One Nation Under God?

I went to Canada last week and I will have to say I am always elated when I cross the border back into America. I found Ontario's Canadians quite pleasant and nice despite some criticisms I heard from others about Canadians. Hey, Canada even loves Elvis (since I was at Collingwood which I did not know hosts the largest Elvis festival probably in the world).

I have been reading Greg's Boyd's provocative book "The Myth of a Christian Nation." The heart of his book is covered in chapters 5 & 6 in 'Taking America Back For God" and "The Myth of a Christian Nation."

Here are a few excerpts from his book:

1. The thinking is that America was founded as a Christian nation but has simply veered off track. If we can just get more Christians in office, pass more Christian laws, support more Christian policies, we can restore this nation to its 'one nation under God" status (p.91).

2. If Jesus wasn't concerned about "taking Israel back for God" by political means, why do we aspire to "take America back for God" by these means? (p.92).

3. Most of our founding fathers were deistic than Christian nor did they have any intention of founding an explicitely Christian nation. It is significant that the Declaration of Independence proclaims truths that the founding fathers thought to be 'self-evident' to natural reason (a very deistic idea), not on truths that are scriptural. Also, our country's Constitution is based on reason, not the Bible (p.100-101).

4. When we try to 'take America back for God' by political means, we end up trying to gain power over others rather than trying to serve others (102).

5. As a result, global missions have been tremendously harmed by American nationalism . . . We have allowed our allegiance to the kingdom of God to be compromised by our allegiance to our nation. We have far too often placed our worldly citizenship before our heavenly citizenship (Phil.3:20) [p.111].

Has nationalism in America become idolatrous? Have Christians in America mixed their Christian faith with politics too much? And does worldly politics compromise biblical discipleship?

Will Israel, the Jews, and the Christian Church Come Together in the Last Days?

"GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD AS A JEWISH RABBI TO ESTABLISH A LOVELY NEW GENTILE RELIGION CALLED CHRISTIANITY" - Michael L. Brown

I am off for some Sabbath time (family vacation). This last weekend, I worshipped at a Messianic congregation where Jews and Gentiles worshipped Yahweh side by side. Whether we call the Messiah Jesus or Yeshua, God is reconciling the whole world and fullfilling the new man in Christ in Ephesians chapter one as many tribes make One Church.

Over a dacade ago, I had an encounter that changed my life. I was at a Christian conference on racial reconciliation and I found myself (a white, blond, blue-eyed German) locked in an embrace of love and forgiveness with a Hasidic Christian Jew. How I now read the Bible and my heart for Israel has been changed forever more.

Gentiles are finally repenting of centuries of anti-semitism and starting to rediscover their Jewish roots of the Christian faith. A love for Jewish people is being sovereignly poured into the hearts of the Gentile church. We are actually beginning to witness the fullfillment of the Scriptures that says,

"Ten men from all languages and nations will take hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe" and say "Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah 8:23).

Killing Ants with a Baseball Bat

"IT'S A COMEDIAN'S JOB TO SAY WHAT EVERYONE
ELSE IS THINKING BUT IS AFRAID TO SAY"
- Thor Ramsey

Satire bites, cuts, and can convict and even wound. I remember several years ago I wrote a witty piece of called "Forrest Gump Meets Jesus." The satire and irony was the Christian wisdom of Forest Gump in contrast to the intellectual brilliance of not only athiests but even conventional church wisdom. But often satire can fall on deaf ears. It seems like satire can please no one. Some people said I was too hard on atheists in the piece. Others said I was too easy on them. What is often missed in satire is like the punch line-----sometimes people miss it or simply don't get it (especially if they don't laugh or understand how irony and satire are a part of humor that can shred idols and challenge precious preconceived ideas).

Douglas Wilson in his A Serrated Edge speaks about the problem of how Christians try to imitate one part of Jesus lifestyle or words but refuse to imitate another part of it. Here is what he says,

"Why do we say, 'Imitate Christ in his kindness to the tax gatherers, but never imitate Him in His treatment of the religous pompous?' Why not the reverse? 'Always make fun of religous wowsers, but never imitate Christ's kindness to the downtrodden" (p. 91).

He goes on, "Many who object to satire as a godly weapon of war have this prejudice against it because they grew up in a home where sarcasm was consistently used as an ungodly bludgeoning tool. The Bible is our standard, and not our personal histories (pp.94-95).

Satire is a weapon to be employed in the warfare of God's kingdom, not an opportunity for personal venting. It is also good to take counsel from others and only employ when deemed neccesary. "If this is not remembered, the satirist will find himself killing ants with a baseball bat" (p.105).