Excellence in Church Music Ministry

Here is my article on excellence in church music ministry.

Thoughts on Police Corruption and How Christians Should Respond

Thoughts on Police Corruption and How Christians Should Respond

There has been much made of police corruption in recent days with, much of it spawned by reactions to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO as well as the death of Eric Garner in New York. One should not underestimate the tragedy of these events. Lives were lost, and it is certainly possible for one to grieve the countless lives of police officers who have died in the line of duty while still also grieving the lives of men and women in situations such as these two. Human life is valuable no matter who it is. No one is subhuman as many would proclaim. We should all grieve the loss of life. As Christians though, how are we to respond to these incidents? How are we to respond to the notion of police corruption, and how are we to respond to the actions of those who break the law? I have some personal thoughts on the matter that I would like to express, but realize that the bottom line is not just police corruption but the corruption and sinfulness of man in general.

It is good to be neutral on matters like this, to take a step back and evaluate the reality of the situation as difficult as this may be. I do not want to jump to conclusions and simply assume that police officers are always right in what they do; nor do I want to assume that those who have supposedly committed a crime are absolutely wrong. The fact is that it is not always black and white. A crucial item related to these situations is the fact that mankind is fallen and sinful. This goes for everyone including our authorities. Police officers and politicians are just as swayed by sin as one who commits a crime. Even our “good guys” are prone to make decisions based out of selfishness, vain conceit, pride, and sinful ambition. We cannot overlook this fact. To assume that someone needs more or less grace than another person is absolutely incorrect, and to assume that someone is beyond any grace at all is horribly wrong as well. We are all in need of grace, namely grace from the Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of that though, we must also give grace. Those who have been given the most grace often seem to be the ones who give it most. I can certainly relate to Paul in that I consider myself among the worst of sinners, and I do not take grace lightly. Civilians make mistakes, and so do authorities. In light of this, we as Christians must be people of grace realizing that no one deserves God’s grace, but we are all offered it.

Romans 13 tells us to be subject to the governing authorities. One might ask, “What about authorities who are corrupt?” I will not deny that many of our authorities including police officers are corrupt. Again this is the nature of sinful man. However, consider the fact that governing authorities could likely not be more corrupt than when Paul wrote Romans 13. This was written during the reign of Nero who was known to participate in infamous activities such as burning Christians on crosses in order to light his pathway at night. Yet Paul still tells us to be subject to the governing authorities. We have no excuse. How could this be though? This isn’t justice. Paul also tells us in Romans 13 that God has appointed these leaders. This goes for politicians, police officers, governors, and anyone else in authority. It does not matter how they came to their position. What matters is that God, in his sovereignty, has placed them there, and we are to respect that order.

What does being subject to the governing authorities imply for Christians then? This answer can actually be quite complicated. It certainly does not mean a lack of stance against corruption or injustice. Christians should be outspoken and bold about their political beliefs, which are hopefully rooted in a Christ-centered worldview. When injustice occurs (and it certainly will among a fallen mankind), we must be quick to take notice of it and stand against it. This could mean consequences, but it is the right thing to do. As I mentioned earlier, things are not always black and white. Many police officers, for example, are required to enforce laws that they do not necessarily agree with. Often the tragedy of a situation is that it should have never happened but did because of an overreached law that a legislature passed. We should not always pass off blame on the person or people it is often being placed on. Often people do not take time to examine the facts of the situation. Again the governing authorities are not always right. However, we must also realize that the purpose of authorities is to prevent injustice. We live in a nation where this is largely true. There may very-well come a day when our authorities do not exist to prevent injustice but rather participate in it. In fact, I strongly believe that day is certainly coming. However, that day is not here yet. God has appointed authorities to fight against injustice, and we must respect them for it. Respect does not mean being walked upon or treated unfairly. It simply means acknowledging the position one holds with dignity and submitting to the rules set out whether we agree with them or not. If we are honest, there are many laws and rules we strongly disagree with. In fact, in many instances, our law-makers continue to push legislation which makes little sense and has no value or purpose. We should take a stand against these types of laws but also respect and obey them as long as they do not violate our biblical mandate to serve and honor Christ.

We are called to be a holy people. Realize, however, that not all of our governing authorities are Christians. Therefore, they have not yet been called to be holy. Even those who are Christians are still tugged and swayed by the power of sin. The fact is that everyone is in need of grace including our authorities and police officers. Mistakes will happen. It is guaranteed whether it is a civilian or an officer. We must take those instances and use them as learning and growing opportunities with the goal of restoring the one who made the mistake. God has more than enough grace to give, and we as believers should be instruments of his grace and peace. We should not automatically think that police officers are wrong. Nor should we automatically think that civilians are wrong. We should instead seek the truth and seek the Lord in restoring this broken world. Do we have corrupt authorities? Yes. Do we have corrupt civilians? Yes. We are still called to be subject to our governing authorities though, and to do anything less is sin. If we respond in love and grace, we cannot respond in the wrong way. Love must be shown, not hatred. Let us love and respect.

A Christmas Gift from Me and Gracie

To say Merry Christmas, here is a gift from me and Gracie to you. Have a great one!

Introducing New Music

Here is a link to a new article I wrote for Experiencing Worship about introducing new music.

New Article Link: Time Limits in Corporate Worship

Here is a link to an article I recently wrote for Experiencing Worship, a worship website I am now a contributor for.

Some Thoughts on Judgment

Some Thoughts on Judgment

I heard a fascinating quote recently. It was, “Don’t judge me just because I sin differently than you.” While this is a true quote, there are interesting imperatives that must be discussed.

First of all, nowhere in scripture are we told not to judge. We make judgments every day. In fact, we cannot live our lives without casting judgments. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us not to judge lest we be judged ourselves and then continues by saying that we are to remove the plank from our own eye so that we can then remove the speck in our brother’s eye. In essence, we are told to first make sure that we ourselves are right with God before we make judgments on someone else so that we can accurately judge.

We must also remember, however, that our judgments are, in no way, perfect. The only way we can make a perfect judgment is through prayer and the guidance of Jesus Christ because he is the one and only perfect judge. Therefore, our judgments are subject to Christ’s ultimate judgment.

We must also not neglect the fact that for believers, God has ultimately judged us already when he did so through his son on the cross. Therefore, any action taken toward a fellow believe in Christ should be for correction, not judgment. I would submit that this should be the case with unbelievers as well since we have no authority to judge ultimately. Judgment then becomes a matter of correction, not punishment.

Finally, on the issue of judgment, no one is without sin. Therefore, when it comes to corrective judgment, we must all be willing to receive it and use it as an agent of change in our lives.

Our judgment must be done in righteousness, and therefore, it must be done in Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-9: The Result of New Birth

1 Peter 1:3-9: The Result of New Birth

            As believers, it is no secret that we are born again, not in a literal but rather in a spiritual sense. We are born to new life in Christ, which is more important of a birth than our natural birth. ! Peter gives us some implications we must remember as part of our new birth.

1 Peter 1:3-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

Born Again to a Living Hope

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

God Is the Cause of Our New Birth (vv. 3-5)

            We are only born again because of Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. Therefore, we are not the initiators of our new birth, but rather God is, and it is through him, that we are born again or made new. This is the purpose of new birth, to be made new, like Christ.

Because of New Birth, We Are Tried (v. 6)

            We are promised tests and trials because of our new birth. It is guaranteed. This should cause us to think realistically about who we are in Christ and what the results are. For those who are in Christ, trials and tests are guaranteed.  

Through Testing, Our Faith Is Made Complete (vv. 7-9)

            We are reminded through this passage as well as in James that our faith is completed through testing. Therefore, let us be thankful for tests and trials. We are guaranteed trials because this is how we are made complete and more like Christ.