Christians and the Health Care Disaster!

There is no doubt that the American health care system has had problems - some severe - for some time.  When Congress passed the affordable Care Act a consistent even split of the population saw the law as being good and also as being bad.  These numbers have changed over the past few years as parts of the law, upheld and redefined, were implemented.  The majority of the population now realize that a train wreck is happening even as I type this.  Amid the political landscape are efforts to repeal or de-fund.   Politicians and pundits have raised millions in there efforts to do all the above.  On the other side is the marketing blitz that is firing up to convince young healthy Americans to purchase something they do not want.  If this group does not buy the pitch, the money issues are compounded beyond already not making sense.  The mess is clear.  The disaster is already selling popcorn for those watching - it will be some kind of show!

The Republicans in the house and Senate have washed their hands of the whole deal.  They continue to gain popularity among like minded individuals that simply want the whole thing to just go away.  After passage, and during the actually writing of the law (think on that one!), Republicans stayed far away from the mess.  The thought process seemed to be that it was time to allow the Democrats to own this thing.  Thus, no input to improving nor taming was done on the Republican side. 

Fast forward to just a few days ago.  Sen Harry Reid is giving an interview with PBS and makes the following statement when asked if the Affordable Care Act is the first step towards a single payer system:"Yes, yes. Absolutely, yes.” Did you see that answer?  You can read about it here!  What does it mean?  Are we learning something that obviously was missed my many?  What is next?

Is it possible that the current law is designed to fail so that in default we are left with NO other option but a complete 1 payer system?  This scenerio is beginning to rise to the forefront.  Sen Reid surely voices that opinion.  And with this answer is a major understanding that most Americans calling for ending the Affordable Care Act must quickly understand.  You cannot unwind a law that has been partially implemented over a 3 year period in the tax code and in the Health Insurance industry.  What would you have left?  The old system has been dead for 3 years now.  The new system is being delayed and still written.  When the crash occurs, what is there?

Those men and women sent to Washington on our behalf who opposed it, stood by and failed to use their fiduciary responsibilities to make it as best a law as possible.  Why?  Follow the money!  They are raising millions daily! And when it crashes, they can stand and say "we told you so!"  But what about health care from that point on?  Why no alternatives?  How long will it take to fix the crash? What will the fix look like?

The American people have been sold out for political positioning by both sides.  You and I will pay the price for this.  We will be stuck with a mess and limited options out. 

Has no one noticed that the Democrats have not been sweating the outcome?  With delays and issues of implementing the law including the unions and within congress, present no sweat - no fear!  They know the end game.  They are fine if it crashes.  The Government will be in a position (and has been from the moment it passed) to regulate, control, and eventually own, the healthcare system.  Meanwhile, good meaning people think some miracle can occur with repeal etc.. If the law were repealed or ruled unconstitutional - what then?  The old system is gone!  The new system has been implemented with the Insurance companies and the tax code.  Again, try to unwind that and see how it works!

The battle for who we are as a country and what we will be moving forward begins at the point of the crash!  

Christians caught up in distraction issues such as recall and the like are being led down a path that drains resources and ignores the big picture of that which is to come in the near future.

The needs of millions of Americans will be at the forefront of this crash as all generations will be impacted and major changes to the American system as a whole will be required to clean up the mess.  And remember, the clean up will be not a total one.  Time required?  Know one knows!

For churches, our ministry will be vital!  Our leadership will be essential!  We cannot afford to be distracted by the politics of today and miss the hour of need tomorrow.  True Biblical Christian ministry will be needed like never before.  People will be hurting and needs will increase.

Are you ready? 

I hurt for those of us who will hurt down the road by the complete failure of elected officials on both sides.  I hurt for those who had placed their hopes in something coming that would finally help them and their families.  But I also know that God placed us as Christians here in America for this time!  Our mission and focus are being defined.

I just pray we realize it and get busy doing that which we are called to do rather than being distracted by that which only produces false hope and no real answers!

The Root of the Obvious American Problem

It is not wise for one to offer something as a sure fire answer to everything.  A know it all type person has little influence in the lives of others.  Much of the discussion these days relating to the vast changes occurring before our eyes in America fits this know it all baseline.  If not that, it most assuredly comes across as holier than thou to those listening and reading.  Yet ignored due to the preceding is the answer to the problem that we see and know is growing.  What is at the root of it?

I will offer two areas that I think will assist us in seeing the roots that are allowing all of this change to occur. 

First, we lost the battle on the homosexual issues by not understanding the homosexual agenda.  The agenda put forth was one of being recognized as a minority.  Since the late 1970's this idea has been allowed to fully develop without any challenge from those who differ.  More so, the silence from true minorities has been a booster shot to the homosexual movement.  By embracing the minorities, and the minorities embracing the homosexual agenda, the agenda has actually captured an apparent victory. 

To qualify as a minority, one must reproduce the same.  Homosexuals do not reproduce.  Homosexuals are NOT a minority.  They never have been and never will be, unless we change the definition of "minority"!  Had we simply begun the discussion, and continued it with this principle of fact, the influence of the agenda would have been severely held back.  We chose to argue and condemn and were thus easy targets to be labeled as hateful.  The influence of a behavior group would have been easily slowed had we kept the discussion here.  We should have been assisting the minority groups in their struggle while protecting them from this usurping.  We failed.

And yes, minority groups allowed this behavior agenda to steal the day and they have lost much as a result.

But something occurred inside many churches that equally allowed for the changing thoughts on sin and other things in America.  American churches became soapbox churches.  We have those who rally around the Bible and shout about people NOT living moral lives while we ignore the sin within.  We loved the shouting and failed to reach people with Jesus Christ.  We also have those that were/are determined to reach people and began to offer a more pragmatic form of teaching that led to little discipleship and an embracing of little moral truth.  These soapbox type churches are now a majority in America.  One may find it difficult to hear any clear teaching on the simple things of life, including human life, for fear of offending.  And when one finds truth, often it is wrapped in self righteous indignation and not in the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

The soapbox approach has developed due to one simple practice among us preachers. 

Most American Pastors have abandoned Expository Preaching and most Bible Study groups are more focused on felt needs!  We we fail to teach the Bible from cover to cover, verse by verse, and so we produce little in discipleship.  And what little is done, is extremely weak. I have found it amazing to teach through Genesis and discover the depth of truth about understanding creation and life that is so easy to see and equally applicable today.  I don't have to go off on a soapbox.  The Bible speaks for itself with grace and in love to all who will receive. And Genesis actually covers homosexuality!

And don't forget, the Bible even tells us the itching ears and the leaving behind of sound doctrine will occur as we approach the return of Jesus Christ.  We should not be so surprised that we are seeing it. 

We should also be quick to repent of the fact that we actually aided in the progression of such.

Speaking the TRUTH in todays America (Series)

Part 1

Over the past week I have made clear my perception of today's America - it is not pretty.  In noting this, the simple fact that the change we are seeing did not occur overnight was also front and center.  So now we must ask the question as Christians trying to reach people in this new era of "neo-anything can be truth" culture, HOW?

American Christians have perfected the speech approach to teaching.  Even in our social media use can be found the clear and often blunt ugly use of this method in telling people what is wrong with their ideology and where they will go because of it.  We make our points well yet we are failing to impress or influence even a few.  It is time we seek to understand the needed approach required if we are to really make a difference today.

And for many Christians, this is going to be a tough road to travel!

Our learning begins with some simple facts.  People without Jesus, do not have a foundation that we can build upon.  People without Jesus, need Jesus first!  Never should we compromise the truth with anyone.  But understanding that only in a relationship with Jesus is the foundation upon which truth is built can we expect any glimmer of accomplishing lasting life change.  This is Biblical truth.  Hard to realize that we Christians must first accept a truth before we expect others to do the same.  But this is a must.  The journey begins with this hurdle at the starting line.

Many American churches are facilitating this hurdle by abandoning Evangelistic outreach endeavors.  We talk much about reaching the nations.  Preaching to the nations is the new modern day battle cry!  A simple analysis of our current trends in methods and thoughts on evangelism reveal that we are doing little to reach individual people regardless of the intent of the battle cry.  The popular growth of Reformed Theology and the New Calvinism of our day are not helping either.  The more this spreads the fewer people that will be reached.  Sharing Jesus is the beginning.  It is more than preaching/teaching.  Sharing Jesus is more than telling someone to turn or burn.  Sharing Jesus is sharing Jesus story and what He did for all of us.  It is making it clear that Jesus offers a free gift called salvation to all who will receive.  The gift is offered, but we each must chose to accept or reject. 

Rom 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(NKJ)

Rom 5:8
8    But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(NKJ)

Sharing truth requires each of us who know Christ to begin sharing His truth.  It is not turn or burn.  It is begging and pleading with people to see what God did for them in His Son Jesus.  It is sharing the love of God for all people regardless of where they have been or what they have done!  It is leaving the judging to God while living as one changed so as not to cause anyone to stumble so that the message of Gods love in Christ, can be seen and thus received.

This is the starting point!  No moral or political change is possible of lasting value without Jesus first!

Brentwood Benson does VBS RIGHT!

It is normal for people in church life and ministry to think about VBS in February or March.  I have done this for most of my life - even as a child attending every summer VBS of childhood.  But what about actually doing VBS in October?  Now that is totally out of the box.  And that is totally just what we did!  This is a short story of our journey into Fall VBS and the results thereof.

To begin with, Lifeway ending it's relationship with Jeff Slaughter played a huge role in what I will share.  There is none better than Slaughter at developing VBS material and music that shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly and effectively with children.  None better anywhere!  And since Slaughter was picked up by Brentwood Benson to put together their first ever VBS material offering, our staff got a little curious.  Our curiosity led us down a new path for VBS.  We decided to go with a Fall VBS and see what would happen.  We contacted Brentwood Benson and asked if we could premier this new offering.  They agreed.  We contacted Slaughter and secured him to be live on stage for two nights of VBS worship and celebration.  He agreed!  Fall VBS would indeed occur.

The following is what we gleaned from this adventure:

1.  Slaughter - still NONE BETTER.  Lifeway really blew it with this one.  His heart for children and the gift and blessing on his writing and arranging cannot be denied.  He is in person as he is on stage - the real deal.  He wants to see people reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  And he gives his all to see that this takes place.  The music was beyond good with this material.  Our adults even loved it and get this - it led to a VBS Flash Mob in both morning services this past Sunday.  it was incredible!

2.  The material - what Brentwood Benson has put together is the BEST ever!  My wife who has the same track record as I do in VBS said it this way:  "this material in structure, ideas, how to's, and message was the best ever!"  She loved it.  And so did our other workers.  It was done by people who know VBS and know what is needed.  Often those who write VBS material make the structure difficult and the message seems to get lost in the implementation.  Often the ideas for sharing do not relate to the children of today.  Often, VBS does NOT really get a clear message across.  Not with this one.  The message was clear and powerful!  The children got it!  I have never heard children so get the theme and message of VBS like I did this year! 

Since the theme was a world tour, missions was all over this material.  Our leaders decided to up it even more by Skyping in Missionaries from each of the countries that the tour visited each evening during the group times.  And this was awesome!  The children heard first hand from people doing mission work and prayed for that person and country!  You would not have believed the prayers that went up from these children.

The snacks were even designed to fit the countries each night on the tour and allowed for total theme involvement!  And man were they good!

3.  Evangelistic - everything about this material was evangelistic from start to finish.

4.  Theology - this material is sound and void of the modern hangups found in much material these days.  There are NO worries with theology here!  Straight Jesus and His gift to all who will receive!

5.  Cost - we actually did VBS with less money spent this year than in years past.

Conclusion:
If you want a VBS material that your workers will love, that will clearly and easily share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that will have your children engulfed in VBS and actually "getting it", then you need to call up Brentwood Benson and get your order in!  You will love it!

A post that needs to be shared

John MacArthur has written a excellent post for all of today.  Though the goal of his post will be clear when you see the title, the content within actually applies deep and wide into many issues facing churches today.  I encourage all to read it here.