September 11th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

This morning as I discussed the day of the week and the date with AG, I was caught off guard that it was September 11th. Somehow it sneaks up on me each year, until I find myself writing the date on a check or teaching it to my preschooler, and then I, like most fellow Americans, am brought back in my mind to this day 8 years ago.

I remember thinking as I watched those images over and over again on the news how tragic this event was. Not just because of the American lives lost, although that was monumental. Not just for the lost feeling of security and the violation we felt as Americans, although that was troubling and life will never be the same.

I was struck with the weight of the fact that these terrorists committed such evil in the name of “God,” fully expecting to smash their hijacked planes into their targets and open their eyes in paradise. The fact that Satan has so perverted the meaning of good and evil that heinous, violent acts are seen as the ultimate righteousness.

We can so easily be fixed on the battle going on in this world. We can be so focused on suicide bombers and national security and Iran’s progress in developing nuclear weapons that we miss the fact that there is a larger battle.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12

Indeed, we have real physical enemies who wish us harm, and it is the God-given responsibility of government and military forces to protect us and restrain evil. I am so thankful for the members of our military and emergency services who sacrifice so much to protect this nation. But ultimately, the terrorists aren’t the real enemy.

We face an enemy who is a master of calling light darkness and darkness light. We face an enemy who deceives, who imitates and perverts the Truth.

Today on September 11th, I want to remind you of the unseen battle. And whether you realize it or not, you face dangers every day. Everyday we are tempted to confuse what is evil and what is good. We must know who God really is, we must know His Word, we must know what God says is good and what God says is evil. There are casualties all around us – lives that have self-destructed and destroyed those around them because they have lost sight of Truth.

Guard yourselves, for the days are evil.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:15-17

This post is linked to the September 11th post at (in)courage. Image from Wikipedia.

September 10th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

There’s been a lot of uproar lately about President Barack Obama. My own political opinions aside, I am deeply concerned about the way believers are handling their political differences. My friends, we must Fear God and honor the King. This is where belief in God’s sovereignty gets real – consider carefully how we speak and act. “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” [This was originally published on January 20, 2009.]

Last week we started our study of 1st and 2nd Samuel with a look at Hannah and then at Hannah’s prayer, which provides the framework for the rest of the books.

Today, in light of the inauguration, it seemed appropriate to pause on that and discuss the “if, then…” applications of all of this.

True understanding of the sovereignty of God over rulers, as discussed in our look at Hannah’s prayer, raises the topic of the “S” word – Submission. (In God’s timing, we discussed the discipline of submission in our ABF on Sunday!) Submission seems to be an uncomfortable word across the board – I remember vividly teaching a section on submission when I was a high school Bible teacher, watching the older students squirm in their seats as I asked them about submission to things like speed limits or school rules that they disagreed with. I daily watch my young daughter wrestle with the inherent rebellion in her soul – at almost three years old she hates to submit. Throw out the word submission in any women’s Bible study and you get eyes cast down at their shoes, looks of angst, internal tension. Add to our innate hatred of submission as human beings the ingrained understanding of the right of independence as Americans, that “conquer the world” mentality, and the pop culture ideal that all authority is meant to be mocked, and what we’ve got is a big mess.

It seems appropriate to spend some time looking at Romans 13:1-2.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

Submission, no doubt, is much harder when you disagree with your authorities. Any child, wife, employee, etc. clearly understands that. I do not agree with Barack Obama. I did not vote for him, I do not like his political views. Nevertheless, I have been clearly commanded in Scripture to submit to his authority and give him the respect he is due as the president of our country. On what grounds? He has been put in that position by God Himself. If God is truly sovereign, if God is my ultimate King, and He has placed this human being in power over me… rebellion against this human leader is rebellion against God. Period. [Obviously there's always the caveat of "unless you're commanded to do something directly against the Word of God... I'm assuming we all understand that.]

1 Peter 2:12-17 further elaborates on this issue:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

It’s interesting to me that Peter’s argument for submission to authorities revolves around the public testimony of the believers and the glory of God. Although I agree that as citizens of the United States of America Christians have the privilege and responsibility to engage in the political arena, I fear that in many ways our well-intentioned efforts to fight for the good have turned into fights against people. Whether real or simply perceived, Christians are seen as arrogant, ignorant, prejudiced, partisan, hateful… the list could go on. How does Peter instruct these believers to “silence the ignorant talk of foolish men”? By doing good. By submission to authorities. By showing proper respect for everyone.

So, let’s get practical. What does it mean to fear God and honor the king? I’m sure you could add volumes to this, but this is just a teaser to get our thoughts going. Showing honor is more than obedience. Showing honor to Barack Obama is more than me paying my taxes and living as a law-abiding citizen. (although, it certainly does mean that.) Honor for someone comes out in my attitudes and in my words. Am I honoring the president of our country if I slander him, repeat fallacious statements, or seek to incite others against him personally? Clearly, no. This is not unfounded reverence for him or blind acceptance of what he does. I can disagree strongly and still honor him in the way I discuss the way my views vary with his. However, a true fear of God and understanding of His sovereignty necessitates that I respect the leaders placed over me in my life.

Truthfully, this is much more convicting on a local level for me. There are leaders in my daily life that I strongly, hotly disagree with. I may feel at times that I am being treated unjustly. As I interact in these situations and even seek to address these deep issues, it must, MUST be done in a respectful way. For if God is sovereign, it is no accident that they are over me.

So, whatever your feelings were as you watched or listened to the inauguration today, remember this: We serve a sovereign God who sets kings up and takes them down, and nothing is out of His control. Barack Obama is officially our president, and it’s time to live out our faith in authenticity before those with whom we disagree.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4

*Picture from wikipedia.org

September 3rd, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

Image via Wikipedia

Continuing our series on the Sermon on the Mount (you can go back and read blessed are the poor in spirit and blessed are those who mourn), today we’re taking a look at Matthew 5:5-

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

I won’t spend too much time on this – if you missed it I’d encourage you to go back and read Meekness, Anger’s Bridle from back in June.

I did find the definition of meekness in the lexical aids to my study Bible to be so interesting.

“Meekness, not in a man’s outward behavior only nor in his relations to his fellowman or his mere natural disposition, rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul and the expressions of it are first and chiefly toward God. That attitude of spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good and do not dispute or resist. Prautes, according to Aristotle, is the middle course in being angry, standing between two extremes- getting angry without reason, and not getting angry at all. Therefore, prautes is getting angry at the right time, in the right measure, and for the right reason. Prautes is not readily expressed in English since the term “meekness” suggests weakness, but prautes is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness not in weakness but power. It is a virtue born in strength of character.”

As I am humble and broken before God, as I both intellectually assent to the fact of my sin and am broken over it, meekness is a natural follow-up. I am meek before God when I accept what He has brought or allowed into my life without rebelling against Him, trusting Him to be a good and true God whose ways are higher than my own. I am meek before my fellowman as I appropriately bridle my anger.

There is a right time, reason, and expression of anger. Meekness is not covering over another’s sin and patting them on the head to assure them of their innate goodness. It is not being a doormat. But dealing with another in meekness means that 1. I am genuinely humble – I recognize who I really am as a redeemed but sinful human being, 2. I take my own sin very seriously, and 3. I take sin seriously in others because I recognize the deep affront it is to my holy God.

There are some things that should make us angry. Very angry. But typically, when we express anger it gets all mixed in with pride and self-righteousness and becomes very ugly, attacking, and cruel.

Just to make this more applicable…

I definitely understand and agree with many of the deep concerns that so many of my fellow conservative Christian Americans have expressed over the Obama administration. I do not like the direction our country is taking. I have strong opinions about the healthcare plan, etc. [State-funded abortion makes me very angry. Appropriately so.]

But friends, how much of our anger is being expressed correctly, in the right way, in the right measure, over the right things? How often do our deep convictions and opinions come across as arrogant attacks rather than as a longing for righteousness that flows from recognizing the stench of our own sin? (And please, please remember that we are commanded to respect and submit to our authorities, whether we agree with them or not!!)

Guess what – we don’t have to go to war against people. Do we need to stand for Truth? Of course. Do we need to do what we can to influence our culture toward God-honoring principles? Absolutely. But, rest assured – we know the end of the story, and the Sovereign God of the universe has already made magnificent promises to us:

A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.
Psalm 37:10-11

June 17th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens

Image by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten via Flickr

We’re living in interesting times. This week has been fascinating on Twitter – you’ve probably heard that as the Iranian government has cracked down on foreign press, twitter has become a powerful tool for the Iranian people to show the world what is happening.

People are being warned not to “retweet” anything not from a valid source, because the Iranian government is doing its best to provide misinformation. When Iranian citizens are “retweeted,” twitter users are urged not to keep the original username attached to the tweet, because secret police are cracking down on these “information leaks” and Iranians have been arrested for using twitter to show what is happening!

If you’re not a “twitterer,” here is a sample of what I’m looking at right now:

*RT from Iran: Gov spreading false rumours on twitter that protesters are causing violence – this is NOT true
* RT from Iran – chanting ‘my brother – my martyr – I will claim your vote for you!’
*Please assist in complicating the search for Iranian tweeters – change location to Tehran, time to GMT +3:30.
*IGNORE AND BLOCK @***** He is government propagandist, spreading misinformation and trying to find us. FREEDOM!
*I’ve learned something today. Americans DO care about the world outside America. Their media just doesn’t
*My death is irrelevant. What is important is that you do not forget my words. We want freedom.”
*This picture is a protest in Iran – the picture has been passed around continuously, it seems

I was pretty fascinated by all of that last night… and then got more intrigued by reading a few well-done blog posts. I’d encourage you to take a look.

I really appreciated this “Hodgepodge of voices on Iran” from The Pugnacious Irishman. If you haven’t been following what has been happening, this will give you a snapshot.

Open Doors had an interesting blog post today with interviews from Iranian Christians about the current atmosphere in Iran.

But hold on to your hats- Joel Rosenberg’s latest blog post about Ahmadinejad’s trip to Russia in the middle of all of the post-election turmoil in Iran is fascinating. Does this fit into Biblical prophetic scenarios? We don’t know.

This site has an interesting artistically shaped “word cloud” using the most common words used in 84,000 tweets on twitter marked with #iranelection.

Watch and pray, friends – watch and pray.