On February 24, 2005, a nine-year-old girl was reported missing from her home in Homosassa, Florida. Three weeks later, police discovered
that she had been kidnapped, brutally raped, and then buried alive. Little Jessica Lunsford was found tied up, in a kneeling position, clutching a stuffed toy.
HOW DO YOU REACT?
(more on that later) Read on……..
THE CHOICE
Imagine I offered you a choice of four gifts:
● The original Mona Lisa
● The keys to a brand new Lamborghini
● A million dollars in cash
● A parachute
You can pick only one. Which would you
choose?
Before you decide, here’s some information that will help you to make the wisest
choice: You have to jump 10,000 feet out of an airplane.
Does that help you to connect the dots? It should, because you need the parachute. It’s the only one of the four gifts that will help with your dilemma. The others may have some value, but they are useless when it comes to
facing the law of gravity in a 10,000-foot fall.
The knowledge that you will have to jump should produce a healthy fear in you—and that kind of fear is good because it can save your life. Remember that.
Now think of the four major religions:
● Hinduism
● Buddhism
● Islam
● Christianity
Which one should you choose?
Before you decide, here’s some information that will help you determine which one is the wisest choice: All of humanity stands on the edge of eternity. We are all going to die. We will all have to pass through the door of death. It could happen to us in twenty years, or in six months, . . . or today. For most of humanity,
death is a huge and terrifying plummet into the unknown. So what should we do?
Do you remember how it was your knowledge of the jump that produced that healthy fear, and that fear helped you to make the right choice? You know what the law of gravity can do to you. In the same way, we are going to look at another law, and hopefully your knowledge of what it can do to you will help you
make the right choice, about life’s greatest issue.
So, stay with me—and remember to let fear work for you.
THE LEAP
After we die we have to face what is called “the law of sin and death.”
We know that Law as
“The Ten Commandments.”
So let’s look at that Law and see how you will do when you face it on Judgment Day.
Have you loved God above all else? Is He first in your life? He should be. He’s given you your life and everything that is dear to you. Do you love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? That’s the requirement of the First Commandment.
Or have you broken the Second Commandment by making a god in your mind that you’re comfortable with—where you say, “My God isn’t a God of wrath,
he’s a God of love and mercy”?
That god does not exist; he’s a figment of the imagination.
To create a god in your mind (your own image of
God) is something the Bible calls “idolatry.”
Idolaters will not enter Heaven.
Have you ever used God’s name in vain, as a cuss word to express disgust? That’s called “blasphemy,” and it’s very serious in God’s sight.
This is breaking the Third Commandment, and the Bible says God will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Have you always honored your parents implicitly, and kept the Sabbath holy? If not, you have broken the Fourth and Fifth Commandments.
Have you ever hated someone?
The Bible says, “Whosoever hates his brother is
a murderer.”
The Seventh is “You shall not commit adultery,”
but Jesus said, “Whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart”
(the Seventh Commandment includes sex before marriage).
Have you ever looked with lust or had sex outside of marriage? If you have, you’ve violated that Commandment.
Have you ever lied? Ever stolen anything,regardless of value? If you have, then you’re a
lying thief. The Bible tells us, “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord,” because He is a God of truth and holiness. Have you coveted (jealously desired) other people’s things? This is a violation of the Tenth Commandment.
See Revelation 21:8; 1 Corinthians 6:9,10.
LITTLE JESSICA
So that is God’s moral Law that we each will face. We will be without excuse when we stand before God because He gave us our conscience to know right from wrong.
Each time we lie, steal, commit adultery, murder, and so on, we
know that it’s wrong. So here is the crucial question. On Judgment Day, when God judges you, will you be found innocent or guilty of breaking this Law?
Think before you answer.
Will you go to Heaven or Hell? The Bible warns that all murderers, idolaters, liars, thieves, fornicators, and adulterers will end up in Hell.
So where does that leave you?
Perhaps the thought of going to Hell doesn’t scare you, because you don’t believe in it. That’s like standing in the open door of a plane 10,000 feet off the ground and saying, “I don’t believe there will be any consequences if I
jump without a parachute.”
To say that there will be no consequences for breaking God’s Law is to say that God is unjust, that He is evil.
This is why.
Little Jessica Lunsford.
Remember her?
Do you think that God is indifferent to such acts of evil?
HOW DO YOU REACT?
How do you feel toward the man who murdered that helpless little girl in such an unspeakably cruel way? Are you angered? I hope so. I hope you are outraged. If you were completely indifferent to her fate, it would reveal something horrible about your character.
Do you think that God is indifferent to such acts of evil?
He is not.
He is outraged by them.
If He wasn’t angered, He wouldn’t be good. We cannot separate God’s goodness from His anger. Again, if God is good by nature, He must be unspeakably angry at wickedness.
But His goodness is so great that His anger isn’t confined to the evils of rape and
murder. Nothing is hidden from His pure and holy eyes. He is outraged by
torture, terrorism, abortion, theft, lying, adultery, fornication, pedophilia, homosexuality, and blasphemy. He also sees our thought-life, and He will judge us for the hidden sins of the heart: for lust, hatred, rebellion, greed, unclean
imaginations, ingratitude, selfishness, jealousy, pride, envy, deceit, etc.
Sinning against God comes naturally to us—and we naturally earn His anger by our sins.
God
is not a benevolent Father-figure, who is happily smiling upon sinful humanity.
In the midst of these frightening thoughts, remember to let fear work for you.
The fear of God is the healthiest fear you can have. The Bible calls it “the beginning of wisdom.”
Again, your knowledge of God’s Law should help you to see that you have a life-threatening dilemma: a huge problem of God’s wrath (His justifiable
anger) against your personal sins.
Like the rest of us, you’ve no doubt broken all these laws, countless times each. What kind of anger do you think a judge is justified in
having toward a criminal guilty of breaking the law thousands of times?
LET’ S SEE
Let’s now look at those four major religions to see if they can help you with your predicament.
Hinduism
The religion of Hinduism says that if you’ve been bad, you may come back as a rat or some other animal.
If you’ve been good, you might come back as a prince. But that’s like someone
saying, “When you jump out of the plane, you’ll get sucked back in as another passenger. If you’ve been bad, you go down to the Economy
Class; if you’ve been good, you go up to First Class.”
It’s an interesting concept, but it doesn’t deal with your real problem of having
sinned against God and the reality of Hell.
Buddhism
Amazingly, the religion of Buddhism denies that God even exists. It teaches that life and death are sort of an illusion.
That’s like standing at the door of the plane and saying, “I’m not really
here, and there’s no such thing as the law of gravity, and no ground that I’m going to hit.”
That may temporarily help you deal with your fears, but it doesn’t square with reality. And it doesn’t deal with your real problem of having sinned against God and the reality of Hell.
Islam
Interestingly, Islam acknowledges the reality of sin and Hell, and the justice of God, but the hope it offers is that sinners can escape God’s
justice if they do religious works. God will see these, and because of them, hopefully He will show mercy—but they won’t know for sure.
Each person’s works will be weighed on the Day of Judgment and it will then be decided who is saved and who is not—based on whether they followed Islam, were sincere in repentance, and performed enough righteous deeds to outweigh
their bad ones.
So Islam believes you can earn God’s mercy by your own efforts. That’s like jumping out of the plane, and believing that flapping your arms
is going to counter the law of gravity and save you from a 10,000-foot drop.
And there’s something else to consider.
The Law of God shows us that the best of us is nothing but a wicked criminal, standing guilty and condemned before the throne of a perfect
and holy Judge. When that is understood, then our “righteous deeds” are actually seen as an attempt to bribe the Judge of the Universe.
The Bible says that because of our guilt, anything we offer God for our justification (our acquittal from His courtroom) is an abomination to Him,and only adds to our crimes.
Islam, like the other religions, doesn’t solve your problem of having sinned against God and the reality of Hell.
So then there is
Christianity
So why is Christianity different? Aren’t all religions the same? Let’s see.
In Christianity, God Himself provided a “parachute” for us, and His Word says regarding the Savior, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Just as a parachute solved your dilemma with the law of gravity and its
consequences, so the Savior perfectly solves your dilemma with the Law of God and its consequences!
It is the missing puzzle-piece that you need.
How did God solve our dilemma? He satisfied His wrath by becoming a human being and taking our punishment upon Himself. The Scriptures tell us that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Christianity provides the only parachute to save us from the consequences of the Law we have transgressed.
BACK TO THE PLANE
To illustrate this more clearly, let’s go back to that plane for a moment.
You are standing on the edge of a 10,000-foot drop. You have to jump.
Your heart is thumping in your chest. Why?
Because of fear. You know that the law of gravity will kill you when you jump.
Someone offers you the original Mona Lisa.
You push it aside.
Another person passes you the keys to a brand new Lamborghini. You let them drop to the floor.
Someone else tries to put a million dollars into your hands. You push the person’s hand away, and stand there in horror at your impending fate.
Suddenly, you hear a voice say, “Here’s a parachute!”
Which one of those four people is going to hold
the most credibility in your eyes?
It’s the one who held up the parachute! Again, it is your fear of
the jump that turns you toward the good news of the parachute.
In the same way, knowledge of what God’s Law will do to you produces a fear that makes the news of a Savior unspeakably good news!
Jesus of Nazareth died an excruciating death on the cross, taking your punishment (the death penalty) upon Himself. The demands of eternal
justice were satisfied the moment He cried, “It is finished!”
The lightning of God’s wrath was stopped and the thunder of His indignation was silenced at Calvary’s cross:
He became a man to pay our penalty in His life’s blood.
Then He rose from the dead, defeating death.
That means that God can now forgive every sin you have ever committed and commute your death sentence.
God Himself can “justify” you. He can cleanse you, and give you the “righteousness” of Christ. He can make you pure in heart by washing
away your sins. He can shelter you from His fierce wrath, in the Rock of Ages that He has cleft for you.
Only Jesus can save you from death and Hell, something that you could never earn or deserve.
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
DO IT TODAY
To receive the gift of eternal life, you must repent
of your sins (turn from them), and put on the Lord Jesus Christ as you would put on a parachute—trusting in Him alone for your salvation.
That means you forsake your own good works as a means of trying to please God (trying to bribe Him), and trust only in what Jesus has done for you. Simply throw yourself on the mercy of the Judge. The Bible says that He’s rich in mercy to all who call upon Him, so call upon Him right now. He will hear you if you approach Him with a humble and sorrowful heart.
Do it right now because you don’t know when you will take that leap through the door of death. Confess your sins to God, put your trust in Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. You have God’s promise on it.
For the scripture saiths, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:12,13).
Pray something like this:
“Dear God, today I turn away from all
of my sins [name them] and I put my
trust in Jesus Christ alone as my Lord
and Savior. Please forgive me, change
my heart, and grant me Your gift of
everlasting life. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.”
Now have faith in God. He is absolutely trustworthy. Never doubt His promises. He is not a man that He should lie.
The sincerity of your prayer will be evidenced by your obedience to God’s will, so read His Word (the Bible) daily and obey what you read.
“He that hath my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).
—there’s nothing more important than where they will spend eternity.
Thank you for reading this.
Adapted & Edited from a tract by Ray Comfort,
P.O. Box 1172, Bellflower, CA 90706
visit www.livingwaters.com
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
What About Christianity?
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Which way today (sad to say)
Backward Christian Soldiers
Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight
With the cross of Jesus nearly out of sight.
Christ, our rightful master, stands against the foe
But forward into battle, we are loathe to go.
Like a mighty tortoise moves the Church of God
Brothers we are treading where we've always trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we
Having many doctrines, not much charity.
Crowns and thorns may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never 'gainst the Church prevail
We have Christ's own promise, but think that it will fail.
Sit here then ye people, join our useless throng
Blend with ours your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort, ask from Christ the King
With our modern thinking, we don't do a thing.
(Anonymous)
Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight
With the cross of Jesus nearly out of sight.
Christ, our rightful master, stands against the foe
But forward into battle, we are loathe to go.
Like a mighty tortoise moves the Church of God
Brothers we are treading where we've always trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we
Having many doctrines, not much charity.
Crowns and thorns may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never 'gainst the Church prevail
We have Christ's own promise, but think that it will fail.
Sit here then ye people, join our useless throng
Blend with ours your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort, ask from Christ the King
With our modern thinking, we don't do a thing.
(Anonymous)
The Subject and Sum of Scripture
'CHRIST in All the Book"
I see my LORD in the Bible
Whenever I chance to look.
HE is the theme of the Bible,
The center and heart of the Book.
HE is in the Book's beginning,
HE gave the earth it's form.
HE is the Ark of Safety
To bear the brunt of the storm.
HE's the burning Bush in the desert,
Then the budding of Aaron's rod.
Whenever I open the Bible
I see the Son of GOD!
HE is the Rose of Sharon,
HE is the Lily Fair.
Whenever I open the Bible
The LORD of the Bible is there!
HE's the Lamb upon Mt. Moriah
HE's the Ladder from earth to sky.
HE's the Scarlet Cord in the window
And the Serpent lifted high.
HE's the Smitten Rock of the desert
The Shepherd with staff and crook
It's whenever I open the Bible,
I see my LORD in the Book!
HE is the Seed of the woman
And the Saviour, virgin born.
HE is the Son of David,
Whom men rejected with scorn.
HE's the LORD of Eternal Glory,
Whom John the Apostle saw.
The Light of the Celestial City,
The Lamb without spot or flaw.
HE's the Bridegroom coming at Midnight!
For Whom HIS people look.
Yes, thank GOD, whenever I open the Bible,
I see my LORD in the Book!
I see my LORD in the Bible
Whenever I chance to look.
HE is the theme of the Bible,
The center and heart of the Book.
HE is in the Book's beginning,
HE gave the earth it's form.
HE is the Ark of Safety
To bear the brunt of the storm.
HE's the burning Bush in the desert,
Then the budding of Aaron's rod.
Whenever I open the Bible
I see the Son of GOD!
HE is the Rose of Sharon,
HE is the Lily Fair.
Whenever I open the Bible
The LORD of the Bible is there!
HE's the Lamb upon Mt. Moriah
HE's the Ladder from earth to sky.
HE's the Scarlet Cord in the window
And the Serpent lifted high.
HE's the Smitten Rock of the desert
The Shepherd with staff and crook
It's whenever I open the Bible,
I see my LORD in the Book!
HE is the Seed of the woman
And the Saviour, virgin born.
HE is the Son of David,
Whom men rejected with scorn.
HE's the LORD of Eternal Glory,
Whom John the Apostle saw.
The Light of the Celestial City,
The Lamb without spot or flaw.
HE's the Bridegroom coming at Midnight!
For Whom HIS people look.
Yes, thank GOD, whenever I open the Bible,
I see my LORD in the Book!
Huh?
A QUESTION OF RESPONSIBILITY
A few years back, a news report came out of Orlando, Florida about a new craze for local teenagers: garage jumping. Thrill seekers were jumping from one parking garage roof to another, with some roofs as high as six stories or 80 feet. As expected with such lunacy, some fell and were injured.
The family of one boy who fell and fractured his shoulder, filed a lawsuit against the city and parking garage for not having a fence to keep jumpers from jumping. The city has since erected some length of fence, but a jumper can still get around the fence and jump. The suing family stated that the garage should “take responsibility” before another jumper jumps. Huhhh?
A few years back, a news report came out of Orlando, Florida about a new craze for local teenagers: garage jumping. Thrill seekers were jumping from one parking garage roof to another, with some roofs as high as six stories or 80 feet. As expected with such lunacy, some fell and were injured.
The family of one boy who fell and fractured his shoulder, filed a lawsuit against the city and parking garage for not having a fence to keep jumpers from jumping. The city has since erected some length of fence, but a jumper can still get around the fence and jump. The suing family stated that the garage should “take responsibility” before another jumper jumps. Huhhh?
How about this for a solution: put up a sign that says “Don’t Jump, Idiot,” but then that would be too common sense of an approach. Plus, it may offend idiots.
If anyone is crazy enough to take such a risk, that individual will go find an unfenced building somewhere else and jump anyway. Where does responsibility begin? It begins with the individual. Where does the placing of blame stop? Should we place fences on streets and highways to keep people from walking in front of moving vehicles? If not, can local or state governments be sued for not restricting walkers who may get struck by automobiles? When the door to lunacy is opened, when do you shut it?
Remember the individual who sued McDonalds over the hot coffee? After placing a hot cup of coffee between the legs while driving, this person received burns from splashed coffee. McDonalds then began placing on each cup, warning signs of “Hot Coffee” (which is tantamount to “Cold Ice”) when they should have spent a few cents more and also printed “Don’t Place Between Legs or Knees While Driving, Genius” on each cup. By the way, isn't coffee supposed to be hot, otherwise, it is called cappuccino?
The shirking of responsibility is nothing new. In the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve both did their share of placing blame. Eve told God the serpent gave her the fruit to eat, so it was his fault. Adam placed a double blame with one stroke and told God the problem was the woman He (God) gave to Adam. When Aaron, the brother of Moses, was asked where he got the golden calf, his answer was, “Well we put our gold in this fire, and out came this calf,” like the calf made itself. And last but not least, King Ahab called Elijah the one who “troubleth Israel,” yet Israel’s real problem was Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, for it was their wickedness that demanded the judgment of Jehovah.
When people refuse to take responsibility for their actions, then everyone else is fair game to blame. Couples divorce with a no fault divorce. If it was not the fault of either involved, then how did it happen? A young person robs a store, but it’s not his fault. His defense attorney later claims society has failed all youth. The list could go on and on. There are sometimes external circumstances that contribute to, or influence individuals to make certain decisions, but ultimately each individual has to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Accountability, followed by acknowledgment and confession of wrong doing, reduces problems and paves the way for making right decisions in the future.
Acceptance of personal sin is necessary for salvation.
Joseph Harris
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Guns, the devil & GOD
Guns, the devil and God
By David Kupelin
The following is excerpted from the May 2007 edition of WND's monthly Whistleblower magazine
"Why don't you pick up that gun and blow your brains out?"
"You could kill a whole lot of people with that gun."
"Why not shoot her right now? That would shut her up!"
These are the sorts of vile mental suggestions many people experience from within their own minds when they see a gun.
That's right. Dark thoughts and impulses, too horrible to dwell upon or even acknowledge, occur to many of us at the mere sight of a firearm or a naked blade. When we see the firearm, we sense the presence of evil – so naturally we assume the gun is its source, when actually the gun's close proximity caused our own buried, angry, violent tendencies to surface for a moment.
Thus, many people who "dislike" or "are afraid of" guns are actually afraid of what they might do if they had a loaded firearm in their hand. And I'm not talking about criminal types here. I'm talking about "nice" people – nice on the outside, and lots of buried and perhaps unrecognized rage inside. Again, the presence of the gun simply causes his or her own dark, angry propensities to "stir a little" deep down inside.
But the reality of all this is too heavy and "negative" for many of us to face, so we instantly and unconsciously project our own buried violence onto the gun – as though an inanimate hunk of metal could somehow be evil.
Obviously, a loaded handgun has great potential for destruction and havoc. At the mere squeeze of a trigger there can be murder, suicide, terrorism. Even without pulling the trigger, the gun represents the magic ticket to armed robbery, forcible rape and every other form of coercion. For a person with lots of anger, albeit buried, a gun represents the shortest distance between two points – between the suppressed violent nature within him or her and the maximum expression of that nature. Therefore, the mere sight of a gun excites that dark part of us, causing it to beckon wordlessly, "Use me!"
Let's examine this admittedly scary subject a little more closely.
Have you ever stood close to the edge of a cliff, or out on a balcony of a high building? Did you notice that some "force" almost seemed to want to pull you over the edge? Most of us have experienced something like this phenomenon – a momentary loss of balance, an unexplainable fear, some mysterious pull toward the edge. We have a moment of disorientation and fear, then we pull back to safety.
I've experienced it. Last year after driving five hours to Portland, Ore., to be a guest on Fox News I checked into my hotel room, unpacked, checked over the room, then stepped out onto the balcony. As I approached the railing and looked out at the cityscape and then gazed down several stories to the ground, I noticed a distinct pull, along with a slight disorientation, as though I was losing my balance. I recovered right away and realized I was so tired and frazzled from a long day that my mind was vulnerable to the "pull" of dark forces. So I took the hint and rested a bit, until I had recovered my strength and mental focus.
In this life, the malevolent intelligence we call "evil" is constantly scanning each of us for opportunities to tempt or even destroy us. As the Good Book puts it, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8 KJV). In critical moments of the sort I'm describing, evil seizes the opportunity to give us a mental "shove." Unfortunately, for some people that "shove" is strong enough – especially after a lifetime of giving in to anger, judgment and despair – to pull them over the edge.
We'll never know how many "suicides," in which people fell off a cliff or a balcony, occurred this way – not because of a premeditated suicide plan, but because they were vulnerable to the opportunistic impulse of evil.
Similarly, how many head-on auto accidents occur every year because someone inexplicably crosses the center line to crash at high speed into another car, having succumbed to a wordless, instantaneous mental suggestion from hell? All in a timeless fraction of a second the message impresses itself on your mind: "Crash your car into that one coming your way. Life sucks. Go out with a major bang! Everyone will be shocked! You have the power! Just do it! Do it now!"
Does this scare you? If so – if this description resonates with you even a little bit – it's only because you have the same problem to some degree. Don't fret. We're all in the same boat. We're all subject to the "dark side" of the force. It's called being "born in sin." But some of us honestly face it, and quietly call out to God for help, and His help comes. Others live in denial – until tragedy and death end it all. (This is the central theme of "Spiderman 3," by the way.)
In any event, this same phenomenon is at work with firearms, because of the potential guns provide for immediate and ultimate destruction. Guns literally bring to the surface of the mind the suppressed potential for violence that exists inside every angry person.
Again, there is more than one way this discomfort around guns can be experienced. A sincere person who is uncomfortable around guns will probably be able to deduce that the problem is within him and not with the inanimate firearm. He's already on the path to getting better.
Unfortunately, many people who hate/fear guns never allow themselves to come face-to-face with the real problem – themselves. No sooner does their own suppressed anger react to the sight or even the thought of a gun, than they turn that angry emotional response into something more "acceptable" – like fear. After all, on the "niceness" scale, fear is a lot nicer than hatred.
The problem is, after our buried anger is effortlessly transformed into "fear of guns," that fear easily turns into false righteousness: "I don't like guns and have no need for them. I'm a peaceful, non-violent person and wouldn't ever shoot anyone for any reason."
Some take this "righteousness" even further: "God protects me; I don't need guns. I have faith he'll never put me in a position where I need to shoot someone." Good thing none of the Bible's Old Testament heroes like David or Joshua thought like that. They were required by God to kill many people. Who can say what will be required of us in this journey called life – whether or not we may be called on to defend ourselves or our families from a dangerous enemy?
Of course, there are many angry people who love guns. The world seems to be full of pumped-up jihadists who crave weapons, the bigger and more lethal the better; drug lords who use guns to murder judges and mayors and anyone else who gets in their way; gangbangers who pack heat so they can kill members of rival gangs; and every variety of criminal who, of course, take pains to procure the tools of their illegal trade – guns.
Unlike those who hate/fear guns as a result of unconsciously projecting their own inner violence onto them, angry people who love guns are in love with their own hatred, which they see as righteousness! The Islamic jihadist thinks he's serving Allah by murdering innocents. And predators and psychopaths of every sort love their guns because that's where they get the means to overcome their intended victims.
The God side of guns
Obviously, guns allow evil to be expressed in a multitude of ways, just as any weapon does. Everybody understands this, so there's no need to say much more about it – except that these people need to be stopped.
But what does need to be said, and shouted from the rooftops, is that in the right hands firearms also enable real goodness and virtue to be manifested – right here, right now – by opposing evil and protecting the innocent.
I'm talking now about what I'll call true Americans – not those who criminally prey on others, but also not those whose cowardice or shallowness causes them to appease bullies and to blame inanimate objects for the evil in the world and within themselves.
Whether individually or in a war, the moral imperative to defend ourselves and others is the same. And just as we all share this fundamental and undeniable right to self-defense, it follows that we also share the right to the means of self-defense, or else that supposed right is just a bad joke.
Fortunately for us, the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written and adopted by strong, right-thinking people. And the Second Amendment spells out for all to see the right of Americans to "keep and bear arms," a fundamental right that "shall not be infringed."
Today, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, there are well over 200 million privately owned firearms in the U.S, including more than 65-70 million handguns. Approximately 45 percent of American households have firearms. That means we have 65-80 million American gun-owners, including 30-35 million owners of handguns.
This is a very, very good thing – we don't even realize how good it is. For just as it was true in our founders' day, it's true today that Americans need guns.
If you don't believe me, just consider the Virginia Tech disaster. Imagine Cho Seung-Hui walking into a classroom, threatening people with his guns, making them line up, preparing to shoot them. Now freeze-frame that scene and think for a moment: There isn't anyone or anything in this world that could have stopped Cho in his tracks at that point and averted the hellish slaughter that followed – except a single student or professor with a firearm, and trained to use it.
At the time of this nation's birth, people understood the importance of the armed citizen.
James Madison, who wrote the Second Amendment, said Americans had "the advantage of being armed," whereas in other nations "the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall be debarred the use of arms.” Patrick Henry said the "great object is that every man be armed. … Everyone who is able may have a gun." And Thomas Paine said, "Arms … discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property."
But today, many people would like to get rid of the Second Amendment – either by excising it from the Bill of Rights or, more likely, by judicially redefining its meaning as they have with the First Amendment (with the invention of the mythological "separation of church and state").
You see, in today's America the self-reliant, responsible, independent-minded man or woman who carries a gun – the kind of person who is aware, thinks for himself, is skeptical of government, the press and all of society's "experts" – the person not content to be a victim, but willing to take charge of a situation, "get involved," even fight back and stand up for what is right – in other words, a true American – is threatening to society's elitists, experts and politicians who are addicted to power.
As a general rule, it is liberals who tend to oppose private citizens carrying guns around with them. As I said, this is mostly because they're full of suppressed anger and therefore project their own – and others' – evil onto inanimate objects so as to maintain the denial in which they live. After all, you can't possibly believe the illogical and immoral things liberals and leftists espouse unless you're full of trauma and repressed hatred. It takes lots of inner rage to distort reality sufficiently to believe it's OK to kill beautiful little babies in their mothers' wombs or to believe a malevolent chameleon like Hillary Clinton should be elected president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in world history.
This same emotional confusion leads liberals to think guns are the problem, rather than being – in the right hands – the protection from tyranny and predation they truly are.
Do you know what happens when good people carry lethal weapons? Their mentality changes from passive to active, vulnerable to protective, powerless to empowered, dependent to independent. Very simply, they become more responsible – and more capable of doing good.
In fact, they make up the very fabric of a free America. This is the whole concept of the unregulated militia.
When neighbor stands with neighbor
There have always been two parts to the "militia" mentioned in the Second Amendment – the regulated and the unregulated (or the organized and the unorganized) militia.
Various laws throughout U.S. history have defined the organized or regulated militia, for instance the Militia Act of 1792, which specified that males 18 through 44 years of age "shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia …"
However, much more important was the founders' and framers' concept of the unorganized or unregulated militia, which they regarded as the ultimate defense of the new nation. This larger and more organic militia consisted of all able-bodied citizens. As Richard Henry Lee, a key founder during the Revolutionary period, explained in 1788: "A militia when properly formed [is] in fact the people themselves ... and include[s] all men capable of bearing arms. ... To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms." Or as George Mason famously and cryptically put it: "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials."
Although the practice of arming oneself is very wholesome – for responsible, mature people, that is – there is one nightmare scenario we need to guard against, because history shows it leads inexorably to tyranny.
That scenario would be for angry, "right-wing, fundamentalist Christians" (more accurately, pseudo-Christian hate groups) to commit acts of terrorism or murder – like the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City – in the name of freedom. That is exactly what today's would-be totalitarians would secretly relish most, as it would justify their crackdown on "Christian" and "patriot" groups and gun rights across the board.
Timothy McVeigh, who thought he was advancing a patriotic rebellion against oppressive government, achieved precisely the opposite: He discredited everything he thought he was fighting for and caused many people to regard "right-wing patriots" and "militia types" as domestic terrorists.
In fact, the biggest reason President Bill Clinton was asleep at the switch with regard to Islamic terrorism, allowing Osama bin Laden to slip through his fingers even when the terror kingpin was offered on a silver platter, is because it served Clinton's leftist agenda to obsess over "right-wing" extremist organizations rather than the threat of radical Islam. Thus, Clinton disastrously focused the FBI predominantly on "right-wing hate groups" rather than task it with chasing down the many credible leads we had on al-Qaida terror plots against the United States.
If angry, would-be "patriots" engage in violence against the U.S. government as occurred in Oklahoma City, this nation could quickly move toward the suppression of gun rights and much more, all in the guise of protecting the public safety.
It's a very real temptation. Think of it: As government corruption becomes more and more brazen, as judges outlaw the Ten Commandments, as "hate crimes" laws effectively criminalize the Bible, as kindergartners are brainwashed with radical "gay rights" propaganda and so on, pretty soon some group decides it can't take it any more. Its members become so enraged, they conclude it's time to start the next armed revolution. Seeing their nation being raped and envisioning no solution other than violence, they convince themselves they're the modern counterparts of America's revolutionary founders. Training with firearms and explosives and conspiring in secret – all the while quoting Jefferson to each other about "watering the tree of liberty" from time to time with "the blood of patriots and tyrants" – they murder some federal judges or blow up a government office building in an attempt to fight back. But all they succeed in doing is murdering and maiming a bunch of their fellow Americans (or, as McVeigh did in Oklahoma City, massacring a room full of toddlers in daycare – which he later coldly termed "collateral damage").
What would follow would be a massive official crackdown on "domestic terrorists" and a severe assault on freedom in America – not to mention a major distraction from the real war against Islamic jihad.
Amazing what hatred can accomplish, isn't it? Exactly the opposite of what you intended. The dark side of the force is very clever. As the blood-drenched, hate-based French Revolution proved, when "revolutionaries" are full of hate, they're no better than the hateful, corrupt government they try to replace – and maybe worse – ushering in their own "reign of terror."
This is why true, mature Americans – the kind that must be armed – must also be self-controlled, even-tempered, virtuous and noble, not motivated by hatred and revenge. They must also stand together.
In reality, the responsible armed citizen is the strength of America. But there will always be a tension between him and his government – especially today, when the armed citizen is the antithesis of everything our culture, experts, politicians and other "leaders" teach us. In their minds, we're supposed to be helpless victims or incompetent, irresponsible, out-of-control children. We're supposed to need them to provide for us and protect us. If they could have their way, nobody would have guns except the police. But then, that's what's known as a "police state."
What we need is a rebirth of the true American spirit. We need people to take up arms in the spirit of responsibly protecting their family and other innocents, just like in the old days when everyone carried a sword. Every man had to be willing to put his life on the line to protect his loved ones. But you can't do that without your sword – which in today's world is a firearm.
One quote from Jesus we almost never hear cited these days is what He said shortly before being taken into captivity by Roman soldiers to be crucified. It was a dangerous time, and as He spoke to His disciples, He told them to arm themselves.
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, – Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. (Luke 22:35-38 KJV)
The police cannot protect you. Very simply, they're never there when the crime against you and your loved ones is being committed.
Do you want God to protect you? Of course. Then don't tempt Him by saying, "The Lord will protect me, I don't need a gun." That's like the man who says, "A storm is coming, but I don't need an umbrella; God will protect me," all the while ignoring the real protection God has provided for him – the common sense to get an umbrella or come in out of the rain. In dangerous times such as those in which we live today, God clearly speaks to us – both in Scripture and through good old fashioned common sense – about being prepared to protect and defend ourselves, our families and our neighbors.
As Jesus Himself said: "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
John M. Keeter
www.fbc-nc.com
http://hitherandyonder.blogspot.com/
By David Kupelin
The following is excerpted from the May 2007 edition of WND's monthly Whistleblower magazine
"Why don't you pick up that gun and blow your brains out?"
"You could kill a whole lot of people with that gun."
"Why not shoot her right now? That would shut her up!"
These are the sorts of vile mental suggestions many people experience from within their own minds when they see a gun.
That's right. Dark thoughts and impulses, too horrible to dwell upon or even acknowledge, occur to many of us at the mere sight of a firearm or a naked blade. When we see the firearm, we sense the presence of evil – so naturally we assume the gun is its source, when actually the gun's close proximity caused our own buried, angry, violent tendencies to surface for a moment.
Thus, many people who "dislike" or "are afraid of" guns are actually afraid of what they might do if they had a loaded firearm in their hand. And I'm not talking about criminal types here. I'm talking about "nice" people – nice on the outside, and lots of buried and perhaps unrecognized rage inside. Again, the presence of the gun simply causes his or her own dark, angry propensities to "stir a little" deep down inside.
But the reality of all this is too heavy and "negative" for many of us to face, so we instantly and unconsciously project our own buried violence onto the gun – as though an inanimate hunk of metal could somehow be evil.
Obviously, a loaded handgun has great potential for destruction and havoc. At the mere squeeze of a trigger there can be murder, suicide, terrorism. Even without pulling the trigger, the gun represents the magic ticket to armed robbery, forcible rape and every other form of coercion. For a person with lots of anger, albeit buried, a gun represents the shortest distance between two points – between the suppressed violent nature within him or her and the maximum expression of that nature. Therefore, the mere sight of a gun excites that dark part of us, causing it to beckon wordlessly, "Use me!"
Let's examine this admittedly scary subject a little more closely.
Have you ever stood close to the edge of a cliff, or out on a balcony of a high building? Did you notice that some "force" almost seemed to want to pull you over the edge? Most of us have experienced something like this phenomenon – a momentary loss of balance, an unexplainable fear, some mysterious pull toward the edge. We have a moment of disorientation and fear, then we pull back to safety.
I've experienced it. Last year after driving five hours to Portland, Ore., to be a guest on Fox News I checked into my hotel room, unpacked, checked over the room, then stepped out onto the balcony. As I approached the railing and looked out at the cityscape and then gazed down several stories to the ground, I noticed a distinct pull, along with a slight disorientation, as though I was losing my balance. I recovered right away and realized I was so tired and frazzled from a long day that my mind was vulnerable to the "pull" of dark forces. So I took the hint and rested a bit, until I had recovered my strength and mental focus.
In this life, the malevolent intelligence we call "evil" is constantly scanning each of us for opportunities to tempt or even destroy us. As the Good Book puts it, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8 KJV). In critical moments of the sort I'm describing, evil seizes the opportunity to give us a mental "shove." Unfortunately, for some people that "shove" is strong enough – especially after a lifetime of giving in to anger, judgment and despair – to pull them over the edge.
We'll never know how many "suicides," in which people fell off a cliff or a balcony, occurred this way – not because of a premeditated suicide plan, but because they were vulnerable to the opportunistic impulse of evil.
Similarly, how many head-on auto accidents occur every year because someone inexplicably crosses the center line to crash at high speed into another car, having succumbed to a wordless, instantaneous mental suggestion from hell? All in a timeless fraction of a second the message impresses itself on your mind: "Crash your car into that one coming your way. Life sucks. Go out with a major bang! Everyone will be shocked! You have the power! Just do it! Do it now!"
Does this scare you? If so – if this description resonates with you even a little bit – it's only because you have the same problem to some degree. Don't fret. We're all in the same boat. We're all subject to the "dark side" of the force. It's called being "born in sin." But some of us honestly face it, and quietly call out to God for help, and His help comes. Others live in denial – until tragedy and death end it all. (This is the central theme of "Spiderman 3," by the way.)
In any event, this same phenomenon is at work with firearms, because of the potential guns provide for immediate and ultimate destruction. Guns literally bring to the surface of the mind the suppressed potential for violence that exists inside every angry person.
Again, there is more than one way this discomfort around guns can be experienced. A sincere person who is uncomfortable around guns will probably be able to deduce that the problem is within him and not with the inanimate firearm. He's already on the path to getting better.
Unfortunately, many people who hate/fear guns never allow themselves to come face-to-face with the real problem – themselves. No sooner does their own suppressed anger react to the sight or even the thought of a gun, than they turn that angry emotional response into something more "acceptable" – like fear. After all, on the "niceness" scale, fear is a lot nicer than hatred.
The problem is, after our buried anger is effortlessly transformed into "fear of guns," that fear easily turns into false righteousness: "I don't like guns and have no need for them. I'm a peaceful, non-violent person and wouldn't ever shoot anyone for any reason."
Some take this "righteousness" even further: "God protects me; I don't need guns. I have faith he'll never put me in a position where I need to shoot someone." Good thing none of the Bible's Old Testament heroes like David or Joshua thought like that. They were required by God to kill many people. Who can say what will be required of us in this journey called life – whether or not we may be called on to defend ourselves or our families from a dangerous enemy?
Of course, there are many angry people who love guns. The world seems to be full of pumped-up jihadists who crave weapons, the bigger and more lethal the better; drug lords who use guns to murder judges and mayors and anyone else who gets in their way; gangbangers who pack heat so they can kill members of rival gangs; and every variety of criminal who, of course, take pains to procure the tools of their illegal trade – guns.
Unlike those who hate/fear guns as a result of unconsciously projecting their own inner violence onto them, angry people who love guns are in love with their own hatred, which they see as righteousness! The Islamic jihadist thinks he's serving Allah by murdering innocents. And predators and psychopaths of every sort love their guns because that's where they get the means to overcome their intended victims.
The God side of guns
Obviously, guns allow evil to be expressed in a multitude of ways, just as any weapon does. Everybody understands this, so there's no need to say much more about it – except that these people need to be stopped.
But what does need to be said, and shouted from the rooftops, is that in the right hands firearms also enable real goodness and virtue to be manifested – right here, right now – by opposing evil and protecting the innocent.
I'm talking now about what I'll call true Americans – not those who criminally prey on others, but also not those whose cowardice or shallowness causes them to appease bullies and to blame inanimate objects for the evil in the world and within themselves.
Whether individually or in a war, the moral imperative to defend ourselves and others is the same. And just as we all share this fundamental and undeniable right to self-defense, it follows that we also share the right to the means of self-defense, or else that supposed right is just a bad joke.
Fortunately for us, the Constitution and Bill of Rights were written and adopted by strong, right-thinking people. And the Second Amendment spells out for all to see the right of Americans to "keep and bear arms," a fundamental right that "shall not be infringed."
Today, according to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, there are well over 200 million privately owned firearms in the U.S, including more than 65-70 million handguns. Approximately 45 percent of American households have firearms. That means we have 65-80 million American gun-owners, including 30-35 million owners of handguns.
This is a very, very good thing – we don't even realize how good it is. For just as it was true in our founders' day, it's true today that Americans need guns.
If you don't believe me, just consider the Virginia Tech disaster. Imagine Cho Seung-Hui walking into a classroom, threatening people with his guns, making them line up, preparing to shoot them. Now freeze-frame that scene and think for a moment: There isn't anyone or anything in this world that could have stopped Cho in his tracks at that point and averted the hellish slaughter that followed – except a single student or professor with a firearm, and trained to use it.
At the time of this nation's birth, people understood the importance of the armed citizen.
James Madison, who wrote the Second Amendment, said Americans had "the advantage of being armed," whereas in other nations "the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms." Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall be debarred the use of arms.” Patrick Henry said the "great object is that every man be armed. … Everyone who is able may have a gun." And Thomas Paine said, "Arms … discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property."
But today, many people would like to get rid of the Second Amendment – either by excising it from the Bill of Rights or, more likely, by judicially redefining its meaning as they have with the First Amendment (with the invention of the mythological "separation of church and state").
You see, in today's America the self-reliant, responsible, independent-minded man or woman who carries a gun – the kind of person who is aware, thinks for himself, is skeptical of government, the press and all of society's "experts" – the person not content to be a victim, but willing to take charge of a situation, "get involved," even fight back and stand up for what is right – in other words, a true American – is threatening to society's elitists, experts and politicians who are addicted to power.
As a general rule, it is liberals who tend to oppose private citizens carrying guns around with them. As I said, this is mostly because they're full of suppressed anger and therefore project their own – and others' – evil onto inanimate objects so as to maintain the denial in which they live. After all, you can't possibly believe the illogical and immoral things liberals and leftists espouse unless you're full of trauma and repressed hatred. It takes lots of inner rage to distort reality sufficiently to believe it's OK to kill beautiful little babies in their mothers' wombs or to believe a malevolent chameleon like Hillary Clinton should be elected president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in world history.
This same emotional confusion leads liberals to think guns are the problem, rather than being – in the right hands – the protection from tyranny and predation they truly are.
Do you know what happens when good people carry lethal weapons? Their mentality changes from passive to active, vulnerable to protective, powerless to empowered, dependent to independent. Very simply, they become more responsible – and more capable of doing good.
In fact, they make up the very fabric of a free America. This is the whole concept of the unregulated militia.
When neighbor stands with neighbor
There have always been two parts to the "militia" mentioned in the Second Amendment – the regulated and the unregulated (or the organized and the unorganized) militia.
Various laws throughout U.S. history have defined the organized or regulated militia, for instance the Militia Act of 1792, which specified that males 18 through 44 years of age "shall severally and respectively be enrolled in the militia …"
However, much more important was the founders' and framers' concept of the unorganized or unregulated militia, which they regarded as the ultimate defense of the new nation. This larger and more organic militia consisted of all able-bodied citizens. As Richard Henry Lee, a key founder during the Revolutionary period, explained in 1788: "A militia when properly formed [is] in fact the people themselves ... and include[s] all men capable of bearing arms. ... To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms." Or as George Mason famously and cryptically put it: "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials."
Although the practice of arming oneself is very wholesome – for responsible, mature people, that is – there is one nightmare scenario we need to guard against, because history shows it leads inexorably to tyranny.
That scenario would be for angry, "right-wing, fundamentalist Christians" (more accurately, pseudo-Christian hate groups) to commit acts of terrorism or murder – like the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City – in the name of freedom. That is exactly what today's would-be totalitarians would secretly relish most, as it would justify their crackdown on "Christian" and "patriot" groups and gun rights across the board.
Timothy McVeigh, who thought he was advancing a patriotic rebellion against oppressive government, achieved precisely the opposite: He discredited everything he thought he was fighting for and caused many people to regard "right-wing patriots" and "militia types" as domestic terrorists.
In fact, the biggest reason President Bill Clinton was asleep at the switch with regard to Islamic terrorism, allowing Osama bin Laden to slip through his fingers even when the terror kingpin was offered on a silver platter, is because it served Clinton's leftist agenda to obsess over "right-wing" extremist organizations rather than the threat of radical Islam. Thus, Clinton disastrously focused the FBI predominantly on "right-wing hate groups" rather than task it with chasing down the many credible leads we had on al-Qaida terror plots against the United States.
If angry, would-be "patriots" engage in violence against the U.S. government as occurred in Oklahoma City, this nation could quickly move toward the suppression of gun rights and much more, all in the guise of protecting the public safety.
It's a very real temptation. Think of it: As government corruption becomes more and more brazen, as judges outlaw the Ten Commandments, as "hate crimes" laws effectively criminalize the Bible, as kindergartners are brainwashed with radical "gay rights" propaganda and so on, pretty soon some group decides it can't take it any more. Its members become so enraged, they conclude it's time to start the next armed revolution. Seeing their nation being raped and envisioning no solution other than violence, they convince themselves they're the modern counterparts of America's revolutionary founders. Training with firearms and explosives and conspiring in secret – all the while quoting Jefferson to each other about "watering the tree of liberty" from time to time with "the blood of patriots and tyrants" – they murder some federal judges or blow up a government office building in an attempt to fight back. But all they succeed in doing is murdering and maiming a bunch of their fellow Americans (or, as McVeigh did in Oklahoma City, massacring a room full of toddlers in daycare – which he later coldly termed "collateral damage").
What would follow would be a massive official crackdown on "domestic terrorists" and a severe assault on freedom in America – not to mention a major distraction from the real war against Islamic jihad.
Amazing what hatred can accomplish, isn't it? Exactly the opposite of what you intended. The dark side of the force is very clever. As the blood-drenched, hate-based French Revolution proved, when "revolutionaries" are full of hate, they're no better than the hateful, corrupt government they try to replace – and maybe worse – ushering in their own "reign of terror."
This is why true, mature Americans – the kind that must be armed – must also be self-controlled, even-tempered, virtuous and noble, not motivated by hatred and revenge. They must also stand together.
In reality, the responsible armed citizen is the strength of America. But there will always be a tension between him and his government – especially today, when the armed citizen is the antithesis of everything our culture, experts, politicians and other "leaders" teach us. In their minds, we're supposed to be helpless victims or incompetent, irresponsible, out-of-control children. We're supposed to need them to provide for us and protect us. If they could have their way, nobody would have guns except the police. But then, that's what's known as a "police state."
What we need is a rebirth of the true American spirit. We need people to take up arms in the spirit of responsibly protecting their family and other innocents, just like in the old days when everyone carried a sword. Every man had to be willing to put his life on the line to protect his loved ones. But you can't do that without your sword – which in today's world is a firearm.
One quote from Jesus we almost never hear cited these days is what He said shortly before being taken into captivity by Roman soldiers to be crucified. It was a dangerous time, and as He spoke to His disciples, He told them to arm themselves.
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, – Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough. (Luke 22:35-38 KJV)
The police cannot protect you. Very simply, they're never there when the crime against you and your loved ones is being committed.
Do you want God to protect you? Of course. Then don't tempt Him by saying, "The Lord will protect me, I don't need a gun." That's like the man who says, "A storm is coming, but I don't need an umbrella; God will protect me," all the while ignoring the real protection God has provided for him – the common sense to get an umbrella or come in out of the rain. In dangerous times such as those in which we live today, God clearly speaks to us – both in Scripture and through good old fashioned common sense – about being prepared to protect and defend ourselves, our families and our neighbors.
As Jesus Himself said: "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."
John M. Keeter
www.fbc-nc.com
http://hitherandyonder.blogspot.com/
Monday, April 16, 2007
Atheism isn't the final word
Atheism isn't the final word
By Don Feder
By Don Feder
Oh, for the days when one could safely stroll into a bookstore without tripping over the latest atheist title. Ironically, by writing their tracts, in the long run atheists might boost belief.
My local Barnes & Noble has the following titles on display -Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam ; The Quotable Atheist; Letter To A Christian Nation; God: The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist; and The God Delusion, which is a New York Times best-seller.
Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., has become the first member of Congress to announce that he doesn't believe in God. He's probably just looking for a book deal.
Why the sudden outpouring of atheist advocacy? Perhaps it's a way for the cultural left to assert itself in the face of the religious right. Or maybe it's meant to show that the anti-God argument can be framed more intelligently than in a Bill Maher monologue. Whatever the impetus, as a believer, I welcome the phenomenon. After all, the great enemy of belief isn't disbelief but indifference.
Let the godless write their books and the faithful answer them. The disillusionment with religion that dominated British intellectual circles after World War I helped to shape the great Christian apologist C.S. Lewis. The surviving son of atheist icon Madalyn Murray O'Hair is an evangelical Christian.
The books referenced above assert that the debate is over and that atheism has won, but atheists have been saying that for more than 200 years. Since the French Enlightenment, the death of God has been confidently proclaimed. Religion has been made obsolete by egalitarian revolution, industrialism, or science, they insisted. Yet, early in the 21st century, faith endures.
Outlasting the Soviet Union
For 70-plus years, the Soviets tried everything imaginable to kill religion: show trials, mass murder of clerics, confiscations, indoctrination and even attempts to co-opt religious symbols and ceremonies. But belief survived, while scientific socialism is now defunct.
In China, where communism's war on God continues, the home-church movement thrives. Half a world away, America has the highest weekly church attendance in the industrialized world, notwithstanding attacks on faith from Hollywood, academia and a judiciary seemingly intent on purging religious symbols from public spaces.
In the USA - the most science-oriented society in history - Christian bookstores, radio stations and TV programming proliferate. It seems as though a hunger for the Creator is imprinted on the human heart.
What would a world without God look like? Well, for one, morality becomes, if not impossible, exceedingly difficult. "Thou shalt not kill" loses much of its force when reduced from commandment to a suggestion. How inspiring can it be to wake in the morning, look in the mirror, and see an accident of evolutionary history - the end product of the random collision of molecules?
A universe that isn't God-centered becomes ego-centered. People come to see choices through the prism of self: what promotes the individual's well-being and happiness. Such a worldview does not naturally lead to benevolence or self-sacrifice.
An affirmation of God can lead to the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount and the Declaration of Independence. In terms of morality, a denial of God leads nowhere.
There are no secularist counterparts to Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, William Wilberforce (the evangelical responsible for abolition of the British slave trade), Martin Luther King Jr., or the Christians - from France to Poland - who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.
True, terrible things have been done in the name of religion. Terrible things have been done in the name of every noble concept, including love, charity, loyalty and kinship. Yet, the worst horrors of the modern era were perpetrated by godless political creeds. The death toll from sectarian conflict over the ages is dwarfed by ideological violence, from the Jacobinism of Revolutionary France to the charnel houses of communism and fascism.
This is not to say that atheism leads naturally to guillotines and gulags, but, just as "love your fellow man as yourself" can be corrupted, so too can liberty, equality and fraternity.
Signs throughout history
There is no irrefutable evidence for God's existence or non-existence. But, if you look closely, his footprints can be discerned in the sands of time.
Jews introduced the world to monotheism. They also were the first people to perceive history as linear- an unfolding story moving toward a conclusion.
Is it a coincidence that this tiny, originally nomadic people generated the ideas that shaped the Western world, including equality, human rights and a responsibility to our fellow man? Jews are the only people to maintain their identity during two millennia of exile, and then return to their homeland and re-establish their nation.
Mark Twain wrote: "The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise and they are gone; other peoples have sprung up, held their torch high for a time, but it burned out and they sit in twilight now or have vanished. … All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?" Had Twain been a believer, he might have answered his own question.
America's survival and rise to global pre-eminence are equally improbable. Challenging the greatest empire of the 18th century, America should never have won its independence or should have self-destructed during the Civil War.
Alexis de Tocqueville observed that the genius of our infant republic lay not in its farms and workshops but in its churches whose "pulpits flame with righteousness."
Atheists are free to disbelieve and to try to propagate their disbelief in books and other intellectual forums. But saying the debate is over doesn't make it so. A bit of humility might make their case more convincing. Then again, humility is itself a religious concept.
Don Feder is a former syndicated columnist and author of Who's Afraid of the Religious Right?
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Salvation-Saved From What?
Saved From What?
By
Dr. Harold Sightler (1914–1995)
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”—Matt. 1:21.
In the first chapter of Matthew, we have the clearest declaration concerning the manner of the birth of Jesus found in the Bible. The inspired record sets forth in no uncertain terms the virgin birth, and this truth is repeated several times. Joseph had to be convinced, for his first impression was that Mary had committed fornication. He was “minded” to put her away privately, not being willing to make a public example of her. This is what Joseph was proceeding to do when he was arrested by the angel of the Lord with this statement concerning the true facts of what had happened.
After the angel had instructed Joseph as to the manner of Mary’s conception, he then announced the great purpose of this miracle. In our text, the angel sums up the entire purpose of the coming of Jesus into the world: “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” This is one of the great statements of the Bible. It is a truth that has been proven over and over again. Its wonderful message is the sweetest ever heard by mortal ear. The power of this truth has transformed the lives of multitudes.
The great motivating power that sends us out to preach is the message that Jesus saves. This is the same motivating power which fills the ranks of missionaries. No sacrifice is too great and no price is too high for this message. It drives us on with new hope upon each opportunity to witness or preach. We have experienced its life-transforming power, and we have seen it work in the lives of others.
I. Things From Which None Are Saved
Though Jesus saves—blessed truth—notice three things from which none of us are saved today.
1. None Saved From Suffering
First, I am saved, but I am not saved from suffering. Go to the hospitals today, and you will find as many Christians there as lost people. Go to the rest homes, and you will find as many feeble and weak Christians as non-Christians. Yes, sometime or other every last one of us will suffer. We may be well today, but some tomorrow will bring us to the hospital in pain and agony. This life is marked by suffering. Sin is producing its fruit. Ours is a fallen race, and a mark of this Fall is suffering.
Well do I know that Jesus has power to heal our bodies. He is the Great Physician. No disease is too great for this Healer. Every time we recover from an illness, it is because He is the Healer. We ought to pray for the healing of our bodies and for the healing of our loved ones. Yet, there will come a time when it is not God’s will to heal. When the day comes we shall die. All suffer in this life. We enter the world with a cry, and we leave the world with the same. The journey is marked by times of suffering and sickness.
May I rejoice with you over the day when there will be no more pain. The time will come when all will receive a new body. This body is to be fashioned like unto the glorious body of our Lord. Then there will be no more suffering and sickness. In I John 3:2, we read, “Beloved…it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” When that day comes, there will be no more pain, suffering or sickness.
2. None Saved From Sorrow
Second, I am not saved from sorrow. Tears are the portion and lot of us all here upon this earth. For many years, I could say that I had never had a broken heart. I had never sorrowed. All in my family were well and strong. I had never lost a loved one by death. I had never trod the valley of sorrow. I had never shed bitter tears. However, never again can I say this. In 1951, I was plunged into a valley of tears and sorrow unparalleled in all my past. My family circle was forever broken in the tragic passing of my child. She was killed in an automobile accident. My wife was very seriously injured. For five months she lingered near death. She will carry the marks of this accident to her grave. My heart was broken. Tears came freely then, and often since. I was saved then as much as ever, but I was not saved from sorrow.
Sometime in the lives of us all sorrow will come. This sorrow will make us long for the day when Jesus will wipe away all tears from our eyes. He has given to us this promise: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). The time will come when no saved person will ever weep, when our hearts will never bleed again.
3. None Saved From Shame
Third, I am not saved from shame. All will agree that there is a shame in the old rugged cross. The world has never been friendly to grace. They that live godly will suffer persecution. This world does not understand the saved. The saved can never become adjusted to this age. The Bible warns that this world will be “despisers of those that are good” (II Tim. 3:3).
One needs only to take his Bible in hand and walk down a busy street to see the eyes of others lifted in scorn.
There is shame in the Book. There is shame in a testimony. There is shame in a witness. They that stand for God understand this shame and gladly bear it.
Some golden daybreak those who now suffer shame will be placed on exhibition in Glory. The angels and all the heavenly creatures will be permitted to look upon the token of God’s grace. The redeemed of all ages will be gathered together onto this place of exhibition. No shame then; only glory by and by.
II. Things From Which We Are Saved
I have noticed three things from which we are not saved; now I want us to notice three things from which Jesus does save us.
1. I Am Saved From Sin
The text says, “He shall save his people from their sins.” Someone has accused us of believing in a “sinning religion.” Though we do not claim sinless perfection, we do rejoice that, by His grace, we have been saved from sin—saved from the power of sin. Grace has broken the power of sin. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20). Jesus gives His people power to say no to the Devil and sin. He liberates from the bondage and pits of sin. He lifts us out.
We are also saved from the penalty of sin. The Bible says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die,” and, “…the wages of sin is death.” It is true that the penalty of sin is death, but to us who are saved, this penalty is paid by our Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 8:1 we read, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” We are passed from condemnation to eternal life.
Then one day we will be saved from the presence of sin. The redeemed are to be lifted from the earth and from its sin. The day will come when we will be taken to a place where there is no sin. Jesus promises that “there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination” (Rev. 21:27). Neither the Devil nor his demons will be able to enter into that City. It is prepared for the redeemed.
2. I Am Saved From Self
I am not my own; I am bought with a price. After Jesus saved me, He demanded my body, soul and spirit. All I am and all I have are His; I must be about His business. I must go where He wills that I go and say that which He wills me to say. To use the words of Paul, I am a bond servant of Jesus—we are His slaves. All saved people are able to give this same testimony.
Sometimes unsaved people are heard to say that they will do as they please. God’s people must not say this. We gladly pledge our allegiance to Jesus. We gladly do as He pleases. Herein lies the reason men and women will give their lives on the mission field. Here is the answer to the great sacrifice some people make in order to serve Jesus: we are saved from self.
3. I Am Saved From Satan
This makes the Devil mad. He does not want me to proclaim deliverance from his power. Blessed be the day when Jesus saved me from Satan. I am free indeed. The Devil cannot do more than nag me. He cannot put his dirty hands upon me except in God’s will. He cannot get to me except God permit him to do so. The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion going up and down in the earth seeking whom he may devour. I rejoice that there are some whom he cannot devour—the redeemed. To the saved he is more a roar than anything else.
Claim the deliverance and rejoice in it. The Devil can do no more than try to hinder you from so doing. Claim freedom by faith. When Jesus saved you, He saved you from Satan.
Many times the Devil has threatened my life. In nearly audible impressions he tells us that he will take our lives. But he is a liar; my life is in Jesus, and the Devil can do nothing about it.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Sowing And Reaping
“WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND”
Galatians 6:7 " Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
An assistant manager of a large department store saw a boy standing at the bottom of the escalator one day. The assistant became suspicious. He watched the boy for a while. The had his eyes glued on the moving handrail. Finally the assistant went over to the lad and questioned him. "Something wrong young man?" he asked? "No sir "., replied the boy, not taking his eyes off the handrail, "I'm just waiting for my bubble gum to come back."
We know that specifically, the primary application of this passage is to the PLACE and the PURPOSE of GIVING.
We see the precept in verse 6, the principle behind the precept in verses 7 and 8, and then the promise in verse 9.
However, this also applies to every other area of our lives,.……….what goes around comes around!
Jan 15, 1986 Raleigh N.C. a man went to a party and had too much to drink and his friends plead with him to let them take him home. He says no because he only lives a mile away. About five blocks from the party, the police pull him over for weaving and they ask him to get out and walk the line.
Just as he starts, the police radio blares out that a robbery is taking place about a block away. The police tell him to stay put because they will be right back after the go check out the robbery.
The guy waits and waits and finally decides to drive home. When he gets there, he tells his wife he is going to bed, and to tell anyone who might be looking for him that he had the flu and has been in bed all day.
A few hours later, the police knock on the door. They ask if the man lives there and the wife says that he does. They ask to see him and she replies that he is in bed with the flu and has been all day. The police have his driver's license. They ask to see his car and she asks why. They insist on seeing his car, so she takes them to the garage and opens the door where they find the police car, lights still flashing.
This explicit warning implies:
1. That you can be deceived- 2. That many are deceived- 3. That we must therefore, earnestly, and actively, seek not to be deceived!
If we are honest with God and yourself, this is a very sobering and solemn subject to each and every one of us!
We are right now reaping, and will reap, positively & negatively the results of what we’ve sown physically, financially and spiritually.
A Navy SEAL was attending some college courses between assignments. One of the professors was an avowed atheist. One day he shocked the class when he came in, looked to the ceiling, and flatly stated, “God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you exactly 5 minutes.”
The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, “Here I am God. I’m still waiting.”
It got down to the last couple of minutes when the SEAL got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and punched him right off the platform. The professor was out cold. The SEAL went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and stunned and sat there looking on in silence.
The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the SEAL and asked, “What is the matter with you? Why did you did that?”
The SEAL calmly replied, “God was busy ,So He sent me.”
God’s judgment moves slowly but crushes completely! …..there is coming a payday someday!
"mock"- Greek- “to stick your nose up at” to sneer.
They think some fancy footwork will get them free from facing the penalty!
* What happens in Vegas does NOT STAY in Vegas!!!!!!
* Cigars and Insurance A Charlotte, NC, man having purchased a case of very rare, very expensive cigars insured them against fire. - then smoked his entire stockpile of cigars - the man filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the man stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires".
The insurance company refused to pay, - The man sued.... and won.
Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires".
After the man cashed the check, however, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of arson. - the man was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.
" that shall he also reap."
Many eastern religions teach what they call Karma. The Chinese religions call this Ying Yang.
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,"
No one gets around this law. This, like the law of gravity-is universal. You may not reap the moment when you sow, but you will reap what you sow.
Law Enforcement has new technology that will take a picture of your license plate if you exceed the speed limit.
In Great Britain, London police sent a photo and citation to one motorist showing him running a red light.
The motorist in turn sent the police a photo of a check for the citation. Not to be outdone, the police then sent the motorist a photo of handcuffs. He quickly paid in cash.
Some people sing, “if it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all, gloom , despair, and agony , oh me”. It’s not bad luck. It’s probably bad sowing!
It’s a **choice**, not **chance** a CONSEQUENCE of sin…past & present have a effect on the future!
If you spend more than you earn, and gamble all you gain, you might as well expect poverty.
If you smoke for 15 yrs, don’t be surprised when you reap emphysema.
You may not reap Cancer, but you will reap to one degree or another ill effects of alcohol or tobacco abuse of your body.
Diabetes is often the result of reaping- same is so for high blood pressure.
Your chickens WILL come home to roost!
Whatsoever “THAT”- not something else but “THAT’!
What is reaped will be of the same SORT as what was sowed.
What you SOW is what’s gonna GROW in your GARDEN!
You WILL reap the results of what you sow!
If you plant WHEAT you won’t get WATERMELONS! If you plant CORN you won’t get CUCUMBERS!
I once read of a little boy who used to escape his bedroom after being punished. he would crawl out of his bedroom window down an old fruit tree to the ground. One day, his father told him that he was going to chop down the fruit tree, because it hadn't borne any fruit for a number of years. That evening, the boy and his friend bought a bushel of apples, and during the night, tied those apples on the barren branches. The next morning, the man could not believe his eyes. He said to his wife, "Honey, I just can't believe it! That old tree hasn't yielded any fruit for years, and now it's covered with apples. And, the most amazing thing is that it's a pear tree!"
Sooner or later, you will get what’s coming to you!
Job 4:8 “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.”
OT Parallel passage …..
Numbers 32:23 “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.“
Church members sow their wild oats all week and pray for crop failure on Sunday!
The only way to change the harvest is to change the sowing.
Don’t get caught in the web and you won’t be dinner for the spider!
Don’t act surprised when you get stuck in sin!
Hosea 10:12 “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”
Getting the Point
“THE GIFT OF THORNS”
What would you think if someone came to work-house. Wherever you were, and gave you a big bunch of .....thorns?
Would you think somebody was angry at you? Didn’t like you anymore? Well that’s what happened to Paul in 2 Corinthinas 10.
“There was given to me a thorn in the flesh.”
God gave Paul some thorns-not because He was angry at him but b/c He loved Him!!!
Every generation since Adam has a sure reminder of the curse on creation—via THORNS!
Genesis 3:18 “ cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee”
In a way…..life IS a BED OF ROSES! …but all the Roses have THORNS!!!
No matter where you go- trouble is waiting for you when you get there. Nobody has it made- we are all stuck with Thorns in our life!
Trials…tribulations… and troubles. Discouragement… Disappointment, and Disasters!
Thorns come in a thousand frustrating forms.
Surely suffering is a thorny issue. If you have never asked the question, "Where is God when it hurts?" One day you will. You may not need my message this moment, but you may need it in the next minute or the next month.
The greatest Christian of all, the Apostle Paul, knew what it was to have problems.
Notice………..
1. THE THORN AS AN ASSIGNMENT "was given me"
- God uses Thorns in our lives to TEACH
Trials are designed to call your faith to the witness stand ~ to validate what you declare you believe.
A faith that cannot be TESTED cannot be TRUSTED!
TESTS are to do two things:
1.) Show us what we learned 2.) Teach us what we haven’t learned yet!
A little boy girl had been promised the privilege of climbing to a nearby hilltop where his big brother played. But when he came within sight of the steep, rough path, he drew back. "”There isn't a smooth spot anywhere. It's all bumpy and stony!". His big brother, "How else would we climb if it wasn't? The stones and bumps are what we step on to get there."
God allows affliction, and puts in our path what some might consider to be stumbling blocks.
Even in so called ACCIDENTS- we see his APPOINTMENTS.
2. THE THORN AS AN AILMENT "in the flesh"
Trials are designed to call your faith to the witness stand ~ to validate what you declare you believe.
A faith that cannot be TESTED cannot be TRUSTED!
TESTS are to do two things:
1.) Show us what we learned 2.) Teach us what we haven’t learned yet!
A little boy girl had been promised the privilege of climbing to a nearby hilltop where his big brother played. But when he came within sight of the steep, rough path, he drew back. "”There isn't a smooth spot anywhere. It's all bumpy and stony!". His big brother, "How else would we climb if it wasn't? The stones and bumps are what we step on to get there."
God allows affliction, and puts in our path what some might consider to be stumbling blocks.
Even in so called ACCIDENTS- we see his APPOINTMENTS.
2. THE THORN AS AN AILMENT "in the flesh"
- God uses Thorns in our lives to TENDERIZE
Suffering can come in many shapes and sizes from many sources!
As to the nature of this thorn there have been many equally inconclusive guesses.
Some say it was poor eyesight. Some say it was a speech impediment. Some say it was a physical handicap. Some say it was his mother-in-law. Whatever it was- it hurt!.
Its best that we do not know what Paul’s problem was. Why? Because I am preaching to people who have thorns and are experiencing buffetings right now. If Paul had named his thorn, then we might conclude that the promises of God associated with that thorn were only good for others with the same problem. But, since we don’t know what he suffered from, we can apply the promises he received to the situations we face!)
3. THE THORN AS AN ASSAILANT "Messenger of Satan to buffet me"
Suffering can come in many shapes and sizes from many sources!
As to the nature of this thorn there have been many equally inconclusive guesses.
Some say it was poor eyesight. Some say it was a speech impediment. Some say it was a physical handicap. Some say it was his mother-in-law. Whatever it was- it hurt!.
Its best that we do not know what Paul’s problem was. Why? Because I am preaching to people who have thorns and are experiencing buffetings right now. If Paul had named his thorn, then we might conclude that the promises of God associated with that thorn were only good for others with the same problem. But, since we don’t know what he suffered from, we can apply the promises he received to the situations we face!)
3. THE THORN AS AN ASSAILANT "Messenger of Satan to buffet me"
- God uses Thorns in our lives to TEAR DOWN
Matt 13:22 Thorns always try to choke out the word of God!!!
One thing we know for sure about Paul’s thorn is this: it may have been carried out by Satan, but it was conceived by God! Whatever it was, it was part of God’s plan!
God could have kept Daniel out of the lions’ den- or kept Job from Satan’s assault- or the3 Hebrews out of the fiery furnace. However, God had a purpose for each of the trials they endured.
Don’t be sad because the roses have thorns, but rather rejoice because the thorns have roses.
Thorns outnumber roses 10 to 1!
If a man gives his wife Roses freshly picked- the wife wont look at bouquet and said “Why’d you bring me a bunch of thorns!?” No! Why can’t we be like that? We have all these good things-but focus on the thorns!
Would you be a better believer if all things went well? If you never had a hurt?
Or is it the opposite true?
There is a tendency and a temptation when things are going great to think that things are going so great, because you are so great, that God is so good to you, because you are so good to Him.
* This thorns Purpose was to Prevent Paul from getting proud.
Matt 13:22 Thorns always try to choke out the word of God!!!
One thing we know for sure about Paul’s thorn is this: it may have been carried out by Satan, but it was conceived by God! Whatever it was, it was part of God’s plan!
God could have kept Daniel out of the lions’ den- or kept Job from Satan’s assault- or the3 Hebrews out of the fiery furnace. However, God had a purpose for each of the trials they endured.
Don’t be sad because the roses have thorns, but rather rejoice because the thorns have roses.
Thorns outnumber roses 10 to 1!
If a man gives his wife Roses freshly picked- the wife wont look at bouquet and said “Why’d you bring me a bunch of thorns!?” No! Why can’t we be like that? We have all these good things-but focus on the thorns!
Would you be a better believer if all things went well? If you never had a hurt?
Or is it the opposite true?
There is a tendency and a temptation when things are going great to think that things are going so great, because you are so great, that God is so good to you, because you are so good to Him.
* This thorns Purpose was to Prevent Paul from getting proud.
That which hurt him helped him !!!!
“God resisteth the proud, but gives grace unto the humble”!
* When God allows some suffering in your life…
“God resisteth the proud, but gives grace unto the humble”!
* When God allows some suffering in your life…
Do You GET THE POINT?
“THE END IS NEAR”
“THE END IS NEAR”
In Matthew24:3 Jesus was asked, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"
It is increasingly obvious that the time of our Lord's coming is drawing near. Prophecy is being fulfilled daily, and at a faster pace than ever before.
Even people who do not know the Bible can sense something is about to happen.
REMINDS ME OF THE MONKEY WHO ACCIDENTALLY GOT HIS TAIL CUT OFF AND THEN SAID, "IT WON'T BE LONG NOW."
I’m not saying for sure that it all will end today or tommorw- but I am saying it CAN!
Now his coming may not necessarily be immediate but it is always imminent.
"But of that day and hour no man knows, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Mt. 24:36).
I think of the mirrors on our cars. On them are the words, "Objects are closer than they appear." The reason is that the mirror is convex, allowing a much wider angle of vision. The Bible gives us a wide angle vision of the future and everything seems to say, "The return of Jesus is closer than we may think."
Some may look at a sign that reads—THE BRIDGE IS OUT, and say, "Oh, someone is just trying to scare us into taking another road; let’s go on the same way." They go on and plunge to their death. The sign was not meant to scare people, but to warn them of impending danger. The sign was put there, because someone cared and didn’t want others to die.
God wants you to know, WHEN YOU SEE THESE THINGS COME TO PASS (the prophecies from the Bible in this message), KNOW YE THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NIGH AT HAND-Lk 21:31.
The amazing accuracy of prophecy is astounding! In reality, it is IMPOSSIBLE for a lost man to believe the 2nd Coming. That’s right! Any man that TRULY believes Jesus is Coming would be stirred to salvation!
Here are a few SIGNS of the TIMES that the END is NEAR!!
1.The RISE & RATE of Knowledge & Travel
Daniel 12:4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."
90% of all the engineers and scientists who have ever lived are alive today.
One super computer can do in a minute what it would have taken thousands of men a year to do. This is the age of information, communication, and transportation.
They don’t call it the INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY fornothing!
2. THE REALITY OF NUCLEAR WARFARE
Some signs sound strangely similar to plagues, like the effects of nuclear radiation. Zechariah foresaw these future plagues when he wrote, "And this shall be the plague...their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths" (Zech. 14:12-15).
hTis was a mystery to previous generations They could not comprehend what we easily assimilate.
Irate IRAN will soon have nuclear capability---so will South KOREA , andRUSSIA still does!
3. The REBIRTH of Israel
If you are not interested in Israel or in the Jewish people, then I know that two things must be true about you. On the one hand, you haven't been reading your newspaper, and on the other hand, you haven't been reading your Bible. I guarantee you if you will read your newspaper and you will read your Bible you will become vitally interested in the nation of Israel.
May 14th 1948 was the most important day in the 20th century
Israel Is the fig tree described in Matthew; "as soon as its branch becomes tender and starts putting forth its leaves", the end times are at hand (see Matt. 24:32-34). "who has heard of such things... shall a land be born in one day... shall a nation be delivered in one moment... yet as soon as Zion was in labor she delivered her children" (Isa. 66: 8-10, Mic 5:3.
Also, there is……………
4. The RETURN of Jews TO THEIR HOMELAND
*see Zephaniah 3:10-11
In 1984, Operation Moses saw the airlift of 15,000 Jews who had already fled to refugee camps in Sudan to escape starvation. In 1991, Operation Solomon flew 20,000 Jews to Israel from Ethiopia itself. A further airlift began in June of 1999, aimed at transporting the last 3,000 members of the Quara Jewish community from northeastern Ethiopia to Israel.
Israel's children are now, in our own time, returning home from Russia and other places in the world. "...as the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them... and they shall dwell in their own land" (Jer. 23.7-8).
5.THE RULE OF Jerusalem No Longer Gentile
Gentiles controlled Jerusalem from 70 A.D. until the Six Day War of 1967.
Jerusalem would be "trampled by the gentiles until the times of the gentiles is fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). The "times of the gentiles" has been fulfilled as a result of the Six Day War of 1967, since Jerusalem is now under the control of Israel. Therefore, since Jerusalem cannot be under gentile rule in the terminal age, the current situation of the Jews controlling Jerusalem is a sign that we are in the terminal age.
6. THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE
For several end time prophecies to be fulfilled, the temple will have to be rebuilt.
In Revelation 11:2 John is told to measure it.
In Daniel 9:27 we see that the Antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation there.
Some archeologists believe that the temple mount is actually 340 feet south of the Dome of the Rock site, putting the Dome of the Rock within the Court of the Gentiles. This may be the court outside the temple that is left out.
A group in Israel called the Temple Mount Faithful have obtained most of the clothing, instruments and other equipment required for temple worship and are actively preparing for the laying of the third temple's cornerstone.
7. THE RED HEIFER
In recent years there has been the amazing APPEARANCE OF THE RED HEIFER AFTER 2000 YEARS
Numbers 19:2-7
A red heifer will be required to be used in the process of purification described in the book of Numbers.
In May 1997 the first Red Heifer was born in 2000 years. Another red Heifer was born in Israel in March of 2002.
8.The RELIGIOUS apostacy of the hour
New Age theories and philosophy –Secular humanism- no right or wrong Environmentalism, rampant pantheistic pagans worship Mother earth -not Father God, and are more concerned with bugs and birds than babies!
Matthew 24:5 "For many will come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and will mislead many."
Matthew 24:11 "And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many."
In the last several years many have claimed to be the Messiah. Jim Jones and David Koresh are examples of these false christs as well as countless others who are not as newsworthy. These false prophets are a prelude to the ultimate false christ, the antichrist.
9.the RECENT PLAGUES & PHENOMENA
"there will be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matt. 24:7-8). AIDS, the Ebola Virus , the Asian bird flu and other diseases are proof that we are living in the terminal age .
Do I need to mention EARTHQUAKES ? The total number of earthquakes in recent years is indeed rising. For example, it was reported that in 1986, the total number of earthquakes was 12,718. In l990, it was 16,612. In 1994, it was 19,371.
This will culminate during the Battle of Armageddon. At that time, there will be an earthquake that will shake the world. The cities of the nations will fall. Every island will flee away.
10. THE REUNITED ROMAN EMPIRE
In Daniel 2:32-33, 2:40-43 we find that the 4th kingdom of iron is the Roman empire according to Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The two legs are the division of the Roman empire into an eastern portion called the Byzantine empire which ended in the 1400's and a western portion based in Rome which ended in the 400's.
The nations of Europe since the Roman empire dissolved have never adhered or formed one empire but continue as separate nations, however, the European Union now has 15 Member States and is preparing for the accession of 13 eastern and southern European countries.
On May 10, 2006 three members of a family in Florida became the first people to receive the biochip implant. Each device, made of silicon and called a VeriChip, is a small radio transmitter about the size of a piece of rice that is injected under a person's skin. It transmits a unique personal ID number whenever it is within a few feet of a special receiver unit. VeriChip's maker describes it as "a miniaturized, implantable, radio frequency identification device (RFID) that can be used in a variety of security, emergency and healthcare applications."
11. The RUMORS OF WAR
The winds of war are raging around us and the rest oftheworld ……Matthew 24:6 "And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."
More people were been killed in warfare in the 20th century than at any other time in history, and the 21st looks to surprise it. As the death toll rises in the Middle East, more and more countries work feverishly to develop devastating weapons of mass destruction. Add to that the expanding threat of terrorism and unpredictable dictators ALL OVER THE Middle and Far East, and the potential for the outbreak of war exists in nations, kingdoms and places across the globe.
12.The ReSEMBLENCE TO THE DAYS OF NOAH & LOT
"but as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matt. 24:36-39).
50 years ago, many people never locked their doors at night. People could leave their keys in their car. Merchants could leave their merchandise on the sidewalk without guards, and there was little or no profanity on television, radio, or in the movies. One of the biggest problems in public school was gum chewing. Those days are long gone.
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." (v.12) Three things always go together: lawlessness, lovelessness, and lukewarmness.
The end is NEAR the coast is CLEAR and we almost outta HERE!
If you knew that tomorrow was your last day on earth, how would you live differently? Luke 21:28
Jesus, speaking of His return, said, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
The END is NEAR!!!
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
A TITANIC TRUTH
"A TITANIC TRUTH"
Guest Blog by Pastor Steve Powell
Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Tillers Corner, Alabama
A few weeks back our family went to see the Titanic exhibition in Atlanta.
The exhibit is set up as an interactive tour. At the beginning of the tour, each person is given a card with the name of someone who was on the ship. You are given some slight biographical information on the person such as sex, age, reason for the trip, family on board, class of cabin, etc. but you are not told whether the person survived. It made for interesting conjecture among us, trying to figure out if “our” person “made it” or perished when Titanic went down. Since the great majority did not survive, you know from the beginning that the odds are against your passenger. If they were an adult male, the odds were even less. If you were a poor, adult, male, you didn’t hardly stand a chance. As we continued the tour, seeing all kinds of artifacts pulled from the wreckage, photos of the ship, and items about the voyage, the lighting grew more dim, and the atmosphere was purposely made more morbid and threatening. From the excitement of leaving port you moved to the horror of the collision with the iceberg. I had been given the name of an adult male, relatively poor. Viewing scenes of wreckage from the destruction of the great ship, I began to hope against hope, that “my” person somehow survived. At the end, I was not surprised, however, to find his name among those who were lost at sea. I heard someone say that it would be wonderful if a person could go back in time and warn the people about what was going to happen. “Think of all the lives you could save!” they said.
I, however, had the unpleasant knowledge that even a time traveler would have little or no effect on the fate of these people. If you could go back and be on Titanic, you would be utterly frustrated. No matter what you said, or how passionately you might plead, or how much proof you offered, almost everyone would continue on exactly as they had before. That is the nature of people. They would rather go on in ignorant bliss and would resent someone disturbing that bliss.
The worst part of all, is that you would be on board that ship with those same people that were destined for disaster. Even if your safety were guaranteed, if you knew that you would be whisked to safety right before the disaster, you would not be happy. You would mourn for the people that were going to die. They would not be mere names on a slip of paper. They would be living, breathing people, with hopes and dreams, and families. Some of them you might not like, and they might not like you. But some of them would become your friends. Some would be very likeable, admirable, warm and engaging people. You might even find some that were kin to you. And though you might enjoy their company, you would have the knowledge that each day you were drawing closer to at time when those same people would be crying in terror and pain, freezing or drowning in frigid waters. Some would be on lifeboats watching their husbands and fathers going under with the great ship. The weight of that knowledge would temper every thing that you experienced. Folks may tell you to “lighten up” and “quit being so dramatic” and maybe “have some fun”. After all, you were on an unsinkable luxury liner. Couldn’t you just relax and let everyone enjoy the trip?
Eventually you would be forced to make a decision, whether to “chill out” and let them go ignorantly to their deaths, or be a fanatic, a nuisance, and hope to convince some to be prepared for disaster. Either way, it would certainly be no vacation.
Fortunately we will never have to make that decision. The disaster of the Titanic is history now, and that page of time is forever turned. But, as Christians, we live, work and associate with people every day in a very similar circumstance. We have the certain knowledge of a great disaster for them that makes the sinking of the Titanic pale in comparison. That knowledge allows us to be safe from the horror but lays a heavy burden on our shoulders for the people we come in contact with. Our desire is to warn them about what is to come, but so very few will even heed the warning.
I listened to a certain radio host who was talking about going to pre-marital counseling with a Baptist preacher. The host said that the preacher had insulted him horribly and left a really bad taste in his mouth for organized religion. He said, “I go in there for marriage advice, and the first thing this guy asks me is, ‘Are you a Christian?’ I wanted to tell him that I was an idol worshipper. I mean, what an insulting question. How dare he ask that?”
As I listened I tried to comprehend why this man should feel so insulted. What if he had gone to a doctor for a checkup before his marriage and the doctor asked him, “Are you healthy? Do you have any major physical problems?” Would the radio host be insulted at the doctor’s question? In fact, the question asked by this preacher is exactly the first question that should have been asked. The Bible specifically states that a believer is not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. It is the same thing as marrying a live person to a dead one. The preacher was merely asking, “Are you alive?” It is more than a concern for this man’s marriage; it is concern for his eternal fate.
Most people in America consider themselves to be a Christian. They, like this radio host, are very insulted if you ask them about their spiritual condition. And yet, the Bible tells us that the vast majority of people, no matter what they call themselves, are doomed to an eternity of eternal damnation. Like the folks on the Titanic, they have contented themselves with false sense of security and do not want that feeling to be challenged. They are very resentful if you dare question it. If you had asked a passenger on the Titanic, “What will you do if the ship sinks?” You would probably been answered with a sharp rebuke for daring to ruin their voyage by making them think about such a thing. After all, they were on an unsinkable ship, what could go wrong?
In hindsight, we see that many things went wrong. The Titanic disaster has raised a lot of questions. Why did the ship not have enough lifeboats? Why was she moving so fast in an area noted for icebergs? Why did the ship sink so quickly? Why did the captain ignore repeated warnings? If hard questions had been asked before the ship left for sea, then there would not have been a disaster. Instead, buoyed by false confidence and arrogance, questions were put aside and the ship steamed full speed ahead to a terrible fate. Even as the ship was sinking, many refused to believe it was happening. That is the way that people are. We do things like avoiding medical checkups because we are afraid that the doctor might actually find something. After all, what we don’t know won’t hurt us. It might, however, just kill us. It might even doom us for all time.
Every day I see people that I know and love. I run into friends and strangers alike I see friends that I care about deeply. I see family that means the world to me. I wish I could pretend that they were all going to be safe and sound for all time. But I have the terrible knowledge that a great many of them are headed for disaster. They are cruising full speed ahead, heedless of warnings, confident in their safety, unquestioning of their future. They worry about retirement. They worry about mortgages. They worry about the stock market, college tuition and health costs. But very few of them worry about their eternal destiny. When we leave this planet, all the worries of this world will be left behind. Many will realize then, that there was only one concern that absolutely had to be acted upon here on this earth; where they ended up when up when their time was up.
False hope. False confidence. False assurance. It sent the Titanic to the bottom of the sea, and many of its passengers along with it. The same will send many a soul to Hell.
In the third chapter of the Gospel of John, a man named Nicodemus sneaks over to see Jesus in the night. Nicodemus is a religious leader; a Pharisee. He is a teacher of the Word of God. He is a leader of the people, an instructor in righteousness. He is worried about his eternal destiny. Jesus looks into the heart of Nicodemus and answers the question that has driven this man to lay aside his pride and to seek answers. Jesus tells him, “Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus elaborates, “Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”
That message, my friend, is to the point, final and unchangeable. It is the most important thing that you will ever hear or read. It holds the key to where you will spend your eternity also. Jesus answered not just for Nicodemus, but also for you and me. YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN!
This is the knowledge that bears such a weight in the heart of a true Christian. We know that unless a person is born again by the Spirit of God, they are doomed for eternity. They cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Instead of being insulted, when asked whether he was a Christian, that radio host should have asked himself, “Have I ever been born again?” The question is not, have you ever been baptized, or have you ever joined the church, or have you ever prayed a prayer, or have you ever had a religious experience. The question is, have you ever been born again by the Holy Spirit of God?
It’s a question that every person needs to ask. It’s the most important question you will ever answer. It is a very specific question with very specific guidelines. You can only be born again by the blood of Jesus Christ. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) You can only come if the Holy Spirit convicts you of being a sinner. You must come with a repentant heart. You must come in faith, having nothing to offer for your salvation but the blood of Jesus. You must be born again!
I wish that every person had some sign that a pastor could see that would let them know who is saved and who is not. That knowledge, however, is only between each individual and God. The “proofs” of salvation are not for someone else to judge your eternal fate. They are given for you to know if you are saved. I can’t look at a diabetic and tell if they need insulin, at least not until they start showing severe symptoms. The diabetic person has to keep a check on their own blood sugar level, for their own benefit for their own well being. That is why God gives several “indicators” for each of us to check our spiritual health. You can call them “proof of life.”
First, have you ever come to Jesus in repentance and, in faith, asked Him to forgive you of your sin? Did you then make a public profession of your faith? That public profession does not save you, but it shows yourself and others that you really believe. Did you obey the first command of God to be baptized? (Again, the baptism does not save you, but it shows that you believe and obey, that you are willing to be identified with Jesus.) Do you have the witness of the Holy Spirit in your heart? Has God placed a love for the other children of God within you? Do you desire to please Jesus and to have a loving relationship with Him? Do you have any of the “fruits” of the Spirit, such as peace about your eternal fate, faith in the Word of God and love for others? If you cannot answer “yes” to these questions, then you need to realize that you may be on the road to eternal disaster.
People do not like to think about Hell. It is a very unpleasant topic. Jesus, however, spoke a lot about Hell. He was very specific about its reality. The icy waters of the North Atlantic provided only a few moments of suffering for those lost on the Titanic. Many of those same poor souls awoke in the flames of eternal damnation. In Luke, chapter 16, Jesus tells of a man suffering in the flames of hellfire, who begs for someone to go and tell his brothers to repent, that they would not come to the same horrible fate he suffered, but he is told that even if one rose from the dead to warn them, they would not repent. That is the way of people. We would rather stay comforted in false assurance, than take heed to an uncomfortable warning.
Jesus has risen from the dead. He has warned us. Pastors, preachers and evangelists proclaim over and over the dire warning of Almighty God. And yet, every day we pass through a world that is oblivious to the disaster waiting just ahead. Each person, charting his or her individual course of disaster. Full speed ahead. As I pass among them, I just want to grab, shake them and pound some sense into them, but I know it would do no good. The Bible tells us that only a small number will be saved, that only a portion will hear the truth. They did not listen to Jesus then and they are not listening to us now. So we go about with this terrible knowledge, while we shake hands at the grocery store, and enjoy a meal in restaurant, that the majority of those around us will perish. Even looking out over our own congregation, we know that there are those sitting on our pews that will never see the Kingdom of God. At family gatherings or with good friends, people that we really like and care about, that knowledge hangs over us. It is a burden that is almost crushing. Our best consolation is that God says that one day, He will wipe away the tears from our eyes.
Only God will be able to wipe them away those tears because it is a depressing and sorrowful thing to realize that people that we know and love are not going to make it. Some will find the narrow path to eternal life, but most will sail down that broad highway to destruction.
So, dear friend or family member, if you see me with a bit of sadness in my eyes, if I seem a might downcast sometimes, it is only because I care about you, and I worry about you, and I dearly hope that we will be able to share eternity together. Jesus Christ died for you and He loves you dearly. Friend, there is still time to turn your ship around. I pray that you will heed the warning. God, who knows the future, has reached out to you in time to save you. Now, how you receive that warning is entirely up to you.
Eternity awaits!
~Steve Powell
Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Tillers Corner, Alabama
Tillers Corner, Alabama
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