By Consent of the Governed: Independence Day 2017

We celebrate our independence as a country this week. For us believers this is a special time as we remember the special truths from the Scriptures that were the basis for our founding as a nation. Truths like “we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights.” And, “all men are created equal;” and for certain, “that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men…by the consent of the governed.”

As Christians we know we have been set free from the power and penalty of sin. Sin is the tyranny in our lives that must be rebelled against, just as the colonists rebelled against the “taxation without representation” of their British rulers. We know we are born in sin and that the knowledge that each person in the new country that was America was also born in sin bore a profound impact on our founders. If all men are fallen, then the governments of all men are also fallen, for government is made up of men. Therefore government can only rule by the consent of the governed; that the authority to govern comes from God first because He created all men and gave them their basic human rights. As the people give the government the right to govern them for justice and fairness for all (for all are equal as God’s creation) the government is to remain limited and subject to the people. And when the government gets “too big for its britches” as my Dad used to say about me, then the people rise up through elections, protests (remember that little tea party that was held in Boston harbor?) and yes, if it is necessary, even war to make government subject to the people again. But the people must also remember that they are fallen and that the only way any of the grand experiment that was America will work is that all will be subject to the grace of God. “God shed His grace on thee” means we are none of us capable of ruling one another; only God can rule and we are subject to Him first, then subject to one another in humility and to our governments as they rule under the authority of God and with the humility from knowing that government is limited just as each one of us are limited. Only God is Sovereign.

We also know that the rights given to us by God are for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Note it is the pursuit of happiness, not the guarantee of happiness, which has been granted as one of our unalienable rights. Life came to us by God; liberty came to us by God; and happiness will also come to us as we yield and subject ourselves to God.

When we pursue those things that are not in keeping with God’s will we will never be happy, and yet we have convinced ourselves that happiness is best found outside of God’s will. We think happiness is getting to do what we want when we want the way we want, and then we wonder why we’re not happy. But America is the best place in the world to pursue it when our government remains limited and subject to the will of the people and when people remain limited and subject to the will of God. Any other pursuit is chasing after shadows.

Let freedom ring this holiday: freedom from the power of sin, freedom from the tyranny of our poor choices, and freedom from injustice. Let God govern our great nation through His truth which is surely marching on inexorably to lead us to His great kingdom. If our lives fall apart from our personal sin or from the sin of others as they make choices that affect us, let us remember that we are in the best place in all the world to start over. We “thank our lucky starts to be living here today.” If you find yourself needing to start over, seek God’s grace that has shed upon us “from sea to shining sea,” and you will find that hope and happiness are indeed possible. With God, there is always hope. God bless you all, and God bless America!

For Easter 2017: He is Risen! I am Redeemed!

Our celebration of Christ’s resurrection reminds us of our complete dependence on Him and His work for us on the cross. There is nothing we can offer that will match the sacrifice He made for us. His sacrifice was because of His great love for us and our great need of Him. All that we give to Him in worship and praise on Easter Sunday is based on His grace: we bring it to Him because He first gave it to us. Not only did He die for our sins but He lived for our lives: we are subject to His grace in all things. We worship Him, giving back far less than what He gave to us, but by His grace He completes what we bring. He is Risen!

At some time in our lives we have stood at the bottom of Jesus’ cross, observing His hideous death and the moral and emotional wreck that is our lives. Beneath the cross of Jesus we observe the horror of an innocent man punished and killed because of our guilt and shame; somehow we know He did it on our behalf.

If bad things don’t matter then good things don’t matter either. If our sin doesn’t require justice and judgment then any good thing we do requires nothing good in return. Good and evil are rendered meaningless if our sin is not recognized and judged. Our sin has been judged, once for all, in Jesus receiving our judgment on Himself. It wasn’t fair for Him, but He did not come to die for fairness but for love and grace. Life is often not fair for us, but in the cross of Christ we have come to know we are of all people most favored and most blessed. “Life isn’t fair” in that we have received far more good than we have deserved and have not received the full measure of justice that we so richly deserved.

I am not what I would call a “good and noble man.” I don’t think of myself as holy nor do I “feel” holy most of the time. I have such obvious chinks in my armor (I wear them like a gilded robe) that I could be ridiculed and judged at any moment. The level of perfection that the world demands (how ironic that the people most critical of Christianity are the most legalistic and demanding of absolute perfection from people) is not attainable. The world demands far more of their definition of “righteousness” than God demands of us. (The world seeks to destroy our good with its “perfect” when you think about it.) So I know I have no self-righteousness to offer: but I am redeemed. I have no intrinsic power or discipline to show off like a shiny trophy: but I have His grace and mercy. My only trophy is the cross and His grace. It’s all I’ve got: it’s all I have to lean on. I’m nothing and nobody without Him, and without Him I can do nothing of any value.

But by His grace He asks me to express my love and devotion for Him in the ways He has given me. He is pleased when I offer my mind, heart, soul and strength; even though it’s woefully inadequate. He fills it up with His grace to make it an offering with which He is pleased. And when I give what I am to Him, I know He is pleased.

Reflections on a Church member – my tribute to Ralph Cox

Ralph Cox passed away on Feb 22, 2017 at the age of 87. Ralph was unique in so many ways but one thing about Ralph and his wife Bertha that was so amazing to me was their longevity as church members. Ralph and Bertha joined the old Grace Baptist Church on Swope Ave in 1962. Shortly thereafter he was ordained as a deacon and remained as the church treasurer until 1987. Between membership at Grace and now at our little church they spent over 50 years in church. That’s an admirable record.

The attitudes of people about church membership changed dramatically during their lifespan. For folks like Ralph you just didn’t cast aside your commitment to a church and move on to the next one. The very stability of Ralph was such a constant for our little church that many people just felt better about their church because he was there. Most folks don’t dedicate themselves to a single church like this anymore. Some do, of course, but not as many as used to be.

There can be a variety of reasons why a person attends a certain church for their entire spiritual lives but regardless of the nuances of those reasons one thing is clear: they loved it. They heard what was taught, they heard what was sung, they met the people, and they decided it was home. After making it their home their presence made it a home for others. Such loyalty and stability is a rare character trait for any Christian. This does not mean Ralph was perfect or some sort of saint; he was not. He was just ‘ol Ralph who was ready to help when you needed his expertise. He was always ready to pray (so quietly that only the person standing next to him knew he was done). He kept the church books meticulously; it always balanced as far as I know. He put in the phone lines for the church (he and another member were retired from the phone company). He was just solid: old solid Ralph always in his pew until the day came his mind could not absorb the routine anymore. The best words I can use for Ralph are: solid – stable – consistent.

No one will ever take the place of members like Ralph. We are in a different generation and a different time when it comes to church membership. Change is inevitable within any church but there was something comforting about knowing Ralph was always there. When you look up “church member” in a dictionary there’s a picture of Ralph there.

We’re not the best church you’ll ever attend, nor are we the worst. Good, solid Bible teaching develops guys like Ralph: good, solid men of faith. Thanks Ralph for your years with the church; they were not wasted. You will be missed, Ralph. All churches need guys like Ralph; I’ve had the privilege of knowing several “Ralph’s” in my ministry and I feel so fortunate for having known them.

Good church member. Ralph. We’ll see you again someday sitting in that pew in heaven; when I get there I’ll be ready to preach and sing for you. It will be my privilege.

29 Years of Freedom

Tomorrow we will be celebrating our 29^th anniversary as a church, fitting as it’s on January 29^th. On Jan 31, 1988 3 families along with Greg and Ruth’s family met at Greg’s house to begin this work. We have had many experiences through the years and we should take a moment to rejoice in the Lord’s promise to us and all churches, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.” They have not prevailed as we are still standing to continue worshiping in our own little way to exalt the name of Jesus Christ.

After the morning service we will bust up the auditorium (not literally of course) and have a potluck lunch. We will have a committee meeting to determine how we want to set up the church for the potluck and then conduct a business meeting where it will take a 2/3 majority vote to approve this set-up. We will have lunch at 5pm on Monday! LOL and chuckles: what’s good about us is that it doesn’t take a committee to decide to eat.

Immediately after the potluck (we don’t intend to keep you all day so we’ll keep it as brief as we can) we will have a short discussion on the “State of the Church.” This is to provide the communication we determined 2 years ago as being necessary to keep all informed as to our financial condition and what our needs and desires will be for the year. For the last 2 years several goals have been met and we praise the Lord that upon determined what our needs were we have substantially met our goals. All glory goes to Jesus Christ the Lord of the church!

We will also allow you guys to brainstorm any new practical goals you think we ought to have for the year. We know the spiritual goals are in the hands of the Lord but we always need to revisit the overall health of the church and how we can be healthier. Be thinking about this, but the overall purpose of the meeting is to discuss where we’re at on a practical level and what we think we want to do for the coming year.

We signed a new lease this year that lasts until December 31, 2018. We’re in the Lord’s hands but we’ve been in His hands for 29 years and that is the best possible place we can be.

Think on these things: Worship – Bible knowledge and teaching – Missions and Outreach – Finances – Building, tools and furnishings – these are only some of the items that either enhance or limit the overall health of the church.

And oh by the way, I blogged 7 times in the last year. I hope I can keep up this breakneck pace! I always think of things to blog about during the week but with my old brain I soon forget to do it or just don't get the time. I'll keep trying and thanks for your patience, but I was pleased that I found 7 posts from me for the past year!