Those Church People Aren't So Bad, Part 2

Our culture tends to bash Christians, churches and "the Christian Right." We are frequently depicted as judgmental, harsh, angry, not very compassionate, and opposed to progress. But as I indicated last week, no one does feature stories or news segments on Christians sending teams and funds to areas devastated by floods, earthquakes and typhoons. Things like that aren't newsworthy because they are so commonplace. Christians do those kinds of things all the time!

But here's another bit of news you ought to know. Not only are followers of Jesus Christ more responsive to tragic emergencies, but we routinely give more than unbelievers to all charitable causes. In researching his book Who Really Cares, Arthur C. Brooks expected to find that political conservatives are more likely to give to charity than political liberals. But his findings surprised even him!

For instance, Brooks found that families in South Dakota give almost exactly the same amount to charity in a year ($1300) as families in San Francisco. That's interesting because, as you'd suppose, the average family in San Franciso enjoys 74% more personal income than a family in South Dakota. So how does one explain why families in one small rural state give away 75% more of their income to charitable causes that families in a big, sophisticated, well educated California metro area?

Research shows one factor makes a difference: religion. Specifically, Christians in South Dakota report that they have been taught to tithe since they were children. By contrast, when the Director of a major San Francisco foundation was asked to explain the difference, she replied, "This is a pretty #$#$ godless place. People don't feel very obligated to give." In South Dakota, 50% worship weekly and only 10% never attend church. In San Francisco, 49% never participate in worship and only 14% do.

Brooks has stacks of data which he breaks down into dozens of categories. But in every category, Americans who worship are far more likely to be generous than Americans who don't. They are more likely to give their time to charitable causes. They are more likely to give money to friends in a pinch. They were 57% more likely than unbelievers to help a homeless person at least once a month!

And they don't simply give to their churches. Christians were far more likely than unbelievers to give to causes related to 9-11 directly after that tragedy. Brooks reports that worshippers are far more likely to support secular causes like the United Way. Typically, about 37% of a religious family's total donations go to non-religious causes.

Again, this is not a cause for boasting. The only recognition most Christians desire, is the pleasure of our Heavenly Father when we stand before Him someday. But for people who need evidence that there is someting different about people of faith, this should be Exhibit A.

Those Church People Aren't So Bad, Part 1

I always wince when a Christian character turns up in a popular TV show or motion picture. Here's why: if it's a murder mystery, there's a 95% chance the Christian will ultimately be the murderer. If the plot involves having fun, or celebrating music, or doing something humane and compassionate, there's a 70% chance the Christian character will be leading the charge against it! Our culture is relentless in its passion for bashing "church people."

Earlier this week, I was reviewing a church brochure that explains our vision and philosophy of ministry. And as I read the summary about missions and relief, it brought to mind all the deeds of compassion our folks do quietly and behind the scenes.

• In the last five years, we've sent four teams to Zimbabwe to distribute food, anti-malarial treatments, reading glasses, and school supplies. Our work to encourage churches and show compassion to people in Victoria Falls receives our attention year round.
• In 2005, we raised $50,000 for expand facilities caring for AIDS/HIV orphans in Kampala, Uganda. We sent 12 volunteers to help with construction.
• That same year, we dispatched volunteers to deliver three truck loads of refrigerators and freezers to an emergency shelter for people who were flooded out by Katrina. Our trucks arrived before most of the National Guard and FEMA fleets came wheeling in.
• In 2006 we sent another team of volunteers to help people in New Orleans reclaim their flooded homes.
• Last month we dispatched a team of volunteers to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to help locals recover from a 500 Year Flood. They saw only 1 government vehicle in their days there. Assistance from the outside came overwhelmingly from Christian volunteers, churches and organizations.

Don't misunderstand: I'm not boasting. Based on what our teams have seen at disasters sites, tens of thousands of other churches do similar things- maybe even to a greater degree than we do. I think missions and relief projects are routine for most Christian churches: some members go and others raise funds to support them. Nobody expects publicity. Ten protesters demanding an end to the war will always make the evening news. Ten thousand Christians volunteering in flooded New Orleans is not newsworthy. It's commonplace.

And that's just one of the amazing facts about Christians. We don't need an entourage of reporters or a "photo op" in order to pick up tools and get dirty. In fact, we commonly arrive before the TV cameras show up, and remain months after they have departed for the next breaking story. And we don't hold press conferences because Jesus encourages us to do it all quietly and behind the scenes. The only coverage we really want is His.

So take some time to thank God for His people and His churches. That's what a lot of flood victims in the American Midwest are doing this week. I'll share more good news in next week's blog.

Say Hello to the Beast

After more than a decade of analyzing The Revelation, I finally came up with an interpretation that makes sense and can be remembered. Over the years, I've gotten standing ovations from groups who think John's Apocalypse makes sense for the very first time. My approach allows the Old Testament to explain the mysterious images of the Bible's closing book. There's not nearly enough space here to unpack the whole approach, but I simply have to share one idea.

The evidence has convinced me that the Beast, the end times super villain whose logo is 666, is government trying to be God. It was the government who sought to crush the church at the time John committed his vision to writing. It was the government, a church run government at that, which nailed Christ to the cross. And through the centuries, it has been out of control government that spawned Nazi concentration camps, dominated Eastern Europe, and stamped out freedom in China.

The First Amendment to the US Constitution is designed to protect the church from the government- not the other way around! That's why history and our founding fathers have a powerful message for believers: Be suspicious of big government. Be very suspicious.

With that warning in mind, take a look at the events that dominate serious news today:

• There is a widespread effort underway to give Big Government control of our healthcare system. This is happening despite horror stories from Canada and the United Kingdom.


• The advocates of Manmade Global Warming- and they are many- are calling for massive government control of what we drive, how we set our thermostats, how we travel. The term "Big Brother" comes strangely to mind.


• Last week, a prominent US Senator called for "nationalization" of the US oil industry. Yes, let's do for the price of oil what the Pentagon did to the price of military spare parts.


• This morning's Washington Post featured an editorial calling for government control of the entire mortgage industry. Does anyone remember the disaster we called the Soviet Union?


• At least one political party is calling for higher taxes next year if they win the presidential election. Say what you like about overbearing right-wing Christians. Only the government can reach into your pocket and take your money legally without your permission.

Someone has observed that a government that has the power to give you anything you want, also has the power to take away everything you have. Bad News, America. Uncle Sam is quickly morphing into something our forefathers and the prophets always warned us about. Uncertain times always prompt citizens to demand some kind of Big Government Lifeguard. But we should all read Revelation 13. There's someone in the sea swimming toward us, but he has a dorsal fin, not a life preserver. Can anyone spell 666?

God is Not My Co-Pilot

There's an old story about a man who crashed his car while driving carelessly. It happened that a drunk was leaving a nearby bar, and came stumbling over to help the victim out of his car. When the driver realized that he had escaped without a scratch, he sighed, "The Good Lord was riding with me."

The drunk replied, "Well, you'd better let him ride with me, because you're going to kill him!"

One of my Bible Study leaders mentioned in passing on Sunday that his class had debated the validity of the old bumper sticker, "God is my co-pilot." I never got to hear about their discussion, but it's useful to challenge our popular confessions. And it started me thinking. I've always disliked that bumper sticker, and I've disdained it for several reasons.

First, I've always wondered why Christians prefer slogans to Bible verses. The Bible never compares Christ to a co-pilot... or a designated driver, or an assistant manager. The Bible says "Jesus is Lord." Why would anyone want some vague metaphor on his automobile or his jet, when a biblical option is more succinct. "Jesus is my Lord." What's wrong with that?

Second, if you insist on placing a slogan on your bumper, why not select one that expresses biblical truth? For example, I've noticed bumper stickers which say "My boss is a carpenter." One variation is "I work for a Jewish carpenter." No, that's not a quotation from the Bible, but it does express a biblical truth in a slightly amusing manner.

Third, no matter how you stack it up, it's simply inaccurate to boast "God is my co-pilot." If you are merely referring to who's driving the car, it's not likely that He's going to take over if you fall asleep at the wheel. Christians commonly have automobile crashes, just like pagans do. I doubt we should attribute 50% of the blame to God.

And if you are speaking in the larger sense of God being the co-pilot of your life, you're flying smackdab in the face of Jesus. Go through your New Testament and count the number of parables which compare us to servants who must do what the Master commands. Read the Lord's prayer and ponder what it means to ask God to "give us our daily bread." Think about what it means that I am an organ in the Body of Christ in which Jesus is the head. What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?

It means, essentially, that I consent to be ruled by Him. God has no intention of being my spiritual advisor, my motivator, or my co-pilot. My goal is not to someday grow up and fly solo. Rather, maturing in faith means learning to be more surrendered everyday. (See Romans 12: 1,2.) Crucifying myself in faith means that I allow Jesus to be Lord of my life.

We are failed sinners who instinctively long for things that will destroy us. We need more than a nice co-pilot. We need a Great Physician, a loving Savior and a Lord.