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8 Mar

Radical Christianity

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Christianity, defense, evangelism, family, ISIS, Islamic State, love, Politics, Prayer, Radical Christianity, Radical Islam, Religion, spiritual. Tagged: advice, Bible, Christianity, church, faith, Fear, God, politics, Prayer, Radical Christianity, Radical Islam, religion, simplicity. 1 comment

And Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,

“Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

—Mark 4:39^*

Today it is nearly impossible to read a newspaper or watch a TV newscast without hearing something about “radical Islam.” The images of beheadings, torture, human rights abuses of women and the ethnic cleansing of Christians and other religious minorities send chills down one’s spine.

Our political leaders can’t agree on a proper response to radical Islam, but they all seem to agree that doing nothing is not a viable option. Many push for military action—even all out war. Others see diplomacy as the answer. I believe the only effective response to radical Islam is radical Christianity.

History has shown that nothing can be more effective than Christianity in its purest form. It was radical Christianity that survived by hiding in the catacombs beneath Rome and slowly emerged to peacefully convert it from a pagan empire to a nation united under the banner of Jesus Christ. It was radical Christianity that led a small group of religiously oppressed pilgrims to establish a colony near Plymouth Rock.

Today it is radical Christianity that leads missionaries to leave the comforts of life in America to spread the Gospel in places where they face persecution and even death. It drives some men and women to refuse to renounce their faith in Christ, even if it means being tortured or killed.

Radical Christianity can counter radical Islam. What could be more radical than a religion that professes God became incarnate in human flesh, born of a virgin for the sole purpose of suffering a hideous death to set mankind free from sin?

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5: 7-8

What could be more radical than a religion that professes that there are no “good” people; that all men have sinned and fall short in the eyes of God; that it is impossible to earn one’s way into heaven?

…as it is written, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” —Roman: 7-8

What could be more radical than a religion that professes that salvation and eternal life are given freely by God to those who accept Jesus as their personal savior, profess that He is the son of God, believe that he died for the forgiveness of their sins and rose from the dead, and ask him into their lives?

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. —Ephesians 2: 8-9

A U.S. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf recently came under intense criticism when she suggested one way to counter Islamic terrorism was through helping terrorists find jobs. She went on to suggest that “We can’t kill our way out of a way.” Now perhaps this is a bit simplistic, but Jesus’ radicalism turns logic on its head when he says:

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. —Matthew 5:43-45

While our elected officials seek various solutions for curbing radical Islam, radical Christians can follow Christ’s example and pray for our enemies. Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer is a radical Christian approach to countering radical Islam (www.atfp.org) through prayer. The organization’s website explains the approach as follows:

The Christian Response: Where is the Christian response to terrorism? If the struggle against violence done in the name of Islam is primarily spiritual, then defeating it requires a spiritual response.

Overcoming Fear: Terrorism inspires fear. According to Jesus, the antidote to fear is love. When we hate, we are reactive victims. When we love we have the initiative. Love for country helps soldiers to risk their lives. Love for children enables parents to discipline them without being intimidated. Love for us took Jesus to the cross. Love for enemies will give courage to face, overcome, and transform them and the environment that breeds them.

Historical Precedent: Historically, Stephen was the first fatality in terrorism directed against Jesus’ followers. As Stephen died from stoning, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Later, Paul, who had supervised Stephen’s stoning, met Jesus in a vision and repented. Can we pray today like Stephen prayed then? Would Paul have repented if Stephen hadn’t prayed?

Are you willing to get radical for Christ? Visit the ATFP website and adopt a terrorist for prayer.

^*All Bible quotes are taken from the English Standard Version

26 Jul

Out of Control

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Christianity, control, depression, Fear, Hope, isolation, peace, Politics, Religion, Unemployment, war. Tagged: advice, Bible, Christianity, control, fairness, faith, Fear, politics, religion. 3 comments

Read Psalm 42

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. —John 14:27 (NIV)

Watching the evening news these days can be depressing. In fact, it’s getting so bad that some people try to hide themselves from what is going on around them. Recently I’ve heard several people say they no longer watch the news because they just can’t stand hearing about all of the problems in this world. Just look at what’s happening today!

NASA recently reported its scientists have determined that a massive solar storm in 2012, which narrowly missed making contact with Earth’s atmosphere, had the potential to radically alter life on our planet. A direct hit would have disabled nearly every satellite in orbit and crippled the global electric power grid. According to NASA, we would still be “picking up the pieces” some two years later. The National Academy of Sciences estimated, “the total economic impact could exceed $2 trillion or 20 times greater than the costs of a Hurricane Katrina.”
Things are heating up in the Ring of Fire region around the Pacific Rim. New volcanic activity and earthquakes are making headlines weekly. With every undersea earthquake comes a tsunami panic. Doomsday prophets warn of a gigantic volcanic eruption that could fill the planet’s entire atmosphere with ash and darken the skies, causing an ice age. Others warn of global warming and climate change, while still others are raising an alarm about global cooling. What is one to make of it all?
Ukraine and Russia are on the brink of an all out war that could threaten stability throughout Eastern Europe and beyond. A Malaysian airliner was recently shot down by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine, killing all onboard. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the mishap. Meanwhile, there is talk of a second Cold War between Russia and NATO.
The so-called Arab Spring uprisings, which some dreamers believed would bring a new era of peace and freedom to the people of the Middle East and North Africa, has backfired. Egypt, Libya and Syria are on the verge of implosion and total chaos. Terrorist activity in Syria is spilling across the border with Turkey, a NATO member, threatening to drag all of NATO into the fray.
In Iraq, a hitherto little known group of Sunni Muslim militants called ISIS is conducting a rebellion that has captured large swaths of the country and threatens to collapse the government, reversing all of the gains paid for with American blood and treasure for over a decade. Christians there are increasingly being persecuted by ISIS. The growing abuse of Christians is not unique to Iraq, however. Believers are under fire in Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Pakistan, India, Vietnam and China just to name a few places. Some would even argue there is an anti-Christian movement afoot here in the United States, where it sometimes seems that Christians are the only unprotected group in our society.
The Israeli military has moved in force into its semi-autonomous Gaza Strip territory in response to months of rockets fired by Palestinians at Israeli cities. As always, security problems in Israel have the potential to rapidly blossom into larger problems extending beyond her borders.
China and Japan are rattling their sabers over a territorial dispute involving the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited chain in the East China Sea. The islands are surrounded by rich fishing waters and have significant natural gas deposits. The current dispute reaches back to World War II. China, Japan and the United States have all controlled the Senkaku Islands at various times in history. The United States, which is heavily in debt to China and bound by treaty to assist in the defense of Japan, finds itself between a rock and a hard place in this argument.
Speaking of debt, the U.S. economy is in horrible condition as a result of decades of uncontrolled borrowing and spending by federal legislators. Jobless rates across the nation are staggering. People desperately seeking work find themselves frustrated and disillusioned. With a rapidly shrinking middle class, America is quickly becoming a nation of haves and have-nots. There is growing talk of a total economic collapse that could make the Great Depression look like a walk in the park.

News like this has the potential to make anyone depressed. It sometimes appears as if the world is increasingly growing out of control—but it isn’t. It only seems out of control to those suffering from the delusion they can control it. Many politicians and businessmen are constantly planning and scheming, trying to make things go their way. Sometimes it seems as if they’re succeeding, but their victories are only illusions.

In fact, God has been in control all along. He is in control now and always will be. As Hebrews 13:8 reminds us, He is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” The Bible is filled with examples where God snatches victory from what appears to be certain defeat.

Moses, the adopted child of Pharaoh’s daughter, was chosen by God to lead the Hebrew people from bondage in Egypt.
As a youth, David the shepherd boy overcame the fearsome Philistine giant Goliath in direct combat, thereby saving the children of Israel from certain defeat.
While captives in Babylon, the children of Israel were freed and allowed to return to their land by Cyrus the Great, the King of Persia, after his armies conquered Babylon.
Saul, the greatest persecutor of the Jews in Jesus’ time, was described to Ananias by Jesus as God’s “chosen vessel” (Acts 9). Saul the great persecutor of Christians became history’s greatest evangelist.
From the ashes of the Holocaust the modern Jewish nation of Israel arose.
And most significantly, Jesus overcame a brutal death on the cross to rise from the dead as the Savior of all mankind.

Christians needn’t worry when they hear bad news. God has promised, “I will never leave you” (Hebrews 13). When standing in the midst of chaos, remember that He is in control.

My assurance is to be built upon God’s assurance to me. God says, “I will never leave you,” so that then I may boldly say, ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6, NIV). In other words, I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him. The faith of many people begins to falter when apprehensions enter their thinking, and they forget the meaning of God’s assurance— they forget to take a deep spiritual breath. The only way to remove the fear from our lives is to listen to God’s assurance to us. —Oswald Chambers

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” —2 Thessalonians 3:16-17 (NIV)

Twila Paris – God is in Control (Click to listen)

13 Feb

Peace through Weakness

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Christianity, defense, Education, Health Care, peace, Politics, Poverty, security, Simple Living, Uncategorized, Unemployment, war. Tagged: advice, Bible, Christianity, Economy, Education, Enemies, National Defense, Peace, politics, Poverty, Unemploment. Leave a comment

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-69

As someone who served 24 years in the military, I naturally favor a strong national defense. But I have to ask, just how much defense is enough? Practically every day we hear one politician or another warning there’s not enough money for Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, education, job creation and a host of other programs. Even worse, there’s not enough money to help feed hungry Americans, so many children go to bed hungry every night.

The popular TV comedian Stephen Colbert, who is also an outspoken Christian, said of America, “If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.” Among the needy I include those who lack the health care, education and jobs that are essential to growing self-sufficient, productive citizens.

Despite our country’s perilous economic condition, some politicians wail and moan that we need to spend more on defense. They warn that China is going to overtake us in military capacity. Iran and Syria are threats to the world. North Korea has the ability to strike America’s west coast with a nuclear missile. And the list goes on! These are the talking points of the war hawks—and the hawks aren’t limited to those on the political right.

Many liberal politicians have joined the war hawk ranks on the premise that growing the defense industry can help bring jobs to their respective districts. Perhaps that’s true, but manufacturing televisions or a host of other products that are no longer made in America would also create jobs.

According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, in 2012 (the last year for which full records are available), the United States spent 4.12 percent of its GDP ($645.7 billion) on defense. China spent 1.24 percent ($102.4 billion). In fact, the United States outspent all Asian countries combined, which had a total defense expenditure of $314.9 billion, less than half of America’s total. In 2012, the United States accounted for 41 percent of global defense spending. How much is enough?

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower

I believe we need a strong national defense, but we have to balance defense with domestic needs. If we can’t maintain a healthy, well educated, well nourished and self-sufficient population, then what is left to defend?

America is truly threatened from many directions, but the greatest threats stem from internal problems, not foreign countries or transnational groups. Perhaps the biggest threat is our ignorance of history. American society seems to have lost site of a key historical fact—the farther a nation separates itself from God, the more imperiled it becomes.

The Bible is full of examples validating this. Those who don’t care to read the Bible should try reading Edward Gibbon’s “Decline and fall of the Roman Empire.” The similarities between Rome’s decline and what is occurring in America today are astonishing. (Sharie Pyke comments on this topic in an informative piece titled, “Is America like Rome in decline.” http://goo.gl/7BgZFS)

“God is present in the places where our fears live.” —Randy Kilgore, Our Daily Bread

Just as our nation is imperiled by pulling away from God, the more we humble ourselves before God the stronger we become. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (ESV)

Chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Judges provide a wonderful example of this. The Midianite people had impoverished the land of Israel through constant raids and pillaging of the countryside. God chose Gideon to defeat the Midianites at a time when they were encamped in the land of Israel with a large Army. From across the land, Gideon raised a great Army to defeat them. But God had other plans.

God knew that Gideon’s army would overwhelm the Midianites, increasing their confidence in their own abilities to take care of themselves. God wanted to teach Gideon’s followers to trust in Him, not in their own abilities. He had Gideon select 300 of his best men and instructed him to have them surround the Midianite encampment. With these 300 men and through a clever ruse God enabled Gideon to crush the Midianite force. God delivers strength from our weakness.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

Just as God wanted the Children of Israel to trust in him, he also wants us as individuals to trust in him. The law given under the Mosaic Covenant does not consider the moral weaknesses or infirmities of humans in their natural, fallen condition. God’s law is absolute, demanding absolute morality and obedience before Him. The law accepts no excuses. When a person comes to this realization, his life seems an inescapable, fatal tragedy.

St. Paul describes this in Romans 7:9, “I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.” (ESV) This is the powerful conviction of sin—a person coming to grips with his or her absolute weakness and inability to please God through works. The cross of Christ is just a foolish notion to anyone who has never come to this realization. To believers, however, the cross is the only logical remedy for sin.

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” —Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Likewise, the cross of Christ is a foolish notion to anyone who believes our nation can prosper without God. Jesus doesn’t command us to have a strong national defense, but in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), he does say He will bless us if we are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and hungry and thirsty for righteousness. He also tells us to give to the needy, love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

The best form of national defense is unquestioning trust in God. God will allow us to push him away from our government, schools, businesses, social organizations, sports teams, televisions, movies, homes and lives. Unfortunately, those pushing God away do not understand that every vacuum created by God’s departure is filled by something less desirable.

20 Aug

Winning Isn’t the Goal

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in advice, Bible, Christianity, Freedom, Politics, Religion. Tagged: abortion, Christianity, gay, marriage, Prayer. 3 comments

“Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.” —Oswald Chambers

If maintenance on a house is neglected for years, the house eventually becomes derelict. Once a house has been neglected for too long, the owner is faced with two choices: save it by performing a costly renovation or simply demolish it and haul away the rubble.

Saving a house through renovation requires a sizeable investment of time, patience, and tender loving care—not to mention the monetary investment. Demolition, on the other hand, is the easiest path. It simply requires that the house be vacated and demolished. It is faster than renovation and usually much cheaper, but in the end there is no shelter remaining.

According to my unscientific observations, in many ways modern Christianity is like a house that has become derelict. The greatest threats to this house (the Church) come not from the outside, but from the inside where in many places the foundation is crumbling and the framework is rotting. Just like a real house, repairing the damage the Church has suffered in recent years, much of it self-inflicted, will take a large amount of time, patience and tender loving care. The Church today needs a major renovation.

Many Christians are disturbed, even outraged by social changes they perceive as threats to their religion. Some of the most controversial perceived threats are the gay marriage movement, the “pro choice” abortion rights movement, prohibitions on prayer in public schools and prohibitions on the display of the Ten Commandments and other religious symbols on public property. There are many, many other examples, but these four seem to frequently make the news.

Some Christians have become activists against these perceived threats. While activism aimed at keeping the government from encroaching on the freedom of religion is certainly appropriate, Christians must be careful to follow in Christ’s footsteps and show love to those who disagree with them and even to those who might hate them!

Some Christian activists exude anger and hate, contrary to Christ’s teachings. In isolated instances, there has even been violence and threats of violence. Extreme examples of activism, like that displayed by the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, have made national headlines and are harmful to Christianity as a whole. Members of this church have adopted a radical anti-gay stance that includes picketing funerals carrying signs declaring “God hates fags.” The church’s website claims its members have participated in over 50 thousand pickets.

While the Westboro example is extreme, there are many other examples where Christian churches have become embroiled in nasty political battles. Rather than worrying about perceived threats from the outside, Christians would benefit more from focusing on the real threats from within the church. Indeed, we see that much of the hate and anger exuded by some Christians today is directed towards fellow believers, as denominational infighting is ripping many mainstream denominations apart. How can we expect the lost to listen to us when they see the shameful behavior Christians display towards one another? How can we hope to convince them we offer a better way?

In Revelation 2:3-4 (NIV), Jesus admonished the church in Ephesus for “having left your first love,” indicating the church needed to get back to the basics. This ties in directly with Colossians 3:8 (NIV), where St. Paul tells us to put away anger, wrath, and malice; instead, he says in verse 12, we must, “…put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.” This is the model Christ gave his followers through many examples in his own life; it is the model Christians should adhere to in our actions towards believers and nonbelievers alike.

Far from trying to overturn Roman rule, as many Jews had hoped he would, Jesus did not resist Rome’s temporal authority. When asked whether the Jews should pay taxes to Rome, Jesus replied, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew 22:21 NIV)

When interrogated by Pontius Pilate, the cruel Roman Governor of Judea, Jesus did not question Pilate’s authority. Instead Jesus told the man who could release Him or order His crucifixion, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36 NIV) Afterwards, when addressing the Jewish leaders who had delivered Jesus to him to be crucified, Pilate said of Jesus, “I find no basis for a charge against him.” (John 18:38 NIV)

Around 312 A.D, during the reign of Emperor Constantine, Rome recognized Christianity as a legal religion. This remarkable feat, going from persecuted underground church to a legal religion recognized by the Empire, was accomplished not through violent revolution, but by years of adhering to the tenets of the faith while suffering terrible persecution.

It was not political activism that ultimately convinced Rome to accept Christianity, but perseverance and faithfulness to Christ’s teachings by the early Christians. The tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering displayed by Christians prevailed over Roman cruelty and oppression.

John 3:17 (NIV) tells us, “…God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Will the modern Christian Church continue to demolish itself from within or will it choose the more difficult path and renovate? In the meantime, will the Church show hatred and cruelty towards those it disagrees with, or will it win them over in the manner that Christ commanded?

When you come across someone you disagree with, or someone whose behavior you condemn lying injured by the side of the road, what will you do? Will you stop to give help or simply cross the road and pass by on the opposite side? Jesus answered this question in the parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)

If we are commanded to so show so much concern for a stranger’s physical wellbeing, shouldn’t we care even more about his or her spiritual welfare? Think about this the next time you become angered by something in our changing society or something in Christ’s Church.

Our time would be better spent repairing our own house than trying to demolish the house of our neighbor. Remember that the kingdom we serve is not of this world (John 18:36). Winning arguments with those we disagree with isn’t the goal of Christianity—the goal is winning souls for Christ.

Ephesians 5:2 (NIV) tells us, “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.” If more Christians would focus on doing this, everything else would simply fall into place.

27 Sep

Religion and Politics Don’t Mix

Posted by Zachary P. Hubbard in Politics, Poor, Poverty, Religion. Tagged: politics, presidential election campaign, religion. 1 comment

^“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” — James 1:27 (NIV)

There has been much discussion about religion during the current presidential election campaign. At one time or another, candidates from all of the parties have invoked the name of God to support their respective causes (the lone exception perhaps being the National Atheist Party).

With all of the problems in our national politics, it makes one wonder whether God could possibly support any party’s platform. I recently heard an evangelist state unequivocally that, “neither the Democratic nor the Republican party supports the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” During the sermon he referenced a publication called “Christ and the Needy,” a piece penned by Abraham Kuyper in 1895.

I’d never heard of Kuyper (also spelled Kuijper), so I decided to Google him. It turns out he was a Dutch politician and theologian. Based upon my subsequent reading of “Christ and the Needy,” which I found online, he appears to have been theologian first and politician second.

Kuyper, who was a Calvanist, noted that while some politicians might support reforms closely paralleling Jesus’ teachings on social justice, there is one profound difference. The ultimate aim of a politician’s rhetoric is to get elected and consolidate political power for his/her party; the aim of Jesus Christ’s preaching was to lead lost souls to the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason, religion and politics can never successfully mix.

Following Kuyper’s logic, while it’s important for Christians to be informed on key political issues and to vote accordingly, it is unwise to tie one’s Christian beliefs too closely to one political party or another. Therefore, after careful self-examination, Christians should vote for the candidates whose positions most closely align with their own religious convictions. This approach does not lend itself to so called “straight ticket” voting. Each candidate should be judged on his or her own merits.

Reading “Christ and the Needy” got me thinking about a recent trip my wife and I took to Harlan County, Kentucky, my birthplace. Harlan is situated in the extreme southeastern corner of the state, in the heart of Appalachia. Its entire economy is built around coal and little else.

Many if not most of Harlan County’s citizens are in economic dire straits to say the least. The ramshackle homes of those living in abject poverty are a poignant contradiction to the scenic beauty of the area’s mountains. Sadly, we don’t hear our presidential candidates talking much about Harlan’s poor or the poor elsewhere in the nation. Could this be because a large portion of them don’t vote? James 1:27 states, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”(NIV)

Television comedian and entertainer Stephen Colbert, a Roman Catholic, is quick to comment on politics from a religious perspective. He recently said of the United States, “If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.”

It is fitting and proper for governments to help the poor and needy, but the actions of government are by their very nature “polluted” by the world of politics. Jesus calls upon all Christians to care for those who cannot care for themselves. He doesn’t tell governments to do this. Unfortunately, as Colbert so clearly points out, far too many Christians and Christian churches have failed to answer this call. For the individual Christians and churches that have chosen to lift up the banner of this or that political cause, perhaps your time could be better spent lifting up the cross of Jesus and following Him.