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How to Keep Poor People Poor

Back in the late ’80s, I had an opportunity to travel inside the Eastern European nation of Romania, which at that time was in its fifth decade of communism. It was a country that was crumbling. I witnessed empty store shelves, food lines, and the dreary faces of people in survival mode. Meanwhile, their megalomaniac ruler, Nicolae Ceauşescu, pampered himself in mansions scattered about the country that were filled with marble, art, antiques and gold-fixtured bathrooms.

About the only happy person I met in Romania was an elderly Seventh Day Adventist pastor who lived in a weathered little house in a small Romanian village. He was, in fact, bubbling with joy, and he told me that the reason he was so blessed was because he loved God with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. Visiting with him was a delight.

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Christians in Politics?

Since publishing my e-teachings earlier this year on the moral issues of abortion and government theft, I’ve been involved in some very interesting conversations regarding the proper role of Christians in politics and government. Christians definitely do not all agree on the subject, and to my utter astonishment, do not all agree with me! (Imagine that.) Some of my friendly detractors have provoked me to re-examine my own convictions and dig more deeply into Scripture. This e-teaching is a result of that deeper dig.

First, it goes without saying that the gospel is superior to the government in the matter of changing people’s behavior. The gospel has power to transform sinners into people who don’t need laws to restrain them from crimes such as thievery and murder. No one is arguing about that. You may have noticed, however, that not everyone is receptive to the gospel that has the power to transform them. Most people continue all of their lives in their rebellion and unbelief. And as God patiently hopes and waits for rebels to respond and be transformed by His grace, He uses a secondary means to restrain them from sin, and that means is human government. Laws established by human governments not only serve to restrain unregenerate people from doing evil, but they also function as standards whereby those who are not restrained by the law can be judged, punished, and hopefully reformed to a degree.

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Christians for Hitler

Last month’s e-teaching, with the semi-incendiary title, About Time to Abort the Abortionists, elicited varied reactions. Not everyone sent me an “Amen,” and so this month I’m including a few excerpts from responses that I thought you would find interesting. In most cases, I’ve added my own reaction to the comments I received. You’ll have to keep reading to find out why I’ve titled this month’s e-teaching Christians for Hitler. Thanks to everyone who sent their feedback. I enjoyed reading all of it. Now on to the responses…

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About Time to Abort the Abortionists

After publishing my February e-teaching, entitled Government Theft, I was cautioned by some readers to avoid wading into political issues. Yet quite a few others encouraged me with their feedback, reminding me that most of the pressing political issues of our day are fundamental moral issues. To avoid speaking about such issues purely because they are political is to avoid speaking about moral issues that matter greatly to God. And if moral issues matter to God they should also matter to those who pray every day, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Moreover, if those moral issues do truly matter to those who profess to be God’s people, they will act like it. If they have any power to do something that might help God’s will to be done on earth, they will do it.

I did my best in my February e-teaching to establish the fundamental evil of theft as it is clearly revealed in Scripture. No thieves will inherit eternal life, so genuine Christians do not steal, nor do they collaborate with thieves. For that reason, we cannot vote for political candidates (regardless of their political party) who are in favor of accumulating a national debt so immense that it will inevitably be passed on to our children and grandchildren, which amounts to stealing the future earnings of our own offspring. This is a fundamental moral issue. Politicians who ignore it are simply not worthy to hold office, and it is the responsibility of the electorate to vote such politicians out of office lest we share culpability for their sin. Let me say it more boldly: If we vote to put thieves in office or vote to keep them in office—thieves who would steal the future earnings of our children and grandchildren—we cast a vote for theft, endorsing and promoting what God hates and thus, by our actions, deny that we know Him.

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Feedback to “Government Theft”

Dear Friends, I’ve always wanted to share with you some of the diverse feedback that I receive in response to my monthly e-teachings, and this month, I’m going to do it. Last month’s e-teaching, entitled Government Theft, triggered a lot of feedback, from which I’ve quoted some excerpts below. You will be surprised, I expect, and hopefully blessed by some of the comments I received. Our readers have some very diverse opinions, and I’ve selected some of the most interesting feedback, rather than just what was purely affirmative. For the sake of space, I whittled thirty-two responses down to eight. I’ve also added my reaction to some of the feedback below. I hope you enjoy what everyone has written as much as I have! And thanks to all who sent feedback. — David

Excellent, David… what do [you] think about…”re-booting” the economy with a “Jubilee” concept…I keep hearing that it is actually impossible to get out of debt now as a nation… — Michael

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Government Theft

Introductory note: Although I have delved into a political topic this month, please note that it is also a very relevant moral topic, and I first lay a biblical foundation for my thoughts. When a nation ignores the eighth commandment, it suffers the inevitable consequences, as we are now. — David

You shall not steal….You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet…anything that belongs to your neighbor (Ex. 20:15, 16).

Most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, agree that it is wrong to take what belongs to someone else. Every nation and culture has laws against theft. The God-given conscience of every human resonates with a built-in knowledge that stealing is ethically wrong.

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To Ponder with Prayer

When a new year begins, it seems like a natural time to make evaluations about the past year and plan changes for the new one, which many people do. Followers of Christ, of course, are evaluating their lives much more frequently than once every twelve months. Still, there is something special about the start of a new year. So as 2010 begins, I would like to suggest that we reflect on getting “back to the basics.” I’m speaking, in fact, of the most basic of the basics. If we focus on that one thing, our spiritual lives become much less complicated, and everything else falls into place. That most basic thing is, of course, loving God.

Below are seven short thoughts to prayerfully ponder about loving God. I recommend taking them slowly, one at a time, with some pause for reflection. Or better, focus on just one each day for the next seven days during your daily prayer time.

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Lend, Expecting Nothing

When I began thinking about Jesus’ command to “lend, expecting nothing in return,” I initially thought He meant, “Lend, and don’t charge any interest on your loans,” as I remembered the Mosaic Law forbade the people of Israel to charge interest on loans made to their poor countrymen (see Ex. 22:25). But as I read Jesus’ commandment within its context, I realized that He meant that His followers should lend without expecting to receive back either interest or principal:

If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men (Luke 6:33-35; emphasis added).

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Other Than an Occasional Problem With Pride, I Believe I’ve Reached Sinless Perfection

Every once in a while I hear a report of some group who believes they’ve attained sinless perfection. It is somewhat amusing to imagine people entertaining that idea without them being lifted up in pride, which would, of course, immediately disqualify them from being perfect. You may have heard the story about the congregation that voted to determine who was the most humble person among them. They ultimately awarded an elderly saint with a “Most Humble” badge. But when he started wearing it, they voted to strip him of it!

It has been my observation that the people who think they are the most holy are often the least holy, and those who think they are the least holy are the most holy, if for no other reason than their painful awareness of their own shortcomings. Proud people are blind to their sin, whereas humble people still see their need to regularly pray the prayer that Jesus taught His followers—“Forgive me of my sins as I forgive those who sin against me.”

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A Question for My Beloved Calvinists

Those who have been reading with me through the New Testament chronologically—by means of our daily emailed devotional that we call HeavenWord Daily—know that I am not a Calvinist. In fact, practically every time we happen upon one of the many passages of Scripture that contradict the doctrines of Calvinism, I point it out. Consequently, I’ve pointed out scores of scriptures that illustrate where Calvinism deviates from biblical truth.

For readers who may not know what Calvinism is, let me briefly explain. Calvinists believe that, in eternity past, God sovereignly selected some people to be saved, and thus He also sovereignly selected everyone else to be damned. At a pre-determined point during the lifetimes of those who are allegedly pre-selected for salvation, God draws them irresistibly, and they are born again. Calvinists also believe, and understandably so, that Jesus did not die for the sins of everyone. Rather, He only died for those whom He allegedly predestined for salvation. Finally, because Calvinists believe that salvation does not depend on any person’s free will and only upon the sovereign decree and action of God, they also believe that no genuinely-saved person could possibly ever become unsaved. Once genuinely saved, people are guaranteed to be saved in the end, which is probably the most attractive element of Calvinism, and which may explain why some people readily embrace it. Once a person is convinced that he has been sovereignly pre-selected for salvation, he knows he has salvation “in the bag.”