tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18683280807821493082023-11-16T04:01:37.497-08:00Found In HimJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-44680218034247218262014-12-25T05:17:00.001-08:002014-12-25T05:20:34.358-08:00Lawlessness, Cynicism, and Growing ColdIn Matthew 24:12 (NASB), Jesus gave His disciples (and us), these chilling words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.”</span></blockquote>
I don’t want this to happen on my watch.<br />
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The devil's goal is to cause all people to hate each other and live for themselves. His motto is "survival of the fittest" and "might makes right." He often works through the news media who basically only report all the lawlessness as though it is sensational and then report what is good in such a twisted way that it seems evil. Other forms of media entertain the masses by celebrating and glorifying what should be abhorrent. If Jesus walked the earth today, He would not be entertained by prime time television with the many Christians who are addicted to it.<br />
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These factors combined with our fallen nature work together to cause us to hate others and fall prey to cynical thinking. I am certainly prone to this.<br />
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While I avoid “mainstream media” for the most part, I’m still tempted to view everyone whom I don’t know well with much cynicism. It seems the only remedy is to think biblically about people.<br />
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People are evil and sinful apart from the redemptive work of God through Jesus (see Romans 3). This is the cynicism part.<br />
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Because of Christ, we can trust that God is at work in this world now (e.g. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+5:17&version=NASB">John 5:17</a>), restoring people to himself and transforming them from the inside out (e.g. <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+cor+5%3A17&version=NASB">2 Cor. 5:17</a>). He is working constantly and doing this every day. We never hear about it, because of the devil has a strong grip on the media institutions of our world. The solution is to be salt and light, praying and acting in love as if God is really working in evil people’s lives, through us and the work of the Spirit, transforming them. I can only imagine that if Christians lived this way, got involved in every influential realm of society our world would again be transformed by the Good News of Jesus Christ.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-5779759617556741102014-10-01T04:42:00.001-07:002014-10-01T04:44:59.177-07:00The Church and the Needs of the People<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”—Jesus in Matthew 14:16, NASB</blockquote>
Here were the disciples, the future of the Church, and they doubted the adequacy of the Church (really of God working through the Church) to meet people's needs. Do we not often have this same way of thinking today?<br />
<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mustard_plant_bangladesh.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Mustard_plant_bangladesh.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mustard plant bangladesh.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Mustard_plant_bangladesh.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">"<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mustard_plant_bangladesh.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Mustard_plant_bangladesh.jpg">Mustard plant bangladesh</a>" by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Hopeoflight" title="User:Hopeoflight">Hopeoflight</a> - <span class="int-own-work">Own work</span>. Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0" title="Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0">CC BY-SA 3.0</a> via <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/">Wikimedia Commons</a>.</span><br />
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Rather than tell people to go meet their needs via the government or secular institutions (and we communicate this by not being proactive), God wants us to gather the resources and strengths of each member of the body of Christ and offer them to Him for His purposes. This results in the miraculous Kingdom of Heaven shining brightly in the darkness and people having their needs meet and their sicknesses healed. As we learned in Chapter 13, this seemingly insignificant kingdom transforms and overcomes the whole world!Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-44927227761378140552014-09-28T05:54:00.001-07:002014-09-28T05:54:40.124-07:00John the Baptist - A Man's Man and God's ManJohn the Baptist was not afraid to speak the truth to the civil leaders and civilians of his day, because He feared God and knew what was good for the people (Matthew 14:3-4, NASB):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
3 For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”</blockquote>
This is why Jesus said of him (Matt. 11:11, NASB), "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."<br />
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Men, it is time to stand firm with a backbone and speak the truth, especially when it costs you.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-29336430225309776632014-09-27T04:41:00.001-07:002014-09-27T04:41:20.957-07:00With HonorIn reading Matthew 13 this week, I have been contemplating the significance of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is so powerful and influential, that if we understood its value, we would give up everything else to make sure we don’t miss it. But why are so many young adults missing it today? This passage gave me some thoughts on this question.<br />
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Matthew 13:53-58 NASB:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.</blockquote>
This passage makes me think of the importance of raising children well with the guidance of the Bible. With my experience of sharing the gospel on the U.F. campus, I have found that often the hardest of unbelieving hearts are the ones who came from a family who had some participation in a church. The children, now young adults, are familiar enough with God to think they understand and know Him. Their experience in their family and church has given them a corrupted understanding of God, often due to experiencing significant hypocrisy. When they get to college, their attitude toward God is “been there, done that.” They want to try something else, because “God” didn’t work for them.<br />
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I approach my responsibilities as a son of the King, a husband, and a father with great fear and trembling, understanding that I have a great responsibility that is mysteriously woven into the sovereignty of God’s will.<br />
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With that said, I am very thankful that God has left us with instructions for raising children. I can’t imagine life without a thorough understanding of the Bible, gained by simply reading it regularly with a heart to obey it. Doing this is the only reason that Lauren and I have any confidence with the decisions that we make regarding all aspects of our lives, especially with parenting.<br />
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There is value in the counsel we receive from older, experienced parents and friends, but their counsel means nothing or could possibly be destructive without the ability to know whether it is firmly rooted in biblical principles. Being confident that the counsel of others and our own decisions are firmly founded in the truth of the Word, we can make decisions that withstand great trials and testing. We can stand firmly and make principled decisions, something that seems to be nearly extinct in our society<br />
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There is hope. We can turn our society around, but it is going to take Christian fathers who know and live the truth of the Bible and are, especially, worthy of honor in their own hometowns and in their own households, because the fruit of a life devoted to Christ is clearly evident in their leadership and service.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-66775857525605115372014-02-19T08:39:00.004-08:002014-02-19T08:40:32.179-08:00The Great Power of the Lord<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 10px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwiCROVoGE8wJreZGt_f6o_qshyG6aJarLOBGNWhKGgVq9OunGNFQMCtLqikdaVcXmKctph7XKkTmXsAYxw29grdgGvJ-6T9q5TyGeM1kOhfya2giay3nkdaY-k0v-R6uKZiPD4A4NB0/s1600/Moses_bas-relief_in_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives_chamber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwiCROVoGE8wJreZGt_f6o_qshyG6aJarLOBGNWhKGgVq9OunGNFQMCtLqikdaVcXmKctph7XKkTmXsAYxw29grdgGvJ-6T9q5TyGeM1kOhfya2giay3nkdaY-k0v-R6uKZiPD4A4NB0/s1600/Moses_bas-relief_in_the_U.S._House_of_Representatives_chamber.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moses marble bas-relief, one of 23 reliefs of great historical lawgivers in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in the United States Capitol. Sculpted by Jean de Marco in 1950. Diameter 28 inches.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My family is reading through the Bible each morning, albeit at a very slow pace, in the <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2014&version=ERV" target="_blank">Easy-to-Read</a> version. Recently we read Exodus 14 where God safely delivers a million Israelites through the Red Sea, despite the most powerful army in the world pursuing them in chariots. It concludes in verse 31:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Israelites saw the great power of the Lord when he defeated the Egyptians. So the people feared and respected the Lord, and they began to trust the Lord and his servant Moses.</blockquote>
I was sure to emphasize to my children that it is God who goes to battle for us and gives us victory (spiritually speaking). He is supremely powerful.<br />
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I know I needed to read this much more than them! What battles are you facing that you simply need to trust God with and obey Him?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-55540088841170582552014-01-17T05:38:00.000-08:002014-01-17T05:38:23.073-08:00Do Good or Be Trampled Under Foot<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve often thought that the older generation of Christians is very concerned about not giving the impression that good works will get us to Heaven. I think that is a great concern since God makes it very clear that salvation comes on the basis of His grace and not works (Titus 3:5-7, NASB):</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">5</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">6</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">7</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. when we have faith that Jesus died to justify our sins and rose again to defeat the power of sin and death once and for all, and this gift of salvation is offered to everyone, apart from his works.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet, now I am concerned that the pendulum has swung to the other side. Do Christians in this generation have the biblical view that doing good works is both an individual and a group responsibility and privilege? Jesus said it this way (Matthew 5:13-16):</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">13</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">14</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">15</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">16</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be clear, Jesus could not have meant that our measure of works justifies our sins and allows for God to forgive us. This would have rendered the cross either unnecessary or not completely sufficient.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet, I say that doing good is an individual and a group responsibility that God expects every Christian and church to fulfill. We don’t fulfill this responsibility </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">only </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by belonging to a church that does some good things through occasional programs. This is good and God does want churches to do this, but the purpose of Jesus’ command is “that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I simply conclude that it is sufficient to belong to a church that does good works regularly, but I personally don’t anything that my neighbors can value as good, how will they see </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">my</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> good deeds or my church’s good works and praise my Father who is in heaven?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, I want to emphasize that if my aim is to be salt and light for my neighbors, they have to judge my works as being good. This means doing more than just communicating the message of salvation to them. They don’t perceive the value of the gospel until God opens their eyes and they understand it. My neighbors can perceive the value of me bringing their trash cans in for them or giving them some freshly-baked bread.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If my only goal is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">only</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to share the gospel with them (the other side of the pendulum), I think I would short-circuit God’s way of showing them that what I claim to believe is really useful and good in this world now. If we Christians aren’t being salt and light in both a group and an individual, practical, and in daily way for our neighbors, then who will? Do we expect the unbelievers of this world to do good?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Currently, the world perceives that it is unbelievers and secular groups doing all the good, so much so that Christians and churches have been “trampled under foot by men,” because, in their minds, rather than doing good, we are more interested in “hating” them, taking away their “rights,” and condemning them for their abominable practices.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Therefore, I say that we must make every effort to be salt and light through a lifestyle of doing wherever and whenever. This is the primary, clear, and practical way that we demonstrate that our faith works, not just for the sake of eternity, but also for the sake of life now.</span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-4500ec2b-a054-a020-31f9-b1ef10e945ba"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most unbelievers can’t readily relate to eternal things; they are just trying to survive now. If we make it our aim to live out our faith with a life filled with good works, we will be salt and make men thirst for the truth of Jesus. If we tangibly bless our neighbors, like an isolated city on a hill in a very dark land, they will be drawn to the truth. If all of us Christians live this way, our communities will be radically transformed and God’s kingdom will advance. He will be glorified!</span></span>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-50583227035553122252014-01-11T05:02:00.002-08:002014-01-11T05:02:49.113-08:00The Tide of Public OpinionThe enemy, the devil, has always understood the power of the tide of public opinion in influencing the culture. The Church needs to understand this. This is one reason why Jesus said that we must let our light shine before men (Matthew 5:16).<br /><br />When people perceive something as being "very good," they feel compelled to tell others about it. They feel compelled to promote it, make it known, defend it, and support it.<br /><br />If we Christians do the good things that God wants us to do in a very public way, this will help our society understand that what we believe and do is the solution to the world's problems (just like the people, in this passage, valued what Peter and John did).<br /><br />The loudest voices are doing their best to marginalize and falsely accuse us. Let us be wise and make use of the technology that God has given us to let the world know the good that we do. Let us choose to live out our faith in a very public way. For example, I thought recently, that when I read the Bible in public, I will read it the old fashioned way - with a paper Bible rather than on my phone. When my church is doing something good, I can easily take pictures of it and post it to the social media sites. I can easily promote the true meaning of Christian holidays among my neighbors and friends by decorating my yard and giving them small things to remind them of Jesus' significance in this world. Would our world not be quite different if we all did this?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-84153411155689740252014-01-02T05:59:00.000-08:002014-01-02T06:06:14.197-08:00Who Will Be His Witnesses?<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right; width: 10px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJesus_ascending_to_heaven.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="John Singleton Copley [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Jesus ascending to heaven" height="200" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Jesus_ascending_to_heaven.jpg/512px-Jesus_ascending_to_heaven.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus’ ascension by John Singleton Copley [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”—Acts 1:7-8, NASB</blockquote>
Did Jesus intend this statement only for those who heard the words coming from His mouth, or did He intend these words to be a truth applicable to all believers until His return? I believe it is the latter. The reason is that those in His hearing could not have fulfilled the truth of this statement in one generation. They would have had to teach subsequent followers of Jesus these words. Therefore, this statement still applies to us today. The questions we must ask ourselves: Do we believe we have this same holy-spirit power, and are we using this power to be His witnesses?<br />
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If we trust God to give us the strength to live this out, the billions of people who remain in darkness will hear the good news, and Jesus will return. Or we can just pursue a life of comfort and pretend like these people do not exist. The irony of this second way of life is that it is an impossible pursuit. We either push back the darkness with the light of Christ, or the darkness influences us and the consequences of sin, whether our own sin or that of others, rule our own lives. This life of comfort would last only a few generations.</div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-63074835252652196532013-11-18T07:45:00.001-08:002013-11-18T07:45:17.946-08:00Is Thinking a Biblical Idea?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 10px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/V&A_-_Raphael,_St_Paul_Preaching_in_Athens_(1515).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/V&A_-_Raphael,_St_Paul_Preaching_in_Athens_(1515).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul preaching in Athens, by Raphael [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While reading through Acts in a chronological reading plan, I’ve been impressed by how many times it speaks of Christians using reason and critical thinking to explain what they believe or examine the truth of God. “Reason” is almost a bad word to some Christians, but it was not to the early church:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Acts 17:17 (NASB): So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present. </blockquote>
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Acts 18:4 (NASB): And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.</blockquote>
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Acts 19:8 (NASB): And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.</blockquote>
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Acts 19:9 (NASB): But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.</blockquote>
The word that is translated as “reasoning” in the NASB version of the Bible is used in the Bible to mean, according to <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1256&t=NASB">Strong’s concordance on BlueLetterBible.org</a> “to think different things with one’s self, mingle thought with thought, to ponder, revolve in mind, to converse, discourse with one, argue, discuss.”<br />
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I believe there is a great need in the church today for followers of Jesus who can use sound reasoning to explain why they believe what they believe. Evil people in this world use unsound arguments to defeat the truth of the Bible, and they deceive many young Christians with their non-sense. Then these young Christians begin to develop the notion that there is no intelligence in the Bible and the Church, and then they become atheists because the secular world has convinced them that knowledge is God. Therefore, in their thinking, there is no accountability for their immoral behavior, and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom%201:18-32&version=NASB">the downward spiral unfolds</a>. This is time and again the story of atheists that I speak with on campus, if I can ever get them to admit it. Additionally, they often experience a void of love and much hypocrisy in the church which is another huge issue, but not one I will write about now.<br />
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As believers, it is critically important that we are able to articulate well our beliefs, in a loving way, so that the world will know it is the truth or at least not be able to revile us without shame. This is why Peter exhorted (1 Peter 3, NASB):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">14</span> But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, <span style="font-size: x-small;">15</span> but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; <span style="font-size: x-small;">16</span> and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.</blockquote>
Did you notice the context? It is not necessarily evangelism (how it is often used), but responding to persecution. The world does not understand our beliefs. Often Christians will try to explain them and end up unnecessarily offending their accusers even further, because they don't do it with gentleness, reverence, and a clear conscience. They do it with emotion and opinion rather than sound reasoning.<br />
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There is nothing “un-spiritual” about thinking critically and being able to reason with unbelievers regarding this world and the things of eternity. If we can articulate the truth of the Bible, some of those who oppose us will come to see and understand the Light (like the result of Paul's preaching in Acts 17:22-34).Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-80298992252577361962013-10-14T06:28:00.003-07:002013-10-14T06:31:28.643-07:00Christopher Columbus - For Gold or the Glory of God?Happy Columbus Day! Why or Why not?<br />
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Recently I finished the Columbus “half” of a book entitled <i><a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2F0892212233%3Fie%3DUTF8%26camp%3D213733%26creative%3D393177%26creativeASIN%3D0892212233%26linkCode%3Dshr%26tag%3Dfounnet-20%26qid%3D1381754465%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dcolumbus%2Bcortez%2Bconquerors&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFjg0g9fl0mHffvJ2e-CGYP923BEQ" target="_blank">Columbus and Cortez, Conquerors for Christ</a></i> by John Eidsmoe. The author’s goal was to provide a more well-rounded account of their voyages. While there was much injustice done through the colonization that resulted from Columbus’ voyages, there is a very significant side of the story that is never told.<br />
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A primary reason that Columbus wanted to find another route to the Indies was to spread the gospel. He communicated this frequently in his writings to the king and Queen of Spain, in his personal journal during his voyages, and in his compilation, Book of Prophecies, which was about the gospel spreading to distant lands. Thanks in part to Gutenberg’s printing of the Bible, Columbus’ understanding of God’s heart to bring His Good News to the ends of the earth exceeds that of many Christians today, even though we have more resources on the matter than Columbus could have ever dreamed of. For example, in his Book of Prophecies, Columbus cited Isaiah 60:9 (NASB), among other verses, as his motivation and justification for such a risky endeavor:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Surely the coastlands will wait for Me;<br />
And the ships of Tarshish will come first,<br />
To bring your sons from afar,<br />
Their silver and their gold with them,<br />
For the name of the Lord your God,<br />
And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you.</blockquote>
Columbus understood that God intended for distant lands to know Him, and he believed that he was one of God's instruments for this purpose.<br />
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Once Columbus discovered the isles of the Caribbean, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sent priests and clerics to aid in the conversion of the natives. Columbus recorded that the Arawak tribe were a peaceful people, but the Caribs were quite the opposite. According to journals of eyewitness accounts, the Caribs were a terror to the Caribbean. They captured other tribes, emasculating the boys to fatten them up for a future meal. They kept the women as concubines and sodomized and ate the men. They depopulated entire islands by this practice. Their beliefs required that they pray to their gods for discernment of whether to murder an ill father, and they, like some other indigenous people groups, sacrificed children in worship.<br />
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In an effort to control these natives, Columbus followed the common practice of Christianity of the day which allowed for the enslavement of enemies. To be very clear, I believe this is evil. Yet like many Christians today, we often participate in the sins of a wicked and perverse generation for lack of discernment and biblical understanding. For example, many Christians see nothing wrong with abortion, or at least aren’t willing to take the right to abort away from others. While this does not excuse or justify this tragedy, it helps us to understand that Christians could have legitimately been true Christians and still have participated in or contributed to such evil.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 10px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Landing_of_Columbus_(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Landing_of_Columbus_(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 October 1492 – Christopher Columbus discovers The Americas for Spain, painting by John Vanderlyn [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I agree with Eidsmoe’s spirit towards the accusation that Columbus forced Christianity on the natives: “This is true—and millions of people are in heaven today as a result (p. 140).” The author and I understand that people can’t forcibly be converted. True conversion comes from the sinner’s willful change of heart and mind to faith in Jesus Christ. This happened as the natives were exposed to the truth of who Jesus is and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. The entire Caribbean was transformed from barbarism to civilization because Columbus and his men introduced Jesus to savage sinners, like we all would be, without Jesus.<br />
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While Columbus and his men were imperfect, and perhaps some even intended evil, I am thankful for Columbus’ heart for the Great Commission. I also view this as a lesson for Christianity on the importance of evaluating our own mission for Christ—whether we are implementing it with great care and faith, holding to the principles of the Bible, or are we being sloppy, largely influenced by the evil that the “Christian” culture inadvertently approves.<br />
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Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-69135990792225928802013-10-06T05:31:00.002-07:002013-10-06T05:31:09.984-07:00Seeing the Glory of God<div>
Have you ever thought or said, “I am a sinful man?” It seems hard for anyone in our society today to even call anything sin. We live in a world where the idea that “what is right for you is not necessarily right for me,” has invaded even the minds of many church-going Christians. For example, they will say, “I don’t believe in doing that, but I don’t want to take that right away from someone else.” What we need is some real, biblical discernment to understand good and evil. I believe, in the Book of Luke, Chapter 5, we see the beginning of Peter’s transformation from a lowly, smelly fisherman to a god-fearing, discerning, sold out follower of Jesus, simply because he obeyed a seemingly futile request of Jesus (v. 4, NASB), “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 10px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APetri_Fischzug_Raffael.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Raphael [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Petri Fischzug Raffael" height="253" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Petri_Fischzug_Raffael.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish, in the Sea of Galilee, by Raphael [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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How did Peter’s transformation happen? I believe it started when Peter replied (v. 5, NASB), “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”</div>
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When we are willing to obey God, we are willing to do things contrary to our sinful nature. We are willing to rationalize, “Even though I want to do this thing instead, God’s ways must be good.” We disobey our own desires and obey God. The more we do this, the more we become sensitive to the good things from God and the evil things in our world and in our own thoughts. We see the glory of God and the depravity of ourselves and our need for God to forgive us. Peter obeyed Jesus, and saw God’s glory and his own depravity and exclaimed (v. 8, NASB), “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”</div>
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Peter went on to become one of the most significant men in the redemption of the world. His faith and obedience played an immeasurable role in the radical transformation of the known world. If only we all had this kind of response!</div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-1345637133707314832013-09-26T05:44:00.001-07:002013-09-26T05:44:50.119-07:00Is It Good for Christians to Assert Their Rights?Is it more "spiritual" and good to be passive when unbelievers oppose your government-protected rights and your ability to assert them and accomplish your god-given work? Or is it better to assert your rights and what is good and potentially make enemies, as much as you should be loving and tactful and do you best to win over your enemies with love? I don't think Nehemiah (nor God for that matter) would answer "yes" to the former question. I think God would answer "yes" to the latter question, and I will explain my rationale.<br /><br />Many in the Church have a view of our responsibility in our world as only being "spiritual" and only working in the shadows of society. They believe that God forbids us from asserting our rights or influencing civil laws.<br /><br />There are times when it is wise not to assert our rights, especially when this would hinder a potentially long-lasting relationship with individuals whom we could win to Christ, like neighbors who insist on violating noise ordinances.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9PHVH4VNA7lgCnLxfoCvD529hyvR0ouf32cBiY1uuvHMtAuiNpY5_Bj4SZuEEe2E1QepoLz_IPI46lsQ7ZbhWlIivU2NJ6mQA6I80eJ8Krcz3Usji9QDW7aN3GyOb7kHtsOAqKw-xr8/s1600/Nehemiah+4-14+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9PHVH4VNA7lgCnLxfoCvD529hyvR0ouf32cBiY1uuvHMtAuiNpY5_Bj4SZuEEe2E1QepoLz_IPI46lsQ7ZbhWlIivU2NJ6mQA6I80eJ8Krcz3Usji9QDW7aN3GyOb7kHtsOAqKw-xr8/s320/Nehemiah+4-14+(1).png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />Yet, when it comes to rights, I see a difference between individuals and groups. For a group of good people to concede their god-given, government-protected rights to a group of evil people is to ultimately hate those people and our posterity by allowing evil people to shape public policy and redefine "justice." When this happens, who suffers the most? Is it not the poor, the orphans, and the widows who suffer the most? Is it not those who should receive the hope of the gospel, but now can't because, we have lost our freedoms of speech and religion? We must be wise leaders like Nehemiah and act responsibly and lovingly to influence our society for good and not for evil. We must try to win our enemies by radically loving them, but we must not concede to their evil.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-7351854219704598992013-08-31T05:34:00.003-07:002013-08-31T05:41:24.948-07:00Abortion - A Small Matter?It’s easy to justify evils when nearly every voice says, “‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace,” and other voices say, “We can’t do anything about it.” If we are not careful, we will believe a lie simply because we have heard it so many times.<br />
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We also justify evil if we do not have the discernment to understand a lie when we hear one. For example, I’ve heard Christians say, “I don't believe in doing that, but I also don't think our government should take away someone else’s right to do that.” While no law stops evil people from doing evil, the primary purpose of government is to protect innocent civilians from evil-doers and to bring justice to law-breakers. This clear in the Ten Commandments.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/423197696204868105/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="No law can give me the right to do what is wrong. - Abraham Lincoln" border="0" height="400" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/da/fe/40/dafe402940efe47a9a933ad0fc1f6ae6.jpg" title="No law can give me the right to do what is wrong. - Abraham Lincoln" width="253" /></a></div>
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Therefore, we have to discern and understand that taking away a person’s right to harm others is the right thing to do. Protecting innocent life is the highest calling of civil governments. This is why God specifically mentions this evil of child sacrifice many times when declaring his judgment on the nation of Israel. For example, Ezekiel 16:20 (NASB) says, “‘Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter?’” And later, in verse 36 (NASB), “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols,’” God described the judgment He was about to bring on Israel.<br />
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Israel had become so depraved of mind in their idolatry, that they finally resorted to murdering their own children! Do we not allow the same evil to continue in America?<br />
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A civil government must outlaw murder. Is abortion not murder? Is taking the life of a baby while it is in the womb principally and morally any different than once it comes out? Let us have the discernment to understand that the right to live is the most precious right one can have, and biologically, we know that life begins at conception. Everything that this tiny life needs, except for energy and nutrients, is fully present at conception.<br />
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Yet, if we, “We the People,” who are our governments ultimate authority, simply speak up, if we simply vote for representatives who believe abortion is murder, and if we speak intelligently on the topic with our friends and neighbors, we can change people’s minds and protect the helpless.<br />
<br />Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-36008963388906223452013-08-12T09:14:00.000-07:002013-08-12T10:15:27.018-07:00The Valley of Slaughtered ChildrenWhat does God think about a nation’s role in protecting innocent life?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<sup>1</sup> Thus says the Lord, “Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests. <sup>2</sup> Then go out to the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the potsherd gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you, <sup>3</sup> and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. <sup>4</sup> Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods, that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent <sup>5</sup> and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind; <sup>6</sup> therefore, behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter... <sup>10</sup> “Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you <sup>11</sup> and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired...—Jeremiah 19:1-6,10,11 (NASB)</blockquote>
In our nation, we practice and approve of similar evil, like the nation of Israel did in Jeremiah’s day. Do we not sacrifice the lives of innocent children (vv. 4-5) to the god of convenience and hedonism and call it “a woman’s right to choose?” What about the unborn baby’s right to live?<br />
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I can’t help but believe that God will similarly break our nation beyond repair (vv. 10-11). That will mean an end to such freedom and ability to spread our faith. It will mean an end to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Whatever dreams you have for yourself or your future, forget about.<br />
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This same valley was known in Jesus’ day as a perpetually-burning garbage dump (see <a href="http://bibleatlas.org/valley_of_hinnom.htm">http://bibleatlas.org/valley_of_hinnom.htm</a>). Jesus used the Greek word for it, “Hell,” as a metaphor to help his hearers understand the eternal judgment they would face for their disobedience towards God and their stubborn, unbelieving hearts (see Matthew 23).<br />
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We can bring an end to the horrors of the abortion industry just like we did when we abolished slavery 150 years ago. How? We just simply need to get involved in our government like the Founding Fathers intended. Our government is us, “We the people.” Government officials answer to us. We get involved primarily by voting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRrC9_vvVO_NYNhpY9OGBlvfhGgl6iShNtzI-YGgDcfmSi9ztOu8ip2l8DuRnVaOB-4Bpf0Q0j63BLENHXVcfOtA6QkbuORwsNXErlj8LWa9st2ZReJ0DGOwvVEXX4Swg23kBW6n3VDs/s1600/2012+Party+Platforms+on+Life+of+the+Unborn.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRrC9_vvVO_NYNhpY9OGBlvfhGgl6iShNtzI-YGgDcfmSi9ztOu8ip2l8DuRnVaOB-4Bpf0Q0j63BLENHXVcfOtA6QkbuORwsNXErlj8LWa9st2ZReJ0DGOwvVEXX4Swg23kBW6n3VDs/s320/2012+Party+Platforms+on+Life+of+the+Unborn.png" width="247" /></a></div>
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Can you imagine the impact we could have if we all believe that our vote matters? If I remember correctly, there were around seven million votes counted in the November, 2012 election. Certainly there are more than seven million people in this country who believe that our government should protect innocent life. Therefore, in the next election, vote for representatives and executive officials who value innocent life. This is the easiest thing to do.<br />
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If a candidate is a Democrat, he most likely believes that “a woman’s right to choose” supersedes the right of the innocent, unborn baby to live. Read it for yourself from the official Democratic Platform (<a href="http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform">http://www.democrats.org/democratic-national-platform</a>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Protecting A Woman's Right to Choose. The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way.</span></blockquote>
Is this not the same ideology that plagued this country 150 years ago—“If you are more powerful than an African tribe, you can capture them and ship them to southern plantations to be sold as slaves.”<br />
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It does not make any sense to support abortion. It is an evil practice that has continued because good people have allowed it to continue.<br />
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If a candidate is a Republican, he most likely believes in protecting the innocent, unborn life of the baby: (<a href="http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_we/#Item14">http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_we/#Item14</a>):<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Faithful to the “self-evident” truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage.</span></blockquote>
Whatever the candidate’s party, we can’t assume one way or the other which is why I always consult voter guides to help me know where a candidates stands on specific issues. You can find voter guides at <a href="http://www.christianvoterguide.com/">http://www.christianvoterguide.com/</a>.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-73268650483345727802013-04-04T04:53:00.002-07:002013-04-04T04:53:47.140-07:00To Listen to the Voice of the People or NotPeople often like to use poll data to decide if proposed legislation is good or not. People will say, “Polls indicate that most Americans support...” As believers we have to ultimately ask ourselves, “Regardless of what poll data says, what does God say? Does the Bible talk about this matter?” Whether directly or indirectly, through principle or precept, the Bible talks about all matters of life. In this passage, Samuel knew that Israel was wrong, but perhaps God told Samuel to give Israel what they demanded for the sake of disciplining their rebellious hearts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgfr1DMZwD-rk8nIzKrOciBX-WiClufw1QkwYHFkMGBg-UJOT9rFBhmhpUrroQJyF77Pf-1ICIc4zFMmmPl56_ifQEAqWCJgj6memSj4QNBQv2dBHCvph3TTCDnis2V-96CNnLmES7qA/s1600/Poll+Data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgfr1DMZwD-rk8nIzKrOciBX-WiClufw1QkwYHFkMGBg-UJOT9rFBhmhpUrroQJyF77Pf-1ICIc4zFMmmPl56_ifQEAqWCJgj6memSj4QNBQv2dBHCvph3TTCDnis2V-96CNnLmES7qA/s320/Poll+Data.jpg" width="320" /></a><sup>4</sup> Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; <sup>5</sup> and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” <sup>6</sup> But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. <sup>7</sup> The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. <sup>8</sup> Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. <sup>9</sup> Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”—1 Samuel 8:4-9, NASB</blockquote>
Our congressmen should not always “listen to the voice of the people.” Rather, we must carefully elect men and women who will listen to the voice of God above all else.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-12333979757639492012013-03-26T13:32:00.002-07:002013-03-26T13:34:00.712-07:00God Judges Individuals<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwGtrLKXE5gmm7YII0BAWcch2ELTEv98x_8wI6nNxcfpzAHUBMwntnI_wqEKRdf2_iUJmfI3_sBxoGp33m4jydfULo_F_WTo8ThuNALrQlFNzZdKWS7ZoeoWpOSSFUdmQsTw2XLGi6_k/s1600/511px-Ezekiel_by_Michelangelo,_restored_-_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwGtrLKXE5gmm7YII0BAWcch2ELTEv98x_8wI6nNxcfpzAHUBMwntnI_wqEKRdf2_iUJmfI3_sBxoGp33m4jydfULo_F_WTo8ThuNALrQlFNzZdKWS7ZoeoWpOSSFUdmQsTw2XLGi6_k/s320/511px-Ezekiel_by_Michelangelo,_restored_-_large.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; width: 10px;">Michelangelo Buonarroti [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">10 </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus you have spoken, saying, “Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?”’ </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">11 </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’—Ezekiel 34:10-11</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our culture, more and more people view God as distant and uncaring or as a blood-thirsty, angry God bent on revenge. This passage makes it clear that God is neither. He knows, loves, and cares deeply for each person as an individual. This is not to ignore the way the sins of others or the righteousness of others affects individuals, they do, but clearly God eternally judges each individual based on his own actions and thoughts (v. 20): ‘“</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">20 </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”’</span></div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-59885358333342764822013-03-14T05:18:00.000-07:002013-03-14T05:18:34.864-07:00The Old Testament Laws - Why and How They are Relevant to Our World Today 2013-03-10<div style="text-align: left;">
This is a teaching that I did at Gator Christian Life's Sunday Service on 3/10/2013. </div>
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Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0Gator Christian Life, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32604, USA29.6490663 -82.34166270000002922.3763943 -92.668811200000022 36.9217383 -72.014514200000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-52103705192908316212013-02-07T03:58:00.000-08:002013-02-07T03:58:02.156-08:00The Importance of HolidaysI used to be more cynical toward holidays, not because of the holidays in and of themselves, but because of the way our culture has perverted many of them. Then I realized, the best way to respond is to reclaim the holiday for the sake of glorifying God.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIuwanHeDaOipkcxUQRpr9jBJnvBzZ2DIY6IgL0qT_Dats9gbZQfFD4xXpJ7xkQfTqAqacs4euLol7ES3-rkn97UPJ0ZUMyQiVG1Q6qD4VQddhjBOr68ADDSYMuXd6ePKmwG4Qp_bojI/s1600/320px-Shmura_Matzo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIuwanHeDaOipkcxUQRpr9jBJnvBzZ2DIY6IgL0qT_Dats9gbZQfFD4xXpJ7xkQfTqAqacs4euLol7ES3-rkn97UPJ0ZUMyQiVG1Q6qD4VQddhjBOr68ADDSYMuXd6ePKmwG4Qp_bojI/s1600/320px-Shmura_Matzo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;">Photo of handmade Shmura </span><a class="new" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matzo&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #a55858; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: initial;" title="Matzo (page does not exist)">Matzo</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> used at </span><a class="new" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Passover&action=edit&redlink=1" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #a55858; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: initial;" title="Passover (page does not exist)">Passover</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> seder. Photo taken on </span><span class="mw-formatted-date" style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;" title="2006-04-12"><span class="mw-formatted-date" title="04-12"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/April_12" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: initial;" title="April 12">April 12</a></span>, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/2006" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: initial;" title="2006">2006</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;"> by </span><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Yoninah" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-decoration: initial;" title="User:Yoninah">Yoninah</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start;">.</span></span></td></tr>
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In western civilization, people established many, perhaps most, holidays to remember what they believed to have been something God did. If we forget what God has done, especially His faithfulness in rescuing His people, then we are bound to repeat the same errors and swallow the same deceptions and curses that have plagued mankind since the Beginning. But if we remember God's faithfulness, His provision, and His might, we're more likely to advance His Kingdom in faith-stretching, god-glorifying, and world-changing ways. We won't need to be rescued from some moral disaster we've gotten ourselves into, because we will have been too focused on doing good and believing God to come through. This is how, as men, we need to lead our families, and how as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to remind one another of His story.<br />
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<sup>3</sup> Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten. <sup>4</sup> On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth. <sup>5</sup> It shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite in this month. <sup>6</sup> For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. <sup>7</sup> Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders. <sup>8</sup> You shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ <sup>9</sup> And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.—Exodus 13:3-9, NASB</blockquote>
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Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-10145549838721361642013-01-06T05:00:00.003-08:002013-01-06T05:00:22.486-08:00Valley of Murder<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<sup>4</sup> Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known; and because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, <sup>5</sup> and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind— <sup>6</sup> therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when this place shall no more be called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.—Jeremiah 19:4-6, ESV</blockquote>
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We allow our citizens to do the same today in abortion clinics. The gods of this nation are different and their method is different, but statistically, 4,000 babies are slaughtered each day as an offering to the gods of this age. How much longer will God be patient with us? In my opinion, our nation can only expect severe judgment, and while God is faithful and true to His word for those who truly follow Him and fear Him, we will all be affected greatly when judgment comes. God will discipline His people for failing to stop this slaughter of more than 50 million babies. We the people fail to stop these atrocities simply by staying silent and electing leaders who are, at best, silently opposing abortion, and at worst, supporting the expansion of the this horrific crime. May we no longer tolerate abortion in this country just like our tolerance of the African slave trade came to an end.</div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-77006727921051591392013-01-03T05:41:00.001-08:002013-01-03T05:41:23.541-08:00A Nation Planted or Plucked Up<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPbww81-sPIATPRARrPr2LahsZKGTG0LajhqYjGiv_wcjB7oTECS8iCx5huoOsa4Sasr41q0VMO_hA1c6rb6vkyaMdQs3-L9UnbFykqS9caqy3RPr0-PakM5g02keSgzlZqJocdrl-x8/s1600/MP900406588%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPbww81-sPIATPRARrPr2LahsZKGTG0LajhqYjGiv_wcjB7oTECS8iCx5huoOsa4Sasr41q0VMO_hA1c6rb6vkyaMdQs3-L9UnbFykqS9caqy3RPr0-PakM5g02keSgzlZqJocdrl-x8/s320/MP900406588%5B1%5D.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image from Microsoft Office.</span></td></tr>
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<sup>1</sup> The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: <sup>2</sup> “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” <sup>3</sup> So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. <sup>4</sup> And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. <sup>5</sup> Then the word of the Lord came to me: <sup>6</sup> “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. <sup>7</sup> If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, <sup>8</sup> and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. <sup>9</sup> And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, <sup>10</sup> and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. <sup>11</sup> Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ‘Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.’—Jeremiah 18:1-11, ESV</blockquote>
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I find it interesting that God declares this statement concerning “nations.” This is something true for any nation, not just Israel. I find that it is also interesting that God considers the nation as a whole. While God does deal with people individually, he does not judge or bless a nation based on the wickedness or righteousness of a few. He seems to consider the majority of the people. This makes sense of course, since the blessings of the righteous often affect the unrighteous, and the sins of the unrighteous often affect the righteous. This is why, the righteous have the great responsibility to influence their nation.</div>
Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-77810426306827813932012-10-26T05:03:00.000-07:002012-10-26T05:03:24.234-07:00Full Acceptance of the Truth<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<sup>15</sup> The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. <sup>16</sup> But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.—1 Timothy 1:15-16, ESV</blockquote>
Jesus came into the world, not to show people how to live or to show religious people another way to heaven (He’s the only way) or to show the religious leaders that they were doing it all wrong. He came to save His enemies and show them the most radical, undeserved kindness and love the world could ever know. He came even to save those who murder, who are rotten to the core with sexual perversion, who steal, who slander and lie. His power is exemplified and glorified by transforming objects of His wrath into objects of His grace and mercy. Paul, the author of this letter to Timothy, fully accepted this truth, and he lived like he believed the world needs to know of this Savior who can redeem anyone, including himself, the foremost of sinners. What if we all lived like this? How would this affect they way we use time and money? Will the world be any different, because of how we lived out what we claim to believe?Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-23181443854177056662012-10-19T06:37:00.001-07:002012-10-19T06:39:06.274-07:00Seek the Lord and Act<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Aert_de_Gelder_004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Aert_de_Gelder_004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aert_de_Gelder_004.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Esther and Mordecai, by Aert de Gelder</span></a></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6109633892774582" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">13</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">14</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">15</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">16</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">17</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.—Esther 4:13-17, ESV</span></span></b></blockquote>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6109633892774582" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mordecai understood the times and knew what to do. He influenced Esther who had the most influence with the king in order to stop the pending genocide of the Jews. He exhorted Esther with the truth of the situation and helped her overcome her fear of death. He helped her to understand the reality of God’s sovereign protection for His people as a nation, but at the same time, that she and her household may not escape. They knew that the time had come for them to seek the Lord and to act.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We face similar situations in our day, whether the pending doom is that of others who have not been reconciled to God through faith in Christ (we never know when anyone’s life will end), or whether it is due to some political or societal force. We must be wise about the times in which we live, and act accordingly rather than allow our desire for comfort to pacify us or allow our fears to prevent us from acting.</span></span></b>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-76513434710805725012012-10-07T06:15:00.002-07:002012-10-10T04:51:20.613-07:00Wealth, Presumption, and Generosity<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9010402439162135" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />14</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">15</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">16</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">17</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">18</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">19</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.—Nehemiah 5:14-19, ESV</span></span></b></blockquote>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9010402439162135"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nehemiah was an example among his Jewish brothers. His reliance on God was evident in his frequent prayer. He was also one who worked hard just like everyone else. He persevered through opposition, rallying his people to continue, knowing that their work was good, and it was the right thing to do in God’s sight. He was also their governor, and a wealthy one at that.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Did he acquire his wealth by evil means? I highly doubt it. In fact, he was legally allowed to collect a tax (v. 15) from his people, yet he did not, because of his fear of God. The people were already starving, and to make them pay this tax would have ruined them.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sadly in our day, people often presume that a wealthy person acquired his wealth through evil means and that it is even a crime for him to be wealthy in the first place. Sometimes wealth is acquired through evil means, but we can’t presume this. God’s command to wealthy people is that they should be generous and help those in need (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Tim.%206:17-18&version=ESV"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">see 1 Tim. 6:17-18</span></a><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">), but it is certainly not for us to judge whether a wealthy a person has been generous.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
I do think there is a time to dialogue with fellow Christians about our management of money, among many other complicated issues that do not necessarily have a clearly defined separation between right and wrong. Often these are matters of a person<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9010402439162135"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span></span></b>s heart. Only let<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9010402439162135"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span></span></b>s not make a finite, permanent judgment of a person who we don<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9010402439162135"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span></span></b>t know personally and have not had the opportunity to at least observe how he lives and talk with him about managing money.<br />
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.9010402439162135"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Only God, who has all knowledge and understands a wealthy person’s full situation better than the wealthy person, can judge whether someone has been generous. There is no way for a human to measure it which is good. If God set a clear measure for generosity, then it would not be generosity. There would be no love involved in the giving. It would merely be done to fulfill an obligation. Nehemiah, with a clear conscience, used his wealth to bless the people who worked hard on rebuilding the wall, and God wants us to follow his example, being willing give sacrificially to bless people who are truly in need.</span></span></b>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-58497363479189272392012-10-05T05:39:00.005-07:002012-10-05T05:39:51.552-07:00Doing Our Part<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right; width: 10px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Jerusalem,_city_wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Jerusalem,_city_wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">by Eitan f 13:56, 4 December 2006 (UTC) (Own work) [Public domain, GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons</span></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5440845272969455" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">28</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">29</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">30</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">31</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner. </span><span style="font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">32</span><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.—Nehemiah 3:28-32, ESV</span></span></b></blockquote>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5440845272969455" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I like how Nehemiah records even the smallest portions of work that people did to repair the wall around Jerusalem. It reminds me that no effort is too insignificant to go noticed. If we do even a little to support the mission of our churches, much would be accomplished. Yet, so many only view their church as a social club, only showing up to enjoy the fun when it is convenient. It’s time that we all ask, “How can I help the pastors accomplish the mission of the church?” Even if you only have an hour, I am sure if you ask them, they would love even an hour of your time!</span></span></b>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868328080782149308.post-67728699690321924812012-10-04T05:37:00.000-07:002012-10-04T05:45:00.437-07:00Influencing the Government - Nehemiah's Prayer and Petition<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZHPns9tSgqCvh9DXet86zGoiy1A_vhhwhXg1eJLvZ8IH9ns_ObwLNAQc-gOdaeiMUHhZAMpDzsUMDNgU8gx3brnpb3KT8lDwdclqtNJBr1UmVWI0GDp3SCL11Ing9WSGqZfXskaez3M/s1600/Nehemiah+1-4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZHPns9tSgqCvh9DXet86zGoiy1A_vhhwhXg1eJLvZ8IH9ns_ObwLNAQc-gOdaeiMUHhZAMpDzsUMDNgU8gx3brnpb3KT8lDwdclqtNJBr1UmVWI0GDp3SCL11Ing9WSGqZfXskaez3M/s200/Nehemiah+1-4.png" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><b id="internal-source-marker_0.0011422159150242805" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.0011422159150242805" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">2</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">3</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">4</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.—Nehemiah 1:2-4, ESV</span></b></div>
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.0011422159150242805" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here Nehemiah understands that his beloved home, Jerusalem, lies in ruin. This was the very place where God was supposed to bless His people and make them prosper and dwell with them. Yet God disciplined Israel by allowing the Babylonians to conquer them due to Israel’s disobedience and wickedness.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After praying, Nehemiah, who was the cup-bearer of the Persian King Artaxerxes goes in before him. The king noticed Nehemiah’s sadness and asks him about his sadness. Nehemiah explained how his home was in ruins, and the king asked him what he was requesting that the king do? Notice what Nehemiah did next:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.0011422159150242805" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">4</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...So I prayed to the God of heaven. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">5</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”—Nehemiah 2:4-5, ESV</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The king granted his request.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For some reason many Christians in this country have the attitude that they should not concern themselves with the affairs of the state or in any way interfere. I also used to have this attitude. This was definitely not the attitude of God’s people in the Old Testament and New Testament. I believe it was because they understood that the government, like many of the world’s systems and institutions, affects the people that God loves and Jesus died and resurrected for. This is one reason why Paul urged Timothy to pray for kings (see 1 Timothy 2:1-4), and why Paul did not hesitate to proclaim the gospel whenever he was brought before governing authorities. For example, take note of Acts 24:24-27, ESV:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.0011422159150242805" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">24</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">25</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.” </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">26</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">27</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thankfully, since our government is a republic that answers to “We the People,” we have an easy way to influence the government establish and maintain justice and peace. We just need to pray, vote, petition, share the gospel, run for office... The list can go on since we have a government that “We the People” participate in. Praise God for that! Our government is so unlike the monarchies and dictatorships that were commonplace until the founding of our republic.</span></b>Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12903103840847486830noreply@blogger.com0