O God, Forgive Me For Worshipping My Country

“Human nature leads us to want to believe that our nation is naturally blessed by God. Even the Japanese believed that when they bombed Pearl Harbor. The Romans believed that they were specially blessed by God and they eventually cut out the middle-man and deified their emperor! Most great civilizations believe that they must have been blessed by God; that is nothing new.”
– Dr. Gregg Frazer

I was smitten without warning by a train of thought this past May. The date was May 1st, the 57th annual observance of the United States’ National Day of Prayer. Banners and posters were on display all over the property of the Christian school where I taught this past year. Emblazoned on all of these displays was the bon mot, written in large letters: “Prayer! America’s strength & shield.” The stars and stripes of Old Glory filled the entire background, while a man in the foreground knelt in prayer before a shield and sword.

The Holy Bible and cross of Jesus Christ were nowhere to be found on any of the items raising awareness for the day and a neutral verse from the Psalms christened the printed advertisements with precious little Scripture. A disturbing thing to notice is that the terse verse, Psalm 28:7, has been taken out of context and stripped down to the point where what is left now reads in a rather egocentric perspective:

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped

Perhaps the first best thing I should do is show how the verse fits into the context of Psalm 28, so here it is:

Psalm 28

1 To you, O LORD, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,
with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.
4 Give to them according to their work
and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the LORD
or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the LORD!
for he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

The psalm is a song of supplication written by King David. It is a prayer requesting God to smite the wicked but preserve the righteous. David requests that God keep him from being fooled by the falsely peaceful words of wicked men (v. 3). He pleads to the Lord to protect him from the holy wrath that God has promised to send upon the wicked. Finally, David gives thanks that God keeps His promises and the song of praise ends with the reminder that God is the Strong Shepherd that His people are always in need of (vv. 8-9).

In its non-truncated form, Psalm 28:7 is a praise that prayer is both requesting and thanking of God:

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.

But in the abbreviated form, only the requesting remains. Thankfulness has fallen by the wayside:

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped

The problem in ceasing to remember to be thankful is that ingratitude finds a prime opportunity to flourish! Forsaking gratitude while clinging to our demands quickly turns Christians into the brats of heaven.

Then there is the whole “not-so-subliminal” overuse of stars and stripes.

Isaiah’s vision reinterpreted–
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. And its colors were red, white and blue.

That is how Isaiah’s sixth chapter must read in the Bible that all of the artists refer to. I have yet to find it printed in any trustworthy translation of the Scripture.

And all of this made me wonder:

Must prayer be adorned with patriotism in order to make it worthwhile?

By the way, would you still persevere in prayer if I told you the famous painting above, The Prayer at Valley Forge, by Arnold Friberg, was based on a falsehood? You can read more about it here.

You can also listen to Dr. Gregg Frazer’s presentation on the topic by clicking on the podcast link below:

The Religious Faith of America’s Founders — (iTunes required)

The Theology of Safeway

Today is the only date on the calendar that can phonetically double as an imperative command: “March forth!” Yet in this post you’ll find no fire-eater’s rallying cry to “Go forth and conquer!” The purpose of what is written today is to look at the habits of our hum-drum everyday life, because just like the tagline for Spider-Man 3, “The greatest battle lies within.”

Consider for a moment a core topic of everyday theology - what we do with our pocketbooks. Stand outside your habits for awhile (I know this may not be easy). The most-often-addressed subject in Jesus’ teachings on earthly matters was money (Matt. 13:44-46; Matt. 24:45-51; Luke 7:41-43; Luke 12:16-21; Luke 15:8-10; Luke 18:10-14).

I came across this excerpt from a book that my pastor mentioned in his sermon this past Sunday (March 2nd, 2008). It seemed that this piece of “everyday theology” was worthy of posting here at Christos Kurios. It could all be summed up in a question I’m learning to ask of myself more frequently: “Where does your mind wander while you stand in the waiting line?”

There is a parallel of this train of thought, ironically enough, in the song “In the Waiting Line” by the band Zero 7:

Wait in line
‘Till your time
Ticking clock
Everyone stop

Everyone’s saying different things to me
Different things to me
Everyone’s saying different things to me
Different things to me

Woooohh
Do you believe
In what you see
There doesn’t seem to be anybody else who agrees with me

Do you believe
In what you see
Motionless wheel
Nothing is real
Wasting my time
In the waiting line
Do you believe in
What you see

Nine to five
Living lies
Everyday
Stealing time
Everyone’s taking everything they can
Everything they can
Everyone’s taking everything they can
Everything they can

Woooohh
Do you believe
In what you feel
It doesn’t seem to be anybody else who agrees with me

Do you believe
In what you see
Motionless wheel
Nothing is real
Wasting my time
In the waiting line
Do you believe
In what you see

Ah and I’ll shout and I’ll scream
But I’d rather not be seen
And I’ll hide away for another day

Do you believe
In what you see
Motionless wheel
Nothing is real
Wasting my time
In the waiting line
Do you believe
In what you see

Everyone’s saying different things to me
Different things to me
Different things to me
Different things to me
Different things to me
Everyone’s taking everything they can
Everything they can

It is always essential to pause and evaluate what it is that our heart treasures the highest. Because whatever we hold dear, fair or foul, our hearts follow swiftly after it.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:21

Happy Leap Day 2008

or
You Can Resist All Tortures.

This day only comes but once every four years. What better way to observe it than to draw attention to a book that celebrates two subjects that are close to my heart: History and Christianity.

Its title is This Day in Christian History: 366 Compelling Events in the History of the Church. When it comes to books that have an intentional outline of “read through in a year,” I have somewhat of a pet peeve when the schedule fails to take February 29 into account. It is a day that occurs 25 times every century, so why ignore it?

That’s why at some level in my heart I leap for joy (please pardon the pun) whenever such a book’s daily entries tally up to 366. This Day in Christian History is one of those texts that has taken all of the flukes of the calendar into consideration.

So, without further ado, Christos Kurios presents as an excerpt the main article for February 29 from This Day in Christian History:

Rumania’s “Prisoner Number One”

On this day in 1948, a beautiful Sunday morning, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand of Rumania set out on foot for church. He never arrived. For eight-and-a-half years his wife and son did not know where he was or even if he was alive or dead. “Ex-prisoners” assured Wurmbrand’s wife, Sabina, that they had witnessed her husband’s funeral in a Communist prison. Sabina was heartbroken, and yet she doubted the word of those men, suspecting that they might be agents of the government.

Wurmbrand’s disappearance was expected. Anyone who acted contrary to the Communist regime that held Rumania in its fist could expect imprisonment or death. One might say he had asked for it, but he didn’t do so without a good reason. At a “Congress of Cults” held by the Communist government, religious leaders stepped forward to swear loyalty to the new regime. Sabina asked Wurmbrand to “wipe the shame from the face of Jesus.” Wurmbrand replied that if he stepped forward, she would no longer have a husband. “I don’t need a coward for a husband,” she answered. And so Wurmbrand stepped forward and told the 4,000 delegates that their duty as Christians was to glorify God and Christ alone.

He returned home to lead an underground church and promote the gospel among Rumania’s Russian invaders. He smuggled Bibles, disguised as Communist propaganda, into Russia. And then he disappeared.

What had actually happened? As Wurmbrand walked to church, a van full of secret police stopped in front of him. Four men jumped out and hustled him inside. He was taken to their headquarters and later locked in a solitary cell, where he was designated “Prisoner Number One.” His year of imprisonment consisted of a ceaseless round of torture and brainwashing. For seventeen hours a day, repetitious phrases were dinned into his ears: “Communism is good.” “Christianity is stupid!” “Give up. Give up!” Over the years, his body was repeatedly cut and burned. His jailers also broke many of his bones, including four of his vertebrae. When asked later about what he had endured, he replied, “I prefer not to speak about those [tortures] through which I have passed. When I do, I cannot sleep at night. It is too painful.” Miraculously, despite all of the hardships he endured, he survived. Other martyrs did not.

Eight-and-a-half years later, in 1956, Wurmbrand was released. During that time, Sabina had been brutalized in prison for three years, and their nine-year-old son, Mihai, was treated as an orphan. Upon their release, the Wurmbrands immediately recommenced underground work. Wurmbrand was taken again to prison and was not released until 1964. In 1965, Western churches ransomed Wurmbrand from Rumania for $10,000.

Wurmbrand and his wife immediately spoke out for those still suffering in Communist hands. Wurmbrand was asked to testify before the United States Senate. He displayed the eighteen holes cut in his body. Afterward, he was invited to speak before hundreds of groups. By 1967, “Prisoner Number One” had incorporated a mission organization known as the Voice of the Martyrs, an organization dedicated to assisting those who suffer for Christ throughout the world.

He and his wife were able to survive their ordeal through the power of love. Wurmbrand wrote:

If the heart is cleansed by the love of Jesus Christ and if the heart loves Him, you can resist all tortures. What would a loving bride not do for a loving bridegroom? What would a loving mother not do for her child? If you love Christ as Mary did, who had Christ as a baby in her arms, if you love Jesus as a bride loves her bridegroom, then you can resist such tortures. God will judge us not according to how much we have endured, but how much we could love. I am a witness for the Christians in Communist prisons that they could love. They could love God and men.

Now I ask you, if such a profound true story is observed on the “Leap Day” entry, just imagine what historical treasures have been researched and written for the 365 other “everyday” entries.

You can access the Voice of the Martyrs main webpage here.

Overcoming Our Unthankfulness

It appears as though I’ve stumbled upon sufficient content to begin a topical series. Last week I posted out of the overflow of a heart punctured on conviction - how unthankfulness is such a hearty root of sinfulness.

But now comes the question, “What can I do against such ingratitude that resides deep down within me? It all seems just so hopeless!” While sorrow and shame are part of repentance from sin, guilt without any provided exits is not.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:10

This is where the gospel of Jesus Christ delivers the believer from the dominion of despair. Further illuminating this theme from the Bible is Paul’s letter to the believers in Philppi:

[F]or 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.
Philippians 4:11-13

Tracing the thought deeper in Philippians 4:12, Charles Spurgeon wrote the following upon thankfulness and contentment:

There are many who know “how to be abased” who have not learned “how to abound.” When they are set upon the top of a pinnacle their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall. The Christian far oftener disgraces his profession in prosperity than in adversity. It is a dangerous thing to be prosperous. The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the fining-pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God! Yet this is not a matter of necessity, for the apostle tells us that he knew how to abound. When he had much he knew how to use it. Abundant grace enabled him to bear abundant prosperity. When he had a full sail he was loaded with much ballast, and so floated safely. It needs more than human skill to carry the brimming cup of mortal joy with a steady hand, yet Paul had learned that skill, for he declares, “In all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry.” It is a divine lesson to know how to be full, for the Israelites were full once, but while the flesh was yet in their mouth, the wrath of God came upon them. Many have asked for mercies that they might satisfy their own hearts’ lust. Fulness of bread has often made fulness of blood, and that has brought on wantonness of spirit. When we have much of God’s providential mercies, it often happens that we have but little of God’s grace, and little gratitude for the bounties we have received. We are full and we forget God: satisfied with earth, we are content to do without heaven. Rest assured it is harder to know how to be full than it is to know how to be hungry - so desperate is the tendency of human nature to pride and forgetfulness of God. Take care that you ask in your prayers that God would teach you “how to be full.”

“Let not the gifts Thy love bestows
Estrange our hearts from Thee”

Excerpt from Morning and Evening Devotions - the morning devotional for February 10.

Great Our Unthankfulness

Disclaimer: No flattery of your self-image is contained in the following post.

It has been noted that bitter herbs are useful for cleansing the palette. But what thought have you given to the cleansing of your heart? The Bible has irrefutably described our problem, that our hearts are stained through with sin, and the only cure, we must repent from sin by the conquering power of Jesus Christ.

Comprehending what repentance is, and actually repenting are essential to true Christianity. Jesus Christ himself warned that we will perish if we fail to repent (Luke 13:1-9)! Therefore it is critical to meditate and study the theme of repentance in Scripture.

A most excellent help in this study is Thomas Watson’s book, The Doctrine of Repentance. This trustworthy shepherd from the Puritan age in Great Britain lays bare the deceitful attractiveness of sin and extracts the course of true repentance from passages throughout the Bible.

This excerpt is from Chapter 4, where Watson is explaining how we ought to be ashamed of sin:

In every sin there is much unthankfulness, and that is a matter of shame. He who is upbraided with ingratitude will blush. We have sinned against God when he has given us no cause: ‘What iniquity have your fathers found in me?’ (Jer. 2.5). Wherein has God wearied us, unless his mercies have wearied us? Oh the silver drops that have fallen on us! We have had the finest of the wheat; we have been fed with angels’ food. The golden oil of divine blessing has run down on us from the head of our heavenly Aaron. And to abuse the kindness of so good a God, how may this make us ashamed! Julius Caesar took it unkindly at the hands of Brutus, on whom he had bestowed so many favours, when he came to stab him: ‘What, thou, my son Brutus?’ O ungrateful, to be the worse for mercy! Aelian reports of the vulture, that it draws sickness from perfumes. To contract the disease of pride and luxury from the perfume of God’s mercy, how unworthy is it; to requite evil for good, to kick against our feeder (Deut. 32.15); to make an arrow of God’s mercies and shoot at him, to wound him with his own blessing! O horrid ingratitude! Will not this dye our faces a deep scarlet? Unthankfulness is a sin so great that God himself stands amazed at it: ‘Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me’ (Isa. 1.2).

Something Terrible

…and you don’t quite know the right word to describe it. Probably because through our own laziness we don’t know the appropriate term. They are still used in wedding ceremonies, but most people forget to write them down, look them up in the dictionary and then make good use of such words in their daily vocabulary.

What you do know (thanks to an odd custom in Western pop culture) is that you have shown your love and that you are a lover because you gave a shrink-wrapped hodgepodge of chocolates in a heart-shaped box. But how much are you truly willing to spend? Are the confections from See’s Candies or from the dollar store?

Every February 14th, I’m now reminded of advice that was given to me in a class of World Literature by the professor, Jo Suzuki:

“I hate this day [Valentine’s Day]. When you see your friends, beware, for you may hear those hideous words that come out of human mouths: ‘I love you.’ Beware!”

“I have this beautiful picture of my wife from when I was in grad school. I gave her a rose and she was so happy and smiling and I took her picture. It was beautiful! Then I took the rose back and returned it to the florist. Those roses are expensive!”

There are still conflicting views on bouquets, whether flowers are obligatory or optional. But whatever you do, don’t do anything halfway! The man who actually asks, “Is it alright if I give my Valentine a half-eaten box of chocolate?” is not much more than a walking organ donor whose brain has already been harvested.

Apology for a Writer’s Block

Oh no! Nearly three months have gone by! It has been much longer than I promised myself and those who read the legible translations of my chicken scratches from the notebook where I write thoughts, reflections, figments, and all other things blog-worthy.

Life got a lot busier but I failed to fight back for a few moments a day of solitude and clarity. I apologize. I have no alibi.

This weekend looks promising. That’s when I’m able to get a great deal of reading finished. As my mind distills what it’s trying to comprehend, it is a rich time for forming the “seed ideas” for blog posts.

Among them are:

Exhibit A: Should I, a single man (with apparently no possible significant other on the horizon as yet), presume that there is little profit in reading a book entitled The Complete Husband by Lou Priolo? Is it because I’m averse to preparation, or could it be that the subject appears so hypothetical that, deep down, I’m afraid of regularly responding, “Wow, I really have no idea!”

Exhibit B: Whenever I get ensnared in technology problems at work or at home, why do I exhaust myself by repetitively trying to fix the issue all by my lonesome and usually never present my troubles before the Lord in prayer? Is it because I view my heavenly Father as not being interested in the present, whose final word to mankind was written nearly 2000 years ago about the earth’s final days in the future? The twisted reasoning of my heart seems to say,

“None of the apostles ever used a word processor, so God is obviously either not interested or not tech-savvy!”

Tragically, the only explanation for God’s apparent disinterest is that I have ignored His presence in the present. I’m the one guilty of marginalizing my Lord and my God to the past and the future. I’m the one that neglected to focus my heart on the God-breathed wisdom in Psalm 46:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Those are some of the arrogant presumptions that the Lord has dragged out into the light recently. I praise Him for this progress, for I know I certainly wasn’t behind it.