Lessons on Greed and Corruption

The headlines are dominated on this day by two major headlines. The first is the immense domino effect of greed gone wild by financier Bernard L. Madoff. In classic “rob Peter to pay Paul” fashion, Madoff stole 50 billion dollars from investors who trusted his position and reputation. Long after there were suspicions about him, even the Securities and Exchange Commission failed to investigate the suspicions and relied instead on information that Mr. Madoff supplied. The second example is the strange case of Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich. Placed in the position of authority to name a successor to the new President-elect Obama, the governor is charged with a scheme to profit from this appointment – as well as many other charges. These two merely headline the destruction of our financial system by people bent on personal profit.

What is strange about all of this is the context where it is happening. Go back a year…before the current crisis hit. The New York Times best-seller list top 15 books clearly indicated the irony. There were books presaging the crisis we are in. The other two dominant subjects are where we find the true irony. Many of them fed the greed orientation: WOMEN & MONEY, by Suze Orman; THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferris; BE A REAL ESTATE MILLIONAIRE, by Dean Graziosi; WHAT GOT YOU HERE WON'T GET YOU THERE, by Marshall Goldsmith with Mark Reiter; and, a book co-authored by Donald Trump all led to a “more is better; get all you can” mentality. It is the second area that I find so interesting. LAUNCHING A LEADERSHIP REVOLUTION, by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward; GIVING, by Bill Clinton; and, NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton give the definitive contrast. Leadership has been the buzz word of business for years. In the midst of books touting mission statements and vision statements, the implication has been that business operates best from strong character and a commitment to give your best to others.

Here’s the problem. There is, admittedly, a residual stamp of God written into the constitution of every person. We bear the image of God which has left some form of conscience within. The breakdown occurs in that we live in a fallen world and are all, in the words of the Scripture, sinners. We tilt toward ourselves; no one is more important than us. Altruism that begins and ends with man will always end up in the benefit of self. Man has character but it is character that breaks down when left to itself. There is no surprise that we are seeing the decline because we have been in decline for some time. There is no fear of God in our culture; there is little respect for Christ in our land. This is not the first crisis of morality to grip our country, however, every other time we had something to go back and lean on: a morality dominated by Judeo-Christian thought and character. We have abandoned Him. My suspicion is that we will find no where to turn. My prayer is that God grants us the other alternative: a powerful movement of His Spirit: an Awakening; revival. (But revival always begins with God’s people. Are you ready?)

The courage to be adversarial; the conviction to be Christ-like

The New York Times is probably the most prominent of the various news outlets reporting the same story. Apparently, Proposition 8 (and its passage) in California has enraged the homosexual community. They are now into creating organized vehicles for influencing America to accept their version of truth. Their intent is to utilize “in your face” techniques to force America to accept the homosexual lifestyle as a valid way to live.

As believers in Christ, we will need to be prepared for confrontation. God’s expression of truth leaves us no option: homosexuality is against the way that God has created us and violates the standard of morality that He has given to us. We need to be prepared to voice truth whenever we are confronted.

Here’s where the problem lies. Often, in an adversarial forum, our tendency is to turn…well, adversarial. When an adversarial environment is created, conversation can quickly turn to insult and denigration. You cannot read the Gospels without quickly gaining an understanding of the character of Jesus. One of the most impressive things is His reaction to sinful people. We are in the season of the year when we think about His incarnation: holy God left heaven and lived among us. It is hard to imagine what just the least sin did to him – yet Christ remained respectful even as He dealt with people in the midst of terrible immorality.

So, as we approach this world where we live, with more and more encounters with militant homosexuals, we need to prepare ourselves. We need to have the courage to be adversarial, but retain the conviction to be Christ-like in our dialog.

Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus...there is room in my heart for you.

There is a Christmas song that declares “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”. For making memories, there is probably no better time of the year. Family traditions develop; special groups make sure that they gather together. Celebration is a major part of every dimension of this time of the year! Christmas parties are all over the church calendar; most people are amazed at how many places they will be going and all the things they will be doing.

All of this joy and celebration and tradition is a positive thing – until its not. Holiday time is hardest for people who have suffered loss; when a key person is no longer part of the mix. It is even harder for those whose loss happened during this time of year. Their suffering is generally quiet suffering. They let the pain remain inside and put a smile on the outside. They will stand beside you with a cup of eggnog in their hands; smile; laugh; and be thoroughly empty inside.

Sometimes we let the festivities overshadow the meaning. There was a real birth of a real baby who came on a really important mission to this world. As another, more profound song says, “You left Your throne and Your kingly crown when You came to this earth that day. But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room for Your holy nativity.” The song continues. And for the one who has that empty spot, it is important to consider the next part: “oh come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee.” I am not saying that the Lord Jesus will fill the place of void where a loved one was! What I am saying is this: when we suffer loss it is a blessing to be able to turn to the One who came and find him right there next to our loss. In this season of joy and celebration and tradition, my prayer is that the One who began it all has come to your heart.

Thanksgiving

Turkeys are already being stuffed and roasted. All the traditional favorites are coming together for a traditional feast. The Detroit Lions are preparing to be served up as sacrificial lambs for the Tennessee Titans – just like they’ve lost for the last four years. Thanksgiving Day is on the way.

As I reflect on the day, I reflect on the things for which I am most thankful this year:
I am thankful to be a fan of the Memphis Tigers, who have proved their ability to win on a level never seen before in college basketball, but also the ability to lose with grace.
I am thankful to know that my ultimate security is not dependent on an economy, but on the government – no, not that government – His government! ("Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:7, KJV)
I am thankful to be able to celebrate with my parents – remembering so many where we were separated by an ocean.
I am thankful to know health and happiness in this year when so many know illness and depression.
I am thankful to experience the Lord in the midst of a people who desire to know Him and to bring glory to His Name.

My prayer for you is that you sense His blessing and favor in this season of celebration!

A cure for the heavy heart

As believers we know that we live in the grace and under the power of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We know it, intellectually. There are times, however, when we don’t feel it. We can express these moments several ways. Some will say they are depressed; others may say they are discouraged. I’m going to adopt a new word: disheartened. Dishearten is a Shakespearean invention. He coined the word in his historical work, Henry V. Literally, dishearten means “the opposite of heart”. To be disheartened means to have that sunken, hollow feeling at the core of your emotions.

Disheartenment can occur at any moment and for a myriad of reasons. It can come from serious issues but it can also be prompted by that series of little things that culminates with the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Disaster of any kind tends to produce it. Even the memory of disaster can cause it. The anniversary of the death of someone special, for example, can be the key ingredient to a day of disheartenment.

Discord almost always brings disheartenment. When we endure discord, we understand better than ever its opposite: as David, said, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

Disappointment is a doorway into disheartenment. We expect something good and nothing good happens. We expect something good and something bad happens. We have a positive view of someone and they let us down; we believe someone is a positive role model and they turn out to have feet of clay.

Psalm 27:14 declares, ” Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” At every event in life where our heart falls into that heaviness that we can define as disheartenment, we need to return to this remedy. He is the Lord. When we take our broken heart, our weakened heart, to Him, He strengthens.

General Motors and you

An old song said it this way, “what’s good for General Motors is good for the USA”. If you had believed that adage and put your trust in GM, then this past week has been a terrible revelation for you. According to Deusche Bank, GM stock is, well, worthless.

Psalm 20:7 declares: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. “ It is always a dreadful mistake to place our trust in those things we create. Every time we elevate a person, a government, a corporation, or even a relationship to a position of trust, we set ourselves up for disappointment because no human endeavor is immune to the dictates of the human condition. We live in a fallen world. By God’s grace, lost people are not as evil as they could be. But we are fallen and we do fail: along with everything that we put our hands to.

Difficult times like we appear to be entering should never shake our confident approach to life. We have learned not to trust in chariots or horses or GM or our government. We have trusted and will continue to trust in the name of the LORD, our God. In our passage from this next Sunday Peter reminds us to live “casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you”. Our God strides above our human condition. He is bigger than our problems. Why, He is more secure than GM! Where are you placing your trust these days?

Change in America

Lately I’ve been waking up early…and it was no different this morning. The thought went through my mind, “I think I’m going to go back to sleep. I really don’t want to get up to find out that our country has changed.” (I didn’t wait for the call last night, but the numbers were inevitable.) Then I remembered: I don’t trust in the President of the United States. I’ve committed my life to the One who neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps. 121:4)

Believers in Jesus Christ never need to hide our heads under the covers -- because we live under the protection of the Lord who sees the end from the beginning and is never taken by surprise. Neither should believers in Jesus Christ bury our heads in the proverbial sand. In an environment of change like we are now experiencing, we must be ready with the good news. Hear me clearly on this: good news does not come across as good news from glum, unenthusiastic lips. If we adopt a “woe is me” attitude and allow it to reflect in our mood or show in our face, we cannot truly proclaim the news of hope. Essentially, nothing has changed. The King of kings is still on His throne. And He invites us into the process. More than at any time in recent memory, we need to involve ourselves with His invitation in 1 Timothy 2:1-2: First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

My prayer this morning? Lord, bless our new President. Bless Him with wisdom, build in him conviction of truth and give him the courage to turn from that which is wrong and to do that which is right. When he reaches his hand to do things against you, prevent it. When he tries to make decisions that are opposed to you, throw him into confusion. Lord, give us grace; grant us truth…so we can live in godliness and dignity.

Change

Next week, everything changes-- not that everything hasn’t been changing all along. The change will involve the selection of the next President of the United States. As we make this choice, let me remind you of some things. First, if you are registered to vote (and you should be), go and exercise that right. Our motivation for voting is not that our vote makes a change (though it could). Our motivation for voting is to be obedient to the mandate given to us by the Lord. We are, as Lincoln observed, a nation “of the people, by the people and for the people”. So get out and vote.
Second, in Florida, we are defining “marriage”. We are voting whether to change the constitution of the state to say that marriage is between a man and a woman. If you believe that marriage is for a man and a woman (as opposed to a man and a man or a woman and a woman), then you would vote “YES” to Amendment 2. Third and most importantly, let’s intercede for our country. Let’s ask the Lord to bless us and protect us and give us wisdom.
(Brother Don will be beginning his weekly message again. You can also find it on the Internet at: http://dminshew.blogspot.com/)