A Value System

I’ve spent a lot of time this year in political discussions that were centered on “value systems”. The definition of value systems that we were using would be something like, “A set of core values and high values that dictate a person’s beliefs and which eventually become actions. Core values are values that absolutely cannot be compromised. High values can be compromised, but not easily.” This is a very valuable tool when discussing different and polarizing topics. We were able to navigate through abortion, war, and corporate greed and yet both parties were able to walk away feeling understood and valued. Take abortion for example, it isn’t that one side wants to save babies and one side wants to kill babies. One side has a core value for the life of babies from the unseen time of conception through birth. The other has a core value for a choice in ending the pregnancy from conception to even the extreme cases of post partum/infanticide. Both sides have different values which manifest in different ways while agreeing fewer abortions would be a good thing. I don’t want to go down the abortion trail in this blog. I merely want to use this example of differing value systems, brought to light by the election season to ask, “What does God’s value system look like and how are we aligning ourselves to it?” For example to get the juices flowing, I would say we generally place a higher value on reading the bible then God does. I think we place a higher value on democracy then God does. I think we generally place a higher value on going to church then God does. I am speaking in general terms of the western church, but if I am right that this is the general value system we have in America, then what does God value more then we do and how do we need to adjust our value system? Thoughts anyone?

As a Christian conservative, I have found myself becoming more and more pessimistic about the upcoming elections and the future of our our great country. It scares me that the media is portraying a very liberal and unaccomplished senator like Obama as our 'savior' in these tumultious times. They are relentlessly pounding home what they hope will be their self-fulfilling prophecy of an Obama landslide. I am not a huge McCain supporter, I am just very scared about what the Democrats will do with the Presidency and large majorities in both houses of Congress, which from my perspective could do long-term and irreparable damage to our country. Consider the following list of their likely priorities:

1. Socialized medicine a/k/a national healthcare
2. Destroying the Biblical definition of marriage as between one man and one woman - Even though some Democrats say they want to maintain this, it will be in name only as the same rights, priviliges and protections will be given to homosexual couples, watering down and making any distinction between the two meaningless. Granting these same extra rights and privilges to homosexual couples will be in fact promoting homosexual marriage, which I believe should not be our public policy.
3. Reducing restrictions on abortion
4. Reinstating the 'fairness doctrine' in an attempt to silence conservative media voices
5. Socialistic-type economic policies (wealth redistribution, state 'make work' programs, ballooning entitlements, increased centralized control, etc.) Not to mention the liberal justices that will be seated on the Supreme Court with all Democrats in control.

It is not that I do not believe a Christian can support Obama in good conscience, I just have serious concerns about where a major shift to the Democrats would take us as a nation. I have not given up hope and thrown in the towel, it is just that I feel like things are spinning out of control.

I had this discussion with a close friend the other day and we both agreed that the best thing we can do as believers it to trust in God's sovereignity and pray. Pray often! We obviously should also get involved and vote, but there is power in prayer.

Until Next Time,
The Counselor

Comfort

Recently, at about 2 am, our youngest son Conner woke up in a terrific panic because he could not breathe. Tears were pouring out of his eyes as he tried to communicate to us that he couldn’t get any air. To give you some background, Conner was 2 months premature and had to have a breathing tube put in as a newborn. This caused a permanent narrowing of the airway called subglottic stenosis. When he gets any kind of cold with a cough or congestion, it sounds like the croup and results in a very rough and raspy cough. If it gets bad enough and there is enough swelling in the airway, it can make it really difficult to breath, much like a severe asthma attack. It sounds like a sick seal for lack of a better description.

After 2 breathing treatments, usually one does the trick, he was falling on the floor still very much uncomfortable and unable to get a good breath. Call 911.

The ambulance showed up and his oxygen levels had dropped below normal and they suggested getting him to the hospital right away. Conner chose Mommy to go with him in the ambulance and I stayed home as our 6 year old was asleep in bed through it all.

I can’t describe the feeling of strapping my 4 year old in to the gurney and watching him loaded up in to the back of an ambulance, all the time with a breathing mask over his face, little tears in his eyes, looking to me to assure him that everything was okay. I did my best to give him a big smile and thumbs up and expressed how cool it was that he was getting to ride in an ambulance and that mommy was right up in front with him. From what I could tell, he seemed to get some comfort out of my reaction and what I was saying and seemed to think that everything would be okay after all. And it was okay. He is home now resting and doing much better.

I’m not sure at the age of 4 if Conner has learned to get comfort and reassurance from anywhere other than Mandy and I. It’s a great responsibility as a parent to provide that kind of comfort but I do think it comes naturally. You just love your kids so much that you always want to reassure them that everything will be okay. I wonder at what age you grow out of that and need something more to comfort you. I hope that as a father, my sons will always get some form of reassurance from the things I tell them. But more importantly, I look forward to the day when they receive comfort from God as I now do. I wonder how people who are lost can get along in life without that source of comfort…

Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God.I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.
(Isaiah 41:10 as read from The Message)

Peace,
Monte

Heaviness of Heart

Have you ever had one of those moments where you feel a heaviness of heart? I am not talking about the moments when you feel as if someone you love has been in an accident. I am talking about a melancholy feeling when you just want to sit quietly and contemplate your life. A time when you want to let the busyness of life just melt away and really explore your deepest desires and thoughts. I had one of those moments the other day.

As I went to bed, I said goodnight to my wife and just laid there with the light on. I stared at the wall and tried to be quiet and listen to God. It is not easy for me to not have a quiet mental moment. My mind usually has no problem staying busy thinking about life, school, family, etc, etc. I think I may be an undiagnosed attention deficit disorder. Sometimes I really feel that God wants us to slow down so He can speak. This means that we do not talk, we just need to stop and listen to that still small voice. The voice that says, “you have been shutting me out to long, we need to spend some quality time together.” It is this voice that the mundane nature of each day can so easily squelch.

Why is it that God is the one we push out when life get’s busy? I remember hearing a story about an old theologian who was very busy one day. His secretary was telling him that he did not have time for his usual one hour of prayer that morning due to his busy schedule. He looked at her and said she was right. He was so busy he would have to start his day with TWO hours of prayer.

It is that type of dedication to our Lord that I admire. The kind of “sold out” mentality that our Lord expects of us. It is that kind of life that I want to lead. I don’t want to be the type of Christian that uses God as an ATM, only going to him when I have something I need to get. I want to be the type of Christian that looks to the Lord first for all that I need and all that I have to offer. I want to show God that it is for Him alone that I strive to be the best. I want to show God that He really is important to me and worth my effort. To show God that I know it is He alone that allows me each day with my wife and daughter.

I ask that you join me today in praising God for all He has given us. The beauty of the gospel is not a one time deal. It is something that we need to be mindful of each day. Join me in taking the quiet moments, when your heart feels heavy, and look to the Lord. Slow down and listen to the Creator as He so intimately calls us into relationship with Him.

The Big 4-0

Friday, September 12: As I write this, I’m 39 years old. In a few hours, I turn 40. I’ll admit that when I turned 30, I didn’t handle it gracefully. I moped around the house for a couple weeks feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t expect that was how it would be so I’m not sure how I’m going to feel when I wake up in the morning, a 40 year old man. Let’s wait and see…
Sunday, September 14: Well, it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought. Maybe I’ve gained some perspective on age since 30. I’ll admit though, I did run through quite a few “it’s not so bad because…” thoughts in my head. I’m a big fan of the show “Friends” and after all, almost all of the Friends are 40 or older now. So 40 must be the new 30, right? Here is some real perspective from what was going on when I was born in 1968:
· #1 song of 1968 – Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
· Best Picture of 1968 – Oliver
· The Vietnam war was in full force
· Johnson was President
· Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were both assassinated
· The musical “Hair” opened on Broadway
· The Beatles release the “White” album
· Planet of the Apes in theaters
· 2001: A Space Odyssey in theaters
· The Banana Splits television show debuts
· Also born in 1968: LL Cool J, Hugh Jackman, Molly Ringwold, Josh Brolin, Eric Bana, Will Smith, Owen Wilson, Brendon Fraser

So you are probably thinking, “Wow, that’s old, he’s the same age as Wolverine???” Okay, maybe you aren’t thinking that but yeah, I am as old as the “White” album.
In all seriousness though, what I’ve been thinking about most, is how 40 years is just a blink of the eye in terms of the rest of my life in heaven. I can’t even wrap my mind around what this life is going to seem like 100, 1000, 10,000 or 435,000 years from now. I think about how fast my life is going, especially now that I have kids, way too fast. And I think about the fact that I may have lived half my life on earth now. But there is such a better life that is prepared for me in heaven; that God has promised to us. If you are down about life’s trials, like turning 40 or like having a terrible week at work (which I am having sad to say), try to remember how short this time really is and look forward to eternity.

Peace, Monte

One thing that has been highlighted as a weakness in our western churches is when a congregation relies on the pastor to have the relationship with God and then having their relationship vicariously through him rather then taking on that responsibility for their own. It is problem that has been around since the beginning of time, for example, the Israelites told Moses that they didn’t want to talk to God but would rather have him do it for them. I think most people around America would agree that is a common problem, but what I’d like to suggest here is that it goes deeper then just outsourcing to leadership the responsibility for relationship. I’d like to propose that people also outsource changing their environment to God and call it “the sovereignty of God”. They do this in order to escape responsibility that he placed on us. “God is in control and Jesus is coming back to fix everything” or “whatever happens, happens. God is in control” are two phrases that capture that attitude. That sounds good and pious on the surface but it comes attached with the lie that we do not have responsibility for our world or environment. The truth is that we are called to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and to destroy the works of the enemy. Jesus didn’t die just to get us saved, he died to reconcile us with the Father and so that we can do what he did and even greater things; heal the sick, calm the storms, set the captives free. That is our mandate. God IS sovereign and Jesus IS coming back. But we do both God and the world around us a terrible disservice when we outsource all of the responsibility to Him. Jesus is coming back for a bride that is pure and spotless, not one that is weak and hiding in a cave! I am not trying to take anything away from God; rather I’m trying to add to our responsibility in bringing about change. There is a good story that illustrates the point. A preacher came to visit a church member who was also a farmer. The farmer was taking him around to all his fields as they visited. With each field, the preacher would say, “Wow, look what God has done with this crop”! Finally after hearing this for each of his fields, the irritated farmer says, do you want me to show you the field I let Him do by Himself? The farmer wasn’t trying to take credit away from God. Any farmer out there knows he can’t make the rain come, he can’t make the seed grow, and the sun shine. All the farmer was trying to say is that there are two parties involved in raising and harvesting crops. It isn’t that God can’t or won’t do it by himself; he just wants us to be able to share in the joy of the good works being done.

Let me know what you think,

Jon