Honesty, Integrity, and Plagiarism

What's wrong with plagiarism?  Yesterday the bomb was dropped at the RNC, when Melania Trump plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech.   Now, I'm sure Melania didn't write her own speech, actually I'm sure Michelle didn't write it either, but it seems to have happened.   What does this day about Donald Trump?  What does it say about Melania?  What does it say about the entire Republican National Convention?   Usually there are people who check this kind of thing.   I'm sure Donald Trump has an entire staff of writers who check sources, material, and the context of the writing.   There is no reason this should have happened, with modern technology, we have tools called plagiarism checkers.   These are databases of source material, and when a fragment of a sentence or a paragraph is found to have a high degree of matching... Then you know you have a problem.   The solution, re-write before the speech was even given!    

The RNC is on thin ice with Donald Trump, values such as integrity and honesty seem to be lacking as a matter of principle.   Republican Donald Trump isn't the Donald we saw eight years ago.   At that time, Republican Donald Trump didn't even exist.   You see Donald Trump was a totally different person...  He was a big government spending Democrat, using every form of corporate welfare to prop up his business.  Donald has been a business man, ruthless in getting to the top of the pack.  But the attributes of honesty and integrity are not exactly what people see in him, even now.

Over the last year we've heard Republican Donald Trump and we like what he says.   It's logical, it makes sense, it's been too long in being said.   Our problem- is the "Republican Donald Trump" the real "Donald Trump"?  Is this simply a mask to get him elected president?   Has he simply plagiarized the entire Tea Party Movement for his gain of power only to ditch it when he's sworn into office.  Honesty and integrity come over time... respect isn't given, it's earned and it takes time, so too with integrity. This slip-up isn't so much a slip-up, rather it's a systematic example of the character of the man who will be the next President of the United States.

By no means do I like Hillary, but please Mr. Trump, please give me something to hold onto!   I'm about ready to turn in my Republican Card and ditch the party.   No matter what happens, I don't see anything good happening in America for the next 20 years or so... if we last!

"Sola Dei Gloria" without Sola is Idolotry

"S. D. G." (for Soli Deo Gloria) at the end of a G. F. Handel manuscript

I'm often taken back by the "political" inter-workings of church congregations.  Often times you will find groups of individuals that tend to operate aspects of the church, be it food preparation, grounds keeping duties, cleaning functions, Sunday school boards, mission boards.   These groups serve purposes, of course, good purposes and those members should be appreciated... they are appreciated.   Good works, this is what the christian should be focused on doing.  But my question is... to what end?

I can't directly question the motivation of all individuals, because many do take the rolls seriously and see it as a direction to bring glory to God alone.   But many, it's a job of personal satisfaction, they do the job in order to receive praise.    As a child and young adult I often attended churches that would have "special music" during the service, which was a code word for someone performing.  I have a problem with this during corporate worship, because when we clap after that person has sung or played an instrument... is that applause for them?   If the entire worship service is, in fact worship, the subject of our worship is on God.

This got me thinking... about the five Solas.   The five latin phrases that were the diving force of the reformation.   However, many today in the "Modern" church probably haven't even heard or tread upon these short nuggets:
  

• Sola Fide, by faith alone.
• Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone.
• Solus Christus, through Christ alone.
• Sola Gratia, by grace alone.
• Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone.

 
Where am I going... well in these quick phrases we get some big, huge ideas.   First it's by faith and only faith that we are saved, not by works, not by doing good things, not by working at the church, it's the faith that is given by God.     We know this, because of the Bible, and it's the Bible alone that provides this revelation.  It is through Christ Alone we are saved, because it is the work of Christ that saves us, not our work, our faith is in the finished work of Christ who satisfied the Father's wrath against us and our sinful nature.  Why did Christ do this?  It was by Grace, meaning it was a free gift of incomprehensible value, bestowed to us while we are still sinners, reviving us, making us a new creation, regeneration.   Why was all this done?  To give all the glory to God alone, it is to show that God, while Holy and wrathful, is loving and kind, he shows mercy and grace.    We don't need to be praised for our works, God gets the Glory of our works, we should humbly submit them to Him... Alone.

There is a huge wave of ignorance and superstition that has entered our modern churches, where the act of worship is now just a big concert.   This is inexcusable!   Just because we have some personal need to be a "super star" doesn't mean it needs to come out at church, our purpose at church is to Worship God... Alone!

The need for self validation is in itself pride and stubbornness.   If we are truly in Christ, we have no Self-esteem,  we don't live for ourselves, we live for Christ, so anything we do is a reflection of Christ to the world.  If we are trying to glean that praise for ourselves... then we are living in idolatry.

I've also heard it said that the church worship service should be a beacon of light to the dead world, so making it "seeker sensitive" or making it more like a big flashy pop concert is more comfortable to them.   I disagree, the wicked never willingly come into the presence of God.   Our services should be to the Glory of God alone, not to our glory, not the the praise of man.  If we play this idea of "seeker sensitive" out, then we should water down our doctrine and theology and try to meet them where they are... Hence the hypocrisy, these "seekers" have their own sense of deity which unless quickened by God, is pagan practice, thus it leads to no good result...   At this point we've just spoiled all the dough with just a pinch of leaven.  Motivation is everything...  and it's the fine hair splitting between God centered and man centered world views.

Worship is an action of the heart, the inner being of a person, the whole person.  If that - Worship isn't completely directed to God, then it's not Sola Dei Gloria. 

This is an observation of my life, and this is the question I need to take with me daily: to who's glory am I doing this task?

Sola Dei Gloria