Sunday, July 15, 2012

$MONEY$

One of my summer projects is to prepare my lessons for the fall and the resumption of my Bible study at the Saugus Senior Center. When I started this study I was 49, and now I’m eligible to join the Center; in fact, I have a membership card. While working on my lessons for II Corinthians, in one of my commentaries the author spoke about how Christians are counter-cultural. As members of God’s Kingdom, we stand apart from the values of our fallen, broken world. What the world deems important, we see as fleeting; what the world sees as good, we often see otherwise. For instance, money. It is good to know how to use it, but we can easily make it an idol. When money becomes the measure of success, and when it takes on an importance above all else, we have surrendered to one of the world’s most seductive and transient values. When I was in high school I was in a production of the old Broadway play “You Can’t Take it With You.” In all the funerals I’ve done, I’ve never seen a U-Haul attached to the hearse. Money can be a good friend but a terrible Master. Wesley put it best: “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” When we refuse to let money rule us, we’re being counter-cultural. We’re seeking first God’s Kingdom, and relying on Him to provide our security in this life, and in the life to come.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Statism

"Statism" is the worldview that believes human redemption can come from a political collective and lead to a desired utopia...which can never be achieved by fallen humankind but only by the return of Christ. Christians should participate in government, but with our eyes open. Salvation will never come from any form of government, nor any political party. We live in a broken world in need of redemption, something no party can provide. Our citizenship is in Heaven.