(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)
Wednesday, November 28, 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.)
(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.)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
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."
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)
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)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
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)
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)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
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)
(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)
(ReligionToday@croswalkmail.com, Nov. 14, 2012)
Monday, November 19, 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)
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
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
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
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)
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)
( 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)
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)
Friday, November 9, 2012
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)
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)
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)
Sunday, November 4, 2012
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
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