A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. Solomon, King of Israel. Proverbs 22:3 NIV
A scan of national and international media reveals that non-Muslim support for the proposed Mosque near Ground Zero (GZM) seems just as strong as opposition to it. Evidence, I’m afraid, of a far too simple reading of a dangerous situation. Most supporters of the GZM cite the US Constitution’s protections of religious freedom. But they are failing to take into account critical facts about the GZM, its backers, and the nature of the global Islamist movement.
Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., is not so simple minded. Jasser is a devout Muslim and the founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (aifdemocracy.org). He is a former U.S. Navy Commander, one of the first Muslim Americans to speak out against the violence of 9-11, Fort Hood and other atrocities, and has been a consistent voice of opposition to what he calls the global Islamist movement defined as those who promote the Islamic State and governmental sharia law. Jasser is also the host and narrator of the award winning documentary The Third Jihad, which was screened at Faith Community Church last March.
One of the things missing from most American’s analysis of this issue is the theological underpinning and societal longing of the global Muslim community for prosperity, prestige and power. That theology and longing coalesced in the 1950s along two lines. First is Secular Nationalist Islam, as seen in Egypt, Libya, and Iraq under Mubarak, Qadafi and Saddam Hussein respectively. Second is militant, theocratic Islamism as illustrated by the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Ayatollahs in Iran and the multiple tentacles of the Muslim Brotherhood running through al-Qaeda and many other violent as well as non-violent organizations in the U.S.
In an interview with Aaron Elias on PajamasMedia.com Jasser outlines three major reasons to oppose the GZM. First, it is an insult to the millions of Americans who experienced the horror of 9-11. Second, the mosque is clearly being funded by people connected to the Muslim Brotherhood and other supporters of the Islamic State and governmental sharia. That funding creates an open door in what would be the greatest Mosque on American soil for the same jihadist philosophy to spread in the heart of Manhattan. And third, it will send a message of weakness to millions of Muslims world wide. A message that validates and affirms everything the Bin Ladens and Zaraqawis and other Islamists have been telling them about America all along.
“It will be used by Islamist leadership around the world to say, ‘despite the violence that al-Qaeda perpetrated on the American population, political Islam will always be victorious and from its ashes has risen the largest religious Muslim structure in the United States,’” Jasser warns. “As the administration continues to move backwards, [outlawing] the use of any specific religious Islamic terms like jihad, Islamsim, and salafism, the Islamists continue to make unopposed headway in the contest of ideas. We are losing the war of ideas.”
For the full length interview with Dr. Jasser see: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-patriotic-muslims-warning-on-ground-zero-mosque
Religious freedom is a fundamental value in America. No one should oppose the kinds of mosques that Dr. Jasser and his fellow non-Islamist Muslims would build. But neither should anyone be so simple as to assume that the GZM is such a mosque.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
DID JESUS EVER DISCUSS HOMOSEXUALITY OR GAY MARRIAGE?
The recent ruling by US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker striking down Proposition 8 in California has put the debate about homosexual marriage on the front pages again. One feature of the discussion about this issue in religious circles is the oft heard sound byte: “Jesus never said anything about homosexuals or gay marriage.” This can be confusing because at first glance it would seem to be correct. Enter the word “homosexual” into your Bible software concordance and limit the search to the four gospels and you won’t find Jesus using the word.
But people who are more familiar with their Bibles know that the argument is false. Jesus did address homosexuality and marriage and his stance on the issues is quite clear. I hope the following verses and brief explanations will equip you to clarify Jesus’ position on the matter should it ever come up in conversation.
First, Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a first century Jewish audience. When he spoke in Matthew 15:18-19 of the heart as the source of sins he used the broadest term possible - the Greek word is porneia - to describe sexual sin. His comments aren’t limited to adultery, or rape, or incest etc. Porneia included the whole sweep of sexual sin. Any sexual intercourse outside of the marriage of a man and a woman was considered porneia. Dr. Don Fowler, professor of Biblical studies at Liberty University, adds: homosexuality was not overt in a Jewish world but when Paul took the gospel to the gentiles, homosexuality (especially among the Greeks) was notoriously common. In other words, Paul's strong emphasis was necessary whereas in Jesus' world it was much less so. Jesus didn't discuss pedophilia either because it wasn't a common issue in their world but the use of young boys for sexual purposes was common in Greek wealthier classes.
Second, Jesus said marriage is between male and female. In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus explained what marriage is by going back to the original design of God. The union between male and female is the order of creation. It is God’s design for men and women. Homosexual marriage had no place in Jesus thinking.
Third, Jesus condemned homosexual practice in his condemnation of Sodom & Gomorrah. – In Matthew 10:15 Jesus explains to his disciples that in the judgment to come the towns that refused their message would suffer a greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. Again in Matthew 11 Jesus denounces Capernaum telling the people, “It will be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Some people will say that Sodom was only judged for its brutality to strangers but you have to ignore the clear meaning of multiple Old and New Testament texts to arrive at that conclusion. Sodom and Gomorrah are bywords throughout the Bible for sexual perversion, especially homosexuality. Jesus, though he had many opportunities to do so, did not upend the teaching on Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. He supported it and quoted from it.
Finally, other New Testament writings condemn homosexuality – The Apostle Paul’s writings against homosexual behavior are well known (See Romans 1:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). I do not have space here to elaborate on them but suffice it to say that they are in accord with the teachings of Jesus. Also, the Apostle Paul is Jesus’ personal envoy to the Gentiles (that’s us, see Acts 22:21). If we ignore Paul’s teaching on this subject we are ignoring Jesus as well.
Many people are being led astray by the idea that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. I hope this article helps you correct that mistake.
But people who are more familiar with their Bibles know that the argument is false. Jesus did address homosexuality and marriage and his stance on the issues is quite clear. I hope the following verses and brief explanations will equip you to clarify Jesus’ position on the matter should it ever come up in conversation.
First, Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi speaking to a first century Jewish audience. When he spoke in Matthew 15:18-19 of the heart as the source of sins he used the broadest term possible - the Greek word is porneia - to describe sexual sin. His comments aren’t limited to adultery, or rape, or incest etc. Porneia included the whole sweep of sexual sin. Any sexual intercourse outside of the marriage of a man and a woman was considered porneia. Dr. Don Fowler, professor of Biblical studies at Liberty University, adds: homosexuality was not overt in a Jewish world but when Paul took the gospel to the gentiles, homosexuality (especially among the Greeks) was notoriously common. In other words, Paul's strong emphasis was necessary whereas in Jesus' world it was much less so. Jesus didn't discuss pedophilia either because it wasn't a common issue in their world but the use of young boys for sexual purposes was common in Greek wealthier classes.
Second, Jesus said marriage is between male and female. In Matthew 19:4-6 Jesus explained what marriage is by going back to the original design of God. The union between male and female is the order of creation. It is God’s design for men and women. Homosexual marriage had no place in Jesus thinking.
Third, Jesus condemned homosexual practice in his condemnation of Sodom & Gomorrah. – In Matthew 10:15 Jesus explains to his disciples that in the judgment to come the towns that refused their message would suffer a greater judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah. Again in Matthew 11 Jesus denounces Capernaum telling the people, “It will be more tolerable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Some people will say that Sodom was only judged for its brutality to strangers but you have to ignore the clear meaning of multiple Old and New Testament texts to arrive at that conclusion. Sodom and Gomorrah are bywords throughout the Bible for sexual perversion, especially homosexuality. Jesus, though he had many opportunities to do so, did not upend the teaching on Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament. He supported it and quoted from it.
Finally, other New Testament writings condemn homosexuality – The Apostle Paul’s writings against homosexual behavior are well known (See Romans 1:21-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-11). I do not have space here to elaborate on them but suffice it to say that they are in accord with the teachings of Jesus. Also, the Apostle Paul is Jesus’ personal envoy to the Gentiles (that’s us, see Acts 22:21). If we ignore Paul’s teaching on this subject we are ignoring Jesus as well.
Many people are being led astray by the idea that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality. I hope this article helps you correct that mistake.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The Keys' to Success in High Stress part 2
I recently “retired” after six years as a board member with Tri River Habitat for Humanity. In the time that I served on the board Tri River completed three homes in partnership with needy families in the community. Our goal was to complete one home per year but as the following story illustrates, Christians define success differently from the rest of the world.
In 1940, Clarence Jordan founded Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, as a haven for racial unity and cooperation. In 1954, the Ku Klux Klan burned every building on the farm except Jordan's home.
In the midst of the raid, Jordan recognized the voice of a local newspaper reporter. The next day, the reporter showed up for a story about the arson while the rubble was still smoldering. He found Jordan in a field, planting seeds. He said to Jordan, "I heard the awful news of your tragedy last night, and I came out to do a story on the closing of your farm."
Jordan just kept planting and hoeing. The reporter continued his prodding, with no response from Jordan. Finally, the reporter said, "You've got two Ph.D.'s, you've put 14 years into this farm, and now there's nothing left. Just how successful do you think you've been?"
With that statement, Jordan stopped hoeing. He said to the reporter, "You just don't get it, do you? You don't understand us Christians. What we are about is not success, but faithfulness."
Here’s the cool thing about that story. Tri River Habitat’s last home, its 11th in Halifax County, was finished last year. Most of the volunteers were white. The partner family was black. The executive director of Tri River recently informed me that the Banister River Association of Baptist Churches, a traditionally black association in our county, will soon be a major source of volunteers with the ministry. Koinonia Farm is the place where the vision of Habitat for Humanity was hatched. Who succeeded and who failed?
In 1940, Clarence Jordan founded Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, as a haven for racial unity and cooperation. In 1954, the Ku Klux Klan burned every building on the farm except Jordan's home.
In the midst of the raid, Jordan recognized the voice of a local newspaper reporter. The next day, the reporter showed up for a story about the arson while the rubble was still smoldering. He found Jordan in a field, planting seeds. He said to Jordan, "I heard the awful news of your tragedy last night, and I came out to do a story on the closing of your farm."
Jordan just kept planting and hoeing. The reporter continued his prodding, with no response from Jordan. Finally, the reporter said, "You've got two Ph.D.'s, you've put 14 years into this farm, and now there's nothing left. Just how successful do you think you've been?"
With that statement, Jordan stopped hoeing. He said to the reporter, "You just don't get it, do you? You don't understand us Christians. What we are about is not success, but faithfulness."
Here’s the cool thing about that story. Tri River Habitat’s last home, its 11th in Halifax County, was finished last year. Most of the volunteers were white. The partner family was black. The executive director of Tri River recently informed me that the Banister River Association of Baptist Churches, a traditionally black association in our county, will soon be a major source of volunteers with the ministry. Koinonia Farm is the place where the vision of Habitat for Humanity was hatched. Who succeeded and who failed?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
THE KEYS TO SUCCESS IN HIGH STRESS part 1
Are you feeling stressed? Pressured? Overloaded?
Many of you are returning to school soon, some to totally new environments, some to increasing responsibility as you near the end of your educational career and the beginning of your working career. That’s stressful.
Some of you are under tremendous pressure at work. One guy described his day as “walking into a buzz saw.” Here’s a little research on the subject:
A survey of 1,313 managers on four continents found that "one-third of managers suffer from ill health as a direct consequence of stress associated with information overload. This figure increases to 43 percent among senior managers."
The sheer volume of information you have to screen, absorb and respond to can make you sick. Then there are those other “little” stressors that any body with a lot of responsibility and a little authority can relate to.
Dealing with spin – Information comes to us like a Tom Glavine curve ball. It looks like the straight stuff until it gets to the plate. The truth gets lost in the rumor mill or shady ethics.
Office Politics – Strained relationships between others in your organization make your job more difficult.
Political Correctness – Rears its head but you have to say things no one wants to hear.
Administrative Hassles – Can you just go ahead and hire the person best qualified or do you have to jump through a bunch of hoops first to keep the watchdogs happy?
Communication Breakdown – I thought you said it would be here Friday! No, I said it would be there Monday!
If you can connect with any of that you can connect with Pastor Tim of the first Church of Ephesus. He was dealing with all of it only it was dressed in Church clothes instead of business.
Spin – Tim was confronting spin in the form of legalism, Gnosticism and superstitious mysticism. (See chapters 1, 4,5,6).
Politics – Strained relationships between church members put him in the middle. (See chapter 2:8)
Political Correctness – What would the role of women be? How would he address it? (See chapter 2:9)
Administrative Issues – Who would serve as Elder? Deacon? How would they be qualified? (See chapter 3:1).
Communication – He had to set the example of clear communication and following through on commitments. (See chapter 4:11-16).
Let me go back to my original question. Are you feeling overloaded? Pressured? Stressed to the max? If so you might be feeling like Pastor Tim. And maybe you’re feeling his instinctive response: RUN BABY RUN!
But his mentor the Apostle Paul had another idea. It’s recorded in
1 Tim 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer. (NIV)
That was not what Tim was hoping to hear. But it’s one of the keys to success in high stress. Paul was saying to his son in the faith,
“Tim your desire is to come back under my wing. But God has you there for a purpose. Be content to stay there.”
The message: If God has you in a tough situation stay in it. Don’t bail out just because your palms are getting sweaty. If you’re sure God’s in it – you stay in it. Problems are just opportunities dressed in scary costumes. God has something to teach you in it and something to accomplish through you in it. If you bail out you may never learn what you can be and you may never see what God can do.
Many of you are returning to school soon, some to totally new environments, some to increasing responsibility as you near the end of your educational career and the beginning of your working career. That’s stressful.
Some of you are under tremendous pressure at work. One guy described his day as “walking into a buzz saw.” Here’s a little research on the subject:
A survey of 1,313 managers on four continents found that "one-third of managers suffer from ill health as a direct consequence of stress associated with information overload. This figure increases to 43 percent among senior managers."
The sheer volume of information you have to screen, absorb and respond to can make you sick. Then there are those other “little” stressors that any body with a lot of responsibility and a little authority can relate to.
Dealing with spin – Information comes to us like a Tom Glavine curve ball. It looks like the straight stuff until it gets to the plate. The truth gets lost in the rumor mill or shady ethics.
Office Politics – Strained relationships between others in your organization make your job more difficult.
Political Correctness – Rears its head but you have to say things no one wants to hear.
Administrative Hassles – Can you just go ahead and hire the person best qualified or do you have to jump through a bunch of hoops first to keep the watchdogs happy?
Communication Breakdown – I thought you said it would be here Friday! No, I said it would be there Monday!
If you can connect with any of that you can connect with Pastor Tim of the first Church of Ephesus. He was dealing with all of it only it was dressed in Church clothes instead of business.
Spin – Tim was confronting spin in the form of legalism, Gnosticism and superstitious mysticism. (See chapters 1, 4,5,6).
Politics – Strained relationships between church members put him in the middle. (See chapter 2:8)
Political Correctness – What would the role of women be? How would he address it? (See chapter 2:9)
Administrative Issues – Who would serve as Elder? Deacon? How would they be qualified? (See chapter 3:1).
Communication – He had to set the example of clear communication and following through on commitments. (See chapter 4:11-16).
Let me go back to my original question. Are you feeling overloaded? Pressured? Stressed to the max? If so you might be feeling like Pastor Tim. And maybe you’re feeling his instinctive response: RUN BABY RUN!
But his mentor the Apostle Paul had another idea. It’s recorded in
1 Tim 1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer. (NIV)
That was not what Tim was hoping to hear. But it’s one of the keys to success in high stress. Paul was saying to his son in the faith,
“Tim your desire is to come back under my wing. But God has you there for a purpose. Be content to stay there.”
The message: If God has you in a tough situation stay in it. Don’t bail out just because your palms are getting sweaty. If you’re sure God’s in it – you stay in it. Problems are just opportunities dressed in scary costumes. God has something to teach you in it and something to accomplish through you in it. If you bail out you may never learn what you can be and you may never see what God can do.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Jesus Money & Posessions Part 4 The Treasury of the Heart
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also…
Jesus (Matthew 6:21)
The treasury of the heart is the ordering principle of life. Everything revolves around it. It is like the sun to the earth, the earth to the moon and the moon to the seasons. And if that ordering principle is dark, then all of life is darkness.
Suze Orman tells a story in her book, Nine Steps to Financial Freedom that vividly illustrates that point.
When I was 13, my dad owned his own business—a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the oil that the chicken was fried in caught fire. In a few minutes the whole place exploded in flames. My dad bolted from the store before the flames could engulf him.
Then my mom and I arrived on the scene, and we all stood outside watching the fire burn away my dad's business. All of a sudden, my dad realized he had left his money in the metal cash register inside the building, and I watched in disbelief as he ran back into the inferno before anyone could stop him.
He tried to open the metal register, but the intense heat had already sealed the drawer shut. Knowing that every penny he had was locked in front of him about to go up into flames, he picked up the scalding metal box and carried it outside. When he threw the register on the ground, the skin on his arms and chest came with it. He had escaped the fire safely once, untouched. Then he voluntarily risked his life and was severely injured. The money was that important.
That was when I learned that money is obviously more important than life itself. From that point on, earning money—lots of money—not only became what drove me professionally, but also became my emotional priority.
I don’t know where Suze Orman is on that issue today, but I do know that when money becomes our emotional priority, when cash is all that fills the treasury of our hearts, then we are truly in darkness.
Jesus (Matthew 6:21)
The treasury of the heart is the ordering principle of life. Everything revolves around it. It is like the sun to the earth, the earth to the moon and the moon to the seasons. And if that ordering principle is dark, then all of life is darkness.
Suze Orman tells a story in her book, Nine Steps to Financial Freedom that vividly illustrates that point.
When I was 13, my dad owned his own business—a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the oil that the chicken was fried in caught fire. In a few minutes the whole place exploded in flames. My dad bolted from the store before the flames could engulf him.
Then my mom and I arrived on the scene, and we all stood outside watching the fire burn away my dad's business. All of a sudden, my dad realized he had left his money in the metal cash register inside the building, and I watched in disbelief as he ran back into the inferno before anyone could stop him.
He tried to open the metal register, but the intense heat had already sealed the drawer shut. Knowing that every penny he had was locked in front of him about to go up into flames, he picked up the scalding metal box and carried it outside. When he threw the register on the ground, the skin on his arms and chest came with it. He had escaped the fire safely once, untouched. Then he voluntarily risked his life and was severely injured. The money was that important.
That was when I learned that money is obviously more important than life itself. From that point on, earning money—lots of money—not only became what drove me professionally, but also became my emotional priority.
I don’t know where Suze Orman is on that issue today, but I do know that when money becomes our emotional priority, when cash is all that fills the treasury of our hearts, then we are truly in darkness.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
JESUS MONEY AND POSSESSIONS Part 3: Treasures in Heaven
GOD WANTS US TO HAVE WEALTH. WE MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO SETTLE FOR MONEY. Max Anders
One of the myths that came out of the great Wall Street crash of 1929 is that some investors, distraught by their losses, committed suicide by jumping out of the windows of Wall Street high rises. Thankfully, that is not true. But sadly, some men did take their own lives. They just didn’t take their last leap on Wall Street.
As far as I can tell the most recent financial crisis has not sparked a rise in suicide. But it has caused some serious soul searching. And that’s a good thing considering the fact that Jesus had more to say about money than just about any other topic.
One of his more notable quotes is recorded in Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (NIV) He might have said “where bear markets and housing bubbles destroy.”
The question is: what exactly did he mean by that? What exactly does treasure in heaven look like? Some other passages of scripture help us understand.
Matthew 19:21, among others, stress giving to the poor, giving to meet the legitimate needs of those who cannot meet their own. When we give to ministries like The Good Samaritan, Prison Fellowship, Feed the Children, Samaritan’s Purse etc. we are “Laying up treasures in heaven.”
1Timothy 6:18-19 Indicates that we can lay up more treasure by being rich in good deeds. The greatest benefit of financial security is not being able to insulate ourselves from the world but rather the freedom from the need to make a living so that we can serve others.
When my children were small we had the good fortune to find an excellent pediatrician in Atlanta named Dr. Bill Warren. Warren is one of the heirs to the Coca-Cola fortune. He didn’t need the money that his private practice generated. So he closed his private practice to open a non-profit clinic in Atlanta. As far as I know it is still there. When your own financial security makes it possible to forgo making a living so that you can help others live, that’s laying up treasure in heaven.
Philippians 4:15-17 indicates that giving to support the spread of the message and ministry of Jesus “credits our account” in heaven. When we partner with organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators and others that take the message of Jesus to places that we cannot personally go we are “laying up treasure in heaven.”
So what kind of treasure are you storing up? Is it the kind that bear markets and housing bubbles can destroy? Or will it last for eternity? As my friend Max Anders says, “God wants us to have wealth. We must be careful not to settle for money.”
One of the myths that came out of the great Wall Street crash of 1929 is that some investors, distraught by their losses, committed suicide by jumping out of the windows of Wall Street high rises. Thankfully, that is not true. But sadly, some men did take their own lives. They just didn’t take their last leap on Wall Street.
As far as I can tell the most recent financial crisis has not sparked a rise in suicide. But it has caused some serious soul searching. And that’s a good thing considering the fact that Jesus had more to say about money than just about any other topic.
One of his more notable quotes is recorded in Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (NIV) He might have said “where bear markets and housing bubbles destroy.”
The question is: what exactly did he mean by that? What exactly does treasure in heaven look like? Some other passages of scripture help us understand.
Matthew 19:21, among others, stress giving to the poor, giving to meet the legitimate needs of those who cannot meet their own. When we give to ministries like The Good Samaritan, Prison Fellowship, Feed the Children, Samaritan’s Purse etc. we are “Laying up treasures in heaven.”
1Timothy 6:18-19 Indicates that we can lay up more treasure by being rich in good deeds. The greatest benefit of financial security is not being able to insulate ourselves from the world but rather the freedom from the need to make a living so that we can serve others.
When my children were small we had the good fortune to find an excellent pediatrician in Atlanta named Dr. Bill Warren. Warren is one of the heirs to the Coca-Cola fortune. He didn’t need the money that his private practice generated. So he closed his private practice to open a non-profit clinic in Atlanta. As far as I know it is still there. When your own financial security makes it possible to forgo making a living so that you can help others live, that’s laying up treasure in heaven.
Philippians 4:15-17 indicates that giving to support the spread of the message and ministry of Jesus “credits our account” in heaven. When we partner with organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators and others that take the message of Jesus to places that we cannot personally go we are “laying up treasure in heaven.”
So what kind of treasure are you storing up? Is it the kind that bear markets and housing bubbles can destroy? Or will it last for eternity? As my friend Max Anders says, “God wants us to have wealth. We must be careful not to settle for money.”
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Jesus Money and Possessions Part 2
GUARDING AGAINST DEBT STRESS
A recent survey by the Associated Press and GFK found that 46% of Americans are stressed out by debt. The AP article went on to say that the average amount owed on credit cards alone was $3900. That’s down from $5600 last fall but still high. And it doesn’t include car loans or mortgages.
Why are we so stressed? Why are we carrying too much debt? Well perhaps it is because we failed to heed one of Jesus’ little known warnings. Then he (Jesus) said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15 NIV)
Later on in the Bible, in his letter to the Colossian Church, the Apostle Paul warned that greed is equal to idolatry: putting our desire for money and possessions above our desire for God. Clearly our greed is costing us more than simple cash. It’s costing us our souls.
Obviously, our attitudes toward money and possessions are critical to our spiritual health. But we live in a spiritually caustic economic culture. Much of our economy is designed around stimulating or creating in us a sense of need for things that aren’t necessities, generating covetousness and greed and idolatry.
One of the courses we took in business school was marketing. In the early days companies created and advertised products that met needs. Now we create needs where none existed before. You don’t have to work very hard to sell a hammer to a carpenter. But you have to be very creative to sell him hair spray and a blow dryer. You have to make him think that he needs it.
How do advertisers do that? They know what makes us tick. They know what scares us, what moves us, what our unspoken longings and insecurities are. And they use it to make us think we need the stuff.
One of those ads caught me a few years back. It was an advertisement for a boat. I like boats. But I never thought that I needed one until they showed a dad fishing from his boat with his daughter. The caption said it all: “Because my wedding will be sooner than you think.” I have daughters. I want to stay connected to them. Ergo: I needed a boat! I couldn’t believe how that simple advertisement tugged on my heart!
Madison Avenue has learned to tap the oil fields of the human soul. Only the derricks are in our hip pockets. They know I don’t need a new boat to go fishing. They’re telling me I need a boat to be a father who never loses touch with his daughters! I have nothing against boats. But I know they won’t last. They won’t give me what I need the most.
It’s like the great theologian and sometime actress Jamie Lee Curtis said in an interview, “The biggest lesson is that nothing on the exterior will make me feel better. It may seem that way for a short time, but those feelings of inadequacy will surface as soon as that new purse (jeep, boat, or whatever) is no longer new.”
What do we need the most? We need a relationship with God the Father, a relationship that can only be found through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so that our greatest debt – the debt of sin that we could never pay – would be wiped out. Now that’s what I call real stress free living.
A recent survey by the Associated Press and GFK found that 46% of Americans are stressed out by debt. The AP article went on to say that the average amount owed on credit cards alone was $3900. That’s down from $5600 last fall but still high. And it doesn’t include car loans or mortgages.
Why are we so stressed? Why are we carrying too much debt? Well perhaps it is because we failed to heed one of Jesus’ little known warnings. Then he (Jesus) said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15 NIV)
Later on in the Bible, in his letter to the Colossian Church, the Apostle Paul warned that greed is equal to idolatry: putting our desire for money and possessions above our desire for God. Clearly our greed is costing us more than simple cash. It’s costing us our souls.
Obviously, our attitudes toward money and possessions are critical to our spiritual health. But we live in a spiritually caustic economic culture. Much of our economy is designed around stimulating or creating in us a sense of need for things that aren’t necessities, generating covetousness and greed and idolatry.
One of the courses we took in business school was marketing. In the early days companies created and advertised products that met needs. Now we create needs where none existed before. You don’t have to work very hard to sell a hammer to a carpenter. But you have to be very creative to sell him hair spray and a blow dryer. You have to make him think that he needs it.
How do advertisers do that? They know what makes us tick. They know what scares us, what moves us, what our unspoken longings and insecurities are. And they use it to make us think we need the stuff.
One of those ads caught me a few years back. It was an advertisement for a boat. I like boats. But I never thought that I needed one until they showed a dad fishing from his boat with his daughter. The caption said it all: “Because my wedding will be sooner than you think.” I have daughters. I want to stay connected to them. Ergo: I needed a boat! I couldn’t believe how that simple advertisement tugged on my heart!
Madison Avenue has learned to tap the oil fields of the human soul. Only the derricks are in our hip pockets. They know I don’t need a new boat to go fishing. They’re telling me I need a boat to be a father who never loses touch with his daughters! I have nothing against boats. But I know they won’t last. They won’t give me what I need the most.
It’s like the great theologian and sometime actress Jamie Lee Curtis said in an interview, “The biggest lesson is that nothing on the exterior will make me feel better. It may seem that way for a short time, but those feelings of inadequacy will surface as soon as that new purse (jeep, boat, or whatever) is no longer new.”
What do we need the most? We need a relationship with God the Father, a relationship that can only be found through faith in His Son Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so that our greatest debt – the debt of sin that we could never pay – would be wiped out. Now that’s what I call real stress free living.
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