A Presidential Blunder Based On A Lack of Knowledge

In talking to people about the Christian Faith, especially Muslim friends, I often hear Barack Obama's words quoted back to me about the crusades. Please understand he is not a theologian or historian but has heard the lies he had repeated to him over and over. This correction by Dr. Ravi Zacharias should help understand where Mr. Obama blundered...

President Barack Obama’s address at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 5, 2015 has reverberated through the corridors of the world and provoked shock and dismay in numerous quarters. Even a professor at the University of London commented on his shallow understanding of the Crusades. I hesitated to write anything on the subject because it would drag me into politics or into a sobering critique of Islam. I am not sure that at a time like this either distraction would be wise, so let me keep it to the minimum.

For those who did not hear the talk, it is sufficient to say that it was the most ill-advised and poorly chosen reprimand ever given at a National Prayer Breakfast. I have been to several and have never, ever heard such absence of wisdom in a setting such as this. ‎I wasn’t at this one but have heard the speech often enough to marvel at the motivation for such thoughts. President Obama basically lectured Christians not to get on a moral high horse in their castigation of the ISIS atrocities by reminding them that the Crusades and slavery were also justified in the name of Christ. Citing the Crusades, he used the single most inflammatory word he could have with which to feed the insatiable rage of the extremists. That is exactly what they want to hear to feed their lunacy.  ‎In the Middle East, history never dies and words carry the weight of revenge.

There is so much I would love to say in response but shall refrain. The President obviously does not understand the primary sources of either faith for him to make such a tendentious parallel. The predominant delight in his remarks would be in the Muslim world and the irreligious. The next day Geraldo Rivera, opining favorably, made the oft repeated lie that more people have been killed in the name of God than in any other cause. Try telling that to the Chinese and the Russians and the Cambodians and the victims of the Holocaust! ‎Such intellectual ignorance gains the microphone with pitiable privilege. If a thinking person doesn’t know the difference between the logical outworkings of a philosophy and the illogical ones, to say nothing of the untruth perpetrated, then knowledge has been sacrificed at the altar of prejudice.

But let me get to the President’s final statement, after he had wandered off into erroneous territory. That final remark was true. He said, “It is sin that leads us to distort reality.” He was right. In fact he embodied it in his talk. But there is good news for the President. At least in the Christian message forgiveness is offered for sin. In Islam it isn’t. You must earn it. May I dare suggest that if Christians had been burning Muslims and be-heading them, he would have never dared to go to Saudi Arabia and tell them to get off their high horse. He unwittingly paid a compliment to those who preach grace and forgiveness. That is the dominant theme of the Gospel. That is why we sit in courtesy listening to the distortion of truth, the abuse of a privilege, and the wrong-headedness of a message.

I cannot recall when I have heard such inappropriate words at so important an occasion, in such a time of crisis. The world is burning with fear and apprehension. We need a message that will inspire and encourage and redeem. Ironically, two years ago when Dr. Ben Carson spoke and made some comments about our medical plan and the tax system, the White House demanded an apology from him for straying into controversial terrain, because it felt his comments showed disrespect for the President.

The 2015 National Prayer Breakfast speech was a blunder in thought. But there was a silver lining. In the end, President Obama blundered into the truth. Sin distorts… and only Jesus Christ restores the truth. Christ will ever rise up to outlive His pallbearers. Even presidents will have to get off their high horses then and recognize the Lord of life and hope and peace. There will be no speech making then. Only a prayer of surrender… which is what the National Prayer Breakfast was meant to be in the first place.

Ravi Zacharias is founder and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), a global ministry focused on evangelism, apologetics, spiritual disciplines, training, and humanitarian support. An itinerant speaker for 42 years, Zacharias is presently Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Wycliffe Hall and his weekly radio program, “Let My People Think,” airs on over 2,000 outlets worldwide. Dr. Zacharias and his wife, Margie, have three grown children and reside in Atlanta.  More information is at www.rzim.org.

In Christ,

Ted

Interesting and accurate letter to President Obama:  http://www.christianity.com/christian-life/political-and-social-issues/dear-mr-president.html

Thriving in Chaos-Navigating Life's Storms

We have heard a lot about “Fake News” lately and to a certain degree most news is fake news. Why would I say that? Because of political and human bias. It used to be that news was simply reporting facts about what occurred but eventually what crept in because of political bias, human bias, and what is called “packaging news” the news became more of a news writers perspective. Can it be trusted...hardly! We are left to read between the lines and yet our own political bias governs how we disseminate that information. What does that have to do with Navigating Through Life’s Storms, one would ask?

When we as Christians view information we need to do it through the lens of God’s word? What has the Bible told us concerning chaos in the world and storm tossed lives. You see, God is very comfortable in the midst of storms because He sees the beginning and the end in every life. He has a plan and it’s up to us to examine His word and decide how to best use it to get through the chaos. His word is a bias in that God has a perspective on how to view what we read and how we accept, deny, or communicate what we read. As non-Christians reading Christian information we have to decide if what we are reading is something we really need in order to thrive and survive in a world that denies the Bible as relevant to today.

In looking historically at news; "news" has been new information considered to have sufficient importance to justify an announcement to the citizens. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that a news program should only happen when a newsworthy event happens.

It could also be argued that the program should only last as long as necessary to tell what happened.

But, when a news program is designed, scheduled, formatted and funded, it takes on a life of its own. It must fill up its packaged, scripted and dollar-driven slot. Advertisers are not interested in supporting an occasional program of uncertain length.

Yes, of course, angles and agenda take over. Humans, with their own bag of biases, must decide what information meets the standard of "sufficient importance." That leads to the invention of news.

For example, in his Washington Post column,¹ Eugene Robinson chronicled how the disappearances or deaths of young, pretty white women – like Natalee Holloway, Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart, Chandra Levy, the "runaway bride," etc. – drive many news programs.

Perhaps it is coincidental that young white women are an advertiser-favored demographic.

And, the stories are deeply tragic. We all hurt for the loves ones who wait or grieve. Nevertheless, the fact that we know these stories in such depth is an extreme distortion of the justification for news. How do any of those stories constitute information "of sufficient importance to justify an announcement to citizens?"

Do you believe in "The Bermuda Triangle?"

Several years ago, a PBS program offered a plausible and persuasive resolution of the Bermuda Triangle mystery: It doesn't exist.

Sure, weird things happen in that theoretical triangle between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Planes and ships have certainly disappeared in very mysterious circumstances.

But, such things happen in all waters. In fact, as the program illustrated, imposing the same "triangle" all over the oceans of the world reveals about the same number of strange things everywhere.

Lloyds of London, the US Coast Guard and other maritime data sources do not see any unique patterns at all in the Bermuda Triangle.

So, why do we believe it?

Because, over the past 50 years, writers and filmmakers have woven the facts about the triangle into very compelling narratives; proving that if you arrange any set of facts into certain patterns, story lines will always emerge.

Once people accept that story line, every new incident helps to build it stronger. So, now, when any plane or yacht goes down in (or remotely near) that area, people jerk into a confirmation of the myth.

Perhaps we should be more skeptical of the news and myths that permeate our daily lives. OK, now back to Navigating Life’s Storms:

Who is helping you navigate the storm?

The Bible tells the story of a horrific storm of events surrounding the birth of Jesus. Babies were slaughtered all across the land as Herod sought to eradicate any challengers to his reign.

The storm had unique fury for the wise men. They had traveled a great distance in order to worship Jesus as the new king of the Jews. Furthermore, after a meeting with King Herod, they left with a specific command from him.

Caught in that very treacherous storm, the voice of God warned all of the men of the dire consequences and directed them into a plan of action.

In fact, the Bible tells many stories of people caught in storms – political, financial, military and meteorological – who were directed into specific actions that saved their own and many other lives.

Is it possible that we would all "hear" the voice of God more quickly and clearly if we didn't make Him compete with Katie Couric, Chris Matthews, or Bill O'Reilly? Today we also have to view what we hear or think we know from the biased mouths of late night talk show hosts. Why does what God wants have to be disseminated by what we understand truth to be from these as a source?

Let me ask that a different way...

What if a stranger sat down at your table in Starbucks and began giving you advice about an important financial matter? Would it be appropriate to ask about his personal success, morality, family relationships and other measurements of life?

Your intelligence and prudence would require some kind of personal relationship and foundation of trust before receiving advice from a stranger.

Yet, once we discover someone we are in agreement with in our way of thinking we are quick to invite unknown people and agencies into our living rooms to plant advice, philosophical positions and world views in our minds. This is true of Christian and non-Christian people.

Faith in the midst of storms

Those voices often undermine our ability to navigate storms. Why? Because they sow seeds of doubt.

Pessimism is one of the most dominant and pounding attitudes of news agencies and reporters. That attitude goes to the traditional motives for news: it is almost always "bad." Crises, tragedies or urgencies represent the conventional criteria for information "of sufficient importance to justify an announcement to citizens."

That inherent bias tilts the entire organization toward an expectation of bad stuff coming down. It is not reasonable to expect a news gathering operation to announce hope or persuade people to have confidence.

Nor is it reasonable to consider them as reliable navigation aides.

But, there is a Voice we can trust to lead us through the storm.

God has always preserved – even prospered – His people in the midst of adversity. The 91^st Psalm is a great anthem of protection in the midst of death and destruction. Thousands and ten thousands may fall around, but "the plague will not come near your tent" (Psalms 91: 10).

In the previous article, I wrote, "God is very comfortable in what we define as ‘chaos.'" Obviously, He is very comfortable in storms. After all, storms are a very natural part of His creation. Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, thunderstorms and other weather phenomena all perform essential services.

Jesus actually spoke to storms. And, they obeyed Him.

Would you rather listen to a financial reporter on MSNBC, CNN, CNBC or The Voice of the One Who created and directs – and walks through – storms?

Do you need continuous doses of doubt and despair as you navigate the storm?

Or, would your posture and efforts in the midst of a storm be more victorious if you are directed by the One who creates and manages storms?

See you next blog,

Ted

Thriving in Chaos

I was reading an article by Ed Chinn of Focus On The Family. Why? Because the storms of life are raging in my life right now. I don't want to just survive but instead I want to thrive in the middle of the worst of it. There are many things that are my fault in this and a few things that are not. Charles Stanley preached today about Down But Not Out...I needed to hear it.

I started today remembering that God never promised in His Word that we would go through life without trials. Jesus, himself said you will have tribulation in this world! GULP!!! But Lord I wanted the Rose Garden and He said there are thorns in the rose garden but there is also beauty!  I want you to know I am writing this along with Ed Chinn to myself as well. I have not come out the other side of this storm. I just entered the storm a few months back, but I am learning about exercising my faith in God's word. We are all on a journey no less treacherous than explorers in uncharted territory. How well we do depends on what guidelines we trust. This will be a four-part series.

If you have never been sailing it is something everyone should experience, but try it in a boat with no motor just sails and rudder. You will learn a lot about life...

In his book, The Millennium Matrix (Jossey-Bass, 2004), futurist Rex Miller suggests that most of us – individuals, families, churches and businesses – are moving into the turbulent and chaotic waters of the North Atlantic.

But, we're doing so in vessels designed for the balmy Caribbean.

So, are you one of the people, dozing on the deck of a schooner, dressed for mild and warm Bahamian breezes? The rhythms of Jamaica pulse through your iPod wires into your ear canals. The worries and intrusions of real life are so far away.

But, later…a slight chill touches your skin. The canvas sails begin popping loudly; the wind is rising. And the graceful sailing craft seems to be bouncing on a hard surface. As you roll over and slowly open your eyes, you see angry white caps sharply defined against a gray gun barrel-steel sky.

Apparently, we are not in the Caribbean anymore.

Our Times Are in His Hands

Obviously, we all prefer the tranquility and prosperity of "good times." Your investment portfolio is rising, your home value is soaring, you pay cash for most things, dine in the best restaurants and drive a new car.

Life is good.

But, God orders and administrates life on this planet with a full and varied palette of times and seasons. The winter blizzards do something which the warm summer wind cannot. Earthquakes and hurricanes and tornadoes contribute unique and essential factors to life. And the economies of earth pass through normal and crucial cycles.

In his famous sermon on Mars Hill, the apostle Paul told his audience that God, "made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation…" (Acts 17:26 NASB)

Yet, we are all tempted to believe that deadly tsunamis, bone-chilling temperatures or collapsing stock markets mean things are out of control. That is simply not true.

Rather, those dynamics and events are evidence that One is in control.

That's why David wrote, "I trust in You, O Lord…my times are in Your hand." (Psalm 31: 14-15 NKJV)

The real question is "Do we trust God?" Since He has established the boundaries and times and seasons of life, do we trust His ability to administrate life on His own planet? Do we trust Him to bring the appropriate season to our life?

Is Chaos Beautiful?

In Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon famously observed, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted…He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Some Bible translations change "beautiful" to "appropriate." Everything is appropriate in its own time.

So, do we live in a beautiful time? Is it possible that home foreclosures, job losses, bankruptcies, and stock market crashes are "appropriate" for certain seasons?

Is the North Atlantic in January any less a part of God's creation than the Caribbean in August? Does God see one as "good" and the other as "bad?" Could it possibly be true that both seas are beautiful and appropriate? Do both contribute to the ecology of God's earth?

God is very comfortable in what we define as "chaos." When most of us use that term we are simply describing what we cannot control.

Do we see the beauty of all His creative design and power? Or, do we tend to view the majesty of God's creation from the bunker of our own creature comforts? You know; rain on our wedding day is bad. A decline in property value means that God must be either weak or distracted. A weather-grounded flight that prevents us from getting to a Las Vegas weekend is a terrible crisis.

Be Not Troubled

I once knew a man who took long walks every day. When asked about inclement weather, he replied, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only improper clothing."

Adaptability is the real issue. How do we adapt to – and navigate through – the conditions which God alone created and controls?

Can we thrive in His chaos?

Jesus' disciples once asked Him about troubling and turbulent times. In His reply, He spoke of global chaos – wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences. But, he also said, "See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass…" Matthew 24: 6 – 7 NKJV.

Since Jesus said that these things "must" come, then surely He doesn't intend to change them. However chaotic they may seem to us, they are essential to His administration of life on earth.

So, the application of convulsive phenomena – meteorological, geologic, political, economic – is His business.

Remaining untroubled is the only part which He gave to us!

In this Thriving in Chaos series, we will examine many features of the current economic and political crises and how we can navigate through – and remain untroubled in the midst of – uncertainty.

We will look at numerous methods and attitudes which are essential to navigating through storms, while keeping the turbulent waters of the storm out of our own boat. The next part of this involves navigating through a storm because in a sailboat, unless you can keep to your course in a storm you could end up on the rocks of a reef and learn about another kind of turbulent time-swimming with sharks! 

Next up: Navigating-Setting Your Course In The Storm

Enjoy, 

Ted

(Ed Chinn is a very popular freelance writer in Texas and has written many great articles on the Christian walk. He currently writes for Focus on Family and independent articles. I highly recommend reading Ed's work.)