the joys of political science

recently in my political science class, we were instructed to pick a topic covered in our text and write a research paper on it. the 2nd Amendment has always been something of interest to me, as i firmly believe in the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. following is my research paper on this topic, which i am hoping you find to be enjoyable ;-)

The Second Amendment: Is Bearing Arms a Constitutional Right?

Luke Wagner

POLSC115 On-Line

Prof. Stan Mendenhall

November 27^th, 2009

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

- 2^nd Amendment, United States of America Constitution

“To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.”

- George Mason

“They that can give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety.”

- Benjamin Franklin

“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it.”

- Declaration of Independence

“I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials.”

- George Mason

“…No free man shall be debarred the use of arms within his own land.”

- Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution of 1776

Table of Contents

I. History of the Second Amendment

a. How it came to be

i. The writing of the Constitution, penning and acceptance of the Second Amendment

b. Purpose and intentions of the Founding Fathers

II. Everyone has an Opinion

a. Modern Interpretations

i. Why most are wrong

b. Even Liberals admit they are wrong, sometimes

c. Who is the Amendment intended for?

III. One more Purpose

a. The right of Self-defense

b. Why is this important?

IV. Is Bearing Arms a Constitutional Right?

a. Changing times equals biased tolerance

b. The Government as Master

c. It shall not be infringed upon

d. The next step

The issue of the Second Amendment can be described as a “hot topic”, perhaps now more than ever before. In recent years it has gained attention with other issues like abortion and gay rights, always gaining greater notice during election times. With this issue come opposing viewpoints and thoughts covering extremes on both ends, and others being found more towards the middle of the spectrum. In this short paper it is my desire to explore the ideology and purpose of the Founding Fathers behind the 2^nd Amendment, historical and modern interpretations of the Second Amendment and, in the end, come to a final conclusion as to whether the right to own and use a firearm today is truly a constitutional right. But as with all research papers, first a little history must be brought to light.

History of the Second Amendment

When this great country was first being formed, it was under British rule. Comprised of small colonies spread along the east coast facing a mysterious wilderness of sorts to the west, it was vastly different from what we find the United States of America to be today. After the first pilgrims landed in James Town in 1607, the first representative assembly was established (Welch, 22). Over the next several years there were constitutions and assemblies within each colony, but because of British rule the assemblies had to submit to royally appointed governors and troops. It was not until 1774, after years of conflict between self-government by the colonies and the mother British government, that the Continental Congress was established in an attempt to coordinate their actions. Two years later in 1776 Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Five years after that, while the Revolutionary War was still taking place, the States ratified the first constitution. This constitution was called the Articles of Confederation, and allowed each state to retain its own “sovereignty”, in essence making each state supreme over the national government.

The Articles of Confederation were short lived though, and in 1787 the Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia with fifty-five delegates from the State legislatures being present. It was at this meeting that instead of revising the Articles of Confederation as they had been instructed to do, they created a brand new constitution. After much deliberation, conflict and compromise, on September 17^th, 1787 thirty-nine of the original fifty-five delegates signed what we now have and call the Constitution. Soon after the ratification of the Constitution, George Washington became the nations first President in 1788.

It was James Madison who drafted twelve amendments, including the 2^nd, which we will be examining here. After being drafted, Congress proposed them, and then the States ratified ten in 1791. For the 2^nd Amendment in particular, there were many factors behind the writing of it. As with all the contents of our historical documents, the words and phrases used were carefully selected, often times being debated over for long periods of time. Ideas for the wording and meaning of the 2^nd Amendment came from many sources, mainly from similar documents that were earlier drafted for State Bills of Rights, as well as from many suggestions from state conventions. A great example of this is the Virginia Constitution of 1776 in which Thomas Jefferson penned, “…No free man shall be debarred the use of arms within his own land.” With all of the State Constitutions including a section on the bearing of arms though, four beliefs could be found across the board: 1) the right of the individual to possess arms; 2) the fear of a professional army; 3) the reliance on militias controlled by the individual states; and 4) the subordination of the military to civilian control (Court).

On June 22^nd, 1788 the 2^nd Amendment was penned. The purpose for penning such an Amendment was well grounded in history and experience. Having just ended the Revolutionary War with Britain, there was a very real fear of the creation of a standing army, one which could in time threaten democracy and civil liberties, such as had happened in Rome and Britain (Origin). The purpose is perhaps best described by Professor Joyce Malcom, as she points out two distinct goals of the penning of the 2^nd Amendment: 1) it was meant to guarantee the individual’s right to have arms for self-defense and self-preservation, and 2) those privately owned arms were also meant to be used in militia service (LaPierre, 14). The 2^nd Amendment that we have in the Bill of Rights today is not, however, the original wording. When it was first penned, the amendment was much lengthier and more explanative, as can be seen in the following:

“That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state; that standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided, as far as the circumstances and protection of the community will admit; and that, in all cases, the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.”

Here we see the intention of Madison and the other Federalists in penning the 2^nd Amendment. That original purpose was clearly “to establish a ‘well-regulated’ democratic army of citizen-soldiers instead of a professional army; not to encourage the anarchic proliferation of weapons in civil society” (Origin). What we read above was eventually whittled down to what we now read in the Bill of Rights:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Everyone has an Opinion

Over the years, as with any issue or topic, there have been different interpretations of the 2^nd Amendment. As mentioned before, they range from one extreme to the other. Three interpretations are identified in the online article “The Second Amendment”:

1) The civilian militia interpretation, which holds that the Second Amendment is no longer valid, having been intended to protect a militia system that is no longer in place.

2) The individual rights interpretation, which holds that the individual right to bear arms is a basic right on the same order as the right to free speech.

3) The median interpretation, which holds that the Second Amendment does protect an individual right to bear arms but is restricted by the militia language in some way.

Those in favor of gun laws will either align themselves with the first or third interpretation for their defense. But when the Amendment is closely examined within the context it was written, and when the original context of certain words used is taken into consideration, the first and third given interpretations have no grounds to stand. Let’s look at the word militia, the fourth word in the 2^nd Amendment. A modern interpretation can be found at Dictionary.com, giving four definitions for the word:

1) A body of citizens enrolled for military service, and called out periodically for drill but serving full time only in emergencies.

2) A body of citizen soldiers as distinguished from professional soldiers.

3) All able-bodied males considered by law eligible for military service.

4) A body of citizens organized in a paramilitary group and typically regarding themselves as defenders of individual rights against the presumed interference of the federal government.

Found at the same site defining the word militia is the following dated 1777: "the whole body of men declared by law amenable to military service, without enlistment, whether armed and drilled or not." This definition, dated closely to the time of writing of the 2^nd Amendment, gives us a clearer understanding of what Madison meant when he used the word militia. Shortly after the penning of the 2^nd Amendment, co-author George Mason said to the Virginia Assembly, “I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials.” He also made a clear distinction in his writing entitled Fairfax County Militia Plan between a “standing army” such as a guard unit, and a “militia,” composed of private citizens (LaPierre, 5). It is clear that the Founding Fathers, the authors of our founding documents and the 2nd Amendment, referred to the common people when using the word militia, not an organized military party as many today claim. Akhil Amar, a Yale Law Professor, is quoted speaking on the subject of the definition of the word militia in the 2^nd Amendment,

“When the Constitution means ‘states’ it says so… The ultimate right to keep and bear arms belongs to ‘the people,’ not the ‘states.’ …Thus the ‘people’ at the core of the 2^nd Amendment are the citizens – the same ‘We the People’ who ‘ordain and establish’ the Constitution and whose rights to assemble…is at the core of the 1^st Amendment. …Nowadays, it is quite common to speak loosely of the National Guard as ‘the State militia,’ but when the 2^nd Amendment was written…’the militia’ referred to all citizens capable of bearing arms. Thus ‘the militia’ is identical to ‘the people’… (LaPierre, 13).

Further, Professor Malcom points out that the idea or argument that today’s National Guard members are the only persons entitled to own and bear arms has no historical ground. The “militia” referred to in the 2^nd Amendment is the people (Guns, 15). Perhaps my favorite quote on interpretation of the 2^nd Amendment comes from CNN’s “Crossfire” co-host, liberal Michael Kinsley:

“My New Republic colleague Mickey Kaus says that if liberals interpreted the second amendment the way they interpret the rest of the Bill of Rights, there would be law professors arguing that gun ownership is mandatory” (LaPierre, 12).

One More Purpose

While the purposes of the 2^nd Amendment have been outlined previously, there is one that I believe is important to expand upon. Professor Malcom touched on the fact that one of the purposes of the 2^nd Amendment is the protection of the right to self-defense. However, today this is a point that is viciously argued against by those desiring gun laws, often saying that self-defense is not grounds for ownership of firearms. Wayne LaPierre, author and chief national spokesman of the National Rifle Association says in his book,

“The Founders’ purpose in guaranteeing the right to keep and bear arms was not merely to overthrow tyrants. They saw the right to arms as crucial to what they believed was a prime natural right – self-defense” (LaPierre, 20).

Even as early as 1765, the right to self-defense was considered an absolute right (LaPierre, 24). Today, the protection of this right is of greater importance then ever before. The point proven by many studies done over the years is that criminals fear armed citizens. Common sense tells a person that an unarmed citizen is more easily made a victim of a crime than one in possession of a firearm. LaPierre draws on a study done in 1993 by Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck that says, “As many as 2.45 million crimes are thwarted each year in the United States by average citizens using firearms, and in most cases the potential victim never has to fire a shot” (LaPierre, 23). Further pointed out by LePierre is that, “Counterattack – self-defense – has proved to be a more effective deterrent to crime then any of the laws on the books. Criminals don’t fear the law – but they do fear armed citizens” (LaPierre, 26).

Those in favor of gun laws will often times argue that these laws will lower crime rates. Yet, as pointed out, study after study has supported the fact that armed citizens are the best deterrent to crime. I remember learning from a fellow student at a place of secondary education that several of the students had concealed weapons permits and carried handguns with them in class. The fact that I was surrounded by competent and armed individuals made me feel safer than I had ever been before. I knew that, should an individual come through a door with the intentions of harming another, they would be either scared off or stopped in their tracks. It is interesting that other countries like Britain and Australia have seen increases in crime rates since banning firearm ownership by their citizens. George Mason once said, “To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them” (LaPierre, 5). Criminals know this and bank their success in completing a crime on it. It would do America good to learn from the mistakes of other countries.

Is Bearing Arms a Constitutional Right?

Times have changed since the founding of this great country and the writing of our founding documents. But changing times does not justify the reinterpretation of a constitutional amendment protecting the right of every law-abiding U.S. citizen. Perhaps LaPierre says it best:

“If ‘changing times’ justifies ignoring or re-interpreting the 2^nd Amendment, then ‘changing times’ affect many Constitutional rights, not just the right to arms” (LaPierre, 18).

Changing times is another point raised by those in favor of gun-laws. It is the same as their argument of tolerance with regards to the issue of religion. Those who are Christ following Christians are labeled as intolerant by those who hate Christians. Who is intolerant? Who, with regards to the 2^nd Amendment right to bear arms, is contradictory in their thoughts and arguments?

It is very clear that the right to bear arms is a Constitutional right, one that our government has no right to take away. The arguments based on crime, the interpretation of the word “militia”, and changing times do not stand when compared to history. Our Founding Fathers had very clear intentions in writing the 2^nd Amendment. It also appears clear that they knew at some point in the future of this great country, that right would be challenged by the government meant to protect it:

“As the Founding Fathers knew well, a government that does not trust its honest, law-abiding, tax paying citizens with the means of self-defense is not itself worthy of trust. Laws disarming honest citizens proclaim that the government is the master, not the servant of the people…” (LaPierre, 21).

Our government has clearly shown just this, a lack of trust in the people it is meant to serve. The government has positioned itself as a master, as one does who owns a slave. It is my belief that to lie down and give into the pressures of the government with regards to the 2^nd Amendment is one of the most unpatriotic things an American can do, right along with fighting for laws contradicting the 2^nd Amendment.

I often times wonder what our Founding Fathers would think of this country were they to be alive today. My guess would be “ashamed,” not only of the leaders, but of the people as well. Benjamin Franklin once said, “They that can give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety” (Guns, 10). The right to bear arms is a Constitutional right, whether it be for self-defense, hunting, or collection. It is a right protected by the Constitution itself, and one that should not be infringed upon by the government. But, things will not change unless the American people wake up and realize this fact. Nothing will change for the good of this country unless the American people recognize their duty as citizens to hold our elected officials accountable to the oaths they have taken to uphold the founding documents of this great country. That, though, is a hard pill to swallow these days, and one that is met with great opposition. This does not however negate the need to stand and fight; for if not, we will soon be like other countries around the globe: unarmed, defenseless and cornered by the government created and meant to serve us, the American people.

Bibliography

Cornell, Saul. A Well-Regulated Militia: The Founding Fathers and the Origins of Gun Control in America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Cothran, Helen, ed. Gun Control: Opposing Viewpoints. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2003.

Doherty, Brian. Gun Control on Trial: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over the Second Amendment. Washington, D.C.: Cato Institute, 2008.

Farewell to Arms?: Gun Control. Dir. Paul Marca. Hoover Institution & KTEH/San Jose Public Television, 1999.

Freedman, Warren. The Privilege to Keep and Bear Arms: The Second Amendment and its Interpretation. New York : Quorum Books, 1989.

“The Ideological Origins of the Second Amendment.” GunCite. 03 Nov. 2009

http://www.guncite.com/journals/shalideo.html

LaPierre, Wayne. Guns, Crime, and Freedom. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, Inc., 1994.

“Origin of the Second Amendment.” Project for Global Democracy and Human Rights. 03 Nov. 2009 http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/globalrights/usa/2ndamend.html

“SAF Gun Rights Frequently Asked Questions.” Second Amendment Foundation Online. 06 Oct. 2009 http://www.saf.org/default.asp?p=gunrights_faq#1.

“The Second Amendment.” About.com: Civil Liberties. 03 Nov. 2009

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/guncontrol/p/2nd_amendment.htm

“The Second Amendment Goes to Court.” Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective. 03 Nov. 2009

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/origins/article.cfm?articleid=7&articlepage=1&altcontent=no

“U.S. Constitution: Second Amendment.” FindLaw For Legal Professionals. Cases & Codes. 05 Oct. 2009 http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment02/.

Welch, Susan. Understanding American Government 12e. Boston: Wadsworth, 2008.

Williams, David C. The Mythic Meanings of the Second Amendment: Taming Political Violence in a Constitutional Republic. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

to slay

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

There’s a thought. And a hard one to practice. I was confronted today by my wife about my attitude lately. In all honesty, it has been one of rudeness and bitterness. And I was stuck with the question of why. Why am I bitter? Why am I so tense and angry? Why is it affecting me this way?

And then Amanda asked me something I had yet to think of.

Does my attitude have anything to do with my most recent work environment?

Now, in all honesty that was an area I didn’t want to visit again. I had walked away from it, feeling damaged enough, and here I am asked to re-examine it? Perhaps it is the counselor in her, but she had a point; I needed to examine it more closely.

So reluctantly, I spent some time reflecting on that past environment and noticed some similarities in my thought patterns. While working where I did, it was made very clear to me that I did not give enough, or perform good enough. My performance was expected to be perfect, and though I knew perfection was not achievable, the criticism and negative attitudes constantly surrounding me, in time brought me down. In time, my thought pattern switched from one focused on Christ to one focused on myself. It changed from one of positive, Christ-centered thought to one of negative and overly critical thought.

I had allowed, unknowingly, this negative attitude to take over my thought life. And in turn, it has had a negative effect on my relationship with my wife. Instead of responding out of love and grace, I have misinterpreted everything as criticism and recoiled back until enough is enough, and I spring back with hurtful negativity. And all the time I have sat here wondering why things have not been fun like they used to be. Why do we not enjoy each other like we did before the wedding?

See, I never realized the significance of my thought patterns in relation to other areas of my life. I had been raised with the mentality that you leave work at work, and just assumed that meant the attitude stayed as well. And honestly, I had tried on several occasions to do just that. But the reality I believe is that you can never fully leave work at work; you can never fully separate an attitude associated with one thing from another. Our attitudes are transcendent; they are not independently attached to a given situation. They follow us from one to the other, just as we walk from point “a” to point “b”. Yet, I don’t believe we think that.

So we end up in a spot much like I am. Angry, bitter, stressed out, recoiling and springing with venom at those we love most. And all the while, not knowing why. Paul tells us though, in his letter to the Philippians how we should think.

8…whatever is true…noble…right…pure…lovely…admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.

Our thoughts should be on what is good. What is holy…our thoughts should be on Christ and our Father. Not ourselves, and not the negativity we find surrounding us. Paul knew what a negative thought life could do to a person. He knew the destruction it could bring in its wake. He knew from experience that our thoughts have significant bearing on our actions and our words. The impact is great, for good or bad.

We live in a fallen world, so negativity will be with us until the end. Everywhere we go, everything we do; there will always be an element of negativity surrounding us. Yes, even within a group of believers. Being Christian does not make one immune to negativity. But the truth remains; God provides a way out when faced with sin and temptation. When we find ourselves pressed by negativity, we can turn to Paul’s words. See, it’s so easy to criticize someone, to put them down; especially when we’ve had it done to us. But as followers of Christ, we are called to be different. We are called to be holy just as the Father. Not that we will be perfect, but that in recognizing our imperfection we strive to follow Christ in all that we do. And practice of Paul’s words brings something much greater than any high some bit of criticism towards another can. It brings peace from God, one that transcends all understanding. The peace that deep down we humans desire, the filling of the void all posses from the fall; Peace from God is the answer we seek. The question then, is how badly do we want it? Are we willing to lay our pride down? Are we willing to humble ourselves not only before God, but in front of others? Are we willing to appear weak, when all we have shown is strength? Are we willing to trust in a God who is infinitely greater, infinitely more powerful, and infinitely more capable of fulfilling our needs than anyone or anything else conceivable?

Our beliefs shape our thoughts, and ultimately shape our actions. The real question we must wrestle with is what do you believe about God? Is He what the Scriptures say? Or is He some evil kill-joy, trying to ruin our lives? The things Paul encourages us to think about are essentially traits of God. He is noble, trustworthy, pure, true, right, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy! That is my God, and those are the things I want to think about. I want to think about Him. What I believe about Him, shapes what I think about Him. And in turn, this effects how I think about other things in my life.

Negativity, just like any other sin, only has a hold on us as long as we allow it to. Not that we in of our selves can defeat it. No, it is Christ! But as long as we lie down and allow ourselves to be overrun by Satan, negativity’s grasp on us will not weaken. It’s with Christ, when we wake up and recognize His power within us, through the Spirit we become more than conquerors. When we let go of the reigns of our life and turn them over to Christ, only then will negativity’s grip be broken. And with this freedom through and in Christ, we can practice Paul’s words of exhortation. We can through Christ, find the peace we long for. And ultimately our thoughts can be rightly placed on God and His Son.

Our thoughts influence more than we realize. And more than that, our beliefs are of greater importance than we often give them. We though, are the only ones who can decide what those beliefs will be.

So I ask, how do you want to think?

the next step

you know the old saying, God is good?

well, im here to tell ya this is very true. and by His grace, He has been good by granting us something good.

as many of you probably know by now, i made the decision by God's leading not to return to Moody this coming fall. it was a tough one to make, but i was blessed with a great deal of peace in the end. the first half of this summer i wrestled with being patient and jumping the gun in figuring out what i was going to do this coming fall. amanda and i had talked a great deal about getting married before school started, and perhaps me attending a university in arkansas.

but God had something else up his sleeve for us, something great.

we both felt lead to pursue marriage this august, and so we set out in prayer knowing that if this was God's desire for us, He would open the doors. after some thought and counsel regarding school, we felt lead to have me do a year of ICC, and stay in this area. this decision lead to the finding of a full-time, year round job.......an essential to any marriage (financially that is).

and this is where i get to say, God is good!!!
this past friday i recieved a phone call from the campus housing at ICC, informing me that they would like to offer me the position of Resident Director. it was the day we really needed to say either we go forward with the wedding, or call it off. and God showed up, throwing the door open for us. God has opened so many doors for us just within the last month, allowing things to fall right into place for a wedding next month. it is He we give the praise to, not man. it is by His grace that the job was offered to me. and it is by His grace that everything for the wedding has worked out!

i ask for your prayers as we both prepare for the actual wedding date, and for me as i also prepare for this new job. the environment will be vastly different from what i have experienced in the past. but my God is great, and where i am lacking He is sufficient.

it has begun

much has been happening in my life, as some already know. for those who have been out of the loop and want back in, click the image to the right and read on.....

overwhelming peace

well, another school year has come and gone, and there has been much happening in my life just over the last few days. i left Moody without saying much, and for that i apologize. for those who have not heard, i will not be returning next year to Moody. it was a last minute decision, but one that was prompted by God. mixed feelings come with it, though i am at great peace, despite not having a clue as to what is next. i have many doors open before me, including school, full-time employment, and even over-seas missions. i am not yet sure what God has in store for me concerning next school year, but i am patiently waiting to see, trying different doors and seeing which one God will leave open. i enjoyed my time with friends at Moody, and i want you all to know i will miss you a great deal. many of you i did not get to say goodbye to, and i hope to be back again to visit. through this last week though, i have been reminded of a great truth. when everything falls apart, all of your plans and ideas....God never does. He never leaves, He never changes. He is always there, waiting for you to come to Him. i have shared with some that i have never felt as helpless as i do right now. my funding for my ministry is below par, and i have no idea what i am going to do next school year. but in the midst of what many would find confusing and stressing, i have total peace. not one bit of stress is on my shoulders. and thanks be to God for that. He has provided more than i could have ever asked for, when it looks like i have nothing. i will be visiting some schools, and am considering looking into missions opportunities. i ask for your prayers as i continue to search God's direction at this point in my life. it is an exciting time, and i am thankful to have the ultimate guide leading me on.
philippians 4:6-7 is so true.

it rained today in the city. normally this upsets me, seeing nothing but concrete and then a gray sky dropping water all over me. but today was different. today, it brought a sense of peace and joy. it brought hope.

hope, that soon it will pass. storms come and go, they never stay. some might linger longer than others, but they eventually pass. sometimes they hide the end, like a cloud covering a mountain top....but i know it is still there. there is hope. and though the end i am walking towards seems dark; though the mountain top i climb towards seems non-existent, i know it is there. i cant do it on my own, no. i am to weak, to frail. i am often times blinded by emotion. everything within me says, just curl up in a ball and let it pass. but i cant. i want the light, and it is there.

i need help, i cannot do this on my own. my weakness holds me back, it tempts me to give up. but i cant. i must lean on the One who has been through the storm. the One who has made it, and is qualified to lead. this is where my hope lies. this is where strength surges to overcome my weakness. not my strength, but His. this is my hope. i know what lies behind the clouds in this storm, and it is glorious.

attitude check

iv been wanting to blog again for some time, but have found nothing pressed upon my heart to write. until this morning. normally things come to me in the shower, but this morning it was while i enjoyed my waffles and bacon with a cup of oj.

for the last several weeks i have been working on a lesson for one of my classes. i have been studying a passage in the book of Malachi, and it has been fascinating studying the historical and spiritual context of the people in this book. the main focus i am teaching on has to do with blessing and repentance, but something else came to mind as i sat and thought about the passage at breakfast this morning. something i will not be teaching on this time, so i thought a blog would be good.

my passage of choice is Malachi 3:6-18, and there is an interesting thing that we find in this passage that i believe shows us the hearts of the people. we find here God calling the people of Israel back to repentance, to fully rely on Him and follow the commands He has given them. in return, God promises to bless them incredibly (10b). now, these people have time and time again been called back to repentance and fallen away again. but here we find God calling the people out on specific sins, specifically tithing, and their speaking against God. lets look at the first situation:

7b"But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
8Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'"

the people of Malachi's day were not new to this. they knew the commands of the LORD, and yet again they choose to disobey. and here we find God confronting them, calling them out in their sin. did you notice how they responded? as if they were in shock and have no idea what God is talking about. we see it again in the second situation:

13"You have said harsh things against me," says the LORD.
"Yet you ask, 'what have we said against you?'"

yet again we find them playing dumb. here i believe we see the hearts of the people. prideful, arrogant, and self-righteous people who denied and question God's accusations of their sin. i think of the times when i have and do sin still, and how do i act when i am confronted with it. do i play dumb? do i let my selfish pride and self-righteousness get in the way, and stop me from being humbled and repenting? sadly, i must say yes. i think many of us do. it is funny, at least for me, how i can look at the people of the Bible, and be so judgmental and condescending in my thoughts towards them. "wow, were they blind? that seems so easy! why couldn't they just do it???" and yet, i am no different than they were. i am just as sinful, and just as spiritually dumb a lot of the time. i am just as self-righteous and prideful and arrogant as the people of the Bible. and yet, we are called to be much more than that. or perhaps, it would be better put to say much less than that. to be humble. to be repentant.

it makes me think of the psalm of David after Nathan the prophet confronted him of his adulterous act with Bathsheba. in Psalm 51 he writes,

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

we do not see this at first with the people in Malachi's day. their hearts were prideful and arrogant, full of self-righteousness. we are called to be as David was when his sin was found out; broken, humbled and repentant before the throne of God.

next time you are confronted with sin in your life, how will you react? will it be in a way similar to the Israelite's of Malachi's day? or will it be like that of David? and this isn't just with God directly, but with the people He places in our paths as well. what would it look like if the next time you get in an argument with your spouse, you went back to them and apologized? or when you make fun of that kid at school, you tell them you are sorry? what would it look like, what would it be like, if those were not just words that spilled out of our mouths as involuntary reactions, but were instead intentionally filled with humility, love and repentance? God wants more than empty words. He wants repentance, and obedience.

the simple five year plan: follow, wait, trust

i just got back from the morning session of founder's week for today. and i am mixed with a feeling of refreshing and humbleness. the first speaker, crawford loritts spoke from the Psalms of david. in particular Psalm 34. the message he brought forth was one of great need i believe, to my stubborn heart. Crawford spoke of david in a time of distress, when everything seemed to be falling down around him. and yet, he knew where to put his trust. he knew that even though all these things are falling down around him, God was still there. and this is where he needed to put his trust.

the second speaker was one greatly known in the Christian community. the creator of veggie tales, phil vischer. he told his story of how God used the event of losing his dream, Big Idea Productions, as a catalyst for getting him back on the right track. this hit me hard. the truth he brought forth with examples like the shunammite woman and elisha, and abraham sacrificing isaac. the truth? our main thing needs to be the main thing, and that is God. that we need to be willing to give up everything to God, trusting He knows best for us. there was this equation phil spoke about, that God + stuff = the same as God only. you see, we cant add anything to God, and we need nothing more than God alone. so why are we so fixed on our stuff? why do we cling so tightly to these dreams? we should be clinging instead to the Creator. phil ended by talking about noah, and how all he did was walk in righteousness before God. and you know what? God brought a great task for him to do. but noah didnt go looking for something great to do. instead he waited, and during that time of wait he followed God.

do we do that? or are we more concerned with where we will be five years down the road? when you are asked that question, is your answer like that phil offered? do you simply want to be in the Will of God? i know one thing about my future. God has something in store for me. what is it? i honestly dont know. and i am ok with that. in fact, i find a great deal of peace in not knowing. cause you see, if the Creator of dreams and ideas wants you to do something, He will tell you. He will show you. you dont have to go out searching.

you only have to follow and wait. hows that for a kicker?

the up-and-coming...

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it has come to my attention that it has been some time since i have last blogged. and honestly, i am feeling a bit horrible about it. writing has become such a huge part of my life over the last few years, that to not do it for a length of time is like starving myself of food. i have so much i wish to write, but not enough time. i have been wrestling with several things i hope to share in the very near future. but for now, i wish to share what i am in the process of doing.

in this post i have included my support letter for my summer ministry. God has been gracious yet again in providing me with a ministry opportunity that is out of this world. how that has come to be, and what exactly, you will have to read the letter to find. in all, even when the sky's in life seem dark and rainy, i can attest that the LORD God is a good, gracious, and loving God. be on the look out for more to come!


p.s. - if you would like more information on what i will be up to, or how you can help me prepare for this summer and meet my goals, please contact me!

to follow

i decided about a week ago, to re-read the Gospels. i must admit, it has been some time since i had last spent solid time studying the life of Jesus. and so i have begun reading the Gospel of Matthew again, taking it slow and soaking it in. and for the last day or so i have been stuck on a part in chapter 4. i have read on, but i find myself coming back to this part over and over again.

it is the part where Jesus calls His first disciples. a part that honestly, i think often times i have just blown by. but something about it struck me this time. there seems to me something peculiar about the calling here. no, not so much the calling itself, but the response to it.

19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed Him. 21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

here we find Jesus walking up to some men, telling them to follow Him, and they just leave everything behind. something about this strikes me in a way i have no words for. these grown men, with businesses and equipment for the job, even a father, just get up and leave it all behind without a second thought. i remember hearing before something about the way Jesus called them. i had heard that it was an honor to be a disciple of a rabbi, a teacher. and that the way to be called into discipleship by one was for them to simply say, "follow me". this is exactly what Jesus did. now, Jesus is much more than a typical rabbi, He is the Son of God. He is not just a teacher, but the Creator.

and He called these men to go with Him, to follow Him and learn. and they got up and did so without a second thought. i think that feeling i mentioned earlier, the one without words, is conviction. conviction in my heart about following Jesus. i remember excepting the call to follow Jesus, but am i living up to it today? am i following Him in passionate pursuit without second thoughts? am i willing to leave my boat, even my father, behind to follow the King?

Peter, Andrew, James and John were. they left it all. at once. immediately.

there was no second thought in their decision. how about you? how about me? i know for me, it is something i honestly struggle with at times. Paul talks about the battle between the spirit and the flesh. what i know is right and true, and what i want out of my selfishness. do i really want to leave my boat? how about my father? my flesh, our flesh, wants to hold onto these things. yet my spirit says no, let them go and seek passionately after the King. it says, dont look back, dont rethink it. just go.

just follow.

the call the disciples received i dont think is much different from that of ours. we are called to follow, to learn and walk in the ways of Jesus, just as the disciples were. the question i must ask, that we must ask is this: are you willing to leave it all and follow Him?

would you leave it all behind to pursue the King?

plague of weeks

peace. it is something that many people in the world today desire. in fact, i think it is something many people would give a great deal for. i know peace is something i desire. but i desire something more than a world without war. cause lets face it, Scripture is clear there will be war on this earth till Christ returns. no, what i want more than that is a deeper peace. a peace that i dont really understand. i want the peace of God.

i have been stuck for several weeks now on a passage in Philippians, and it is just recently that i feel it is time to write of it. my thoughts have been on that of the future, as i am engaged now. it is interesting to me how a change in a relationship, big or small, can bring so many new thoughts. how, a change in status can bring new worries and fears, hopes and dreams. dont get me wrong, i am happy to be engaged, and am excited for the future. but with it comes decisions. this is where worry and fear can, and i think often does, creep in.

so in searching, God led me to Philippians 4. i must note that, it strikes me as funny how i have been thinking on this passage for weeks, and it was not until hearing a sermon on this very passage by my pastor this past Sunday, that i feel led to write on it. so here i am.

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul on several occasions addresses the importance of not worrying; of instead, bringing our issues before God. and here we find Paul following this up with the topic of peace in doing so. but, there is something here, in the way in which we present our requests, that we should do well in taking note. Paul instructs us to do so with thanksgiving. in other words, with a thankful, joyful attitude and mind-set. not one of grumbling and anger. how convicting, and yet comforting. my pastor pointed out that it is impossible to have the peace of God without a joyful, thankful spirit about us first. you cannot have peace with God before having a thankful spirit.

Paul tells us this in more than just words, but also in the way he constructs his point. he first commands us to be thankful in our requests, and THEN tells us about the peace of God. but i think there is more to this than just learning to have a thankful spirit and finding the peace of God. i believe there is more to learn here about the benefits of finding peace in God.

look at how Paul describes this peace towards the end of verse 7. he says "...which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." i believe that when satan attacks, he more times than not targets our minds and hearts. more so than our flesh, it is the hearts and minds of people, God's children and not, that he strikes. i know this is true of me. when satan gets a foothold in my mind or heart, it only makes it easier for him to gain one with my flesh. it is because of this that what Paul says here is so significant to me.

this peace that i dont understand, this peace that is of God, guards me in the ways i need it most. it guards my most vulnerable parts of my being. and it does so in the One who conquered the attacker for all eternity. one note i read of this passage likens it to a sentry standing guard. one in a defensive stance. a "protective custody". this is the peace i desire, and it is of God. nothing else. this is a peace that the world cannot provide. it is not a peace that anything we buy can bring us.

i dont know about you, but that is the kind of peace i want. though i am residing in this world of chaos for now, it is comforting to me that i can find peace at all times, and in any situation. we all face choices each day. we all have to make decisions. some are bigger than others. but either way, satan uses those times to strike us the most with worry, fear and doubt. we are commended to take these things to God with thanksgiving. and it is then that we find peace.

but not just any peace.
a peace that honestly, i just dont get.

and i like that.

conquering the tempter

i decided to start reading Matthew tonight. in all honesty, i have really slacked off on my devotional reading, and i have been feeling it. and tonight i found myself stopped on a passage i have dwelt on before, yet with no real spiritual gain. just more of a "huh, thats really interesting". but tonight i believe i got more out of it than just that.

the temptation of Jesus has always fascinated me. the idea that the King of kings, the Lord of lords would be tempted kind of blows me away. i have to wonder what satan was really thinking. did he really think he might succeed? its in Matthew 4, you should check it out. i mean honestly, the third temptation i often want to laugh. satan, tempting the Creator with His creation. funny.

but two things hit me tonight. something i think we should all ponder. the first, has to do with when we are tempted. i know for me i am most easily tempted when i am tired. i believe it is when we are at our weakest point that we are most easily conquered. did you notice how satan doesnt try his tricks until Jesus had been wandering around for 40 days? it is not until He is hungry and weak that satan launches his attack. how true is this for us? more than that, look at the boldness of satan in his attack. iv often seen, and honestly at times fight it within myself, this attitude of invincibility. we get this idea that it wont happen to us. but let us remember that we are not dealing with an enemy who is incompetent. he is sly, and he is bold. if satan is bold enough to tempt the Creator of the universe, should we not also expect him to tempt us?

Jesus though, was victorious. i mean, we are talking about God in the flesh, He created satan before he fell. i think Jesus models for us here a way to handle temptation. often i believe we try to deal with it on our own. at least i do. we get this idea that we just need to be stronger, we just need to fight a little harder. but all i have found down that path is more pain and more guilt. there is no victory. Jesus knows this, and so He responds with God's Word. He quotes Scripture to satan, refuting his temptations and offers one at a time. Jesus, when weak and tired, conquered temptation not by His own power, but by that of the Word of God. can you comprehend that? Jesus, who has all the power ever, chooses to not use it. instead, He fires back with the Word of God, penned by the prophets of the LORD!!! what an example for us!

satan tries every day to tempt God's children. often times i think he wins. i know in my life, he has gained more footholds than i want him to have, and it is always due to my poor response. temptation will always be present in this world. it is something we must learn to deal with effectively if we desire to walk in the footsteps of Christ. and like many other things, He provides for us an example we should take notice of, and put into practice.