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It has been a week of sickness at my house.  Our little girl has RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) – a potentially dangerous infection of her respiratory system.  My wife and I both have colds – the annoying kind that just wears one out without much external symptoms.  If our house was a ship – we would be flying a yellow flag and anchored outside the harbor.

There is no treatment for RSV or the common cold.  They are both virus related.  The only thing that can be done is treat things symptomatically.  Breathing treatments, Tylonol, and nasal suction for the baby – and Advil Cold and Flu for the adults.  Our baby is doing fine – and responding well to things.  Her parents on the other hand…

All this leads me to reflect upon Jesus’ conversation with the wise teacher of the Law.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”…But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. -John 3:5,21

Unlike my virus – which is now firmly and comfortably at home in my nasal passages – there are things in our lives that cannot be treated symptomatically – however hard we try.  There are support groups for every kind of addiction. Government programs for childhood obesity.  Self-help books to give us a better and brighter self-image.  And in the end – while all these things can be helpful – none of them really accomplish a thing.  We can treat the alcoholism, we can stop looking at dirty pictures on the net – but unless the underlying sin is brought to bay – nothing lasting will be brought about.  Self-help books, support groups, or just plain willpower will not change nor heal what is beyond help -  our very souls.

In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus was adamant about the impossibility of seeing the Kingdom of God without first treating the underlying problem – our inherent  sinfulness.  To further compound the problem – the only way that disobedience can be taken care of is to throw out everything and start again.  The old nature won’t work – and cannot be patched  – that is  Christ’s message.  Unless we are born again by the Spirit of God – not wiped clean but MADE clean – then we will never see the Kingdom of God – in this lifetime nor the next.

Only then – when the old has been destroyed and the new in place – then can we do the things that will bring us out of darkness.  Only with the imperishable seed of Christ can we  see our problems for what they are – sinfulness   Only with the Spirit can we overcome these problems – not for our own health – but for the greater glory of God.

Where are you today?  Have you struggled constantly with actions and attitudes – but never seem to get peace?  Do you replace one addiction with another, or go from program to program seeking happiness.  Quit trying to treat it symptomatically – it cannot be done.  Seek instead the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

Off to take another Advil…

An 8 year old boy in Oregon gets suspended from school because he brought a 4 inch plastic toy gun to school – a toy gun that is part of an action figure’s lineup. School officials defended the principal, stating that she followed policy.  (KPTV) Yet another example of the idiocy of zero tolerance.

When we look to the Law of God, we often think that God is indeed the original author of zero tolerance. “Lest ye die” is riddled all through the Law. But, a careful examination of Scripture finds an amazing amount of room for grace and common sense. Murders were to be put to death. (Ex. 20:3) However, the Law also setup cities of refuge for those who accidently – without premeditation or malice – kills another. The determination of guilt or innocence in such a case was left to the elders of these cities. (Joshua 20:2 – 6) The Law determined that one must not be clean in order to observe the Passover, yet at the same time allowed for accidental exposure. (Numbers 9:6 – 10) Adultery is a sin punishable by death, yet Jesus told the repentant woman to go and live her life. (John 8:11) Clearly, our God has laid out a system of rules, regulations, and moral codes – enabling us to live as people of God. While the breaking of these Laws leads to serious consequences, it is also clear that God intended the elders and rulers of the community to apply that Law with love and grace as well.

A student who brings an actual gun to school should be punished – along with his parents. A student who brings a toy that looks like a realistic gun should be talked to – then handed over to his parents. An 8 year old who brings a 4 inch toy gun that is clearly not a weapon of any sort should be allowed to go play. Instead, the boy gets suspended, and it goes on his permanent record. What idiocy.

Contact the Portland School Board to express your desire that they change their minds – and to institute a common sense – and Godly – policy.

Article Six of the Constitution expressly forbids the government from asking religious tests of candidates. But for some reason, churches have applied the same restrictions on candidates for public office who are also members of their faith community.

Article Six states in part, “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”(US Constitution) The Framers wisely understood that the government had no place in determining the orthodoxy or spiritual soundness of any candidate running for office – or those duly elected by the people.

The need for an effective faith in the lives of those seeking political office, though, was never far from the minds of the Founding Fathers. James Madison writes:

Religion [is] the basis and Foundation of Government. (1785) Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. (1785) We have staked the whole future of the American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future…upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. (Summit Ministries)

There are countless other references to the how James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and others felt about the need of a moral, religious public servant. Yet, how do we rectify this deep felt religious requirement and Article Six of the Constitution?

The answer seems clear – while it is not the role of the government to determine faith and orthodoxy, it IS the role of the local church to do so. Since the majority of the Founding Fathers were either Anglican or Presbyterian (Religious Affiliation of the Founding Fathers), Article 25 of the Westminster Confession of Faith is relevant:

Unto this catholic visible Church Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth, by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto. (Confession of Faith)

It is the role of the church to gather and instruct the faithful in the life and discipline suitable for the following of Christ. In the church, the elders have been given a specific role: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9) It follows, then, that anyone seeking to public service – considered a high calling by John Calvin – should be examined by the local church in terms of faith, religious practice, and spiritual maturity. In other words – it is the role of the local church to administer a “religious test” – making sure that those who are elected are first representatives of Christ and then secondly representatives of those who put them in office.

According to a Pew Foundation study, close to 80% of all members of the House and Senate consider themselves Christian. (The Religious Makeup of Congress) Yet, we continually see these Christians vote for abortion and other issues that are clearly in contradiction to the Gospel of Christ.

It is time for churches to make sure that those who claim to be followers of Christ are actually carrying that out in their votes and actions in public office. The Roman Catholic Church has been in the forefront of holding her members accountable – Top Catholic Cardinal Says ‘No Way’. BreakPoint Ministries just awarded Tony Hall their prestigious Wilberforce Award for his commitment to Christ while in public office. But more must be done. Are churches asking candidates in their pews questions of faith and service? Are churches praying for people in public office and meeting with them regularly if they are members. Are communities of faith holding their members who are elected officials accountable for their actions? Will churches go the final step of removing from their rolls politicians who are acting against the Kingdom of God – and who show no signs of changing or repenting?

The Founding Fathers never expected the government to examine the inner spirit and faith of elected representatives. It is about time that the church started doing so.

But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent for the Sprit of His Son into our hearts, crying “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, than an heir through God. –Galatians 4:4-7

Last week, my older brother and his wife had a child. She was 110 pounds, and 56 inches. Mother and daughter are doing well. A process that has lasted for years finally resulted in the adoption of their youngest child at age 13. Congratulations!

Scripture uses this wonderful act of taking on the care of a child that is not our own as a way to describe our relationship with God. Before Jesus came into our hearts, we may have walked among people of grace, we might have attended their churches, and we might even have shared last names. But only that glorious adoption achieved by the grace of Christ allows us to be truly a part of the community – as if we had always belonged. Notice in the Scripture “And because you ARE sons” – there is no distinction as to how we came to be God’s children – we simply are. My brother does not have an adopted child, he has a daughter. She is my niece – as much so as my other nieces and nephews. And we are God’s children – no matter how long and circuitous the route.

Additionally, the whole adoption process allows us to see that no act of ours can get us into the kingdom of God. My niece (no modifier, remember!) could have banged on my brother’s door all of her life. Her entrance into his family depended not so much on her, but on the actions of others – her future mom and dad, the courts, laws, etc. If they had not wanted her – no amount of actions on her part would have been successful. In the same way, we are now members of the Kingdom of God, not by our own actions, but by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. He WANTED us to be a part of the family of God, and sacrificed Himself in order to achieve that goal. The Holy Spirit is SENT so that we may cry out “Father!” – in the intimate and reverent way that the name implies. We must always remember that it was God who wanted us – and was willing to sacrifice His “real” Son so that we too may become heirs to His family.

I am so proud of my niece, and proud of her dad and mom for staying the course through years of hurdles and setbacks. Glory be to God.

Graphic: Paulo Correa

Both are a bad sign – that we do not want to know what is going on in the world around us – nor do we care.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. – Matthew 22:39

Although I have not conducted any scientific studies into the matter, I am convinced that most cars here in East Tennessee have turn signals that have never been used. Seriously, if there is a market for used turn signals – the Knoxville area must supply the lion’s share. Be it changing lanes, turning onto a different road, or a quick trip into the local McDonalds – one is never sure where people are going because they do not signal. I constantly find myself behind a rapidly slowing vehicle – thank goodness the brake lights work – only to find that once again it is an East Tennessean who does not know what the heck that stick on the steering column is for. To add fuel to the fire – even at today’s prices – I will often see the turn signal in use AS the car turns – instead of well before the change of direction as intended.

As disjointed as it sounds, iPods fall into this same category. iPods – those little gadgets that store hours and hours music and video. Given any group of teenagers, a large percentage of them will have the earbuds firmly in place and listening to the latest “I hate my parents” music – all the while completely oblivious to the world around them. I went to a Denny’s lately – observed both the short order cook AND the manager sporting the telltale wires that went to the miniplayer secured in their pocket.

Our society has fallen into an appalling practice of having no concern for the world around us. “I will turn when I want to turn – if you are following me, then just watch out.” “I will listen to what I want. The world around me does not matter, nor am I interested.” The “I’m OK You’re OK” attitude has never gone away – it has just changed into “I’m OK, and I could not care less how you are doing.”

We are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves – with the understanding that in our fallen state “self-love” is at its highest. Yet, how are we to love our neighbor if we are unaware of them – especially if we purposely shut them out. I am sure that if the Parable of the Good Samaritan was recast into today’s circumstances – the priest and the Levite would have iPod and turn signal issues. The Good Samaritan would respond – only because he did not have his ear buds in – and he would signal before getting off the road.

So – use your turn signal, turn off the iPod, and take a look and listen to the world around you. We just might find some neighbors to love.