I haven't written on the blog lately. Between the computer dying and having to start from scratch, along with all that is going on and wood and everything, I just haven't had a chance to get back here. I finally got the church website updated with the current sermons and stuff. The computer failure and then Thanksgiving just really threw a wrench into thing. I have been busy trying to catch up with people and I have more catching up to do. I am way behind on getting to see some people and I am thankful that everyone is understanding with how hard it is to keep up. Our church has really grown. I am looking forward to the Christmas Eve service. It is really taking shape and I am excited about it. I hope we can make it a special night of reflection, sharing, and worship. Pray for Nate as he has suddenly been told he has to move out right away since his landlord needs the apartment for an elderly friend. Nate and Charlene looked at places tonight but it is hard to suddenly have to move again. If anyone knows of a good quality apartment in the area that is affordable, let Nate know as soon as possible. I guess that will do it for tonight.

A lot of people say that we have been blessed by God as a nation. But why? The main reason often given is that we are a Christian nation. But what does that mean? We were founded by people, many of whom believed in God. To call them Christian is to use a very broad term. Some were Christians, to be sure. Many were Deists, and some, like Thomas Jefferson, were not Christians at all. Was our nation Christian? Again, a lot depends on your definition. More people attended church (but that doesn't make you a follower of Christ). It IS true that the basic view of morality held by the public more closely resembled a Biblical morality and that the public was more influenced by and familiar with the truth of the Bible. But if we define Christian as someone who has expressed personal saving faith in Jesus Christ, I'm not sure you can argue that we have ever been a truly Christian nation. So, does God take a poll and if a majority believes in Him or at least follows the Bible, then He blesses? Does He only bless if the leadership is Christian? How many of our presidents all the way back to Washington would truly be considered "born-again" as opposed to people who generally believe in the God of the Bible? One of the problems with all this is the fact that there is really no Scriptural basis for it. You can look at Israel, but Israel has a special covenant-defined relationship with God that is unique. You really can't extrapolate from it to us. Perhaps you look at the verse "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." I think a more Biblical explanation for our being blessed as a country rests not in who our president is or how Biblical our leadership is, but in a clear Scriptural truth: God's covenant with Abraham. God told him, "I will bless those that bless you and curse those who curse you." If you look through history, governments that stood against the Jews have fallen (Rome, Spain, Nazi Germany, USSR) while those who have support the Jews (& Israel) have prospered. (US, UK) I think it vital that we as a nation continue to support Israel and the Jews. It is true the the more believers that hold government offices, the more people in leadership whose world view and morals are shaped by the Bible, the better for our society which is in real decay. But why has God blessed America, because He promised Abraham in Scripture and we have blessed and supported the Jews.

Thanksgiving is coming up. And as an exercise in encouragement and focus, I thought I would reflect on just a few of the things I am thankful for.

• Father God-He loves me, reaches out to me, forgives me, guides me, blesses me, and has secured my future. Wow!
• My wife-I don't know where I would be without her encouragement, support, insight, love, etc. Not to mention being an awesome mom to our kids. I'm thankful that she has the gift of helps and mercy and reaches out.
• My kids-Even though they take a lot of work, it is so worth it. It is fun to see them grow and learn. It is neat to be able to watch the world through their eyes and to teach them. They are so precious to me.
• BCBC-no church is perfect, but I have rarely seen a church with more to be thankful for. A group of Godly men in leadership that are wise and mature. That is an all-too-rare commodity in the New England Church. Then we have an equally awesome group of ladies who also have great wisdom and maturity. These groups together form an incredible foundation of stability for our church and a great team to work with. There will always be challenges and things that could be better, but I am glad of the people I face those challenges with.
• Maine-Isn't this just the most beautiful state with such an awesome and unique people? I am proud to call myself a life-long Mainer.

Well, that isn't an exhaustive list, but it will have to do for now. Hope you have many things to focus on and be thankful for. It is a good and Biblical exercise that will lift your heart.

I was looking at some news articles today that discussed the fight within the GOP for its future path. There is real divide between old hard-core conservatives and newer moderates. This led my thinking toward the tension we sometimes see as Christians who want to connect to politics. What are we trying to accomplish? Can we legislate morality? Should we? What does it mean to try to preserve the country? Aren't we supposed to be salt and light? These are just some of the questions we try to answer as Christians. I think one of the central tensions actually revolves around confusing politics and evangelism. In evangelism, the goal is to win people over. You want to see people's lives change. You are trying to invite people to know the living Christ and accept Him into their lives, transforming them. Politics, on the other hand, is much more of trying to be like the people. You need to support what the people support, you are responding and changing based on what people want. People want to vote for someone like them, not someone to change them. The very opposite of evangelism. We will not change what the country wants or thinks through politics. Politics are a reflection and amplification of the people's thoughts and wants. To change the values requires evangelism. I am going to post a link below to a fantastic article by Cal Thomas about the need of Christians to get back to changing lives. He has been attacked for the article by the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (which I have never heard of). They say we are fighting for the "soul of the nation." The problem is, we are instead a nation of souls. Jesus in Rome did not try to change the government, he tried to save the people. Now, am I saying that Christians should not be politically active? Of course not! I believe that we should be represented in all areas of government. We need Christians, with their influence, everywhere. We should be people who are educated and qualified to lead this country. Let's just not confuse being involved with politics with the goals of evangelism. We will never "save" the people of this country through politics. So lets stay politically active and try to protect the rights of this country, but let's make sure our number 1 goal that receives the most of our energy is to win the lost, not get them to vote for us. Cal Thomas Article

Here's a quote from a AP story on MSNBC.

Graham's views of the world are still respected in White House circles. Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited Graham at his mountainside home during the campaign, and Obama tried to meet Graham but wasn't able to do so because of the preacher's poor health. Though never partisan in his preaching, Billy Graham is a registered Democrat. His son expressed concern about Obama's views on abortion and gay marriage — an issue Franklin Graham raised in a meeting with the Illinois senator — saying that he and his father are conservatives who believe the Bible speaks clearly on those issues. "President-elect Obama heard our position," Franklin Graham said. "And I told him that this was very difficult for us and hard for us. It's a moral issue that we just can't back down on." "But he's our president-elect, and those positions that he holds that are contrary to Biblical teaching, I hope that God will change his heart," said Graham, who now heads the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

I like the clear Biblical stand on Biblical issues that doesn't confuse a Biblical truth with a political issue. Here's the LINK to the whole story.