[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”May 2019 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Anti-Semitism Close to Home

“France, Germany, United Kingdom, Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh…
and now home here in Southern California. Anti-Semitism is ancient and modern. A classic anti-Semitic claim is found in Esther 3:8-9 –
”

“There is a certain people [the Jews] scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed.”

In the United States all religions must be free to worship and exercise their religious convictions in safety. The attack on the Chabad Synagogue in Poway, California is doubly bad. It’s anti-Semitic to the core and it is an attack on everyone’s religious liberty in America. A heroic Jewish woman was killed; Rabbi Yisroel Goldsmith was one of three wounded.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Back the Badge

[Note: From time to time I want to have this new item in my newsletter. Information or input you have for this would be appreciated.]
Doing law enforcement along a fast, busy interstate highway is a task that risks constant danger for the Highway Patrol.
The I-15 corridor near Lake Elsinore, California was a place of outstanding beauty this spring because of the “superbloom” of wild flowers due to abundant rainfall. The cars and crowds that came required extra CHP attention.
On April 6 this segment of the highway was a place of tragedy as CHP Sergeant Steve Licon, a 27-year veteran of the CHP, was hit by a reckless driver who drove onto the shoulder of 1-15 and struck the officer and his motorcycle.
Sergeant Licon had this sign on his desk:

Dear God, I pray that my time will be the best today.
That you watch over as I ride, and that you stay by my side.

Keeping me safe and my faith intact,
I know all will go well if you have my back.

God, it’s time to throw a leg over and give it our best.
I’ll do the riding and you do the rest.

Sergeant Licon was the 32nd Line of Duty death in the United States this year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –
Compromising the Confessional

“I consider the government of the United States
as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions,
their doctrines, discipline, or exercises.”
– Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Miller, 1808

[See endnote on the application of the Constitution to the states.]

First let me stipulate: I despise all abusers of children. When such abuse is done under the color of clergy it is all the more abhorrent. I want abusers exposed and punished to the full extent of the law. I want children protected by all reasonable means.

Now to the topic at hand: Compromising the Confessional.

Protecting children from abuse, especially from abuse by clergy, is as American as motherhood and apple pie. But what if the pie has a worm in it?

That “worm” is when the government intrudes impermissibly into matters of church governance and how a church practices its sacraments. *

In 1997 clergy were made “mandatory reporters” in California—obligated to report any instances where the clergyperson has reasonable suspicion that child abuse has occurred.

I embraced the goals of this effort, but I was against this new provision in the law at the outset for two reasons:

(1) It was the first instance to my knowledge of the state, in effect, placing something into the “job description” of clergy, thus requiring a certain kind of expertise in order to perform religious functions.
(2) I was also concerned about how this requirement (which also applied to non-clergy ministers of the church, such as a director of children’s ministry) could change the dynamics of church ministry in a negative way.
But this new requirement contained this significant exception: any confession of child abuse that arose during a “penitential communication” was exempt from the mandatory reporting requirement (CA Penal Code 11166 (d)(2)).

Now the state legislature is thinking about fixing this “loophole.” Senate Bill 360, authored by State Senator Jerry Hill (D-13th District, San Mateo and Santa Clarita south of San Francisco), would remove the penitential exemption.

So? Why should there even be a penitential exemption?

First, consider the Catholic “Sacrament of Reconciliation” (Penance). Quoting Canon 983.1 of the Code of Canon Law, the Catechism states, “The sacramental seal is inviolable, therefore it is a crime for a confessor in any way to betray a penitent by word or in any other manner or for any reason” (#2490).

“…[F]rom the time a person makes the sign of the cross and begins ‘Bless me father for I have sinned’ to the last words of absolution, the information exchanged between the priest and the penitent is protected by the sacramental seal. Even if a confession is made in a less formal atmosphere or in a less formal way, if a priest imparts absolution, what he absolves is under the sacramental seal never to be revealed by him.” – Catholic Straight Answers

A priest who hears a confession simply must not break the sacramental seal of confidentiality. To do so is to be automatically excommunicated. Priests have been martyred rather than break the seal. A law that requires a breach of this confidence will certainly be challenged in court as a violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee of the free exercise of religion. **

Second, what about the long-standing recognition of confidentiality involving Protestant clergy? I am an ordained Evangelical minister. Our context for a penitential communication is the private counseling session behind a closed door. *** Pastors are bound by ministerial ethics (many times by ordination vows) to keep confidential whatever is disclosed in confidence.

If a church’s leadership determines that a confession of wrong such as child abuse or elder abuse, or a threat to someone’s safety should be reported to authorities (whether legally required or not), it should make this clear prior to counseling by having the counselee read and sign an understanding of when confidentiality will NOT apply.
But this should be a decision of the church, not a mandate from the state.

What should be done? (1) Bills in any state’s legislature like SB-360 should be opposed throughout the legislative process. (2) Any law requiring clergy to divulge a penitential confession should be challenged in court. (3) Counseling procedures, policies and disclosures should be reviewed in light of the standards of confidentiality set forth by a church or denomination.

I will give the benefit of a doubt to supporters of SB-360 that they truly want to fight child abuse in ecclesiastical contexts. What has come to light in recent years is appalling and contrary to all that is Christian.

But I’m not naïve about the very clear anti-religion trend in our secular legislatures. There is simply insufficient regard for the “wall of separation” between church and state and for the necessary role of religion as an independent challenge against the ways of the state. And there is insufficient regard for things truly sacred.

I simply don’t trust the California legislature to do what is in the best interests of churches and religious institutions, nor do I believe it really cares.

Note on the Constitution: The “Bill of Rights” initially provided protections against the power of the federal government. But for almost a century the U.S. Supreme Court has applied most provisions of the Bill of Rights to the several states rather than limiting them to the federal government. This is based on “The Doctrine of Incorporation” through the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.

* During Prohibition, churches that used sacramental wine for the Eucharist were exempt.

** A law forcing clergy to break the confidentiality of a penitential communication will surely be challenged in court. The Supreme Court may decide that the state has a compelling interest in requiring this—I doubt it. This conclusion would require that the statute pass a “strict scrutiny” test and the state demonstrate it has used the least intrusive means of furthering the compelling interest. The reason, in my opinion, for the high “strict scrutiny” standard is because the repeal of the confidentiality provision is not a neutral law of general applicability but one directed toward religious exercises and policies.

*** The standard is whether there is a reasonable expectation of confidentiality for the penitential communication. Private office—yes; restaurant booth—no; no one else may be present during the communication. The counselor should be licensed or ordained.

For more information: Pacific Justice Institute (www.pacificjustice.org), under “Media: Press Releases”)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1209″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1210″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1212″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

[PART 2] Evangelical Christianity: Beliefs and Practices

Southern California Interfaith Council “Religion 101” Series
(February 28, 2019)

Presenter: Dr. Donald P. Shoemaker
Pastor Emeritus, Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

In the April newsletter I presented four (of ten) characteristics of Evangelicalism. Here are the remaining six:

5. “Evangelicalism” has great variation in its movement

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to Evangelicalism! While some might see this variation as weakness, it is very much a strength. The terms below, which describe various currents and cross-currents within the movement, are not exhaustive and do overlap in places:

• Baptistic traditions
• Calvinists and Arminians
• The Holiness Movement (Wesleyan)
• Pentecostals
• Fundamentalists
• Creedal and non-creedal Protestant denominations
• Sacramentalists and non-Sacramentalists
• Charismatic Roman Catholics
• Evangelical groups within mainline denominations
• Movements (the “Jesus Movement”, the “Charismatic Movement”, Revivalists, Restorationists, Separatists, Churches of the “End Times”) home schoolers and more)
• Evangelical “para-church” organizations (Campus Crusade, Salvation Army, Prison Fellowship, Samaritan’s Purse, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, The Navigators, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, secondary education, undergraduate and graduate schools, and many more)

6. “Evangelicalism” has many leaders but no official spokesmen, many movements within the Movement and without any central authority.

This is both good and bad. Much of the movement lacks authority structures, beyond local church or denominational structures or ad hoc accountability arrangements. On the positive side, this allows for much freedom of ministry.

But the opposite problem is there too: authoritarianism. “Little popes” abound, with absolute or near-absolute authority and with little or no accountability.

There are some strong voices within the movement. From the recent past, voices like Billy Graham and Charles Colson. Present voices include Rick Warren, Robert Moeller, Russell Moore, Franklin Graham, D. A. Carson, Beth Moore, Leith Anderson, Wayne Grudem and Michael Horton. But no voice speaks today with the recognition and respect of the late Billy Graham.

7. “Evangelicalism” has had more than its share of crooks, con artists, charlatans and crackpots, along with aberrant teachings.

No examples needed. They are self-evident. When will we ever learn?

8. “Evangelicals” increasingly have a cooperative spirit, subject to its commitment to its creeds and values.

• An apocalyptic “Why bother with this world?” attitude is less prominent today than in the recent past.
• Evangelicals have typically not been “joiners in the cause”. But today cooperation with non-evangelicals, secular or religious, is increasingly likely on issues where common values are held, so long as core convictions are not compromised.
• Evangelicals are unlikely to participate in worship experiences outside their confessions. My personal conviction is there must be agreement on The Apostles Creed and The Nicene Creed for us to have a foundation for worship together. But see the next point:
• The Doctrine of “Common Grace” provides a framework for cooperative social efforts between Evangelical Christians and people of other religions or no religion at all. (See my article: “God’s Saving Grace and God’s Common Grace”)
9. “Evangelicalism” has had a long and significant tradition of Social Reform though it has sometimes “gone into hiding”.

In the past, Evangelicals had a strong sense of social conscience.

• Abolition of slavery
• Temperance Movement, Women’s Suffrage
• Revivals and revivalists (Wesley, Whitefield, Edwards, Finney, Sunday) stood for the societal implications of the Gospel.

During the early 20th Century, however, there was a strong defensive withdrawal from culture in reaction to the growth of theological liberalism and the “Fundamentalist/Modernist controversies” of that period. Of course there were exceptions. But the movement’s general failure to support the Civil Rights struggle remains a blemish on Evangelicalism to this day.

Beginning in the 1940’s a renewed social consciousness began and it has become quite strong in the 1970’s and afterward. This has been a response to many different cultural developments, chief of which is permissive abortion.

Contemporary Social Issues in Evangelicalism (not always with agreement)
• “God and Country” – Evangelicals have somewhat of a “love/hate” relationship to U.S. They sense (in some way) that America is special by God’s design but is falling short of her moral calling.
• Pro-life – Evangelicals across the political spectrum are against abortion, though they differ on responses, depending on their heritage and their view of the role of the state.
• Family and Marriage issues
• Immigration Reform – LifeWay Research found that 66% of Evangelical pastors favor a pathway to citizenship for those now in the country illegally.
• Economic and Poverty issues, Hunger – Sadly these are not large issues in Evangelicalism; they are more on the level of helping in individual situations than addressing systemic causes.
• Religious Liberty, Persecution of Religions, Political Oppression. Even in the U.S. we see the state transgressing over into matters that should be in the domain of the church and decided by the religion-formed consciences of religious adherents.
• Human Trafficking, Genocide, Racism, Anti-Semitism.
• Sexuality and Gender issues
• Political range is from “Religious Right” to “Religious Left” (such as Sojourners). Of course, realistically, many more Evangelicals are “right” than “left.”
• Care of Environment—based on God as Creator (not pantheism) and humankind as caretakers. Evangelicals are not comfortable with many aspects of secular environmentalism.

10. “Evangelicalism” sets its sights on “The Kingdom of God”

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:10)
“The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)
“[God the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Colossians 1:13)
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)

These texts refer to either the “present kingdom” or the “future kingdom” of God (The Hidden Kingdom or the Manifest Kingdom).
Evangelicals see that the Kingdom of God is both here now and yet to come. To the extent it is “here now” we have a role to play in its furtherance. Our challenge today is to live the Kingdom’s values and persuade others to enter the Kingdom by faith.
Full establishment of the kingdom awaits the Return of Christ—failure to fully appreciate this leads to overly aggressive social activism today. Michael Horton states the role of the present Kingdom masterfully in his theology The Christian Faith (2012): “The Kingdom of God is no longer identified with any geopolitical kingdom on earth. It is no longer the era of driving the nations out of God’s holy land but of living side by side with unbelievers in charity. It is the hour of grace, not judgment.”
Recommended Reading
• AN EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO: Evangelical Identity and Public Commitment (2008)
• Systematic Theology and Politics and Christian Ethics by Wayne Grudem
• The Faith by Charles Colson
• The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances FitzGerald[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Message of the Month – The Cathedral Fire in Paris

You needn’t be Catholic to feel a big lump of sadness in your throat as you watched the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris burn on April 15. The loss of this 850-year-old icon is incalculable, regardless of what remains and things saved by heroic people.

Here are my thoughts as the dust settles:

1. The “coming together” of people, religious and secular, in sorrow and resolve is remarkable. It will likely not last, but it is welcome.
2. European countries are very much overdue for creation of a healthy balance between church and state.
3. The destruction is a visual symbol of the broad loss of Christian influence in Europe. Secularism, a religion of sorts in itself, has been on the ascendancy. In my lifetime, only the impact of events related to Pope John Paul II were an exception to this trend. To visit most of the symbols of Christianity in Europe is to take a journey into the past.
4. The cathedral will be rebuilt—through resolve and great generosity on the part of people of good will. But it will never be the same. The prospect of rebuilding reminds me of the destruction of Solomon’s temple by the Babylonians (586 BC) and the new temple built when the Jews returned to their land after exile in Babylon (516 BC; see Ezra 3).
5. Christians should pray for spiritual renewal throughout France and Europe. Perhaps this fire could be a catalyst for needed renewal.
6. No cathedral, be it ever so magnificent or any other structure serving the Christian faith is really the place where God dwells. God dwells, by his Spirit, in the spiritual temple—where believers, the living stones, are built on the Apostles and Prophets, with Jesus the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never ‘gainst the church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

– “Onward Christian Soldiers” by Sabine Baring-Gould (1864)

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A trip to Ohio wasn’t very taxing

My wife and I went to Ohio a month ago into “Amish Country,” which we thoroughly enjoyed. We found the price of gas to be $1.25 or so cheaper than in California. And sales tax was half what we pay in Long Beach (10.25%).

But you say, “Yes, but Ohio’s roads are not like our roads!” For this, Ohioans can be glad. Or you might add, “But our taxes go to build the ‘Bullet Train.’” We won’t see that train in my lifetime. Or, even better, perhaps not at all.
Still, a portion of gasoline tax goes to support this train to nowhere.

Here’s the load on California’s drivers, that totals about $4 billion a year:
• Federal excise tax — 18 cents
• State excise tax — 42 cents
• State and local sales tax — 29 cents @ $4/gal (minimum, varies by locality)
• State underground storage tank fee — 2 cents
• Additional costs for compliance under Cap & Trade, as well as the Low Carbon Fuels Standard — 28 cents (this funds “Bullet Train” construction)
• “Mystery Surcharge” no one can explain — 28 cents
• Total — $1.47 per gallon

Gas taxes are generally regressive—they hurt lower income people the most.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

May 28 & 31, 2019 – Speak to women’s Bible study groups at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach on the Book of Ezra.

Don’s message of April 14: “The Triumphs and Failures of Israel’s Greatest King” (1 Kings 1-11) can be heard at www.gracesealbeach.org under “Resources”.

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
Temporary contact: shoemaker@gracesealbeach.org[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”April 2019 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

A Voice of Reason and Wisdom –

“I believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking.”

– From Charles Krauthammer’s final opinion column, June 8, 2018, before his death on June 21 (from The Point of It All by Charles Krauthammer)

A Word Needed Now More Than Ever –

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.”

– Inaugural speech by President John F. Kennedy (1961)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1190″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1191″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1192″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

[PART 1] Evangelical Christianity: Beliefs and Practices

“Southern California Interfaith Council “Religion 101” Series
(February 28, 2019)

Presenter: Dr. Donald P. Shoemaker Pastor Emeritus, Grace Community Church of Seal Beach

Common (but WRONG!) Accusations Against Evangelicals:

• “Creating a ‘Christian America’ is the goal of Evangelicals.”
• “All Evangelicals back Donald Trump.”
• “Evangelicals want to use religion as an excuse to impose their beliefs on others.”

1 (of 10). “Evangelicalism” is all about “giving out the ‘Good Word’”.

“Evangelicalism” is a declarative, conversionist, mission-minded movement.

“euangelion” (ευαγγελιον) – “The ‘Evangel’, the ‘Good News’”
“euangelizo” (ευαγγελιζω) – “To evangelize, announce Good News”
“euangelistes” (ευαγγελιστης) – “Evangelist, preacher of Good News”

“Go and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19—Jesus’ command)
“I am sending you to [the Gentiles] to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light…so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” (Vision of Jesus by Saul of Tarsus, Acts 26:17-18)
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16)

Many other texts could be offered. These suffice to show the conversionist impulse of Evangelicalism and that the conversion is toward God and in faith and obedience to Jesus.
The Book of Acts and the earliest history of Christianity show how evangelism by a small band of Jesus’ followers could extend a movement to where it became a significant presence in the Roman Empire in just about 35 years.

2. “Evangelicalism” is “Christ-centered” and “cross-centered”.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
“The message of the cross…is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
“I want to remind you of the gospel [euangelion] I preached to you… By this gospel you are saved… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins…he was buried…he was raised on the third day…”
(1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

That Jesus is the Son of God, the Word made flesh, and that Jesus died on the cross for our sin—no Evangelical can budge on these. These are central, crucial, non-negotiable.

Genuine dialogue requires openness and honesty about areas of agreement and disagreement. So any real dialogue between Christians and Muslims has to face the questions: “Who is God? Who is Jesus? Did Jesus die for our sins?”

Contrast the recent document: “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together” (February, 4, 2019), signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb. The moral applications are excellent but the foundation is shaky because “God” means different things to Muslims and Christians, who teach Jesus is the Son of God. *

The first and most important aim of religions is to believe in God, to honor Him and to invite all men and women to believe that this universe depends on a God who governs it. He is the Creator who has formed us with His divine wisdom and has granted us the gift of life to protect it. It is a gift that no one has the right to take away, threaten or manipulate to suit oneself. Indeed, everyone must safeguard this gift of life from its beginning up to its natural end. We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices.

Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross. For Evangelical Christians the cross is central, not incidental, and certainly not deniable or disposable.

This biblical confession sounds like it was written for today: “This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.” (1 John 5:6). “Water” most likely refers to the baptism of Jesus, “blood” his death on the cross.

Through the cross, Jesus, the Lamb of God, took away the sins of the world. The benefit of his death is appropriated through faith in the message.

* While orthodox Christianity and Islam understand “God” differently, some points of agreement are to be noted: both (along with Judaism) are Abrahamic in their roots and are monotheistic, which tends to create universal ethics rather than parochial ethics, and there will often be ethical alignment between the two.

3. “Evangelicalism” holds the Scriptures (66 books of the Old and New Testaments) in the highest regard as “inspired of God”, the final authority in faith and obedience.

2 Timothy 3:16 – Scripture is “God breathed” and thus “profitable” for instruction, correction, and preparing people to serve God in the world.

The exact nature of “inspiration”, how “inspiration” affects interpretation of various biblical genres (e.g., poetry, narrative, epistle, apocalyptic), how the Bible interacts with secular disciplines—these are issues to discuss on another day.

4. “Evangelicalism” is confessional

Evangelicals recognize the need to confess certain doctrinal matters, the denial of any crucial doctrine putting one outside the pale of Evangelical Christianity. (See the Nicene Creed and the Statement of Faith of the National Association of Evangelicals in an Appendix at the end of this Newsletter.)

– Points 5-10 will be in the May Newsletter –

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Bible Insight – What is “Holy Week”?

Most Christians observe “Holy Week” (April 14-20) if not entirely at least in part. What is “Holy Week” and what significance do its features have for us?

Palm Sunday –

The grand triumphant entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem with the celebrating crowd announcing who Jesus is.

They [the disciples] brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” (Matthew 21:7-11)

Spy Wednesday –

A little-observed remembrance of the treacherous planning of Judas to betray Jesus at an opportune time.

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
(Matthew 26:14-16)

Maundy Thursday –

Called “Maundy” after the Latin word “mandatum” (commandment).

On this day Jesus said to his disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
Also on this day Jesus celebrated the Passover (this particular meal we call “The Last Supper”). During this Supper two important observances took place: (1) Jesus rose from the meal and washed his disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17), and (2) Jesus instituted the Communion of the Bread and the Cup (the “Eucharist,” which means the “thanksgiving”). He shared bread and wine with his disciples with the words, “This is my body” and “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:22-24).

Jesus then announced, “I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). Partaking of Communion, therefore, gives Christians anticipation and hope as they await the fulfillment of these words when Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Many churches observe Maundy Thursday in a special way. A meal is shared. Believers wash one another’s feet. Finally, all partake of the Eucharist. Perhaps the service will end with a hymn, just as The Last Supper ended.

Good Friday

Following the Supper, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray. His followers failed to pray with him and missed the strength prayer will bring.
Suddenly it was too late to pray, as Judas approached with soldiers to identify Jesus with the sign of a kiss. Jesus was arrested and taken away. All his followers fled in spite of their pledges of loyalty, except Peter who followed Jesus from a distance. But even Peter would deny his Lord as events unfolded.

Throughout the night and into the day Jesus appeared before many religious and secular leaders to be accused, mocked and denounced. He was beaten, scourged and humiliated. Finally, the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, acquiesced to the crowd and delivered Jesus to be nailed to a Roman cross—one of the most shameful, hurtful, prolonged forms of capital punishment known to man. (Read Mark 14:43-15:41; John 18:1-19:16)

Jesus was on the cross for six hours, during which time he forgave his enemies and promised hope to a dying criminal who begged his mercy. After he died, he was buried in a rich man’s tomb (Luke 23:26-56; John 19:17-42).
In light of this horror, why call the day “Good Friday”? Because the death of Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of every man and woman who ever lived, and opened the pathway of faith in him, for forgiveness and eternal life.

Holy Saturday

Jesus’ body lay in the tomb that was given him. Roman guards sealed and “protected” the tomb, lest (as the religious leaders claimed) his disciples might come and steal the body. The disciples, however, were secluded in fear.

Such is our quick journey through Holy Week. Nothing can replace reading the dramatic but credible accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, beginning with the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday and ending with Jesus’ burial (suggested reading: Luke 19:28-48 and chapters 22-23). *

Holy Week is followed by Resurrection Day! Without this, Holy Week is without significance and our salvation is impossible.

“By this gospel you are saved…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, …he was buried, …he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, …he appeared to Cephas [Peter], and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me…”
– The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:2-8)

* The movie “The Passion of the Christ” (2004) is a very intense portrayal of Passion Week. I recommend it, with the caveat that the punishments inflicted on Jesus are too extreme. And I wish the movie had included Joseph of Arimathea entombing Jesus after gaining permission from Pilate to remove Jesus’ body from the cross. Joseph wrapped the body of Jesus in linen and put it in a new tomb hewn from rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance and left. (Matthew 27:57-61—all four Gospel accounts report this.)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance – H. Resolution 183

I wish to use this space to discuss House Resolution 183 of March 7, 2019, condemning anti-Semitism and “condemning anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities…” Read this resolution at:

https://congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/183

1. Unlike some, I have no problem with a resolution that focuses on issues and leaves off names. If the House ought to call out and censure a particular member by name, it can and should do so.

2. The document is well written and its thoughts are not new. Much is from a two decades old “Working Definition of Anti-Semitism.”

3. By focusing on issues other than anti-Semitism, the rightful spotlight on anti-Semitism is diffused and the impact lessened. The 1252-word document has 430 words on anti-Semitism and 234 words on anti-Muslim discrimination. While a document on bigotry is in order, this particular document was initially compelled by concern over anti-Semitic statements by members of Congress, and its voice condemning that has therefore been diluted.

4. Only FIFTEEN words (that’s 15!) speak of anti-Christian discrimination. And they reach all the way back to 1960 and candidate John F. Kennedy’s Catholic faith and the fear he might show “dual loyalty” to the U.S. and the Vatican. Kennedy greatly disarmed this concern with his masterful speech to Baptist ministers. C’mon now! This document could easily fill a page on contemporary anti-Christian discrimination like that of Senators Feinstein, Sanders, Harris and Hirono.

5. Nothing is said of racial bigotry by clergy such as Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan and Jeremiah Wright.

6. In short, the document didn’t do enough because it did too much. And if its intention all along was to reach beyond anti-Semitism it fell way short in all that should be said.

7. The document properly underscores “the transcendent principles of tolerance, religious freedom, and equal protection as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the first and 14th amendments to the Constitution.” Do these![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Good News from Grace – 75th Anniversary!

www.gracesealbeach.org[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1197″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, where I was privileged to serve as pastor for 28 years, had a grand celebration on March 24. Our Worship Center was packed with an excited crowd to celebrate our heritage and be challenged toward Tomorrow.

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What an exciting event to participate in! All indicators point forward to a great future for a unique church in a special place—with all the joys and challenges that come from being a block from the ocean beach. Onward—to the Service and Glory of God!

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Pictures: (1) celebration hour; (2) yours truly leading the opening prayer before the choir sings “I’m in This Church!”; (3) outdoor reception; (4) Senior Pastor Bob Wriedt unveils new plaque: “Grace Community Church of Seal Beach—Established 1944—To the Glory of God.”
Credit: OC Event Photo

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Don’s Upcoming Ministries

April 14, 2019 – Speak in morning worship services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach.

Message: “The Triumphs and Failures of Israel’s Greatest King” (1 Kings 1-11)

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
Temporary contact: shoemaker@gracesealbeach.org[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Appendix—Evangelical Creeds

The Nicene Creed (A.D. 325; Revised A.D. 381)

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, 
the only Son of God, 
eternally begotten of the Father, 
God from God, Light from Light, 
true God from true God, 
begotten, not made, 
of one Being with the Father. 
Through him all things were made. 
For us and for our salvation 
he came down from heaven: 
by the power of the Holy Spirit 
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, 
and was made man. 
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 
he suffered death and was buried. 
On the third day he rose again 
in accordance with the Scriptures; 
he ascended into heaven 
and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, 
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, 
who proceeds from the Father and the Son. 
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. 
He has spoken through the Prophets. 
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. 
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 
We look for the resurrection of the dead, 
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Statement of Faith of the
National Association of Evangelicals

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
• We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful people, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(The NAE was founded in 1942. It represents over 45,000 churches and ministries)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”March 2019 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has apologized for her widely condemned tweet suggesting that money drives politicians’ support for Israel. Her apology came shortly after several Democratic leaders spoke out against her tweet.
Let’s give the “benefit of a doubt” to her apology until shown otherwise*.
And if we do that, should we not also give the “benefit of a doubt” to other politicians who now renounce foolish (though legal) things they did or said in the past, maybe even in the distant past? Many apologies should be taken with some skepticism, but giving the “benefit of a doubt” could move us to more civility, which our country greatly needs.

* And indeed her anti-Semitism appears to be a pattern as more information emerges.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Bible Insight – Contemporary Moral Arrogance

“Hypocrites! …you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’” – Jesus (Matthew 23:29-30 NIV)

Jesus challenged the religious leaders about their boasting. They thought themselves to be morally superior. If they had lived “back then” they would not have done the wrongs people did “back then.”

So today, we have “morally superior people” who look down on the conduct of earlier Americans and want to deconstruct them all they can.

The U.S. Constitution allowed slavery. George Washington had slaves. Thomas Jefferson had slaves. Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis led a rebellion. There was injustice, exploitation and bigotry toward immigrants. We know better. But if we had lived “back then” are we sure we would not have thought as they thought and did what they did or worse? The arrogant know for sure that they would NOT have!

Had slavery been banned in our original Constitution, we would not have had a country. And slavery would have lasted much longer than it did.

Washington wasn’t perfect. But he refused to separate families and did free his slaves when he died. And he provided for the children and for those in their non-productive years (Joseph J. Ellis, His Excellency, 160-67).

Jefferson hated slavery. But his idealism was ahead of his conduct. I can’t justify his ownership of slaves that so contradicted his convictions. In my visits to Monticello I saw the patch of land where his slaves lived and I grieved as I imagined what it was like, in contrast to life in the mansion.

Yet his words still speak to us from the Jefferson Memorial: “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free.”
America names schools and highways after Confederate leaders. Some want to erase this, but isn’t it consistent with President Lincoln’s words, “With malice toward none, with charity for all”? Did his vision die with him? The Civil War, between “brethren”, was different from all others.

My parents were against inter-racial marriage, as was my church when I was a teen. Therefore so was I. None had malice. It was the spirit of the times and wrong. What counts is what I do today with the moral reasoning I possess.

Evangelical churches largely sat on their hands during the civil rights struggles of the mid-20th Century. They didn’t support segregation and Jim Crow, but they didn’t think churches should “get involved.” Besides, this evil shows how bad the world is, and all we can do is pray for Jesus to return and make things right. That was half-truth thinking. This silent complicity has been confessed by many Evangelicals. What really counts today is what Christian denominations do with the moral reasoning available to them now.

Jesus’ words speak clearly to today’s arrogant moral superiority:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
“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? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” – Matthew 6:1-5

If generations to come are more morally astute than our own, what will they say about our blind spots? Late-term abortions, infanticide, racial stereotyping and preferences and re-segregation, euthanasia for those deemed not wanting to live (if they could make the choice themselves), curtailing of religious liberty, illiberal speech codes, the secular genocides of the 20th Century, and more?

Let’s learn from the moral successes and failures of the past. Let’s strive to do better and be better. But let us not be arrogant about our generation’s moral superiority. Because it really “ain’t all there” and we are prone to being blind about our own sins. “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

How Religion Makes a Positive Difference

“Long Beach 908” is a quarterly magazine that lands on the porches of residents in Long Beach. It’s largely ads and coupons I notice as I flip through the pages on my way to the recycle basket.

But the latest issue caught my eye: “Unsung Heroes—30 Stories of Those Making a Positive Difference in Long Beach Through Faith.” On the cover were Rebecca Younger and some whose lives she touched through her ministry to women, “New Life Beginnings.” I’ve known Rebecca for decades and I’m thankful for my early role in helping her local pro-life ministries get underway.

Of the 30 stories, 12 were of people connected to Evangelical Protestant churches and 13 more were connected to other Christian faith communities.

And this is all so thoroughly biblical!
“Seek the peace (shalom) of the city…” (Jeremiah 29:7).
“As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people” (Galatians 6:10).
“Remind the people…to be ready to do whatever is good” (Titus 3:1).
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39).

We dare not underestimate the impact of people of faith in our communities. Our society is blest with faith-based schools, medical services, counseling centers, social agencies and so much more, including the churches themselves.

In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court (Walz v. Tax Commission of City of New York, 1970) noted that religious communities “contribute to the well-being of the community in a variety of nonreligious ways, and thereby bear burdens that would otherwise either have to be met by general taxation, or be left undone, to the detriment of the community.”

Churches contribute to the community by teaching us our social duty (love for neighbor) as well as our duty directly to God, and then by encouraging and supporting members as they go forth into their communities and build charitable ministries on their own. Thus, my own church encourages and supports many such ministries. Please consider taking up this challenge![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must…undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

Update on
The “Not Good for Nonprofits Tax”

“At stake is a provision in the $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that directed not-for-profits of all kinds — houses of worship but also, for example, universities, museums and orchestras — to pay a 21 percent tax on certain fringe benefits for their employees, such as parking and meals.” (Washington Post, Dec. 6, 2018)

Further information indicates that this new provision affecting churches is not as ominous as first thought. However, this is a matter for watchful concern! What situation might trigger a tax on churches? This information is from Stewardship Services Foundation—an excellent resource:

“Qualified parking is employer provided parking for employees at, or near, the place of employment. For most churches this is a free parking lot used by the congregation and staff; this parking lot is usually surrounded by areas of free parking. In this situation the new law does not apply. However, if a church charges users to park in its lots, or the parking in the surrounding areas is generally paid parking then a church has provided a valued benefit to its employee(s). This is taxable to the church.”

CALIFORNIA BILL (SB-360) VIOLATES CHURCH-STATE SEPARATION

Catholic doctrine teaches that the “Sacrament of Reconciliation” (commonly called “Confession”) has an absolute seal of confidentiality. California law has recognized this, making it an exception to the requirement that clergy report suspected child abuse that comes to their attention. Protestants are similarly protected in that such a “penitential confession” remains confidential. SB-360 would violate this seal of confidentiality by requiring certain penitential confessions to be reported. I am a Protestant minister, but I fully understand the importance of confidential penitence. The State has no business, regardless its good intentions, violating this religious requirement.

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Donald S. Smith (1924-2019)
A Personal Tribute

I knew Don since 1973, when he enlisted me into the ministry of Crusade for Life, a Christian Pro-Life ministry. At that time he operated a marketing, fundraising and public relations firm, and I learned a lot about these tasks from him. He produced significant pro-life material, including the powerful film “The Silent Scream” with the collaboration of former abortion proponent Dr. Bernard Nathanson—a film acclaimed by President Reagan. He received a Doctor of Laws degree from Biola University, for which I was honored to nominate him. Intense, passionate, savvy, devout and gracious, he made a lasting mark on the causes he believed in and on me.

“Forgiveness” is one thing; “Office-holding” (religious or governmental) is another.

“Anyone — including any politician — can be completely forgiven by God for anything. That does not make them worthy of holding an office that depends on the respect of the governed.” – Michael Gerson[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

February 28, 2019 – Speak on “Evangelicalism” as part of the “Religion 101” series sponsored by the South Coast Interfaith Council (7:00 p.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion, 6360 E. State University Drive in Long Beach).

April 14, 2019 – Speak in morning worship services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach.

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Appendix: A Good Word from Elsewhere—
“When Anti-Semitism Is Not Anti-Semitism” by Michael L. Brown

Michael L. Brown (Ph.D., New York University) is president and professor of practical theology at FIRE School of Ministry in Concord, N.C. He has also been a visiting professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Fuller Theological Seminary.
(Used by permission)

I once had a conversation with a Pakistani cab driver in New York City. As he drove me to my destination, the subject of anti-Semitism came up, at which point I mentioned, “Some people claim that the Jews themselves are responsible for anti-Semitism, since they are the worst of all people.”

The driver, not realizing that I was Jewish, replied, “Yes, that’s true. Jews are the worst.”
So, anti-Semitism is not really anti-Semitism because the Jewish people deserve to be hated.

In the aftermath of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s anti-Semitic tweets, in which she accused AIPAC of paying off members of Congress to stand with Israel, David Duke tweeted, “So, let us get this straight. It is ‘Anti-Semitism’ to point out that the most powerful political moneybags in American politics are Zionists who put another nation’s interest (Israel’s) over that of America ??????”

So, Omar wasn’t being anti-Semitic because she was telling the truth.

Duke, himself a proud anti-Semite (as well as former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan), also rued Omar’s subsequent apology, stating, “I’m not surprised but it’s a pity, those tweets exposing the influence of AIPAC where her only positive achievements.”
As expected, Duke’s twitter feed repeats the standard anti-Semitic tropes, including: the Jews control the money. The Jews control the media. Israel is a genocidal, apartheid state. The Holocaust is a myth. And more. (The title of his 2003 book says it plainly: Jewish Supremacism: My Awakening to the Jewish Question.)

The point of it all is simple.

It is not anti-Semitic to say nasty things about the Jews because the nasty things are true.
And if people do bad things to these evil Jews? Well, the Jews deserve it.

I just finished revising and updating my 1992 book Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the “Church” and the Jewish People. It tells the story of anti-Semitism in Christian history, also documenting libelous attacks on Israel and the Jewish people until this day, be it from the world of radical Islam or from White Supremacists.

…The names may change. The dates may vary. But the theme does not change: The Jews are especially evil. The Jews are responsible for most of the world’s problems. The Jews are guilty and must be blamed.

…I have been told (with all seriousness) that Jews were responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

I have read claims that Jews were responsible for the spread of AIDS and that Jews control the Vatican.

Those evil, ubiquitous Jews!

In the first edition of Our Hands Are Stained with Blood, I documented how White Supremacists and Black Supremacists shared an admiration for Hitler and a hatred of the Jews.

Then, within two weeks’ time last year, Black Supremacist Louis Farrakhan referred to Jews as termites and a White Supremacist slaughtered 11 Jews in a Saturday morning synagogue attack, shouting, “All Jews must die!”

As I said, the song remains the same, quite tragically.

That’s why it is no surprise to see this headline on Ynet News: “Global anti-Semitism report: 2018 saw most deadly attacks on Jews in 25 years. Diaspora Ministry finds 70% of attacks tied to anti-Israel sentiment, singles out UK where phenomenon has reached ‘all-time recorded high’; [Naftali] Bennett urges governments around world to take action.”

Not only so, but last April, in Germany, Jews were urged not to wear kippahs (yarmulkes) in light of recent attacks. “Don’t look too Jewish or you might be attacked as well!”
This is happening in Germany, of all places, where serious efforts have been made to reverse the evil of the Holocaust.

But anti-Semitism is hard to suppress.

That’s because the Jews, above all people, are evil. And so, it’s not anti-Semitic to call them out and despise them.

So say the anti-Semites.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”February 2019 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

I was so fascinated by the total lunar eclipse on January 20 that I sat in the yard and watched it all. Many thoughts, songs and scriptures came to mind as I watched, such as these words from Psalm 8 –

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O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower
than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

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Roe v. Wade at 46 – The Great Divide

The watershed abortion case “Roe v. Wade” was decided 46 years ago, on January 22, 1973. Two facts for sure: (1) it remains “the law of the land” on abortion and (2) it is as controversial as ever.

Later court decisions have clarified “Roe” (whether the government can refuse to pay for abortions, “notification” rules, “waiting periods”, protest-free zones around abortion clinics, etc.) but its core decision stands. Nominees for court positions are scrutinized on whether they will accept “Roe” as settled law (“stare decisis”—deference to past decisions—is the expectation, but who would support this in the case of “Dred Scott”?).

Who was “Roe”?

(Pictured with feminist attorney Gloria Allred)
This anonymous litigant sought to have an abortion, which was forbidden under Texas law at the time. Her real name was Norma McCorvey. Long before “Roe v. Wade” was decided she gave birth and gave the baby for adoption.

McCorvey converted to Christianity in 1995 and was baptized. She quit her job at an abortion clinic and became a pro-life activist, vowing to spend the rest of her life fighting the decision that bore her name. She joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1998. She passed away in 2017 at age 69.

What did “Roe v. Wade” determine?

The decision overturned all laws in America that restricted abortion.

The court explicitly denied that abortion was an absolute right. Rather, it was a “qualified” right. The court found a “right to privacy” in the “penumbra” of the constitution, namely in the “Due Process Clause” of the Fourteenth Amendment, as the basis for this qualified right.

The court attempted to balance its finding on a pregnant woman’s right to abortion with “the potentiality of human life” by creating a system of “trimesters”. But how well did it succeed with this balance?
For the first trimester, months one through three of the pregnancy, the decision for abortion is a matter (as is commonly stated) “between the woman and her physician”—essentially “abortion on demand.”

For the second trimester, months four through six, the states may regulate abortion procedures in the interest of the woman’s health.

During the third trimester, months seven through nine, the court allowed states to regulate or even ban abortion due to the “potentiality of human life” except when necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. “Health” is a very elastic term. A companion decision, “Doe v. Bolton”, determined that physical, emotional, psychological, and familial factors all relate to “health”.

In dissent, Justice Rehnquist argued that the “trimester” system was created by judicial legislation and the “right to privacy” was not to be found in the Fourteenth Amendment, being completely unknown to those who drafted it.

After “Roe v Wade”

“Roe v. Wade” didn’t really settle anything. Not in law. Certainly not in societal opinion or in social activism.

SOME GENERALIZATIONS:

Americans support abortion rights during the first trimester. Americans oppose abortion rights in the second and third trimester. Americans support abortion rights for those “tough cases” of rape, incest or threat to a mother’s life or serious threat to her health. Americans oppose abortion rights for choosing the sex of the child, for financial reasons, or “abortion on demand.” Americans widely support regulations on abortion, such as parental notification. These are generalizations and show a more restrictive view than “Roe” and certainly more restrictive than the view held by abortion rights activists. They are more lenient than views of “right to life” activists.

Abortion is a “litmus test” issue for politicians and judicial nominees. It is a feature of America’s “cultural divide.” The debate isn’t going away.

In other newsletters I will discuss how the Bible speaks to this issue.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must…undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

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The “Not Good for Nonprofits Tax”

“At stake is a provision in the $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that directed not-for-profits of all kinds — houses of worship but also, for example, universities, museums and orchestras — to pay a 21 percent tax on certain fringe benefits for their employees, such as parking and meals.” (Washington Post, Dec. 6, 2018)

Quite hidden in this new law is a very controversial provision. Non-profit organizations, including churches, will need to pay a 21% tax on employee benefits such as parking. This means that many churches will be required, for the very first time, to file a federal income tax return and perhaps also a state return—and pay taxes to both.

“This tax brings unnecessary complexity and cost to nonprofits serving charitable purposes. For this reason, ECFA continues to call upon Congress to repeal the nonprofit parking tax altogether.” – Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability

The National Association of Evangelicals is also alarmed. However there is this word of caution from Church Law & Tax Report: “While there are differing opinions on the matter, we believe many churches are not affected by this provision when it comes to the parking they provide to employees.”

Bottom line, this is a matter for watchful concern. Be prepared to contact your representative in Congress and ask for repeal of this provision.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Bible Insight –
The Power of Words

I gave the opening prayer at my church at our service on January 13. As I often do, I pray for secular leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). That morning I prayed, “Forgive them for the acrimony and incivility we are seeing all too often.” It is shameful.

As children we may have said to one taunting us, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We knew then and know now that this just isn’t so. Word can benefit us immensely or can hurt us greatly.

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)

To learn about the good and bad of words, go to the Book of Proverbs.

What is the Book of Proverbs? It’s a collection of moral principles on many common issues that help us navigate ethically and honorably in a difficult, sometimes unfair world. Even more, I believe it is a collection God endorses and wants us to know to be wise. One of the key themes of Proverbs is speech—what’s good and not so good. What do we say that either brings help, healing and integrity to a situation or brings bitterness, strife and injustice?

Here are some of the speech counsels we get from Proverbs. After each statement, I give the chapter and verse in Proverbs where you can find it.

Gossip and Slander

A perverse person stirs up conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends. (16:28)

A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. (11:13)

Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips
and spreads slander is a fool. (10:18)

Contentious Words that stir up trouble

As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife. (26:21)

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. (17:14)

Truth and Lies

The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy. (12:22)

A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. (21:6)

Too Much Talking, Period!

When words are many, sin is not absent
But he who holds his tongue is wise. (10:19)

Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for him. (29:20)

Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
keep themselves from calamity. (21:23)

The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. (17:27)

Gracious and gentle words

Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (16:24)

A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger. (15:1)

The Bible says our tongues, though small among our bodies’ members, are the hardest part of the body to control (James 3:1-12). With our tongues we bless God one moment and the next moment turn around and curse our neighbor. With encouragement, prayer, self-discipline, Bible reading and God’s grace and power, let’s learn to control the tongue more and more.

The prayer we should pray (Psalm 19:14):

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Recommended Reading:
The Point of It All
by Charles Krauthammer (2018)

This book brings together the choicest of Charles Krauthammer’s writings over four decades. It was a collaborative effort between him and his son Daniel during the last year of Charles’ life. Most sections are just three pages long—the standard number of words for an opinion column in The Washington Post or elsewhere.

One appetizer from “Three Pieces of Sage Advice”, an address to McGill University’s Class of 1993:

“We live in an age in which the highest moral injunction is to get in touch with one’s feelings. Speaking as a psychiatrist—well, a psychiatrist in remission— I can assure you that this is a highly overrated pursuit.

“The reigning cliché of the day is that in order to love others one must first learn to love oneself. This formulation—love thyself, then thy neighbor—is a license for unremitting self-indulgence, because the quest for self-love is endless…

“’Love thy neighbor’ was supposed to be the hard part of the biblical injunction. Sometimes it seems as if all of America is working on the ‘thyself’ part—almost a definition of narcissism.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Quotes from 4-term Governor Jerry Brown as he finished his final term

Terms 1 and 2 (1975-1983)

“Constituencies want more money and more laws. I take a different view.”

“We have too many damn laws. The coercive power of the state should be invoked sparingly. They tell me almost all of the bills that I have vetoed have been reintroduced.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“You know what a governor is on an engine?
The governor prevents the engine from getting out of control. Well, that is what the governor has to do in state government.”

“The more money you have, the better you feel. The better you feel, the more you spend. But at that very moment, you should have stopped.”

Terms 3 and 4 (2011-2019)

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Don’s Upcoming Ministries

February 28, 2019 – Speak on “Evangelicalism” as part of the “Religion 101” series sponsored by the South Coast Interfaith Council (7:00 p.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion, 6360 E. State University Drive in Long Beach).

April 14, 2019 – Speak in morning worship services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach.

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”January 2019 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1156″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

“The American Dream means giving it your all,
trying your hardest, accomplishing something and giving something back. No definition of a successful life can do anything but include serving others.”

– President George H. W. Bush (June 2, 1995)

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Message of the Month

The Creed, the President, and how the Secular Press suddenly got concerned about Religion

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The Apostle’s Creed *

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell. **
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic *** church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

“Holy Horror” flowed from pens and voices of many of Donald Trump’s perennial critics. What did he do—or fail to do?

Well, pictures from the funeral of George H.W. Bush showed a front row of presidents and their wives at Washington National Cathedral, standing and reciting “The Apostles’ Creed” –all but Donald and Melania Trump.

Criticism samplers: “This is your ‘Christian’ evangelical president.” – Tweet to the Washington Post. “This is shameful for a Christian who refuses to say The Apostles Creed.” – USA TODAY response.

Now wait a minute! Perhaps the President and First Lady should have recited the Creed—after all, so far as I know, it is in accord with their religious confession. (In fact, Melania once introduced the president after having everyone pray “The Lord’s Prayer,” so she’s not hesitant to express her faith.)

Reciting creeds can be meaningful if spoken from the heart. Else, they are the “empty repetitions” Jesus warned about (Matthew 6:7). Such creeds, part of Christian orthodoxy for centuries, reaffirm and solidify Christian confession. Personally, I believe “The Apostles’ Creed” and I benefit from reciting it.

But most Evangelical Protestant churches don’t recite creeds in their church services. Some even teach against it. The “Anabaptist” movement (from which my own denomination sprang) intentionally avoided creeds as “man-made” substitutes to the words of the Bible. An unnecessary conviction.

Quakers are another Christian body that avoids creeds. Here is a word from Patrick Nugent, a church historian, Quaker evangelical Christian and liberal Democrat, writing in The Washington Post (December 6, 2018):

“The president participated in a public ceremony in his capacity as head of state, not as a Presbyterian (which is how he has identified himself). As such, he has no obligation to declare those theological truths, or any others, aloud in public. In fact, I’d suggest, he has an obligation not to do so if he disagrees with any of them, or all of them, or doesn’t especially care, or isn’t sure, or doesn’t understand — or just thinks the president should be theologically neutral in public.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

* The Apostle’s Creed (of course, never seen by any of the original apostles) is a declaration of faith widely used throughout Christianity. Elements of the Creed can be found as early as the late 2nd Century. Some Christian churches recite the Nicene Creed (4th Century), which is similar but expands the doctrine of Christ. All statements of both creeds have a basis in the New Testament.
** “He descended to hell” is simply a reference to the grave (1 Corinthians 15:4), not necessarily to a spirit realm. In my opinion, it’s just as well to leave the phrase out when reciting the Creed.
*** “catholic” means “universal” and there is no need for evangelicals to choke on the word or change it to “Christian”, which is not the thought of the Creed at this point. So say “catholic”![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –
Religious Freedom Day (January 16, 2019)

“I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises.” – Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Miller, 1808

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must…undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine

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In January I will speak on Religious Freedom before a city council. Please use my thoughts and principles below any way you can.

2019 Religious Freedom Day Proclamation

WHEREAS the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, our country’s first legal safeguard for religious liberty, was adopted on January 16, 1786; and

WHEREAS since 1993 the President of the United States has issued a Proclamation on the importance of religious liberty, which designates January 16 as Religious Freedom Day; and

WHEREAS our nation’s founders recognized the importance of religious freedom and secured this liberty in the words of the First Amendment, declaring that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”; and

WHEREAS the free exercise of religion has undergirded the social efforts of many Americans, notably Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday on January 15 we commemorate each year; and
WHEREAS the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18) declares, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” including the right “to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance” and, in spite of this, religious freedom continues to face challenges, persecution and coercion, violent and non-violent, around the world; and

WHEREAS our country has embraced a unique tradition of religious liberty that has prevented religious domination, conflict and persecution and nurtured an environment where religion has flourished and where people have been left free to choose which faith they shall follow or none at all;

NOW, THEREFORE the City Council of [City], [State] hereby declares January 16, 2019 to be “Religious Freedom Day” in our community.

We encourage city government, community groups, schools and places of worship to reaffirm their devotion to the principles of religious freedom and educate and reflect on the importance of religious liberty so it may continue secure as part of our nation’s fabric.

We encourage citizens and government to be mindful of the principles of religious liberty in their decisions, attitudes and actions.

On this day let us give thanks for this precious right that has so profoundly shaped and sustained our Nation, and let us strengthen our efforts to share its blessings with oppressed peoples everywhere.

“City of Seal Beach Civility Policy”

1. Treat everyone courteously;
2. Listen to others respectfully;
3. Exercise self-control;
4. Give open-minded consideration to all viewpoints;
5. Focus on the issues and avoid personalizing debate; and,
6. Embrace respectful disagreement and dissent as democratic rights, inherent components of an inclusive public process, and tools for forging sound decisions.

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Bible Insight: New Ruler, New Taxes?

Anxiety is high as California prepares for a new governor who won’t be as frugal as outgoing Jerry Brown (who himself wasn’t as frugal as his reputation led us to expect). Already a tax on texting has been floated. More to come.

Here is a very timely biblical story. What happened when people oppressed by high taxes under the “old administration” (King Solomon) came to ask for relief from the new ruler Rehoboam?? The story is in 1 Kings 12:1-15.

All the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.”

But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
So…all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke…” [Way to go, Rehoboam! Is his ghost still with us?][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

As We Enter Another New Year – A Word on God’s Faithful Presence no matter how the Sands of Life shift beneath us

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
(Psalm 90:1-4, 12 New International Version)

Isaac Watts, 18th Century English clergyman, theologian, logician and hymn writer, is known as “The Father of English Hymnody.” In 1719 he wrote the classic, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” based on Psalm 90.

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.

Under the shadow of thy throne, still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone, and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God, to endless years the same.

A thousand ages, in thy sight, are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night, before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood, And lost in foll’wing years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream, bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last, and our eternal home.

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Don’s Upcoming Ministries

January 5, 2019 – Speak on the value of Bible reading at the Men’s Fellowship of Grace Community Church of Seal Beach.

February 28, 2019 – Speak on “Evangelicalism” as part of the “Religion 101” series sponsored by the South Coast Interfaith Council (7:00 p.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion, 6360 E. State University Drive in Long Beach).

April 14, 2019 – Speak in morning worship services at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach.

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com
Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”December 2018 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”1146″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Best Humor of the Season So Far

Seen by our daughter at a supermarket in Corona, CA (Sorry, Santa!)

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Thanksgiving Reflection 2018

One hundred years ago, November 11, 1918, the Great War ended. Filled with optimism, many hoped it would be “the war to end all wars.” * It was not to be, for the human capacity to do evil runs deep, and when evil people come to power the world shudders.

Just five years later, on November 8, 1923, Adolf Hitler would launch his bid for power in what came to be known as the Beer Hall Putsch. Though seemingly a failure, it was actually a launching pad:

“The failed coup turned out to be quite a boon for Adolf Hitler. His trial brought him more attention and publicity than ever before. With a crowd of thousands—including press from around the world—watching the proceedings, Hitler made the most of this opportunity by going on the offensive.” (history.com)

And he used his year of imprisonment “profitably” to write Mein Kampf.

In 1933 Hitler came to power. In 1939, just 21 years after Armistice Day, the world was into what would be an even worse war. Nazism and much of Communism are gone as systems today, but our world is still fraught with “wars and rumors of wars.” Because of the still-dangerous times in which we live, we must pray, intercede, and give thanks earnestly for our leaders and for peace in our troubled world (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

We must pray thankfully for those in our armed services today—their protection and the success of all just missions. For we need to be a strong nation as well as a good nation, and we should pray we will always be both.

Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light,
Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.

* This optimism emanated especially from President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson’s Presbyterian Christianity would be, I believe, in step with today’s optimistic post-millennialism, expressed in many of the contemporary praise choruses we uncritically sing (my, we’ve come a long way since Hal Lindsey and the Jesus Movement!).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Bible Insight for Advent

“John the Baptist—the Most Unusual Evangelist You Could Ever Meet”

“…the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
A voice of one calling in the desert,
Prepare the way for the Lord”
—Luke 3:2-4 New International Version)

The Christmas Story really begins with John and his godly, elderly parents. Zechariah was a priest, and at the appointed hour the angel Gabriel appeared to him with a message of promise: Zechariah and Elizabeth would have a son who would be named John. He would be a forerunner to Jesus the Christ, pointing to him and preparing the people for his life and ministry. We call him “John the Baptist” because water baptism was a key part of his ministry. It was in water baptism that converts would confess their sin and receive God’s forgiveness.

What was John like? He was a most unusual prophet, indeed! Still, he was “God’s man” for one of history’s most important roles. Here’s what his father Zechariah was told:

“He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.” (Luke 1:14-15a)

John would bring joy—to his parents and to the world. How? By being “great in the sight of the Lord.” Simply put, John’s life would please God greatly. So would Jesus’ life, but that comes later in the story (Luke 2:52, 3:21-22).

I’d like to think that anyone who wills to do so can be “great in the sight of the Lord.” We do this by obeying God’s two Great Commandments: Love God with all our hearts; love our neighbor as ourselves. If we do these, we will fulfill God’s commandments. From this we will bring joy to others.
Sons and daughters who bring joy to their parents and to others are fulfilling a vital purpose for their lives, indeed.

“He is never to take wine or other fermented drink…” (15b)

John’s life was that of an ascetic. He lived in the desert, wore a garment of camel’s hair and ate locusts and honey. His lifestyle fit his “end of this age” message: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

I must stress that Jesus lifestyle was almost the opposite. He drank and dined with “sinners” (Matthew 11:18-19). In my mind, I picture Jesus reclining at a table eating and drinking with sinners while John preached on the street corner nearby.

This reminds us that God does not create “cookie cutter” followers. He brings many people of many lifestyles into his service for many purposes, so long as godliness is practiced by all.

“…and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.” (15c)

What made John’s experience unique is that he was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born! In the Bible, “filling” may be prolonged or ad hoc.

The Holy Spirit of God would empower John throughout his entire life. God’s Spirit empowers God’s followers to do the tasks he wants them to do and to bring the message he wants them to bring.

“He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (16-17)

John’s message would call people to reconciliation—getting right with God and getting right with others. Reconciliation between fathers and children is of the highest importance. In our own day we see the results of “failed fatherhood” when little or no effort is made by so many fathers to mold their children wholesomely and to bless them with love.

John’s message is needed more today than ever before.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –

“The law knows no heresy, and is committed to the support of no dogma, the establishment of no sect.”
– U.S. Supreme Court, Watson v. Jones, 1871
“Go and make a careful search for the [Christ] child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
– King Herod to the Maji (Matthew 2:8)

King Herod was conniving to kill Jesus, fearing he might someday become a competitor to his rule. (The more all-pervasive the government, the more religious freedom is threatened and people of faith risk oppression.)

Thank God, in America we do not look to the government to enforce or defend our doctrines. Nor do we expect the government to come out against us for what we believe and practice (though this is happening increasingly). Rather, we look for religious freedom to be secured.

Here are two modern examples of religious freedom being denied:

1. Asia Bibi in Pakistan

In June 2009, Asia Bibi was accused of blasphemy after an incident with co-workers. She was harvesting berries with a group of other women farmhands in a field. She stopped to take a drink with an old metal cup she had found lying next to the well and was told it was forbidden for a Christian to drink water from the same utensil from which Muslims drink.

Bibi recounts that when they made derogatory statements about Christianity and demanded that she convert to Islam, she responded, “I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins of mankind. What did your Prophet Mohammed ever do to save mankind? And why should it be me that converts instead of you?”

She was subsequently arrested and imprisoned. In November 2010, a judge sentenced her to death by hanging for blasphemy.

Human rights groups came to her defense. Minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti and Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer were both assassinated for advocating on her behalf and opposing the blasphemy laws.

On October 31, 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Bibi. She was released from jail on November 7. But on November 2 the Government of Pakistan signed an agreement with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik political party (TLP), which was leading protests. This agreement barred Asia Bibi from leaving the country. (Source: “Asia Bibi Blasphemy Case,” Wikipedia)

Surely her life and her family are still in grave danger.

2. “E.S.” – an Austrian woman and the European Court of Human Rights

In 2011, an Austrian court convicted E.S. of “disparaging” Islam and fined her 480 euros. At a seminar, she called Muhammad a pedophile because of his marriage to a girl named Aisha, who was just 6 years old at the time.

Her case went before the European Court of Human Rights. E.S. fought the conviction on several grounds. For one, she said her statements about Muhammad were true. She also claimed that she wasn’t defaming the prophet but rather contributing “to a public debate” about him.

The ECHR ruled E.S. is not protected by the right to freedom of expression and her statements represent “an abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam which could stir up prejudice and threaten religious peace.”

“Whether it’s called ‘blasphemy’ or ‘hate speech’ the idea that speech can be punished merely because it offends someone is something that comes as a shock to anyone raised in the United States where the First Amendment has, thankfully, been interpreted to protect even the most offensive forms of speech.” – Doug Mataconcis, “Europe’s Crackdown On “’Hate Speech’ Making Blasphemy Laws Cool Again,” Outside the Beltway, November 4, 2018

My Commentary

Several years ago I attended a meeting of clergy in Long Beach to hear a Muslim scholar (Ph.D., Harvard) argue in favor of “anti-blasphemy laws.”

My responses were that this wouldn’t pass a constitutional challenge in America and the answer to bad speech is better speech, not banned speech. Furthermore, I said that since the instance the speaker referenced was in Great Britain blasphemy could only pertain to words against the Christian deity since Great Britain was officially (though very nominally) a Christian nation and the Queen is the head of the Church of England.

Is the European Union going to reintroduce some form of Inquisition to enforce a particular view of deity and religious truth, or punish those who disparage any religion?

As a Christian living in the US, I do NOT have a right NOT to be offended.

Nor does the government owe it to me to come and defend my faith.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

December 2 – The First Sunday of Advent
Speak in morning worship services (8:00, 9:30, 11:00) at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach on John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus. Sermon title:

“The Strangest Evangelist You Could Ever Meet”

February 28, 2019 – Speak on “Evangelicalism” as part of the “Religion 101” series sponsored by the South Coast Interfaith Council (7:00 p.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion, 6360 E. State University Drive in Long Beach).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

A Father’s Prophecy to John the Baptist

Luke 1:76-79

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

A very Meaningful and Merry Christmas to all!

And a Prayer for a Wonderful Season pondering the Birth of Jesus and all it means to a troubled world.

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”November 2018 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Jamal Khashoggi’s Last Words to the World

“Arabs living in these countries* are either uninformed or misinformed. They are unable to adequately address, much less publicly discuss, matters that affect the region and their day-to-day lives. A state-run narrative dominates the public psyche, and while many do not believe it, a large majority of the population falls victim to this false narrative. Sadly, this situation is unlikely to change.”
– Jamal Khashoggi (last opinion column for The Washington Post, published October 17, 2018)
* All Arab countries other than Tunisia, Jordan, Morocco and Kuwait[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Bible Insight – Thanksgiving for Government

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV

It may seem difficult if not silly to give thanks for “all those in authority.” We may feel their office is illegitimate, or their rule is corrupt. Well, join the real world. History and the contemporary world are full of bad examples.

Yet, biblical people of God managed to “work within the system” in spite of corruption, selfishness, greed and quest for power. Daniel served in the royal court of Babylon and also in the Persian government. Joseph served the Egyptian ruler. Nehemiah was a key official under the Persian king.

The Apostle Paul had every right to have a love/hate relationship with the Roman government of his day. It protected his citizenship rights. But it also could be cruel and arbitrary with justice. Soon it would persecute the early Christians who refused to accept the theocratic demands of Rome.

Yet, Paul (and Peter) saw the Roman government as God’s instrument to secure justice and punish evil, be it ever so imperfect while it did so.

If Paul could call Christians to “prayer, intercession and giving of thanks” for rulers in the Roman system, how much easier is the obligation on us to offer petitions and thanksgiving to God for our American system—flawed to be sure, but immensely freer and more responsive than Rome would ever be.

So as we enter this very meaningful Thanksgiving Season, let’s be realistically thankful and prayerful for our president and governor, our elected legislatures, our appointed judges. If all we do is acquiesce or complain while failing to pray and give thanks, we share blame when the state goes astray.

Pastoral Arrogance and Pride

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” – Romans 12:3 (NIV)

We pastors can be an arrogant sort! After all, we are “the Lord’s anointed” and have been trained in superior knowledge—knowledge the laypeople will get through us. We are exceptionally spiritual and we stand tall in strength and faith. (None of this should be taken seriously, but often is.)

I’ve expressed my opinion that pastors should worship with the congregation during services and mix with the people before and after worship. Pastors must pace themselves, yes (I did this speaking in three Sunday morning services for 15 years), but must not be reclusive.

Apparently a fad has been around called “armor-bearing” (like David was Saul’s armor bearer—1 Samuel 16:21). I’m not surprised. It’s a pious form of pastoral hubris. Please read these words by J. Lee Grady:
My friend Charles wanted a mentor. He was eager to learn the ropes of ministry, so he asked an older pastor for training. The pastor agreed—but Charles soon realized the man wanted a valet, not an apprentice. Charles became the man’s “armor bearer.”

The man never took Charles on hospital visits, involved him in ministry assignments or prayed with him. Instead, Charles was expected to carry the guy’s briefcase, fetch coffee and take suits to the cleaners—with no salary offered. In this case, “armor bearer” was a hyper-spiritualized term for “slave.”

The bizarre armor-bearer trend became popular in churches more than 20 years ago, but unfortunately, it’s still practiced in some circles. It appeals to insecure leaders who need an entourage to make them feel important.

Some pastors have even assigned trainees to serve as bodyguards—complete with dark glasses. They are instructed to keep people away from the pastor so he doesn’t have to talk to anyone after a church service (because the poor preacher might be “drained of his anointing” if he fraternizes with common folks).

Excuse me while I barf. I’m not sure what is more nauseating: That some ministers think they are discipling young leaders by exploiting them, or that church members tolerate such pompous behavior from a so-called man of God. And we wonder why many young people have stopped going to church?

—J. Lee Grady, “The Most Ridiculous Charismatic Doctrine We Ever Created,”
Fire in My Bones, August 8, 2018[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
– 1st Amendment

Disclosure: I am of libertarian sentiment. I am a passionate advocate of
1st Amendment rights, especially free speech and free exercise of religion.

The Origin of “The Wall of Separation”

I’m currently taking an on-line course from Princeton University called “Civil Liberties.”
One lesson discussed extensively the metaphorical “Wall of Separation” between Church and State. A law journal article by Professor Stephen L. Carter of Yale Law School traces the background and meaning of this metaphor. What we learn is very different from how many see the metaphor as keeping religion from influencing the state. Read for yourself…

The separationist metaphor was popularized in the New World by Roger Williams, the Baptist preacher (among other things) who founded Rhode Island, fIrst as a refuge for those seeking religious freedom from Puritan Massachusetts, although it later became the site of religious discriminations of its own.

Williams coined the metaphor of the garden and the wilderness to describe the relationship between the church and the society it inhabited. For Williams, the garden was the place of God’s people, the community of people of faith, who gathered together to determine what the Lord required of them, nurturing and building their religious understanding in relative tranquility. Outside the garden was the unevangelized world, what Williams called the wilderness. And between the two, separating the wilderness from the garden, was a high hedge wall, constructed to protect the people of the garden in their work of religious nurture.

The hedge wall existed to keep the wilderness out, not to keep the people of the garden hemmed in. It was the vital work of the garden, not the less vital work of the wilderness, that the wall was built to protect…

…let it suffice to say that the Supreme Court was wrong, and has been consistently wrong, in attributing American authorship of the idea of a wall of separation to Thomas Jefferson rather than to Williams.

But even if Roger Williams, the seventeenth century Baptist, believed that the wall of separation existed to protect the church from the state rather than the other way around, is it not possible that the Enlightened eighteenth century gentlemen who drafted the Constitution were worried more about the influence the church might gain over the state?
Well, no.

Later in the essay Carter explains the Christian understanding of obedience to the state—when it is proper and when it is not. His brief words are strongly in accord with Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

The Christian tradition, even though it counsels obedience to properly constituted state authorities, nevertheless places obedience to God above obedience to the will of the state. Yet the tradition teaches that the authority of the state to rule is given by God.

The two propositions do not erupt in paradox because they are mediated by a corollary: if the state consistently commands what God forbids, or forbids what God commands, then perhaps it is not, after all, constituted by God, and therefore is not the state and need not be obeyed.

Excerpts from “Reflections on the Separation of Church and State” by Stephen L. Carter, 44 Arizona Law Review 293 (2002). Professor Carter is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor at Law at Yale Law School.

Important books by Dr. Carter:
The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion
God’s Name In Vain: The Wrongs And Rights Of Religion In Politics
The Dissent of the Governed[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

A Victory for Religious Freedom and Free Speech

Atlanta’s Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was fired in 2015 for writing a book on issues faced by Christian men, including sexual issues. The book was based on Bible lessons he taught to men’s groups at the Baptist church where he is a member.

Last December a federal district court struck down Atlanta’s policy requiring government employees to get permission before publishing anything – which is the policy the city used to justify firing Chief Cochran.

Rather than see the case appealed, the City Council of Atlanta agreed to pay Chief Cochran $1.2 million. It was a partial win for Cochran—the court supported some arguments against Cochran. See my larger discussion of this case on my Website (March, 2015 Newsletter). For an excellent reading of the legal issues, go to www.firelawblog.com/2017/12/22.

Freedom of speech, freedom to publish, and freedom to believe as you choose and then to exercise those beliefs—all are foundational to our constitutional democracy. Without them, liberty is lost.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Don’s Upcoming Ministries

December 2 – The First Sunday of Advent
Speak in morning worship services (8:00, 9:30, 11:00) at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach on John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus.

February 28, 2019 – Speak on “Evangelicalism” as part of the “Religion 101” series sponsored by the South Coast Interfaith Council (7:00 p.m. at the LDS Institute of Religion, 6360 E. State University Drive in Long Beach).

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

APPENDIX: A Word to Pastors and Church Leaders…

“Financial Pointers Pertaining to Pastors”

I was recently asked by an executive of a financial institution that serves Christian ministries to write on the personal financial needs of pastors.
Here is most of what I wrote, with edits:

I begin with two old stories:

1. A candidate for the state legislature in Indiana was surprised to learn from me that pastors paid income taxes.
2. A store clerk (in the early 1970’s) saw “Rev.” on my check and was hesitant to take it. “You’re a reverend so you don’t work.”

Here are several important “pastor and finances” points.

Pastors need to know about income tax law. Too many just talk to each other about it. Even an accountant who doesn’t work with pastors’ taxes probably doesn’t know what pertains to clergy.

Pastors need to know about Social Security exemption rules. Many think (in some cases after being instructed wrongly if not deceptively) that they can sign a simple form [#4361] and then opt out of paying Social Security (Self-Employment) Taxes. Truth is, they can’t in good conscience sign this form unless they are opposed to government programs like Social Security as a conviction of their faith. In addition, the pastor requesting exemption must notify his denomination’s ordaining council of his request and convictions. Very few can do these. A pastor who opts out is either (1) lying, or (2) carelessly disregarding the rules, or (3) following bad advice without investigating things further.

Some pastors don’t think they have to pay Social Security Tax (Self-Employment Tax) on their parsonage allowance. They do.

An important resource on these first points, if not others: Stewardship Services Foundation.

Pastors need to stop “living by faith” (unlike other believers) and start thinking of their retirement needs at an early age (this includes Social Security, but also retirement plans especially suited to clergy). They should ask their churches to support the program they have (such as a matching 5%/5% matching plan). Few boards will oppose this; few will know about it if they are not told. Boards that oppose this don’t deserve a good pastor in the first place. My denomination has its own plan (see brackets below) and my church started participating in it from the get-go.

[My relatively small denomination once had a miserable retirement plan for pastors that made no monetary sense. The program was going broke. In 1985 a study committee was appointed to research and recommend a new program and report back in one year. We launched a modern plan that now has 377 participants and almost $18M in investments. In the process of serving on the study committee, I analyzed financial data from the pastors. Dividing them into three groups—early, mid, late career—I found that most of the late-career pastors were in the Social Security system but most of the early-career pastors had opted out. Worse, they hadn’t started any program to replace Social Security!]

Pastors need to be sure their boards understand what makes a pastor’s pay package a fair one. Who else is better situated to tell them than the senior pastor (unless the church has a business administrator)? For example, boards need to know that 16.3% of a pastor’s salary will be used to pay Self-Employment (Social Security) Tax. If the pastor were an employee, the church would have to pay half of this. But a pastor is considered “self-employed” for Social Security Tax purposes, so must pay the entire amount. A fair church will at the very least want to reimburse 1/2 of the Self-Employment Tax.

At least the Board ought to know (even if it’s not appropriate to tell this to wedding couples or families of the deceased) how honoraria for weddings and funerals/memorials work. Let’s say a pastor receives $300. If he drives 30 miles to provide his services, that’s about $16 (double if he is at a wedding rehearsal). Self-Employment Tax will be about $48. State and federal income tax might come to about $70. That leaves a net income of about $166. In other words, a pastor may end up with just about half, more or less, of the original honorarium. If the church sets the rate for wedding honoraria, these factors should be taken into account as well as the approximate number of hours needed to provide pastoral services for such events.
Young pastors are usually very idealistic when they enter ministry (many churches will soon cure them of this). Almost every pastor I know has a spirit of servanthood. As a result, some churches will take advantage of them and still more churches simply will not establish fair compensation plans and stick with them. Senior pastors need to realize they should advocate for their staff, and if they don’t look out for their own situation the rest of the staff will get even less. One way to look out for oneself and one’s staff is to insist that all staff take and carefully guard a weekly Sabbath—a day completely free of church responsibilities when one can do as he/she wants without needing to justify anything. This day must be respected by other ministry staff and office/administration.

Pastors should respectfully decline, in most cases, to live in church-owned housing, especially if the parsonage is next to the church. There are exceptions (if you know a ministry will be short-term, or if you own a home elsewhere, or if the parsonage overlooks the ocean or some other scenic view [!]—the decision depends on many factors). But if the pastor can’t soon start building equity, he may never be able to enter the housing market or have equity at the end of his career.

Pastors must avoid excessive debt (credit balances too high, etc.) and the church board is right to monitor this as a biblical qualification for the job (and perhaps realize it needs to pay the pastor more). Boards should offer, or even order, financial counseling when needed.

Pastors must be sure their churches provide for reimbursement of expenses (NOT an expense allowance or an auto allowance) so their professional expenses are properly provided. As employees of the church, pastors cannot use “Schedule C” for deducting job-related expenses. Another reason for a reimbursement procedure is that church leaders need to be aware of what it actually costs to fulfill the ministries of the church and make sure the pastors aren’t paying some of these costs out of their own pockets.

I hope all this helps. If I receive any other thoughts worth sharing, I’ll pass them on.

Don Shoemaker
Pastor Emeritus
Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, California[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”October 2018 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

“Ethics schmethics—
it’s all manmade!”
– Dr. Jack “Dr. Death” Kevorkian (1928-2011)

Dr. Kevorkian demonstrates his suicide device

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

In this Newsletter:

ETHICS
Part 2

Was the infamous doctor correct?

Or can ethics rest on something or someone transcendent?

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

50 Years of Ministry—What a Privilege!

1968 – 2018

Leaders of Grace Brethren Church of Elkhart, Indiana in October 1968.

I was newly called to this church to serve as Associate Pastor and was licensed to the Christian ministry. I’m in the middle; Pastor Gordon Bracker is on my immediate left.

I look on October 1968 as the start of my ministry as a pastor. Grace Brethren Church of Elkhart, Indiana, under the pastoral leadership of Gordon Bracker, licensed me to the ministry as I became the Associate Pastor there while a senior at Grace Theological Seminary.

It has been a great 50-year journey. Almost two years in Elkhart, six years at Los Altos Brethren Church in Long Beach, California, eight years teaching theology at Biola University, twenty-eight years as Senior Pastor at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach, California.

Now, since 2012, I’ve served as Pastor Emeritus at Seal Beach. For almost all of these years, my heart has burned with a desire to influence my culture for good, in light of biblical values and teaching.

I thank my wife, Mary, whose patience and support and counsel have benefitted me these fifty years. I thank the Elkhart church and Pastor Bracker, whose “shepherd’s heart” mentored me. I thank the members of the Los Altos church who accepted me and put up with a very young pastor. And I thank the wonderful leaders and members of Grace Community Church in Seal Beach for giving me a fantastic pastoral experience for so many years, till I was “a very young pastor” no more!

I thank God for calling me to the ministry and for giving me, I trust, an ever-open mind. Also, God has given me resilience against all the pressures on what I must do and be in order to build a “great” church when what we really need is more pastoral leadership to build truly “good” churches.

The Meaning and Sources of Ethical Values—Part 2
By Donald Shoemaker

In the September newsletter we looked at two questions:

1. What is Ethics?

“Ethics” is the study of basic concepts and fundamental principles of human conduct. Simply put, it looks at right and wrong.

Whether this can be done without some sort of higher reference point, an ultimate reality, is hotly debated. In my opinion, in the absence of a Creator God who gives us standards to live by, it’s “your word against mine.”

2. What Makes Ethics “Christian”?

To be “Christian,” ethics must start with the confession, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.” It must also affirm the ultimate authority of Holy Scripture.

“Christian Ethics” builds on Creation Ordinances, the Ten Commandments, the Life and Teachings of Jesus, and other biblical themes.

Now we examine other features of ethical values.

What about “Natural Law”?

Simply put, “Natural Law” looks at nature as a source of information enabling us to decide right and wrong. “God gave us two ears and one mouth, thereby giving us a sense of proportion between listening and talking.” That’s very simple Natural Law!

“Natural Law” is a debated concept among Christians. Can certain moral values be discerned by human reason and conscience and by observing the world apart from special revelation (the Bible)? It appears to me that there is a basis for this in scripture. But there are cautions: Natural Law is limited by sin and human propensity for self-justification and often by misapplication of and lack of clarity from nature itself.

Many teachings of the “sage” in the Book of Proverbs are drawn from human observation of consequences (for example, what happens when laziness prevails [Proverbs 24:30-34]).

Amos 1-2 describes God’s judgment on the nations surrounding Judah without making reference to God’s special revelation in the Law. Rather, the wrongs are what we today would call “crimes against humanity” and secular rulers should know these actions are evil even though they don’t know God’s Law.

Sodom and Gomorrah did not possess God’s special revelation. Still, God destroyed these cities for being “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned” and “they did not help the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). They knew better!

Romans 1:20-32 gives a strong basis for Natural Law, in my opinion. “…since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 NIV). In other words, as the late commentator Charles Krauthammer (himself an agnostic) would say, it is more reasonable to conclude from nature that God exists than not.

Romans 1:20 says God’s eternal power and divine nature are knowable. That is, a powerful divine being exists and we are accountable for knowing this. Verses 24-32 give a litany of moral obligations derived from the created order.

Natural Law undergirded the Declaration of Independence and the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of our nation’s founders were not Christians by confession, but they did believe in a just and orderly society governed by God-given principles known from nature. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy expressed God’s authority over nations this way: “…the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.”

Religious liberty is an important principle drawn from belief in a Creator God. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786) that the Creator could have bound the mind of man had he willed to do so. But instead God created us with freedom of thought and will. The implication was that man must not bind what God created free. Hence, religion must be a voluntary matter and not something mandated by the state.

A Distinction: Biblical Ethics and Christian Ethics

It is important that we distinguish (but never separate) biblical ethics from Christian ethics. Even suggesting this may alarm some, but hear me out.

Biblical ethics strives to unfold what the Bible actually teaches on an issue.

Christian ethics strives to apply Biblical ethics to contemporary situations. To do this, we start with understanding a biblical issue as broadly and best as we can. We move on to understand how Christians have wrestled with the issue through history, with special emphasis on our own cultural past. Then, we strive to articulate a reasonable, viable application to our present-day issue. This process is always open-ended—knowledge grows and positions may change.

Biblical ethics is the foundation; Christian ethics is the structure built on it. If we stop with Biblical ethics, we fail in our duty to be contemporary Christians. If Christian ethics moves off the biblical foundation to a different foundation or floats in the clouds (“Do what the Spirit is saying to your heart today.”), it ceases to be Christian.

Another Distinction: Christian Personal Ethics and Social Ethics

Personal ethics focuses on the “interior life” and our individual spiritual responsibilities. Study the Word, pray without ceasing, live the Spirit-filled life, keep the Beatitudes, be baptized and partake of Communion and be in a church fellowship with other believers—these are matters of personal ethics.

Social ethics addresses how God wants us to interface with the larger (secular, non-theistic or pagan, relativistic) culture and its issues. What does God expect in the realm of business? What are our rights and duties as Christians in America? What should we strive to accomplish? Freedom to have Christian schools? Influence on secular education? Bettering our community? Voting and participating in government at all levels and in all positions? All yes!

Responsible Christian ethics won’t settle for one or the other by itself. Personal ethics alone may lead to cultural withdrawal and quietism. Social ethics alone may replace God with our neighbor (“When you love your neighbor, you love God in your neighbor”). The two categories can overlap.

Applied Ethics: Abortion as an Example

We have no explicit references to abortion anywhere in the Bible. * We do have an ethic that values human life, and extends the protections of human existence to the poor, the immigrant, the disadvantaged, the vulnerable, the helpless. We find principled compassion for people in the depths of their circumstances. We have biblical references that speak of God’s regard for the unborn and of “personhood” characteristics (Psalm 139 and Luke 1:39-45).

Many references from church history show protection for the unborn. In sharp contrast to its culture, the Didache (“The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”, dated +/- 100 AD) taught new believers this: “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not seduce boys. You shall not commit fornication. You shall not steal. You shall not practice magic. You shall not use potions. You shall not procure [an] abortion, nor destroy a newborn child” (Didache 2:1–2).

We should not expect teaching through the centuries (such as theories of “ensoulment”) to dictate our modern ethic apart from the modern findings of human biology. Modern biological findings about prenatal human life give strong support for application of our “life” ethic to the unborn.

Finally, Christian ethics would strive to apply convictions on abortion to our wider culture. In so doing, we will contend with the current state of the law and societal attitudes. What pro-life ministries we have and what laws we seek or settle for will reflect both our convictions and our need for pragmatism. Simply put, we strive for the Kingdom of God while recognizing we still live under the imperfections of the kingdoms of man.

A Final Word

Christian ethics is an exciting adventure! Let’s ride its wave. In so doing, we will be fulfilling the message of God’s Law and the prophets and doing what Jesus taught us to do: to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

* Exodus 21:22-24 is a unique case requiring separate explanation.
[NOTE: see appendix on the last pages for (1) a simple definition of Natural Law theory;
(2) a footnote: Does Romans 2:14-15 teach Natural Law?; (3) some personal or group projects on Christians ethics; (4) recommended resources.][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

First Amendment Vigilance –
Freedom of Speech & Public Leaders: A Local Case

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
– 1st Amendment

Disclosure: I am of libertarian sentiment. I am a passionate advocate of
1st Amendment rights, especially free speech and free exercise of religion.

Here’s a free speech issue that popped up in the closely-knit idyllic community of Seal Beach California, where I’ve been privileged to serve in many ways for thirty-five years.

A local public educational leader posted a Facebook comment regarding Nike’s featuring of quarterback Colin Kaepernick in an ad: “When Nike signs an anti-American thug to represent their brand, I will not support, wear, purchase or endorse their product.” (The Nike ad is banal and amoral: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” As if acting on a cause, whatever it is, is ipso facto honorable. No. The cause must be good.)

Very clearly, these words by this public leader, writing as a private citizen, are constitutionally protected speech. Public officials absolutely do not forfeit their citizenship rights when they speak as private citizens. Any government action that tries to limit such speech would have a hard day in court.

But is this racist hate speech as has been charged? In my opinion, it is inaccurate to call Mr. Kaepernick a “thug”—I’ve seen no evidence of that. Nor do I think this is a racial slur—I’ve seen many thugs and I know this mark of low character knows no racial boundaries.
“Anti-American?” Peaceful protest itself is not anti-American. But what is the specific protest and why is it being done? The explanation is that Mr. Kaepernick and others are protesting racial inequality by kneeling during the National Anthem. In my opinion, one can make that protest in ways much more constructive that do not, on the surface, diss the National Anthem.

If several people turned their backs every time they saw me walking with my wife and said they weren’t insulting us, but really expressing their belief that ministers should not be married, forgive me for not getting the message.

How might this protest energy be more clearly focused? How about full-page thoughtful ads in the sports sections of major newspapers? How about supporting programs that lift people toward success or illumine people about their racial blind spots? *

Back to this public school educator. Prudence and wisdom would dictate that one must be careful not to convey in any way that the words are official “government speech.” Wisdom would say that raunchy words are uncivil and deserve public rebuke. Slanderous words, which these are not, open one to civil liability. In this case I see no wrongdoing.

If someone “takes offense,” that does not make our words improper. There’s a difference between “giving” offense and “taking” offense. “Giving offense” is communicating with the deliberate intention of creating negative reaction. But people can take offense all day long to religious speech or to strong partisan words—that doesn’t make these words uncivil or wrong.

One critic plans to wear Nike items “head to toe” to the next PTA meeting. Good! The best response to free speech you find offensive is more free speech.

America doesn’t need anti-blasphemy laws or any other chilling of free speech. We see far too many instances of free speech, whether religious, political or other, being suppressed and the speaker punished or endangered. Now that’s “anti-American thuggery!”

* I was raised with the concept of “tithing”. Give 10% of your income to God and the work of his church. In this case, I propose that activists donate 10% of their income to further their cause. One thing this would show is the genuineness of their dedication. As Jesus said, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also” (Matthew 6:21).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Bible Insight – Morality and Government Service

“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” – John 8:7

“It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” – John the Baptist to King Herod (Mark 6:18)

“Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice. Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed.
It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” – Daniel to Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:27)

I’m deliberately writing this prior to and without reference to whatever might be determined, or not determined, concerning accusations about Supreme Court nominee John Kavanaugh’s alleged conduct in an incident as a teenager.

Standards for public officials have been changing for years. President Kennedy’s private life was guarded and separated from his public life, which is how things were handled in that political era. Ted Kennedy, whose own adult escapades had cost a woman her life, served on the Senate Judiciary Committee that heard sexual accusations against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, for goodness sake. President Clinton reset the bar while in office, giving future presidents different standards to live down to. Those who voted for Donald Trump knew they were not electing a choirboy.

The pendulums that separate public and private lives and that set the bar for those seeking public office are always in motion. We must beware of judging something from decades ago by the same criteria we want to enforce today.

Jesus’ words in John 8:7 * must give all who sit in judgment pause.

John the Baptist charged King Herod with breaking God’s Law by marrying his brother’s wife. He didn’t tell the king that he was unfit to hold his high position in Roman governance because he had willfully violated God’s Law.

Daniel told King Nebuchadnezzar that his evil and pride could be remedied by changing his behavior in matters of morality known by all. “Renounce your sins of the past and practice what is good in the present.”

Professing Christians need to be held accountable to biblical standards. Public officials are accountable to public mores and the laws of the land. Typically, this accountability takes into account the passage of time, the severity of an offense and the culpability of the accused (e.g., whether a minor or not).

Another take-away from John 8:7 is this: “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

Finally, since the allegations involve alcohol excess, let’s all be warned by the “Natural Law” lesson of Proverbs 23:29-35 –

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?”

* I’m aware of the textual issues of John 8:1-11, namely whether this account is authentically part of John’s Gospel. The scene is very “Jesus-like”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Appendix for “The Meaning and Source of Ethical Values”

One Simple Definition of “Natural Law Theory”

Natural Law Theory is “the quest to identify moral and political principles that can reasonably be affirmed without appeal to theological claims or religious authority.”
– “Public Morality, Public Reason” by Robert P. George in First Things, November 2006.

* A Footnote on the Epistle to the Romans and Natural Law

Many, many teachers of apologetics will quote Romans 2:14-15 in defense of Natural Law:
“…when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.”

But this proof-texting is a misinterpretation of Paul’s words in context. When Gentiles “do by nature” (obey) what God’s law requires, they are doing the deeds that evidence faith that justifies (verse 13). “…it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” This “obedience of faith” is the theme of the entire epistle (1:5). Not all Gentiles “do by nature” what God’s law requires, but those who do so will be saved.

Some Exercises on Christian Ethics:
• Pick a contemporary issue (other than abortion) and answer, “How does biblical ethics shed light on this issue, and what would Christian ethics teach on it?”
• Have you leaned more toward “Personal” ethics or toward “Social” ethics? What can you do to bring balance to your ethical outlook?
• What do you think about “Natural Law”—its legitimacy and ethical conclusions?
• Review the statements on “Creation Ordinances” in Part 1. How does our culture deviate from these? How would you present them to our culture?
• In Part 1, nine ways the Bible guides our ethics are presented. Can you think of additional ways? Which biblical guidance has been most profound in your life and ministry?

Recommended Resources:

Beckwith, Francis J., Do the Right Thing (Jones & Bartlett, 1996)
Grudem, Wayne, Christian Ethics: An Introduction to Biblical Moral Reasoning
(Release date: June 30, 2018)
Grudem, Wayne, Politics According To the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Zondervan, 2010)
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology (Zondervan, 2000) See: Part 3-Docrine of Man;
Chapter 31-Common Grace; Chapter 46-The Power of the Church
Horton, Michael S., Beyond Culture Wars (Moody Press, 1994)
Prager, Dennis, Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom, (Regnery Faith, 2018)
Rae, Scott B., Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics (Zondervan, 2009)
Shoemaker, Donald, “God’s Saving Grace and God’s Common Grace,” GraceConnect (Fall, 2015)
Shoemaker, Donald, “The Bible and Christian Social Action,” Grace Magazine (Fall, 2004)
(contact me for a copy of either of these last two articles)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”July-August 2018 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

A Valuable Independence Day thought…

“In a modern civilization, all three – religion, democracy and international good faith – complement and support each other.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt

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President Franklin Roosevelt’s memorable “State of the Union” speech in 1939 showed great foresight on the looming danger to religion, democracy and international good faith.

Storms from abroad directly challenge three institutions indispensable to Americans, now as always. The first is religion. It is the source of the other two-democracy and international good faith.

Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God, gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches him to respect himself by respecting his neighbors.

Democracy, the practice of self-government, is a covenant among free men to respect the rights and liberties of their fellows.

International good faith, a sister of democracy, springs from the will of civilized nations of men to respect the rights and liberties of other nations of men.

In a modern civilization, all three — religion, democracy and international good faith — complement and support each other.

Where freedom of religion has been attacked, the attack has come from sources opposed to democracy. Where democracy has been overthrown, the spirit of free worship has disappeared. And where religion and democracy have vanished, good faith and reason in international affairs have given way to strident ambition and brute force.

An ordering of society which relegates religion, democracy and good faith among nations to the background can find no place within it for the ideals of the Prince of Peace. The United States rejects such an ordering, and retains its ancient faith.

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Bible Insight – “Filled with the Holy Spirit” (Part 2) What the Bible DOES Say!

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” – Ephesians 5:18-21 (NIV)

In the first part of “Filled with the Holy Spirit” (June Newsletter) we considered what we quite surprisingly DO NOT FIND at all in the Bible.

1. Nowhere in the New Testament does anyone SEEK to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

2. Nowhere in the New Testament does anyone PRAY to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

3. Nowhere in the New Testament does anyone FOLLOW STEPS to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. Nowhere in the New Testament does anyone TESTIFY to being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Let’s lay these aside and look positively now at what the Bible DOES say. First we note that God’s Holy Spirit is a personal being, not a liquid. So, being “filled” is a metaphor for being greatly influenced or controlled by the Spirit.

1. In the Old Testament, the Spirit’s filling was SELECTIVE as to person and purpose.

Not every believer in God was filled with God’s Spirit. The filling of the Spirit provided the empowerment and ability to certain people God chose to do the tasks God wanted done.

At the time Israel made a Tabernacle for worship (Exodus 35-40), a worker named Bazalel was “filled…with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.” Here we learn “natural talents” can be invigorated by God’s Spirit and invested into God’s service.

God’s Spirit came upon seventy rulers of Israel who assisted Moses (Numbers 11:25). The Spirit came on Israel’s judges and prophets and military leaders and kings (not on all, of course, but on many).

Sometimes the person God empowered to do the needed task was quite unsavory, to say the least. Samson, Israel’s “Incredible Hulk”, is hardly our model of a man to follow (Judges 13-17). King Saul was a sore failure. And God’s Spirit came on a crooked prophet named Balaam (Numbers 24:2).

2. The prophetic hope was for a UNIVERSAL OUTPOURING of God’s Spirit. This hope was realized on the Day of Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection and return to his Father in heaven.

Unlike the occasional, selective empowerment of the Spirit found in the Old Testament, the OT itself prophesied a universal outpouring of the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29). Gentiles as well as Jews, women and men, young and old, servants and free men—all share in this outpouring on Pentecost and after. Empowered by the Spirit, we ALL (not just prophets, missionaries and pastors) are called to be ministers. The Holy Spirit is the Great Equalizer!

3. The “Filling of the Holy Spirit” seems, in my opinion, to have TWO DIMENSIONS.

The TASK dimension. In the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts there is a very common infilling of the Holy Spirit that empowers certain people to do the task God wants done (Luke 1:15, 41, 67; 2:25-27; Acts 2:4; 4:8; 9:17; 13:9, 52) and to be strong in the face of adversity (Acts 4:31; 7:55). Many of these accounts are similar to the Old Testament’s accounts of empowerment.

The CHARACTER dimension. There are a few cases where the filling of the Holy Spirit actually marked the character of a person—“There goes a Spirit-filled man!” In Luke-Acts certain people are identified as “full of the Spirit” as an abiding mark of character—Jesus himself, Stephen (and the other “deacons”), and Barnabas (Luke 4:1, Acts 6:3-6; 11:24).

This emphasis on personal character is more in line with the Apostle Paul’s teaching on the results of being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21).

4. One cannot CONFESS JESUS AS LORD (the “saving confession” of Romans 10:9-10) without the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Thus, I am of the opinion that every Christian is filled with the Spirit at the time of conversion, when Jesus is confessed as Lord. In the New Testament, the gift of the Spirit is linked with faith/repentance/confession and water baptism (the context of confession). See Acts 2:42; 9:17-19; 10:44-47; 22:16.

This saving confession will lead us to the Spirit’s GIFTS (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:3-7) and GRACES (what we call the “fruit of the Spirit”—Galatians 5:22-26). In nurturing and manifesting these gifts and graces, our mode is one of active obedience, service and surrender (Romans 12:1-2), never passivity.

5. Why, then, would the Apostle Paul command BELIEVERS to be filled with the Spirit? Because the Spirit’s indwelling, empowering presence is not a static thing but a DYNAMIC REALITY.

Being “once filled” is no guarantee that the Spirit’s empowering presence will automatically be our ongoing reality. Both Pentecostals and non-Pentecostals need to see this.

We are like a car that needs refueling. The purpose of the gas is to power the car, not sit in the tank. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s presence is to flow through us in service, not simply be an inner resident who blesses us.

Hence, Ephesians 5:18 gives the commandment to CHRISTIANS (who already have the Holy Spirit), “Be filled with the Spirit.” The present imperative verb points to something continual. It demands an ongoing appropriation. But how do we do this? Paul gives no answer—no instructions at all.

It is important to see that the filling of the Spirit in this context is a “corporate” reality more than an individual reality. “Be filled” is a plural verb. Even more, note the evidences (speaking in songs to one another, submitting to one another). As the Spirit fills the congregation, the members are caught up into the realm of the Spirit. Right thinking about the Holy Spirit should be a corrective to the individualism that so pervades the Evangelical community.

6. Colossians 3:16, a parallel scripture, says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” The results/evidences are exactly the same as the results/evidences of being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18-21.

7. Thus, being “filled with the Spirit” and being indwelt richly by “the word of Christ” are very much the same thing, if not the same thing.

What is “the word of Christ”? It’s not the same as “the words of Christ” (Jesus’ teaching) though it includes Jesus’ teaching. “The word of Christ” is the entire message about Jesus—his life, ministries, teaching, death on the cross, resurrection, ascension, second coming. This “word” is life-transforming, and indwells us through the ministry of the Spirit and our effort to know Jesus.

This 2-part summary on the filling of the Holy Spirit is incredibly brief for so rich a topic. But I hope you find it useful and a catalyst to learn more.

The Battle of the Bibles

Remember “Two Corinthians”—candidate Donald Trump’s gaffe? Worse than how he located a verse (3:17) when speaking at Liberty University (the school founded by Jerry Falwell) was how he used it. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Mr. Trump added, “That’s the whole ball game!” What?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions referenced Romans 13:1-7. He rightly said, God ordains government and commands obedience “for the purpose of order.” But this doesn’t validate or demand obedience to every magisterial command. The Apostle Paul, author of Romans 13, refused the order of a magistrate, which would have swept his unjust detention under the rug (Acts 16:35-39).

Former candidate Hillary Clinton quoted Matthew 19:14 (from the King James Version), “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” She played on the obsolete word “suffer.” “[Jesus] did not say let the children suffer.” I still search for how this instructs us on border issues.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Religious Liberty Vigilance – The Peril of Ignorance, the Greater Peril of Opposition

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” – The First Amendment

Ignorance of our national values and founding documents is a great peril to preservation of our precious liberties.

A survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center finds that most Americans are ignorant of many very basic facts about the Constitution.

* More than one in three people (37%) could not name a single right protected by the First Amendment.

* Only one in four (26%) can name all three branches of the government.

* One in three (33%) can’t name even one branch of government. Not one.

A closer look at the First Amendment question reveals that 48% recalled that the Amendment protects the right to freedom of speech. The other rights protected by the Amendment (freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to petition the government, and freedom of assembly) are far less well known. For example, only 15% remembered the right to freedom of religion.
Source: Ilya Somin, “Public Ignorance about the Constitution” The Volokh Conspiracy, Sept. 15, 2017
Worse than ignorance is that many Americans don’t agree with the freedoms articulated in the First Amendment. Scary! Our celebration of our freedom on July 4 needs to include a commitment to teach and embrace our freedoms.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Broken Borders, Broken Families, Broken Hearts

By Donald Shoemaker

The situation at our nation’s border where families have been separated remains very fluid. The President signed an executive order. By the time this newsletter is sent, things could change and change again.

I don’t need to say much about the particulars—you know them. I understand that the number of children separated from parents is about 12,000. Of them, 10,000 were sent to the USA alone and over 2,000 were brought by a parent.

Laws passed by legislatures often provide for a range of applications that are decided by those who write regulations or issue directives. So it is in this case. At their best, politicians are fulfilling their calling by striving to balance rights and values and the rule of law. At their worst, they are grandstanding and posturing for political advantage.

Let’s be deeply in prayer for our country and our leaders as they wrestle for a resolution to the current dilemma. Let’s pray and work for civility in how our leaders and citizens talk to and treat one another. I’ve heard words on this issue by Christians that I could not reproduce here. And the actions against political opponents in places that should be respites from politics (like restaurants) are known to all.

On the issues of immigration, might we all practice the admonition of the Prophet Micah, who calls us to “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God”?

On the next page is a resolution of my denomination that I had a role in preparing. It has been approved since 2012 in various versions and will be presented again in July.

I also recommend you read the resolution ON IMMIGRATION just passed by the Southern Baptist Convention:
www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc18/resolutions

Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches Resolution on Immigration

Recognizing that:

a. All people are made in the Image of God,
b. Respect for the rule of law is essential in a civil society,
c. Secure borders are the right and need of every nation,
d. Israel was frequently reminded by God that she should show mercy to the immigrant because she, too, was once an oppressed and exploited people,
e. The prophets in Scripture demanded special compassion to the exploited and vulnerable, including the “alien in the land”,
f. Our nation is populated by people from a multitude of cultures and lands,
g. The presence of undocumented people in this country and in our churches is a fact and a complex issue not easily resolved,

(1) We therefore call on our churches to give prayer, thought, discussion and action toward addressing the problem of the undocumented immigrant in a God-honoring way.
(2) We recognize the divisive and controversial nature of this debate and we encourage dialogue in the churches that is respectful, open-minded and solution-focused.
(3) We further call on our churches to be the “reconciling presence of Christ” in the midst of a broken system that creates rancor, resentment, racism, selfishness, fear, exploitation, and disregard for law.
(4) We call on our society and elected leaders to rise above political posturing and rancor to work toward a solution on immigration that:
a. Respects the God-given dignity of every person,
b. Rejects the nativism that ignores the love of God for all and our country’s
history of immigration and openness to the foreigner, as captured in the
words enshrined on the Statue of Liberty,
c. Protects the unity of the immediate family and seeks the best interests of
native-born children of undocumented immigrants,
d. Respects the rule of law,
e. Holds employers accountable for ensuring the legal status of workers
f. Creates secure national borders,
g. Ensures fairness to taxpayers,
h. Develops a generous and fair “guest worker” program,
i. Protects all immigrants from exploitation and violence,
j. Establishes a pathway toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who
qualify and who wish to become permanent residents or citizens—a
pathway that both achieves justice and loves mercy.

We recognize that meaningful solutions to this problem are not easily reached. We also recognize the solutions must come through a determined will to reach them and cannot be ignored time after time, year after year.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Patriotism in Worship Services—Another’s View

“Whenever Christians pay tribute to earthly blessings like American freedoms… words and songs should have no triumphalist or assertive tone, especially not for any military expression, but, rather, should have a feel of humility and lowliness and dependence and thankfulness along with a suitable call to repentance and need for ongoing mercy.”
– Pastor John Piper
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Don’s Upcoming Ministries

July 23-26
• Attend ACCESS 2018, the annual gathering of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (Charis Fellowship)
• Interact with military chaplains in my role as Associate Military Endorsing Agent
• Present proposed resolutions on contemporary issues to delegates at the annual business session in my role as Chairman of the Social Concerns Committee

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”949″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”“A Piece of My Mind”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:50px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][vc_custom_heading text=”September 2018 Newsletter” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30px|text_align:center|color:%232633ef” google_fonts=”font_family:Bitter%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Advancing Christian Faith and Values,
Defending Religious Liberty for All,
Supporting Civility and the Common Good
through Preaching, Teaching, Writing, Activism and Reasoned Conversations

www.donaldshoemakerministries.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”687″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

“Ethics schmethics—
it’s all manmade!”
– Dr. Jack “Dr. Death” Kevorkian (1928-2011)

Dr. Kevorkian demonstrates his suicide device

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Was the infamous doctor correct?

Or can ethics rest on something or someone transcendent?

In this Newsletter and next:

A Two-part look at ETHICS

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The Meaning and Sources of Ethical Values—Part 1
By Donald Shoemaker

What is Ethics?

“Ethics” is the study of basic concepts and fundamental principles of human conduct. Simply put, it looks at right and wrong. The study of ethics can be examined from either values-neutral or values-driven perspectives.

Ethics can be studied as a social science endeavor. As a science, this approach cannot tell us what is right or wrong—only what people perceive to be right or wrong and why. It can explore issues such as what the social consequences might be to the extent an ethical position is exercised throughout a culture.

Ethics can also be studied as a quest to find out what actually is right and wrong. Reasoning is applied to issues and moral judgments drawn. Whether this can be done without some sort of higher reference point, an ultimate reality, is hotly debated. In my opinion, in the absence of a Creator God who gives us standards to live by, it’s “your word against mine.”

“Without God all things are permitted.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
“If there is no Creator, there is no design, and no purpose. All is random and ultimately meaningless, including right and wrong.” – Dennis Prager

Often in human experience right or wrong is decided by whoever has power. When this is done it is an example of an appeal to something transcendent—in this case the state or the dictator. “So far as right and wrong are concerned, there is no difference between the two. The strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept” (quote from History of the Peloponesian War in Prager, Exodus: God, Slavery & Freedom).

Likewise, relativistic ethics labors under an impossible burden. How can we speak values to the rest of the world when we don’t believe there are any absolutes valid the world over? How can we know it’s wrong for other cultures to subjugate and mutilate women in horrible ways?

Fortunately, many who strive for good in the world don’t follow through with the logical implications of their limited value systems.

What Makes Ethics “Christian”?

To be “Christian,” ethics must start with the confession, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.” It must also affirm the ultimate authority of Holy Scripture.

Christian Ethics can benefit from the social sciences and moral theorists but its ultimate source and standard are much different and much higher:
A Creator God who, by being God alone (monotheism) and God of all the earth and all creation, guides by means of several revelations.

1. “Creation Ordinances” (discussed below).
2. The Torah—The Five Books of Moses (both its lawful principles and its “case law,” which gives proper application of lawful principles to specific circumstances).
3. The Ten Commandments. These were given by God to his covenant people Israel and must be applied accordingly. Still, the Second Table of the Law (commandments 5-10) helps establish a just and healthy society anywhere.
4. The Noahic Commandments stated or implied from Genesis 9:1-17. Because God gave this instruction before he called out a people to be his covenant nation many see these laws as binding on all humanity: (1) the sacredness of human life; prohibition of murder and execution of the murderer, (2) implied: establishing a system of governance and justice, (3) be fruitful and multiply in number, (4) implied: sacredness of the marriage covenant and therefore prohibition of adultery, (5) permission to eat meat as well as plants, but not flesh torn from a living animal.
5. The Old Testament. This canon is “inspired of God and profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16). It must neither be laid aside nor adopted wholesale as a moral guide. It must be viewed through the “Jesus lens,” which is his life, teachings and atonement (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
6. The Life and Teachings of Jesus. See how Jesus’ suffering is exemplary for believers in 1 Peter 2:21-23. Ponder the Sermon on the Mount and much more. But do not claim that Jesus’ teachings alone are sufficient! Recently I heard of some who call for “red letter” ethics—seek what Jesus said and live by that. This reductionism wrongly limits our ethical guidance and ignores what Jesus himself taught about the authority of Scripture and apostolic teaching. In practice, it may not even expound fully what Jesus taught, such as on marriage.
7. The Moral Influence of the Bible. Various Biblical statements and stories have shaped cultures for the good (e.g., The “Golden Rule” and the story of “The Good Samaritan”).
8. The Narratives of both Testaments (Joseph, Moses, Ruth, Esther, David, Daniel, Nehemiah, Simon Peter, as examples).
9. The Transformational Power of the Bible. The Bible molds “the kind of person” God desires (loving, passionate for justice, merciful, kind, forgiving, etc.) as we grow into being responsible moral agents.
“Creation Ordinances” is a special source of ethical principles. Grounded in the creative acts of God, especially his creation of human beings, it is appropriately applied to all humanity, not just to God’s covenant people (Israel and the Church).

What moral teachings should we draw from the Creation accounts (found in the first two chapters of Genesis)?

• The Sabbath Principle (the weekly “rhythm”)
• God’s highest creation: humankind made in the Image of God
• Gender distinctions of “male” and “female”
• The covenant bond of marriage
• Propagation of the human race through marriage and family
• Stewardship (not ownership) of Creation

Next month: Part 2 – Natural Law; Distinction between Personal Ethics and Social Ethics;
Distinction between Biblical Ethics and Christian Ethics; Abortion: Applied Ethics[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Religious Liberty Vigilance –
Church and State—Keep Them Separate!

“I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”
– Thomas Jefferson (1802) Letter to Danbury Baptists

During the last presidential campaign a large group of pastors gathered around candidate Donald Trump and pronounced this prayer:
“President-to-be Donald Trump, we decree and declare from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet that the favor of the Lord will surround you like a shield, in Jesus’ name.”

Outrageous! But we expected this from Christian Fundamentalists, didn’t we? After all, they’re always trying to break down the “Wall of Separation” between Church and State. No wonder secular leftists are outraged!

But wait a minute! My error! This prayer wasn’t prayed over Donald Trump. These pastors prayed over candidate Hillary Clinton! Where was the outrage?

Seems like a different standard exists when left-wing politicians cozy up to religion. Which takes my thoughts to the tight race in Ohio’s 12th Congressional district. That district includes my hometown of Mansfield.

On Sunday, August 5, Democratic congressional candidate Danny O’Connor attended Oasis Church in Mansfield and mixed it up with members. Sometimes Democratic candidates are even lauded by ministers during worship services and can be found sitting on the platform or even sermonizing to the congregation.

The issues of what the “wall of separation” really means and how it can be violated need to be reasonably debated. Perhaps this “prayer of anointing” by the pastors and perhaps the candidate backslapping worshippers in Mansfield are not serious breaches in the wall after all.

But when a pastor lauds and supports a candidate from the pulpit—there the wall has been breached.

This point is most important: both “religion clauses” in the First Amendment (no establishment of religion; no prohibition of the free exercise of religion) were limitations placed on government, not on citizens or on religious bodies.

We need more bricks on the Wall to keep government out of the affairs of churches, religious organizations and believers as they practice their faith. That interference concerns me more than a prayer over a candidate or his visit to church. The latter may be unwise; the former is a serious threat.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Captain David Rosa
—A Senseless Death

Long Beach CA firefighters responded to an alarm shortly before 4:00 a.m. on June 25. While he was ascending stairs in the high-rise apartment complex, Captain Dave Rosa, 45, was shot and killed by a 77-year old resident (who ironically died later in a hospital jail ward). Captain Rosa, a 17-year veteran of the Long Beach CA fire department, left a wife and two sons.

I attended the memorial service with other members of the Seal Beach Police Department. The Long Beach Area held thousands, including the entire Long Beach Fire Department. It was an emotional time full of warm tributes and meaningful words from the Rosa’s pastor. Captain Rosa was an outstanding Christian and citizen and firefighter who had mentored many.

I am filled with sorrow and anger at this crime, and for the great loss this senseless killing brought to family, colleagues, community and so many others.

Civility in Government and in Professional and Personal Life
—A Resolution

Genuine civility moves past simple politeness or pragmatic concerns and sees those with whom we disagree as full equals before God. It enables us to hold the respectful dialogues without which democratic decision-making is impossible. Civil people approach their government institutions with awe and gratitude. Civility is both the duty not to do harm and the duty to do good.

Civility cares for one’s own identity, needs and beliefs without degrading others in the process. It is about disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening past one’s preconceptions, and asking others to do the same. Civility is the hard work of stopping to listen even with those with whom we have deep-rooted and fierce disagreements.

God’s “Common Grace” (the gifts and abilities he bestows to all mankind) enables all people to practice civility. God’s “Regenerative Grace” enhances the ability of Jesus’ followers to treat others rightly.

Meaningful civility begins at the top—communication by the White House and Executive Branch, by members of Congress, and other government officials, whether federal, state or local. The tone set by leaders, and (when appropriate) rejected by leaders, will affect political and personal discourse throughout the country.

We look with alarm at the deterioration of communication, especially good face-to-face communication, in today’s political climate. Therefore, we call on political leaders to be honest and respectful in their political rhetoric, and to duly honor other political leaders in spite of political differences and flaws. We urge communication that truthfully focuses on issues and avoids harmful ad hominem characterizations of people.

Meaningful civility must also exist in the news media and in personal communications, especially in the use of social media. Commentators and reporters must separate facts from rumor and opinion and strive for helpful and wholesome communication at all times. Social media must be used with honesty and care. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger” (James 1:19). Our churches need to teach and model this continually. Communicators should strive for “Golden Rule Communication.”

We condemn all acts of incivility, including outright violence and destruction, and denying others their constitutional right to free speech and freedom of association and assembly.

(This Resolution was adopted by my denomination, Charis Fellowship, also known as the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, on July 26, 2018).

Bible Insight—Fairness to All

(Not just to “me and thee” but not to “he”!)

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” – Leviticus 19:15

“Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.”
– Deuteronomy 16:19

The Roman statue known as “Lady Justice” is a metaphor for a justice system that is fair and impartial. Its widespread presence at many a courthouse is evidence that the values of fairness and impartiality reflected in the Law of Moses are widespread. When God commanded these virtues he clearly did not intend that they be limited to the theocratic people of Israel.

So, how are we doing? Rather well overall, it seems. But much more vigilance and work is needed to ensure full compliance.

A mantra of the religious left has been, “God has a special bias for the poor.” Certainly, God stands for those who have no one willing or able to stand for them. But “bias”? I don’t think so. The phrase, “Do not show partiality to the poor” has been criticized, which underscores the importance of teaching it.

But what about the rich and well-connected? Where is impartiality?

Our church went through major exterior renovation in 2017. It took two years for the approval process to make it through government scrutiny. But do you notice how massive projects benefitting the wealthy get subsidized, “fast-tracked” and exempted from environmental and other concerns?

What about “corporate welfare” for Hollywood ($1.8 billion in tax breaks benefitting producers and stars) and Disneyland (a new hotel)? What about new stadiums getting taxpayer dollars and environmental exemptions?
“Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.” – Proverbs 19:6. Stay vigilant! Demand impartial justice and fair government. For to do so is to share God’s passions![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Final Words from Senator McCain

“Thank you for the privilege of serving you and for the rewarding life that service in uniform and in public office has allowed me to lead. I have tried to serve our country honorably. I have made mistakes, but I hope my love for America will be weighed favorably against them…

“To be connected to America’s causes – liberty, equal justice, respect for the dignity of all people – brings happiness more sublime than life’s fleeting pleasures. Our identities and sense of worth are not circumscribed but enlarged by serving good causes bigger than ourselves…

“We are citizens of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We have helped liberate more people from tyranny and poverty than ever before in history…

“Do not despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history.”

I noticed Arizona’s Seal under Senator McCain’s casket as he lay in state in the State Capitol.

“DITAT DEUS” means “God Inspires.” This has been part of the seal since Arizona became a state in 1912.

“VAYA CON DIOS” – “Go with God” – Friend Tommy Espinosa’s Tribute. I give thanks to God for this strong and good leader.

My Website: www.donaldshoemakerministries.com

Contact me at: donaldshoemakerministries@verizon.net[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]