THE NEW SERMON ON THE MOUNT!

1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the richest of contributors to their congregations, for theirs is the recognition of their peers.
4 Blessed are those who rebuke the sins of others, for their sins are not nearly as severe.
5 Blessed are those who boast of their works in the Lord, for those works shall earn them a greater place in heaven.
6 Blessed are those who call out the unrighteousness of others, for they are acting on behalf of the Lord.
7 Blessed are those who show no mercy, for showing mercy would only encourage the sinful to continue sinning.
8 Blessed are those whose heart is cold and full of judgment, for the wicked must be judged.
9 Blessed are those who dare go to war in the name of the Lord, because the weak and the timid will be swallowed up by the Infidels.
10 Blessed are those who persecute others in my name, for they will be victorious in the end."

Just in case you were curious, there is no such passage in the Bible, so you needn't keep looking. I didn't find this in any "LOST" Gospel or in the DaVinci code. It's a play on words, and if this angered you, it should. It was suppose to.

As shocking as my playing with the words of Jesus was, it's even more shocking and outrageous to learn that many evangelicals act as though the above words were alive in their hearts. In deed the very actions of some religious leaders today suggest a piousness that would have made the actions of the Pharisees of their day seem tame by comparison.

Religious conservatism is by no means a new phenomenon. It has existed in some form or another for thousands of years. The Crusades represented a low point in Christendom, which helped flame the fuel of contempt and hatred that has existed between Islam and the West for over a thousand years!

But the recent wave of religious conservatism that passes for evangelical Christianity in this country is becoming alarmingly adept at revisionist history; in deed it threatens the very fabric of the Republic it purports to love and support. It seeks to divide rather than unite, judge rather than show mercy, direct rather than invite, hate rather than love, and condemn rather than accept. This wave is gaining momentum within the United States and it is rearing its ugly head just about everywhere imaginable, including small groups within churches that, until quite recently, seemed above the fray.

Movies, television, video games, the internet, all have become fair game for the proselytizers, who sit in judgment and cry out for vengeance against the immoral, as though self appointed by God Himself to inflict His wrath! My wife and I witnessed just such a charade of stupidity and from people whom I thought were above this. The topic, I believe, was about relationships and how obstacles can get in the way of meaningful ones. Some how we gravitated toward how difficult it is being a parent these days, and before long the room was on a crusade of its own, blasting everything and everyone imaginable. The TV show Will and Grace was particularly hit hard. Maria and I did our best to offer what we thought were sobering opinions, but to no avail. It soon became obvious that nothing was going to change the minds of certain inividuals. The conclusion, which seemed inescapable to these people, was that life would be so much better if we could somehow return to a time when everyone left it to Beaver and Father truly knew best. I felt bad for those in the room who must've considered themselves prisoners; it must have been frustrating watching the evening unravel like that. Sadly, I find that a lot of Christians share this world view, and seem hell bent on twisting the ears of any and everyone who call themselves followers of Jesus. They will not rest until they either convert or drive away the unchurched.

Christianity, these days, seems other focused. It is preoccupied with the actions of others as a prerequisite for peace on earth. Like the proverbial cart before the horse, Christians are convincing themselves that the problems of the world lie in the decadence of society, and that all we have to do is rid ourselves of this decadence and we will have paradise again. Homosexuality, marital infidelity, and violence have existed since the beginning of time. Yet, to the maniacally inclined, it is as recent as an Elvis song.

Curious isn't it how Jesus managed to avoid such trappings. Had He wanted to, I'm sure He could've told a few tales about the Roman Empire. Certainly decadence held no bounds within its massive grips. But Christ had another agenda. Instead of focusing on the evil in the world, Christ sought to reveal the evil within us. The key was our heart, not the worlds. Matthew 7:3 says it all. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Jesus was, if anything, notorious for revealing the hypocrisy that dwells in all of us, and He held His greatest contempt, not for the secular world leaders of His time, but for the religious leaders: the Pharisees.

We need just that type of zealousness and commitment. If it is Christ who we really seek, than we need to start reading his words and putting them into action. The world is full of Pharisees; it is time for true Christians to take back their faith from those who have kidnapped it. The world is not our enemy, Satan is. With God's help we can truly know peace on Earth and goodwill towards all men.

P.S. the correct version of the Beatitudes is as follows:

3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

And finally this encouraging word.

"God bless us, everyone."

- Tiny Tim

I thought I'd throw that in for good measure!

A TRULY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Yesterday, March 2, was my birthday. When I was a young boy I looked forward to getting a LOT of presents. Funny, as kids we measure expressions of love in the number of toys we get. Even as a man of 45 I still sometime fall victim to that way of thinking.

However, this birthday I got a sober reminder of just what is truly important in life, and what a true birthday gift really is. Both my father and my cat were seriuosly ill. My father had been hospitalized for several days before they diagnosed him as having a bad gallbladder, which they removed Monday morning. My cat was listless and throwing up over the weekend. I took him down to the vet and after extensive and (EXPENSIVE) tests it was determinded he had pancreatitus, which is potentially fatal in cats if not treated properly.

Long story short, both patients are doing fine. Our cat Puffin is back home and eating with no trace of sickness, and my father continues to recouperate in the hospital in Tampa. With any luck at all he might get discharged on Saturday or Monday. Last night I thanked the good Lord that he had given me the best present ever.

Crazy isn't it. It's the simple things in life that end up grounding us in reality. It took two illnesses to remind me of what truly is most important in life. God's love is truly awesome.

Thank you, Jesus.

Love, Peter

MISSIONARY FIELDS: The Price of Intolerance!

Have you been a verbal testimony this week to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ?

If, like me, you are currently attending a Christian accountability group then you probably have been asked that question at least once a week; perhaps you were the one asking it. On most occasions, the answer I give is usually no. Regrettably, more often than not, I have not been a verbal testimony to Christ's supremacy. It bothers me that my answer isn't yes. But lately I have been more bothered by the methodology of just what is involved in testifying about Christ.

This evening, Maria and I were watching The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. There was a segment on the U.S. Air Force Academy's latest attempt to combat perceptions of religious intolerance on campus. It seems that charges have been filed by non-Christians claiming that evangelicals have been proselytizing that those who do not believe in Jesus as their Lord and savior are going to "burn in the eternal fires of hell!"

The academy in reaction to these charges has instituted a new program called, RSVP: RESPECTING THE SPIRITUAL VALUES OF ALL PEOPLE. It is intended to help cadets understand the values and principals of those who are not Christian and to, hopefully, promote a sense of tolerance and respect for different faiths. But certain evangelical groups are fighting this program and are accusing the government of interfering with their right of religious expression. They see the military as some sort of mission field in which they are duty bound to spread their message to any and all who can hear it, no matter who objects to it.

It is times like these when I wonder what Jesus would do. Maybe one of the reasons I have resisted in being a verbal testimony to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ is that I don't want to come off sounding like one of these people. It is hard enough to live one's life in a Christ-like manner in this world without having to apologize for and explain the behavior of certain individuals who act more like the Pharisees than Christ. When I think of Jesus I think of a man who was inviting, not preachy; a servant, not holier than thou; and most of all someone who was immensely popular. No matter where he went, hordes of people just flocked around him. He was a people person. Far different from the conservative evangelicals who claim to represent him.

It has been VERY difficult these days being a Christian. At Ann's kinship the other day, a young woman (a senior in high school) was sharing about how she is treated by her classmates when they find out she is a Christian. It's as though she's a Martian or something. They see her and they immediately think of Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell, someone who's trying to take away their rights or twist their minds. Sad how we are all lumped in together with the radical right.

I believe the United States is paying the price for what these individuals are doing in God's name. The actions of a good many righteous people are being undermined by the tactics of the ideologs. And, while Rome burns, Satan is laughing. I believe the challenge for all of us is not to twist the arm of those who aren't believers, but to love them and accept them right where they are. Shaming someone into accepting Christ is not only futile; it's not even biblical. As someone who is in a 12-step program I can testify that no one ever stayed sober because of intimidation. In deed, the 12 steps are a spiritual program that is based on attraction rather than promotion. It has worked flawlessly for over six decades. Perhaps if the Church adopted the attitudes and "suggestions" of 12-stepers, there would be a lot more people turning to Christ, and less bitterness and resentment over religious intolerance.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY!

It's been a while since I've blogged in. It's good to be back. I had decided to take off the last seven weeks because I felt that this blog was not proceeding in a direction that was God-inspiring. Instead, most of the last few blogs, while certainly entertaining and passionate, were nonetheless deteriorating into spewing; hardly the stuff of a concerned Christian.

So if nothing else I promise to give special care that any and all future blogs be as close to what God's desire is. I still feel strongly about my political views - don't expect that to change - but it's my heart that needs to get in line with my head. Conviction is good, but without love it is nothing more than condemnation, and the Lord knows there is plenty of that going around these days. Compassion is another one of the things I have found sorely lacking from Washington. It is essential I embody that characteristic in my writing. I cannot ask something of somebody I am not willing to embrace myself. Otherwise the only hypocrite is ME!

So there you have it. A pledge, call it a late new year's resolution if you will, to start over. One of the benefits of being a Christian is I get to confess and start anew. May tomorrow bring new truth to all of us.

Peter