It is not our church’s practice to endorse political campaigns.  We have not invited or welcomed candidates into our services.  We do not tell our people who to vote for or even pass out voter guides.  Because all this is true, it might seem strange to see an article or to hear an announcement about an issue on this year’s ballot from our church.  Though it might seem odd, our other church leadership and I believe it is the right thing to do on this occasion.  This is because the issue we desire to bring to your attention is not about a political candidate, but a state constitutional amendment.  It’s not very often we get to participate in deciding (In a purely democratic way) what our state’s law will be.  However this year, on November 8th, we will.

The issue I am sharing with you is Proposal 3.  It is referred to as the “Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative.”  The advertised goal of this proposal is to reinstate Roe v. Wade, ensuring it will remain legal to perform abortions.  Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, over 63 million human beings have been aborted in the United States.  Over 30,000 children were aborted in the state of Michigan last year alone.  That’s approximately 9,000 more than the population of Mt. Pleasant.  This is a terrible evil.

Psalm 139:13-16 – “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

If the right to have an abortion were the only component of Proposal 3, that would be reason enough to vote, “No”.  Sadly, there’s more.  It looks as though this constitutional amendment would also:

• Allow minors to get abortions without parental consent or knowledge
• Allow minors (Male or female) to pursue different forms of sterilization without parental consent or knowledge
• Protect abortion clinics or other health care facilities in cases of malpractice when giving “reproductive care”
• Attempt to force health care practitioners and facilities to provide abortions and other procedures against their beliefs
• Allow abortions at any point in the pregnancy for various reasons including gender, race, disability, and what might be considered mental health concerns for the mother, like anxiety or depression

The list above is not exhaustive.  For a more comprehensive treatment and to see the actual language of the proposal you can read this issue brief entitled, “The Perils of Proposal 3” written by the legal team at the Great Lakes Justice Center.

This constitutional amendment proposal is reprehensible.  Please carefully steward the influence you have been given by God and vote “No” on Proposal 3.

 

Here are a couple helpful videos with further information:

 

As we approach another election day, it’s a good time to consider God’s Word and think through what the Christian’s role is in politics.

In Jeremiah 29:7, God told the exiled Jews, “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”  The Jews were being sent to a land that was not their home.  But God still instructed them to do what they could to be a blessing to the people there.  Christians need to remember that this world is not our home, but whatever country we might live in, we have been placed as preserving salt and illuminating light.  The Church is a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:13-16) and God can use the way we interact with our communities and nation to be a blessing both now in temporal things and for eternity.

With all this in mind, here are some good things for Christians to do:

It is good for Christians to participate and vote.

In 1 Peter 2:13-17, Christians are told to be subject to governing authorities.  We are commanded to, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”  Amazingly, this command was given first to the church when they were under the Roman Empire and in times of persecution.  Even today in other countries of the world, we have brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering and even being martyred for believing the same things we believe.  This is wickedness and open rebellion against God.  Governments should not punish people for doing good or believing in the truth.  And in verse 14 of 1 Peter 2 we are taught that government leaders are “sent by Him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.”  What a privilege we have in this country to participate in the election of leaders!  We get to evaluate campaign platforms through the grid of God’s Word and see whether candidates would pursue good or evil and (With God’s help and biblical discernment) cast our vote accordingly.

God expressed His displeasure toward the northern kingdom of Israel for their choices of leadership in Hosea 8:4, where He says, “They made kings, but not through me.  They set up princes, but I knew it not.  With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.”  And in Proverbs 28:12, we are reminded, “When the righteous triumph, there is great joy.  When the wicked rise, people hide themselves.”  Let’s do our part and exercise the freedom we have to elect leaders and approve proposals that promote righteousness for the good of our local communities, states, and nation.

It is good for Christians to pray.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 the Apostle Paul writes this, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.  This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

It is right and good for us to pray for the President, Vice President, Supreme Court Justices, members of congress, our governor, and any other local leader (Whether we voted for them or not).  Pray for their salvation!  Pray for discernment.  Pray for those who give them counsel.  Pray for all of these things and more for their good and so that we might remain free to live a godly and dignified Christian life in peace.  Then remember, if we have been gifted with a peaceful land in which we can freely worship Jesus, we MUST take advantage of that freedom and proclaim the gospel to everyone we can, that they might “come to the knowledge of the truth.”

It is good for Christians to rest in God’s providence.

No matter who is in charge of our country, our state, or our town, God is in charge!  Here is some scriptural evidence:

Proverbs 19:21 – Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Proverbs 21:1 – The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.

Psalm 33:11 – The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

In Isaiah 44:28, God speaks of the unbelieving king of Persia, King Cyrus, and this is what He says, “He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all My purpose.”  The most powerful government leader in the world at that time, even though he did not know God or believe in Him, belonged to the Lord and was used for the Lord’s purposes.  If that was true of Cyrus, it’s also true of the President of the United States of America and any other political leader.  God’s purposes will stand.  His will shall be accomplished.  Even if the person you voted for doesn’t win, or even if an unrighteous proposal passes, God is not surprised or taken off course.  We can rest in His sovereign control.

It is good for Christians to seek God’s kingdom first.

Our God is sovereign.  Jesus is our King.  All authority on earth and in heaven has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18).  And here is our King’s command from Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

It’s a good thing to be informed about what’s going on in the world around us.   But if we’re not careful, with the constant stream of information being presented to us for our consumption, instead of us consuming the news, the news will consume us.  Every couple of years we hear the same admonition from the media, “This is the most important election of our lifetime!”  While that may be true, even the most important election of our lifetime is not more important than the kingdom of God.  Christians, consume the Word of God.  Let the Spirit illumine your mind and comfort your heart with the truth of the inspired Word.  Then go and do what it says!  Go and make disciples.

There are two amazing things that can result from prioritizing our lives in this way that I would like to point out to you.  First, this command from Jesus to seek His kingdom first in Matthew 6 is given in the context of how to fight against anxiety.  How many Christians struggle with anxiety when we get overwhelmed with the non-stop news cycles of our day?  There is a way to be free from that anxiety!  Seek His kingdom first!  Second, guess what would happen should the Lord bless our efforts to seek His kingdom first and make disciples of all nations (Including the one we live in): The answer is in Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”  You will live with less anxiety and do more for this country by turning off the television and ministering to people.  That’s a win-win.  Seek the kingdom.

It is good for Christians to put our hope in Christ.

When the Apostle Paul was stuck in prison chains, he had to remember that no amount of money, Caesar, nor any other political leader was going to be his savior.  Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  No matter who wins the next election (And the one after that…and the one after that…), we can be content.  We can have everything we need.  Our hope can remain utterly secure if it rests in the only One who can save us, Jesus Christ.  He is the one who gives us strength.  He is the one who rescues us when we are in the valleys of life.  He is the one who rescues us from our own proclivity to pride while on the mountaintops.  There is no politician on the face of this earth who can compare to our eternal Savior and King.  “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

So Christians, let’s engage the culture.  It’s good for us to participate in our government and vote.  And as we do, let’s be praying, resting in God’s providence, seeking His kingdom first, and putting all our hope in the Lord, our only Savior, and King, Jesus Christ!

Our daughter shared something with me this morning before getting out of the car at school.  She noticed the kids from Oxford had clear backpacks at their track meet this week.  I wouldn’t think a teenager would typically be too excited about everyone being able to snoop around the contents of their bag, but when evil comes so near people are willing to sacrifice these things, it seems.

The reason I heard about these clear backpacks is not because we were talking about the shooting at Oxford, but the latest one at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The latest one.  Why do we even have to say or write those words?  The latest one?

This is in addition to what we have seen of church shootings, the war in Ukraine, threats in the Far East, sex-scandals, etc.  And those are just the stories that make the headlines!  With an unprecedented number of news agencies throwing information at us, there’s still not enough time and print space to keep us up to speed with all the evil going on in the world around us.

Then there’s all that will transpire in the wake of these latest tragedies.  Pundits, politicians and social media influencers are arguing their cases for whatever cause they might be fighting to have written into law to eradicate the perceived problems.  Fingers will be pointed and a majority of them will not be pointed at the shooter.  Someone or something needs blamed.  We yearn for resolution.  We yearn for justice.  People want answers.  We want to make evil go away.

When things like this happen and people are hurting, I often think about the beginning of the book of Job.  At the end of chapter 2, Job’s friends got off to a great start.  It says in verses 12-13, “they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.”  What an amazing response!  They wept with their friend in the midst of his grief (Romans 12:15). 

When it is time to say something, we need to keep in mind the kinds of things God taught Job in the final chapters.  In trying to find immediate answers and quick relief, Job and his friends took their eyes off of the big picture.  As a result, Job felt the need to put his hand over his mouth in repentance before God by the end of the book.  When we are slow to listen and quick to speak, we will find ourselves in the same place (James 1:19).

Here are some truths to consider that can help us to process evil events like this, and perhaps even prepare us to be ready to point others to the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4):

• God alone is good and righteous.  Everything He does is good and right.
  • Luke 18:19 – And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
  • Psalm 119:68 – You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.
• God is just and He is the rightful judge over all.  Even when injustice occurs in this world, full and final justice will come.  God will see to it.
  • Deuteronomy 32:4 – The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice.  A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
  • Revelation 20:12 – And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
• This world is under the curse and full of sin.  This means we will continue to see tragedy as long as the world remains in this state.
  • Romans 3:10-18 – 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.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
• It is right for us to groan in response to the evil we see and to yearn for resolution.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 – For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
• We must remember that we also have evil in our own hearts.
  • Romans 7:24-25 – Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
• We must ultimately look to Jesus Christ to resolve the problem of our own sin and the sin of the world.
  • Ephesians 2:4-5 – But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
  • Romans 3:23-26 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
  • Revelation 21:4-5 – He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
• While we wait for Jesus, Christians are to represent Him in the world.  This means we should strive for righteousness, proclaim the Gospel, help the weak, pursue justice, etc.  We must strive for these things in humility.
  • Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
  • Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

When things like the tragedy in Uvalde happen, it is right to grieve!  That’s not how things are supposed to be!  Where we are able to, it is good to look for practical ways we can help.  We can also weep with those who weep, lend a listening ear and a helping hand, pray with and for the people who are hurting.  Christians, be the kind of people God has sent us into the world to be!  Pursue righteousness in your own life, treat others how you would want to be treated, be generous, offer hope, comfort, rest, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ!  Let’s be shining lights in a dark world, pointing them to the only One who can truly rid the world of evil.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

I have had a few people asking me about the COVID vaccines.  I found these articles to be informative and helpful.

https://albertmohler.com/2020/12/14/vaccines-and-the-christian-worldview-principles-for-christian-thinking-in-the-context-of-covid

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-vaccines/

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-faqs-fetal-cells-covid-19-vaccines-treatments/

 

The new year is coming!

Many of us are surely thinking about what we would like to accomplish in this new year (And new decade!), from things we want to fix around the house, to financial goals, vacation plans, perhaps even reducing inches around the waist…

Let me encourage you as well to be on board with God’s plan for you “to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29) and to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14).

I wanted to share with you some links to websites and articles that can be a great help to you as you prayerfully consider how you can grow closer to Christ this year:

1. This article from Desiring God would be a great tool to help you process and decide on your goals.
2. This page from Ligonier Ministries contains 17 different Bible reading plans!
3. If you know you want to read more books this year but don’t know how to decide which books to read, try this reading challenge from pastor and blogger Tim Challies.
4. Please don’t forget that on this very site you can find a devotional every morning!

Last week, we learned a valuable lesson from the efforts of the wise men.  Their vigorous pursuit of God resulted in a greater desire to worship.  It can be hard to get started on a new plan or to simply grow in these spiritual disciplines.  BUT, if our goal in pursuing the disciplines is to know Him more and to know Him better (More accurately) our desire to further that knowledge and relationship will only expand and intensify.  Our joy in Christ will only increase.

So, First Baptist Church, let’s plan to enjoy Jesus Christ more this year…on purpose!

May we seek out the King and worship Him faithfully in 2020.

In Sunday School, our adult class has been studying through the doctrines of our church.  Most recently, that study has brought us to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  We have discussed this doctrine under these two trains of thought:

1. Who is the Holy Spirit?
2. What does the Holy Spirit do?

In going through all that the Bible teaches us about the Holy Spirit, we wanted to spend a little extra time learning about the spiritual gifts and also what the Bible says about the sign gifts.  However, one thing we didn’t take as much time to consider, giving occasion for this blog post, is spiritual fruit.

In Galatians 5:22-23 we learn that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

How can I know the Spirit is working in me?  What would be great evidence in my life that I am truly a follower of Jesus Christ?  How about things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.!

And while we’re at it, what do those words mean?

• Love – Giving of myself for the benefit of another
• Joy – A deep abiding happiness and thankfulness
• Peace – An inner calm or tranquility
• Patience – Enduring composure
• Kindness – Considerate generosity
• Goodness – Morally virtuous
• Faithfulness – Loyalty, commitment
• Gentleness – This word is also translated as meekness.  John MacArthur’s Biblical Doctrine defines it as “Controlled strength expressed by a humble heart”
• Self-control – An ability to hold back our fleshly desires

Though this list of “fruits” is probably not exhaustive, it is certainly helpful and encouraging to read through the list and to consider the meaning of each term (Of course…it’s the Bible!).  However, the list can also become very discouraging if we forget what environment this fruit needs to grow.

Apples grow the best on apple trees when the winters are cold, the summers are moderately warm, and the humidity is medium to high (Like, in Michigan!).  If you plant an apple tree in the environment that is best for it’s growth, you will see the best and most fruit.  Make sense?  So, how can that apply to our spiritual fruit?

And this is where it is crucial that we understand…where we can be the most encouraged or discouraged.  If I think that the environment I need to develop love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is only where I can find love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…I am completely right!  But if I think I am going to find that environment anywhere on this planet, with any of the people on this planet, I am going to be disappointed and discouraged.  (And, if anyone tries to use me or you as their “environment”, they too will be left without all the help they need.)

• “If my kids would just be quiet, I could grow in peace!”
• “If my co-workers would stop messing everything up, I would be able to stay patient!”
• “If I could get more sleep, I would be able to show kindness.”
• “If my wife just loved me more, it would be so much easier to love her back.”

Remember, the environment matters, and all the people around you, your spouse, kids, neighbors…everyone, are just as perfect and flawless as you and I.  Yikes!  But that’s OK, because God didn’t call this fruit, the fruit of a great family or the fruit of a great night’s sleep…it’s called the fruit of the Spirit.

It’s such good news that this fruit listed in Galatians 5 comes from the Spirit and not from a perfect earthly environment.  Especially because we are prone to go the wrong way whether things are going “terribly” OR when things are going “well”.  That’s why it says in Proverbs 30:9, “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say. ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”

The fruit of the Spirit then, being produced by the Spirit in and through us, can be ready for harvesting whether the humidity of this life is high or low, whether the winter was frigid or mild, because we have a shelter in Christ.  In Psalm 62, for instance, David writes, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.  He alone is my rock and my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

So, let’s consider how we might redefine our fruit shall we?:

• Love – Giving of myself proactively and sacrificially for the benefit of another
• Joy – A deep abiding happiness and thankfulness that can cut through times of adversity and still remains fixed on the highest joys of Christ when other things around me go “well”
• Peace – An inner calm or tranquility that can remain intact through the ups and downs of life because the Lord never changes
• Patience – Enduring composure made possible in the knowledge that only God will make all things new
• Kindness – Considerate generosity with no strings attached
• Goodness – Morally virtuous toward those who would count themselves my enemies and toward those who would count themselves my friends, in order to point them all to Christ, their greatest need
• Faithfulness – Loyalty, commitment, motivated by the mercies of God toward me that are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-24)
• Gentleness – Controlled strength expressed by a humble heart that neither retaliates in vengeance after a “loss” nor taunts in order to brag after a “victory”
• Self-control – An ability to hold back our fleshly desires because we have come to value fellowship with God more than we value the elimination of our hardships or the furtherance of our life of ease

Praise God for his gracious fruit-producing work in our hearts and lives!

See you in Sunday School!