I came across Matthew 6:33 which says to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Prior to this statement Jesus had Christ exhorted his followers to not get weighed down by the cares of this life, that is, food, clothes, even our life itself. Rather he tells us the focus of our hearts and therefore our actions should be on the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

After reading this verse I asked myself what does it look like for me and other Christians in America to truly seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? In our reliance on God and in our purist of his kingdom do we dare live in radical love for God and our neighbor? Do we dare live lives of costly discipleship unencumbered by the worries of this world? A question more relevant to our discussion last week is what the political environment in America would look like if those who confessed Christ lived lives which truly reflected our profession of faith? Would this cause us to be more influential in politics less influential? How would this effect the way we vote if we vote? What would we do about major the major social issues which concern us such as abortion, poverty, and crime?

For Cody Fisher a friend of Mark Hershey seeking the kingdom looked like doing something extreme, something dangerous, something hard. Here's his story.

California was always home for Cody Fisher, a recent graduate from Cedarville University (Christian college in Ohio). He always had a heart for kids and devoted his life to working with youth. Shortly after graduation, Cody was convicted of the needs for some of the youth, globally. He left sunny California for the even sunnier, and hotter, climate of Northern Iraq to work for a relief organization. He was stationed in one of the most war-ravaged areas of Iraq. The needs of the people were abundant, as many of the youth that Cody worked with had health problems, specifically heart diseases. The high rate of heart disease is unknown, though poor hygienic conditions, overcrowding, bad housing, inadequate medical treatment, and malnutrition definitely play their part. In assessing each case, Cody saw that there needed to be some kind of long-term solution. It was difficult because there were not any doctors in Iraq who were cardiovascular surgeons in Iraq and the kids had to go to Israel or Jordan for the surgeries. There was a need for money, but how could Cody provide that as he was living as a missionary in Iraq?

Dreaming with fellow teammate, Jeremy Courtney, they brainstormed ways they could help raise funds for kids to have heart surgeries. In Iraq, the Kurds have been making handmade shoes, called Klash, for many years. Those who make the shoes are very skilled laborers and take great pride in the shoes. They are very popular as almost everyone wears them on the streets. Cody and Jeremey both bought shoes and loved them. They came up with the idea of selling the shoes on the Internet for profit to help pay for the kid’s surgeries. Their idea took off...

“In a matter of days we had a website up and running and we had sold enough shoes to get reasonably excited about funding our first heart surgery. At the start of 2008, after a little over 5 months of business, we had been a part of financially contributing to the screening, travel, housing, and/or medical expenses for seven children who were in serious need of heart surgery!” (A statement from their website)

Though they might not necessarily be getting down and dirty in ministry, they took the time to understand the needs of the people. In living with them, they soon realized the potential of their trade skills. Because they are linking up the shoemakers with buyers in the US and Europe, they are able to help the economy of Northern Iraq, find solutions for health problems and share the love of Christ.

- Adapted from personal story and www.buyshoessavelives.com

Monday, September 15, 2008

Should Christians vote? By Adam McClun



“Should Christians vote?”

Yes.

“Why?”

An even better question; brought to relevance with the upcoming presidential elections. I’d like to briefly highlight four points for why we should vote.

As believers we are called to select exemplary leadership (1 Timothy 3:1-13 & Titus 1:5-9) who imitate Christ’s leadership and sacrifice. Quite frankly neither of the two primary presidential candidates exemplify Christ’s leadership, but in all honesty who does live up to this standard of perfection? Even if our leaders prove to be insufficient, we as believers can witness through our vote.

Politics are culturally relevant. Everyday people enter into political discussions; around water coolers, ballgames, shopping malls, and yes, in churches too. We ought to be engaged in these conversations. See Paul’s famous dialogue at the Areopogous in Acts 17:16-34 for further illustration on relevant cultural engagement.

We are given the privilege to live in a nation in which our voice can be heard (this is not the case in many nations around the world). The democratic process is one that allows each citizen a choice in their government, therefore the government that’s ultimately selected is based on our consensus. As we are entrusted with this task, we are to be held responsible.

Let’s look at Matthew 22:21, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.” In this discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees, we hear one of the most important principles for believers to live by. For individuals, life is not supposed to be compartmentalized into the political & religious realm; rather by fulfilling our obligations to earthly authorities we are honoring God (Romans 13:1-7).

We should be wary of falling into two extremes. First, by separating ourselves from our own world (as the Amish, might do). In a fair, just democracy by not voting we are essentially withdrawing from the political process. The second extreme is using politics as our primary method of change; this downplays the role of the Good News. Balance between these two extremes is needed.

Matthew 22:15-22 is powerful because it show us that Jesus’ kingdom is not one of military or political rule, rather it operates within the existing political order. The early church got this, and paid for it with their blood. Today believers living in countries that are politically hostile to the Christianity get this. In everything we do, we do it first and foremost as followers of Jesus Christ.
Adam McClun is a second year Masters of Divinity student at Trinity Evangelical Dvinity School.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Hope for the World


The gratuitous atrocities, and horrific tragedies which occur in our world, cause many to resign into despair. A mother in America loses a young child who dies because of the absence of adequate health care. A young boy in Angola is stolen from his parents and forced to kill for a cause he neither supports, nor understands. A girl in Indonesia is born into a brothel, with no future but to service men from the age of 5 until she is no longer considered to be useful. Considering the evils which come from the hearts of humanity, one can easily slip into a sort of nihilistic cynicism about what amount of good can actually be done in our World. To many in our times the thought of any sort of hope, is nothing more than a balm for the misguided, the ignorant and delusional.

Yet there is hope. There is a hope that is real, tangible, a hope which can be seen and felt. For those who put their faith in Christ there is more to hope for than anyone could imagine. It is this hope which keeps me hopeful in our broken world. It is the hope in the now and not yet, reign, of the God of love, justice, mercy and compassion, which keeps me hopeful that not only will one day things will be put right, but that I might bring hope, love and compassion to people in our world today. It is precisely the content of this hope, which can break through the darkest of darkness and bring light and new life into the depths of despair. Clearly we are called to bring hope to those in our World. We are to be the hands, feet and mouths of Christ. Moreover we the Church, are to be the body of Christ. God could have done things anyway he desired but he chose us to be his witnesses.

Yet, many questions remain unanswered. What does this witness look like in our World? How is it best and most holistically expressed? Does it only include preaching? Should Christians try to influence the world around them and if so, in what way? Should Christians work within the framework of governmental and secular systems of the world to bring hope or should this only be done within the four walls of the church and its para-church organizations. People matter to God, justice, righteousness, mercy and love matter to God, life matters to God. Micah 6:8 states “He has shown you, O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” God desires for these aspects of his character to be manifest in the earth. But what does that look like in our everyday lives? We will explore these and other related issues here at FaithAliveonline.blogspot.com and we invite you to joins us.

For our first topic we will look at issues relating to this election season. The first issue we will deal with is the issue of voting. How does faith impact the way we vote if we vote? In this election season, does our faith require that we cast a vote, endorse a candidate or raise our voice at all?

Check back tomorrow Tuesday September 16, 2008 when Adam McClun shares with us his opinion about why Christians should vote.