The Whistling Plowman

On a freezing February day, crowds gathered on a snow-covered field near Dublin, Ireland. Two men had been feuding and their conflict was about to be resolved with a pistol duel. When the gun smoke had settled a prominent politician named Daniel O’Connell had slain his adversary John D’Esterre. The dead man left behind a young widow, Jane, and two small children, along with several burdensome debts. The penniless widow had no choice but to let the creditors seize their home and possessions.

Jane was forced to move back home near her parents, where she sank into a deep depression. One day she sat by a river, contemplating suicide. On the other bank, a plowman started his day’s work. As he labored behind the animals, he began whistling Christian hymns. As Jane listened, her heart was moved. Jane wanted the joy of the whistling plowmen. Searching for God’s love, she decided to attend a church service the next day, where she confessed Christ as her Savior after hearing a sermon on John 3:16.

By and by, the Lord brought a new man into Jane’s life, a Captain John Guinness. After a whirlwind engagement, the two were married and had a son, Harry Guinness. At 18, Harry was set to inherit a fortune from his wealthy father, but he decided not to take the money. Instead young Harry answered a call from the Lord to enter the Gospel ministry. Harry went on to become the “Billy Graham” of Ireland and in 1859 his preaching sparked a national revival which brought over 100,000 people to Christ.[1]

Harry Guinness 

Just think—that tremendous harvest of souls was triggered by a whistling farmer who had no idea how far his simple Christian witnesses would extend.

In John 1 we are introduced to one of Jesus’ disciples that had a similar “behind-the-scenes” impact. He is Andrew, “the apostle of small things.” He’s mentioned less than 10 times in the Gospels, usually in passing or in reference to his more well-known brother, Peter. Andrew’s claim to fame wasn’t his preaching, we don’t have any of his sermons recorded. He wasn’t famous for doing any dramatic miracles that we know of. He never wrote anything significant enough to be in the New Testament. But what he did do was appreciate the value of a soul.

The first thing Andrew did after meeting Jesus was share the Good News with his brother, Peter and then personally led him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). Here’s the amazing thing about Andrew—he reached the one, who would go on to reach thousands and millions. Think of it, Andrew brought Peter to Jesus and Peter in time would preach at Pentecost on the day that the Church was born and 3,000 souls were saved.

In his book, 12 Ordinary Men, John MacArthur points out that Andrew’s influence is nearly immeasurable. Because of Andrew’s impact upon Peter we have the first sermon of the church-age on Pentecost, the letters of 1^st and 2^nd Peter and the Gospel of Mark. As MacArthur writes, “All the fruit of Peter’s ministry is ultimately also the fruit of Andrew’s faithful, individual witness.”[2]       

Even the smallest witness can have the biggest impact for eternity. Because we share Christ in this life, eternity will be different for other and for us. We won’t know until we get to heaven how our faithful witness rippled out likes a pebble on a pond. From our finite perspective, it’s difficult to imagine how vital a role we play in this cosmic drama where our lives are connected to so many others. Eternity hangs in the balance and your witness matters because you never know how far out into the future your influence for Christ might extend. -DM

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[1] Robert J. Morgan, The Promise (Nashville, TN: B & H, 2008), 185-186.

[2] John MacArthur, 12 Ordinary Men (Nashville, TN: W Publishing, 2002), 69.

The Potential of Life

In the 1980s, Bob and Pam Tebow had moved to the Philippines with their young family. Months later, Pam became infected with a dangerous pathogenic amoeba and slipped into a coma. Strong medications turned her condition around, but during that extended treatment, Pam discovered she was pregnant. Her doctors, knowing the potent drugs could have either killed the baby or damaged it severely, recommended an abortion.

Pam was a strong Christian lady and instead chose to discontinue her treatments in hope of saving her baby. She and Bob asked God for healing and a healthy pregnancy. The difficult time ended with Pam basically on bed rest and severely depleted. Then, on August 14, 1987, a healthy (through somewhat malnourished) baby boy—Timothy Richard Tebow—was safely delivered.[1]

Tim grew into a strapping six-foot-three-inch, 235-pound football player. Tim went on to play college ball at the University of Florida, where he won the Heisman trophy in 2007 and led the Gators to two national titles. From there, Tim went on to the NFL where he played with the Denver Broncos. During the 2012 NFL playoffs, Tebow wrote “John 3:16” on his eye black as a way to be a Christian witness. As millions of people watched the game between the Broncos and Steelers, 90 million curious viewers logged on to Google to search for “John 3:16.” After Tebow led the Broncos to a win the sports media reported that Tebow had thrown for precisely 316 yards, that he averaged 31.6 yards per completion, and the Broncos time of possession was 31:06.[2]

Tim Tebow with his parents

That’s not just coincidence, that’s providence. Only God knows how many lives were impacted for eternity because of Tebow’s witness. But we couldn’t celebrate any of that if Tim’s mother would have listened to her doctors and went through with an abortion. When a child’s life is snuffed out in the womb there is so much lost potential and we are left with the nagging unanswerable question—“What if?”

In Psalm 139 we see that even before a child is born, God knows the potential of that life, “16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” The first babies aborted in 1973, when abortion became legal in the U.S. would have been 47 in 2020—in the prime of their lives.

We will never know what would have become of the 61 million American babies aborted since then. Think of all the sports heroes, scientists, doctors, artists, inventors, leaders, preachers, teachers, mothers and fathers that could have touched our world. The grand possibilities that God had in store for them will never be realized in this life, but thankfully in eternity God has a plan for them. I believe God’s people will get to see an entire generation flourish in a land where death, sin and evil are done away with.  

Hubert Humphrey, former vice-President of the U.S. challenged us as nation to be better: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped.” As God’s people let’s give a voice to the voiceless. In the words of Jesus, let’s fight for “the least of these” to have the right to life (Matt. 25:40). -DM   

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[1] David Jeremiah, God Loves You (New York: Faith Words, 2011), 44-45.

[2] Tim Tebow, “The John 3:16 Story,” Lifeway Voices, 31 January 2019 <https://lifewayvoices.com/culture-current-events/the-john-316-story/>

Trail-mix Theology

The other day I was sitting in my comfy recliner when my little girl (who’s 3 years old) climbed up in my lap with a bedtime snack. Abigail loves to eat trail mix. But as we sat together and I did my fair share of nibbling, I noticed that she started fishing in the bowl. Abigail started picking out all her favorite pieces—which in this case happened to be pecans. After she’s eaten all those, she started targeting peanuts and then the crunchy bread pieces. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, “I don’t like everything Daddy. I only like the pieces that make me happy.”

As I thought about that, I was reminded how so many approach religion and the Bible with the same attitude. We live in an age of “easy believeism” where people are prone to pick and choose what they like from various religions to create their own god and moral system.

In one of his books, Dr. Erwin Lutzer writes about being on airplane and complimenting a young lady sitting next to him on her cross necklace. Lutzer said, “Thanks for wearing that cross, we really do have a wonderful Savior, don’t we?” The lady rolled her eyes and rebuked him, “I don’t think you understand the cross like I do. Look at this!” Then she proceeded to show him that behind the cross was a Jewish star of David, a trinket that symbolized the Hindu god Om, and the Egyptian ankh for eternal life. The lady said, “I’m in social work and the people I work with find different ways to God. Christianity is just one path to the divine.”[1]     

We ought not be surprised. Paul warned us this would happen, especially as we get closer to the return of Christ, “3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

Many Christians do the same think when they read the Bible and select a church. They are prone to cherry pick only the verses and doctrines that suit their pallet. They’re a mile-wide-and-an-inch-deep, so they go for the church with most special effects and newest music. Prosperity preachers build entire theological systems by twisting the passages that deal with blessings, health and wealth. No body wants to hear about sin, judgment, God’s holiness or the need for repentance. Yet, that also part of the “whole council of God” (Acts 20:27). To neglect these important teachings is to bring great peril to our soul and stunt our spiritual growth.  

Apparently, this sort of thing happened during the days of Charles Spurgeon as well. He preached to his congregation in 1885, “Don’t go where it is all fine music and grand talk and beautiful architecture; those things will neither fill anybody’s stomach, nor feed his soul. Go where the gospel is preached, the gospel that really feeds your soul, and go often.”[2]

Friends, the Bible is not a bag of trail mix where we get to pick and choose what we like. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). Don’t be a cafeteria line Christian who says, “I’ll take a serving of God’s promises and a side of grace and mercy, but hold the holiness.” Instead, take all of God’s truth in—even the stuff that makes you wince. It’s the only way, Christians can go from milk to meat (Heb. 5:12). -DM  

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[1] Erwin Lutzer, Cries from the Cross (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), 14-15.

[2] Charles Spurgeon, “Hearing with Heed,” April 11, 1895 <https://www.ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/

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Was Jesus A Socialist?

A recent Barna poll asked American’s an interesting question, “Would Jesus prefer capitalism or socialism as a form of economy?” Most responders marked “unsure” in their answer, but of the remaining there were more who said Jesus would prefer socialism over capitalism.[1]  Kelly Rose, who helped found the Democratic Socialists of America declared in an interview with NPR, “If anyone was ever a socialist it was Jesus.”[2]

In the past decade or so, the U.S. has seen a renewed interest in socialism, especially among Millennials. In fact, Fox News reports that 70% of Millennials would vote for a socialist presidential candidate.[3] That’s why in 2016 Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an openly avowed Socialist, won more than 12 million votes in the Democratic presidential primaries — by promising that government would ensure free college, free health care and another $10 trillion in federal spending.

Before we get too far into this discussion, let’s define some terms. What exactly is meant by the term socialism? In my understanding, socialism is the concentration of power into the hands of government elites to achieve the following purposes: 1) central planning of the economy and 2) radical redistribution of wealth. Remember the old English tale of Robin Hood? The daring do-gooder who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. That’s the narrative that politicians want the voting public to associate with socialism—they are the good guys making the world a better, more equal place by using the strong arm of government legislation to force the greedy haves to help the unfortunate have-nots. One writer summarized this way:

“Barack Obama once defended his socialist policies to a little girl by saying, ‘We've got to make sure that people who have more money help the people who have less money. If you had a whole pizza, and your friend had no pizza, would you give him a slice?’ That sounds pretty Christian, right? What Christian wouldn't endorse sharing your abundance with someone who has nothing? However, Obama wasn't endorsing people voluntarily sharing their wealth with others; he was endorsing the government forcibly taking a piece of the pie from one person and giving it to someone else. Put another way, that’s saying that if you have three cars and your neighbor has none, the government has a right to take your car and give it to your neighbor. That’s not Christian; that's stealing!”[4]

As Margaret Thatcher once warned with socialism that “you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

So, about that original question—when we examine the life and teachings of Jesus, did He advocate this system? Moreover, is socialism consistent with the Bible?

First off, we need to realize that Jesus told the Roman governor Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The simple reality is that Jesus did not come to this earth to advocate for a certain type of government or economic system. Jesus was not a political revolutionary who sought to overthrow the Roman government, nor did He seek social justice by emancipating slaves in the ancient world. Nowhere in the New Testament does Jesus promote socialism as a way of life. It would be wrong to force-fit Jesus into one of our political parties. Christ came to die for the sins of mankind, not be used as a campaign slogan. Ultimately, Christ will rule over the whole Earth when He returns (Is. 9:6-7), and the type of government He sets up will not be a democracy or republic, but a theocracy (Rev. 19:16).

That being said, Jesus did teach frequently about the stewardship of money and compassion towards others. Jesus famously told the Pharisees, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Meaning—serve God and pay your taxes because you are dual citizen of heaven and earth. It would be difficult to have a good testimony for the Lord if you are constantly being hounded by the IRS for unpaid taxes. Those who advocate for socialism should also be ready to pay higher taxes so others can have “free” stuff.

In Jesus’ famous parable of the Good Sarmatian (Luke 10:25-37), a traveler comes upon a man at the side of a road. The man had been beaten and robbed and left half-dead. What did the traveler, the Good Samaritan, do? He helps the unfortunate man on the spot, with his own resources. Ask yourself: to help the needy, would Jesus prefer that you give your money freely to a church or charity, or have it taxed by politicians to fund a welfare bureaucracy?

Once a man came to Jesus hoping he would intervene in a family dispute involving money, “Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me” (sounds like redistribution of wealth, doesn’t it?). Jesus replies, “Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?” and then he rebukes the man for being envious of his sibling (Luke 12:13-15).

How about Jesus’ Parable of the Talents (Matt. 24:14-30)? A man entrusted three of his workers with his wealth. The two who invested the money and made a profit were praised and the one who buried his share so he wouldn’t lose any of it was reprimanded. Does that sound like socialism or a call to be hard-working, creative and industrious both in ministry and making a living? Christians should not have an entitled mentality expecting the government to give them anything, as Paul said, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thess. 3:10).

Moreover, Jesus declared, “the poor you will always have with you” (Matt. 26:11). The fact is—we live in a fallen, broken world where there will always be inequity. No man-made structure will be able to solve this; we shouldn’t expect a government program to fix what’s broken in our world. However, God’s people should do all that they can ease the suffering of those in need (Matt. 25:35-36). The church is always intended to be greatest source of humanitarian aid on earth, not government (James 1:27).

Finally, we should consider the track record of socialism. Most people who advocate this form of government haven’t done their history homework. I can’t think of one positive example of socialism working for the good of the people. Take your pick—the USSR, Venezuela, Communist China, North Korea, Cambodia, Romania, or Cuba—would you like to have lived in any one of the regimes? One common thread among all those countries was institutionalized atheism. Because Socialism goes hand in hand with abandoning God and worshiping the idol of an ever-growing government.  Winston Churchill had this to say about Socialism: “The inherent vice of Capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of misery.” -DM   

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[1] Julie Roys, “5 Reasons Socialism Is Not Christian,” The Christian Post, 12 July 2016 <https://www.christianpost.com/news/5-reasons-socialism-is-not-christian-opinion-166199/?fbclid=IwAR3m9-MCv3VQGlGaMBgzASFYc_2ijPCScajfIo76ynMJLJoCYK6JubIDvn8>

[2] Danielle Kurtzleben & Kenny Malone, “What You Need to Know about the Democratic Socialists of America,” NPR, 26 July 2018 <https://www.npr.org/2018/07/26/630960719/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-democratic-socialists-of-america>   

[3] Megan Henney, “Most millennials would vote for a socialist over a capitalist, poll finds,” Fox News, 29 October 2019 <https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/millennials-socialist-vote-capitalist-poll>

[4] Roys, “5 Reasons Socialism in Not Christian.”