Sovereign Over Political Mess

Watching political news and soap operas is really not all that different.

This week if you watched Days of Our Lives and cable news for an hour a day you would get about the same product.  Politics is messy, confusing and intensely personal.  Outside of people coming out of comas at regularity there isn't much difference between the two genres of programming.

This week I read 2 Samuel chapters 3 and 4 and I could have just watched The Bold and the Beautiful.

In the span of two chapters you see: civil war, a man trying to love more women than The Bachelor, political butt kissing, two kings fighting over the love of the people, the simultaneous demise of twenty-four young men in battle, a man killed for not leaving another man alone, a general accused of treason and an affair, a backstabbing of a former political ally, a revenge murder and a highly politicized funeral.  And the next chapter is just as crazy.  How's that for a week on FOX News or CNN?

The life of David and the nation of Israel is drenched in messy, ugly, vengeful politicking.  Yet it is in all this and through all this that God keeps His promise to David.  For seven-and-a-half years after the death of Saul this was the state of David's life.  David thought he was at the finish line after Saul's death and then spent the equivalence of from now to Fall 2026 in the mess of a violent reality show before becoming king.

While reading through this section of 2 Samuel a few things are clear.  First, there is a difference in reading Biblical narrative as description and prescription because there are few things the characters do in this passage that I would suggest anyone do.  The other is that God is sovereign in the mess of politics.

Whether you are on the far Right, the far Left or anywhere in between, we can agree that there are times when it looks like God has taken His hand off the steering wheel.  There are things in my nation and in our world that both horrify me and embarrass me.  But God is in control.

God is always in control and He is always keeping His promises.  This truth is not changed by civil war and messy politics in ancient Israel or modern day Iowa.  

So, be active when you want in the messy business of politics, go ahead and be perplexed at how God is using all this to accomplish His will, but always rest easy knowing that God is in charge of it all no matter how ugly it looks from our seats. 

Trust our Sovereign Lord today.

Elders, We MUST Do Better!

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." Exodus 20:7

Recently the breaking of this command has been brought to light again.  If you've followed the stories out of Harvest Bible Chapel or the Houston Chronicle's reporting of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Church (the denomination I grew up in and one of the denominations with which my current church is affiliated) you have felt the grief of this sin.

God's glory is being robbed from Him by the actions of selfish people.  Worse than that, God's name is being defiled and misused by those charged with leading His bride.  This makes me so angry and so sad.  I take no joy in this at all; I lament this totally.  I don't lament that these sins were brought to light; I weep that men and women claiming to represent Jesus did evil and used His name to do it!

"Jesus said to His disciples, 'It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!  It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.'" Luke 17:1-2

I am one of the elders at Grace Baptist Church in Waverly, Iowa.  I do not claim to speak on behalf of the elders in this blog, but we have sent a letter to our church responding to the horrific news out of the SBC.  I don't claim to have all the answers to these problems in the Church, but I do want to pass on some simple advice that local churches should take.

1) Have a plurality of elders.
One pastor-elder is not a good plan.  Humans are prone to abuse power, especially when it is unchecked.  Pastor-elders need accountability.  Members of churches need to be able to make accusations against pastor-elders if, God forbid, the occasion arises.  Churches must have a plurality of elders (Titus 1:5).

2) Elders are not police.
Elders or deacons or pastors or church boards can handle all sorts of problems in the local church.  However, criminal matters should be dealt with by the authorities (Romans 13).  Too many of these egregious sins were dealt with by elders and not police.  Shame on that!  Elders should never be covering up these sins.  We are not equipped or chosen to be criminal investigators.

3)  Elders mustn't be 'yes men'.
In the case of James MacDonald (or Mark Driscol and others) and in many of these cases of abuse a pastor with a large personality ruled and the elders became nothing more than 'yes men'.  This cannot be.  The senior pastor is a first amongst equals but still an equal.

4) Work hard to be above reproach.
Being above reproach is a basic requirement of an elder (1 Timothy 3:2).  Being above reproach is super-important in guarding against false allegations.  But working to be above reproach will also help the elders, pastors and all in church leadership flee sexual immorality, and all immorality at that (1 Corinthians 6:18).  Better to be made fun of for being prude than to have Jesus tell you it would be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and cast into the sea.

5) Do your homework.
Many of these stories from the SBC stemmed from the idiocy of not doing basic background checks.  Many of these stories stemmed from not calling former employers to find out truthfully why he/she left the last place of employment or volunteering.  Jesus told us to be aware of false prophets that come in sheep's clothing but are inwardly ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15).  Brothers, let us not be ignorant!  We are charged with guarding the flock, we should do our homework at least as good, if not better, than the local daycare does.

"As a fellow elder... I appeal to the elders among you: Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over them... And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away." 1 Peter 5:1a-2a and 4

Fellow elders, if we teach the Gospel accurately from the Bible but we don't watch carefully over the flock we will not receive this reward.  This is serious business.  I pray that none of you are one of these wolves attacking innocent sheep.  But if you are: confess, repent and face the appropriate consequences.  For those who aren't wolves, and I pray it is all of you, I encourage you to use these tragedies as teaching moments to do a more thorough job of shepherding the people of Christ entrusted to you beginning today.

How to Bless the Father's Heart

Eight days ago my daughter Anna Kathleen was born.  She weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 19 inches long.  She came quick, as in barely made it to the hospital quick.  The moment she came out of her beautiful mother and was placed on Christine's chest my chest swelled with pride.  My strong and beautiful wife had given birth to a beautiful girl.

Later that day I went up and picked up Joshua and my foster daughter.  Our foster daughter is 18 months old and is a little young to understand, but 21 month old Joshua was excited to meet his baby sister.  He was in love right away.  He held her on his lap and hugged and kissed her.  And a few days later he said his first ever "I love you" not to me or my wife but to his baby sister.  Our hearts swelled to the point of bursting.  I don't think there is anything more joy producing as a parent than witnessing your children love one another.

"How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows His blessings,
even life forevermore." Psalm 133



My children will fight.  My children will be jealous of each other.  My children will drive each other nuts.  Yet the moments of sweet love are a taste of Heaven and right now we are getting a lot of that taste.

Christians, it must be the same for God.  Our Heavenly Father must delight when His children dwell in unity and love.  The offering of unity is better than that of expensive oil being poured out to God.  Our unity is worshipful.

Christians, how often do we express our love for one another?  How often do we give God the worship of unity?  Does our Heavenly Father delight in seeing us enjoy one another or are our interactions more of a "Do I need to pull this car over?" moment?  How often do we yield our rights to benefit our spiritual sibling?  How often do you pray for the fellow members of your local church?  How often do you pray for other local churches in your community? 

Watching my children love each other blesses my heart, even when that means my toddler nearly smothers his infant sister.

"By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

Bless the heart of our Heavenly Father.  Love one another today.