NowTHINK!AboutIt

Surprise! You’re The Politician

November 6, 2012 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Politicians Respond Best
To Persistent People
And Thoughtful Arguments

It may not stay this way forever but for the present the most powerful political office in the world is that of the president of the United States of America. That means that US presidential elections mark a very important phase in the political cycle. Every four years the whole world is effected by this one election.

The President, or POTUS as he is referred to by the secret service, makes decisions in the oval office that have a ripple effect around the world and the rub is, only a fraction of the world’s population have a say in who sits behind the desk. It’s even more aggravating that only a fraction of those who can vote actually mark a ballot. It doesn’t seem fair that one person for whom most of the world cannot vote, makes decisions that effect every economy.

Frustrating! Not only for the non-voting but also for US citizens who feel a sense of separation from POTUS and his decision making process. When it comes to politics the commonly shared feeling is a sense of helplessness.

Modern political machinery is so super sized it overshadows constituents. It makes us feel victimized and insignificant, even smaller than ants. Politicians appear like giants, distant and disinterested.

Because of that, some people never do anything political other than grumble about the “bad” government too which we are unwillingly and unavoidably subjected. Some people never even vote because they can’t see how one measly vote can make a difference.

Well, I would like to counter that type of thinking by suggesting that any person with enough passion and thoughtfulness can influence public policy. We have choices that can make a difference and following are several examples of individuals who’ve proven that one person can influence change. [Read more…] about Surprise! You’re The Politician

Snickers, Snivels and Successes

October 24, 2012 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

The Inability To Do One Thing
Highlights Abilities To Do Others

We recently had Snicker Sunday at church. It was great fun and tasty too. Every person was given a Snickers Chocolate bar but the sermon wasn’t about the bar. It was a gimmick. It made people curious and allowed me to introduce a discussion on why people snicker at the perceived inabilities of others or snivel over the inabilities they don’t have.

Tales of this happening in the younger years are legion. Kids try to do some particular thing, academically, athletically or socially, and fail. Peers snicker and the failing individual snivels.

To start the discussion I introduced several disabled but notable people: [Read more…] about Snickers, Snivels and Successes

Tithing: What About The Curse?

August 22, 2012 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Not All Curses Are Mystical
Not All Tithers Are Immune

In the very last book of the Old Testament, almost the last chapter of the book, Malachi makes an extraordinary statement. It contains a promise that is both positive and negative, good and bad news, and it focuses on one’s material well being.

On the one hand it promises a material blessing and on the other it guarantees a curse. No middle ground is mentioned.

Kind of like a cold sweat, this verse offers thrills and chills at the same time. Since God made the promise we need to study it carefully.

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The promise is found in Malachi 3:8-10 and Malachi is quoting God.

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Even though some think this applies only to Israel in the Old Testament it still deserves a look. The blessing mentioned here is repeated by Jesus in the New Testament and since it was originally attached to the tithe it makes sense to understand how it worked.

God Promises To Bless Tithing

Exactly what is tithing? Usually the word “tithe” is associated with money and money is involved but it is much more than finance. Tithing involves a relationship between the individual and God, and the arrangement is simple. The individual faithfully tithes and God, in turn, blesses materially and in other ways. The important thing to remember is that this isn’t just another good idea for raising ministry funds. Malachi was quoting God not expressing his personal opinions and he wasn’t making a “general” appeal for offerings.

The formula is not difficult to grasp. The only question is, exactly what constitutes a tithe? We need to answer that question because God promised to bless tithing specifically, not “generosity” or “giving” in general. This wasn’t a promise to respond in kind.

In a nutshell God said:

Tithe! I’ll bless you for it. You’re cursed anyway. You’re robbing me when you don’t.

This isn’t poetry. It’s a clear, concise statement of truth. Even though some think the “curse” and the apparent demand for a tithe seems harsh there are reasons to think differently.

Unlike salvation which is unconditional, tithing is contractual and conditional. It has two sides. We do our part and God does His part. Salvation is unconditionally guaranteed but God’s material blessing is not. God does the blessing only when you do the tithing. Doing whatever you feel you can, whenever you think possible is not the deal, so we need to understand how tithing worked, especially as it relates to blessing-cursing. This will give us a format to work with today. [Read more…] about Tithing: What About The Curse?

Why Abraham Believed In One God

August 22, 2012 by EnnisP 6 Comments

Googler Question:

“Where did Abraham get the idea
there was only one God?”

It’s not a surprising question given the polytheistic nature of today’s religious scene. Coming to belief for the modern individual is like shopping for just the right outfit only worse.

There are many different gods to choose from and once you settle on one you still must wade through the many different conflicting ideas popularized for the one you choose.

You’d need a guru to lead you along. Trying to keep track of it all is near impossible.

But did Abraham have the same problem? Are we to assume he also faced an endless list of gods?

The world was polytheistic in Abraham’s day for sure but rather than ask where Abraham got the idea of one God, a better question might be, “where did the multiple-god idea originate in the first place?”

We mustn’t assume that what we observe today was always true.

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For example, where would Abraham, in the dawn of human history, get the idea there was only one God? Did Abraham coin the concept or did monotheists predate him and pass the idea down?

The evidence indicates the latter is true.

It was one God who spoke to Adam and Eve.
It was the same God who accepted Abel’s offering and confronted Cain.
Who took Enoch.
Who spoke to Noah.
And led Abraham to the land of Canaan.

Abraham and his ancestors were familiar with only one God. There was no reason for him to expect there to be more. Only an overactive imagination would lead him to think otherwise.

And apart from what Abraham’s ancestors experienced and believed, is there anything in nature, in his day or ours, that suggests polytheism is true?

Is there any reason to believe that the control of a universe too vast to measure could be managed better by disparate, sometimes antagonistic multiple gods rather than by one?

Since Adam and Eve, and those who came after only dealt with one God, maybe we should see polytheism as the outgrowth of: [Read more…] about Why Abraham Believed In One God

Be A Toothpicker Not A Nitpicker

August 20, 2012 by EnnisP 1 Comment

Being Only Positive, Only Negative
or Only Neutral
Is Not Constructive

This is the second sermon in our “Stick” series in which sticks are used to illustrate things we should do or be as a church. The first sermon used “Chopsticks” to illustrate the functionality of the church. It emphasized the importance of each member’s committed effort in the work a church does.

Chopsticks work well only with coordination and practice and the same is true with church members.

This sermon, however, uses toothpicks to illustrate the importance of constructively critical interaction between the members. To do better we must get better. A toothpick symbolizes the decent and appropriate approach to finding and removing flaws.

So, the first message focused on function and the second focuses on relation.

To keep the picture clear it is important to start with a few passages of Scripture. We are talking about the church so it is important to have an idea what the Bible says about this organization.

That makes sense. Church is not my idea or your idea or just a good idea, it is God’s idea so we need to know what He says about it.

So let’s take a look.

The Church Is Functional

In Matthew chapter 16 and verses 19 and 20 Jesus was speaking to His disciples – core members of the church He started – and He said:

I will build my church (you guys), and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (you). 19 I will give you (the church) the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

There are a couple of interesting observations to take away from this passage.

One, Jesus is the one building the church.

We, the church members, work but Jesus is ultimately the leader and builder. He makes things work together for our good. He does what we can’t do and brings about outcomes that we might not otherwise realize.

As builders with Christ we must be faithful, committed and determined to do our best but Jesus is in the lead. It’s kind of a paradox. He does the building but not without us. He works through people and for them.

Two, this passage resonates with delegated authority and personal responsibility.

Jesus is the builder but we have the “keys” to the kingdom. The person with keys is trusted. God designates which doors are to be opened but “key” people unlock them. That’s power!

Simply put, having the keys means we are authorized to make decisions, initiate action and perform functions – binding and loosing. And to say we are authorized to do this means we are accountable if we don’t. Sitting around doing nothing is not an appropriate response to a passage like this. [Read more…] about Be A Toothpicker Not A Nitpicker