How to Vote for a President

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Steve Foster

After months of campaigning, a pile of polls, and more political commercials and robo-calls than anybody cares to remember, the election is finally upon us. I have heard this election called the “most critical one of our lifetime.” It may be. Time will tell. But then again every election is important and should call each of us as citizens to the voting booth.

Here is how we should vote…

With gratitude. I have seen many people lament the sheer number and negativity of political ads this campaign cycle. (Of course, I can’t remember anyone commenting after an election, “Wow, what a kind and gentle campaign that was. It was a virtual lovefest. And a good time was had by all the candidates.”) Campaigns often get nasty and lowbrow and, though everyone complains, we all somewhat expect it (and perhaps even enjoy it when the ad is for “our side.”) But even in the midst of negative campaigning, there is something to be thankful for. At least we live in a country where such campaigning is allowed. Do you think there are a multitude of negative commercials aired about the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt? Or consider those millions who do not even have the chance to vote in a fair election. Yes, our political system is broken in many regards and highly divisive but at least it doesn’t result in bloodshed or cruel oppression. For that, we can be thankful.

With prayer. The freedoms we enjoy can be lost that is why we are called to pray. In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, the apostle Paul tells us: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We are to pray for our political leaders…by name…regardless of party. This pleases God who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (verse 3). And the reason we pray is so that we can live “peaceful and quiet lives” without interference from governmental authorities. This is the prayer for religious liberty. And this is the beauty of this country. As you vote tomorrow, thank God for the privilege of voting, pray for each candidate that you vote for, and pray that our nation will continue to preserve the precious gift of religious freedom.

With perspective. Yes, elections are important and vital. Leaders have influence and their decisions affect millions. That’s why of all the people we are to pray for, we are to pray especially for them. But at the same time, we must keep politics in perspective. No political leader is going to save the country, heal the planet, remove sin, cure disease, stop natural disasters, or transform the human heart. Our hunger for a political “messiah” to deliver us from our problems is a reflection of our desire for external comfort rather than internal change. The ancient Israelites had this same desire when they demanded a king who will “go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). They wanted someone to do the hard work for them, take care of them, and guarantee them comfort and security. Ironically such “high hopes” typically lead to less hope and more problems  (8:10-18). There is only one Messiah and He is not a part of the Democratic or Republican parties.

With discernment. Perhaps the biggest danger of our age is that the most influential leader in our nation is increasingly elected because of “image” and appeal rather than substance and competence. In watching the analysis after each presidential debate, I was amazed (saddened?) that the primary evaluation was often over “zingers,” facial expressions, emotional appeal, and who looked more presidential. If that is how we ultimately choose a leader, then we will certainly get the leader that we deserve. Rather, in the area of leadership, the Bible puts the emphasis on character and competence. Psalm 78:72 describes David’s leadership: David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them. Integrity of heart and skill of hands. Character matters because ultimately a person leads out of the core of who they are. Competence matters because leadership can’t be faked. It is either there or it is not. I would add one other element for a great leader: conviction. What does the leader believe? What does he/she promote? Personally, I hold to a Judeo-Christian worldview and I see the health of a society dependent on the health of marriage and the family (Genesis 2), the sanctity of life (Genesis 1, Psalm 139), the preservation of religious freedom (1 Timothy 2), and the upholding of justice–punishing those who do wrong and commending those who do right (1 Peter 2:14). And I will vote based on these things.

So go into the voting booth tomorrow with gratitude, prayer, perspective, and discernment. And leave knowing that the results are ultimately in the hands of the One who “sets up kings and deposes them” for His own purposes and glory (Daniel 2:21).

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A Few Thoughts on Self-Pity and Anger

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Steve Foster

I finished reading the book of Jonah today and was again struck by the final chapter.

9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?”

“I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:9-10)

I am so thankful that Jonah is in the Bible. It is such a clear reminder of God’s grace and faithfulness and our grumpiness and fickleness.

Jonah is upset. In fact, this chapter could be subtitled, “Jonah’s Anger at God” or “Jonah’s Pity Party.” Why is he so upset? Because God is gracious, compassionate, patient, and loving toward the sinful (4:1-3). That sort of strikes us as ironic. In our society, people are normally more upset with God’s justice and wrath. But our context is different than Jonah’s. We are blessed to be in a free country that is prosperous, secure, and relatively peaceful. We can’t imagine being in a small country surrounded by enemies who are powerful, cruel, unrestrained, and eager to take us out. That was the Assyrians. And Jonah had heard of their cruelty and was ready to see them destroyed. Perhaps we could compare Jonah to a victim of a crime who would rather see their perpetrators condemned, skinned, and hanged than forgiven.

In other words, his anger is real…and in his mind, very justified.

But God keeps coming back with a simple question…Do you have a right to be angry?

What a powerful question. In our times of anger, we are usually unwilling to listen or consider what is going on in the depths of our heart. We would rather stew. There is something oddly comforting about anger. It makes us feel powerful…like we are doing something about injustice…that we have a right to complain about life, disregard others, and even stew at God.

But God doesn’t attack Jonah…or lecture him…or give up on him. Instead, He simply asks a question. Do you have a right to be angry?

Jonah is not in the mood for self-reflection so God teaches him through an object lesson. First God allows a little plant to grow up over Jonah’s head and provide him temporal relief from the heat. Then the next day He appoints a little worm to eat the plant and cause it to die. And then God brings about a scorching wind on a hot day to really get Jonah’s sweat flowing and anger stirring again. Jonah is so upset and so stuck in self-pity that he wishes to die. He is probably not serious about wanting God to end his life but have you ever gotten to the point that you said those kind of words to others or to God?

“Hey God, if you are going to treat me like this, why don’t You go ahead and kill me too? What are You waiting for? You don’t seem to care about my misery so why not just end it all?”

Anger, complaining, and self-pity are not our finest traits. They make us irrational, miserable, and generally unpleasant to be around. But for some reason we seem to find comfort in such pitiful, self-focused moods. Nobody loves me…nobody cares about me…nobody has it as bad as me…and on top of that, God has given me the short end of the stick…

And God asks again. Do you have a right to be angry?

Jonah was upset about his personal comfort. He was upset that life was not going as he wanted. He was upset that God did not run the universe like Jonah thought He should. And God gently speaks to his heart and says, “You are so upset about the withering of a little vine that gave temporary shade to your head but don’t have a bit of concern about the lives of 120,000 people who are ignorant of My holiness and grace. Aren’t there bigger things in life than your personal comfort?”

It is a gentle stab at Jonah’s heart. And the book ends there. Why?

Because God intends it to be a gentle stab at my heart too.

Am I really upset that I hit two stop lights this morning? That traffic made me five minutes late for work? That my football team lost? That my boys can’t seem to get in line with my agenda? That my coffee is too hot? That my food is too bland? That my vacation is too short? That my bank account is too small? That I am not getting my way?

Is my life really that petty?

Praise God that He understands my heart and still extends grace to His pouting servant. I know I need it.

But just like Jonah, God isn’t content to leave me in my self-pity and anger but calls me to grow a little more gracious, a little more compassionate, a little more patient, a little more loving, a little bit more like Him each day.

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Daniel 9 – Praying for Our Nation

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Steve Foster

Wow, where do you start with Daniel 9? It is probably the most prophetically rich chapter in the whole Bible. In fact, one Bible scholar called Daniel 9 “the backbone of prophecy.” The prophecy of seventy weeks (9:24-27) provides a timeline for world history and confirms that the prophetic clock centers on Israel. As Dr. Ben Albert taught us last year at CBC, “When it comes to biblical prophecy, watch Israel.”

But the part of Daniel 9 that catches my attention this morning is Daniel’s prayer. It is a model for us as we pray for our own nation today. I like what John Walvoord said about Daniel’s prayer:

While God honors the briefest of prayers, as the experience of Nehemiah 2:4 indicates, effective prayer requires faith in the Word of God, proper attitude of mind and heart, privacy, and unhurried confession and petition. Daniel’s humility, reverence, and earnestness are the hallmarks of effective prayer.

What basic points can we learn from Daniel’s prayer?

1. Effective prayer begins with God’s Word. Daniel was actually reading Jeremiah’s prophecy in 25:11-12 when he was compelled to pray. Jeremiah had prophesied that Israel would go into captivity in Babylon for 70 years. Daniel had been in Babylon for 67 years at this time (so he is probably 80-85 years old) so he realizes that the end of the prophecy is near. This realization drives him to his knees.

God speaks through His Word. Daniel responds in prayer. This is a great example to us. Sometimes we don’t know how to pray. If we begin to see prayer as a response to God’s Word then we can gain guidance in our prayer life. Start off the day reading God’s Word and then pray back to God the things that He teaches you through His Word. God speaks. We respond.

2. Effective prayer must flow out of our hearts. Prayer is not mechanical. Certainly there are times that we pray when we don’t necessarily feel like praying. But even in those times, prayer should be a reflection of the burdens and concerns of our hearts. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Our prayers are often cold because our hearts are cold.” When Daniel reads God’s Word about Israel, here was his response: I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, and I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession… (9:3-4a).

Daniel was serious. He did not have to be cajoled into prayer; it was the automatic response of his heart. He was so broken and burdened for his nation that he dropped to his knees and pleaded for God’s mercy. I wonder why I don’t pray that fervently for our nation. It probably begins with the load of distractions that divert my passion and numb my heart. Lord, renew the hunger in my soul for You and Your glory.

3. Effective prayer acknowledges God’s holiness and our sin. Daniel spends the first half of his prayer confessing the sin of his nation. We have sinned…we have rebelled…we have ignored Your word…we deserve to be ashamed…we have been unfaithful…we have not obeyed Your word…we have no excuse. Daniel did not point the finger at other people. He included himself in his prayer. Though Daniel had been faithful to the Lord, in his heart he still knew that he was not blameless. He was also part of the problem.

It is too easy for us to point the finger and blame the woes of our nation on a host of other people. We will never know effective prayer if we don’t see the sin in our hearts, if we are not broken over our own sin, our own unfaithfulness. The problem with America does not start with them…it starts with me.

4. Effective prayer asks God to act based on His glory and righteousness not our comfort and preferences. Daniel has specific requests for God. Let Your anger be turned away…hear my prayer…cause Your face to shine on Your temple…incline Your ear to me…see our desolations. Hear, Lord! Forgive! Listen! Act! Do not delay!

Daniel’s prayer is both humble and bold. He pleads for God’s mercy and asks for quick action. And the basis of his prayer is not “because of our righteous deeds but because of Your great mercies” (9:18). God wants us to ask. He wants us to come boldly before His throne. But He also wants us to ask in humility with a passion for His glory not just a desire to get what we want so that life will be easier for us.

When it comes to praying for our nation, we should be bold. We should be specific. But we should also examine our hearts and ask, “Why do I want what I am asking? Is it because I want to see God’s glory manifested and His gospel proclaimed? Or is it because I simply don’t want to face difficulty and I want life to be more comfortable for me?” Certainly none of us want to go through trials or difficulties but if the bulk of our prayers are centered on our own comfort then we shouldn’t expect God to answer. It is when we delight ourselves in the Lord that He gives us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4). It is in seeking His kingdom first and foremost that all these other things are added unto us (Matthew 6:33).

Lord, I realize that my heart is so far from the heart of Daniel. Grow me. Deepen my faith. Clarify my focus. Renew my love. Give me a passion for Your glory.

We are less than three weeks from a major election in our nation. Keep reading through Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9 and let it be a guide for you as you pray for our own nation the next 19 days.

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Fear Mixed with Joy

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Steve Foster

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:8-10)

Our emotions are a jumbled mess sometimes, aren’t they?

That’s the first thing that stands out to me in this passage. The women hear the news about Jesus’ resurrection…from an angel no less! And what is their emotional reaction? A mix of fear and joy.

Fear and joy. They don’t seem to go together, do they?

In Mark’s account, he describes the women’s emotions like this: And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid (Mark 16:8).

The words that Mark uses really capture the thoughts and emotions of these women. They were “seized” with “trembling and astonishment.”

“Trembling” (Greek, tromos) is defined like this: “Fear and trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfill his duty” (Thayer).

“Astonishment” (Greek, ekstasis) literally has the idea of being “thrown out of one’s normal state of mind.” It is defined like this: “amazement, the state of one who, either owing to the importance or the novelty of an event, is thrown into a state of blended fear and wonderment” (Thayer).

Can you identify with those kind of emotions? Basically these women were thrown for a loop. They didn’t know what to think, how to act, what to do next. Matthew says they were running to tell the disciples but Mark says they, at first, were too afraid to do anything. They were joyful but fearful. Hopeful but skeptical. Ecstatic but overwhelmed. Running to tell the good news but afraid to speak it at the same time.

In the midst of their emotional turmoil, Matthew tells us that Jesus eventually showed up. His first words to them were “Rejoice!” and “Do not be afraid.” In other words, He sorted through their emotions and told them to let go of their fear and fully embrace their joy.

Maybe that’s what we need to hear today. In the midst of our jumbled emotions, our confusion, our fears, our stress, the resurrected Lord is telling us. “Rejoice! Do not fear! Put your fear in My hands, look at who I am, and rejoice!”

Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).

We are not commanded to rejoice because life is always wonderful and we don’t have any problems. We are commanded to rejoice because Jesus Christ is risen and we have a hope beyond the pain, beyond the grave. We don’t have to fear because Jesus is alive…and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Rejoice! Shout a “hallelujah” wherever you are…even it makes the other people around you a little nervous :>). Scripture tells us that rejoicing is a privilege for the saint and a blessing to the soul.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night. 
Psalm 92:1-2

Here is a good worship song to get your soul stirred this morning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ZFRC2ybuU

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Pontius Pilate & the Narrative of the Cross

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Steve Foster

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. (Matthew 27:24-26)

Pontius Pilate is an interesting character study. We don’t know a lot about him from history but what we do know points to a former Roman military man who was said to be firm, strong, and insensitive as the governor of Judea, a position he held from AD 26-36. Pilate kept doing things that upset the Jews (which was a common problem of just about every Roman official who tried to govern that area) and in AD 32 he was even strongly rebuked by the emperor Tiberius for one of his missteps. That is one reason why many Bible scholars believe Christ was crucified in AD 33. It would explain how this firm, strong military man suddenly seemed weak and vacillating. After Tiberius’ rebuke in AD 32 and the execution of one of Pilate’s political friends (Sejanus) for treason in AD 31, Pilate was suddenly in a very precarious position. Another incident in Judea and Pilate could not only be replaced but also possibly executed by an increasingly paranoid Tiberius.

So with the trial of Jesus suddenly placed in his lap, Pilate was caught between the proverbial rock and hard place. He found no cause for Jesus’ execution and even tried his best to release Him (cf. John 19:12) but the religious leaders and the crowd were insistent and a riot was developing. Pilate could either stand his ground and risk political failure or give in to the crowd and save his hide. He chose the latter.

But as a final way of absolving himself, Pilate washed his hands before the crowd.

“I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves.”

That last phrase is the exact same one the religious leaders told Judas when he came to them and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” To which, they replied, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”

In other words, we are not responsible. This one is entirely on you.

Both Pilate and the religious leaders tried to put the blame elsewhere. Neither wanted to feel responsible for their actions. Sounds like human nature, doesn’t it? Sounds like Genesis 3. We tend to look for an out when it comes to our own fears, failures, and sin. And the best out is to find someone else to blame.

Interestingly, the crowd does accept the blame. They cry out, “His blood be on us and our children!”There’s the flip side of the coin. Sometimes we feel guilty and try to wash our hands by blaming others. Sometimes we blatantly numb our conscience, stiffen our necks, and say, “Yes, I did it and I don’t care. Put it all on me.”

You see, in our sin, all of us are somewhere in this narrative. The disciples who fail Him. Peter who denies Him. Judas who betrays Him. The religious leaders who reject Him. Pilate who washes his hands of Him. The crowd who chooses a political revolutionary over Him. All of us have a part in Jesus’ death.

Isaiah makes this prophetically clear.

He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

The disciples of Jesus wrote the Gospel accounts not to cast themselves as heroes who valiantly stood by the Lord while everyone else mistreated Him and killed Him. It was not “us against them.” It was “us against Him.” And yet, while we were still sinners–still forsakers, betrayers, avoiders, haters, and deniers of God–God proved His love in that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

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