Saturday, December 28, 2013

An Approved Worker

In II Timothy 2:15, we read:  "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

A South American President was right when he said, "The difference between North America and South America is that South America was founded by men seeking gold, and North America was founded by men seeking God."  I find inscribed on American money the words, "In God We Trust."  Because of this high and holy motive, God has blessed America more than any other people on the face of the earth. But we must not forget that Luke 12:48 says, "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required...."

       AWorker Must Know the Power of Prayer
Prayer is the key to being a successful worker.  We are all very familiar with II Chronicles 7:14: "If My people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  If there has ever been a time when we need a healing from God Almighty, it is now.  Martin Luther was not satisfied with the religious world in which he was born, and his deep desire for personal piety caused him to spend much time in prayer.  The results of that agonizing prayer brought great reformation.  When Moses prayed, the sea opened up in front of the Hebrews.  When Abraham prayed, God gave him a son when it was an impossibility.  When Joshua prayed, a mighty city fell.  When David prayed, God helped him to slay the giant, Goliath. When Elijah prayed, he called down fire from heaven.  When Daniel prayed, he was saved from the lions.  When Paul prayed, the prison doors were shaken right off their hinges.  When Hannah prayed, God gave her a son, Samuel.  When Hezekiah prayed, God spared his life fifteen more years.  Every miracle in the Bible is the result of a fervent prayer  -  and there are many more stories from just the past couple of centuries.

What the world needs is a generation of God-fearing men and women willing to pray  -  all night, if necessary  -  that God will bring lost souls into the fold of God.

   A Worker Must be Committed to the Task
Psalm 37:5 says, "Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him, and he will act."  Without a strong commitment on our part we cannot finish the task that God has entrusted to us.  Paul certainly admonished us to make that commitment when he said in Romans 12:1-2, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  If we are to make solid commitments to the Lord, they must be out of a pure heart.  Unless we are willing to give our lives, we do not know the commitment and sacrifice that God is expecting from His workers.

(Dr. Billy Kim, Gideon International Convention, July 2013)

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Presidents Pay Tribute To The Prince of Peace

In 2001, First Lady Laura Bush selected Psalm 27 as the first Scripture quoted in a White House Christmas card: "Thy face, Lord, do I seek. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living."  In previous years, numerous American presidents have welcomed Christmas as an opportunity to review Christ's role in the tapestry of human history.  Their annual proclamations stir Americans to remember that God's goodness still prevails, and our perspective of current events is myopic unless we view our world and our nation through the illuminating lens of Christ's birth.

    Harry Truman, December 24, 1950
"At this Christmastime we should renew our faith in God.  We celebrate the hour in which God came to man.  It is fitting that we should turn to Him....But all of us  -  at home, at war, wherever we may be  -  are within reach of God's love and power.  We all can pray.  We all should pray....We should pray for a peace which is the fruit of righteousness."

    Dwight D. Eisenhower, December 24, 1953
"Might we not pray that He teach us?  Teach us to shun the counsel of defeat and of despair of self-pride and self-deceit.  Teach us, and teach our leaders, to seek to understand the problems and the needs of all our people.  Teach us how those problems may reach solution in wisdom and how best those needs may be met.  But teach us, also,that where there may be special problems, there can be no special rights; and though there may be special needs, there can be no special privileges.  Teach us to require of all those who seek to lead us, these things: integrity of purpose; the upright mind, selfless sacrifice, and the courage of the just.  Teach us trust and hope and self-dependence.  Teach us the security of faith....And may we pray that He strengthen our conviction that whatever we, as Americans, would bring to pass in the heart of America....Lastly, should we not pray that He receive our thanks?  For certainly we are grateful for all the good we find about us; for the opportunity given us to use our strength and our faith to meet the problems of this hour."

   Gerald R. Ford, December 24, 1975
"The spirit of Christmas is ageless, irresistible and knows no barriers....It catches up saint and sinner alike in its warm embrace.  It is the season to be jolly  -  but to be silent and prayerful as well.  I know this will be a particularly happy Christmas for me....I celebrate it by joining with all of our citizens in observing a Christmas when Americans can honor the Prince of Peace in a nation at peace."

   Ronald Reagan, December 15, 1983
"I know there are those who recognize Christmas Day as the birthday of a great and good man, a wise teacher who gave us principles to live by.  And then there are others of us who believe that He was the Son of God, that He was Divine.  If we live our lives for truth, for love, and for God, we never need be afraid."

   George Bush,  December 24, 1990
"Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you who are standing watch around the world.  Never have I been prouder of our troops....Back home, some talk of the cost of war, but it is you who understand the price of peace.  Each Christmas Day, we close our eyes in prayer and think of....how from a straw-littered stable shone a light which for nearly 20 centuries has given men strength, comfort, and peace.  It's distant in time, but close within our hearts; because on this Christmas Day, hour by hour, hand in hand, Americans will send their prayers eastward across the ocean and halfway across the world not only to the town of Bethlehem but to the sands and shores where you stand in harm's way."
   (Intercessors For America, Dec. 2012, www.IFAPray.org)

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Christ's Miraculous Birth

While some doctrines are known almost exclusively by the faithful, others have broken through the confines of the church and taken root in the popular mind.  The miraculous birth of Jesus is such a tenet.  A 2003 Harris poll found that not only did 79 percent of all Ameriacans believe this doctrine, but so did 27 percent of those who identified themselves as non-Christians.  This is a popular doctrine indeed.

What accounts for this? No doubt part of this popularity rests on the annual retelling of Christ's birth in virtually every imaginable format from the simple gospel reading around the family hearth to the extravagant productions of popular culture.  Apparently believers and unbelievers alike are ever moved in contemplating the singular event of God entering humanity by being born of a woman.

Yet there is more at work here than sentimentality.  The doctrine that Christ was conceived in the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, given independently by Matthew and Luke, has not only been enshrined in holiday dress, but perpetually confesed by the church across the ages.  It is prominent in the ancient creeds (e.g., the Apostles', Nicene, and Chalcedon creeds) and the Reformation documents (e.g., the Augsburg Confession, the Belgic Confession, the Thirty-Nine Articles, the Westminster standards).  It is held by all branches of the church and was termed a "fundamental" doctrine in the early twentieth century.  It is routinely listed in the simplest statements of faith (e.g., that of the National Association of Evangelicals).

There is good reason to believe in this doctrine. Before making the case for it, however, let us dismiss some false leads.  We do not cling to Christ's miraculous birth because by it he became divine.  Christ never became divine  -  he always was divine: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Nor did his miraculous conception preserve his inward holiness.  While David said, "Behold,I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me" (Ps. 51:5), it does not follow that it was virginal gestation that spared Christ the taint of sin.  Virginity is no antidote to corruption.  Christ was sinless by his innate purity, not by the power of a virginal womb.  The precise mechanics of this are beyond us, however.  Warfield, with characteristic discretion, siad, "He would be a bold man, indeed, who would affirm that the incarnation of the Holy One in sinful flesh presents no difficulties to his thought."

A Necessary Doctrine
If Christ's miraculous birth was not necessary to constitute his divinity or preserve him from sin, was it necessary at all?  Or, more practically, why must we hold to it?  For more reasons than one.

The simplest reason is that this is a plain, even emphatic, teaching of the Bible.  Matthew and Luke are  explicit on this point, and no other bibical writer hints at contradiction.  If the plain statements of the Virgin Birth are discounted, then so may those of any other doctrine.

More obliquely, we must hold this doctrine because the opposite is unthinkable.  The notion that God  became man, that the Word became flesh, is (pardon the pun) inconceivable without an attending physical miracle.  Yet, such a position is advocated by some.  The modernist Henry Emerson Fosdick said in a 1922 sermon, "Those first disciples adored Jesus  -  as we do, when they thought about his coming they were sure that he came specially from God  -  as we are; this adoration and conviction they associated with God's special influence and intention in his birth  -  as we do; but they phrased it in terms of a biological miracle that our modern minds cannot use."  Fosdick would have us hold to Christ as "specially from God," but dispense with any attending miracle as the naive opinion of the first disciples.  His implied question was: What do we lose by disposing of this doctrine that offends "our modern minds"?  The answer is, quite simply: everything.  We lose everything because in this doctrine converge five necessary truths that characterize Christ as our Savior.

1. The Savior must be divine (see Larger Catechism, Q. 38).  Any potential redeemer who is not divine is inadequate for the task.  A mere man could not sustain God's wrath, break the power of death, or be of sufficiant value in himself and his works to satisfy God's justice for his people.

2. The Savioir must be human (see Larger Catechism, Q. 39).  The Savior must be a man if he is to stand in the place of men. To atone for sinners, he must partake of our nature, yet be sinless.  No bull, goat, or even an angel is a fit substitute for men (see Heb. 9:11-15; 2:14-16) .  The one who will be our intercessor must be subject to our weaknesses, yet not stumble under them (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:14-15).

3. These two natures must be in a single person (see Larger Catechism, Q. 40).  The role of the Savior is accomplished by his standing for, and between, God and man (Gal. 3:20; 1 Tim. 2:5; cf. Job 9:33).  He embodies the promise of his name: Immanuel, meaning "God with us" (Matt. 1:23).

4. This Savior must be of the people he will save.  From the very crime scene of the Fall across the pages of Scripture this has been a feature of the gospel promise.  It is the seed of the woman who will bruise the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15); it is in the seed of Abraham in whom all the nations will be blessed ( Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:16); it is on a descendant of David that all the promises will focus (Ps. 8:34-37; Isa. 9:6-7).  It is an established point of prophecy that the Savior must arise from the very people whom he will save.

5. The Savior must be free from the universal judgment of sin.  The grim reality is that life is lived in the grip of death.  Barring Christ's return, all six billion souls who are currently alive will  be drawn into the insatiable grave.  The materialist will tell you that this is natural, but in this he is mistaken.  It is universal, but it is not natural  -  it is judicial.  In Eden, Adam sinned and brought on himself the promised judgment, "You shall surely die" (Gen. 2:17).  As Adam stood as the head of a covenant people  -  all humanity in a covenant of works  -  the judgment he received was received for all his descendants born, as our standards say, by "ordinary generation."  Not merely (if we may say it so mildly) did he pass on to us a corrupted nature from which flow our own sins; he also passed on guilt and liability.  As we are united to him, we are born under his judgment: "Through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men" (Rom. 5:18).

This universal judgment on humanity and the fact that the Savior must arise from mankind raises an apparently insurmountable problem: how can a savior arising from Adam's race be free from Adam's judgment  -  the very thing from which he comes to redeem them?  The question is a variation on our Lord's question: "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?" (Matt. 22:45).

The solution is found in the Virgin Birth.  In this event, all demands are satisfied. Christ, who is divine, takes to himself human nature in a single person.  He becomes the descendant who fulfills all the prophecies, yet by his divine paternity he remains free of Adam's guilt.  As Herman Bavinchk says, "The excusion of the man from his conception at the same time had the effect that Christ, as one not included in the covenant of works, remained exempt from original sin and could therefore also be preserved in terms of his human nature, both before and after his birth, from all pollution of sin.  As subject, as 'I,' he did not descend from Adam but was the Son of the Father, chosen from eternity to be the head of a new covenant."

Our Savior came into the world to swallow up death.  He did not come as another doomed heir of Adam, but as the last Adam to make all things new (1 Cor. 15:45; Rev. 21:5).  Paul paints the contrast in Romans 5:17: "If by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."

This is our Savior and his glorious work, for which he is uniquely constituted and qualified.  The apostle wrote that in the fullness of time God sent forth his son, born of a woman, in order that he might redeem us (Gal. 4:4-5).  This is not sentimentality.  This is not tradition  This is our very life: "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22).  We must cling fast to him and every truth that makes him what he is.
   (Clifford I. Blair, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, N.C., Dec. 2007)

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The "Morning Star"

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.  I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Revelation 22:16

Jesus is called the "Morning Star!" The appearance of the morning star ushers in the dawn of a new day and terminates the night.  When Jesus came, the long awaited, new day of hope dawned and the old night of despair ended.

When the "Morning Star" comes into a life it is the dawn of a new day.  That is why it is written, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all thing are become new." (2nd Corinthians 5:17)

The enemy doesn't want that to happen and he doesn't want people to know that it can happen.  He has always attempted to prevent the 'good news' from being shared and he has increased his efforts in these final days. He has managed to enlist the assistance of judges, lawyers, politicians and various organizations, all members of the "Don't Mention Jesus Club."

The charter group called Peter and John into court and commanded them not to "speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus." (Acts 4:18) The Apostles' answer was that it was a matter of obeying them or obeying God. (vvs 19, 20) The Apostles obeyed God!

Our choice is the same!  The enemy can talk of "constitutional violation" "political correctness"  "separation of church and state" adinfinitum but we have our mandate. "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

Jesus said it! Do we obey Jesus or the ACLU?

There is a story about Elijah the prophet in 1st Kings 19.  It was unconstitutional in those days (according to the constitution of queen Jezebel) to worship the Lord God Jehovah.  Elijah took his stand for God but was discouraged because he thought that he stood alone.  Actually there were 7,000 worshippers of God but they were the original "silent majority."

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only hope, in an otherwise pretty hopeless world situation.  There are a lot of us who believe that and it is not the time to be silent about it.

Jesus said, "What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops." (Matthew 10:27)
 
That sounds like Jesus means for us to stand up and be counted.

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

Monday, December 16, 2013

The Millennial Maze - Part 4 (final)

Amillennialism

Amillennialism sees Revelation 20 as a description of the reign of Christ with the saints throughout the entire present age.  Some amillennialists emphasize the reign of Christ with the saints in heaven, while others teach that this reign is also connected with the church militant here on earth.  Amillennialists tend to argue that the growth of Christ's kingdom has few if any visible manifestations.  The focus is more on the suffering that Christ has indicated the church will undergo.  According to amillennialism, the present millennial age, which is characterized by suffering, will be followed by the second coming of Christ, the general resurrection, the last judgment, and the new heavens and new earth.

Amillennialism also has its origin in the early chruch.  Augustine (354-430) taught a version of amillennialism that influenced the church throughout the Middle Ages and into the Reformation.  Within the Reformed tradition, the contemporary version of amillennialism began to distinguish itself from older forms of postmillennialism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.  The nineteenth-century theologian Herman Bavinck, for example, was a staunch proponent of amillennialism.  In the twentieth century, the view has been taught by Reformed theologians such as Geerhardus Vos, Louis Berkhof, Anthony Hoekema, Cornelis Venema, Kim Riddlebarger, and Sam Storms.  Some contemporary amillennialists do not like the term amillennialism because the prefix a- literallymeans "no", so amillennialism literally means "no millennium."  One amillennialist, Jay Adams, has suggested the term "realized millennialism" instead.
  (Dr.  Keith A. Mathison, Reformation Bible College, Tabletalk, Dec. 2013)

Friday, December 13, 2013

The Millennial Maze - Part 3

Dispensational Premillennialism

Dispensational premillennialism offers the most complex chronology of the end times.  According to dispensationalism, the current church age will end with the rapture of the church, which, along with the appearance of the Antichrist, marks the beginning of the seven-year great tribulation on earth.  The tribulation will end with the battle of Armageddon, in the midst of which Christ will return to destroy His enemies.  The nations will then be gathered for judgment. Those who supported Israel will enter into Christ's millennial kingdom, and the rest will be cast into Hades to await the last judgment.  Christ will sit on the throne of David and rule the world from Jerusalem.  Israel will be given the place of homor among the nations again.  The temple will have been rebuilt and the temple sacrifices will be reinstituted as memorial sacrifices.  At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released and lead unbelievers in rebellion against Christ and the New Jerusalem.  The rebellion will be crushed by fire from heaven, and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire.  The wicked will be brought before the Great White Throne, judged, and cast into the lake of fire, and at this point the eternal state will commence.

The dispensationalist version of premillennialism originated in the nineteenth century within the Brethren Movement.  Its distinctives first appear in the writings of John Nelson Darby (1800-1882).  Dispensational premilennialism caught on rapidly in the United States through the Bible Conference Movement.  It was popularized by C. I. Scofield in the notes to his reference Bible and was systematized by Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary and the author of an eight-volume dispensational systematic theology text.  In the twentieth century, this view was taught on a more scholarly level by men, such as John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, and J. Dwight Pentecost, and it was popularized by authors such as Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye.
   (Dr. Keith A. Mathison, Reformation Bible College, Tabletalk, Dec. 2013)

Thursday, December 12, 2013

The Millennial Maze - Part 2

Postmillennialism

Postmillennialism teaches that the "thousand years" of Revelation 20 occur prior to the second coming of Christ.  Until recently, most postmillennialists taught that the millennium would be the last thousand years of the present age.  Today, many postmillennialists teach that the millennial age is the entire period of time between Christ's first and second advents.  As we will see, this means that contemporary versions of postmillennialism are very close in many ways to contemporary amillennialism.  The main difference between the two is not so much the timing of the millennium as the nature of the millennium.  In general, postmillennialism teaches that in the present age, the Holy Spirit will draw unprecedented multitudes to Christ through the faithful preaching of the gospel.  Among the multitudes who will be converted are the ethnic Israelites who have thus far rejected the Messiah.  At the end of the present age, Christ will return, there will be a general resurrection of the just and the unjust, and the final judgment will take place.

Postmillennialism was widely held among the Puritans.  It was also the dominant view among Reformed theologians of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.  It was taught, for example, by men such as Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, James Henley Thornwell, A. A.Hodge, and B. B. Warfield.   Because liberals adopted a humanisitc version of this eschathology, postmillennialism suffered a decline in the twentieth century, but it has seen a resurgence in the last twenty to thirty years.  Books supporting this view have been published by men such as Loraine Boettner, J. Marcellus Kik, Kenneth Gentry, John Jefferson Davis, and myself. 
   (Dr. Keith A. Mathison, Reformation Bible College, Tabletalk, Dec. 2013)

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Millennial Maze - Part 1

HistoricPremillennialism

Historic premillennialism teaches that at the end of the present age, there will be the great tribulation followed by the second coming of Christ.  At Christ's coming, the Antichrist will be judged, the righteous will be resurrected, Satan will be bound, and Christ will establish His reign on earth, which will last for a thousand years and be a time of unprecedented blessing for the church.  At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released and he will instigate a rebellion, which will be quickly crushed. The unrighteous will at this point be raised for judgment, after which the eternal state will begin.

Historic premillennialism has had its proponents in the church from at least the second century AD onward.  It was taught, for example, by Irenaeus (140-203) and Justin Martyr (100-165), and may have been taught in the late first century by Papias (80-155).  Some within the Reformed tradition, such as James Montgomery Boice, have taught this view.  The most notable proponent of historic premillennialism in the twentieth century was George Eldon Ladd, whose commentary on the book of Revelation argues strongly for this position.
  (Dr. Keith A. Mathison, Rformation Bible College, Tabletalk, Dec. 2013)

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

God's Word

So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty.  Without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
   Isaiah 55:11
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
  Hebrews 4:12     (Scripture from NASB)

God's words are not like any other spoken or written words!  His words do things to people that cause some of us to love His words and others to reject and fear His words.  God's word can be accepted or rejected but it cannot be ignored or legislated out of existence.  It is not just so much black ink on white paper. The Scripture above claims that it is "living" and Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away."  (Matthew 24:35)  Men can reject the teaching of it but they cannot deny the fact of it.

The enemy, by reason of his past experience, fears God's word!  He cannot destroy it so He concentrates on persuading men to reject it.  The latest propaganda coming from the devil's campaign headquarters, is that it is not proper or considerate of unbelievers to speak of God's word in public life.  He has his employees here and there claiming that the hearing of the word of God "offends" their sensitive natures.

Paul said, "There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world...."  (1st Corinthians 14:10)  Those many voices do not please everyone who hears them but they continue being heard.

It would be impossible to speak a word that did not offend anyone in the world.  I heard a man being interviewed on the TV News a few days ago who was criticizing Sarah Palin for speaking of  being "Born again" of which Jesus was the first to speak (John 3:3).

Some of the things being said publicly offend me but no one seems likely to put a stop to it.  If we stopped speaking and hearing that which we disagree with or are offended by we would be a nation of deaf-mutes.

God gave men the right to reject, at their own risk, His word, but men do ot have the right or resources to silence or destroy His word.

It has been spoken by His messengers and written in a Book so all can read.  It has never needed to be corrected, taken from or added to. Woe to that person who attempts to do so. (Revelation 22:18)

God promises that His word, "will not return empty and it will accomplish what He desires."  If it is believed and acted upon it will save men from a devil's hell and prepare them for God's heaven and that is not a campaign promise.  It is a voice that you can, with confidence, believe.
   (Pastor Bill Cummins, Sheridan, WY,  drbc@bresnan.net)

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Creation Items of Interest

From Creation Moments

Origin of the rainbow explained (Genesis 9:13-16).  Prior to the Flood there was a diferent environment on the earth (Genesis 2:5-6).  After the Flood, God set His rainbow "in the cloud" as a sign that He woud never again judge the earth by water.  Meteorologists now understand that a rainbow is formed when the sun shines through water droplets  -  which act as a prism  -  separating white light into its color spectrum.

Light can be divided (Job 38:24). Sir Isaac Newton studied light and discovered that white light is made of seven colors, which can be "parted" and then recombined.  Science confirmed this four centuries ago -  God declared this four millennia ago!

Ocean currents anticipated (Psalm 8:8).  Three thousand years ago the Bible described the "paths of the seas."  In the 19th century Matthew Maury  - the father of oceanography  -  after reading Psalm 8, researched and discovered ocean currents that follow specific paths through the seas!  Utilizing Maury's data, marine navigators have since reduced by many days the time required to traverse the seas.

Sexual promiscuity is dangerous to your health (1 Corinthians 6:18; Romans 1:27).  The Bible warns that "he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body,"  and that those who commit homosexual sin would "receive in themselves" the penalty of their error.  Much data now confirms that any sexual relationship outside of holy matrimony is unsafe.

Reproduction explained (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:24; Mark 10:6-8).  While evolution has no mechanism to explain how male and female reproductive organs evolved at the same time, the Bible says that from the beginning God made them male and female in order to propagate the human race and animal kinds.

Incalculable number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22).  At a time when less than 5,000 stars were visible to the human eye, God stated that the stars of heaven were innumerable.  Not until the 17th century did Galileo glimpse the immensity of our universe with his new telescope.  Today, astronomers estimate that there are ten thousand billion trillion stars  -  that's a 1 followed by 25 zeros!  Yet, as the Bible states, scientists admit this number may be woefully inadequate.

The number of stars, though vast, are finite (Isaiah 40:26).  Although man is unable to calculate the exact number of stars, we now know their number is finite.  Of course God knew this all along  -  "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name" (Psalm 147:4).  What an awesome God!

The Bible compares the number of stars with the number of grains of sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17; Hebrews 11:12).  Amazingly, gross estimates of the number of sand grains are comparable to the estimated number of stars in the universe.
   (www.creationmoments.com)

U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate Oklahoma Law Requiring Ultrasound Before Abortions

Christian News Report:
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a case that would reinstate ultrasounds before abotions in Oklahoma.  Last December, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to require abortionists to perform an ultrasound, describing the view of the unborn baby in detail an hour before ending the child's life.  The court poited back to Planned Parenthood vs.Casey, which says state laws cannot inhibit a woman's ability to obrain an abortion.

"Because the United States Supreme Court has previously determined the dispositive issue presented in this manner, this court is not free to imposie its own view of the law, the justices wrote.

The Center for Reproductive Rights praised the courts decision.  President Nancy Northrup said in a statement, "Today the U.S. Supreme Court has let stand another strong decision by the Oklahoma courts protecting a woman's constitutional right to make her own decisions about whether to continue a pregnancy from the intrusion of politicians opposed to her rights and indifferent to her health."

But National Right to Life director Mary Spaulding Balch had a decidely different perspective.  "Ultrasound laws save lives,"  she said.  "According to a 2011 Quinnipiac University study, 'ultrasound requirement laws reduce the odds of a woman having an abortion quite substantially.' This find would explain why ultrasound laws provoke such powerful reactions of our opponents even though ultrasounds are routinely performed and are required by abortion providers prior to the performance of any abortion."
  (www.religiontoday.com, 11/16/13)

Saturday, November 23, 2013

ObamaCare Mess Begs the Question: How Can We Get America Back to Great?

By Dr. Ben Carson and Kim R. Holmes

Hundreds of thousands  -  perhaps millions  -  of people have lost their health care coverage under ObamaCare.  And it's not the botched website or even bureaucratic incompetence (although there's plenty of the latter to go around) that accounts for the failings of the new health program.  Rather it's the misguided idea that government should replace the individual and his or her doctor in making health care decisions.  That is a fundamental misunderstanding of the proper role of government.

Both of us have written books about the greatness of America.  We've looked at the history of what made America a successful country and are deeply disturbed that the nation has gotten off track.  We are concerned by the vision of America, represented most baldly by ObamaCare, which assumes that only a centralized government can solve vast social and economic problems such as health care.  If our history tells us anything, it's that such a vision is a mirage.

Government didn't make America great.  It was individual Americans possessing the freedom to make the important decisions in their lives.  They formed voluntary associations and insurance companies to protect themselves from ill health.  They gathered together in churches and community halls to solve problems on their own, without the heavy hand of government.  It was the miracle of the American ethos interacting with limited government and a free economy that made America the wealthiest, most successful nation on earth.

The key assumption was that no government would ever be as effective as a free people in solving complex social and economic problems.  If this were manifest only in programs like ObamaCare, perhaps we could worry less.  But it actually is part of a much larger trend.  The growth of government across the board is not only drowning the nation in debt, it is killing the free spirit of the American people.

America was once a place where people could pursue the American Dream with encouragement from the government.  Government would protect us in our daily lives and make sure the economy was free enough for people to go as far as their energy and talents would take them.  Unlike in Europe, Americans did not want government to take care of their every need, or control their decisions.

Another part of American exceptionalism is a willingness to take care of those who truly cannot take care of themselves.  This is our duty as Americans and has spawned many charitable organizations and churches.  Government does not need to be in control of charity.

What made America different  -  exceptional, if you will  -  is the historical fact that Americans embraced a culture, economy and system of government that put a premium on freedom.  People were free to prove themselves, which meant that some failed while others succeeded.  Freedom of opportunity, not equality of results, set America apart.  Millions of immigrants came to America looking for this freedom and were (and still are) willing to take that chance.

George Santayana once said that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  If Americans cannot remember what worked and what didn't work in their past, they are condemned to lose their future.  It's not about resurrecting the past.  Some things are obviously best left behind.  Rather, it's understanding that America's unique path to success as a nation depended on very specific things.

We would never have become a great nation had we let others do for us what we, as individuals, felt obligated to do for ourselves.  Freedom was not some abstract principle but the life blood of everyday life.  It worked so well because it harnessed a secret about the truth of human nature  -  that everyone yearns to be free, prosperous and, yes, secure  -  to the service of the greater good. 

The people who constructed ObamaCare forgot all this.  They overlooked that it is unjust to punish one set of people  -  e.g., force them out of their current insurance  -  in order to subsidize another.  They forgot that the genius of the American system  -  in the past  -  was that it was decentralized, allowing people the freedom to experiment in order to solve problems on their own.

In this respect, for example, it would have been far better to have reformed whatever ailed our health care system by providing people with more choices, and to help those who needed it to obtain adequate protection, rather than have the government dictate those choices for them  -  and denouncing as "substandard" the choices many had freely made.  But that would have required President Obama to change his world view and his understanding of American history.

We can turn America around if we focus on what made the country great in the first place: an abiding faith in the individual and respect for his or her freedom; the beliefs that the best government is one that governs least and that the bonds of trust that  bind civil society together are still the very things that made our freedom possible.

Remembering that is how we get America back to great.
  (www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/11/15/)

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Spurgeon:The Guilt and The Cleansing

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

There are two things I shall try to talk about, as God shall help me.  The one is that sin is a very foul thing: David says, "Purge me," "Wash me."  The other is that the cleansing must be very great: this process of hyssop sprinkling and of washing must be very potent, for he says, "I shall be clean."  "I shall  be whiter than snow."

1. First than, a little about THE DEFILEMENT.
Sometimes, it has been asked by unconverted men, "Why do you talk so much about atonement?  Why should he require the shedding of blood and the endurance of great suffering?"  Sinner, if you had a right sense of sin, you would never ask such a question.  In asking that question, you speak upon the supposition that God is such a one as yourself.  But he hates sin, he sees in sin such loathsomeness as you have never dreamed of; there is, to him, such horrible abomination,such a heinousness, such a detestableness and uncleaness about sin, that he could not pass it by.  If he did, he would bring upon his own character the suspicion that he was not holy.  Had God passed by human sin without a substitutionary sacrifice, the seraphim must have suspended their song "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts."  The Judge, who winks at sin, is the abettor of sin. If the supreme Ruler does not punish sin, he becomes himself the patron of all guilt,and sin may take its rest beneath the shadow of his wings.  But it is not so: and sinner, God would have you know, and have angels know, and have devils know, that however lightly any of his creatures may think of sin, and however foolishly simple man may toy with it, he knows what a vile thing it is, and he will have no patience with it.  "He will by no means spare the guilty."

2.  And now we shall have a few words upon THE POWER OF THE CLEANSING.
Whom can it cleanse?  That is the first question.  David answers it, for he says, "It can cleanse me."  He meant himself.  I would not exaggerate David's sin, but it was a very frightful one. What could be more dreadful than for a man so highy-favored, who had so much light, so much communion with God, and who stood so high as a light in the midst of the nation, to commit two crimes so accursed as those which we must lay at his door  -  adultery and murder?  While my blood runs chill at the very thought of his having committed them, yet in my soul I am glad that the Holy Spirit ever permitted such a black case to stand on record.  What an encouragement to seek pardon it has been to many who have sined as foully as David did!  If thou canst bend thy knee, and pray David's prayer, thou shalt get David's answer, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean."  What if thou hast even defiled thy neighbor's wife?  What if thou hast even smitten thy neighbor to his heart, and left him dead upon the earth? These two crimes will damn thee to all eternity excpt thou shalt find pardon for them through the blood of Jesus; but there is pardon for them there.  If thou lookest up to where that blood is streaming from the hands and feet and side of Jesus; if thou doest trust thy broken spirit in his hands, there is pardon for thy crimson sins to be had just now.  Is there a harlot here?  O poor fallen woman, I pray that Christ may so forgive thee that then thou wilt wash his feet with thy tears, and wipe them with the hairs of thine head!  Is there a thief here?  Men say that you will never be reclaimed, but I pray the eternal mercy, which saved the dying thief, to save the living thief.

Another question is,When will it cleanse?  It will cleanse now.  It will cleanse at this moment.  He who trusts Christ is saved the moment that he trusts.  His sin is blotted out the instant that he accepts Christ as his Substitute, and justifies God in smiting sin in the person of theSavior.
  (C. H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon MInistries, PO Box 1673, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 5C8)

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Our Universe

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.    Genesis 1:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.      Psalm 19:1-3

The existence of a great functional universe of which our earth is but a minute part, is beyond question but how it came to be, is a matter of debate.  To assert, as some do, that all things appeared as the result of a gigantic accident is, in my opinion, a great absurdity.  To further maintain that the universe functions with the unfailing precision, that it does, without the controlling influence of a Creator, is an even greater absurdity.

The Psalmist points out that the very fact of the heavens declare the absolute necessity of an all-powerful and all-loving intelligence that is responsible for their existence and their continuation.

For those who like to say, "You have to show me!" the Psalmist is saying "look to the heavens".  They speak, day and night, with a voice understood by men of every tongue.  Look to the east and see the sun appear in the morning, as it has been doing for millennia and know that some unseen power causes it to do so.

The Apostle Paul corroborates the Psalmist's claim and identifies the One responsible.  "For by Him (Jesus) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."  (Colossians 1:16,17)

Amazingly, the great Creator and Manager of the universe knows you and me by name.  He knows all about our hurts and hopes, our failures and fulfillments because He came to this very small particle of His universe and lived for a while.  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are  -  yet was without sin."  (Hebrews 4:15)

The universe is not the result of an accident and our future will not be the result of an accident.  The One who created all things and controls their destiny became our Savior and controls our destiny.  The One who will create a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1) also stands by to support us in all trials and see us safely into our new home.
   (Pastor Bill Cummins  -  drbc@bresnan.net)

Friday, November 8, 2013

A Question for Dr. Sproul

Why Does God Let Random Shootings, Fatal Accidents, and Other Horrible Things Occur?

Since we believe that God is the author of this planet and is sovereign over it, it's inevitable that we ask where he is when these terrible things take place.

I think the  Bible answers that over and over again from different angles and in different ways  We find our first answer, of course, in the book of Genesis, in which we're told of the fall of humanity.  God's immediate response to the transgression of the human race against his rule and authority was to curse the earth and human life.  Death and suffering entered the world as a direct result of sin.  We see the concrete manifestation of this in the realm of nature, where thorns become part of the garden and human life is now characterized by the sweat of the brow and the pain that attends even the birth of a baby.  This illustrates the fact that the world in which we live is a place that is full of sorrows and tragedy.

But we must never conclude that there's a one-to-one correlation in this life between suffering and the guilt of the people on whom tragedies fall.  If there were no sin in the world, there would be no suffering.  There would be no fatal accidents, no random shootings.  Because sin is present in the world, suffering is present in the world, but it doesn't always work out that if you have five pounds of guilt, you're going to get five pounds of suffering. That's the perception that the book of Job labors to dispel, as does Jesus' answer to the question about the man born blind (John 9:1-11).

On the other hand, the Bible makes it clear that God lets these things happen and in a certain sense ordains that they come to pass as part of the present situation that is under judgment.  He has not removed death from this world.  Whether it's what we would consider an untimely death or a violent death, death is part of the nature of things.  The only promise is that there will come a day when suffering will cease altogether.

The disciples asked Jesus about similar instances  -  for example, the Galileans' blood that was mingled with the sacrifices by Pilate or the eighteen people who were killed when a temple collapsed.  The disciples asked how this could be.  Jesus' response was almost severe.  He said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish,"  again bringing the question back to the fact that moral wickedness makes it feasible for God to allow these kinds of dreadful things to take place in a fallen world.

( Dr. R. C. Sproul, Now, That's a Good Question!)

Monday, November 4, 2013

Contentment In Christ

Devotional
She had lived ninety-four years, nearly seventy of those years as a widow who had raised two children as a single parent.  As we gathered around her graveside with friends and family, the word that was repeatedly used about her was content.Shedidn't complain, wonder, or waver  -  she was simply content.

Such contentment is remarkable.  One Puritan writer called it a "rare jewel."  In fact, the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4 tells us that there is a "secret" to contentment.  What is the secret?  "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (v.13).

Contentment comes as we live out of our real, vital, personal relationship with Jesus.  That relationship is forged in our union with Jesus, and we live through Him as He strengthens us with "his energy that he powerfully works within" (Col. 1:29).

When we live in and through Christ, we learn to be content materially.  That's the context of Philippians 5.  Paul was in prison, and in those days, prisoners had to provide their own creature comforts, either from their own purses or the gifts and care of family and friends.  So, the Philippians wanted to share in his trouble  -  they sent him money and other physical necessities via Epaphroditus to sustain him.

In response, Paul thanked them for their thoughtfulness. But he also wanted them to know that he was content with his material possessions.  "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content" (4:11).  Whether he had plenty or little, Paul could be content with what he had.

How is that possible  -  to be content with one's material possessions?  Only through Christ who strengthens.  Only because in Him are great riches, sustaining food, and priceless treasures that sustain the heart when the body goes without.

Indeed, we often have to learn material contentment through difficult situations.  Paul was in a Roman prison for preaching the Gospel (1:12-13).  Even worse, it appeared that some were using his situation to preach the gospel out of envy and rivalry (1:15), running down Paul and his ministry in order to build themselves up.

If that were our situation, we would be frustrated and upset, far from content.  Yet Paul expressed a basic contentment with his situation: "Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice" (1:18).  How could he be content when his situation seemed so dire?  Only through Christ who strengthens.

Because of his real, vital, personal union with Jesus, Paul was content for eternity.  He knew that to live is Christ and to die is gain (v.21).  So, his material possessions were not his ultimate gain and his situation was not his final destiny; rather, the beginning, middle, and end were all Jesus.  Since Paul had a vital union and communnion with Christ, he could be content with all else.  His destiny was to be with Jesus.

Here, then, is the secret to be content, we must see that we have Jesus.  And He is enough and all that we need.
  (Dr. Sean Michael Lucas, First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, TABLETALK,Oct.2013)

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Several Items of Interest

No Flare Up In Syria
Christians with eyes on the Middle East are giving thanks for God's restraining providence in the Syria-U.S.-Iran-Israel-Russia mix-up over President Obama's earlier "red line" comment.  Diplomatic interchanges have come and gone, as has the United Nations expected confrontation.  Although the situation is still tender and potentially explosive, no further overt confrontation has triggered rockets, nor has Israel been attacked by Iran as "collateral damage."  Nothing is settled yet, so intercessors should watch and pray.                      (The Washington Post, 9/20/13)

Unfinished Business
Even though the Fort Hood shooter is where he belongs, on death row, his victims remain in limbo.  The administration classified the 2009 massacre on the Texas military base as "workplace violence" instead of what it was: the assault of an Islamic militant upon our military here at home.  The real-life consequence of the designation is that the victims aren't being properly compensated for their loss.  Pray for a review to address the inequity.
  (Your News Now, 9/26/13)

Spiritual Awakening in Iran
According to Middle East-watcher and Christian author, Joel Rosenberg, an historic spiritual awakening is under way in Iran.  Rosenberg recently interviewed Dr. Hormoz Shariat, whom he calls "the Billy Graham of Iran" and "the foremost Iranian evangelist and Bible teacher in the world."  During the interview last month, Dr. Shariat reported that  "more Iranians have renounced Islam and come to faith in Jesus Christ in the last three decades, than in the last 14 centuries combined."  He went on to say there are an estimated one million followers of Christ inside Iran, and that there continues to be a great hunger among Persian-speaking people to hear and understand God's word and the power of the Gospel message.  Pray accordingly for similar interventions to spread far and wide.
  (Joel Rosenberg Blog, 10/13)

Pray For the Persecuted Church
On Nov. 3 or Nov. 10, 2013 join a global day of intercession for suffering Christians in countries such as China, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Egypt, Nigeria, and more.  Please note that while these Sundays are the designated dates for International Day of Prayer (IDOP), you may choose another date.  From the IDOP website: "In the traditional church calendar, 'All Saints Day' and 'All Souls Day' stand out in November to remember the saints of the Church and the souls of those who departed this world.  It is fitting, then, that the modern church has set apart the month of November to remember those facing martyrdom and to pray for the persecuted Church."  See both www.idop.org and www.onewiththem.com.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Flourishing as Christians

Psalm 1 is the Bible's best-known passage on meditation.  The psalm begins by drawing a contrast between two men.  One walks in the counsel of the wicked, stands in the way of sinners, and sits in the seat of scoffers.  The other delights in God's law and meditates on it day and night; he prospers in all that he does (vv. 1-3).

DonWhitney's book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life likens meditation to "steeping a tea bag in hot water."  It is a vivid picture, over time the cup of hot water is changed, it takes on the flavor and color of tea.

Meditation is being attentive to theWord of God.  It is delighting ourselves in God so much that our conscious focus is on His will and not our own, on His truth and not our speculation, on His way and not the way of the scoffer.  Reflection and meditation on God's law produces confidence in his goodness.

Meditation is a way of seeking the things that are above (Col. 3:1).  Spending time in theWord of God is to set one's mind and heart on things above.  Meditation is the means of renewing the mind (Rom. 12:1-2).  Meditation on Scripture allows God'sWord to penetrate our inner being.  Meditation brings the light of illumination to or hearts.  It brings the power to resist being conformed to the world.  Meditation transforms and renews the mind by giving weight to God's interpretation of life.

Notice that in this Psalm, meditation takes place day and night.  When my heart faints within me because I am despairing; I need to meditate on theWord of God.  When doubts rise up within me, tamping down every reason for hope, I need to meditate on theWord of God.  When I am struggling to break free from sinful habits, meditation on theWord of God will usher me to God, who has grace and power to deliver. When I wake up in the morning wondering if anyone really cares for my soul, theWord of God will remind me that God has loved me everlastingly.

The pleasures and delights of knowing God  -  of being mesmerized and enthralled and thrilled by God  -  are experienced as you meditate on His law day and night.  You will never be a person who sees God as glorious and more delightful than the pleasures of sin unless you are in the Word beholding God every day.

If you are not delighting in God in his Word, you will become enthralled and thrilled by something else, some lesser thing.  Remember that you are hardwired for pleasure and delight.  God has made you like that because He made you for Himself.  You must be feeding the life of faith to grow strong, and you feed it through the Word of God.  No wonder Psalm 119 says, "YourWord have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you."

You will fourish as a Christian as you meditate on God's law day and night.
  (Dr. Tedd Tripp, Tabletalk, October 2013)

Monday, October 14, 2013

Pastor Bill's Thought for the Day

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3

We have in this verse of Scripture a promise of peace and considering the elusiveness of peace in our present day world this promise should be well worth our investigating.  It is a personal matter!  It is the promise of a personal peace in a world that has known very little peace in a long time.

In a world of violence it is a "calm in the midst of the storm."  There are two things that we must do to obtain this peace and we can do both.  Our mind is to be "stayed on God' and that is a matter of choice.  We can control what we are thinking and we can choose what we read and look at.  We are to "trust in God" and the more that we read His word and think on and rehearse His goodness, the easier it is to trust Him.

There is much in the world that is disturbing to the disciple of Christ and cannot be denied.  It is paraded before us constantly by the media but we must at least give God equal time if we would be "kept in perfect peace."

The media presents the "breaking news" but God has written the final chapter.  "Peace on earth" will come in God's time but peace in your heart and mine is promised for right now.

Malachi lived in a time when the general behavior was marked by rebellion and infidelity but there were those who would not be influenced.  Malachi wrote, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name.  And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."  (Malachi 3:16,17)

Jesus said the time would come when, "...ye shall hear of wars, and commotions, be not terrified:" (Luke 21:9)  There are as many wars and commotions in the world right now as there has ever been but we are not terrified because He also said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)
     (Pastor Bill Cummins, Sheridan, Wyoming, drbc@bresnan.net)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Several Items of Interest

Clinic Closings Increasing in the U. S.

Abortion centers are shutting down at an unprecedented rate.  The total so far this year is 44, according to a pro-life organization that tracks clinic operations.  None was more telling than the mid-July closing of the Planned Parenthood center in Bryan, Texas.  It came less than four years after Abby Johnson, burdened by her involvement with abortion, walked out of that clinic as its director and into the offices of the Coalition for Life.  "Knowing that the former abortion clinic I once ran is now closing is the biggest personal victory of my life," Johnson said.

This year, 42 clinics that provided surgical abortions have shut their doors, and two that offered chemical abortions by drugs also have closed.  That number far surpasses the 25 shutdown last year and the 30 in 2011, by Operation Rescue's count. Some of the shutdowns have been of major clinics.  For instance,Virginia's No. 1 abortion provider closed.  It had performed 3,066 abortions in 2012 and 3,567 in 2011.
  (Christian Renewal, Oct. 2013, www.crmag.com)


A few Scientific Facts about Creation

Which came first, proteins of DNA (Revelation 4:11)?  For evolutionists, the chicken or egg dilemma goes even deeper.  Chickens consist of proteins.  The code for each protein is contained in the DNA/RNA system.  However, proteins are required in order to manufacture DNA.  So which came first: proteins or DNA?  The ONLY explanation is that they were created together.

Our bodies are made from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7; 3:19).  Scientists have discovered that the human body is comprised of some 28 base and trace elements  -  all of which are found in the earth.

The First Law of Thermodynamics established (Genesis 2:1-2).  The First Law states that the total quantity of energy and matter in the universe is a constant.  One form of energy or matter may be converted into another, but the total quantity always remains the same.  Therefore the creation is finished, exactly as God said way back in Genesis.

The first three verses of Genesis accurately express all known aspects of the creation (Genesis 1:1-3).  Science expresses the universe in terms of: time, space, matter, and energy.  In Genesis chapter one we read: "In the beginning (time) God created the heavens (space) and the earth (matter)....Then God said, "Let there be light (energy)."  No other creation account (such as evolution) agrees with the observable evidence.

The universe had a beginning (Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:10-12).  Starting with the studies of Ablert Einstein in the early 1900s and continuing today, science has confirmed the biblical view that the universe had a beginning.  At the time that the Bible was written most people believed the universe was eternal.  Science has proven them wrong, but the Bible correct.

The earth is a sphere (Isaiah 40:22).  At a time when many thought the earth was flat, the Bible told us that the earth is spherical.

Scripture assumes a revolving (spherical) earth (Luke 17:34-36).  Jesus said that at His return some would be asleep at night while others would be working at day time activities in the field.  This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring simultaneously.
   (The above short items from www.creationmoments.com, 101 Scientific Facts & Foreknowledge)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Several Articles of Interest

Sorry Or Repentant?
Being sorry and being repentant are different.  All of us have witnessed a child sorry for the way things have turned out.  The same parent's reaction is completely different to the child who comes to them with a repentant heart  -  sorry for the outcome and for their part in creating the outcome.

You might remember when the Israelites went to conquer the land that was promised to them.  In Numbers 14:39, we read that the Israelites were "overcome with grief" because of the word of judgment Moses had  brought to them declaring they would not enter the promised land because of their actions.  This word created quite a reaction!

They were sorry because of the way things turned out  -  they were not repentant for their stubborn hearts that caused the outcome.  They wanted to receive their portion of the promised land.  This lack of a repentant heart caused them to go in the opposite direction the Lord desired.  They were clearly instructed in 14:25 to retreat toward the Red Sea in order for them to get their hearts right.  Instead, they mustered up their strength and with the wrong heart pursued God's promises.  The result was they were routed and did not enter the promised land.

Repentance positions us to receive God's promises!  Being sorry for how things have turned out and then implementing our fixes with our strength will have a disastrous outcome.  Let us pray that the Church will move beyond being sorry for where our country is and move into repentance for the conditions of our hearts.

Revival is the only hope for our nation. Repentance is the key to revival.
    (David Kabal, President and CEO, Intercessors for America)

States Going Pro-Life
While the Repubican-controlled U.S. House passes strong pro-life bills only to have them die in the Democrat-controlled Senate, many states continue to enact more laws honoring the sanctity of life.  At least 42 states have passed or introduced legislation to protect innocent pre-born human beings from being killed by abortion.  Some states want to stop every abortion of a baby with a beating heart (which can be detected at 12 weeks).  Others focus on 20 weeks as a pain-threshold.  The very liberal 9th Circuit court has overturned at least three of these fetal-pain laws, paving the way for a Supreme Court showdown.  Let us continue to pray, knowing God is listening and caring.
   (RueutersNewsServiceForLife, 7/13)

Religious Convictions Denied
In 2006, Elaine Huguenin, co-owner with her husband of Elaine Photography (Albaquerque, NM), declined to take photos of a lesbian "commitment" ceremony, as she was unable to reconcile the ceremony with her religious convictions.  She helped the women find another photographer, but stated she could not participate in the event without violating her beliefs about marriage.  Not satisfied, the women brought a complaint before the New Mexico Human Rights Commission, which found Mrs. Huguenin engaged in "sexual orientation" discrimination prohibited under state law, and ordered Elaine Photography to pay the plaintiffs' attorney fees.

Fast forward to August 2013 when, following the approval of an intermediate appellate court, the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled that Mrs. Huguenin violated the state's Human Rights Act, despite the fact that to comply would have compelled her to act contrary to her Christian faith.  Many analysts have been warning of the adverse effects same-sex "marriage" could have on religious liberty.  Now, as exemplified by the NM Supreme Court's decision in May, these fears are being realized.  The Alliance Defense Fund will represent the Huguenins' appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Concerned Christians are alerted to follow closely and pray much into what will no doubt be a landmark decision, and not just about photography.
   (Alliance Defending Freedom, 8/22/2013)

All the above articles from Inttercessors For American, www.IFAPray.org)

Monday, September 30, 2013

Prayer as a Weapon of Attack

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  Ephesians 6:12

Early in my ministry,God impressed upon me that intercession is essentially defensive prayer.  Yet He also seemed to say to me, "My people are beginning to move out on the offensive."  Therefore, I want to share in this article about offensive prayer  -  prayer as a weapon of attack.

In the above quote from Ephesians, Paul is talking about a wrestling match.  To me, this is significant because he is taking his metaphor from the Olympic Games, where the most severe, total test of strength, power, endurance and skill was the wrestling match.  In a wrestling match, it is one man totally pitted against another.  It is this figure of total involvement which Paul uses for spiritual conflict, telling us that it involves our whole being.  Paul says that the supreme target of our Christian warfare is this kingdom of darkness under the control of Satan.

Looking in the Old Testament, we find (in Daniel) that over each major empire was a satanic prince directly responsible to see that Satan's purposes were carried out in that empire.  I believe this is true of the world today.  Every major nation and empire has a particular satanic prince set over it to ensure that satan's purposes are carried out and God's purposes are frustrated.  Ultimately, the destiny of a nation is determined by who wins this heavenly warfare.

We are dealing with a government of evil that seeks to control the world with spiritual power for Satan's purposes.  The ultimate challenge of the Church is to defeat that government.  I believe this responsibility rests on us, the Church, because we alone have the spiritual weapons to do the job.  It is spiritual warfare  -  it must be won with spiritual weapons.  Carnal weapons cannot do it.  Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh."  We are at war, but it is not in the carnal, fleshly, material realm.  "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

Can you see that the warfare is spiritual, and the objectives we have to capture are in men's minds?  Our warfare is to liberate the minds of men from the control of Satan and bring them under the control of Christ.  To do that, we have to pull down Satan's strongholds, which are built up in people's minds.

What are our spiritual weapons?  There are three main spiritual weapons.  Number one is the name of Jesus Christ.  Number two is the blood of Jesus.  Number three is the Word of God.  These are all spiritual weapons.  Consequently, they have to be launched by spiritual artillery.  What is the launching mechanism or channel for all spiritual weapons?  The mouth  -  and there are four main ways of launching our weapons through our mouths.  Number one is prayer.  Number two is praise. Number three is preaching.  Number four is testimony.

So we see that there is a battle for men's minds.  The weapons are spiritual.  The artillery through which they are launched is our mouths.  The victory will go to the side that makes the best use of its mouth.  I truly believe that if the children of God, filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit, would fill the atmosphere with the spiritual weapons God has given us, Satan's kingdom would be bound, silenced,and rendered ineffective!

I believe that in every area of the earth, it is within the pwoer of God's people to win victory for their particular territory, and Christians in every area are responsible before God for their area.  I believe the destiny of this nation and other nations will be determined by the way Christians use the spiritual weapons which God has put at our disposal.
(This article is an adaptation of an article by Derek Prince originally published in the July/August 1975 issue of the Intercessors For America Newsletter, www.IFAPray.org)

Monday, September 23, 2013

Several Articles of Interest

Egyptian Christians Killed for Not Paying "Jizya" Tax
Muslims in southern Egypt killed two Christian men for failing to pay them protection money, CBN News reports.  Muslims in the area are demanding that Christians pay them "jizya," a kind of tax that Islamic law requires religious minorities to pay Muslims, but the tax is so high many Christians simply can't afford it. Voice of the Martyrs reported that a Muslim man demanded a Christian in a village in Assiut pay him nearly $1,500.  The Christian sought help from local police but to no avail; when he failed to come up with the money, several Muslims went to his home and shot him and his cousin to death.

Judge's Ruling Makes North Dakota First to Ban Abortion Based on Down Syndrome
Earlier this year, Governor Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota signed legislation that banned abortions because of gender selection and genetic defects, such as Down syndrome.  The state's lone abortion provider, Red River Women's Clinic (RRWC), immediately filed suit to stop these measures, as well as another provision that banned abortion as soon as a heartbeat could be detected.

However, U. S.District Judge Daniel Hovland dismissed part of the suit this week at the request of RRWC, which claimed it never performed abortions for genetic or gender reasons.  The dismissal means those two provisions will go into effect in the state.

American United for Life President Charmaine Yhoest told LifeNews.com the importance of this ruling: "A civil society does not discriminate against people  -  born and unborn  -  for their sex or for disability.  We should be celebrating diversity, not destroying it," she said.  "Women in particular have been targeted for death in the womb, and we've also seen dramatic abortion rates for children with disabilities which put them at risk for extinction."

While RRWC claims they never perform abortions for such reasons, they also offered no proof that this was the case, nor did they explain why they initially challenged laws that have no bearing on their practice.  In fact, LifeNews.com claims that as many as 90% of parents choose to have an abortion when doctors detect a genetic "defect" before birth.  In other words, just because RRWC may claim the abortion was simply a "personal decision," they don't have to find out (or document) the reason for it.

Christian Widow in India Beaten for Refusing to "Reconvert" to Hinduism
NEW DELHI (Morning Star News)  -  When Laxmi Sovi, a Christian widow in India's Chhattisgarh state, heard her door opening one morning last month, she could not have guessed that by the next day she would be hospitalized and her home demolished.  Three Hindu extremists identified only as Veeru, Chaytu and Mangru barged into Sovi's house in Kakadi Beda village, Kondagoan, at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 24 and demanded that she and her children convert back to Hinduism, she told Morning Star News.  In spite of threats, she declined.  The three men left.

That night at about 11 p.m., the same Hindu nationalists forced their way into her house.  "They asked me why I converted to Christianity and left all the Hindu idols, and they also told me that I should reconvert to Hinduism or else be killed," Sovi said.

Sovi, who became a Christian four years ago, refused to renounce Christ. The Hindu extremists began beating her and her two children, threatening to rape her teenage daughter.  The children managed to escape and hid in the surrounding jungle, but the men continued to slap, kick and punch Sovi as they insisted she leave Christ.  She was found semi-conscious after the beating and the destruction of her home.

(Articles from ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Muslim Mob Injures Chruch Leaders, Choir Members in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria:  -  A Muslim mob with knives and iron rods injured several members of an Anglican church in Nasarawa state on Aug. 17 over a dispute about less than 1 cent in change, area Christians said.

Three pastors, four elders and choir members of the St. James Anglican Cathedral were wounded in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa in central Nigeria, as they met for study and worship preparation.  They sustained cuts on their heads and other parts of their bodies when some 30 Muslims attacked with motorcycle chains and wooden cubs, along with the other weapons, area residents said.

An area member of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ in Lafia, Joshua Nuhu Kuju, told Morning Star News that a Muslim woman incited the Muslims to attack after she had a minor dispute over payment with a young Christian man who runs the church's water borehole.

"The Muslim woman sent her children to purchase water from the church's borehole, and then a misunderstanding over about 5 naira (less than 1 cent US$) occurred," he said.  "The Muslim woman then went and invited some of her Muslim neighbors, who stormed the church and attacked the members of the church."  The assailants also damaged Bibles and broke chairs, he said.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Ask and It Shall Be Givern



The answer to prayer is the part of prayer which glorifies God.  It is not the act or the attitude of praying which gives efficacy to prayer.  It is not abject prostration of the body before God, the vehement or quiet utterance to God, the exquisite beauty and poetry of the diction of our prayers, which do the deed.  It is not the marvelous array of argument and eloquence in praying which makes prayer effectual.  Not one or all of these are the things which glorify God.  It is the answer which brings glory to His name.

To seek no answer to prayer takes the desire, the aim, and the heart out of prayer.  It makes praying a dead thing, fit only for dumb idols.  It is the answer which brings praying into Bible regions, and makes it a desire realized, a pursuit, an interest, that clothes it with flesh and blood, and makes it a prayer, throbbing with all the true life of prayer, affluent with all the paternal relations of giving and receiving, of asking and answering.

The emphasis in the Scriptures is always given to the answer to prayer.  All things from God are given in answer to prayer.  God himself, His presence, His gifts and His grace, one and all, are secured by prayer. The medium by which God communicates with men is prayer.  The most real thing in prayer, its very essential end, is the answer it secures.  The mere repetition of words in prayer, the counting of beads, the multiplying mere words of prayer,as if there was virtue in the number of prayers to avail, is a vain delusion, and empty thing, a useless service.  Prayer looks directly to securing an answer.

To God and to man, the answer to prayer is the all-important part of our praying.  The answer to prayer, direct and unmistakable, is the evidence of God's being.  It proves that God lives, that there is a God, an intelligent being, who is interested in His creatures, and who listens to them when they approach Him in prayer.  There is no proof so clear and demonstrative that God exists than prayer and its answer.  This was Elijah's plea: "Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God."

God holds all good in His own hands.  That good comes to us through our Lord Jesus Christ because of His all-atoning merits, by asking it in His name.  The sole command in which all the others of its class belong, is "Ask, seek, knock." And the one and sole promise is its counterpart, its necessary equivalent and results:  "It shall be given  -  ye shall find  -  it shall be opened unto you."

Our Lord JesusChrist is most fully committed to the answer of prayer.  "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."  How well assured the answer to prayer is, when that answer is to glorify God the Father!  And how eager Jesus Christ is to glorify His Father in heaven!  So eager is He to answer prayer which always and everywhere brings glory to the Father, that no prayer offered in His name is denied or overlooked by Him.  Says our Lord Jesus Christ again, giving fresh assurance to our faith, "If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it."

(by E.M. Bounds, A Confederate chaplain, prisoner of war, Methodist pastor, and author)

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Charles H. Spurgeon
"I have heard of one man who said that he did not like to prejudice his boy, so he would not say anything to him about religion.  The devil, however, was quite willing to prejudice the lad, so very early in life he learnt to swear, although his father had a foolish and wicked objection to teaching him to pray.  If you ever feel it incumbent upon you not to prejudice a piece of ground by sowing good seed in it, you may rest assured that the weeds will not imitate your impartiality, but they will take possession of the land in a very sad and shocking manner.  Where the plough does not go, and the seed is not sown, the weeds are quite sure to multiply; and if children are left untutored and untrained, all sorts of evils will spring up in their hearts and lives."

Conservatives Vow Suit Over New Jersey Gay Conversion Law
Licensed therapists are banned from using conversion therapy to try to change a child's sexual orientation from gay to straight under a bill Gov. Chris Christie signed Monday, August 19, making New Jersey the second state to prohibit the practice. But a national Christian legal group that blocked an identical law from taking effect in California earlier this year vowed to sue New Jersey, saying the legislation violates the First Amendment rights of parents and therapists.

The new law prevents any licensed therapist, psychologist, social worker or counselors related to these professions from using sexual orientation change efforts with a child under age 18.  Offenders jeopardize their licensed status under the new law, which does not apply to clergy, or anyone who is not licensed by the state.

In his signing statement, Christie noted many leading health organizations had determined such therapy was ineffective and harmful.  "The American Psychological Association has found that efforts to change sexual orientation can pose critical health risks including, but not limited to, depression, substance abuse, social withdrawal, decreased self-esteem and suicidal thoughts," Christie wrote.  "I believe that exposing children to these health risks without clear evidence of benefits that outweigh these serious risks is not appropriate."

Christie, a Catholic, had publicly stated his opposition to conversion therapy because he said he believes people are born gay. Asked about the bill at a campaign event on Monday, the Republican governor would only say, "The signing statement speaks for itself."  Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver said his organization "will immediately file suit" at the request of New Jersey counselors and parents and national counseling organizations.

Nigeria: Islamic Extremists Slit Throats of 44 Villagers,Gouge Out Eyes of Surviving Victims
Suspected Islamist extremists killed at least 44 villagers this week in continuing attacks in an Islamic uprising in northeast Nigeria, The Blaze reports. According to an official from the National Emergency Management Agency, the attackers hit Dumba village in Borno state before dawn Tuesday and slit thier victims' throats  -  a new strategy since gunfire attracts security forces.  The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attackers gouged out the eyes of some victims who survived.  Dumba is near the fishing village of Baga, where security forces in March gunned down 187 civilians in retaliation for an attack by extremists.  It is difficult to get information from the area under a state of emergency, with cell phone and Internet service cut. Borno is one of three northeastern states under a state of emergency declared May 14 to crack down on the Boko Haram terrorist network.  Since 2010, more than 1,700 people have been killed in attacks by Islamic insurgents, according to an Associated Press count.
  (w

Friday, August 30, 2013

Jesus Really Satisfies

Jesus often introduced Himself using figures of speech.  In the Gospel of John alone, He introduced Himself as the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, the door, the good shepherd, and more.  What a rich display of various aspects of the person of Christ!

Each of these pictures was meant to cast upon the backdrop of the human mind a sense of who Jesus is relative to our spiritual need.  All you need is to understand what the need is in natural life, and you can draw a line to what the equivalent is in spiritual life.

In order to illustrate this, I want us to consider the first one  -  "I am the bread of life" (John 6:35).  What do you think Jesus was teaching us about Himself by using this picture?  I think that he was teaching us that He alone truly satisfies us at our most basic level.

The context in which Jesus spoke these words was the feeding of the five thousand from a few loaves of bread.  It was a miracle.  The result of this was that the crowd He fed followed after Him when he crossed the sea, walking on the water. They wanted more bread.

"I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst,"  Jesus said.  Surely, there had to be some similarity between their earlier experience of eating ordinary bread and their potential spiritual experience of Jesus.

It must be the fact of satisfaction at a most basic level.  Bread is basic to our human existence.  It is not like our hunger for acceptance by others, for education, cell phones and tablet computers, and so on.  Hunger for food is something you must satisfy or die.  It is basic.  So it is with Christ.  Once we have Him, we go to heaven. Without Him we all go to hell.

Bread is also very fufilling.  When you are really hungry, you can be tempted to eat a live frog.  But once you are satisfied, you can turn down your favorite food.  This is what Jesus means by the phrase "Whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

Once you have found Christ  -  or better still, once Christ has found you  -  you will never seek spiritual fulfilment anywhere else.  He becomes your all in all.  He satisfies your mind, your heart, and your conscience.  Jesus really satisfies.

Even when you are surrounded by poverty, failure, sickness, and death, you will not go elsewhere in order to bear such trying times.  You will find your aspirations fully met in Christ. As the hymn writer says, "With Christ in the vessel, I can smile at the storm."

Another reason why bread is an apt illustration of Jesus is that just as you can only profit from bread by eating it, so also you can only benefit from Christ's death and resurrection by trusting in Him.  Knowledge is not good enough.  You must trust in Him.
  (Rev. Conrad Mbewe, pastor at Kabwata Baptist church, Lusaka, Zambia -Tabletalk, August 2013)

From John Piper  -  "If you don't see the greatness of God then all the things that money can buy become very exciting.  If you can't see the sun you will be impressed with a street light.  If you've never felt thunder and lightning you'll be impressed with fireworks.  And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God you'll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures."

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Several Articles of Interest

Egyptian Christians: Islamists Threatening "Slaughter"
Sixteen human rights groups are warning that more violence is about to erupt against Egypt's Christians, CBN News reports.  Islamists in the southern part of the country are stirring up anger against the Christian community with charges that its leaders helped engineer President Mohammed Morsi's downfall.  On Tuesday (Aug 13), 10,000 Muslims in the city of Assiut marched through a Christian neighborhood chanting pro-Islamist slogans.  They also defaced churches with spray-painted messages, including one calling Coptic Pope Tawadros "a dog."  Hossam Nabil, who owns a jewelry store on the street where the demonstration took place, said: "The Islamists will not stop as long as they are left to do as they please without fear of accountability.  They are many and one day they will trash our stores.....The marchers run their index finger across their throats to suggest they will slaughter us, or  scream Morsi's name in our faces."  The human rights groups are calling on Egyptian authorities to protect the country's Christian minority.

Top Pastor's Arrest Adds to Christians' Concern in Central African Republic
The already fragile situation for Christians in the Central African Republic (CAR) may be worsening.  On August 6, the leader of the country's evangelical churches, Rev. Nicolas Guerekoyame, was arrested for comments about the government.  He ws released a few hours later.

Local media reported that Guerekoyame, who is president of the CAR's Evangelical Alliance, was questioned about remarks during a sermon in Bangui, the capital, on August 4.  His comments were reportedly considered "excessive and extremist... striking a blow at the dignity of the Head of State and at the Institutions of the Transition."

However local sources, which remain anonymous for security reasons, said his arrest was linked to the pubication of an article in which he inferred that the citizens of the CAR are being treated like slaves.  In the July edition of Le Democrate, the pastor called the CAR "another island of Goree," an island off the coast of Senegal which was a hub during the slave trade of the 19th century.  The pastor added that he blamed the present government for the continued prevalence of theft, rape and murder, despite a recent plea by religious leaders and assurances by the president that security and stability was improving.

Guerekoyame is a member of the National Transitional Council (NTC), an acting parliament set up following the March military coup in which the Seleka group overthrew the regime of Francois Bozize.  Local media said Guerekoyame's immunity as a member of the NTC had not been respected.

"Egypt is Bleeding": Christian Leader Pleads for Prayers

The following analysis about the horrific violence across Egypt was written by a Christian leader in Egypt.  He is unnamed due to security concerns.
The words are heavy to put together this morning. The sad day of yesterday (Aug. 14) resulted in a sleepless night not only for me, but also for millions of Christian and Musim Egyptians who love this country and genuinely seek its good and welfare.  It was a day of many tears, pain and agony for what Egypt witnessed for the violence that resulted. According to the officail report of the Egyptian Ministry of Health, there were 235 deaths and 2001 injuries.  The number of casualties and injuries reported by the Muslim  Brotherhood and promoted by Al-Jazeera and other Muslim Brotherhood-supporting media channels are of course much higher.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Christian Churches Warned of Boy Scout Legal Risks

Christian Churches Warned of Boy Scout Legal Risks

Christian churches are being warned that if they continue to sponsor Boy Scout troops, they are opening themselves to multiple legal challenges that could affect whether they can "freely preach the Gospel."  The Boy Scouts of America's newly adopted membership policy  -  in which youths no longer will be blocked from joining the Scouts based on "sexual orientation or preference alone"  -  is "a sweeping change to its core values,"  said Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal defense organization.

The policy change has legal ramifications for religious chartering groups, potentially exposing them to lawsuits if they continue to sponsor troops while seeking to maintain the traditional Christian teaching that homosexual behavior is immoral.

"That's our basic concern  -  that it weakens the church's freedom of religion and freedom of association arguments on that point,"  he said, adding that churches may need to separate from the Boy Scouts of America to "protect their right to freely preach the Gospel" and "be a witness to our nations' youth."  In response, Deron Smith, a Boy Scouts spokesman, said most of this kind of commentary "is based on speculation" and inaccurately states that the Boy Scouts organization has made a fundamental shift in vaues or is attempting to cause division within Scouting.

"We believe most people have grown tired of those who seek to use Scouting, an organization whose mission is to serve young people to advance their own agendas," Mr. Smith said.
  (www.presidentialprayerteam.com)

Monday, August 19, 2013

Several Items of Interest

Every great movement in the Church from Paul down to modern times has been criticized on the ground that it promoted censoriousness and intolerance and disputing.  Of course the gospel of Christ, in a world of sin and doubt, will cause disputing; and if it does not cause disputing and arouse bitter opposition, that is a sure sign that it is not being faithfully proclaimed.
     J. Gresham Machen

Egyptian Christians Allege Torture Under Morsi Regime
Roughly a year after revelations the Muslim Brotherhood had tortured Christian demonstrators at a Cairo mosque, more Egyptians are coming forward, detailing abuse they endured during Mohammed Morsi's presidency, CBN News reports. The torture allegations come as no surprise to Egyptians demonstrators brutally beaten by pro-Morsi Islamists. Egypt's El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of victims of violence recorded 359 torture cases during President Mohammed Morsi's one year in office, compared to 357 during the last 10 years of Hosni Mubarak's rule.  However, arresting and prosecuting the abusers may not be a top priority of Egypt's interim government at this time.  Pro-Morsi supporters and other Islamists still blame Christians for the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood leader from the Egyptian presidency, and attacks against Christians, especially in upper Egypt, continue unabated.  In the latest wave of attacks on August 3, militant Muslims attacked homes and businesses in three Christian villages near al Minya, where rioting Islamists planted a black al qaeda flag at a Coptic Orthodox church in Sohag.

Chinese Underground Church Hero of Faith Samuel Lamb Dies at 88
Every Sunday after the service,Chinese pastor Samuel Lamb (also known as Samuel Lam) invited foreign guests into his office and immediately began to tell the story of his life, which he summarized in the one "holy principle" of "more persecution, more growth."

He experienced Communist oppression and spent more than 20 years in prison.  He also experienced God's response: an amazing growth of the Church in China, now estimated at 80 million.  Lamb became a hero of the Christian faith for millions of believers inside and outside of China.  He passed away on Saturday,Aug. 3 at the age of 88.

Samuel Lamb (Lin Xingiao in Chinese) was born in a mountainous area overlooking Macau.  His father pastored a small Baptist church and he was raised as a Christian.  Lam was arrested during one of the first big waves of persecution in Mao's China and was held in prison from 1955 to 1957.  The Chinese authorities sentenced him a second time in 1958.  He spent 20 gruesome years in labor camps, where he mostly worked in coal mines.  Despite the harsh punishments, Lam continued to teach.

The main reason why Lam was targeted by the government was his refusal to merge his illegal house church into the Three self Patriotic Movement, the state-led Protestant Church. The government used to forbid Christian leaders to preach about the second coming of Christ and to teach minors uner 18 years old. China basically made the state church evolve around the state and not around God.
    (ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)