Is There A Leader Among Us Who Can Bring Reunification?

Is There A Leader Among Us Who Can Bring Reunification?

"But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  James 3:17-18

Pure: We Need An Honest Leader

America is exhausted with corrupt leadership.  The only chance a leader has in winning both sides of the isle is one free from a corrupt nature.  You will never be trusted if you have hidden agendas and false motives.  This country will not unite with a leader who will use people for political gain.

Peaceable: We Need A Leader Who Thinks Win-Win 

Enough fighting!  America has witnessed 4 years of the worst statesmanship in the history of our nation.  The next unifying leader will have to lead peaceably.  It is past time for both parties to call a truce and take the gloves off.

Gentle: We Need Respectful and Professional Negotiations 

With everyone coming to the table looking for a fight, it does not take much to set each other off.  A gentle approach will be needed to avoid igniting America's short fuse.  Have you ever seen so much anger and rage being purposely provoked?  It will take a tremendous amount of patience to turn this ship.

Reasonable: We Need Moderation

We are a slanted nation.  Every political agenda, news report, medical advise and religious speech has such a steep slant that it has become an embarrassment to intellectualism.  There seems to be no shame in the blatant lies that are being crafted and executed to mislead the masses.  History will look at you in shame; you will forever be remembered for your actions.  The next unifying leader will have to be a voice of reason in a world of extremes.


Full of Mercy:  We Need to Drop the Vendetta

When you stand before God on judgement day, will you ask for justice or will you ask for mercy?  The only way you can reconcile is by allowing the guilty to go debt free.  That does not mean you allow people to keep abusing you, but you will never move toward reconciliation if you are demanding retribution. From my perspective, both sides have blood on their hands.  Better to live in mercy than try to subdue someone into retribution. 

Good Fruits: We Need Results

Leaders get results.  No more false dreams.  The next unifying leader will have to go from seed to fruit and prove the right to lead. Both sides will have to taste and see for themselves that the product is worthy.  We have had enough with leaders who can motivate masses but not deliver results.

Unwavering:  We Need a True Course

We will not follow a flip flop leader.  Have a plan, believe in the plan, stick with the plan.  Do not change policy because it became unpopular or because your lobbyists' contributions have dwindled.  Leaders do not abandon their followers in the midst of battle.  If we sign up with you, be true.

Without Hypocrisy:  We Need Confidence in Leadership

How can you establish and enforce laws while you are a lawbreaker?  How can you take punitive action toward one person and show favoritism to another?  Not many of you should be leaders for you will be judged much harsher (James 3:1).  Being a hypocrite disqualifies you for leadership.


Peace Maker:  We Need to Be Led Toward Peace

Unification = Peace.  It will not happen any other way.  Vindication, retribution, punitive action, take overs, yelling, screaming, rioting, hate speeches etc..  NONE OF THIS WILL WORK.  You will NOT subdue one group to the other.  If you do not have a vision for peace, you do not have a vision for unification.


Apart from God, I do not see America coming together.

Do you see any other way?

We need #Reconciliation

 

51 & Loving it!

51 Things I Love About Turning 51

51.  I'm 51 and I can still pass an Army Physical Test!
50.  Brave Rifles!  1st Team!  Skilled and Resolute!  Fightin' Fifth!  It'll never leave me.
49.  I get paid to be a Chaplain...no seriously, they pay me to do what I love!
48.  I am a wartime veteran! I am still shocked that I joined the Army at 42 and went to war.  Blows my mind.
47.  I preach and people listen.  Just as shocked as the Army thing.  Can't believe God redeemed my life at 18 and did this.  Blows my mind.
46.  I have spent 33 years studying the Word of God. So proud it is one of the most consuming things about my life.
45.  I was raised in a conservative traditional Christian Family.  Never knew how much that was going to pay off.
44.  My Dad raised me to be a man's man.  Huge benefit.  Not chauvinistic or egotistical, just able to take care of myself and my Family.  Honest and true to your word.
43.  I was blessed to grow up in a stable Family.
42.  I was raised by a strong woman!  Made me a strong man.
41.  I married a strong woman!  Made me a strong husband.
40.  My daughter's are strong women!  Continues to challenge me to be a strong Dad.
39.  My son's compassionate heart challenges me every day to keep my game up as his model of a Christian Dad.  (No pressure.....)
38.  I grew up in a multicultural environment.  So glad the fabric of my life has so many colors.
37.  I worked three jobs to pay for my Bachelor's degree.  Hard, but it chiseled a lot of the old me away.
36.  I fought for my life to finish my M.Div.  Only God knows all of that story.  The depths of that pain reflect the heights of His deliverance.
35.  I was blessed by God that my Church paid for my entire Doctorate degree.  That time of my life re-shaped my theology of being a Shepherding-Pastor.
34.  Except for my modest mortgage.  I have been debt free for 11 years.  We don't spend much, but we value our financial freedom. 
33.  I have a cool brother.  Marine / Air Force kind of guy.  A true friend to the end.
32.  I have a sister who has the heart of our mother.  Will always be there for you.
31.  All of my crazy extended Family.  Way too many to mention, but I have a lot of love from you guys.  When the Army started becoming punitive for things posted on social media I knew you guys were going to get me fired!  Pretty close a couple of times...keep up the good work!
30.  I've been called pastor, chaplain, doctor, (and a lot of things I can't post).  But for those of you who call me David...thanks.  I need friends too. 
29.  I love the outdoors.  Primitive camping, hiking, skiing, kayaking, fishing, hunting etc.  Most of my sermons have been written either from the top of a deer stand or on my back porch.
28.  I love Alabama football.  It's like a disease I never want a cure for.  Haven't missed a game since September of 1997.  Sad that I know that.  Roll Tide!
27.  I miss missions work.  My role in the Army keeps me from the areas that need Christ the most.
26.  I love pastoring my Soldiers and Families.  The love that Soldiers show me is humbling.
25.  I love that I keep up with most of the people from the Churches that I pastored. 
24.  I'm good in crisis.  Sad we need that, but when the time comes that's what I do. (Thank you Lord)
23.  I love that my friends know exactly where they stand with me
22.  I love the Beatles, the blues and old time Rock -n-Roll
21.  I love my southern accent.  Yes, I said that and I don't care about your Yankee accent either!

20.  I love that my dog greets me everyday excited.  I know he greets everyone this way but I pretend it just me.  Makes me feel special.
19.  Blessed to have had great Godly pastors and Godly men/women who have spoken into my life
18.  Blessed to have been taught by Arrington, Slocumb, McMahan, Land, Johns and F.J. May
17.  Blessed to have been so heavily involved in Music (few people actually know I am a musician)
16.  Blessed to have been born so good lookin'; only rivalry is my wit
15.  Humbled that God meets with me and speaks to me.  I truly mean this.  I know who David is.  I wake up and have an honest look at him every morning.  Everyday God pours through me to others.
14.  Humbled that God has brought so much redemption into my life.  Those of you who knew me know.
13.  Humbled of how many leaders in my life believed in me and invested themselves in me!
12.  Confident that God will finish this work.
11.  Confident that God do anything He wants with my life.
10.  Confident that my wife will always be by my side and my kids will always love me.
09.  Thankful for the rough life.  What was meant for my harm God turned around for my good.
08.  Thankful for my new mom who takes care of my Dad.
07.  Thankful for the peace in the midst of the storm.  An awesome place to live.
06.  My Dad, Phillip I. The most honest steadfast man I've ever known.  Thanks for turning the curse around.  God is faithful down to a thousand generations.
05.  My son Phillip III.  I love that you have a tender heart for God and that you are shaping up to be a man's man.  It's going to pay off.  (You're welcome)
04.  My second daughter Hope.  Your spontaneous creativity will keep you on the crest of the wave.  Love to paint with you.  Love how passionate you are with your friends.
03.  My first daughter Faith.  You rock!  I love that no matter how smart you get, you still like to get a little crazy with your dad.  Love how determined you are in your Faith Walk.
02.  My hot wife Nicole.  I have no idea why you love me as much as you do.  You're awesome!  You have made our Family what it is.
01.  That God loved me, gave me a new start in life, and he has not been limited by my limitations!

Repentance Is No Longer A Qualification For Being A Christian?

Have we come to a point in modern Christianity where repentance is no longer a qualification for being a Christian?

Solomon teaches "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13

Today you hear a lot of people confessing that they are Christians but repentance seems to be absent from their faith expressions. Most of their teaching is driven by passions and social norms. It appears as if mainstream America has developed an ideology that meets the criteria of being good and brings justice, but it lacks any resemblance of being born again. At no point do you hear the need to repent, only that love covers all sin and that we are all God's children.

Still others say they believe in God, but have a very distant experience. Their faith expressions sound like they are exploring the endless possibilities of God in an observatory. They cling to their telescope (theological systems) and stare into the starry sky searching for meaning and purpose in a vast galaxy. There is no limit to the theological extrapolation, however; there is still no evidence of encountering God.

Then there are those who have rejected the established Church to the point that they have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. They have rejected the corrupt humanity of the Church to the point that they do not accept the authority of the scriptures. While I must confess that my theology over time has shifted and settled, my source of theological evolution has always been the authority of the Bible. What source material do you use to develop your theology if you reject the Bible as a collection of corrupt manipulative writings? Maybe this is why there is no repentance; there is no submission to the sacred text.

Without repentance and starting discipleship with a fresh start, Christianity becomes a collection of whimsical quotes and clever sound bytes. God will not compromise; You must repent to be a Christian, but most people today have decided to be a Christian and never repent.

Egos and Idiots: Equality in the Church

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

    Class segregation has been around as long as there have been egos and idiots. For as long as one person has felt the need to feel superior to another there has been a drive to segregate and suppress.  This passage reflects three segregated classes that were called into unity by the early Church.    

     The first was the religious fight between Jews and Gentiles.  Jews were God's chosen people who were entrusted with keeping the revelation of God while the Gentiles lived sensually indulgent lives.  Many of the Gentile leaders oppressed the Jews harshly causing the religious/political tension to rise.  For some Jews, the idea of sharing their heritage with unsanctified Gentiles was appalling.  It was almost as distasteful for Gentiles in leadership to have to humble themselves and learn the sacred text from Jews.  Did they have to come together?  The teachings were simple, within the body of Christ there could not be any difference between Jews and Gentiles.    

    Then of course there was the friction of the slave population.  Slaves and indentured servants had to earn their status as free men and women.  How is it that the Church could simply give equal status to the lowest class of citizens?  While the church did not have any legal authority to grant freedom from bondage, salvation to God brought equal status to all believers.  One of the principle teachings was that Christ paid a debt that the sinner could not pay.  In doing so, Jesus freed all believers from their bondage to sin.  While in the market there were places for people of noble status and places for slaves, in the Church everyone had to be treated equal.      

    Lastly we see the equality hurdle between men and women.  The traditional role of the man was to provide income for his family, to protect the home, to run the business of the community and to provide safety from foreign attacks.  Basic caveman stuff, check!  The right for women to vote did not come until 1920 and a woman's ability to be a sole provider did not come unto almost 1960.  Cultural norms kept women completely reliant on men for survival.  Still, the Church required men to share power with women.  Equal power.  

    So things have really worked out well for slaves, women and religious politicians.  Oh wait..what happened?  Egos and idiots.  It seems that the ability to act arrogantly superior did not stop at the Church doors. Neither did someone's ability to look down at others with contempt.  So what should we do today?  The body of Christ has to come to grips with the reality that a society that recognizes class by power and money has greatly influence our theology and practice.  Mostly, we have to teach our followers how to be the humble servant of Christ.   

       The greatest class divide that ever existed was between God and humanity.  Jesus bridged that separation as a humble servant all the way to the cross.  Egos and Idiots.  Let's get this together.       

Peace and Blessings,

CH Redden

We need #Reconciliation

Responsibility of Christian Leadership

"Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be known as children of God."

Matthew 5:9

     There are many voices being broadcast on social media concerning the racial tension across America.  Do you hear any Peacemakers?  During the sermon on the Mount Jesus mentions several characteristics of how Christians should handle themselves. How are you being heard?

The words you use are powerful and should be chosen carefully

Kind words can bring encouragement to a troubled heart. (5:4)
Gentle words can bring love to correction. (5:5)
Merciful words can relieve a heavy burden. (5:7)
Pure Words from a pure heart can remove the doubt of betrayal. (5:8)

     Mature Christians can use their position in many different ways to bring peace and these choice leaders will have the reputation of being children of God.  One of the best examples of a Godly peacemaker was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  When you read his sermons, you hear a seasoned preacher crafting his words in order to motivate people with a clarity and purpose.

Proverbs 10:20 says "The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver."  One of Dr. Kings most famous quotes is "We may not all have come here on the same ship, but we are all in the same boat."

We need #Reconciliation

     These are brilliant words that speak to every side of racial tension.  There are no emotional rants sparking outrage, no compliments omitting validation and no hidden agenda.  His message was clear; unless we both win, we both lose.  We are the body of Christ.  How can we go on fighting ourselves?  We need to come together in love and unity.  One body not fighting itself, but building itself up.  We need to work toward the healing of the many parts, so that the whole body benefits.

We are all in the same boat.  We need to live together in love.  I pray that God raises up mature Christian leaders who are peacemakers.

Peace and Blessings,

CH Redden

Be Honest

" A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight"    Proverbs 11:1

     When I was a young child a friend of mine taught me how to steal.  Neither of us ever had pocket change to spend as we wished, so he taught me how to sneak candy when the cashier wasn't looking.  It felt really scary, but he kept telling me it wasn't a big deal.  It became pretty routine to meet up with my friends and go get candy.  Pretty routine, until my mother found out.
     When you're a kid you really don't think about the second and third order of effect.  You pretty much live stimulus to response.  Take candy, eat candy, life is good.  Come to fine out, my mother understood this stimulus response process really well.  She introduced two new things into my life that I would forever associate with stealing.  The first was accountability.  She marched me into the convenient store and made me confess.  In front of everyone I had to say "I stole candy from you."  It was a second order of effect that I hated.  I felt so ashamed saying those words and so humiliated for what I had done. The truth of being caught and having to be held accountable would forever be associated with the thought of being dishonest.  The second event that mom administered was an ancient practice called "paddling."  It is a process where a parent would take a thin board and begin to stimulate the gluteus maximus in sufficient manner as to produce a different response from the child.  It worked, thank you Mom.
     Why is honesty so important to God?  It has everything to do with our faith in God as our provider.  Life is like a child with no candy watching all the other kids enjoying themselves.  You begin to reason your way into sin: "the store has plenty of money, they won't miss it, they charge too much for other items, they don't treat their employees right, I'm a good kid and I deserve candy like everyone else. I'll never get caught, I'll only take a little..."  So rather than trusting in God to be your provider you decide to be dishonest and cheat...just a little...on your taxes.  "It's no big deal, everyone else does it."  Then you begin to extend it to taking things from your office..."they do not pay me enough."  Then it is when a cashier hands you too much change, a product does not scan with a grocer, you wrongfully return an item to a merchant...and the list goes on.  Unfortunately, dishonesty has a way of slowly taking you down a path you can not backtrack.  A path of accountability and repercussions.
     When we live stimulus to response, we nurse our cravings and sear our conscience.  If we will add the second order of effect, getting caught and having to be known as being dishonest, it may keep us from the third order of effect of punitive action.  Ultimately it will keep us from having to confess to God that we did not trust Him as our provider, we took a short cut and became dishonest.
     Being honest has it's own rewards.  "The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. (Proverbs 11:3)"  It is the wisdom of purposely putting your life on a path that can not crumble underneath your feet.  The peace of mind you live with knowing all is well, regardless of any inquiry.  Do we really need a reward from God for being honest?  No.  The return of honesty in your life is its own reward.

Father, help us remember "when the wrong oft seems so strong, you are the ruler yet."  Your ways are beautiful and your paths bring safety.  In Jesus Name, A-Men.