October 2008, Sabbath Justice, Page 2

October 9, 2008

Traditional Or Contemporary..So What?

How do you Praise God? Today we have battles over the music that is sung in church. We have the traditionalists calling us back to the solid songs of their youth. They argue that the best music supports the church theologically and musically. It is largely a call to the rich heritage of the church.

In contrast there are those who argue for contemporary music. They argue that the church must reach the youth with their music by speaking to the “felt needs” of this generation or we will lose them.

Is Worship Just Entertainment for Us?

However, what is often missing in this argument is that often whether contemporary or traditional, we go to church, be entertained by the music and preaching we like, and then we go home unchanged. We want our music so that we can enjoy the service. We want to either should and jump up and clap or sit there in contemplative silence, but the music too often doesn’t call us to live a better life.

Something is wrong with that kind of worship that doesn’t lead to changed people. It was this kind of worship that God said God hated. God was tired of the music. We can be so proud of our orchestra’s playing “Holy, Holy, Holy” or our praise teams singing the latest praise song that we don’t recognize whether it makes any difference in our lives or the lives of those who are touched by us. God would rather we shut the church doors than continue our useless worship (Malachi 1:10).

God is tired

God is tired of worship that ends at the door. God is tired of worship that is just so folks can “get their praise on” but doesn’t help you live a better life. God is tired of worship that makes you proud of the great brass and string players in your orchestra. God is tired of worship that doesn’t affect the people you come into contact with during the week. (Isaiah 1:11-13)

There is a cliche’ int he Black church that says that “Hallelujah is the highest praise.” It is a faulty one. God says, shut up and repent. God says, I’m tired of it. God says, obedience is better than sacrifice (worship).

Worship Battles Miss the Point

To often worship is an end to itself. We battle to make the pulpit acrylic versus wooden. We argue over whether to have drums versus whether to have strings. We argue over whether we sing hymns or gospel songs. But today, let us stop the singing and start ministering to each other and the larger community. Then let us come back to worship with the added perspective that doing God’s will brings.

I love orchestras playing hymns and the great songs from the history of the Christian church. In addition, I love some of the great gospel songs of today. I pray that God will help me to love God’s will as much as I love to sing and worship the Almighty and Just God.

October 6, 2008

The Actions of the Lamb-Horned Beast

Preachers are called to tell the truth. In this respect they are in the line of the Biblical prophets who had to tell truth to power. They had to say, like Nathan, thou art the man.

Bailout of the Super-Rich

This past week, the Senate and the House of the United States rushed together to push through a 700 billion dollar bill to support wall street and avert a collapse of the United States economy. The bill would help to bailout Wall Street executives who had engaged in unregulated speculations and had lost. To keep them from going down, the democratic congress and the republican executive branches rushed to essentially place a tab on the middle class to pay for a bailout of the super rich.

This past week the United States has demonstrated once again the wisdom of the early Adventists in calling it a lamb-horned beast. The democratic congress and the republican executive branches of the United States government rushed to place a tab of 700 billion dollars on the backs of the middle classes of America to bailout the super-rich who engaged in speculative practices that has placed the economy in peril.

Leaders Passed the Bill

As noted, the Republican president, the democratic house, the vast majority of the senate, as well as both major political party nominees for president all supported this bill. A bill that made no mandates for helping those who could lose their homes. Some say that those who lose their homes should lose their homes, but the super rich who created “investments” out of worthless mortgages, we assume, should be shielded from the results of their actions.

Speaking like a Dragon

The lamb horned beast has horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. (Revelation 13:11) Certainly it is a dragon that would support the rich on the backs of the middle classes fend for themselves. But the Bible is true. In the book of James we have a prophecy of the end where the gold and the silver is rusted out. Those who take advantage of the poor and the middle class workers will not escape the punishment of God. The democratic congress or republican executive branches may not do anything, but the “cries of the poor are entered into the ears of the Lord of Hosts.” (James 5:4).

Socialism for the Super-Rich

It is interesting that the government will pass this socialist plan for the super rich while extolling the virtues of the “capitalist market” for the poor and middle class. It is Babylon. But we can be certain that God won’t be silent forever. Revelation 18 reminds us that the merchants of the world will morn at the downfall of Babylon. They will morn because there is no one to buy their goods. They also morn because they were made rich by the Babylon. (Revelation 18:15).

We have some challenging days ahead including a time of trouble such as there has never been (Daniel 12:1), but let us always remember that word that God has given to us as a people “Babylon is fallen” and let us look forward to that house not made with hands. (2 Corinthians 5:1)

October 5, 2008

The Signs of the End

The economic problems of the United States as well as the “Bible Prophecy Teachers” who have predicted the demise of the United States economy in September 2008, all have given SabbathPulpit a boost in traffic. As I noted in a previous post, people are wanting to see what the Bible says about the perilous times we live in.

Forgetting the Clear Signs

This is a good thing to go to our spiritual resources to seek to understand the time in which we live. What is interesting however, is that some of the plainest “signs of the times” are seldom referred to by these “Bible Prophecy Teachers.”

Matthew 24:7 says that there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. While there are some who question whether the increase we see has to do with more sensitive instruments, there does seem to be an increase in the number of all three. The number of earthquakes seem to be on the rise. Luke 21:25 speaks of sea and waves roaring. Here we seem to have an increase in hurricanes and who can forget the Tsunamis. And let us not forget Matthew 24:6 which points to wars and rumors of wars. All of these things point to the blessed return of our Lord.

Yes Economic Distress

There is data in the scriptures that point to economic distress. James 5:1-4 tells us that the rich who hoard the wealth and take advantage of the laborer will be punished. Revelation 18:11, 17 tells us that the merchants will not be able to sell their goods.

While that is true, trying to pinpoint when this will happen is just as problematic as trying to date when the next war will be. God has given us certain benchmarks, let us read and understand those, and let us stop trying to invest our speculations with Biblical authority.