Several Items of Interest

"You have lost a dear child.  Was there not a word of the Lord to cheer you?  You lost your property: was there not a passage in the Scriptures to meet the disaster?  You have been slandered: was there not a word to console you?  You were very sick, and withal depressed: had not the Lord provided a comfort for you in that case?  I will not multiply quesitons: the fact is that you never were high, but the Word of the Lord was up with you; and you never were low, but what the Scripture was down with you."     Charles Spurgeon


Study: 26 Percent of American Children Grow Up in Single-Parent Homes

A newly released study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that 25.8 percent of American children live in single-parent homes, WORLD Magazine reports.  That number is particularly troubling when considering that of the 26 other countries surveyed, the average was 14.9 percent.  Among African-Americans, the rate was much worse: 72 percent of black children grow up in single-parent homes.  No-fault divorce and social welfare policies are among the possible explanations for the high rates of single-parent homes in the U.S.


Supreme Court Won't Block Contraception Mandate

U.S. Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor has denied a request to immediately block part of Obamacare that requires employers to provide the "morning after pill" and similar drugs, CBN News reports.  Hobby Lobby and a sister company sued the government over the requirement, saying it violates their religious beliefs.  But Sotomayor said there was no legal ground to block the requirement on an emergency basis, adding that the company can continue its lawsuit in the lower courts.  Hobby Lobby officials must now decide if they will violate their faith by going along with the regulation, or pay a daily fine of $1.3 million starting Jan. 1 if they ignore it.


Putin Set to Ban Americans From Adopting Russian Children

Russian president Vladimir Putin said Thursday he would sign a bill banning American families from adopting Russian orphans, apparently in retaliation for U.S. criticism of his nation's human rights record, Fox News reports.  The law would block dozens of Russian children expected to be adopted by American families from leaving the country and cut off one of the main international routes for Russian children to leave orphanages.  Russia is the single biggest source of adopted children in the U.S.,with more than 60,000 Russian children being taken in by Americans over the past two decades.  According to UNICEF estimates, there are more than 700,000 Russian orphans but only 18,000 Russians waiting to adopt a child.  The U.S. State Department has expressed deep concern about the Russian measure. "The welfare of children is simply too important to be linked to political aspects of our relationship," said spokesman Patrick Ventrell.


Some Scientific Facts from Creation Moments, Inc

There are mountains on the bottom of the ocean floor (Jonah 2:5-6).  Only in the last centruy have we discovered that there are towering mountains and deep trenches in the depths of the sea.

Joy and gladness understood (Acts 14:17).  Evolution cannot explain emotions.  Matter and energy do not feel.  Scripture explains that God places gladness in our hearts (Psalm 4:7), and ultimate joy is found only in our Creator's presence  - "in Your presence is fullness of joy" (Psalm 16:11).

Blood is the source of life and health (Leviticus 17:11; 14).  Up until 120 years ago, sick people were "bled" and many died as a result (e.g. George Washington).  Today we know that healthy blood is necessary to bring life-giving nutrients to every cell in the body.  God declared that "the life of the flesh is in the blood" long before science understood its function.

The Bible states that God created life according to kinds (Genesis 1:24).  The fact that God distinguishes kinds agrees with what scientists observe  -  namely that there are horizontal genetic boundaries beyond which life cannot vary.  Life produces after its own kind.  Dogs produce dogs, cats produce cats, roses produce roses.  Never have we witnessed one kind changing into another kind as evolution supposes.  There are truly natural limits to biological change.
   (101 Scientific Facts and foreknowledge, www.creationmoments.com)

America At A Spiritual and Moral Crossroads

by Franklin Graham

The United States is at a spiritual and moral crossroads. Change has been taking place, and it's not the kind of change we want.  Government at every level is increasingly dismissive, even hostile, to God and the role of faith in civic and political affairs.

The moral fabric of our country is slowly but steadily unraveling, as Bible-based morality  - the very foundation of our nation  -  is seen as irrelevant and intolerant.

Our courts and schools continue to suppress public expressions of faith, eroding the hard-earned freedoms secured by earlier generations.

I am reminded of the words of Abraham Lincoln who, in a time of grave national peril, proclaimed that our nation should set aside a day for corporate prayer to confess our sins.  Lincoln said that as we acknowledge our transgressions, we should do so "yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon . . . announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.

"We have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own . . . We have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us!  It behooves us then . . . to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgivness."

America is a nation that has largely forgotten God, has abandoned the faith of our founders and is pursuing a godless agenda.  I see the exercise of raw political power without any sense of humility and dependence on God.

God sees it all, too.  My mother used to enjoy pointing out God's response to all the schemes of the wicked (Psalm 2:4).  He knows exactly what His purposes and plans are for this nation and for its people.  He is steadfastly at work accomplishing His agenda that will ultimately bring Him glory and prepare the way for His soon return.

Until He does, prayer is a mighty weapon He has entrusted to us. Charles Spurgeon said, "Prayer is the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence." Through our petitions, as imperfect as they may be, God works to achieve His good and perfect will.

Thank you for joining with me and believers from across this country to seek God, humble ourselves, turn from wickedness and ask for His blessings.  Our Lord promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that when we do this, He will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins and bring healing to our land.

It is healing we desperately need.

("Calling Our Nation to Prayer" by Franklin Graham, 2010 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, from Intercessors For America, www.IFAPray.org)




"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation.....
     One is by sword....
     The other is by debt."   John Adams 1826

Several Items of Interest

Pastor John MacArthur: Democrats "Adopted the Sins of Romans 1 as Their Platform"
Evangelical pastor and author John MacArthur said the Democratic Party had "adopted the sins of Romans 1 as their platform," CNSNews.com reports.  "And as you know," MacArthur told his Southern California congregation Sept. 30. "I'm not one to talk about politics as such, but I was essentially amazed that one of the historic parties here in the United States adopted the sins of Romans 1 as their platform.  Parties which used to differ on economics now differ dramatically on issues that invade the realm of God's law and morality . . . In an ideal situation, their platform would mean that the government passes out condoms so people can fornicate at will.  For those who happen to get pregnant in the process, the platform advocates that you kill the baby at the will of the mother, up and including the ninth month.  At the same time, it advocates homosexual marriage, which is an oxymoron, and utter impossibility, and a gross violation of the law of God. . . All of that is Romans 1.  Romans 1 says God will judge, God has judged,throughout human history, nations that experience sexual freedom. . . .And then Romans 1 says God will judge those nations that advocate homosexual behavior, men with men, women with women, doing what is unnatural."  The Democratic Party voted to include support for same-sex marriage in its platform at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.  At the convention, the party also affirmed its endorsement of Obamacare, which includes a regulation requiring virtually all healthcare plans to cover sterilizations, contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs.  God's name was also initially omitted from the platform, though it was eventually reinserted.
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines - Dec. 17, 2012)


Mike Huckabee: Removing God From the Clasroom Leads to Violence in Schools
In response to the deadly mass shooting Friday in Newtown, Conn., former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said new laws regulating guns won't deter such shootings, linking the removal of God from the classroom to increased violence in schools, CNN reports.  "We ask why there's violence in our school but we've systematically removed God from our schools," Huckabee said on Fox News.  "Should we be surprised that schools have become such a place of carnage?  Because we've made it a place where we don't want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability.  That we're not just gonna have to be accountable to the police if they catch us but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment.  If we don't believe that, then we don't fear that.  People are going to want to pass new laws.  This is a heart issue....laws don't change this kind of thing."  Huckabee made similar comments following the mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., earlier this year,saying violent acts should not be a surprise considering the removal of God from public forums.
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Dec. 18,2012)

Atheist Billboard in Times Square Dubs Jesus a "Myth"
The group American Atheists has put up a billboard in Times Square with an anti-Christian message, WORLD News Service reports. The billboard features a picture of Santa Claus and the caption "Keep The Merry!" above a picture of Jesus with the caption "Dump the Myth!" American Atheists' David Silverman told Fox News: "Most Christians are really atheists who feel trapped in their family's religion. They need not be Christian to enjoy the holiday season."  Silverman said a private donor paid more than $25,000 to have the billboard posted above a nightclub in the crossroads of the world for one month, ending Jan. 10, 2013.  "We chose Times Square because it is a place where people go to shop and be festive, which has nothing to do with religion," Silverman said. Lamar Outdoor, the advertising giant that leased the space to Silverman's group, said it wasn't the company's place to censor the message.
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Dec. 18,2012)

North Korean Rocket Launch Bodes Ill for Christians
North Korea's successful rocket launch is putting an end to some of the mystery surrounding its new leader, Kim Jong Un, with many world leaders saying he is now proving to be just as provocative as his late father, Kim Jong Il.  According to CBN News, this may also mean more trouble for North Korean Christians and those trying to reach the closed country with the gospel. "The message to them is 'Don't mess with me; I not only have the weapons, I have the delivery capacity now,'" said Jung Hoon Lee, Yonsei University professor.  Many North Koreans publicly celebrated the rocket launch, which the White House called "regrettable and highly provocative."  Meanwhile, human rights groups say North Korea is increasing its persecution of Chrtistians under Kim Jong Un's leadership, and targeting those who help them.  The country is not only sending a growing number of spies to China and to border patrol locations to search for those who help the Korean refugees, but is increasing scrutiny of underground Christians within North Korea.  Open Doors USA estimates about 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are  living in horrific conditions in labor camps, some who have been "tortured so severely they cannot walk anymore."
   (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Dec. 14, 2012)

Christianity in Britain Losing Ground to Islam, Secularism
New figures from the 2011 Census show that the number of people who identify as Christians in England and Wales has fallen by 4 million over the last 10 years going from 37.3 million in 2001 to 33 million last year, the Religion News Service reports.  Meanwhile, the number of people declaring themselves to be atheists rose by more than 6 million, to 14.1 million.  "It should serve as a warning to the churches that their increasingly conservative attitudes are not playing well with the public at large," said Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society.  Others have detected similar shifts: The 2012 British Social Attitudes Survey showed that only about half of Britons claim a religious affiliation, down sharply from 20 years ago when two out of three did.  Barely a quarter of young people identify themselves as religous.  The new figures also show that Islam is the U.K.'s second largest religion, at 2.7 million.  Hinduism is third, at 817,000, and the number of identified Jews rose from 260,000 to 263,000.
   (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Dec. 14, 2012)

CAIR Urges Michigan Governor to Veto Anti-Sharia Bill
As Michigan lawmakers are working on a bill that could ban sharia (Islamic law) in their state, the Muslim activist group Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging Gov. Rick Snyder to veto any legislation that would block Islamic law if it should reach his desk, CBN News reports.  The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville), doesn't specifically mention Islam or sharia  -  only "foreign laws that would impair constitutional rights"  -  but supporters have said they are concerned about the use of sharia spreading. CAIR issued a statement criticizing what it called the "anti-Islam bill" and urged that it be rejected.  At least 4 states are considering similar measures.
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Dec. 14, 2012)

The Virgin Birth

Each year on Christmas Eve our church holds a candlelight and carol service, and at the end of this service, after we have read all the Christmas lessons and sung most of the great Christmas carols, we stand in the candle-lit sanctuary and sing "Silent Night" together.
         
               Silent night! Holy night!
               All is calm, all is bright
               Round yon virgin mother and Child. . . .

In this way we profess belief in the virgin birth of Jesus as an important part of the Christmas story.  And so do millions of others.  Unfortunately, many do not believe it, and others who do, do not know why it is important.

In the early decades of this century (1900s), the virgin birth was a focal point for liberalism's many denials of Christian truth.  Those who believed the Bible recognized that the virgin birth is indeed biblical and rose to the doctrine's defense, answering the liberal objections.  They did such a good job that eventually most liberals refused even to grapple with the arguments made on behalf of this truth.  They just continued in their unbelief, as some people do, in spite of the fact that the Word of God clearly teaches the virgin birth and that the objections to it have been answered.

Much of this debate centered around the Old Testament text that Matthew cites as a prophecy of the virgin birth: Isaiah 7:14.  "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,and they will call him Immanuel" (Matt. 1:23).  It has been argued that Isaiah's word for the young woman, bethulah, does not necessarily mean "virgin," though it usually does.  It can mean merely a young woman of marriageable age.  But whatever Isaiah meant in his own context is a secondary matter here, since it is beyond doubt that Matthew at least meant to teach that Jesus was conceived by God apart from any human father.  He makes this clear in Matthew 1:18, which reads,  "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit."

The account then goes onto explain that Joseph was disturbed by Mary's pregnancy, as any man in his position would  be.  Being a righteous (that is, an upright) man, he did not think it proper to go through with the marriage and decided to break his engagement to Mary in a private manner.  But while he was pondering this, an angel appeared to him to explain that Mary had not been unfaithful to him but that the child she was carrying had been conceived by God.  The angel said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (vv. 20-21).

Joseph did as the angel had commanded, and the account concludes, "But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus" (vv.24-25).
   (James M. Boice, Matthew Commentary Vol. I)

The Faith of The Wisemen

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?  for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Matthew 2:1-2)

It is not known who these wise men were. Their names and dwelling-place are alike kept back from us.  We are only told that they came "from the East."  Whether they were Chaldeans or Arabians, we cannot say.  Whether they learned to expect Christ from the ten tribes who went into captivity, or from the prophecies of Daniel, we do not know.  It matters little who they were.  The point which concerns us most is the rich instruction which their history conveys.

These verses show us that there may be true servants of God in places where we should not expect to find them. The Lord Jesus has many "hidden ones," like these wise men. Their history on earth may be as little known as that of Melchizededk, and Jethro, and Job.  But their names are in the book of life, and they will be found with Christ in the day of His appearing. It is well to remember this. We must not look round the earth and say hastily, "All is barren."  The grace of God is not tied to places and families.  The Holy Ghost can lead souls to Christ without the help of any outward means.  Men may be born in dark places of the earth, like these wise men, and yet like them be made "wise unto salvation."  There are some travelling to heaven at this moment, of whom the Church and the world know nothing.  they flourish in secret places like the "lily among thorns," and seem to "waste their sweetness on the desert air."  But Christ loves them, and they love Christ.

We read of no greater faith than this in the whole volume of the Bible.  It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the penitent thief.  The thief saw one dying the death of a malefactor, and yet prayed to Him, and "called Him Lord."  The wise men saw a new-born babe on the lap of a poor woman,and yet worshipped Him, and confessed that he was Christ.  Blessed indeed are they that can believe in this fashion!

This is the kind of faith that God delights to honour.  We see the proof of that at this very day.  Wherever the Bible is read the conduct of these wise men is known, and told as a memorial of them.  Let us walk in the steps of their faith.  Let us not be ashamed to believe in Jesus and confess Him, though all around us remain careless and unbelieving.  Have we not a thousand-fold more evidence than the wise men had, to make us believe that Jesus is the Christ?  Beyond doubt we have.  Yet where is our faith?
  (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew)

Mother of All Battles

U.S. cities shouldn't be afraid to challenge new and outsized mosque sites.

(WORLD News Service )  -  I've seen massive mosques built by Saddam Hussein (remember the "Mother of All Battles" mosque with minarets built in the shape of Scud missiles?), and I've visited the beautiful Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, where 105,000 people can worship at one time.  It fronts the Atlantic Ocean, has the world's tallest minaret, and clocks in at over 22 million square feet.

By comparison, the mosque that opened last month in Murfeesboro,Tenn., seems small-scale: The 12,000-square-foot worship center of a planned 52,000-square-foot complex began services on Aug. 10.  But Casablanca is a city of over 3 million Muslims, while Murfeesboro  -  a county seat in middle Tennessee of 108,000 residents  -  has perhaps 500 Muslims. (The Islamic Center of Murfeesboro reports 200-300 families living in the area but shows only 45 active paying family members in its annual report.)  That means 15 times more square feet per Muslim in Murfeesboro than in Morocco.  It raises the question: If they've built it, who will come?

According to figures compiled by The Wall Street Journal, the number of U.S. mosques has more than doubled in the last 20 years  -  from about 900 in 1992 to more than 2,100 today  -  while the Muslim population, at less than 1 percent of the U.S. population, has grown substantially less  -  from an estimated 1.5 million in 1990 to about 2.6 million today.

If a mosque has gone up recently near you, you know that as buildings go they are outsized and imposing.  It's not surprising that most have been accompanied by controversy.  It's surprising how many, in this era of small footprints and "good growth,"  have found their way past local zoning boards and city councils.

Residents in Murfeesboro did battle against the Islamic Center since its project was announced two years ago, losing only in July when a federal district judge  -  acting on a motion filed by the federal U.S. attorney on behalf of the Islamic Center  -  overruled a state court judge.  Plaintiffs' attorneys are still scratching their heads: "It's a big question mark in our mind.  The federal district court can't be an apellate court for a state court ruling, and that's what they've done," said attorneyTom Smith.

Not surprising, funds to finance the project in a Muslim community so small are coming from outside sources.  The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the National American Islamic Trust (NAIT) are believed to be providing support. Both are unindicted co-conspirators in a 2007 Hamas terrorist funding case involving the Holy Land Foundation.

With support from two of the largest Muslim advocacy groups in the country, also not surprising is that efforts haven't stopped with the Islamic Center's opening.  Abdou Katih, vice president of the center, has suggested the county school board become compliant with Sharia, or Islamic, law.

A pamphlet he sent to the board advises school administrators to provide space for Muslim students to pray during the day (and warns that they may not answer a teacher during prayer times).  It warns against serving foods containing vanilla extract or Dijon mustard because they contain alcohol.  And it encourages school boards to employ "qualified Muslim educators" in the textbook selection process, "particularly for history, social studies, and geography texts."

Statewide, Republican lawmakers last month challenged Gov.Bill Haslam, also a Republican, over the use of an American Muslim Advisory Council to consult with the state's public safety and children's services departments.

Local officials, cowed by sympathetic media coverage and charges of bigotry from Muslim groups, are hoodwinked into believing that these battles are about religious liberty.  But they are about religious coercion.  Religious liberty is no absolute right, but exists alongside preserving other rights, and the common good.  That includes legitimate concerns over local  -  and national  -  security.  Around the world radical, jihadist teaching against the West, against Christians, and against Jews begins in local mosques.  An added hurdle for communities like Murfeesbore: What's said inside the mosque is said in Arabic.  Local communities shouldn't shrink from the opportunity these challenges present to reach out to Muslims and learn more about them.  But neither should they shrink from asking hard questions and demanding good citizenship of all.
     ( Mindy Belz is the editor of WORLD Magazine.)

Several Items of Interest

Christian Convert From Islam Beheaded in Somalia

Islamic extremists from Somalia's rebel al Shabaab militants killed a Christian in Somalia's coastal city of Barawa on Nov. 16, accusing him of being a spy and leaving Islam, Morning Star News reports.  The extremists beheaded 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose after monitoring his movements for six months, underground Christians in Somalia said.  Mose drew suspicion when he returned to Barawa in December 2011 after spending time in Kenya, which is nearly 83 percent Christian, opposed to Somalia, which is close to 100 percent Muslim.  Mose had converted to Christianity in 2010 while in Kenya.  Sources said a crowd assembled in Barawa to watch the slaughter of Mose. "His body was split into two, then carried away, only to be dumped near the beach of Barawa city," a Christian who witnessed the murder said.  Other Muslim witnesses independently described the same scene, saying the extremists accused Mose of being a spy for foreigners and of embracing the "foreign religion of Christianity."  Al Shabaab rebels have killed dozens of Christian converts from Islam since embarking on a campaign to rid Somalia of Christianity.  The extremists, variously estimated at 3,000 to 7,000 seek to impose a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) on Somalia.


Nigeria: Suspected Islamic Militants Kill 10 Christians in Machete and Gun Attack

Suspected Islamist militants killed 10 Christians in an overnight machete and gun attack in the remote village of Chibok in Nigerian's Borno state on Dec. 2, BBC News reports.  Residents said a group of men went from house to house in a largely Christian area of Chibok, setting people's houses on fire before slitting the throats of 10 people.  Later, gunmen attacked government targets and churches near the border with Cameroon, killing five policemen.  It is still unclear who is behind the attacks, but the army suspects the Islamist sect Boko Haram, which has targeted churches and government establishments in the region in the last few years, killing more than 3,000. The group is fighting to overthrow the government and impose a strict form of sharia or Islamic law.


Washington State to Eliminate "Bride" and "Groom" on Marriage Certificates

The words "bride" and "groom" are about to become archaic language in Washington state as officials prepare to remove the terms, along with "husband" and "wife," from marriage and divorce certificates, Todd Starnes reports.  Tim Church, a spokesman for the Washington health department, told Fox News they will likely be removing those words in favor of more gender-neutral terms in response to the same-sex marriage law that takes effect in the state December 6.  "We've been quickly moving ahead to change our marriage certificate to make sure it fits for everyone who is going to be using it," Church said.  The words "bride" and "groom" could be replaced with "Spouse A" and "Spouse B"  or "Person A" and "Person B."  The department has been taking public input, but the state's secretary of health will ultimately decide which terms are used. "We want our form to work for everyone who is getting married," Church said.  Peter Sprigg of the Family Research Council said: "It is one sort of symbolic indication of how radical a change the legalization of same-sex marriage is. Symbolically, they are doing away with the whole concept of bride and groom, husband and wife  -  at least in the eyes of the law."
  (Religion Today Daily Headlines, Nov. 21 and Dec. 4, 2012)

     Some scientific facts -
The earth free-floats in space (Job 26:7), affected only by gravity.  While other sources declared the earth sat on the back of an elephant or turtle, or was held up by Atlas, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true  -  "He hangs the earth on nothing."

Creation is made of particles, indiscernible to our eyes (Hebrews 11:3).  Not until the 19th centruy was it discovered that all visible matter consists of invisible elements.

The Bible specifies the perfect dimensions for a stable water vessel ( Genesis 6:15).  Ship builders today are well aware that the ideal dimension for ship stability is a length six times that of the widtth.  Keep in mind, God told Noah the ideal dimensions for the ark 4,500 years ago.

When dealing with disease, clothes and body should be washed under running water (Leviticus 15:13).  For centuries people naively washed in standing water. Today we recognize the need to wash away germs with fresh water.

Sanitation industry birthed (Deuteronomy 23:12-13).  Some 3,500 years ago God commanded His people to have a place outside the camp where they could relieve themselves.  They were to each carry a shovel so that they could dig a hole (latrine) and cover their waste.  Up until world War I, more soldiers died from disease than war because they did not isolate human waste.

Oceans contain springs (Job 38:16).  The ocean is very deep.  Almost all the ocean floor is in total darkness and the pressure there is enormous.  It would have been impossible for Job to have explored the "springs of the sea."  Until recently, it was thought that oceans were fed only by rivers and rain.  Yet in the 1970s, with the help of deep diving research submarines that were constructed to withstand 6,000 pounds-per-square-inch pressure, oceanographers discovered springs on the ocean floors!
  (101 Scientific Facts and Foreknowledge, www.eternal-productions.org and www.creationmoments.com)

Scary Obituary

In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian republic some 2,000 years prior: "A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.  From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.  Duriing those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back to bondage."

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2008 Presidential election:

Number of States won by:        Obama: 19              McCain: 29
Square miles of land won by:     Obama 580,000     McCain: 2,427,000
Population of counties won by:   Obama: 127 million  McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Obama: 13.2     McCain: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.  Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income tenements and living off various forms of government welfare...."

Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

Of course we are not a democracy, we are a Constitutional Republic.  Someone should point this out to Obama.  Of course we know he and too many others pay little attention to The Constitution.

"Fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured....but not prove they are a citizen."
   (unknowns author, written May 31, 2012)

Thoughts, Friday, December 7, 2012

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which ws crucified.  He is not here: for He is risen, as He said.  Come and see the place where the Lord lay."  Matthew 28:5,6

There are many now who insist that all religions are good and needful and equal and that it is not politically correct to suggest that the Gospel is other than just one among many.  There is something unique about the Gospel that no religion has or ever will, duplicate, and it is the empty tomb.

Paul wrote, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12)  All men, all the founders of philosophies, teachings and religions, met death and went to their graves and, "death reigned"  (Romans 5:17) until the day death met a man that it did not reign over and could not keep in the grave.

It is this fact of the empty tomb that is the divider of the Gospel from all other religions and beliefs.  Someone said it this way, "The empty tomb says to Science and Philosophy; 'Explain this event.'  It says to History; 'Reproduce a like event.'  It says to time, 'Blot out this event.' It says to faith;  'Receive this event.'"

Our faith is in a Savior Who rose from the dead, "as He said" and left an empty tomb for the world to consider.  Neither the religious officials, nor the Roman guards made an attempt to deny that the tomb was empty.  They concocted various explanations as to why and how the tomb had become empty but they never denied that it was.

They also fabricated numerous stories as to what happened to Jesus but within 40 days over six hundred people would be able to say, "Jesus is alive, like He said, and I saw Him."  There are still those who attempt to explain the empty tomb but faith just believes the obvious that the tomb is empty because it had contained a man that it could not hold.

Pilate told the guards to make the tomb as secure as they could (Matthew 27:65) but the security has never been invented that could keep Jesus in a tomb.  Later He would say to John on Patmos, "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore...."  (Revelation 1:18).  It is this truth that sets Christianity apart from all other beliefs.

  (Pastor Bill Cummins, Sheridan, WY, drbc@bresnan.net)

The Cross Returns

A long legal battle over the Mojave Desert monument comes to a happy end.

WORLD News Service  -  Hardy supporters reinstated a World War I memorial cross in the Mojave Desert on Veterans Day  -  after a 13-year battle over the constitutionality of a religious symbol on federal ground.

More than 100 people showed up for the ceremony  -  including cross caretakers Henry and Wanda Sandoz, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), attorneys from the Liberty Institute, and an honor guard.

The Sandozes have taken care of the cross since 1984 when they promised a World War I veteran they would watch over it.  In 2001, The American Civil Liberties Union sued VFW, calling the cross unconstitutiional because it violated the separation of church and state.  Throughout the court process, the cross was bagged and covered in a plywood box.

A 2010 Supreme Court ruling allowed for the VFW to transfer the federal land beneath the cross, allowing for the cross to stand on private property.  But the cross was stolen days after the ruling.  The land transfer finally was completed early in November, and the stolen cross was found in Northern California.  But Henry Sandoz decided to put up a newly made cross for the ceremony.

The site is now fenced off and includes a plaque stating that the cross is a memorial for World War I veterans.  "We are so, so happy that it's going up and staying up without opposition since the Veterans of Foreign Wars owns it now," Wanda Sandoz said.  "We are so happy that it all came together and the veterans can have their memorial now."
  (Angela Lu writes for WORLD News Service)

For Christians, It's Never Over

(Written on Nov. 14, 2012)

WORLD News Service  -  After a self-imposed news blackout from Tuesday night, Nov. 6, to Friday, Nov. 9, I began catching up on what was happening in the country.  One of the things I learned was the people in Maine, Maryland, and Washington state chose to redefine the word "marriage" to include people of the same sex, and Minnesota voters rejected a measure that would have amended the state constitution to prohibit the redefinition of marriage.

"The campaign against same-sex 'marriage' is over," Cal Thomas wrote a few days after the election.  "Conservatives might want to focus on strengthening their own marriages."  He also wrote that with only 27 percent of the Hispanic vote going to Mitt Romney, Republicans "need a new strategy to attract Hispanics whose values mirror those held by conservatives."

Every day, pregnant women have the precious babies in their wombs slaughtered for the sake of convenience.  It's legal, but the campaign to end abortion will never be over.  Younger Americans generally support the redefinition of marriage, and it's a downward slide from here.  But we must always oppose it and campaign and vote against it.

Hispanics who vote for liberals generally support amnesty, and I don't think anything short of that platform will shift numbers in the other direction. Blacks who vote for liberals generally don't consider Big Government a threat to an individual's liberty.  In fact, I think these days, many people don't even understand what the word means and why it's important.

Still, appealing to people through race or ethnicity is an undignified solution.  Idealistic?  Perhaps. Compromising principles isn't the solution, either.  For example, I believe offering amnesty to illegal aliens is wrong, and I won't support it for political expediency.  Additionally, I became a conservative after I examined what I believed and why, and realized which candidates' values more closely aligned with mine.  I didn't need or want anyone to "reach out" to me or craft a special message based on my skin color or racial group membership grievance, and I don't want to support any candidates that do.

As fellow Christians,Thomas and I are of one mind about the power of Christ,who can change hearts and minds no matter who's in the White House.  And we, individuals, have the power to starve the "government beast" by helping those in need and reminding them why people fought and died to break the shackles of government tyranny.

So, what now?  We keep writing, speaking, persuading, influencing, and voting, even if the tide turns against us.  We advocate strong, traditional families, even though family instability is rampanat.  We openly oppose abortion and resist the pressure to cave to the homosexual lobby.  We appeal to fellow Americans through faith and values, not skin color or sex or age.  Now more than ever, we must be diligent and watchful.  We must be prayerful and hopeful.  We must influence by example: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)
    (LaShawn Barber writes for WORLD News Group)

CDC: U.S. Abortion Rate has Fallen

(WORLD New Service)  -  U.S. abortions fell 5 percent in 2009, the biggest onne-year decrease in at least a decade, according to a report from Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) on Nov. 21.

While the exact reasons for the decline are difficult to pinpoint, an Associated Press report attributed the falling numbers to more people using contraceptives like intrauterine devices, condoms, and the "morning-after" pill. It also said the economic recession may have led more women to be more careful because they cannot afford to get pregnant.

But the AP report didn't mention other factors, like the undeniable growth of the pro-life movement, which draws hundreds of thousands of people  -  many of them young  -  to the annual March of Life in Washington, D.C. in March and to other public pro-life events.  Pro-life groups are also growing: 40 Days for Life started eight years ago and promotes prayer vigils in 400 cities, while participation in Students for Life has doubled in the past five years.

Another attributable factor would include the growth of pregnancy resource centers across the country, informing women they have options other than abortion.  Care Net has doubled the number of its affiliated centers to 1,100 in the past decade.

The secular media has also failed to mention recent polls that found public opinion of abortion changing, with a majority of Americans identifying themselves as pro-life, with only a little more than 40 percent being pro-abortion.

The CDC study found that Mississippi had the lowest abortion rate at four per 1,000 woman of childbearing age.  The state has only a couple of abortion providers and the nation's highest teen birthrate  -  because most babies are allowed to live.

New York, second to California in number of abortion providers, had the highest abortion rate, roughly eight times Mississippi's. California did not participate in the report, which used numbers from 43 states and two cities.  The researchers found that abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age fell from about 16 in 2008 to roughly 15 in 2009. That translates to nearly 38,000 fewer abortions in a single year.

The study also found that white women had the lowest abortion rate, at about 8.5 per 1,000 women of childbearing age.  The rate for black women was about four times that.  The rate for Hispanic women was about 19 per 1,000.

The Issue of Abortion

I believe that the greatest ethical issue today is that of aborion.  In recent years many have come to see terrorism as more concerning than abortion.  I am baffled by that, because more people were killed on September 10 in the womb of U.S. women than were killed on 9/11 in New York City.  More babies were slaughtered on September 12 than adults were killed on 9/11.  If we had a camera on the womb so that CNN could show us graphic videos of what actually happens in the slaughter of unborn children, abortion would be quickly abolished, but the reality of it is covered up.  If there is one thing I know about God, it is that he hates abortion.  The German ethicist Helmut Thielicke indicated something unusual in his massive mid-twenthieth-centruy work on Christian ethics.  The work apeared before Roe v. Wade; that is, before Western civilization had embraced abortion on demand.  In his book Thielicke wrote that abortion has always been considered a monolithic evil in Christian thought among both liberals and conservatives.  That is clear from the very first century, in the Didache, which called abortion "murder."  Abortion is an unspeakable evil that God abhors, one that the American church tolerates and winks at.  That troubles me deeply, and I do not understand it.
  (R. C. Sproul, Romans, St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary)

Conservatives Call on GOP Leaders to Step Down

(WORLD News Service)  -  Six conservative leaders blasted Mitt Romney as a "weak, moderate" candidate and called for Republican Party leaders to resign a day after Democrats dealt the GOP a sweeping defeat in the 2012 elections.

Brent Bozell, the chairman of ForAmerica and founder of the Media Research Center, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, and Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots, were among the press conference speakers who laid "the epic election failure of 2012" at the feet of Republican elites.

ConservativeHQ.com's Richard Viguerie identified Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus, Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker John Boehner as individuals who "should be replaced with leaders more in tune with the conservative base of the Republican Party.  Likewise, in any logical universe, establishment consultants such as Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie, Romney senior campaign advisor Stuart Stevens, and pollster Neil Newhouse will never be hired to run or consult on a campaign again, and no one would give a dime to their ineffective super PACs, such as American Crossroads."

Republicans failed to take the White House and lost ground in both houses of Congress.  Speaking at a pre-planned event at the National Press Club, the conservative speakers pointed to several reasons for the result, including not clearly defining separate worldviews, failing to run on pro-life or religious freedom issues, and ignoring minority voting blocs.

Bozzell said Republicans should get no support from conservatives until they "re-earn it" by agreeing to a list of commitments.  The group said conservatives are working together on a "No Excuses" pledge that it will use to hold GOP lawmakers accountable for policies such as not raising taxes, banning earmarks, and defunding Obamacare.

"The GOP has an excellent party platform," Bozell said.  "If you want our support, support your own platform first."

Dannenfelser said Election night was "not a good night" for the pro-life movement but pointed to the Senate election of Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and the reelection of Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., as silver linings.
   (J. C. Derrick, WORLD News Service, Nov. 9, 2012)

Don't Quit

Do your daily tasks to bring glory to God.

(World News Service) - I'm a fan of The Pacifier, the 2005 action comedy starring Vin Diesel as Shane Wolfe, the U.S. Navy SEAL assigned to protect the children of a man killed by Serbian rebels.  One of my favorite scenes shows the dim-witted high school vice principal and wrestling coach telling the family's oldest son to quit the wrestling team.  He then solemnly pronounces: "Quitters, quit!"

Our family has incorporated that two-word power punch into our lexicon because it's the comical antithesis of what my husband calls "the most important academic subject  -  work."  Jim grew up working on his dad's Arizona cotton farm, studied agriculture at the University of Arizona, graduated and went to work as a farmer.  Every day of every week of every year, he does the same work.  He's on our turf farm 10 or more hours a day, six days a week, 52 weeks a year, growing a crop that will beautify the arid desert landscape.  One of the most important things he's taught our nine children is to work.

To work?  Yes, we must learn to work.  Typical of the enemy's deceit is the lie that work is a curse, but that's just not true.  According to Genesis 2:15, God put Adam in the garden to cultivate and keep it  -  or to farm it.  God taught Adam to work for his (Adam's) own benefit, no curse involved.  Only after Adam and Eve sinned did work fall under God's judgment.  All of a sudden, cultivating and keeping the garden became more difficult.  But in light of the cross, our work becomes a reflection of the redemptive grace of Christ.  And as believers, it's imperative that truth motivate our efforts in the cultural sphere of work.

In The Biblical Perspective of Work, Crown Financial Ministries point out that the average American spends 100,000 hours working during five decades.  Unfortunately, dissatisfaction is part of the reality of work.  American workers change jobs every three to four years, a statistic that proves the average employee isn't content with his or her job.  Quitters really do quit.

To find satisfaction in our work, and to be placed in a position where God can prosper our work, we must first understand what the Bible teaches about work, as well as the responsibilities of the employee and the employer.  Our work is not merely a collection of tasks that bring in wages.  Work is a means by which we can use our talents and abilities to develop godly character, communicate the gospel, and worship the Lord.

In a "Biblical View of Work," an article written by C12 Group, a coalition of Christian CEOs, Christian workers are reminded that our time at work must be intertwined with our primary calling as Christians to share the hope that we have in Christ and make disciples (Matthew 28, Mark 24, and 1 Peter 3).  We also must steward God's provision as excellent leaders and managers, reflecting the heart of Christ to serve and benefit others. (Matthew 5, Luke 16, 19, ephesians 4, 1 Peter 2)

This is a tall order, but God never asks us to do something for His glory without preparing us first. Whether our work involves flipping burgers to pay for college expenses, on-campus secrtarial work in trade for books, business or engineering internships, clinicals, student teaching or that first "real" job after college commencement, the most important question to ask every day is, "for whom do I work?"

If the answer is anything or anyone other than Christ Jesus, re-examine your understanding of the biblical view of work.  Then add this wise word to your lexicon  - work is a gift from God.  That's the antidote to quitting.

(Diana smith write for www.worldoncampus.com where this article first appeared.)

Short Items of Interest

Poll: 60 Percent of Voters Back Traditional Marriage

Despite four victories by gay marriage supporters on Election Day in Maine, Maryland,Washington state and Minnesota, a solid majority of voters nationwide still believe marriage is between one man and one woman, according to a new poll, Baptist Press reports.  The Nov. 7 survey by the Polling Company of 800 people who voted either on Election Day or voted early shows 60 percent of voters this year agreed that "marriage is between one man and one woman."  Fifty-one percent agreed strongly, and all total, 34 percent disagreed with the statement. "Americans remain strongly in favor of marriage as the union of one man and one woman," said Brian Brown, president of the pro-family National Organization for Marriage.  "The election results reflect the political and funding advantages our opponents enjoyed in these very liberal states."


Atheists Ask Obama to Ditch "So Help Me God," Bible in Presidential Oath

When President Barack Obama takes the oath of office for the second time on Jan. 21, 2013, an atheist group wants him to do so without mentioning God and without a Bible, the Christian Post reports.  Following Obama's re-election, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent him a letter asking him to reject the way "this country politicizes religion."  FFRF attorney Andrew L. Seidel wrote: "When you stand to reaffirm your oath, do so using the language of the Founders. Eliminate the religious verbiage.  While you're at it, why not place your hand on the Constitution instead of a Bible?"   The FFRF argued that the words "so help me God" are not prescribed by the Constitution, nor is a requirement for the president to place his hand on a Bible when taking the oath. "[Obama's second term] is a chance to do something that no president in recent memory has done; reach out to secular Americans," FFRF wrote.  "In the past, that might have been politically costly.  But this recent election shows that it will be politically costly not to reach out to secular America.  We are the future."


Graham Organization Takes Heat For Ad

(WORLD News Service)  -  The Billy Graham organization is taking heat for the hundreds of thousands of dollars it spent on full page ads telling Christians to vote their values, and for taking down a web-site article identifying Mormonism as a cult.  The attacks turned personal when Obama surrogates began to suggest that Billy Graham could not make decisions for himself and has been manipulated by others.  Rev. Markel Hutchins told CNN, "Reverend Graham is at a very seasoned and elder stage of his life so we have to wonder how much of this is genuinely coming from Billy Graham and how much is being fed to him and propositioned and heaped upon him by those who are around him. For example, his ultraconservative son, the Reverend Franklin Graham."  The Graham organization has said that the views in the ad are indeed Billy Graham's own, and they also assert that no general ministry funds went to pay for the ad, but that the funds came from donors who specifically wanted to support this effort.


D'Souza Resigns

(WORLD News Service) - The Board of Trustees of The King's College, New York City has accepted the  resignation of the school's president, Dinesh D'Souza, effective immediately.  Board chairman Andy Mills said in a prepared statement, "After careful consultation with the board and with Dinesh, we have accepted his resignation to allow him to attend to his personal and family needs.  We thank him for his service and significant contribution to the College over the last two years."  The King's College Board of Trustees named D'Souza president in 2010.  His resignation comes after two days of intense controversy following a story by WORLD documenting D'Souza's relationship with a woman who is not his wife.  The board has asked Mills to asssume the position of interim president and will immediately begin a search for the new president.  Mills urged the King's community to pray for D'Souza and his family during this difficult period.


Remembering Wittenberg

(WORLD News service) - On Oct. 31, 1517, 495 years ago, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg.  the rest, as they say, is history.  Luther's primary complaints were about the practice of selling indulgences. That argument sounds old and quaint today  -  unless you consider this: prosperity gospel and seed-faith preachers such as Joel Osteen, Richard Roberts, Benny Hinn, and many more have messages that sound remarkably similar to the ones Luther railed against.  Patti Roberts, former wife of Richard Roberts (and daughter-in-law of Oral Roberts) wrote an expose on that theology, in which she said: "I have a very difficult time distinguishing between the selling of indulgences and the concept of seed-faith inflated to the degree to which we had inflated it."  Phil Cooke, whose "The Last TV Evangelist" also critiques the seed faith movement, wrote: "Johann Tetzel, the most aggressive of the Dominican friars selling indulgences had a saying:  'As soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the rescued soul from purgatory springs.'  It doesn't sound that different from today's, "Plant a seed to meet your need."

Don't Flee to Canada

Inform, converse, engage, but don't run!

I fell asleep last night with one hand on my iPhone, where I was simultaneously reading the Psalms, listening to Bon Iver, and scanning Facebook.  As soon as Obama won, both cries of celebration and disappointed threats to move to Canada filled my screen.

I found Obama's reelection disheartening.  I was sad to see the victory go to a leader who represents dependency, debt, and entitlement.  Perhaps even more disappointing was the reality that Obama's campaign fought ugly with fear-based ads and hyperbolic logic.

I dragged myself out of bed this morning divided by two impulses.  The first was to pretend it doesn't really matter.  The second, to face my own inner chaos and work it out by what I do best: writing and drinking coffee.  While I understand the "move to Canada" sentiment, I'm convinced there's a better way to move forward.

Our freedom as Americans is a beautiful thing.  It means we get to participate in forming our nation's identity.  Part of that responsibility is to get informed.  We should make a habit of self-education.  We should revisit our history and keep up with the current issues.  We've grown accustomed to not talking aout politics, but I think by "playing nice" and avoiding political debates, we're stunting our growth.  Instead, we should make it a point to learn the "other side" through gracious conversation.

Part of that conversation should include asking ourselves and each other what it means for humans to truly flourish.  For Christians, the biblical narrative is deeply concerned with what it means for people to flourish.  It also offers a template for our understanding of history, the present, and the future.  We should work out for ourselves what it means to face the turbulence of the times, the lessons of the past, and the uncertainty of the future with a mentality rooted in God's promise to redeem all things.

Lastly, we should be more intentional about the culture we consume.  We shouldn't passively engage mass media (not even this column), the Internet or entertainment.  Passive consumption is active formation.  Instead, we should engage with culture more intentionally and respond proactively  -  the only way to improve culture is to create more of it.  We have great technology and tools at our fingertips.  How can we use those to cultivate cultural engagement and informed dialogue?

The impulse to flee is human and understandable.  But we have the responsibility to participate in the formation of our society and culture.  Our founding fathers fled for freedom, but they never used their freedom to flee from hard times.  To do so would be a dishonor.  Instead,we should think critically, discuss gracefully, and engage courageously.
 (Tiffany Owens writes for WORLD News Group.)


Matthew Henry writes, "Truth is a debt we owe to one another; and, if we love one another, we shall not deceive one another."  Christians must  be known for their love of the truth and the trustworthiness of their speech.  When we lie and gossip, we bear false witness to the God of truth who has transformed our hearts to love and serve Him.  May we seek to tell the truth to friends, family, fellow church members, and coworkers.  May we also repent when we fail to do so.
 (Tabletalk, Nov. 2012, Ligonier Ministries)

Excerpts from Matthew

J. C. RYLE

The brightest days of the Church have been those when preaching has been honoured; the darkest days of the Church have been those when it has been lightly esteemed.  Let us honour the Sacraments and public prayers of the Church, and reverently use them; but let us beware that we do not place them above preaching.


Let us notice the class of men whom the Lord Jesus chose to be His disciples.  They were of the poorest and humblest rank in life.  Peter, and Andrew, and James, and John, were all "fishermen."

The religion of our Lord Jesus Christ was not intended for the rich and learned alone: it was intended for all the world: and the majority of all the world will always be the poor.  Poverty and ignorance of books, excluded thousands from the notice of the boastful philosophers of the heathen world: they exclude no one from the highest place in the service of Christ.  Is a man humble? Does he feel his sins?  Is he willing to hear Christ's voice and follow Him?  If this be so, he may be the poorest of the poor, but he shall  be found as high as any in the kingdom of heaven.  Intellect, and money, and rank, are worth nothing without grace.

The religion of Christ must have been from heaven, or it never could have prospered and overspread the earth as it has done.  It is vain for infidels to attempt to answer this argument: it cannot be answered.  A religion which did not flatter the rich, the great, and the learned,  -  a religion which offered no license to the carnal inclinations of man's heart,  -  a religion whose first teachers were poor fishermen, without wealth, rank, or power,  -  such a religion could never have turned the world upside down, if it had not been of God.  Look at the Roman emperors and the heathen priests with their splendid temples on the one side!  Look at a few unlearned working men with the Gospel on the other!  Were there ever two parties so unequally matched?  Yet the weak proved strong, and the strong proved weak.  Heathenism fell, and Christianity took its place.  Christianity must have been of God.


To be willing to come to Jesus as helpless, lost sinners, and commit our souls into His hands is a mighty privilege: let us ever bless God if this willingness is ours, for it is His gift.  Such faith is better than all other gifts and knowledge in the world.  Many a poor converted heathen, who knows nothing but that he is sick of sin, and trusts in Jesus, shall sit down in heaven, while many learned English scholars are rejected for evermore.  Blessed indeed are they that believe!

What do we each know of this faith?  This is the great question.  Our learning may be small: but do we believe?  -  Our opportunities of giving and working for Christ's cause may be few: but do we believe?  -  We may neither be able to preach, nor write, nor argue for the Gospel: but do we believe?  -  May we never rest till we can answer this inquiry!  Faith in Christ appears a small and simple thing to the children of this world.  They see in it nothing great or grand.  But faith in Christ is most precious in God's sight, and, like most precious things, is rare.  By it true Christians live; buy it they stand; by it they overcome the world. Without this faith no one can be saved.
   (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew)

New Congress to Welcome First Buddhist Senator, Hindu Representative

When the new members of Congress are sworn in on Jan. 3, the new Senate will seat a Buddhist member for the first time and the House of Representatives will have its first Hindu member, the Christian Post reports.  Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who currently serves in the House, won her Senate race last week and will  be sworn in as the Senate's first Buddhist.  Hirono's House seat will be filled by Tulsi Gabbard, who will  become the first Hindu in Congress.  Hirono will also be the first Asian-American female and the first person born in Japan to be elected to the U.S. Senate.  Two other Buddhists, Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii) were re-elected to the House.  In addition, two Muslims, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), were re-elected, and Kysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) will become Congress' only atheist after winning her first House race.  Pete Stark (D-Calif.), the only atheist in the current Congress, lost his bid for re-election.  Sinema will also become Congress' first openly bisexual member.
  (ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com, Nov. 14, 2012)

More Than 85 Percent of American Muslims Picked Obama

According to an informal exit poll by the Council on American-Islamic relations (CAIR), more than 85 percent of American Muslim voters picked President Barack Obama in the last election, CNSNews.com reports.  That number, however, is lower than a similar poll conducted in 2008 that showed 89 percent of American Muslims cast a ballot for Obama.  According to this year's poll of 650 respondents, just 4.4 percent stated they voted for Mitt Romney.  The poll also found that 95.5 percent of the Muslim voters said they went to the polls on Nov. 6, with the highest number of survey respondents being in California, New York, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Michigan, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio.  According to Nihad Awad, executive director of CAIR, "The fact that more than 95 percent of Muslim respondents went to the polls is a clear indication that they are fully participating in our nation's political process and are part of the fabric of America."
   (ReligionToday@croswalkmail.com, Nov. 14, 2012)

Thanksgiving

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?" Luke 17:15-17  NKJV

Jesus had cleansed ten hopelessly afflicted lepers.  Nine went out rejoicing in their blessing and one came back to thank Jesus.

That ratio is pretty accurate for too many people.

A day of thanksgiving was established in 1621 by Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony.  It was a day set aside for thanksgiving to God for His blessings on the people.  The people of that day must have approved of his action for he was re-elected 30 times.

It was declared a National Holiday (for the same reason) in1863 by President Lincoln. 

This is Thanksgiving Day again and many will be enjoying their blessings but neglect to thank the Giver of blessings.

We still celebrate the day but now, many have yielded, once again, to the "loud voices" (Luke 23:23) of a, (the Name offends me) minority and the day is celebrated but the reason will not be mentioned.  Like Christmas and Easter the day will  be celebrated but, the One who is the reason for the celebration will be ignored.  The blessings will be accepted but the provider will not be acknowledged.

An aggravation, to me, is to hear people say, "Have a happy turkey day!"  It is a special day for giving thanks to "Ye Almighty God"  not "turkey day."  Hearing someone call Thanksgiving turkey day affects me somewhat like hearing someone scrape their fingernail across the blackboard.  But like the nine lepers, much of the world will accept God's blessings but give God no credit or thanks.

As someone once said, "We walk to a different drumbeat!"  The Psalmist had it right.  Ps. 100:4 "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

The Pilgrims enjoyed a meal together in thanksgiving to God for the provisions and I suppose it is likely that they cooked a turkey, but the reason they braved the voyage across the Atlantic in those tiny sailing ships, to an unknown land was for the privilege and the blessing to worship God openly.

Not everyone in today's world can worship God openly and we who can should never cease to thank God for the privilege.

   (Pastor Bill Cummings' Thoughts, Sheridan, WY, Nov.24,2011, drbc@bresnan.net)

Why Thanksgiving Matters

The holiday police are at it again  -  looking for violations of the nation's new policy of separating faith and civic celebrations.  The same folks who will soon be trolling courthouse squares looking for manger scenes are now calling on Americans to have a happy Thanksgiving....but leave God out of it.

School texbooks filled with revisionist history tell children that the first Thanksgiving was a celebration at which the Pilgrims thanked the Indians for teaching them how to survive the harsh New England climate and plant successful crops.  God is simply not part of the picture.

Some educators, worried that even the word "thanksgiving" might be too controversial, have renamed the holiday "Turkey Day."  Of course, this implies that the central thrust of the celebration comes down to poultry.

The revisionist historians want to have it both ways.  They present the Pilgrims as wild-eyed religious fanatics  -  precursors to the Religious Right  -  and then suggest that the first Thanksgiving was essentially a secular holiday.

The historical basis for the Thanksgiving observance is clear.  In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated "the goodness of God" as they feasted with friendly local Indians.  In reality, the Pilgrims had faced far greater adversity than had been expected.  The climate was harsh, the crops were sparse, the native peoples were often hostile, and their ranks were thinning.  Hunger, disease, discomfort and discouragement were ever close at hand.

Aiming forVirginia, these Christians  -  dissenting from the Church of England and determined to establish a truly Christian community  -  actually landed in New England.  That miscalculation meant that disaster was almost certain.  Nevertheless, they "fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven who had brought them over this vast and furious ocean," recorded Governor William Bradford.

In 1789, President George Washington declared the first national day of Thanksgiving by asking Americans to "unite in most humbly offering our prayer and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of nations."

Later presidents followed Washington's example.  Abraham Lincoln issued moving Thanksgiving proclamations during the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt, who regularized the holiday on the national calendar, called the nation to thankfulness in the middle of World War II: "The Almighty God has blessed our nation in many ways.  He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth....So we pray to Him now for a vision to see our way clearly  -  to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for our fellow men  -  to the achievement of His will, to peace on earth."

Is all this just a demonstration of civil religion?  Do most Americans really follow the example of the Pilgrims in expressing thankfulness to God, or is it just another holiday with emotional overtones  -  and an orgy of overeating?

Millions of Americans will, no doubt, celebrate an essentially secular festival.  For them, it might as well be "Turkey Day" or something equally vacuous. This reveals the most important contrast between the Pilgrims and the current generation.  The Pilgrims were driven by a worldview that was centered in the worship of the one true and living God, the Creator of the universe, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They understood His providential rule over the universe to explain everything that happened to them  -  and everything that blessed them. They did not attribute their survival in New England to their own fortitutde  -  nor to the help of the Indians  -  but to God.

Secularized Americans are driven by no impulse to give thanks, and wouldn't know to whom thanks should be addressed.  They think of themselves as self-sufficient, self-directed and self-reliant.  Their horizon of thankfulness is, to say the least, rather low.

The civic holiday may not mean a great deal to many moderns  -  but that doesn't mean that it is meaningless.  At  the very least, it implies that we cannot really take care of ourselves.  That is just as true today as it was in Pilgrim New England.

Christians understand that the call to thanksgiving is far more urgent than a holiday, and far more important than the calendar. True thanksgiving cannot be limited to a day or a season. We recognize that God has given us everything that we have  -  and everything that we need.  We acknowledge our unconditional dependence upon Him for every second of our lives, every morsel we will eat and every joy we will ever experience.

Deserving nothing but God's wrath, we were granted forgiveness through the Son.  Needing all things, we have been given everything needful for our salvation and eternal life.  To these God has added joys, comforts, and provision behond our imagination  -  "far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20)

So, gather together to give thanks to God.  While others celebrate "Turkey Day" and ponder poultry, direct your thoughts to the God of Heaven, by whose hand we have been brought near and given more than we can even remember.

The Pilgrims knew to whom they were praying  -  and why.  Let's follow their example and remember that their dependence upon God was no greater than our own.

(R.Albert Mohler, Jr, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky.)
      www.albertmohler.com

First National Thanksgiving Proclamation

                                      November 1, 1777

FORASMUCH AS it is the indispensable duty of all men to adore the superintending Providence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with gratitude their obligation to Him for benefits received, and to implore such farther blessings as they stand in need of; and it having pleased Him in His abundant mercy not only to continue to us the innumerable bounties of His common Providence....

IT IS THEREFORE recommended to the legislative or executive powers of these United States, to set apart Thursday, the eighteenth day of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise;

THAT with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their Divine Benefactor; and that together with their sincere acknowledgements and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins, whereby they had forfeited every favour,and their humble and earnest supplication that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance;

THAT it may please Him graciously to afford His blessings on the governments of these states respectively, and prosper the public council of the whole; to inspire our commanders  both by land and sea, and all under them,with that wisdom and fortitude which may render them fit instruments, under the Providence of Almighty God, to secure for these United States, the greatest of all human blessings, independence and peace;

THAT it may please Him, to prosper the trade and manufactures of the people, and the labour of the husbandman, that our land may yet yield its increase; to take schools and seminaries of education, so necessary for cultivating the principles of true liberty,virtue and piety, under His nurturing hand, and to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth "in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."

AND IT IS further recommended, that servile labour, and such recreation as, though at other times innocent, may be unbecoming the purpose of this appointment, be omitted on so solemn an occasion.

(By order of CONGRESS, Henry Laurens, President, Continental Congress, November 1, 1777)

The First Winter

"Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our own nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise."
  ( William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation)

T is for TEACHER

There are "teachers" and Teachers.  The former exist by the thousands; the latter are few and far between.
The term "teacher"is a self-proclaimed label while Teacher is a title bestowed by others.  The Teacher is one who is in search of Truth and to whom, if he achieves enlightenment,others of us look for the Truth he perceives.  The Teacher is a seeker, for that which he knows not; the "teacher" is a preacher attempting to insinuate into the minds of others that which he "knows."
We need only bear in mind that learning is a taking-from, not an injection-into, process.  Each individual is in charge of his own doors of perception and admits only that which he chooses.  Thus, to qualify as a Teacher, one must achieve those intellectual heights that will attract others seeking to advance.
The free market, private ownership, limited government way of life,with its moral and spiritual antecedents, would be featured by Teachers.  As it is now, "teachers" abound in all walks of life; they retard rather than advance the freedom philosophy.
Let each of us try to be a Teacher for freedom's sake!
   (Leonard E. Read,  ABC's of Freedom)

Of the Marks of the True Church, and Wherein She Differs from the False Church.

We believe that we ought diligently and circumspectly to discern from the Word of God which is the true Church, since all sects which are in the world asume to themselves the name of the Church.

But we speak here not of the company of hypocrites, who are mixed in the Church with the good, yet are not of the Church, though externally in it; but we say that the body and communion of the true Church must be distinguished from all sects who call themselves the Church.

The marks by which the true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in punishing of sin; in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and JesusChrist acknowledged as the only Head of the Church.  Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself. With respect to those who are members of the Church, they may  be known by the marks of Christians, namely, by faith; and when they have received Jesus Christ the only Saviour, they avoid sin, follow after righteousness, love the true God and their neighbor, neither turn aside to the right or left, and crucify the flesh with the works thereof.  But this is not to be understood as if there did not remain in them great infirmities; but they fight against them through the Spirit all the days of their life, continually taking their refuge in the blood, death, passion, and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom they have remission of sins through faith in him.

As for the false Church, she ascribes more power and authority to herself and her ordinances than to the Word of God, and will not submit herself to the yoke of Christ.  Neither does she administer the Sacraments, as appointed by Christ in his Word, but adds to and takes from them as she thinks proper; she relieth more upon men than upon Christ; and persecutes those who live holily according to the Word of God, and rebuke her for her errors, covetousness, and idolatry. These two Churches are easily known and distinguished from each other.

(Reformed Standards of Unity - The Confession of Faith, Article XXIX)

Is Faith Reasonable?

Christians are often accused of having "blind faith."  Is faith reasonable, and how are faith and reason related?

What is Reasonable Faith?
Biblical faith is not a blind faith but is, in fact, faith in evidence.  First of all, the Bible is very clear that faith is based on truth.  God's Word is Truth (John 17:17), and God cannot lie, or contradict this Truth (Titus 1:2).  Thus, the whole Bible presupposes the validity of reason.

Reasonable Faith - What Are some Reasons for Faith?
The Bible also presents reasons for faith, or evidences supporting its truth-claims.  For example, Paul sets forth a list of people who saw Jesus Christ after His resurrection to remind the Corinthians that the resurrection was a proven fact (1 Cor. 15:3-8).  In the Old Testament the prophets and psalmists frequently pointed to the impotence of idols as evidence that the gods of the nations were, in fact, false gods.  And throughout the Bible the fulfillment of prophecy is emphasized as proof of the true God's sovereign control over the universe.

Is Faith Reasonable?  Whose standards?
To say that faith is reasonable is not, however, to assert that faith must submit to the dictates of fallen man's anti-Christian reasonings.  When skeptics rule out the miraculous as impossible or as unthinkable, for example, they may be using their intellects but they are not being truly reasonable.  Non-Christians naturally reason in sinful, unbelieving ways.  In fact, a Christian is someone who has had their thinking transformed according to the power of God (Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:17-24).  And God often uses evidence and sound reasoning,through the witness of well-taught Christians,to break through the unbelieving mind-set of skeptics and turn their hearts and minds to the Truth.

Is Faith Reasonable?  YES!
In short, faith is, indeed, reasonable and there is no conflict between faith and reason for Christians.  But non-Christians will rationalize their unbelief until God's Holy Spirit, often working through sound apologetic arguments, opens their minds to see the Truth of the Gospel.  Truly, the heart can only rejoice on what the mind comprehends.  On faith and reason and whether the Christian faith is reasonable. That's the Christian Research Institute Perspective.  I'm Hank Hanegraaff.

(Christian Research Institute, www.CRI.org)

No Arrests Made in Beating of Pastor, Family in India

An Indian evangelical pastor is recovering from injuries after he and his family were beaten by anti-Christian Hindu extremists near New Delhi, International Christian Concern reports.  Lai Mani Prasad of the Immanuel Believers Fellowship congregation was reportedly beaten October 14 at his home while he was getting ready for his church's Sunday service.  At least two men entered the house and used "a steel water bucket" to hit his head until he was unconscious, according to his son, who suffered a broken hand.  His wife, son and daughter were also badly bruised with rods, and the beatings were encouraged  by nearly a dozen other Hindu radicals who had earlier hurled stones and other materials at the pastor's home.  Prasad, who required 18 stitches on his head, was taken to the local hospital treated and released, but after a few days he was readmitted with internal bleeding.  Local Christians said the attack came after the family was told this year by "extremist Hindus" that they would kill the pastor if he continued with his Christian activities.  So far, no arrests have been reported in the case.

Scottish Church Leader: Don't Force Church on Children

The moderator of the Church of Scotland has warned parents not to "force" church on their children, WORLD News Service reports.  According to the newspaper The Scotsman, the Rt. Rev. Albert Bogie "believes it may be counterproductive for the iPod generation to have to sit on pews and be made to listen to ministers 'rabbiting on.'"  It's no surprise that the 63-year-old minister's stand won praise from the National Secular Society.  On the other hand, Rev. David Robertson, of St. Peter's Free Church in Dundee, said the problem in Scotland is not ministers "rabbiting on," but a "famine" in preaching and hearing "the word of the Lord."  The Church of Scotland, once dominant in Scottish life, now claims less than 10 percent of the population as adherents and regular attenders.  Officially, membership stands at about a half-million, down by more than half since the 1960s

Egyptian Christian Youth Unite to Pray for Their Nation

Earlier this month, some 10,000 Egyptian Christian youth gathered for an urgent time of prayer and fasting, seeking God's protection from the rising infleuence of Islam on Egyptian society , CBN News reports.  The massive prayer rally was called One Thing, and the youth gathered each day from 10 a.m until 8 p.m. for praise, prayer and worship.  Some traveled hundreds of miles from across Egypt to attend, and an additional estimated two million people around the world watched the event online.

Study: Fathers Greatly Affect Teens' Sexual Behavior

A new review of studies shows fathers' attitudes toward teen sex and the emotional closeness of their relationships with their teens have a sizeable influence on their teens' sexual behaviors, separate from the influene of moms, Yahoo!News reports.  The review showed that dads' attitudes toward teen sexual behavior were linked to the age at which teens first had sex.  Teens whose dads approved of adolescent sexual activity tended to start having sex earlier than teens whose dads did not approve, according to studies in the review.  In addition, teens who were close to their fathers tended to start having sex later.  According to study researcher Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, a professor of social work at New York University, the findings "suggest that fathers may distinctly influence the sexual behavior of their adolescent children.  Fathers may parent in ways that differ from mothers, and therefore represent an additional opportunity to support adolescent health and well-being."
  (www.ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com ) Oct. 22,2012

Obama Promotes Planned Parenthood Funding in Debate

Planned Parenthood was among President Obama's buzzwords during the second presidential debate Oct. 16 as he mentioned the nation's largest abortion provider five times, using it to distinguish himself from Republican candidate Mitt Romney, Baptist Press reports. In discussions about tax cuts, workplace inequalities, differences between Romney and George W. Bush, and earning votes for reelection, Obama underscored Romney's pledge to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood.  Planned Parenthood, in the last statistics available, received $487.4 million in government funds in 2009-10 and performed 329,445 abortions in 2010.  In this election season, Obama launched a television ad campaign that made his pro-choice views a major theme; no previous Democratic nominee has ever made abortion a major general election theme in TV ads.
 (ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com     Oct. 19, 2012)

School District Pays $70K for Banning "Christ" From Valedictorian's Speech

A Montana school district has been ordered to pay $70,000 in attorneys' fees for banning a valedictorian from speaking at her greaduation in 2008 because her speech contained religious references,  CBN News reports.  Former Butte High student Renee Griffith's speech included the sentence "I don't let fear keep me from sharing Christ and his joy with those around me."  and she was told by the Butte School District that she had to remove the references to God and Christ because religious references were not allowed in graduation speeches.  A lower court had ruled in favor of the school district, but the Montana Supreme Court overturned that ruling 6-1, saying Griffith's free speech rights were violated.
 (ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com   Oct. 18, 2012

Jonathan Edwards, America's Humble Giant

by Diane Severance, Ph.D.

None More Relevnt
Over two centuries after Edwards' death, the great British preacher, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, said of him: "No man is more relevant to the present condition of Christainity than Jonathan Edwards....He was a mighty theologian and a great evangelist at the same time....he was preeminently the theologian of revival.  If you want to know wnything about true revival, Edwards is the man to consult."

Here's the Background
"A City on a Hill"... a "Zion in the Wilderness"....this was what the Puritans who came to America in the 1630s dreamed of establishing....a Biblical society which would be an example for the nations.  But within a few generations the dream faded.  The great-grandchildren were not so interested in making God the center of their lives.  They were prospering in America, and as the winds from the Age of Reason blew across the Atlantic, the Puritan descendants felt quite capable of handling their lives and affairs independently of the God of their fathers.

Enter Mr. Edwards
The ministry of Jonathan Edwards in the first half of the 1700s, however, brought many of those Puritan heirs back to their Scriptural roots.  Revival came to the land, and Edwards became the theologian of the revival.

Jonathan, born in 1703, was a precocious child, competent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew before he was a teenager.  Just short of thirteen he entered the Collegiate School of Connecticut (later Yale University) and graduated at the head of his class.  Though he was fascinated by the philosophies of John Locke and wrote profoundly metaphysical essays in his teens, Jonathan was primarily interested in religion  -  salvation as the "main business" of his life.  As a child he had revolted against the sovereignty of God and thought it a horrible doctrine, but shortly before his graduation at seventeen, he said God's sovereignty, glory, and majesty became "exceedingly pleasant, bright, and sweet."  Edwards wrote that one day while reading 1 Timothy 1:7: "Now unto the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory, forever and ever, Amen."

"There came into my soul....a sense of the glory of the Divine Being; a new sense, quite different from anything I ever experienced before.  Never any words of Scripture seemed to me as these words did.  I thought with myself, how excellent a Being that was, and how happy I should be, if I might enjoy that God, and be rapt up in him in heaven, and be as it were swallowed up in him forever!....From about that time, I began to have a new kind of apprehension and idea of Christ, and the work of redemption, and that glorious way of salvation by him."  The glory and majesty of God became Edward's compelling passion in life.

After studying Divinity for two years, Edwards preached some and was appointed a tutor at Yale.  In 1727 he became a co-pastor with his grandfather Solomon Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts.  Stoddard, sometimes called the "Pope of western Massachusetts," had been a powerful preacher and influence in Northampton and Massachusetts for over 55 years.  When he died in 1729,Jonathan Edwards became pastor at Northampton.

Edwards had a pastor's heart.  Though he did not have a program of visitation, he welcomed parishioners to his home at any time to deal with spiritual needs. Edwards usually spent thirteen hours a day in study, preparing at least two sermons a week and often additional lectures, besides notes on Bible studies that resulted in published works.  But, Edwards' time in Bible study was not just academic.  He was a man of prayer and was often in prayer for the people in his care.

Awakening Arrives
Under Edwards' profound preaching, a revival came to Northampton in 1735, and over 300 converts were added to the church.  Edwards recognized this was the work of God's Spirit, for only God could convert a sinful heart and transform lives of self-seeking into lives of Christian holiness.  Edwards shared the stories of the revival with correspondents in America and England, publishing A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in 1737.

When the English evangelist George Whitefield traveled throughout the American colonies in 1740-1741, revival swept through the colonies, bringing a "Great Awakening" to many.  Edwards' preaching in Northampton and surrounding churches continued to call people to recognize their sinful condition and seek the Lord.

Many were affected by Edwards' preaching.  Some cried out or wept in fear as they though of the eternity awaiting them without Christ.

Testing the Fruits
Some criticized the emotional effects of the revivals.  In 1746 Edwards published his important A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, which examined the nature of true religion, which, he said, doesn't just understand the right doctrine, but touches the affections or the heart.  Yet, the devil can counterfeit religious affections and imitate the conversion experience, producing outward emotional responses without a new heart of faith.  The only way to tell if a conversion experience is genuine is to look at the individual's life.  Humility and the love and pursuit of holiness mark true Christians.  Those who simply boast of their experience without transformed lives are merely false professors of religion.

A Young Man's Influence
Shortly after publishing his work on religious affections, Edwards met David Brainerd, the young missionary who brought awakening to the New Jersey Indians.  In Brainerd Edwards found the living example of all he had written concerning a Christian's transformed life of holiness and affections moved by the Holy Spirit. Brainerd suffered from tuberculosis and died in Edwards' home in 1747 at the age of 29. Edwards was deeply moved by Brainerd's young life and edited his Journal for publication.  Edwards' edition of Brainerd's Journal continues to be read to this day.  It has influenced countless missionaries and others to aspire to a closer intimacy with the Lord.

Kicked Out
Jonathan Edwards upset the Northampton church when he changed the practice begun by his grandfather Stoddard of allowing unconverted people to partake of the Lord's Supper.  Stoddard had argued that the Lord's Supper could be a "converting ordinance" bringing people to Christ. From Scripture, Edwards  believed the Lord's Supper was for Christians only. When he tried to change the church's practice, a dispute developed which resulted in Edwards being dismissed in 1750 after serving a pastor in Northampton for 23 years.

Edwards and his family moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts where Edwards was a missionary to the Housatonic Indians and pastor to a small congregation.  On the frontier Edwards found time to write seveal important classic works  -  On the Freedom of the Will, Original Sin, Nature of True Virtue,and the unfinished History of Redemption.

On to Princeton
When the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) was looking for a new president, Jonathan Edwards was reluctantly persuaded and took the post January 1758.  Three months later he died of a smallpox inoculation.  His ministry had slowed the drift of New England Puritanism into a rationalistic religion.  His writings and life contined to strongly influence the development of American evangelicalism, even to our own day.

His beloved mate
In his ministry Edwards was blessed by having the lovely Sarah Pierrepont for a wife.  Sarah saw it her spiritual duty to keep her home peaceful and pleasant so Jonathan could devote the maximum amount of time to his studies. That she was able to do this with eleven children is certainly a testimony to Sarah's qualities.  Often, at the end of a day's studies, Jonathan and Sarah would ride hroseback through the nearby woods and fields; Jonathan could freely share with Sarah all the spiritual riches he had mined in his studies that day.

www.christianity.com     Oct. 20, 2012