Is Our Number Up?
This last couple of weeks has been pretty shocking. People we have known about are going by the wayside. Ed McMahan, Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and just today, Billy Mays (the TV Oxy-Clean spokesperson. He was only 50 years old also.)
Our Lord has His plan, and all we know is that it is perfect. This doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer when a loved one passes on. BUT, it does tell us something. God tells us to be ready at any time. He also tells us to spread His word. Matthew 28:19-20 tells it all: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” I know I have mentioned this before, but it stands. These passages do not specify pastors, ministers, or professional people, it speaks to us. It doesn’t specify age, sex or race. It says get the Word out. Well…….Do we need anymore convincing? The next number could be someone very close to us.
Know when to speak #7
What Faith is NOT!
Faith is faith, right? To have faith simply means believing in something. We have all kinds of faith in different items and issues in our lives. We have faith in our spouses, our children, our jobs, our homes, our vehicles, our government (most of the time), our friends, and, oh yes, our God. For the most part, we take all of these for granted.
Jesus offered us the gift of eternal life, and we can receive it through faith. Are there any conditions here that we should be aware of? Is this faith principle that Jesus offers us the same as the faith we have in other issues in our lives? Or, is there something different in the scheme of things? Let’s look at a couple of faiths that are not considered ‘saving faith’.
The first one we’ll examine is what is referred to as head knowledge. We all believe certain things have happened, such as historical events. We believe they occurred. Many say they believe that Jesus existed, and that He was a good man, did good things, is well known. They believe these facts. They say they have faith by this explanation. Is this saving faith? I don’t think Jesus had this type of faith in mind. Many say that all these issues in our lives fall under faith. Absolutely! However, we are missing a key ingredient that ignites everything. We’ll get in that later. Now let’s take a look at another type of faith that is not ‘saving faith’.
We’ll call this one temporal faith. Another word for this is temporary faith. You can probably guess what this one means. It’s like taking God off a shelf when you need Him. Things like, illness, air travel, financial stress, and anything else that comes on suddenly. When through asking God for whatever it is your asking for, we put Him back on the shelf. Now, let’s not confuse this with actual faithful prayer, which covers all of the above mentioned items, plus much more.
If we look at scripture carefully we will see how God illustrates some of these faiths that are not really faiths. For an example, let’s
look at James 2:19: ¨You believe that God is one, You do well; the demons also believe,
and shudder.” If just believing is the key, it would appear that we are going to have some strange company in heaven, as the demons also believe. Do we think for a moment they are going to heaven?
Possibly this will give you something to chew on. Next month we’ll take a look at ‘Saving Faith’, and what it is…really.
A Little Humor
The 8th OF JULY??
What is so different about the 8th of July this year?At five minutes and six seconds after 4 AM on the 8th of
July this year, the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09.
This will never happen again.
-------------------------------------------------
Here we go…..The Man Rules-------------
At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down
Finally, the guys' side of the story.
We always hear "the rules" from the female side.
Now here are the rules from the male side. Please note these are all numbered "1"
ON PURPOSE!
Men are NOT mind readers.. 1. Learn to work the toilet seat.You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.We need it up, you need it down.You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports: It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides.Let it be. 1. Shopping is NOT a sport.And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work!Strong hints do not work!Obvious hints do not work!Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question. 1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. When ever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1.. Christopher Columbus did NOT
need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors...like Windows default settings.Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no Idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing, " we will act like nothing's wrong.We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball or golf.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
1. Thank you for reading this..Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But, did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.
-------------------------------------
I know this was quite a bit of ‘Humor’, but sometimes we need to laugh a bit more. I sure would like to see some ‘humor’ stories coming in. We can use a bit of fun.
….Editor
My book has finally been released. If you would like to see the Press Release, please go to:
http://eloquentbooks.com/BeneathTheSurface-MX02.html
It will tell you a bit about the book and author.
Another Note:
If you are new to the Signpost Newsletter and would like to read previous months, you can go to our blog and catch up.
http://TheSignpostnewsletter.blogspot.com.
See you next month,
Hope you have a—
Happy 4th of July !
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
What If The Bible Is Right?
In our world today we have come to the point where we accept certain things to be true or untrue. This is most apparent in our relationship with God and His word. If the Bible says something we like, we’ll go along with it. If it says something we don’t like or are not interested in, we seem to omit it from our behavior and belief system. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the more popular notions or should we say beliefs of people today.
Let’s start right at the top. In this session we will look at abortion, and same sex marriage. The facts according to the Bible, will be laid out here. Of course, you make your own decision on which god you wish to serve, but just remember the title of this article; What If The Bible Is Right?
Abortion: The dictionary defines abortion as: An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus / embryo, resulting in or caused by its death. We have this one down solid. Some 50 million+ deaths have resulted from abortions in this country since Roe vs Wade. Probably the most looked at verse in the Bible concerning children can be found in Psalm 127:3: “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward.” If children are a gift from God, what gives us a right to destroy that life just because we want to? Many young girls and older women make a mistake about this because they have been taught that its ok, nothing wrong or bad here. There are many of these women who have realized the offense to God, and have repented for their sin. There’s another word we should take a quick look at. What is a simple definition of sin? How about; anything displeasing to God? We all know that God will forgive us of our sins. But, will God forgive a blatant sin? Many will dismiss this, but the Bible says in Proverbs 14:9, “Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will…” What if the Bible is right?
Same sex marriage: The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife. More and more states are legalizing marriage between single sexes. I guess it must be alright if everyone is doing it, and it feels right, so it can’t be wrong, can it? Politicians keep endorsing this act, as well as backing up the abortion issue. Does that make it right? Who will answer if we are doing the wrong thing? Many people say they are Christians, but are they really? Suppose we define the word Christian before we go on. It’s quite simple. Christ – ian. Christ follower, or just follower of Christ. It would seem that if we are followers of Christ, or Christians as some say, that we would follow the Bible, because this is God’s word, His instructions, His guide, and in all, His game. He set the rules. We can either play accordingly, or get out of the game. This is another of those issues where blatant sin is going to draw consequences. Turn to Exodus 34:7b, “….He will by no means let the guilty go unpunished.” Let’s see what the Bible says about same sex activities or marriage. We’ll look in the New Testament at the book of Romans.
Turn to chapter 1:24-32. “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural. And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
I’ve read the Bible over several times during the last 25+ years, and this is the only spot where it actually appears to me that God is turning His back on a particular activity. It all boils down to where you stand. You may say you are a Christian, (follower of Christ), but if you are backing government leaders that say this activity is alright…..remember how we defined sin….anything displeasing to God. These two topics look like they may be very displeasing to God. To continue to back those who endorse the activity, would be considered a blatant sin, and subject to God’s consequences. A little note for politicians…If you call yourself a Christian
how long you are here on this planet…. try to
think how long eternity will be and where you will spend it. Again it needs to be noted here…..What if the Bible is right? It’s your call.
If you would like further accounts of ‘What If The Bible Is Right’, just drop me an email and let me know. (ee1gary@aol.com)
…Editor
A Little Humor
My Times UP?
A 62 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God she asked 'Is my time up?'
God said, 'No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live.'
Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.
After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.
Arriving in front of God, she demanded, 'I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?'
- God replied: 'I didn't recognize you.'
----------------------------------------------
In our world today we have come to the point where we accept certain things to be true or untrue. This is most apparent in our relationship with God and His word. If the Bible says something we like, we’ll go along with it. If it says something we don’t like or are not interested in, we seem to omit it from our behavior and belief system. In this article we’ll take a look at some of the more popular notions or should we say beliefs of people today.
Let’s start right at the top. In this session we will look at abortion, and same sex marriage. The facts according to the Bible, will be laid out here. Of course, you make your own decision on which god you wish to serve, but just remember the title of this article; What If The Bible Is Right?
Abortion: The dictionary defines abortion as: An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus / embryo, resulting in or caused by its death. We have this one down solid. Some 50 million+ deaths have resulted from abortions in this country since Roe vs Wade. Probably the most looked at verse in the Bible concerning children can be found in Psalm 127:3: “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; The fruit of the womb is a reward.” If children are a gift from God, what gives us a right to destroy that life just because we want to? Many young girls and older women make a mistake about this because they have been taught that its ok, nothing wrong or bad here. There are many of these women who have realized the offense to God, and have repented for their sin. There’s another word we should take a quick look at. What is a simple definition of sin? How about; anything displeasing to God? We all know that God will forgive us of our sins. But, will God forgive a blatant sin? Many will dismiss this, but the Bible says in Proverbs 14:9, “Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is good will…” What if the Bible is right?
Same sex marriage: The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife. More and more states are legalizing marriage between single sexes. I guess it must be alright if everyone is doing it, and it feels right, so it can’t be wrong, can it? Politicians keep endorsing this act, as well as backing up the abortion issue. Does that make it right? Who will answer if we are doing the wrong thing? Many people say they are Christians, but are they really? Suppose we define the word Christian before we go on. It’s quite simple. Christ – ian. Christ follower, or just follower of Christ. It would seem that if we are followers of Christ, or Christians as some say, that we would follow the Bible, because this is God’s word, His instructions, His guide, and in all, His game. He set the rules. We can either play accordingly, or get out of the game. This is another of those issues where blatant sin is going to draw consequences. Turn to Exodus 34:7b, “….He will by no means let the guilty go unpunished.” Let’s see what the Bible says about same sex activities or marriage. We’ll look in the New Testament at the book of Romans.
Turn to chapter 1:24-32. “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural. And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful, and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
I’ve read the Bible over several times during the last 25+ years, and this is the only spot where it actually appears to me that God is turning His back on a particular activity. It all boils down to where you stand. You may say you are a Christian, (follower of Christ), but if you are backing government leaders that say this activity is alright…..remember how we defined sin….anything displeasing to God. These two topics look like they may be very displeasing to God. To continue to back those who endorse the activity, would be considered a blatant sin, and subject to God’s consequences. A little note for politicians…If you call yourself a Christian
how long you are here on this planet…. try to
think how long eternity will be and where you will spend it. Again it needs to be noted here…..What if the Bible is right? It’s your call.
If you would like further accounts of ‘What If The Bible Is Right’, just drop me an email and let me know. (ee1gary@aol.com)
…Editor
A Little Humor
My Times UP?
A 62 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God she asked 'Is my time up?'
God said, 'No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live.'
Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.
After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.
Arriving in front of God, she demanded, 'I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?'
- God replied: 'I didn't recognize you.'
----------------------------------------------
If we exalt ourselves, He will humble us. If we humble ourselves, He will exalt us.
Know when to speak #6
Last month we determined that Jesus was in fact, God in the flesh. Through the years I have heard a great deal of people comment about God not knowing what they were going through, or how much pain they were feeling. All we have to do is think of the pain and suffering Jesus endured as He was being whipped. You know, those whips had barbs on the end of them. They dug in when they hit, tore flesh and muscle. How many of us have had to go through pain like that? We’ll take that another step further. Can you imagine how it felt to have a stake driven through your hands? I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and suffering He went through for me….for you.
Jesus didn’t have to go through this, but He did it to pay the price for us. He went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. I can’t see myself going to the cross to pay for someone’s sins, but Jesus did it. A little sidebar here….That’s what I call love!
It’s interesting to note how people see who Jesus was. Many say He was a good man. Others say He was a great teacher. Some say He was a prophet. We know He did all these things, but the main point here is that people either don’t know, or are trying to hide from the truth. If they admit Jesus is God, they will have more feelings of guilt from their own behavior.
When Jesus was on the cross He said a word that pretty much tells all. He said, ‘tetelestai’. This is an accounting term for that period of time. It means, ‘paid in full’. He paid the price for our transgressions….in full, and He offers eternal life with the Father as a gift. This gift is received by faith. Next month we’ll take a look at what faith is NOT.
Comment:
During the last few months we’ve looked at a few helpful hints at sharing the gospel of our Lord. The idea is to share, not to engage in an argument, which leaves hard feelings and sometimes a very negative outlook on the part of the person we are trying to reach. As you can see, it doesn’t take a bible scholar to relate your testimony and the good news of Jesus. So far, you will have also noticed that there is no slamming other faiths. If we are going to share good news, let’s share good news, and that would be how the person you are speaking with can come to know the Lord and have eternal life.
We sometimes think the timing is not right. Occasionally this is true. But, keep in mind we are not the determining power for life. If we ever wonder whether the time is right, just think of that person leaving this earth without knowing the Lord. Forever is a long time, and time is precious. If we let the opportunity go by, and the person dies, we are left with the thought, what if…/….I tried to reach my father before he died, but was rejected. The thought is still with me, what if I tried a little harder to reach him……
We can’t dwell on the past, just learn. God wants us to be His messengers of His word, and it doesn’t take a title to accomplish this. Matthew 28:19-20 does not specify pastors, ministers or priests. These passages are talking to all of us. We are to go out, teach, baptize and instruct in God’s way. Can you imagine what would happen in Washington if everyone who calls themselves Christian, reached one person in a year? WOW!!
We’ll start looking at faith next month.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
‘I Don’t Talk About Religion Or Politics’
How many times have we heard this comment? Years ago I used to wonder why people didn’t talk about religion or politics. It’s taken some deep study and thought to answer this very popular idea of not speaking about religion or politics. Could a main reason be, we don’t know enough to carry on an intelligent conversation? If you ask a person who states this as a reason, he will never agree that he doesn’t know enough to speak about these topics. But, if we push further, we will find that this is probably the real reason for no conversation in two very controversial subjects.
Now, how do we tie religion and politics into the same realm? The easiest way to demonstrate the why is to show an example. This is not meant to be a political discussion. It is only a comparison. Let’s look at Talk Radio. How many successful liberal talk radio shows are there in this country? The answer is not very many, if any at all. Why? Liberal politics has never made it a practice to be very deep or far thinking in its programs, or for that matter, its discussion. The discussion must be very shallow. People, on the other hand, have become more demanding in their understanding of programs and how they work. They want more than shallow end results. For this reason liberal talk radio does not do well in this country
Using the same premise, conservative talk radio, which is thriving in this country, does just the opposite. Conservatives go to great pain to explain details of how programs or benefits will work, and how they will be paid. They also explain how liberal programs will not work and why. This is a very brief explanation of liberal vs conservative talk radio. It’s used only to show a comparison.
Now, let’s apply this idea to religion. We know that only 5% of Christians in the United States have ever led anyone to the Lord. If only 5% have spoken up, that leaves 95% who haven’t said anything. Again, why? Using some of the same ideas from the talk radio explanation above, we find that most Christians can only give a shallow accounting of the gospel. They say things like, ‘just believe and you’ll receive the Holy Spirit’, or other such phrases, which only a Christian understands. I know in my B.C. (before Christ) days, if anyone said that to me, I would be looking for a door or some other quick exit.
As I said before, people are more demanding today. They want facts, logic, simplicity, and want to understand what’s being said. The gospel is simple if explained correctly. The very best part is, it’s not your words, it’s the Lord’s words, and the Bible backs you up all the way. If you explain the gospel in this manner, you will be glorifying God to the max!
This editor’s book is about to be released! It’s a fiction novel about one person’s method of dealing with banks that write bad mortgages. I think you would find it entertaining. Unless you indicate otherwise, an announcement from the publisher, by way of email will come to you telling you about the book and it’s author (me). If you do not want to receive this announcement, please let me know. (ee1gary@aol.com)
A Little Humor
An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'
'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,' was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.
She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'
As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her,
'Are you God's wife?'
Know when to speak #5
Who is Jesus? There are probably a number of books written on this subject. There are about as many statements as to who Jesus is as there are books. Some of the more popular descriptions are; great teacher, prophet, nice person, heretic, fool, or wacko. I think I covered both ends of the spectrum here. Of course we are going to defend anything that we know is not true. In our defense can we back up our claims as to who Jesus is? This is another example of fact vs emotion. We all know how we feel about Jesus, but can we prove our feelings? Suppose we take a look at what the Bible says.
John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Sounds pretty good so far, but it doesn’t prove a thing. Let’s go a bit farther. Drop on down to verse 14: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory; glory from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Ok, now we have a firm grip on it. Who was the Word? ..God. The Word became flesh. Who was that? ..Jesus.
Who is Jesus? You only get one guess here. God became flesh….Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is God! Jesus is wholly God and wholly man.
I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I usually like to back up strong statements, and this one is no exception, in fact, it can use everything we can assemble. Many churches in this country have minimized the importance of Jesus……bad mistake. In any event, turn with me to John 20:28: In this passage ‘doubting Thomas’ is checking the piercings on Jesus’ hands as the verse says; “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’.
I think we have the picture here. Next month we’ll discuss what Jesus did that was so important to the people of this world.
________
Take a look at Matthew 28:19-20. Does it say only pastors, priests, or ministers are to go out and reach the world?
I don’t think so…We’ll be getting into this.
How many times have we heard this comment? Years ago I used to wonder why people didn’t talk about religion or politics. It’s taken some deep study and thought to answer this very popular idea of not speaking about religion or politics. Could a main reason be, we don’t know enough to carry on an intelligent conversation? If you ask a person who states this as a reason, he will never agree that he doesn’t know enough to speak about these topics. But, if we push further, we will find that this is probably the real reason for no conversation in two very controversial subjects.
Now, how do we tie religion and politics into the same realm? The easiest way to demonstrate the why is to show an example. This is not meant to be a political discussion. It is only a comparison. Let’s look at Talk Radio. How many successful liberal talk radio shows are there in this country? The answer is not very many, if any at all. Why? Liberal politics has never made it a practice to be very deep or far thinking in its programs, or for that matter, its discussion. The discussion must be very shallow. People, on the other hand, have become more demanding in their understanding of programs and how they work. They want more than shallow end results. For this reason liberal talk radio does not do well in this country
Using the same premise, conservative talk radio, which is thriving in this country, does just the opposite. Conservatives go to great pain to explain details of how programs or benefits will work, and how they will be paid. They also explain how liberal programs will not work and why. This is a very brief explanation of liberal vs conservative talk radio. It’s used only to show a comparison.
Now, let’s apply this idea to religion. We know that only 5% of Christians in the United States have ever led anyone to the Lord. If only 5% have spoken up, that leaves 95% who haven’t said anything. Again, why? Using some of the same ideas from the talk radio explanation above, we find that most Christians can only give a shallow accounting of the gospel. They say things like, ‘just believe and you’ll receive the Holy Spirit’, or other such phrases, which only a Christian understands. I know in my B.C. (before Christ) days, if anyone said that to me, I would be looking for a door or some other quick exit.
As I said before, people are more demanding today. They want facts, logic, simplicity, and want to understand what’s being said. The gospel is simple if explained correctly. The very best part is, it’s not your words, it’s the Lord’s words, and the Bible backs you up all the way. If you explain the gospel in this manner, you will be glorifying God to the max!
This editor’s book is about to be released! It’s a fiction novel about one person’s method of dealing with banks that write bad mortgages. I think you would find it entertaining. Unless you indicate otherwise, an announcement from the publisher, by way of email will come to you telling you about the book and it’s author (me). If you do not want to receive this announcement, please let me know. (ee1gary@aol.com)
A Little Humor
An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!'
'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,' was the boy's reply.
The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her.
She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.
She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.'
As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her,
'Are you God's wife?'
Know when to speak #5
Who is Jesus? There are probably a number of books written on this subject. There are about as many statements as to who Jesus is as there are books. Some of the more popular descriptions are; great teacher, prophet, nice person, heretic, fool, or wacko. I think I covered both ends of the spectrum here. Of course we are going to defend anything that we know is not true. In our defense can we back up our claims as to who Jesus is? This is another example of fact vs emotion. We all know how we feel about Jesus, but can we prove our feelings? Suppose we take a look at what the Bible says.
John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Sounds pretty good so far, but it doesn’t prove a thing. Let’s go a bit farther. Drop on down to verse 14: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory; glory from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Ok, now we have a firm grip on it. Who was the Word? ..God. The Word became flesh. Who was that? ..Jesus.
Who is Jesus? You only get one guess here. God became flesh….Jesus. Therefore, Jesus is God! Jesus is wholly God and wholly man.
I don’t know how everyone else feels, but I usually like to back up strong statements, and this one is no exception, in fact, it can use everything we can assemble. Many churches in this country have minimized the importance of Jesus……bad mistake. In any event, turn with me to John 20:28: In this passage ‘doubting Thomas’ is checking the piercings on Jesus’ hands as the verse says; “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’.
I think we have the picture here. Next month we’ll discuss what Jesus did that was so important to the people of this world.
________
Take a look at Matthew 28:19-20. Does it say only pastors, priests, or ministers are to go out and reach the world?
I don’t think so…We’ll be getting into this.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
PRAYER IS POWERFUL
The economy is in the tank. Folks have lost their jobs, their homes, their families, and some of have lost their lives. The worst part of a bad situation is, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
We are seeing changes happening in this country that will take decades to fix. As we look upon this grim picture we must keep in mind who is the ultimate winner in what appears to be a country headed for very dark times. Examples would include; spending by the new administration that will have our grandchildren in debt up to their eyes; cutting back on strategic defense initiatives; tossing out moral values that have been so long a part of our lives; and the giving away of our national parks to the U.N. (ratification to come). I know this last one has eyebrows going up. If you would like the whole story, and it’s not just a story passed on, but an actual happening that I experienced concerning Carlsbad Caverns National Park, just drop me a note and I’ll explain it to you, and tell you how you can locate information on how this will come about.
In the meantime, prayer is the way things get done. We need to ask God to guide the new administration in His ways. We know if we follow God’s way, things have a way of working out for the best. Do keep our country and its leaders in your prayers!
Know when to speak #4
Last month we were able to see how man does not have the ability to save himself. We learned that he cannot work his way into heaven, which means saying that you go to church, or help those in need. Don’t get me wrong, these are good things to do, but they will not purchase a place in heaven.
We also found out how much little sins can add up. I can’t imagine 70,000 sins getting me anywhere except the wrong places. And, my number would be considerably higher….
Now that we have an idea where man’s sin nature stands, perhaps we should take a look at how God feels about this. After all, He created us, right?
With respect to the last comment above, we know that God loves us. Many people feel this is good enough. God created us, He loves us, and He won’t destroy that which He loves or created. To back this up we can look at 1 John 4:8, which says; “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” If you would like to understand this more completely, just read the verses surrounding verse 8.
Now that we are feeling good about our chances for heaven, we’d better take a look at another piece of scripture that deals with the sin issue, (something we would like to hide). Turn with me to Exodus 34:7, about the middle of the verse; “….who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin, yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…” Ouch! God loves us all. However, He is our spiritual father. Most of us know when raising children, we love them, but when they do wrong we punish them. The same is true for God. In this instance, He will punish sin, and we all have the sin problem.
Again it comes down to the fact that man cannot save himself. We try to do things that we think will earn us points to get to heaven, but they mean nothing towards securing heaven. God recognizes this problem for man, and has provided the answer and the only way to heaven. He sent Jesus. Next month; Who is Jesus, and what did He do?
A Little Humor
FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY
In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days. The argument was~ it is unfair that atheists had no such recognized day(s). The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, 'Case dismissed.' The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case?
The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays.' The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, 'But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant.' The lawyer said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.' The judge said, 'The calendar says April 1st is' April Fools Day.' Psalm 14:1 states 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day.
Court is adjourned.
Would you like to be able to share the gospel with ease, simplicity, no fear of intimidation, or feel that you are lacking in biblical knowledge? You can! It doesn’t take a bible scholar to share bible facts, a logical approach or just simple discussion; it takes someone who makes a commitment to God to spread His Word to those who don’t know, and there are many of those. You will be surprised at the number of people who are looking for answers. Can you imagine how they will feel when you give them those answers in simple conversation?
If you feel God is calling you to do this, just email me, let me know. I’ll call you, and we can talk a little. If at that time you are still feeling called, we can meet, go into more detail, and see about teaching you how to communicate the gospel simply, but very effectively. Please keep in mind, there is no pressure here. If you decide against it, there is no one who will think less of you. Sometimes things are not exactly as we think they might be. Not to worry!!
The economy is in the tank. Folks have lost their jobs, their homes, their families, and some of have lost their lives. The worst part of a bad situation is, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
We are seeing changes happening in this country that will take decades to fix. As we look upon this grim picture we must keep in mind who is the ultimate winner in what appears to be a country headed for very dark times. Examples would include; spending by the new administration that will have our grandchildren in debt up to their eyes; cutting back on strategic defense initiatives; tossing out moral values that have been so long a part of our lives; and the giving away of our national parks to the U.N. (ratification to come). I know this last one has eyebrows going up. If you would like the whole story, and it’s not just a story passed on, but an actual happening that I experienced concerning Carlsbad Caverns National Park, just drop me a note and I’ll explain it to you, and tell you how you can locate information on how this will come about.
In the meantime, prayer is the way things get done. We need to ask God to guide the new administration in His ways. We know if we follow God’s way, things have a way of working out for the best. Do keep our country and its leaders in your prayers!
Know when to speak #4
Last month we were able to see how man does not have the ability to save himself. We learned that he cannot work his way into heaven, which means saying that you go to church, or help those in need. Don’t get me wrong, these are good things to do, but they will not purchase a place in heaven.
We also found out how much little sins can add up. I can’t imagine 70,000 sins getting me anywhere except the wrong places. And, my number would be considerably higher….
Now that we have an idea where man’s sin nature stands, perhaps we should take a look at how God feels about this. After all, He created us, right?
With respect to the last comment above, we know that God loves us. Many people feel this is good enough. God created us, He loves us, and He won’t destroy that which He loves or created. To back this up we can look at 1 John 4:8, which says; “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” If you would like to understand this more completely, just read the verses surrounding verse 8.
Now that we are feeling good about our chances for heaven, we’d better take a look at another piece of scripture that deals with the sin issue, (something we would like to hide). Turn with me to Exodus 34:7, about the middle of the verse; “….who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin, yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished…” Ouch! God loves us all. However, He is our spiritual father. Most of us know when raising children, we love them, but when they do wrong we punish them. The same is true for God. In this instance, He will punish sin, and we all have the sin problem.
Again it comes down to the fact that man cannot save himself. We try to do things that we think will earn us points to get to heaven, but they mean nothing towards securing heaven. God recognizes this problem for man, and has provided the answer and the only way to heaven. He sent Jesus. Next month; Who is Jesus, and what did He do?
A Little Humor
FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY
In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days. The argument was~ it is unfair that atheists had no such recognized day(s). The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, 'Case dismissed.' The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case?
The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays.' The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, 'But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant.' The lawyer said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.' The judge said, 'The calendar says April 1st is' April Fools Day.' Psalm 14:1 states 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day.
Court is adjourned.
Would you like to be able to share the gospel with ease, simplicity, no fear of intimidation, or feel that you are lacking in biblical knowledge? You can! It doesn’t take a bible scholar to share bible facts, a logical approach or just simple discussion; it takes someone who makes a commitment to God to spread His Word to those who don’t know, and there are many of those. You will be surprised at the number of people who are looking for answers. Can you imagine how they will feel when you give them those answers in simple conversation?
If you feel God is calling you to do this, just email me, let me know. I’ll call you, and we can talk a little. If at that time you are still feeling called, we can meet, go into more detail, and see about teaching you how to communicate the gospel simply, but very effectively. Please keep in mind, there is no pressure here. If you decide against it, there is no one who will think less of you. Sometimes things are not exactly as we think they might be. Not to worry!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
PRAYER IS POWERFUL
Please lift up an anonymous prayer request for church families who are really struggling with a lot of private and financial issues right now. The pressures of “life” are putting a real strain on their marriages and there is talk of giving up and walking away from these long standing marriages. It seems to be a repeated theme in our recent prayer requests, and it is definitely an obvious attack from our adversary to discredit and destroy the institution of Godly marriages.
So let’s pray for ALL our church families and their marriages, that God would protect their bond of marriage, and would strengthen it during these challenging times. Finances really put a strain on relationships, and many couples now are fearfully faced with losing their current situations, so lets respond to this by praying for God to intervene and stop these waves that often strike at the base of our relationships. It is like these assaults are like crashing waves in a storm and our marriage couples are in tiny boats on the sea trying to weather out each hit from the stormy angry sea, and yet God is calling us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and FINISHER of our faith. Let’s pray for God to seal tightly our marriages, to “water seal” them from the assaults of the enemy, that God would hold them in the palm of His hand during these uncertain times, and that our married couples would cling to one another as well as the cross at the core of their relationship. Pray for God to be glorified in the midst of these trials.
I also encourage you to be supportive of one another, and for those struggling. Please do not isolate yourself. The enemy would want to get you off by yourself and beat you up even more about how hopeless things appear. Instead… reach out to your Christian brothers and sisters so we can be here to support you and help in any way we can. That’s what the Body of Christ here on earth is called to do!
Know when to speak #3
What does one have to do to receive this gift? We’ve learned that eternal life is a gift from God. Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9 back this up completely.
As we take a look at ‘man’, we see how the verses in Ephesians play an important part. We find in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Man is a sinner. That would be everyone except Jesus. At this point there will be those who say they don’t sin very much, and they will let their good deeds weigh against the bad they have done in their life. As you point out that all mankind is a sinner you may run into the objection from some that they don’t believe all that is contained in the Bible. They say the Bible was written by man. Well, guess what! The Bible was written by man, inspired by God
To be more precise, the Bible was written by some forty different people comprising sixty six books, and written over a period of fifteen hundred years. At this point I usually ask the person to imagine that they are God. Would they let the Bible be in error if it was their way to communicate the plan of salvation??
Now we’ll get back to the person who says they don’t sin very much. This would be a good time to define the word sin. Ask the person you are talking to what sin means to them. You’ll receive a number of answers, all of which are probably correct. After about three or four ideas come forth, just mention that sin can easily be defined as something displeasing to God. That would be anything done in thought or deed. With that, let’s look at an example how this works.
A good person probably sins ten times a day. For this example we’ll say the person only sins three times a day. Pardon the expression…that’s just about walking on water. Three times 365 days per year; that’s over 1000 sins. Now multiply that by about 70 years. Wow! Over 70,000 sins. Where do you think you would end up in a court of law with 70,000 counts against you?
As these numbers sink in, explain that God has a passing grade into heaven. Matthew 5:48 says it pretty clearly; “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” Sounds like 100 percent to me.
Still there are those who think they can hide their ‘little’ sins. Let’s take a look at another example. You are making an omelet. As you are cracking the eggs and putting them in a bowl, you realize you have cracked one that doesn’t look real good. You figure, ‘what the heck’, and finish putting about six eggs in the mixing bowl. You figure, ‘no one will know’. But, you know…The same is with God. You may try to hide the little sins, but God knows.
Can you see why man can not save himself? Next month we’ll see what God has to say about man, and how He deals with the issue of sin.
…Editor
A Little Humor (But a whole lot of truth…)
HEAVEN'S ENTRANCE EXAM
A man dies and goes to Heaven. Saint Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates and says,
"Ok, here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into Heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I'll award you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says...."I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never once cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says Saint Peter, "That's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he asks.
"Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithes and service."
"Terrific!" says Saint Peter, "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point”?!!
Hey, I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans!"
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, " Saint Peter says.
"Two points?!!" the man cries.
"At this rate, the only way I'm going to get into Heaven is by the Grace of God!"
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"
**Note** If you would like to receive your own monthly Signpost Newsletter, just drop us a line at: ee1gary@aol.com, and say subscribe. IT’S FREE!
Please lift up an anonymous prayer request for church families who are really struggling with a lot of private and financial issues right now. The pressures of “life” are putting a real strain on their marriages and there is talk of giving up and walking away from these long standing marriages. It seems to be a repeated theme in our recent prayer requests, and it is definitely an obvious attack from our adversary to discredit and destroy the institution of Godly marriages.
So let’s pray for ALL our church families and their marriages, that God would protect their bond of marriage, and would strengthen it during these challenging times. Finances really put a strain on relationships, and many couples now are fearfully faced with losing their current situations, so lets respond to this by praying for God to intervene and stop these waves that often strike at the base of our relationships. It is like these assaults are like crashing waves in a storm and our marriage couples are in tiny boats on the sea trying to weather out each hit from the stormy angry sea, and yet God is calling us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and FINISHER of our faith. Let’s pray for God to seal tightly our marriages, to “water seal” them from the assaults of the enemy, that God would hold them in the palm of His hand during these uncertain times, and that our married couples would cling to one another as well as the cross at the core of their relationship. Pray for God to be glorified in the midst of these trials.
I also encourage you to be supportive of one another, and for those struggling. Please do not isolate yourself. The enemy would want to get you off by yourself and beat you up even more about how hopeless things appear. Instead… reach out to your Christian brothers and sisters so we can be here to support you and help in any way we can. That’s what the Body of Christ here on earth is called to do!
Know when to speak #3
What does one have to do to receive this gift? We’ve learned that eternal life is a gift from God. Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9 back this up completely.
As we take a look at ‘man’, we see how the verses in Ephesians play an important part. We find in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Man is a sinner. That would be everyone except Jesus. At this point there will be those who say they don’t sin very much, and they will let their good deeds weigh against the bad they have done in their life. As you point out that all mankind is a sinner you may run into the objection from some that they don’t believe all that is contained in the Bible. They say the Bible was written by man. Well, guess what! The Bible was written by man, inspired by God
To be more precise, the Bible was written by some forty different people comprising sixty six books, and written over a period of fifteen hundred years. At this point I usually ask the person to imagine that they are God. Would they let the Bible be in error if it was their way to communicate the plan of salvation??
Now we’ll get back to the person who says they don’t sin very much. This would be a good time to define the word sin. Ask the person you are talking to what sin means to them. You’ll receive a number of answers, all of which are probably correct. After about three or four ideas come forth, just mention that sin can easily be defined as something displeasing to God. That would be anything done in thought or deed. With that, let’s look at an example how this works.
A good person probably sins ten times a day. For this example we’ll say the person only sins three times a day. Pardon the expression…that’s just about walking on water. Three times 365 days per year; that’s over 1000 sins. Now multiply that by about 70 years. Wow! Over 70,000 sins. Where do you think you would end up in a court of law with 70,000 counts against you?
As these numbers sink in, explain that God has a passing grade into heaven. Matthew 5:48 says it pretty clearly; “Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” Sounds like 100 percent to me.
Still there are those who think they can hide their ‘little’ sins. Let’s take a look at another example. You are making an omelet. As you are cracking the eggs and putting them in a bowl, you realize you have cracked one that doesn’t look real good. You figure, ‘what the heck’, and finish putting about six eggs in the mixing bowl. You figure, ‘no one will know’. But, you know…The same is with God. You may try to hide the little sins, but God knows.
Can you see why man can not save himself? Next month we’ll see what God has to say about man, and how He deals with the issue of sin.
…Editor
A Little Humor (But a whole lot of truth…)
HEAVEN'S ENTRANCE EXAM
A man dies and goes to Heaven. Saint Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates and says,
"Ok, here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into Heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I'll award you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says...."I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never once cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says Saint Peter, "That's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he asks.
"Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithes and service."
"Terrific!" says Saint Peter, "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point”?!!
Hey, I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans!"
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, " Saint Peter says.
"Two points?!!" the man cries.
"At this rate, the only way I'm going to get into Heaven is by the Grace of God!"
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"
**Note** If you would like to receive your own monthly Signpost Newsletter, just drop us a line at: ee1gary@aol.com, and say subscribe. IT’S FREE!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
February 2009
Are you standing in the power of Christ?
Ephesians 6:10 tells us to put on the full armor of God. What does that mean in today’s culture? Better yet, what does that mean in the Christian churches of today? Many churches feel that if you just show someone that you are a Christian, that will be just fine. I think we’ve determined the only one to receive glorification is the person themselves. We need to use our mouth to communicate the Gospel of Jesus. And, of course, that’s where the fear of rejection or the lack of knowledge comes in. What do we say to a person who is trying to find facts about the Bible or who Jesus is, and what He did that was so important.
Know when to speak #2
Last month we learned that it was a good idea to have permission to share the Gospel. It’s common knowledge that if you try to share the Gospel without their permission, you might find them trying to end the conversation with; Oh, I’m late to meet someone, or can we hold this thought until next time? Or, I am supposed to pick someone up, and I’m late, or any number of other excuses to get them away.
Ok, we have their permission to speak. What’s next? How about a statement like; we can’t do anything to earn our way to Heaven. This can be followed with another attention getter; Heaven is a free gift! Now you will have to do some backing up of the statements. Start with Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Reemphasize that eternal life is a gift, not earned or deserved. As an example of this you might say; If I give you the keys to a new car and tell you it’s a gift, are you expected to pay for it? If you earn it or pay for it, it’s not a gift.
Now is a good time to share another verse from the Bible. Let’s look at Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourself, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works that no one can boast.” At this point you might want to be sure the person you are speaking to understands that Heaven is a gift, not a reward, or not payment for being good, or going to church, or giving to charities. These are all good notable acts, but have nothing to do with entering Heaven.
We are all in the same boat, so to speak. We are all offered this gift. The question here is how to I receive this gift? Let’s go back to our original gift example; what does the person receiving the car keys have to do?
Next month we’ll see how man fits this picture.
Christian Democrat / Democrat Christian
Oxy-Moron?
Ephesians 6:10 tells us to put on the full armor of God. What does that mean in today’s culture? Better yet, what does that mean in the Christian churches of today? Many churches feel that if you just show someone that you are a Christian, that will be just fine. I think we’ve determined the only one to receive glorification is the person themselves. We need to use our mouth to communicate the Gospel of Jesus. And, of course, that’s where the fear of rejection or the lack of knowledge comes in. What do we say to a person who is trying to find facts about the Bible or who Jesus is, and what He did that was so important.
Know when to speak #2
Last month we learned that it was a good idea to have permission to share the Gospel. It’s common knowledge that if you try to share the Gospel without their permission, you might find them trying to end the conversation with; Oh, I’m late to meet someone, or can we hold this thought until next time? Or, I am supposed to pick someone up, and I’m late, or any number of other excuses to get them away.
Ok, we have their permission to speak. What’s next? How about a statement like; we can’t do anything to earn our way to Heaven. This can be followed with another attention getter; Heaven is a free gift! Now you will have to do some backing up of the statements. Start with Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Reemphasize that eternal life is a gift, not earned or deserved. As an example of this you might say; If I give you the keys to a new car and tell you it’s a gift, are you expected to pay for it? If you earn it or pay for it, it’s not a gift.
Now is a good time to share another verse from the Bible. Let’s look at Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourself, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works that no one can boast.” At this point you might want to be sure the person you are speaking to understands that Heaven is a gift, not a reward, or not payment for being good, or going to church, or giving to charities. These are all good notable acts, but have nothing to do with entering Heaven.
We are all in the same boat, so to speak. We are all offered this gift. The question here is how to I receive this gift? Let’s go back to our original gift example; what does the person receiving the car keys have to do?
Next month we’ll see how man fits this picture.
Christian Democrat / Democrat Christian
Oxy-Moron?
Whoa! “What do you mean a Christian Democrat fits the description of an oxy-moron? I have been a Christian for over 20 years, and I’m a Democrat.” This is a common response to the term ‘oxy-moron’ and being a Democrat. Actually, many people get quite irate when you make such a comparison. They say things like; “I don’t go along with all the social issues so much, but I think the President has done things wrong with respect to the war in Iraq.” These people are not thinking about the millions of lives lost, and the millions more lives that will be lost to abortion since 1973. More human lives have been given up since the Roe-v-Wade Law passed than we have lost in all the wars the United States has ever been engaged in. Probably the best way to look at this in a completely objective way is to take a look at the Democrat, Republican and Christian platforms. These are the operating instructions by which the outgoing President Bush and the previous Democrat nominee Senator Kerry and the practicing Christian must operate. Each may stress different points during the campaign, but in the end run they will be adhering to their operating instructions, that is, if they wish to have the blessings of their party or God. We’ll take a look at the three platforms, and compare them to see which is closer to which.
The two political parties, Democrat and Republican platforms pretty well define themselves. There seems to be some difference in what the Christian platform is all about. So, right off we probably need to define the word ‘Christian’. We don’t want to include anyone who doesn’t feel they are in this grouping. Webster defines Christian or Christianity as; “the religion derived from Jesus Christ, based on the Bible as sacred scripture, and professed by Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant bodies.” A little further, Christ-like is defined as; “resembling Christ in character, spirit, or action.” This is very close to a simple definition portrayed throughout the Bible as a Christian being a follower of Christ, someone who lives their life obeying the commands of Christ and displaying the love He tells us to have for others.
With the three platforms established, let’s take a look at some points illustrated in these platforms. We’ll start with:
ABORTION & EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH
* The Democratic platform sees it this way. They believe in the privacy and equality of women, and stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay. They also strongly support family planning and adoption incentives. And, they believe that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. Embryonic Stem Cell research will be pursued under strictest ethical guidelines looking for assistance from the government.
* The Republican platform sees it this way. They desire to keep their pledge to the first guarantee of the Declaration of Independence. They state that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. They support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make it clear that the 14th Amendment’s protection apply to unborn children. They support judges who respect family values and the sanctity of
human life. Embryonic Stem Cell research is opposed. They believe the current use of adult stem cells should be continued.
* The Christian platform sees it this way. The Bible states it is wrong to take a life in such a fashion. Psalm 139:13-14 gives insight; God formed the baby inside the woman, and is fearfully and wonderfully made. In the Old Testament book of Exodus the case of miscarriage fines were levied if the child died before it was born. It would seem that the Bible takes a dim view on abortion (killing children before they are born). Embryonic Stem Cell research is committing murder. The Bible states in the book of Exodus, “You shall not murder”.
SAME SEX MARRIAGE
* The Democratic platform sees it this way. They support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation. They support equal responsibilities and benefits for these families. They state that they believe that marriage be defined at the state level.
* The Republican platform sees it this way. They state that a few judges and local authorities have taken it upon themselves to change laws concerning the union of a man and a woman in marriage.
President Bush defended the Defense of Marriage Act, which was supported by both parties and passed by 85 votes in the Senate. This law reaffirms the right of states not to recognize same sex marriages licensed in other states.
* The Christian platform sees it this way. Ephesians 5:31 supports the Christian platform by stating that marriage will take place between a man and a woman, that the two will become one flesh. Romans 1:24-32 spells out how God feels about homosexuality in general. It would easily appear by these platform guidelines that God would turn his back on men and women who engage in a same sex relationship.
LOVE
Interesting…..A topic that perhaps should be listed, seems to be lacking on two out of three platforms.
* The Democratic platform sees it this way. This is not a topic addressed on this platform.
* The Republican platform sees it this way. This is not a topic addressed on this platform.
* The Christian platform sees it this way. It would appear that this item is paramount to this platform. John 13:34 tells us to love one another as He loved us. This is a command. The Bible tells us that this form of love is not just being nice or having good thoughts or intense emotions. He explains that this love is on a much higher level. The love indicated here is one full of sacrificial acts carried out to the Father’s will, not our personal will or satisfaction. The Bible is quite descriptive and makes its point clearly, as stated in 1 John 4:7-8, where we are told if we love we are born of God and know God. It also goes on to say if we don’t love we don’t know God. The Bible is full of this particular subject. It seems to be one of the main topics to supporting the Christian platform.
Even at this time after the election, Love does not seem to flourish. There are many hate comments coming from a wide range of places. Of particular notice are the comments coming from known Democrat figures. In these comments come pieces like, ‘we need to learn how to talk to these people’, (The Red group), or ‘we need to have a rebirth to communicate.’ I have even heard the comment that if Jesus was here today that He would be a Democrat. By the platform put forth by the Democratic party, I seriously doubt whether this would be the case.
ANALYSIS
There are other points that could be discussed here, such as; the environment, and war, but for this discussion we have only addressed the obvious items. From here we will compare the platforms to see which seem to go together.
Abortion & Stem Cell Research
The Democratic platform stands alone on this one. It does not mix with either the Republican or Christian platforms.
The Republican platform is advocating many of the same principles as that of the Christian platform. It looks like a good match between these two.
Same Sex Marriage
The Democratic platform stands alone again on this one. It will not mix with the Republican or Christian platforms.
The Republican platform and the Christian platform seem to agree on most points on this item.
Love
The Democratic platform does not address this point on their platform.
The Republican platform does not address this point on their platform.
The Christian platform stands alone on this point.
COMMENTARY
I think we can see where the term ‘oxy-moron’ comes from when we see those who say they are good Christians as well as being a Democrat and supporting the Democratic platform.
From information secured on the internet there appears to be some 224 million people in the United States who call themselves ‘Christians’. This would also take into consideration the children. If we use the average size of a family of four, we find two adults that could vote. That would be some 110 million or more people who call themselves Christians that could vote. The 2008 vote for the Republican John McCain was 57 million plus, hmmmm……
Looking at statistics like these can only make a person wonder. We all go through life with priorities that we have guiding our lives. Those people who live their lives by the Democratic platform guidelines have chosen to place this standard at the top of their priority list. If they claim to be Christians too, then it would also appear that this platform (Christian platform) has been placed in second place. Before we go any further, let’s keep the air clear of any rash conclusions. People who are Democrats or Republicans are good people. The idea behind this comparison is to try to look at where priorities for life are located. It has been said that moral values were a major contributor to the 2004 election.
If we approach this from a slightly different angle, we may become even more confused at the picture that is being portrayed. What does that mean? If we say we are a Democrat and support the Democratic platform, and are a Christian supporting the Christian platform, aren’t we sending out a double signal? The Democratic platform and the Christian platform do not in any way compliment each other, in fact, they are at odds. To say we support both can only suggest a warm support for each of the platforms. I don’t think the Democratic platform really wants their members to be only warm to their cause, and I know the Christian platform does not go along with a warm support. To be more precise, the Christian platform (Bible) specifically has something to say about it. In Revelation 3:15-16 we are told quite bluntly that we are to be hot or cold, not to be warm. Being warm will cause us to be vomited out of the mouth of God.
In closing, I hope people who call themselves Democrats and Christian in the same breath take a look at the picture they are painting. When reviewing this comparison of platforms and how they fit the scheme of life, many of us may re-think our position taken after absorbing the information presented here. If this does not hold true for some, maybe they should consider becoming hot or cold on one platform or another. There are those who think by talking the talk they will gain entry among those who live and believe by the Christian platform. I think they will be in for a shock, as those who talk the talk and walk the walk will be wise to the deception. This, in the end run will divide the platforms even more. Again, let’s be clear. This is not to say that those who are Christians with Republican political views hate all Democrats. That is not true, and anyone who says or thinks it is, is very wrong. If a person subscribes to the Christian platform, and professes anything but love for their neighbor, they will have to answer for that behavior, and I don’t think it will be a reward.
In this comparison I used only information from each of the platforms. Based on the information available, you can now see why many who say they are both Democrats and Christians are referred to as an oxy-moron. If you have an issue with the Democratic or Republican platforms, please contact the DNC or RNC for assistance. If you have issue with the Christian platform, please don’t contact me to argue points. Contact God, as He is the author of the Christian platform. The matter is totally your choice.
From the internet…….
Cell phone vs. Bible
Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go....hmm....where is my Bible? Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
January 2009
Back in 1999 I wrote this newsletter indicating the thoughts of many people during that time. They thought the end of the world as we know it was coming to a climax by the end of the millennium. Guess what? We’re still here. As the Bible so clearly points out to us, we will not know when the end will come, no matter how much we think we know.
We still see church attendance dropping, even though we have churchy activities going on seven days a week. Again the question is, why? There must be some hidden bible passage that says we just have to live a good Christian life and people will come to the Lord based on our presentation of godly living. If you really believe that, you shouldn’t be reading this newsletter. I guess we are still in the ‘build it and they will come’ syndrome. So many of us think that the pastor is the person who leads the unsaved to the Lord. Somehow I just can’t seem to find that passage. My bible says it one way in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age.”
As I understand things, people see our Christ like behavior and just want to know the Lord. Looking at this position, all I see is the glory going to the person, not to God. It all boils down to a couple of fears. The fear of rejection and fear of intimidation, which will keep us from sharing the good news to those people who are looking, but don’t know how to find what they are looking for. If we just opened our mouths and gave them logical thoughts and scripture to back it up, just maybe……But you say, “We do call on our visitors.” Great! What do you talk about? Possibly things like how did you like the service or event? Do you think we should have more events like this? Or, Do you know anyone who might like to come to an event or service like this? Do we make an attempt at sharing some scripture with them and leave them dangling, hoping they might call us or come to church on Sunday? Maybe we even try to give some sort of account of the Gospel…Good for you! At least you’re trying. Did you know the Gospel can be explained to an unsaved person without hitting them with ‘church jargon’ or condemning their own beliefs or church activities? Did you know you can share the Gospel in an effective simple manner in less than an hour? Did you know many people accept Jesus as their personal savior as a result of such a discussion? Did you know that you don’t have to establish a long term personal relationship with these people before you share the Gospel with them?
Did Jesus and the disciples send letters or establish long term relationships before sharing the ‘Good News’ with them. I kind of thought they actually went face to face with people. Letters and phone calls are a very coool (as in icy) way to contact people. But, I have to agree, there is NO rejection possibilities here.
This is the beginning of 2009, of a monthly column looking at sharing the Gospel with our friends, relatives and acquaintances, and we will be dealing with this matter with some very heavy weights attached. This column is not taking shots at any fundamental Christian faith. Rather, it will identify the areas that need a little or maybe a lot of help, and plug in the pieces that God instructs us to carry out. Church events are not wasteful times if they are designed to fulfill the direction of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. If we are conducting church events with our own church body in mind, we are missing pieces in the big picture.
We can do so much with our church activities. Let’s get with it! The Bible tells us to be fully armed. (Ephesians 6:10) What are we waiting for?
Each month we will attempt to cover a particular area of reaching people for the Lord. You don’t want to miss an issue of this newsletter.
♦ This arrived on my email one day. I don’t know where it came from, but the message is quite appropriate.
A Christian
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change.” The driver, with a smile, replied,
“Aren't you the new preacher in town?” 'Yes' he replied. 'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.
I'll see you at church on Sunday.”When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember –
You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'
Watch your thoughts; they become
words.
Watch your words; they become
actions.
Watch your actions; they become
habits.
Watch your habits; they become
character.
Watch your character; it becomes your
destiny.
†
Making a List
….I’m making a list, checking it twice, maybe even thrice, finding out which merchants are ungodly or nice……Sound a little familiar. The words are changed slightly, but the meaning is there.
Christmas is over, but the wonderful happening of the time is not forgotten. We’ve exchanged gifts, had great fellowship with friends and relatives, and in general, had a smile on our faces. As we sit and recall what happened during this period approximately 2000 years ago, we see a small baby in a manger, nothing too fancy, but adequate. We also see the Wise Men bringing gifts for the Christ child. Even then gifts were used to celebrate this wondrous event.
That brings us to things happening today. There are special interest groups determined to drive Christ out of Christmas.
These groups are not large, but they make a lot of noise about being offended by a ‘religious holiday’. As a result many retail businesses have done away with anything that might lend some sort of credence to Jesus Christ, or God in general. They have done away with Christmas music, or any display of what Christmas is all about. I would ask you, what about the large group of people who celebrate the birth of Christ during this period? Are they not offended now? I don’t know about you, but now I’m offended by the actions of these merchants across the land. To try and take on one of these merchants alone would amount to nothing, but there are over 200 million of us across this great country that are not going to sit back for this treatment. Hence, I’m making a list, checking it twice or even thrice, of those merchants that want to cater to the small noisy groups. If you know of any merchants that have fallen over to the other side, let me know by email: ee1gary@aol.com, and I’ll add them to the list. About next September we’ll start letting people know about those merchants who don’t really want your patronage.
Know when to speak
“How do I know when to speak about the Gospel?” This is one of the most interesting times in a conversation. If you are talking with a person who visited your church, it’s pretty easy to get into a conversation about the Gospel. If you are having coffee with a neighbor or relative, it might be a little more challenging. Let’s look at a couple examples of how you might approach a topic like the Gospel without causing any rough feelings.
When you visit with a church visitor, a conversation can go from secular to spiritual topics with an easy transition, from asking what they liked about in the church to asking them a couple questions. Always ask if you may ask the questions. The first question would be: “If you were to die today, have you come to a point in your spiritual life that you know you would go to heaven, or is this something you are still working on?” Answers will vary from yes, I will go to heaven, to I don’t know, or I don’t believe you can know whether or not you are going to heaven.
This is a great time to point out that the Bible tells us we can know that we have eternal life, (1 James 5:13).
A second question would be: “Let’s say you died and are standing before God, and He asked you why He should let you into His heaven.” How do you think you would respond to this question? Answers will encompass everything you can think of. Usually if the answer starts off with the word “I”, it’s a sign of a works answer. If the person just doesn’t have an answer to give you, that’s a pretty good sign that they need someone to share the ‘good news’ with them.
Ok, you’ve gotten this far. What happens next? An easy way to move into the Gospel is to ask the person if you may share with them how you came to know that you had eternal life and how they may know also. You have taken the threat of intimidation right out of the picture. It is very likely they will say, “sure, go ahead.”
You now have their permission to share the Gospel. Feelings will not be hurt. No one feels threatened, and God is with you all the way.
First words out of your mouth….
Heaven is a FREE gift!!!!
We’ll discuss Grace next month.
We still see church attendance dropping, even though we have churchy activities going on seven days a week. Again the question is, why? There must be some hidden bible passage that says we just have to live a good Christian life and people will come to the Lord based on our presentation of godly living. If you really believe that, you shouldn’t be reading this newsletter. I guess we are still in the ‘build it and they will come’ syndrome. So many of us think that the pastor is the person who leads the unsaved to the Lord. Somehow I just can’t seem to find that passage. My bible says it one way in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age.”
As I understand things, people see our Christ like behavior and just want to know the Lord. Looking at this position, all I see is the glory going to the person, not to God. It all boils down to a couple of fears. The fear of rejection and fear of intimidation, which will keep us from sharing the good news to those people who are looking, but don’t know how to find what they are looking for. If we just opened our mouths and gave them logical thoughts and scripture to back it up, just maybe……But you say, “We do call on our visitors.” Great! What do you talk about? Possibly things like how did you like the service or event? Do you think we should have more events like this? Or, Do you know anyone who might like to come to an event or service like this? Do we make an attempt at sharing some scripture with them and leave them dangling, hoping they might call us or come to church on Sunday? Maybe we even try to give some sort of account of the Gospel…Good for you! At least you’re trying. Did you know the Gospel can be explained to an unsaved person without hitting them with ‘church jargon’ or condemning their own beliefs or church activities? Did you know you can share the Gospel in an effective simple manner in less than an hour? Did you know many people accept Jesus as their personal savior as a result of such a discussion? Did you know that you don’t have to establish a long term personal relationship with these people before you share the Gospel with them?
Did Jesus and the disciples send letters or establish long term relationships before sharing the ‘Good News’ with them. I kind of thought they actually went face to face with people. Letters and phone calls are a very coool (as in icy) way to contact people. But, I have to agree, there is NO rejection possibilities here.
This is the beginning of 2009, of a monthly column looking at sharing the Gospel with our friends, relatives and acquaintances, and we will be dealing with this matter with some very heavy weights attached. This column is not taking shots at any fundamental Christian faith. Rather, it will identify the areas that need a little or maybe a lot of help, and plug in the pieces that God instructs us to carry out. Church events are not wasteful times if they are designed to fulfill the direction of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. If we are conducting church events with our own church body in mind, we are missing pieces in the big picture.
We can do so much with our church activities. Let’s get with it! The Bible tells us to be fully armed. (Ephesians 6:10) What are we waiting for?
Each month we will attempt to cover a particular area of reaching people for the Lord. You don’t want to miss an issue of this newsletter.
♦ This arrived on my email one day. I don’t know where it came from, but the message is quite appropriate.
A Christian
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change.” The driver, with a smile, replied,
“Aren't you the new preacher in town?” 'Yes' he replied. 'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.
I'll see you at church on Sunday.”When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember –
You carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.'
Watch your thoughts; they become
words.
Watch your words; they become
actions.
Watch your actions; they become
habits.
Watch your habits; they become
character.
Watch your character; it becomes your
destiny.
†
Making a List
….I’m making a list, checking it twice, maybe even thrice, finding out which merchants are ungodly or nice……Sound a little familiar. The words are changed slightly, but the meaning is there.
Christmas is over, but the wonderful happening of the time is not forgotten. We’ve exchanged gifts, had great fellowship with friends and relatives, and in general, had a smile on our faces. As we sit and recall what happened during this period approximately 2000 years ago, we see a small baby in a manger, nothing too fancy, but adequate. We also see the Wise Men bringing gifts for the Christ child. Even then gifts were used to celebrate this wondrous event.
That brings us to things happening today. There are special interest groups determined to drive Christ out of Christmas.
These groups are not large, but they make a lot of noise about being offended by a ‘religious holiday’. As a result many retail businesses have done away with anything that might lend some sort of credence to Jesus Christ, or God in general. They have done away with Christmas music, or any display of what Christmas is all about. I would ask you, what about the large group of people who celebrate the birth of Christ during this period? Are they not offended now? I don’t know about you, but now I’m offended by the actions of these merchants across the land. To try and take on one of these merchants alone would amount to nothing, but there are over 200 million of us across this great country that are not going to sit back for this treatment. Hence, I’m making a list, checking it twice or even thrice, of those merchants that want to cater to the small noisy groups. If you know of any merchants that have fallen over to the other side, let me know by email: ee1gary@aol.com, and I’ll add them to the list. About next September we’ll start letting people know about those merchants who don’t really want your patronage.
Know when to speak
“How do I know when to speak about the Gospel?” This is one of the most interesting times in a conversation. If you are talking with a person who visited your church, it’s pretty easy to get into a conversation about the Gospel. If you are having coffee with a neighbor or relative, it might be a little more challenging. Let’s look at a couple examples of how you might approach a topic like the Gospel without causing any rough feelings.
When you visit with a church visitor, a conversation can go from secular to spiritual topics with an easy transition, from asking what they liked about in the church to asking them a couple questions. Always ask if you may ask the questions. The first question would be: “If you were to die today, have you come to a point in your spiritual life that you know you would go to heaven, or is this something you are still working on?” Answers will vary from yes, I will go to heaven, to I don’t know, or I don’t believe you can know whether or not you are going to heaven.
This is a great time to point out that the Bible tells us we can know that we have eternal life, (1 James 5:13).
A second question would be: “Let’s say you died and are standing before God, and He asked you why He should let you into His heaven.” How do you think you would respond to this question? Answers will encompass everything you can think of. Usually if the answer starts off with the word “I”, it’s a sign of a works answer. If the person just doesn’t have an answer to give you, that’s a pretty good sign that they need someone to share the ‘good news’ with them.
Ok, you’ve gotten this far. What happens next? An easy way to move into the Gospel is to ask the person if you may share with them how you came to know that you had eternal life and how they may know also. You have taken the threat of intimidation right out of the picture. It is very likely they will say, “sure, go ahead.”
You now have their permission to share the Gospel. Feelings will not be hurt. No one feels threatened, and God is with you all the way.
First words out of your mouth….
Heaven is a FREE gift!!!!
We’ll discuss Grace next month.
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