The Principle Applied

A fervent young man replied to our last devotional with only two sentences. I’ll keep his identity private, but I thought he made an excellent point, but unfortunately didn’t apply it. His first sentence read: "I refuse to vote for a man who is responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people around the world."

Perhaps you’ve heard this response, too. I’ve included my response to our friend below for your consideration, complete with facts and figures about current casualties from the war in Iraq (from www.dod.gov, http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/, and http://icasualties.org/oif/Civ.aspx), as well as the current death toll from reported, legalized abortions in the United States since Roe v. Wade since 1973 (from http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/abortionstats.html).

Please read it. You will be shocked at the numbers. I wept.

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Hey, […]!
Thanks so much for your feedback! I have a few thoughts to offer, if I may?

FIRST, I don't think I explicitly endorsed either candidate anywhere in the email. Nor did any of the links which I included. The flyer merely presents where the candidates stand. If you support gay marriage, partial-birth abortion, legislating from the bench, the abortion pill, and state-funded abortions, then vote Kerry. If you don't, vote Bush. Vote your principle, not your party.

SECOND, about your decision process: you make an excellent point. I agree that the killing of innocent lives is an evil that should be stopped. So:

1. The CURRENT DEATH TOLL for the war in Iraq (03/19/2003=590 days) including all military and civilian casualties is 17,874. That's about 30 innocent lives per day. That's pretty bad, and Kerry wants to end it.

On the other hand...

2. The CURRENT DEATH TOLL from legalized abortions in America since the Roe vs. Wade supreme court decision (01/21/1973=11,605 days) is upwards of 40 million¹. That's about 3,447 ² innocent lives per day. (114 times the amount per day in Iraq.) That's a horrendous amount of innocent lives, and Bush aims to end it. Kerry, on the other hand, wants to "move it to the mainstream."

Based on your principle: "I refuse to vote for a man who is responsible for the death of innocent people," you may want to rethink your position. It's just logic: 3,000 is more than 30. Abortion is worse, so vote your principle. (Check out the "Ballot Box Blues" link below--it's really good. It's a conversation between two college students and a teacher about choosing between two candidates that are BOTH less than ideal.)

I would bet money that if you read the "Ballot Box Blues" article and the two others I included, you'd find yourself agreeing. Hey, just give it a shot...I know you want to make the right decision! Please write back and let me know. I'll look forward to learning from you. :)

Bottom line, my friend, is this: 30 vs. 3,774. Vote your principle-not your party.

FOURTH ³ and lastly, regardless of the above, I'm sorry to see you go. I treasure the opportunity to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. I have lost that privilege. If at any time you would like to be added to the list again, please do not hesitate to let me know. I would love the opportunity to serve you again.

Thanks again for your input, […]. God bless and take care!

Aron Gahagan
ONELIFE

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If you didn’t check out the ‘For Further Reading’ section on the devotional last week, I’d highly recommend doing so before you go to the polls tomorrow.

Bottom line, our choice is between a man whose choices have unintentionally lead to the deaths of thousands of innocent people around the world, or a man who has promised to intentionally condone the killing of 5,623,788⁴ innocent people over the course of a single term in the white house.

Yes. 5,623,788.

And that’s if he doesn’t succeed in his goal of “moving abortion away from the fringes of medical practice and into the mainstream.”

For the sake of millions of unborn children please don’t forget to vote. And tell others.

¹I got the actual number this evening [10/31/2004 10:51 PM] from www.nrlc.org: 44,670,812. That changes our numbers a little: that’s 3,849 per day, which is 128 times the daily average of 30 in Iraq.
²1/22/1973-10/31/2004=11,605 days, 44,670,812 abortions/11,605 days = 3,849 daily average
³I apparently cannot count to four without skipping three. (Feel free to check my math.)
⁴1/20/2005-1/20/2009=1,461 days * 3,849 abortions/day = 5,623,788 abortions in one term at the current rate.

Voting the Principle vs. Voting the Party

“…[destroying] arguments and lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God,
and [taking] every thought captive to obey Christ." [2 Corinthians 10:5]

What an amazing state of confusion and unrest our country is in! Lies, slander, accusations, denials; it's almost enough to make anyone step into the sidelines of political awareness and/or activity. One group of people are advising this strategy, another group is advising another. Some we trust, some…not so much. I suppose it was bound to happen when the news became a source of entertainment rather than information. But how, in the midst of all this confusion, should we determine, defend, and promote our decisions about who should lead our nation? How should we think?

1 Samuel 18-31 recounts King Saul’s maniacal pursuit of David, a loyal servant and the next anointed King of Israel. Earlier, when Saul was “tormented by an evil spirit from the Lord,” [1 Samuel 16] David would come and play his lyre (like a 10-string guitar) to comfort Him. But later, after David slew Goliath, Saul heard the people singing David’s praises and hurled a spear at him to ‘pin him to the wall’ out of jealousy! (Twice!) [1 Samuel 18] What began as a dim shadow of jealousy for his military exploits, had quickly become a lightless midnight of murderous intent toward David. So when David fled for his life, Saul mustered up his army and went after him. Twice there came a point when David and his men were able to sneak into Saul’s camp, under cloak of night, to thwart Saul’s intentions. When they approached Saul, sleeping soundly, David’s men said, basically, “Now’s your chance! Kill him, and deliver yourself from his hand!” [1 Samuel 24, 26] (No wonder Braveheart reminded me of David!)

Let’s understand his dilemma. If David struck down Saul, many good things would happen for him: he would deliver himself from the hand of his pursuer (not to mention adding a stanza to his ‘hero’ song); he could stop living on the run; he could stop sleeping in caves; he could get his wife back (or, one of them)—in short, he could live peaceably. Not only that, but so could all of his men. And, since he was the true King, many good things would happen for the country: they could rejoice because Saul the deranged oppressor would be overthrown; they would be greatly blessed because David, their King, was highly favored of the Lord; and they could finally be delivered from the perpetual threat of Philistine raids. David had a huge decision to make.

So David’s men knelt there in the stillness of midnight, utterly surrounded by a host of their enemies—hearts pounding, adrenaline rushing, breathing restrained, and spears at the ready—ears tuned and eyes fixed on David, awaiting his command. Then, hunched down near the head of his soundly-sleeping enemy, he said, “God forbid that I should raise my hand against God’s anointed.” [1 Samuel 24:10] (Imagine the reaction of his men!)

The second time David had opportunity to kill Saul, he said “…who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?...As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” [1 Samuel 26:9-11]

David made a decision dictated by principle, not by popular vote, nor by a desire for immediate personal gain. This meant that the running, the sleeping in caves, the longing for home and family, and the threat of death (for both him and his men), would continue. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be right.

Here’s the lesson: In determining who will lead our country, and be an example to us in thinking and in life, and represent us overseas, and allocate tax dollars toward or away from state-funded abortion and stem cell research, etc., we must heed God’s principles. Then, we must (as my Dad has said) “vote our principles; not (necessarily) our party.”

The accusations and denials fly, and confusion reigns over most—but the word of the Lord stands firm: “thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and “thou shalt not murder.” These are non-negotiable from the Lord, so they must be non-negotiable for us, and for the people we vote into office.

No matter what your party, we inherit our principles from God. And we have a responsibility to “cast down every argument that raises itself up against the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” So vote, encourage others to vote, and especially encourage others to “vote their principle, not their party.”

For Further Reading
[ARTICLE] Ballot Box Blues, by J. Budziszewski (of Boundless.org) EXCELLENT!
If you only read one of these, read this one by J. Budziszewski. Clear thinking on how to defend voting anti-abortion vs. voting anti-war (whether just or unjust).
[ARTICLE] One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society, by John Piper
Why a candidate’s position on one issue can be decisive when casting your vote. More clear thinking!
[ARTICLE] Why Vote If You Are Disillusioned?, by John Piper
Raises the standard of statesmanship; includes a great quote from Abraham Lincoln.
[NEWS CLIP] ABC Does Your Thinking for You
If the terrorists have come out against one candidate in particular, what does that tell you? They’re comfortable with the alternative. Does that make you comfortable with the alternative?

*The author of this email list is no longer legally associated with New Life Church of Biddeford, ME; 501(c)(3) regulations do not apply. (But the 1^st Amendment does!)

In All Our Ways

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths. [Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV]

I’m sure you’ve heard or read this verse before—you may even have it memorized. And if you’re like me, you’ve tried to apply it to all of your life decisions: the small ones (“What socks should I wear?”), the big ones (“Which car should I buy?”), and especially the super-big ones (“Should I marry? If so, whom?”). But, if you’re like me, you understand what the verse means, you believe it to be true, and you earnestly desire to put it into practice—yet the ‘how to’ often leaves you scratching your head: “Well, I would ‘trust in the Lord with all [my] heart,’and I wouldn’t ‘lean on [my] own understanding’ if he’d just tell me what he wants me to do!”

Ever been there? Me too. Our response (“What does he want me to do?”) is right because the verse provokes it. Look again at verse 5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Right off we notice that the Lord must have an alternative to “[our] own understanding,” which we must then “trust in” or “lean on” instead of “[our] own understanding.” So there’s a void to be filled: “Ok, what’s is his alternative to my ‘own understanding’? How do I find it out?” Here is where the problem comes in—too often we neglect the answer(s) he’s already given us to 99.7% of our life decisions—small, big, and super-big. In 1545, Martin Luther said “Let the man who would hear God speak, read Holy Scripture.” God can and does speak through special, direct ways today (such as dreams, visions, angelic visitations, prophecy, etc.), but his primary means of speaking to us today, far more often, is through his Holy Word. (Psalm 119, written by David, who was “a man after God’s own heart,” and whose “heart was perfect toward God,” ought to convince any skeptics.) So the Word of God is the Will of God. I appreciate how William Walker put it in his hymn, How Firm a Foundation:
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled.

So let’s look at the ‘how?’ The very next verse, verse 6, gives us something to apply immediately: In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Solomon’s main idea in this passage (vv. 1-10) is, at bottom, “Conform all your ways to all God’s ways and life will go well for you.” So what are “all our ways” Here’s a list of “ways” for us to work through, one by one, to determine whether we’re truly acknowledging God and following his ways in them: “in all your (work activity, financial management, relationships, entertainment choices, eating/sleeping/exercise habits, studies, conversations, devotional life)acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

How do I acknowledge him in these areas? Dig out the principles in God’s word, and live by them. They may not always make sense to us, but this is how we “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart, and lean not on [our] own understanding.”

Recommendations
The Book of Proverbs. Many have benefited from reading one proverb each day of the month. Reading the entire book of wisdom, of the wisest man on earth, every single month, can’t help but grow your wisdom.
William Walker, How Firm a Foundation [hymn]
The Navigators’ Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan [free download | pdf, outlook]
Garry Friesen, Decision-Making and the Will of God. [book] Dr. Friesen presents a convincing alternative to the traditional view of discerning God’s will for your life. It’s long, but a surprisingly quick read. As always, read with discernment.

No devo this week--sorry. Stay tuned!

For the LORD is Good

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100:5

I am amazed at how much God-ward rejoicing there is in God’s Word. It truly sets our faith apart from all others.

Christianity has something in common with most of the other theistic religions in the world: we believe there is a higher being who created us and who (therefore) is in authority over us. In fact, the vast majority of peoples and cultures across history have believed in a powerful, creating god who rules over his creation (atheism is a relatively new idea). This shouldn’t be surprising since, according to Romans 1, all faiths and all peoples have been immersed in a world that clearly reveals the invisible attributes of God – namely, his power and Godhead (or authority). Nature reveals both the power and authority of God and the origin and submission of man. But is this enough? Is mere power or authority sufficient cause for all the rejoicing we find in the psalms? I don’t think so.

Neither power nor authority are good or evil in themselves; that is, they are amoral. Power (much like hatred, tolerance, or rejection) earns a moral quality when it is exerted or expressed toward something good or evil. For example, if power is exerted toward something good, that power is virtuous (morally good). On the other hand, if that power is exerted toward something evil, that power is vicious (vice-ous, or morally evil). The same goes for authority. Pharaoh had quite a bit of (earthly) power and authority, and yet the Israelites weren’t doing a whole lot of rejoicing. And other “gods” put people in terrible bondage to fear and oppression. This is not joy-inducing!

What sets Christianity apart is the sheer goodness of God. “For the Lord is good…” We rejoice because when we see the absolute power and authority of our Creator displayed in his creation, we know that the one wielding that power and authority is absolutely, incorruptibly, eternally, unchangingly good! “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all…” [1 John 1:5] and “…every good an perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” [James 1:17] He “is good, and does good.” [Psalm 119:68] And there are so many, many more! [Exodus 34:5-7, Psalm 23, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 41:10, Lamentations 3:22-33, and John 10:1-17 to name just a few!]

The psalm above (the whole thing) seems to follow this understanding: verses 1 and 2 are an exhortation to rejoice in the Lord. Verse 3 is a reminder that 1) He is God (authority), 2) He made us (power), 3) we belong to him (authority). Verse 4 is further exhortation to praise him: but only in verse 5 do we get a “because”—an ultimate cause for rejoicing in him: “For [or because] the LORD [our Maker and Master who wields all power and authority over everything] is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations!” We could reverse verses 4 and 5 and get, basically: “The LORD is good, all that power and authority is in the hands of a good and loving God, therefore rejoice in him!” This is cause for never-ending joy, and this is what sets us apart!

Nature is enough to reveal God’s absolute power and ultimate authority. But if we would learn the full extent of God’s goodness, and his grace, and—unthinkably—his personal visitation among his creation, then we must turn to the Bible. It is his ‘special revelation’ in a book that compliments his ‘general revelation’ in nature, and it testifies of the goodness of God; especially as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord [2 Corinthians 2:6]. Nature reveals enough about God to leave us “without excuse;” but the Word (illuminated by the Holy Spirit) reveals everything we need to know to be eternally joyful in God, and (therefore) to be saved “to the uttermost.”

The LORD is good…, so take up your Bible today and learn of him, fill your soul with wonder at his power, authority, and his unstoppable goodness—and begin an eternity of rejoicing in him!

Recommendations
The Psalms. (I recommend the “essentially literal” ESV translation for its accuracy as well as its readability.)
Chapter 3 of John Piper’s book, Desiring God, on Worship

I hope and pray that you’ve been encouraged, and built up in your faith through this little message. And I pray that both of us would turn to God’s Word more frequently and more fervently, in order that the rising tide of worldly desires would be displaced by the growing pressure of a hunger for God himself.

PS – On a personal note, I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful feedback and encouragement as I begin my next chapter. I can already see the Lord moving in amazing ways. I am also humbled—greatly—at the generosity of this group of people; I was able to replace my limping, screen-less laptop yesterday with a new Dell notebook (debt-free). I have no other words but “thank you, and thank God.”

The Word of God is the will of God

"O you who love the LORD, hate evil!" Psalm 97:10

The other day I saw a bumper sticker that read "Hate is not a family value!"

I'm sure you've seen or heard this slogan at some point--it's quite popular. But what is popular usually isn't godly. From the verse above, we can begin to see the error of this "bumper-sticker morality." First, the scripture above tells us that we are to "hate." (That may be a bit shocking!) This means that hatred in itself cannot be wrong; God commands it. But, second, scripture goes on to tell us what we are to hate: "hate evil." This is what determines the morality of hate;its object, or target. If we hate evil, our hate is good; if we hate good, our hate is evil. Hate itself is neither good nor bad; its morality is determined by whatever is causing it. Third, scripture shows us that evil exists; it is real, and external and objective. So it appears that hate--if it is directed toward or in response to evil--is one of God's "family values." If we "love the Lord," we are to "hate evil." This is in stark contrast to the current worldview of tolerance, and postmodern thinking.

But let's back up for a moment. Why is this devotional material? Isn't all this "worldview stuff" a bit too academic for a devotional? Well, perhaps...but here's my real point: our devotion to the Lord will lead to joyful obedience to him and his will for our life. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." [John 14:15] Which means that a major part of our devotional life must be to learn what our Master's will is, cultivate a joyful obedience to those commands, and then seek to obey and apply them in our everyday life. The exercise above is just an example of "[destroying] arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and [taking] every thought [or slogan, or idea, or worldview] captive to the obedience of Christ." [2 Corinthians 10:5] Living a life of devotion means seeking to know and do the will of God in every aspect of our lives--all motivated by, carried out in, and aimed at, love to God. Isn't that the million dollar question: "What is the will of God for my life?"

The word of God is the will of God. If you want to know what the will of God is for your life, then turn to his word: meditate on the propositions of scripture while marinating in the presence of its Author. Too often, we think the "will of God for my life" is found in a voice from the clouds saying "work at Bob's auto mall," when in truth the majority of what he's revealed about his specific will for our life is found in scriptures such as "This is the will of God: your sanctification," [1 Thessalonians 4:3] or "...seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you," [Matthew 6:33] or Romans 12:2, or even Proverbs 16:9.

Have you grown weary of trying discover God's will for your life? We serve a God who “is good, and does good.” [Psalm 199:68] His will for my life and for yours is revealed to us in his word, and illuminated to us by his Spirit. He "gives [us] counsel; [and] in the night also [our hearts instruct us]." He will "make known to [us] the path of life." [Psalm 16] Meditate on his word "wherein is wisdom," marinate in his presence, and apply his will to all things--big and small. This is what a life of devotion to our King looks like.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Read Psalm 16 with Proverbs 16:9 in mind, and dig out a reason to be happy in the steadfast love and guidance of the Lord.
And Since we're still talking a bit about conflicting worldviews, I'd recommend reading any of the articles sent out last week that you might have missed. [see below.]