Of God & Government

July 4th fireworks, Flower Mound, TX

Of God & Government.

Now that's a broad title! The following discourse could go any number of directions and cover any number of subjects. Whenever you talk about God and government (the human institution) you're almost always going to step on someone's toes. And that toe-stepping is always going to hurt someone. My apologies in advance.

Yesterday was July 4, Independence Day in the United States. Now we here Americans usually celebrate in grand fashion, inviting family and friends over for backyard cookouts or lakeside fiestas and then watching a slew of colorful and majestic fireworks to conclude the celebration. In between morning and night is , basically, one big, long daytime party. For most folks, anyway. I spent yesterday resting and working in my yard. No poolside party, no lakeside loitering. It was quite nice to have a day of rest. I didn't think about work once.

But every July 4 I find a disturbing philosophy once again infiltrates the church in America. Patriotism for America almost always becomes part of the theology of the church. Churches display American flags and sing patriotic hymns. Preachers give thanks for their freedom by invoking George Washington and Jesus Christ in the same sentence. When I was a worship pastor in Gainesville, I refused to lead the Sunday congregation in patriotic music around July 4 because we come to church to celebrate the Body of Christ and not the country of our residence.

There is a separation that exists between church and state and it's not the separation you might think. It's not liberal theology or conservative ideology. I'm talking about God's created separation -- a separation process that started with the cross and ended with an empty grave. God has separated those who believe in His Son from the rest of the world -- its inhabitants, its institutions and its philosophies. Those whom He has saved (separated) He has placed into His Church, the Body of Christ, and has given them citizenship in a different country -- a far country -- a better country. Listen to the words of Paul to the church in Philippi.

"For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Phil 3:18-21)

One thing all believers need to realize is that we are eternal citizens of heaven. But what about my passport? What about my driver's license? What about the IRS? Here is where the line is drawn. We are citizens of our national governments on paper but their power over us does not touch the spiritual. We are commanded to live at peace with our neighbors, to pray for our governments, to obey them by observing their laws and paying their taxes. We have such duties under those governments.

But the country and the church are not the same.

And I, for one, am very glad they are not the same. A quick study of church history shows that the Church was severely damaged in 325 A.D. by the intrusion of Emperor Constantine into the spiritual affairs of the church. What followed the famous Council of Nicea was 1700 years of governments messing with religion.

Where am I going with all this? To simply remind you that the fireworks may be pretty and the pool party fun but never forget that you are citizens of an eternal kingdom -- a far country, to be sure -- but one that demands your allegiance. Serve the Lord always. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

I have no problem with celebrating Independence Day or any other national holiday. We are physical citizens of the United States and enjoy the freedoms earned for us by our ancestors. So celebrate America! It's a great place to live, in my opinion. But are you willing to leave it behind for the sake of heaven, if God asks you to do so?

America may one day fade away as a nation. But heaven has been established by God. Seek the higher kingdom. But also enjoy the fireworks.

UPDATE (6/9): The sentiment I expressed in this post is echoed in a marvelous song by Ben Shive called "4th of July." You can listen to it through the Rabbit Room. Follow the link below and celebrate the "evening star."

http://www.rabbitroom.com/?p=911#more-911

Another Favorite Picture

For some reason, I am naturally drawn to pictures that seem to defy time and space. Pictures that take me away from the reality of this life and seem to place me somewhere else, in some other time. Like maybe in a cheery fairytale land or in some forbidden hollow. I'm drawn to pictures that tell stories -- or at least have the potential to tell stories. The first picture I posted on this blog back in February was of a mysterious and magical gateway. The viewer stands on one side of the gate. A sunny and green world stands on the other side. In between is the gate -- Narnia's wardrobe, if you must -- that beckons me to enter and see the wonders of a mystical world beyond comprehension.

The anonymous picture I posted today also has a story to tell. Some person is walking into (or is it out of) a sea cave. They are walking into the darkness, abandoning the light. But why? For what purpose? The light is far better, don't you think? This picture almost has a spiritual tone. It as if this is one big allegory, and the person is you or me. And we're straying away from the light -- perhaps by curiosity, perhaps by temptation -- and headed into a dark place that will will soon regret. Or if the person is walking out of the sea cave, they could be heading out of the darkness into the light -- what a glorious possibility! But which one is it?

That mystery makes this anonymous photo one of my favorites.

Of Science and Faith

One theme that kept coming up during the Discovery Channel's six-hour documentary film "When We Left Earth" was the theme of greatness -- especially the greatness of mankind. "Look at all the amazing things we did in the 1960s," the documentary film boasted. "Is there anything we cannot do?" The theme found within the film raises up the modern age-old question: does science refute faith, or vice-versa? Is it true that there is nothing mankind cannot know, see or do when we put our minds to something?

I'm reminded of the story of the tower of babel, recorded in Genesis 11. At that time, mankind was of one language and centered in one general location. They started making bricks and mortar for construction and decided to build a major city with a major tower that would "reach the heavens." They thought there was nothing they couldn't do. They were out to trumpet themselves. But God looked down upon their building project and confused their language, scattering them across the face of the earth into various people groups. The Sovereign never lost His sovereignty.

Here is one aspect of the relationship of faith and science that I believe rings true in eternity as it does in time: There are two types of knowledge that exist in space, time and eternity. One type of knowledge can be discovered, explored, and dispensed. It is within the grasp of mankind to uncover because God has allowed it to be ours. Science is exploring this vast expanse of knowledge in increasing measure every day. Genetics, forensics, ecology, zoology, etc. are all within our grasp. The science of space is within our grasp.

But the second type of knowledge is not within our grasp. There is information that we will never discover -- stuff that we will never know. We cannot know it. It is knowledge reserved by God Himself and held by our Sovereign in exclusivity. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts," God states in Isaiah 55:8-9. "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?" the prophet tells his audience in chapter 40. God withholds certain knowledge for Himself. And He does not share it.

So how does this relate to the NASA special? It puts the achievements of mankind into perspective. There ARE things we cannot know -- things we cannot achieve. All knowledge is NOT within our grasp. There will be unanswered questions and unsolved equations. What those scientists did in the 1960s in getting America into space (same for the Russians) was remarkable based upon what had previously been done (or not been done). I still get goosebumps thinking about what they accomplished. But any knowledge we obtain from science was given to us by a God who cannot be fully known or understood. I said FULLY known. Anything true that science discovers was given to us by God. It is knowledge we can know. Thus, we should praise the God who gave us the knowledge instead of lifting up ourselves.

Make sense?

Into the Unknown

Have you ever wondered what it is like to venture into the unknown? You know, set sail in a boat headed towards the horizon, no destination in mind except lands undiscovered? Poor old Columbus shoved off from shore thinking India was straight across that there body of water and ended up halfway around the world, walking on shores that he had no intention of traversing. All he wanted was another way to India. He ended up discovering Central America instead.

My life has been one great venture into the unknown. Or maybe I should say "ventures" into the unknown. I keep getting myself into situations that force me out of my comfort zone and into someone else's world. I'm asked to do things I don't like for the sake of doing something new.

When I left my church in Gainesville, TX, I did it without assurances. I did not have another full-time job. I did not have another place to live. I did not know if I would be able to make a living doing something I loved. But I ventured out anyway. Like Peter, the waves got high and I got scared plenty of times. My faith went up and down. But I tried to walk on that water anyway and I'm a better man as a result. Since then I've ventured into new ministries and new relationships, met new people and did new things. And I still, this day, have ventured further into another new field.

I rarely, if ever, know exactly what I'm doing. That's where faith comes into play. God knows all and sees all. He exists outside of time and space. Yet He is pleased to help and guide His children as they venture into the unknown pursuits of this life. His guidance comes through many forms, such as the wise counsel of parents, friends, and pastors. His guidance comes through His word and through His Spirit, speaking directly to your heart. His guidance comes through open doors and closed ones. Through brick walls that I keep banging my hard head against and the ever-needed softening of my heart.

So I keep venturing into the unknown, assured that God the Father will take care of me wherever I go because He loves me and He is more than willing to help me. His Spirit is my Counselor, His Son is my focus. Together they receive my worship and ground my hope.

That makes the unknown much easier to handle.

Goosebumps

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/nasa/video-player/video-player.html?playerId=1550041754&titleId=1581487584

They don't come often but when they do, they have the power to drain all the energy out of a person. "They" are goosebumps. Good goosebumps. You know, those moments in which you have little to say but "wow."
Moments of great triumph. Moments of great suspense. Moments that you can never see coming but are glad that they came.

I typically get goosebumps from several types of events: sporting events, movies and documentaries. Recently, there has been one documentary series on TV that has stunned me. Each episode leaves me drained of energy, goosebumps at work, and saying, "Wow." It's called "When We Left Earth" and it's a documentary series about the NASA space missions on Discovery Channel. The program uses archival footage from NASA mixed with modern comments from the astronauts, flight directors, and other people closely associated with the space program. I highly recommend it.

I've included a clip above from the series about the moon landing of Apollo 11. Enjoy. Just watch out for goosebumps!

UPDATE: In watching the NASA missions, I am ever reminded of the fact that I spent several years living just down NASA Road 1 from the Johnson Space Center in Texas, home of NASA. I clearly remember looking up as a 6-year-old at the huge Saturn rocket they have on display outside the center. Did I say huge? It's ginormous! Even cooler is the fact that we lived seven doors down from John Young, one of the legends who flew in the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, walking on the moon and piloting the first shuttle flight.

Okay. Enough boasting. I have some things to say about the theology of what I'm watching, which I will post later.

Another Quote

This one is from Heartlight, the Christian Internet resource service.

A holy life will produce the deepest impression.
Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.

-- Dwight L. Moody

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Quote of the Week

Found this one in an A.W. Tozer book I'm reading on Worship:

"The reason that Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary to suffer under Pontius Pilate to be crucified, dead and buried, the reason that He overcame the sharpness of death and rose again from the grave is that He might make worshipers out of rebels."

-- Tozer, "Tozer on Worship and Entertainment" p. 21