chiefbigfaith

April 30, 2006

NOT ASHAMED OF THE

 GOSPEL OF CHRIST !

Good Morning from Garden Grove, California. It's a cool morning here outside the Crystal Cathedral. And I just returned from Washington DC, which I will tell you about in today's message or pre-message. Now let's sing a song together:

Here's a song called “Give All”--isn't that a great title? And shouldn't that be what we are all giving to God? Shouldn't we be giving it our all?

Song: giveall.mid    http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/giveall.mid

Let's listen to a  few more songs to get things going:

 Song: glorybetothefather.mid

http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/glorybetothefather.mid

 Song: GracebutAmazing.mid http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/GracebutAmazing.mid

That warms my heart and soul, and we are all products of amazing grace, are we not? Praise the Lord!

Now let's turn to the Word of God (7:03 a.m pst) The reading comes from the book of Romans.

Scripture: Romans  1: 16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."  Rom 1:16-17 NKJV

Dear friends,

These words from Paul the Apostle are as true today as they were then. By the way,  this message is not necessarily in conjunction with the ecclesiastical calendar. While Paul's message was specific and  contextual to the audience, it also is applicable to our lives today. Back then Paul was writing to the church in Rome (where he had friends  and where there were some problems) and was addressing some issues they were experiencing then and there. I

N fact, some people contend that the book of Romans was written before the 25th chapter of Acts because in Acts 25 Paul is traveling to Rome, whereas the book of Romans appears to be written before he's been to Rome and before he purportedly began heading that way.

The book of Romans is known for being a book about “justification by faith” which we will talk about more. And in the above passage you may have noticed the repitition  “of God”  (i.e. “power of God” and “righteousness of God” ) Romans (according to http://because41.tripodcom/romans/rom1.html) repeats “of God” more than any other book of the Bible. This is a reminder of where our power comes from--it comes from God because it is “of God.”

Paul repeatedly points to the creator rather than  over-emphasizing himself or the creation. Paul also mentions the “Jew” and the “Greek” (or Gentile) . It was customary of Paul to say“to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles.” That's a missiological principal as well. Or perhaps-- “to those of the law” first, and then “to those who do not know the law at all” second.

Both groups had their challenges in terms of reaching with the Word of God, perhaps those “of the law” (in general, the Jewish) were more difficult to reach than those who do not know the law at al (in general, the Gentiles). Try teaching or preaching the Spirit to those deceived by too much law and you will know what I mean. Try teaching or preaching the Spirit to those deceived by no law at all and you will also know what I mean.

There's a balance “in the Spirit.” And this goes back to last week's message about “Spiritual Equilibrium”  which I did not really complete. Now if you turn to other commentaries and websites about the book of Romans you will find a lot of different interpretations, and there's a lot to deal with. In fact, it's difficult if not impossible to try to give a single message that sums up the book of Romans. In seminary you might take an entire year to analyze the book of Romans in depth.

And I'm not going to try to tell you how to understand the book of Romans in general or for the particular context in which it was written. I want to apply the above passage to today's life, namely  1) not being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; and 2) justification by faith.

My friends, this week I was in our Nation's Capitol, Washington D.C. ( (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html) , in order to gain a better understanding of  our nation's heritage, or spiritual heritage I should say. For several years I've been getting correspondence from a fellow named David Barton, the founder of a group called Wallbuilders (named after the book of Nehemiah). Barton has researched and written extensively on the original intentions of our founding fathers.

Their organization objects to the way our judiciary (i.e. the courts and judges) have re-interpreted the intentions of the founding fathers in contrast to what the founding fathers originally intended. Barton has written many books on the subject and they host a “briefing” periodically in Washington D.C. to inform pastors and military chaplains about the subject. This includes presentations by various congressman and notable persons working for the federal government.

What does this have to do with not being ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and justification by faith? Well, maybe some of you have been “seduced” over the years by the notion that our government is “secular” or is supposed to be “secular” and that separation of church & state requires no mention of God or Jesus Christ while around the “state” (i.e. government buildings and gatherings). Barton & co (including Rick Green who led our group on a tour through the capitol building on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 around 6 pm)  contend this is simply not true. ( (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)

Rick Green (a Texas Law School graduate)  along with Congressman Walter Jones pointed out, among many other important spiritual aspects,  on the “Spiritual Heritage Tour” they provided for us through the rotunda of the Capitol Building that our nation's capitol building was once used as a place of worship ! 

That's right, Green (as well as Barton) said that Thomas Jefferson (purportedly one of the least “religious” founders) actually gave instructions that the Capitol Building be set aside for Sunday Worship and also ordered the Marine Band to play for the Sunday Service back around the time Jefferson was president.

On our Spiritual Heritage Tour   (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)  through the Capitol Building on Tuesday evening Green also pointed out that of the first four (of eight or so) gigantic paintings which we observed in the rotunda of the Capitol Building  all four show the Founding Fathers doing something “religious”--or, in other words, not being ashamed at all about the Gospel of Christ.

And although he did not mention it--apparently the scene at the top of the rotunda (on the inside of the dome) is supposed to depict George Washington ascending to heaven. If that's not spiritual, I don't know what is! Green also mentioned (and showed a copy of the original) that not only did all the founders sign their letters “in the year of our Lord...” but that Thomas Jefferson (again, purportedly one of the least religious founders) actually signed letters (or at least one letter) “in the year of our Lord Christ”!  But yet some secularists would have us believe that Jefferson and other founders were not religious at all, let alone Christian.

Green then took us in to the old Supreme Court Room (which was in the Capitol Building then rather than a separate building ) and told us that it was customary for the Supreme Court to request a pastor to come in and pray for the jury (that was when the U.S. Supreme Court still held jury trials) before they went in to deliberate.

And Green gave an anecdote about John  QuincyAdams (who was adamantly anti-slavery) telling how he actually gave an “altar call” to the justices of the Supreme Court (which was predominatly pro-slavery at the time apparently)  expressing his wish that they all come to know Jesus Christ as Savior before they die (sometime I'll tell you about my personal experience in a civil matter where I also invited a  judge to accept Jesus Christ as Savior).

We ended the Spiritual Heritage Tour with a “prayer”--actually a “song” (”God Bless America”)  which we sang together in the old Supreme Court room inside the Capitol Building! It was really something! It was a blessing to be there with pastors and military chaplains in the name of Christ!

This was actually my second tour of the Capitol Building that day. Earlier, around 9 a.m, I had taken the tour provided by the Capitol Building itself. That's a nice tour too but it does not provide the more detailed narration about our founder's spirituality.

The next day we had an all day “briefing” by various congressman (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)  and other involved persons around Washington D.C. This included Randy Forbes (Virginia), Robert Aderholt from Alabama, Todd Tiahrt from Kansas, Marilyn Musgrave from Colorado, Walter Jones (again) from North Carolina,  Todd Aiken from Missouri, John Cain from South Dakota, James Inhofe from Oklahoma, Tim Googlein from the White House,  and Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell gave a touching account of his personal experience as a burn victim of the Sept 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.
 (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)

It was a very impressive “briefing” and all of the persons present gave their own personal testimony about their faith in Christ and their convictions as they apply to practicing their faith in the political arena. And I would give you more direct quotes from some of these leaders but I left my 3-ring binder (with all my notes) in room 385 of the Russel Building at the end of the day and when I returned less than an hour later to get it, it was not there. (I left an e-mail message for Callie Fowler -who helps organize the briefing for Wallbuilders, thinking she might have noticed it being the last to leave, but she has not yet responded) . (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)

Nonetheless, I left our Nation's Capitol the next day (after passing by the White House for a picture) with a renewed hope that our leaders are doing their “utmost for the Highest.” And it was a breath of fresh air to hear some of these political leaders profess their faith in Jesus Christ right there and then as we sat listening.It was really something to behold--they were not “too big” to profess their ultimate faith in Jesus Christ.

The entire day was devoted to testimony by our political leaders or involved political persons about their own personal faith and how that is translated into action in their political life.

Throughout the day Barton periodically took the podium (between speakers) and gave us information and statistics about faith-related topics such as prayer in the public schools and keeping the words “under God” in the Plege of Allegiance.  He mentioned the discrepancy between what “the people” across the nation want (according to polls) in contrast to what some of the representatives are voting for (not the representatives who spoke before us whom he contacted specifically because of their faith-based committments but other representatives).

He also addressed the notion by some that think homosexual marriages are okay as long as they don't bother me. Barton showed that in societies where non-traditional “marriages” are accepted social problems are much higher and taxation, therefore, is also much higher.And in regard to abortion the group was told that studies show  unborn fetuses do experience pain, maybe more so than the born child.

IT was very provocative. I had been reading also about some of the founders including George Washington and at one point asked Barton about Washington's association with the Freemason and Barton said that Washington's involvement with the Freemasons was strategic--because back then the Freemasons were mostly British and for him to hobknob with the British and get information from them he had to join the Freemasons. Barton said the Freemasons were not, then, what they are today, and suggested that Washington's involvement with Freemasonry was not for ideological purposes but for practical purposes (i.e. to gain information). If so, it's ironic that the Freemasons, today, would claim Washington to be one of their own and dedicate a gigantic monument to him in Washington DC.

And I could go on and on excitedly about what I saw and heard, but without my notes I am limited. And I am limited in time for now. But what I can say, without notes, is that the Spirit of the Lord is alive in the hearts and minds of some of our legislators! Praise God! And praise God for the dedication of David Barton and his group for keeping us aware of the original intentions of our founders and the spiritual heritage of our country. It is a reminder we need to regularly be told.

So pray for David Barton & his group (the name Wallbuilders is probably not the best in terms of the negative connotations it may evoke in some, but it ultimately is about building a “wall of prayer” --evoking a spiritual power and force for our country and world. They really are for unification in Christ, not total separation from the world. I get the feeling that they are in accord with the ”in but not of the world” we have heard so much of in Calvinism.

They also gave each of us a book entitled Faith of a Soldier by Stephen Mansfield which I would recommend as well. I read it on the airplane leaving Washington D.C. and found it to be very insightful, whether you agree with the war or not.

And make no doubt about it--Barton's group is very pointed in it's ideological/political  stance. They, and most, if not all, of the speakers invited by Barton, are of a particular political persuasion, without apology.  I may have been perceived or misperceived by some of them because I was the only one without a tie (coming from California I didn't even think about it) and the only one with a beard (which doesn't mean anything ideologically to me)  but what I appear as externally is not necessarily who I am internally (can't always judge a book by its cover). However, in contrast to some of the simpler-minded military chaplains  (and not all of the military chaplains are the same either) who think of the current president as their commander-in-chief who cannot be criticized I do think critically.  (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)

While I'm not 100% positive about the current administration, that's not to say I am 100% negatively critical of our president or the administration either, but that there are things that could be different or improved, most particularly the oil situation and why our oil companies are recording record profits at a time when gas is at its highest price ever?!

Notwithstanding, there are good things that our president is doing and the war may be one of them (time will tell). One of Barton's speakers, Tim Googlein, from the White House gave us a ominous reminder of how dangerous the times currently are. He mentioned Iran's growing potential nuclear capability as well as their friendship with Sudan.

And Mansfield's book reminded me of the difficulty for our nation's soldiers (or “warriors” as he calls them) to fight an actual war which is as much or more so an ideological war, but yet the soldiers are not equipped with much, if any, sound ideology to help inspire them; and our country is not necessarily helping them all too much in that regard (which goes back, in part,  to our apparent ambiguity--or the conflict between judiciary and the nation itself,  about whether we are a “secular” or “spiritual” nation)

And on and on. I'll be talking more about some of this in times to come, but let's praise the Lord for freedom of speech and the Founders of our Country! And let's remember in prayer our military and the commanders making decisions. Let us pray for God's will to be done, nor ours. Let us remember that the Body of Christ is not one nation but all nations.  (also see http://www.mustardseedfaith.org/WashingtonDC.html)

And let us be wholeheartedly proud of the Gospel of Christ and apply it to our lives everywhere, in America and beyond, lifting up the Sword of the Spirit as much as, if not more so, than  the actual sword itself, with our ultimate goal being the conversion of others to Christ, rather than the elimination of those with whom we disagree or who disagree with us, God willing.

Nonetheless, let us proudly and willingly put our lives on the line if necessary. And if the War in Iraq is God's will, so be it. I don't know enough at this time  to say affirmatively yes or no. I'm not convinced by those who say it is all about oil and I am optimistic that it will ultimately change a nation (Iraq)  for the better which will help change our world for the better.

Finally, pray for our nation's military chaplains--a job and profession that is rarely recognized. Pray for them to have the courage and strength to make the right decisions and have the right discernment to contend with all the different factors that make their job so difficult so that they may become true leaders holding up the Sword of the Spirit despite not always being given acknowledgement and recognition by those who hold up the actual sword itself.

Song: godwillmakeaway.mid  http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/godwillmakeaway.mid

Let's trust in God to make the way, and He will.

Thanks for listening. God bless you all. See you next week.

J.P. Kok
Pastor Kok III