What Christians Want Out of Life

As a Christian, what do you want out of life? What are you hopes, prayers, expectations, and aspirations?

A new study released this week by The Barna Research Group reveals that different types of Christians want different things out of life. The survey, which was based on a random sample of 1,003 adults in May of this 2008, asked the participants to rate 19 possible outcomes in life in terms of personal desirability. The preferences were then analyzed according to 12 overlapping but distinct segments of Christians. For example, Evangelical Christians, who are born-again and possess specific theological and social views, were the only group where a high percentage (90%) listed as many as six of the 19 future-life possibilities as being very desirable. The six outcomes this group chose were:

* Having good physical health.
* Having a close personal relationship with God. —
* Having a clear purpose for living. —
* Living with a high degree of integrity.
* Having just one marriage partner for life.
* Being deeply committed to the Christian faith.

The goals that were chosen by only 1 percent of Evangelicals were "achieving fame and recognition," and "having a comfortable lifestyle.”

Other findings of the research:

* Those who see themselves as Christian, but not born again, were less than half as likely to say that being active in a church or being deeply committed to the Christian faith were very desirable.

* Protestants were twice as likely as Catholics to say that working in a high-paying job was highly desirable as a life goal.

* By a margin of between 9 and 16 percent, Protestant Christians who attend a mainline church were less likely than non-mainline Christians to say that being personally active in a church, wanting a close personal relationship with God, or wanting to be deeply committed to the Christian faith were highly desirable.

Isn’t it interesting what a broad perspective we get on what is important to Christians when we poll Christians from every background across the nation. This is why it is important for those of us who are identified as “born again evangelicals” to continue to hold true to the Word of God, and read the word of God so that we know how to live our lives with a Biblical Worldview, and not let the world influence us too much.

The Bible says in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will." The only way you can confidently know God’s will is to read the Bible.

Don’t let the world mold you into its shape and way of thinking, only let God do that; then we will be faithful Christians who are not swayed by the world’s opinions, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15). Let’s be mature Christians, becoming more like Jesus every day!

May the Lord bless you as you choose to live for Him!

Yours in Christ
Roger

For a complete report, visit www.barna.org

Prayer at City Council Meetings

The question has been addressed at the Baker City Council meetings whether or not an invocation should be allowed when the participant prays "in the name of Jesus." I plan on speaking to the Baker City Councilors this evening, and this is what I plan on saying:
*********************************************

Prayer in the City Council

Prayer is important at every level of life, not just within religious institutions, or religious circles, but in every aspect of human activity. That certainly includes the human activity of government.

Prayer has always been important to the government of the United States of America, not just as some sort of ritual, calling on some kind of generic god or imaginary power beyond, but as a sacred opportunity to call upon the Creator and God of the Holy Bible. Government is sanctioned by the Bible, and we are instructed there that God establishes all governments. He is in control of all governments, but He honors and blesses only those governments that look to Him for guidance and protection.

This country was established on the prayers of men and women as we relied upon the strength and power that only God can give. This country has continued to be one of the most blessed countries in the world (if not THE most blessed) because we look to the God of the Bible, as He has appeared to mankind in the man, Jesus Christ, as our guide and shield.

From the very beginning of this nation the congress established the official position of chaplain for the Congress and the Senate of the United States of America. The first Senate, meeting in New York City on April 25, 1789, elected the Reverend Samuel Provost, the Episcopal Bishop of New York, as its first Chaplain. During the past two hundred and seven years, to this very day, all sessions of the Congress and Senate are opened with prayer, strongly affirming our faith in God as the Sovereign Lord of our Nation.

I appeal to the city council today as you address the question of praying to open your city council meetings, to consider the words of Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, when he said, “In the beginning of the contest (the Revolutionary War) with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered… do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?”

I ask you to answer that question posed by Ben Franklin so many years ago, “Do you imagine for one moment that we no longer need the guidance and assistance of God Almighty as we conduct and oversee the affairs of mankind, even in our own little corner of the world called Baker City, OR? I believe we do need his instruction and guidance. I believe we do need the wisdom that can only come from God our Creator. That is why I call on Him, and why I believe those who are believers in Jehovah God, and His Son Jesus Christ call on Him. Intelligent people who are given the responsibility to lead and direct others look to God for His wisdom and guidance.

Finally, regarding prayer “in Jesus Name.” When you invite someone to pray here in this meeting hall you are inviting them to pray according to their conscience. If you invite a believer in Jesus Christ, he/she will pray in the name of Jesus. If you invite a Muslim they will pray in the name of Allah, if you invite a Buddhist to pray, I don’t really know for sure, but I would suspect they will pray in a way according to the teachings of Buddha.

I would not feel excluded if you invite people of other faiths to pray at this meeting. That is what makes America great: tolerance of different religious beliefs, not exclusion or suppression, but equal opportunity and freedom of expression. So my prayer is that you will not do away with your invocation to start each meeting, rather you will look for ways to give equal representation to the religious community that actually resides here in Baker City, and, in the name of freedom, allow people to come and pray according to the teachings of their faith, according to their conscience.

Gratefully Yours, and His,
Roger Scovil,
Pastor of Baker City Christian Church

Know What Your Bible Says!

I have some good news, and I have some bad news.
The good news is that Americans are deeply religious — this according to a study by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The study revealed that 92 percent of Americans believe in God and 74 percent believe in life after death. The bad news is that most Americans don't feel their religion is the only way to eternal life — meaning that most Americans do not know the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith as taught by the Bible.

The teaching of the Bible is that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only road to eternal life, but the Pew study showed that 57 percent of evangelicals believe many religions can lead to eternal life. Are you surprised?

That pretty well answers the question of why it is so difficult to to teach absolute truth in American society today. It seems that the majority of Americans prefer a "feel good" message over the message of basic biblical truth.

Recently, the news was full of a story related to a speech Barack Obama gave in June of 2006. Dr. James Dobson took exception to some statements Obama made in reference to a selection of biblical passages the Senator used in connection with public policy.

First let me point out the good things that Obama said in his speech (quoting from the Washington Post).

Obama took on the liberals "who dismiss religion in the public square as inherrently irrational or intolerant" and "caricature religious Americans...as fanatical." He went on to say: "Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square...To say that men and women should not inject their 'personal morality' into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of our morality, much of which is grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition."

Way to go Obama! But then he said...

"And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is okay and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount -- a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let's read our Bibles now. Folks haven't been reading their Bibles."

He is certainly right about the importance of reading our Bibles and understanding, and knowing what the Bible says, but Dr. Dobson was upset that Obama seemed to be intentionally fusing the teachings of the Old Testament with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament, contrary to the Christian belief that many of the Old Testament laws and practices were rendered obsolete by Jesus' teachings. Dr. Dobson went on to say, "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology"

Then Obama made this comment regarding the pluralistic, democratic society we live in...

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. What do I mean by this? It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, to take one example, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."

Dobson paraphrased this comment by saying, "What he's trying to say here is...unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe."

The differences of opinion on crucial issues such as gay rights and abortion have divided these two national figures, but it is obvious that each of these men represent a segment of society that believe what they believe.

Is James Dobson right in his assesment, or is he mistaken, I wonder, what you are thinking? There was a time when evangelicals were mostly on the same page, but, sadly, that does not appear to be the case anymore. I wonder where all of this will eventually lead.

I fear that where we are headed is that the church will become more and more tolerant, compromising the absolute truth of the Bible — and, in time, the church will be in chaos — and eventually the church will become impotent. Evangelicals must stand firm on foundational principles and teaching of scripture.

I pray that I am mistaken about a future compromising church, but what do you think? I would really like to know how all of this sets with you. Please insert your comments below, or e-mail me at rscovil@bakercitychristian.org.

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is" (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV).

Be blessed and be a blessing. --Roger