Tag: Christians

Blessed are the Peacemakers

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Gospel of Matthew, Life, Nationalism, Politics


“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”

Matthew 5:9 NET

DEVOTIONAL

This past week has shown clearly that many who claim allegiance to Christ have forgotten the way our King taught us, and instead have become like the power hungry, godless masses.

Matthew’s Gospel is clear on this. The way to true “power” is not through violence, or authoritarian means, but through service to others.

“But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28 NET

Christ offers a better way. Not an easier way, but a better way.

Followers of Christ don’t seek to grow in earthly power through earthly means. Rather, we become the peacemakers in our nation, and use our means to humbly serve others.

Nowhere does Jesus teach his disciples to grasp power at all costs. Rather, we crucify the wants of our lives for the sake of Christ in order to reach our neighbors through humble service.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not about earthly power. It is about fulfilling the commission Christ has given his Church.

Preach the Gospel. Make disciples. Serve humbly. Be a peacemaker.

PRAYER 

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Help us remember that our baptism was an act of surrender, and allegiance to you alone. Help us remember that we were not purchased by the power of the donkey or the elephant, but by the blood of the Lamb. Help us love one another, and be one as you are One. Help us to truly be your children by showing the world your peace. Through the name and power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Attention Christians: Stop doing this!

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Christianity

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Christians have a problem. We tend to put ourselves in the middle of every debate, every issue, every situation whether it is our business or not. I think we’re well-intentioned in doing so, but we bring a lot of unnecessary grief and heartache upon us in the process.

Meddle is defined as “interfere in or busy oneself unduly with something that is not one’s concern.”  I know many Christians who have spent seemingly unending hours, and dollars as activists for various causes. Men and women who take a certain political stand on government-funded health care, or marriage rights, or refugees entering the country, or whatever the cause of the day happens to be.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t get involved in our political process. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t vote. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned about the world around us. I’m not saying we should support issues that go against God’s teaching.

What I am saying is that far too many Christians spend all their time meddling in the affairs of the world when we should be taking care of the business that God left us to do! We are called to pray for the sick in faith (James 5:15). Does that responsibility change if we have single payer healthcare or not? God teaches us that he wants us to pray for those who are in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Does this change our responsibility if our favorite choice isn’t in office? God wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). Does gay marriage or transgender bathrooms change that desire? Jesus expects us to baptize and make disciples of “all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Does refugee status change that command?

We need to be busy with the work of God’s kingdom, not the arguments of this world. It’s fine to have an opinion, and to even voice that opinion, but please don’t do so in a way that makes the Gospel unattractive to outsiders! If more Christians would be about the work of the Kingdom, and not consumed with the work of Washington, this world would be a much better place!

via Daily Prompt: Meddle

This One Thing Can Change Your Life Forever!

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Christianity

I hate being told to that I need to change.

I’d much rather have someone tell me that I’m doing everything perfect rather than telling me that something needs to change. In the minds of most people, “change” is always negative, but “do” is new, positive, improved. “Do” is good.

My wife and I were talking just last night about a situation where some people we know are having trouble with change. They are so paralyzed by fear of doing something different that they are missing out on a huge opportunity.

Change is hard. We get comfortable seeing our lives, our jobs, our faith, our way of doing things a certain way. So much so that when new information is introduced, we often struggle to make changes. We cling to what is familiar, and distance ourselves from a new, better way of doing things.

At least we have the comfort of knowing that we are not alone in this struggle. It’s been happening for a very long time. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a group of Christians in Rome who were dealing with the same thing. Here’s what he said:

Romans 12:2 – “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Paul knew that this one change could affect every area of their lives. In short, he’s calling these Christians to be different.

Jesus tells us that the world is a messed up place that tries to get us to be just as messed up. So when we keep doing the same things the world does, when we keep handling situations the way the world does, we become just as messed up.

If you only take away one thing from this post, remember this:

Doing what you’ve always done gets you what you’ve always gotten.

So take a look at your life. Is it chaotic? Are choices you’ve made coming back to haunt you? Are things you planned not quite working out the way you wanted? At the end of the day do you just want to throw your hands up and think “What’s the point?”

If so, it’s time for a change. Learning to think about things the way God does can change every aspect of your life, as long as you will let yourself be different.

This post is part of a series of posts every day this week. To see the other posts on this same subject see these links:

 

Proposition 8: How Christians have messed up big time!

by Matthew Stidham, posted in Christianity, Politics

The Supreme Court of the United StatesThis week the Supreme Court began hearing arguments in the Hollingsworth v. Perry case (aka. Proposition 8, aka. Legalizing Gay Marriage). Many feel this is a political issue while others feel it’s a deeply religious issue, but for certain it’s a very divisive issue.  Many Christians have been accused of hate and bigotry at every turn for opposing gay marriage, but that’s not the reason Christians (or at least the ones I know) oppose gay marriage! It’s because of love.  Let me explain.

To make sure we’re all starting with the same information let’s discuss what’s at issue. Proposition 8 was placed on the ballot and passed in 2008 as an amendment to the state constitution of California which stated that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”  A ballot amendment is where the voters of the state of California voted according to their majority values that they wanted their state to recognize marriage as only between a man and woman.  Any legal resident of the state of California had the right to vote on this amendment and it passed.  Therefore, the majority population of the state of California believes in the “traditional” view of marriage.

Also at issue is the Defense of Marriage Act which was drafted and passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996.  The main point of the law reads as follows:

Section 2. Powers reserved to the states No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such relationship.

Section 3. Definition of marriage In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.

Proponents for gay marriage want basically two things. 1) To have Proposition 8 ruled unconstitutional in the state of California, 2) A Federal ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide (similar to the Roe vs. Wade ruling) and giving them “equal protection” under the law for the same rights as heterosexual married couples.

I do not support gay marriage and it’s not because I’m a homophobe, a bigot, or that I hate some group of people…it’s quite the opposite.  Look at what the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NIV – 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There are several other verses I could reference, but this verse sums up all others very nicely.  First of all this passage very clearly states that “men who have sex with men” (or homosexuals) will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Is the Apostle Paul trying to single out homosexuals and turn them into some sort of unforgivable monsters out to destroy everyone? NO!  Notice who else he points out, the sexually immoral (anyone who has sex outside of a marriage between a man and a woman!), thieves, greedy people, drunks, slanderers, and swindlers!  Paul isn’t singling out homosexual behavior as unforgivable…quite to the contrary! He indicates in verse 11 that the Christians in Corinth used to be involved in the very same sins he listed, and they had been forgiven!

I do not stand in opposition of gay marriage because I hate gay people.  I don’t!  Paul didn’t stand in opposition to the practice of homosexuality because he hated gay people.  He didn’t!  God doesn’t forbid homosexuality because he hates gay people.  He doesn’t!  In fact God sent his only son, Jesus, to die for the gays, the straights, the drunks, the sober, the murderers, the peace keepers, the adulterers, the faithful spouses, the liars, the honest…you see my point.  Jesus died for all so that all people everywhere, regardless of their past failures, could be saved!  And until Christians fully understand this, embrace this, and live this, and share this fundamental truth of our faith we will be misunderstood by many as homophobic and hateful people.  In large part, we Christians haven’t been doing a good enough job of sharing the love of Christ with others, and we must fix that problem NOW!

I have had very good friends in my life who were alcoholics.  I love those friends and care about them, so much so that I don’t support their drinking.  It’s bad for them…it hurts them whether they see it or not.  God tells us that it hurts them spiritually and that sin separates them from a right relationship with God.  That’s the worst part of drunkenness!

I have had very good friends in my life who were gay.  I love those friends and care about them, so much so that I don’t support their homosexual lifestyle.  It’s bad for them…it hurts them whether they see it or not.  God tells us that it hurts them spiritually and that sin separates them from a right relationship with God.  That’s the worst part of homosexuality!

1 Timothy 2:3-6 NIV – 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.

So there it is.  Christians love others and wish for them to do what is right in the eyes of God.  We’re imperfect people trying to live out and teach others a message of perfection…and that’s pretty difficult to do!  Do we always get it right?  No.  Are there some Christians that come across as hateful?  Unfortunately, yes.  Does that mean that we are all hateful people?  Not at all!

Christians have truly messed up big time in spreading the message of the Gospel!  When people feel the reason we don’t support something is because of hate towards other people, they don’t understand the love of Christ, and that’s our fault!  We must show the love of Christ to all people at all times and in all situations, while remaining faithful to God’s commands.  Let’s get to work!

What are some ways you feel Christians could do a better job in showing the love of Christ to others?