Public Issues and Heart Motivations

Southern Baptist trained, he obviously did not fit in as pastor of a Southern Baptist church, so in 1955 he went independent, maintaining the name “Baptist” since it provided some sense of credibility and acceptance in his conservative city. However, the “church”, consisting of mostly members of the pastor’s large family, is not affiliated with any known Baptist convention or association. Widely described as a hate group the “church” is monitored by various organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League. “Church” members picket multiple locations every day, including some events far away such as funerals of military and high-profile personalities, attributing their deaths to God punishing America for a variety of sins. Their latest protests were at the funerals of Arizona’s mass killings, yielding the protest at the funeral of a nine-year old girl in favor of a television interview. It is this yielding that causes one to wonder if their multiple protests are about public issues or about publicity. We are told that mass murderers often act as they do because it appears to them to be the only way to get attention, to make a name for themselves, to get publicity. See any similarities here? The Bible says of mankind, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). So who are these “church” people? The answer seems obvious. But let us also monitor our own heart motivations, lest we throw unbecoming stones.

Join me in remembering these global concerns this week:
• Pray for Living Hope Baptist Church as they meet next Sunday in their new building and as they try to reach the Zalytina region of Kharkov, Ukraine.
• Pray for the “More Than Gold” meeting on Tuesday as they prepare for the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
• Pray for the church start team in Pitt Meadows (metro Vancouver), British Columbia as they seek a permanent meeting place for Sunday services.
• Pray for Christians who are under persecution in Afghanistan and Iraq.