Ministry Compensation

I don't know about you, but I've been more than disappointed to learn of Franklin Graham's compensation from Samaritan's Purse (the ministry he founded) and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (the ministry his father founded). Combined, these two Christian non-profits paid Mr. Graham more than $1.2 million in 2008.

This made him the highest paid executive in any Christian ministry anywhere. And while his compensation was slightly less in prior years, it still topped $750,000 in years 2005-2007 ... making him the highest paid executive in any Christian ministry anywhere in those years as well.

To coin a phrase here, "WWJD?" What would Jesus do? Do you suppose Jesus would have been comfortable living so large on the backs of two ministries that have a stated (and government sanctioned) intent to feed the poor and save the lost? Franklin Graham's compensation puts him in the top 1% of household incomes on earth. Are God's people supposed to live that way?

Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with being rich. The Bible is replete with examples of godly men (and women) whom God blessed richly with material goods (amongst other things). But those blessings came from their business endeavors. They had successful farming and other business operations through which God blessed them. They did not siphon the money off of ministries whom people had tithed to support. They did not divert money from feeding the poor or saving the lost to build their palaces (at least not with God's blessing).

So Mr. Graham, when is it that you and your boards decided it was more important for you to live so large than, for example, it was to fund missionaries or feed the starving children? When do you believe God spoke to you and said to ignore your mission and ask people to "prayerfully consider" donating their own hard-earned money to your ministries so that you could be wealthier than most people on earth? (If you detect a bit of doubt in my mind, you'd be right!)

World Magazine (http://www.worldmag.com/) is one of my favorite reads. Recently it reported on a survey run by another of my favorite reads, The Chronicle of Philanthropy (http://www.philanthropy.com/). It is an annual survey of Christian non-profits and what they pay their top executives. According to this survey, not only did Mr. Graham out-earn virtually of his peers (in Christian ministry), but he beat them by a pretty wide margin.

Consider, for example, Paul Crouch, the head of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) who earned $419,500. He was the next highest paid executive in Christian ministry anywhere - yet Graham earned over 186% more than Paul Crouch. Do you suppose that really reflects the contributions those two individuals made to Christian ministry ... or even the impact of their respective ministries?

In terms of dollars and percentages, Franklin Graham excelled in another category as well. Often Christian ministry executives have their compensation measured as a percentage of the ministry's overall budget (donation and grant revenue received). Mr. Graham bested them all in here - by a wide margin.

The compensation that Franklin took from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association represented .68% of that organization's total revenue for the year. No one else came even close to that. Paul Crouch at TBN, for example, was paid just .18% of his organization's revenue for the year.

In fact, very few of the top-earning Christian executives in the Chronicle survey were even in the double digits ... most earned less than .09% of their ministry's total revenue for the year. Rich Stearns, for example, who heads World Vision with considerably more revenue than the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), earned just .03% of his ministry's total revenue for the year.

Now to be fair, when the news media reviewed the Chronicle of Philanthropy's survey and started gasping at Franklin Graham's compensation level, he did respond. Mr. Graham asked both ministries to suspend contributions to his dual pension plans. Later he acquiesced further and said he plans to give up his salary from BGEA.

We can only assume he meant that will take place at the beginning of the new year. It will leave him with just one salary and just one pension, from Samaritan's Purse. His salary from Samaritan's Purse was more than $500,000 in both of the last two years - so we probably don't have to worry about how Mr. Graham will support his family.

Now you might think that this blog is about Franklin Graham. I don't think it is. Rather Mr. Graham is just the poster boy for what's wrong with Christian ministries everywhere. What were the boards thinking when they concluded that he could work full time for two ministries simultaneously? Who is on these boards?

The Billy Graham is still on the board of BGEA. At his advanced age though, and in such poor health, it's probably safe to conclude that he doesn't play a very active role in the decisions about how to run that ministry any more. He took a salary of $204,607 as Chairman of BGEA in 2008. Is that really a reflection of his contributions to the ministry these days? Does he not have a ministry-funded pension (like his son has)? Can he not live on that pension and his book royalties?

The Bible has much to say about money. Interestingly, money has much to say about character. And whether what money says was intended or not, people read into it what they will. One thing spiritual leaders are supposed to do is "live above reproach." I am reasonably confident that would include how one lives financially.

I can only pray that if I am ever the head of a Christian ministry, my board will take care of my physical needs with the ministry resources - but go no further than that. That is Biblical. Beyond that is probably straying into some very dangerous territory.

Our church has already launched our annual drive to give to Samaritan's Purse so that it can "make Christmas special for needy children." But I'm thinking that I could never give enough. In fact, all of the people in my church together could not give enough to even match the salary paid to Franklin Graham.

So will my giving to Samaritan's Purse this year really make Christmas special for needy children? Or will it make Christmas, retirement and all of life really special for Franklin Graham?

End Times

We often hear people talk about the end times - referring to the prophecy in the Biblical book of Revelation where Christ returns to earth. It's a blurred image for most people, and we have difficulty delineating exactly what the end times means.

The Bible describes it as a long period, a thousand years (at least metaphorically speaking). It's pretty clear that it won't be accomplished in what we know as one day.

Why all the ambiguities? There are actually several reasons. For starters, God has only revealed a small portion of His understanding and His plans. While the book of Revelation gives us glimpses of God's plan for the future --- most theologians agree that it is quite unlikely to be a complete revelation of God's plans for the future.

Secondly, the end times is understood by mankind in the dimensions of both time and space. But neither of these are dimensions which God lives in or respects. We must remember that God created both time and space for the benefit of mankind. He doesn't need it Himself!

When God refers to time, what is He actually referring to? Is 1,000 years, for example, the same time we understand to be 1,000 years? Or is it something else? The Bible tells us that a day is like a thousand years to God (2 Peter 3:8). But that doesn't mean God's day is equal to mankind's understanding of a thousand years. It simply means that anything God would view as a day would be quite far from anything we could understand as a day.

So what are the end times, and when will they occur? Perhaps the more important way to answer that question is to look inside our hearts and determine the perspective that God sees. Is my heart in the end times? If so, is that a good thing? How would God see it?

Serving God

If you're any kind of a Christian (i.e., with any solid commitment to Christ), you probably have some desire to do "the work of the Lord." We've all thought it. Some of us have said it. A few of us have declared our "calling" and made a bold statement about what we think God wants of us. To be sure, serving God is a noble cause. Doing God's work here on earth is something that all Christians really should aspire to.

But what does it mean to really serve God with one's life? I suspect many people would be surprised. It doesn't mean running a church. It doesn't mean writing songs. It doesn't mean starting an orphanage, or working in a soup kitchen. Serving God doesn't require one to adopt orphans, nurse the sick or give large percentages of your wealth. You don't need to bake pies for the church fund raiser, or be pen pals with those in prison.

So what does God want from us? What sort of work is that truly pleases God most. Ironically, it isn't work that pleases God at all. You see, the work we do to show the love of Christ to the world around us should ideally just be a by-product of what really wants. God doesn't want our work. (The Bible uses the term works - to denote all the sorts of things I mentioned above.) Rather God wants our surrender, our submission, our obedience.

We often hear the phrase in our modern culture, "Whatever!" This is precisely what God wants from His people. Whatever He says. Whatever He commands. Whatever He asks. The Lord God wants hearts that are so yielded to Him that we are willing to do whatever --- with no exceptions. We don't get to know all the things in whatever before we agree to it either. That wouldn't be a yielded heart!

Many times we are so in love with God that we want to go out and save the world. We are certain that with God's help we surely can (save the world) too. Those of us who are less sincere in our faith, may feel guilt or other emotions (like wanting approval) that drive us to do good works. But here's the thing: whatever motivates us to good works in God's name is probably wrong.

Absolutely nothing should motivate us to do good works in God's name. Rather it is our unconditional yielding to God's will that will bring about good works (also called fruit). So rather than sit and think of things we can do for God, we need to get to know God.

Psalm 46:10 tells us “Be still, and know that I am God.” God’s people are commanded to “be still” in this verse. The imperative gives a solemn duty to those in a covenant relationship with God — Israel in the Old Testament, but today, it is given to Christians,

What does it mean when God’s own are commanded to “be still”? The injunction is not given to restrict the mobility of God’s people. The duty represents a spiritual disposition that ought to characterize those to whom God’s unfailing promises have been given.

Sadly, there are those who are far from “still”; they “do all the work” and give God some (maybe) of the credit. They believe that by “lifting up their hands” and by “taking courage,” they can survive and thrive by the sweat of their own brow. They can do it all on their own, without any divine dependence.

Here is the irony in this term “be still.” While we must take the initiative to fulfill our responsibilities and live our lives, the uncertainties of living in a world of sin and woe will continually challenge us. Personal initiative is no substitute for reliance upon God.

This command — “be still” — forces us to think on two things: that we are finite, and that God is infinite. That being the case, we need to drop our hands, go limp, relax, and “chill out.” Christian people must take time to come and behold the works, nature and character of God. We do this so that we may enjoy a calm confidence in him who gave us his Son.

This spiritual calm, that God commands, does not come from a lack of troubles; it derives from a steady, deep reflection on the ways God has intervened in history on behalf of his people. And it certainly doesn’t come from one who stays busy serving God. Busy-ness does not produce this spiritual calmness.

So as the world crumbles around us, the call from Scripture is not to get busy and try to save the world from itself. Rather the command is to stand strong --- but stand still — not because of a self-made confidence, not because you are the most composed person in the face of disaster, not because “you’ve seen it all.” Be still because of what you know about God.

It is “God’s past” that provides calm for “our future.” Know that he is God! Know it, not merely intellectually, but practically, spiritually, and emotionally. He is your God. He is the ruler of kingdoms of this earth and the all-powerful Creator of the Universe.

If you are the last man or woman standing, be still. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth will change.

True Christ-followers will not be out trying to do all the things they can think of to serve God. Rather they will be still, prepared to do whatever He asks them to, whenever He asks them to.

Internet Sermons

I've been working with pastors through the years, and been privileged to hear several of them confess their own sins from time to time. Often the focus is on blatant sins such as pride, lust, greed, etc. But there are other things in a pastor's life that can be wrong in God's eyes, and they need to be dealt with just as much as the blatant wrongs. A good example can be sermons.

How could a sermon be sinful? There are actually several ways. For starters, the sermon could be wrong. Preaching heresy is openly condemned by God in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Oddly, taking sermons of others and preaching them yourself can also be wrong. On the surface, it doesn't look wrong. In fact, it seems as if it should be right. But when pastors have talked about it, they're often ashamed to admit the fact that they preached sermons that they got off the Internet. Their shame proves that they know it's wrong.

You see, a pastor is a modern-day prophet. He is called and anointed by God to speak for God. When he preaches, he should be giving his audience an anointed Word from God Himself. Whatever preaching "style" he tends to needs to be exposing the truth. (And of course Jesus is the truth.) Simply put, a preacher is a conduit through whom God speaks. Our culture doesn't embrace that notion though. We seem not to expect that as listeners either. This may explain why we don't listen very well to the preaching we have!

The book of Jeremiah gives us a view of just one of the times God spoke directly about those whom He has called and anointed as spiritual leaders. Let's take a look at something he had to say that has a very relevant application in our Internet-powered "information age."

In Jeremiah 24:30, God says, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes, declares the Lord, I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The Lord declares ...'"

So what is God saying here? Simply put, He doesn't want the prophets whom He's called to use the words that He may (or may not) have given to another prophet. He doesn't want the prophets to speak on their own either.

Who are the prophets? A prophet is one who speaks for God. It is really that simple. So the preacher in the pulpit is a prophet. And God wants to reveal Himself to the audience through that preacher. God wants that man to speak an anointed Word from the Father Himself. It is to be supernaturally inspired - and not borrowed from another through whom God may have also spoken.

Those who preach are to turn to God and ask the simple questions. "Lord, what do You want to say through me? Would you please give me Your words - whatever it is that You want these people to hear?" The preacher should be on his knees before it's time to deliver the sermon, asking God, "Father, please quiet my mind and my heart. Control my tongue and speak through me. Let me speak only words that You want spoken ... words that honor You and fully serve You alone."

It is shocking the number of sermon sites on the Internet. You can subscribe to them, search in them for topic, etc. It would seem that it is becoming quite possible for a preacher to never actually write a sermon. He only has to turn to the Internet to download great sermons and then be a great speaker to deliver them with pizazz.

But let's be clear here. The Internet may be fine as a research tool. It may be fine to even use the sermons of others to research things. But God has been clear - we are not to preach the sermons He has given to others.

Church Growth

This is national Pastor Appreciation Week. Across the country (U.S.A.) people are contemplating the effectiveness of their pastor - or just considering whether or not they love their pastor. I notice that the two are not related. My appreciation for and my love of my pastor are definitely two different dimensions of my relationship with my pastor.

We often evaluate the effectiveness of a pastor based on the growth of the church. Now that seems reasonable and right. But it seems that most of us look at the growth of the church in terms of numbers of butts in the seats on Sunday morning. Is that really the effective measure of church growth? Or to put it in business terms, are the numbers the real KPI's (key performance indicators)?

My favorite author of all time, A. W. Tozer, is of course dead now. But when alive, he had much to say about many things. I consider his wisdom to be of the finest I've ever encountered. He wrote a book called The Size of the Soul. In it, he cited 1 Timothy 6:20-21 as a good scripture to anchor our definition of church growth with.

"O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith ..." (1 Timothy 6:20-21) Now let's look at what Tozer had to say about this.

"The crowds-at-any-price mania has taken a firm grip on American Christianity and is the motivating power back of a shockingly high percentage of all religious activity. Men and churches compete for the attention of the paying multitudes who are brought in by means of any currently popular gadget or gimmick ostensibly to have their souls saved, but, if the truth were told, often for reasons not so praiseworthy as this....

Our constant effort should be to reach as many persons as possible with the Christian message, and for that reason numbers are critically important. But our first responsibility is not to make converts but to uphold the honor of God in a world given over to the glory of fallen man. No matter how many persons we touch with the gospel we have failed unless, along with the message of invitation, we have boldly declared the exceeding sinfulness of man and the transcendent holiness of the Most High God. They who degrade or compromise the truth in order to reach larger numbers, dishonor God and deeply injure the souls of men.

The temptation to modify the teachings of Christ with the hope that larger numbers may 'accept' Him is cruelly strong in this day of speed, size, noise, and crowds. But if we know what is good for us, we'll resist it with every power at our command."

As I sat in my own church this past Sunday, I found myself praying that God would grow our church. And then I distinctly understood that God was asking me to clarify what I was asking for. Was I asking for butts in the seats? Or was I asking for spiritual maturity? Do I seek social unity with other believers? Am I seeking strengthened community, with deep emotional intimacy between brothers and sisters in Christ?

I definitely appreciate my pastor. But I also understand the difference between a senior pastor and a senior preacher. In this Pastor Appreciation Week, it would be good for us to consider the appropriate role of a pastor. Of course we want them to grow our church. But what exactly do we expect from church growth? Are we appreciating our pastors for the right reasons?

Godly Country

The Old Testament book of 1 Kings tells the history of Israel. It begins with a nation united under the King David, the most devout leader in the nation's history. But the book ends with the nation divided, and the death of Ahab, the most wicked leader of all. What happened?

For starters, the people failed to acknowledge God as their ultimate leader. They didn't submit themselves to Him. They didn't live life God's way. In fact, they got to the parent where they really didn't care what God's will for their lives - or their country - might be.

The Israelites also appointed human leaders who were not so godly and ignored God. Eventually they conformed to the ways of these ungodly leaders. (If the leaders ignored God, how would you think they might lead the people?)

Occasional wrongdoing eventually turned into a way of life for these people. They did what was not acceptable in the eyes of God. Put another way, their blatant wickedness could only be met by judgment from the holy God. He allowed enemy nations to rise up and oppose them. And then Israel, a nation that had historically and miraculously won so many battles and defeated so many enemies, began to experience defeat at the hands of their enemies.

So the moral to this story of course is that failure to acknowledge God as our ultimate leader is the first step toward national ruin.

Now, let's turn our attention to the United States of America. Am I the only one who sees the similarities in our history? The U.S. for so many years was God's chosen nation. We were led by men who respected and revered God. We defeated so many enemies in so many wars. In fact, we were instrumental in restoring Israel to statehood and even protect that status today!

But what have we done? First, more and more we've failed to acknowledge God's lordship in our lives and in our nation. Second, we've elected human leaders who are not so godly. Finally, our lifestyles have continued to migrate to something less than God's will for our lives or our nation.

Why on earth would we expect anything different than what Israel got ... when we take the same road that Israel took? I won't purport to know what God is doing with the U.S.A. I don't know if He's handing us over to our enemies as punishment for our wickedness. But it occurs to me that that is the character and nature of God.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that the U.S. is one of the most generous countries on earth. I also am fully aware that it has many, many godly people living in it. But as a nation, the godliness of some doesn't cancel out the wickedness of many.

So it occurs to me that God's punishment may in fact be what America deserves right now. And the only way to not be deserving of that (punishment) is for us to become a repentant country - turning from our sinful ways and acknowledging God in all our ways.

Situational Ethics

Have you ever had, as a Christian, one of those “sticky situations? You want to do the right thing. But there appear to be two sides to the dilemma. Things are not always black or white but seem to fall into some kind of grey area.

What’s appropriate just doesn’t seem to be very clear. What’s really going on? How should we, as Christ-followers, respond to that?

First, let’s define the character and nature of a dilemma. A dilemma is a problem where there are at least two choices we can make. It is often a situation where you are not sure what is right or wrong --- or what is more right or more wrong.

When considering what God’s Word says about any particular subject, we sometimes find commandments that can give us clear direction. But in other cases we may need to search deeper into the Scriptures. Where there are no clear commandments, there are still many principles, not often clear without careful study. Occasionally God’s Word may even appear to be completely silent on a certain subjects.

So what are we to do? I think the best answer is that we are not to give up looking for the right answer. God is all-knowing. He has an answer for every single question that life can muster. His Spirit can lead every single decision that humanity might ever have to make. This is what’s true about the situation of any dilemma.

So we need to ask, to seek, to listen and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We may need to discuss it with other Christians who are more mature than we are … who can help lead us to the answers in Scripture or to pray with us for the Spirit’s leading. God doesn’t leave us empty-handed when it comes to the dilemmas that life throws at us.

Let’s look at some examples. Would it be okay for …

... a Christian Lawyer to enter a “not guilty” plea for a criminal he knows is guilty?
... a Christian flight attendant to serve liquor?
... a Christian purchasing agent to take gifts from suppliers?
... a Christian Doctor to sign an insurance form for a patient he knows is not valid?
... a Christian working at a bar or casino?
... a Christian to go into a bar, tavern or lounge to witness for Christ?
... a Christian to pay taxes, knowing some goes to unethical, unbiblical practices?
... a Christian to voluntarily enlist to serve in a war and fight?
... a Christian giving to a poor person regardless of why they are poor?
... a Christian to be a business partner with a non-Christian?
... a Christian to lie if human life is in danger?
... a Christian to withhold his or her tithe if the church were squandering the money?

Let us consider this subject by asking ourselves some questions with a teachable Spirit and with careful study of Bible scripture. While the Bible doesn’t speak specifically of casinos or gentlemen’s clubs, or drinks on an airline – it does provide us with a wealth of Scriptures that form the context on which these kinds of dilemmas can be evaluated.

1 Cor. 10:23-31 Does this activity edify myself or another believer? Does this activity bring glory to God? Could this cause give Christ a bad name, since we are ambassadors and representatives of Christ, everything we do is often seen by others as a reflection of Christ, bringing reproach on Him, the Church and body of Christ.

1 Cor. 6:12 Though it may be lawful for me, I need to ask myself if this activity is spiritually beneficial or is this activity enslaving to me?

1 Cor. 8:7-13 Does this activity defile my conscience? Could this activity hinder the growth of a fellow believer? Could I cause another brother to stumble, if so I would be better not to be involved in something that could affect a brother. They may have a weaker conscience. It could cause them to believe this is OK and even get themselves involved in something much more worse. For another it could divisions and disunity between brothers that could affect the whole body of Christ.

We often find ourselves in perplexing situations and it seems that being able to discern what's right and what's wrong is very evasive. But the good Lord has provided all of the wisdom we need to develop that kind of discernment. Using His Word as our moral compass, we can find our way through any kind of sticky situation that life can throw at us!

Correcting Children

Being a parent has taught me an awful lot about personal accountability. I know, it sounds rather odd to imagine that children could teach their parents much of anything. But I swear that's how it happens. It has been especially true in our case.

My wife and I adopted all of our children. The first two were siblings and we adopted them when they were 7 and 9 years old (respectively). Now the greatest challenge in that relationship dynamic was simply a matter of experience. They already knew how to be children; they'd had 7 and 9 years worth of respective experience at that. But ... we did not know how to be parents! We had absolutely no experience with that. So the kids had the upper hand from the very beginning.

Through the years, as we caught up with them in the wisdom-of-our-roles department, we would seek to instill a sense of responsibility into our children. We tried to teach them good values, a strong work ethic and personal accountability. But we found that their responses were often less than comforting to a concerned parent. Often they didn't appreciate the splendor of our wisdom - even as teens and young adults. Eventually, they did come around and now admit that we've been very wise parents through the years. But for many, many years, that was not the case!

Something that we learned early on was that there are appropriate and inappropriate responses to someone pointing out the error of your ways. The Bible says that a strong rebuke from a holy brother (or sister) in Christ is a blessing. It says the loving guidance of a parent is not only a blessing but a great responsibility for the parent. Still, such guidance is not always welcome.

"So, why did you shoot pencils with rubber bands into the ceiling fan?"
"Why did you stick your tongue into the oscillating fan on your desk?"
"Why did you use straight bleach to clean a stain on the carpet?"
"Why did you put the lawn furniture into the swimming pool?"
"Why did you punch holes in soda cans, shake them up and spray the ceiling with soda?"

This is just a sampling of the questions we've found ourselves asking our children. As amusing as the questions might be now, the answers to such questions have always intrigued us the most.

"You didn't tell me I couldn't do that."
"I didn't think it would be a problem."

Over the years, such answers seemed to run together to form something of a conglomerate answer that went something like this: "It's not my fault. I didn't know. You didn't tell me. It's Andy's fault. Nancy made me do it." And there it was, the most complete blaming answer one could ever have. It covers the whole universe of options - from misguidance to ignorance. Simply put, it is now possible to entirely deflect personal responsibility by blaming others, circumstances or even ignorance itself.

Of course, there is an entirely different line of answers that come with questions of personal responsibility. This line can vary widely, but it always starts with the simple phrase, "I was just ..." I've learned over the years that it does not matter one iota what words follow that phrase - when it comes to personal accountability - they will be lame. Simply put, there is no way a good response to correction can start with "I was just ..." It is quite impossible for those words to be followed with anything that a parent will find acceptable!

But one of my personal favorites, popularly used by one of my children now, is the ever present, "I know."

"You need to finish your homework before you watch any TV."
"The lawn has to be mowed before we go to the mall."
"I'm not driving you to the game if you don't clean your room."
"Finish your dinner before you start asking for dessert."
"Wash your hands before you set the table."
"Put the tools away when you are finished fixing your bike."

Such questions are most often met with that simple, cavalier retort, "I know." Of course, it is not a true statement. After all, if the child did know, the parent would not be telling them. So I suspect these two simple words can be translated into something more akin to "Bite me" or "Buzz off." Now, no self-respecting teen-ager would ever admit to mouthing off to the parent like that. So they hide behind the passive-aggressive "I know" and walk off.

Being a parent has its rewards and its challenges, to be sure. But I have learned that as the kids get older, we have to teach them the hidden meanings in these simple phrases that look pretty innocuous on the surface. They need to be taught that a lack of personal responsibility in a response casts serious doubt over their own credibility. And if they don't learn it, they will forever be frustrated with the fact that, "You never trust me!"

So it was in a recent conversation with my son, when I had to explain to him that the inflections in his voice that can make or break a simple sentence. For example, "I'm sorry," when accompanied by an attitude and an eye roll becomes completely empty. He seemed fascinated by this revelation. He conceded that he had never imagined such a thing as words not having the same meaning based on how they're said.

And in that moment, I began to realize that there is hope for my children to all one day marvel at the splendor of my wisdom. Such are the lessons that children teach their parents!

Keeping the Sabbath

I've noticed that Christians, and even their churches, don't seem to talk much about the Sabbath. It was a day of rest, observed by the Lord Himself when He finished all creation. And it is a day of rest given to mankind by the Lord Himself to be observed weekly.

Different religions define it a bit differently. The Jews (and some Christians) observe it the seventh day of the week (Saturday) for rest and religious observance. Muslims observe it on Friday as a day of prayer and rest. Other Christians observe it on the first day of the week, Sunday, in honor of Christ's resurrection from the dead. The common theme of course is that it is a full day of the week, dedicated to rest from one's working life. Also common in most religions is the fact that it is a day of focus on God - through prayer, worship, etc.

Now something else that I also notice is that the Sabbath doesn't seem to obvious in our modern Christian culture. Many of us may not be scheduled to work at our profession or trade on a particular day of the week, but we may also not be spending that day in rest or focus on the Lord. For many of us, the day off work is a day to get chores and errands done, to spend on entertainment or both.

As I look at Scripture on this subject, I notice that God was very clear about some things regarding the Sabbath. Other aspects of it He seemed to be less emphatic about. Take the day of the week, for example. Whether the Sabbath is appropriately kept on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or any other particular day of the week doesn't seem to be as important to God as other aspects of the Sabbath (such as rest and focus on Him).

Look at what Jeremiah 17: 21-22 says about the Sabbath. "This is what the Lord says: 'Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day .... Do no ... do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded ...'" It continues in Jeremiah 17:27, "but if you do not obey me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying any load ... then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.'"

So what was God saying here? For starters, He was saying that keeping the Sabbath is a matter of obedience. It is God's will for my life. He defined it as a day of rest, focused on Him (holy) and made it a requirement for His people. Beyond that, He warned that if we do not keep it, there will be dire consequences. Put another way, God will have to punish those who disobey Him by not keeping the Sabbath as He has commanded. The consequences? Adversity, opposition, difficulties and other things that will "consume" Jerusalem (which now represents anywhere God's people live).

Simply put, folks, we are to keep the Sabbath as a holy day of rest. If we aren't willing to do that, then we should not expect to be prosperous (in whatever ways you want to define prosperous). This is not a very difficult message to understand. It's clear and concise.

So why do we see so many Christian cultures that exhibit very little evidence that they are following it? Is it because we don't understand? Is it because God is asking something that's unreasonable or impossible for us to accomplish? It it because we simply don't care?

It seems to me that somewhere along the line even the most righteous people made a conscious decision to allow exceptions. I imagine that some Puritan society found it reasonable and plausible to, for example, allow some work on the Sabbath. Perhaps it was in the field of medicine - where nurses would need to work in hospitals in order that the sick to be cared for.

I think they probably reasoned and logically concluded that the God's command to love one another is more important than His command for a Sabbath. And so the nurses worked on the Sabbath. Of course, the nurses had to get to work, so the taxi drivers worked on the Sabbath. Of course, the taxi drivers had to eat - so the restaurants were open on the Sabbath. The restaurant workers needed childcare - so the day care centers were open on the Sabbath. The day care centers needed diapers - so the department stores were open on the Sabbath.

Do you see where this is going? Mankind used reason and logic to talk ourselves out of a Sabbath day of holy rest. Looking at it a bit more harshly, we might even say that we rationalized and justified sinning against God. (To be sure, not keep any Sabbath is a sin against God.) Is this appropriate? I don't think so.

We're not here to have a theological debate about how the Sabbath is kept. I am not going to argue about where to draw the line. We don't need to fret over whether someone who works at home sins by checking their e-mail on Sunday. We don't need to stew over whether a stay-at-home Mom sins by doing a load of laundry - or a teacher reviews her lesson plan on Sunday evening before the school week starts on Monday.

But I believe it's time for Christians - and anyone else who thinks they are following the one true God - to have a serious discussion about the condition of their hearts as regards the Sabbath. Are we making the effort? When the nurse is scheduled to work on Sunday, does he or she set aside any other day of the week for holy rest from their profession and focus on God?

As I look at the character and nature of God, and consider His words, it is that which day we select or how we define the Sabbath is not nearly as important as our intent. Is our obedience to God's commands purposeful? Is it effective? Do we offer God a sincere effort at obedience?

I don't know if it's a sin to shop or eat out on Sunday. It isn't clear to me that mowing your yard or doing some laundry on Sunday is a sin. I'm not sure if there's room in a proper Sabbath for football or shopping at the local mall. But what I am sure of is that God requires an obedient heart. He expects me to live differently on this one day of the week. He expects that difference in my life on this one day of the week to be tilted towards Him.

So maybe the best question any of us could ask ourselves is what you and I can do to make our observance of the Sabbath day of holy rest more intentional, more sincere and more effective.

Obama's Church

How Obama picks a church and which one he picks.

White House staff prefers a church that serves the needy and is close by. Secret Service prefers a church that can easily offer the security accommodations the President requires.

The White House is busy vetting. Churches are busy lobbying. Invitations are coming into the White House, each extolling their virtues. Ultimately, the Obamas will decide, but the White House has been flooded with invitations from churches and from individuals trying to influence their choice of churches.

Each church seems to believe that if the Obamas pick them, their church will be "blessed."

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G

Okay, I wrote the above words on April 6th of this year. Then I just saved the blog and never published it. I thought I would wait and see what church the Obamas picked. Sadly, they haven't made a public pick of a home church ... yet.

G

Does this mean that Barack and Michelle Obama are now part of America's famous "unchurched?" I suspect it does. Perhaps their allegiance is still to their "home church" in Chicago --- which ripped and shredded America, crying racism all the way. We'd like to think it's not.

G

But come on ... wouldn't it be smart of the Obamas to take a stand with some church that is credible? After all, they claim to be praying people. To whom do they pray?

G

I am not against President Obama. But I cannot find words strong enough to describe the yearning in my heart for a godly leader in my country. I guess I will continue to pray that God draw my President close to Himself. I shall pray that the Holy Spirit convict him (and his wife) to make a public commitment to a Christian community. I will hope, beyond all hope, that our President will submit himself to a spiritual leader who is truly a man of God.

G

The Old Testament book of 1 Kings, in chapter 16, speaks of an Israeli king named Omri. He is clearly described as a capable and effective leader. In fact, he sounds downright charismatic. I imagine that he offered the people hope that they could believe in. Unfortunately, 1 Kings 16 goes on to tell us that he sinned greatly. Moreover, he convinced his people to follow him and do things his way, thus leading them into sin. God was greatly angered and punished the entire nation.

G

I marvel at the fact that we serve this same God today. I wonder if the lessons of history are being repeated in our nation today. It seems that Americans have always been quick to understand what a blessed nation we are, under God. But we continue to be slow to respond to the responsibilities of being God's chosen nation.

G

Like I said, I yearn for a President that will lead us in righteousness, in ways that honor this living God. I hope you'll yearn and pray for that too!