Father, we come to You to pray for our nation, the United States of America.
How You have blessed us through the years, Lord! We rightly sing, "America, America, God shed His grace on thee." Yet we see trouble in our culture today. We see the breakdown of the family, crippling addictions, and random acts of horrific violence.
Lord, we need Your help in America. In recent days, we have done our best to remove Your Word and Your counsel from our courtrooms, classrooms, and culture. It seems, as President Lincoln once said, that we have "forgotten God." But Lord, You have not forgotten us! You can bless and help and revive our country again.
Scripture tells us that "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34) Lord, in Your mercy, we ask that You would exalt our country again. We have had a number of great awakenings in America. We have experienced times of refreshing, and revivals that changed not only the spiritual but also the moral landscape. As the psalmist said, "Will You not revive us again, so that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalm 85:6)
That is our prayer for America today, Lord. Send a mighty spiritual awakening that will turn the hearts of men and women, boys and girls back to you. You have told us if we will humble ourselves and pray, and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways, that You will forgive our sins and heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Forgive us today, Lord,and heal this troubled land that we love so much.
We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ.
(Intercessors For America www.IFAPray.org
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Friday, May 24, 2013
Several Items of Interest
Christian, Jewish Persecution Up in Muslim Nations
The U.S. State Department's International religious Freedom Report for 2012 shows persecution against Christians and Jews is on the rise, especially in Muslim countries, CBN News reports. Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are among the many countries where non-Muslims are suffering persecution. Saudi Arabia prohibits any religion except Islam and enforces state restrictions on religious freedom. In Sudan, Muslim rioters burned down an evangelical church compound, in Libya, terrorists bombed an Orthodox church, and in Nigeria, Muslim radicals murdered hundreds of Christians. The report also devotes a section to the ongoing global increase in anti-Semitism, citing Venezuela, Egypt and Iran as countries with political and religious leaders who openly espouse Holocaust denial and anti-Israel rhetoric.
Department of Justice Forcing Federal Employees to Publicly Affirm Homosexuality
The Obama administration is apparently requiring federal workers to not only tolerate homosexuality, but to "publicly embrace and affirm" it, according to the religious liberty law firm Liberty Counsel, Charisma News reports. Last week, a whistleblower from the department of Justice sent Liberty Counsel a copy of a brochure sent to all DOJ employees entitled "LGBI inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers" The directive requires employees to vocally affirm homosexuality: "DON'T judge or remain silent. Silence will be interpreted as disapproval." The DOJ also instructs managers to "use inclusive words like "partner," "significant other" or "spouse" rather than gender-specific terms like "husband" and "wife" and to "use a transgender person's chosen name and the pronoun that is consistent with the person's self-identified gender." According to Liberty Counsel, "No longer can Christians quietly dissent or remain neutral to same-sex relationships. Now the DOJ is requiring federal employees to affirm sexual behaviors that every major religion throughout history has deemed immoral."
Soldier Killed Near London Barracks in Suspected Terror Attack
A man thought to be a serving British soldier was killed by two armed men in a frenzied attack on a London street Wednesday in what the government is treating as a suspected act of terrorism, CNN reports. Witnesses told of a gruesome scene in which the man was hit by a car, then hacked with cleavers before his body was dumped in the middle of the road. The two suspects in the killing were injured in a confrontation with police and have been taken to two hospitals, where they are being treated. CNN affiliate ITN aired a video showing a man holding a meat cleaver and saying, "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth." The government is treating the gruesome killing as a suspected terrorist attack, Prime Minister David Cameron's office said. He has called a meeting of the country's civil emergency committee, known as COBRA, to discuss the incident and authorities' response.
Gosnell Horrors "Standard Operating Procedure" In Abortion Industry
The pro-life group Live Action wants a series of undercover videos taken at abortion clinics to result in federal investigations and possible criminal charges, One News Now reports. Last week, Live Action sent a woman who was 24 weeks pregnant into three abortion clinics - one each in D.C., the Bronx and Phoenix - posing as someone seeking a late-term abortion. "{In our videos} these workers are describing how, in order to kill these babies, they either cut the umbilical cord of the child and wait for it to asphyxiate, to suffocate in the womb, how they rip that child out piece by piece using forceps, or how they pucture the chest with a needle and insert poison into the baby's heart to make it slowly die in over a half an hour," said Live Action president Lila Rose. In each case the clinic workers - and in one instance the abortionist himself - were asked what they would do if the baby were born alive, and they answered that it would be allowed to die. "So what these abortionists are saying is they're willing to ultimately kill these children, drowing them in jars of toxic solution, or just discarding them and leaving them to die while they're struggling to survive in the abortion clinic," Rose said. "This is infanticide, this is murder, as well as abortion.......The horrors of the Kermit Gosnell trial are a widespread problem in this industry. Dismembering and destroying innocent children, leaving born babies to die, injecting poison into the chest of a tiny child so that he slowly dies in his own mother's womb - this is all standard operating procedure in the abortion industry."
(All above articles from Religion Daily Headlins, www.ReligionToday@crossroads.com
The U.S. State Department's International religious Freedom Report for 2012 shows persecution against Christians and Jews is on the rise, especially in Muslim countries, CBN News reports. Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are among the many countries where non-Muslims are suffering persecution. Saudi Arabia prohibits any religion except Islam and enforces state restrictions on religious freedom. In Sudan, Muslim rioters burned down an evangelical church compound, in Libya, terrorists bombed an Orthodox church, and in Nigeria, Muslim radicals murdered hundreds of Christians. The report also devotes a section to the ongoing global increase in anti-Semitism, citing Venezuela, Egypt and Iran as countries with political and religious leaders who openly espouse Holocaust denial and anti-Israel rhetoric.
Department of Justice Forcing Federal Employees to Publicly Affirm Homosexuality
The Obama administration is apparently requiring federal workers to not only tolerate homosexuality, but to "publicly embrace and affirm" it, according to the religious liberty law firm Liberty Counsel, Charisma News reports. Last week, a whistleblower from the department of Justice sent Liberty Counsel a copy of a brochure sent to all DOJ employees entitled "LGBI inclusion at Work: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers" The directive requires employees to vocally affirm homosexuality: "DON'T judge or remain silent. Silence will be interpreted as disapproval." The DOJ also instructs managers to "use inclusive words like "partner," "significant other" or "spouse" rather than gender-specific terms like "husband" and "wife" and to "use a transgender person's chosen name and the pronoun that is consistent with the person's self-identified gender." According to Liberty Counsel, "No longer can Christians quietly dissent or remain neutral to same-sex relationships. Now the DOJ is requiring federal employees to affirm sexual behaviors that every major religion throughout history has deemed immoral."
Soldier Killed Near London Barracks in Suspected Terror Attack
A man thought to be a serving British soldier was killed by two armed men in a frenzied attack on a London street Wednesday in what the government is treating as a suspected act of terrorism, CNN reports. Witnesses told of a gruesome scene in which the man was hit by a car, then hacked with cleavers before his body was dumped in the middle of the road. The two suspects in the killing were injured in a confrontation with police and have been taken to two hospitals, where they are being treated. CNN affiliate ITN aired a video showing a man holding a meat cleaver and saying, "We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you. The only reasons we killed this man is because Muslims are dying daily. This British soldier is an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth." The government is treating the gruesome killing as a suspected terrorist attack, Prime Minister David Cameron's office said. He has called a meeting of the country's civil emergency committee, known as COBRA, to discuss the incident and authorities' response.
Gosnell Horrors "Standard Operating Procedure" In Abortion Industry
The pro-life group Live Action wants a series of undercover videos taken at abortion clinics to result in federal investigations and possible criminal charges, One News Now reports. Last week, Live Action sent a woman who was 24 weeks pregnant into three abortion clinics - one each in D.C., the Bronx and Phoenix - posing as someone seeking a late-term abortion. "{In our videos} these workers are describing how, in order to kill these babies, they either cut the umbilical cord of the child and wait for it to asphyxiate, to suffocate in the womb, how they rip that child out piece by piece using forceps, or how they pucture the chest with a needle and insert poison into the baby's heart to make it slowly die in over a half an hour," said Live Action president Lila Rose. In each case the clinic workers - and in one instance the abortionist himself - were asked what they would do if the baby were born alive, and they answered that it would be allowed to die. "So what these abortionists are saying is they're willing to ultimately kill these children, drowing them in jars of toxic solution, or just discarding them and leaving them to die while they're struggling to survive in the abortion clinic," Rose said. "This is infanticide, this is murder, as well as abortion.......The horrors of the Kermit Gosnell trial are a widespread problem in this industry. Dismembering and destroying innocent children, leaving born babies to die, injecting poison into the chest of a tiny child so that he slowly dies in his own mother's womb - this is all standard operating procedure in the abortion industry."
(All above articles from Religion Daily Headlins, www.ReligionToday@crossroads.com
Monday, May 20, 2013
U.S. Court Denies German Homeschool Family Asylum
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the Obama administration's refusal to grant asylum to a German homeschooling family, CBN News reports. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder filed against the Romeike family, arguing that asylum should not be granted because homeschooling is not a fundamental right protected under religious freedom. The Romeikes fled Germany in 2008, facing criminal prosecution for homeschooling. In 2010, they were granted political asylum by immigration judge Lawrence Burman, but his decision was overturned by the Board of Immigration Appeals last year. On Tuesday (May 14), the three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit issued a unanimous decision against the family. While the 6th Circuit did acknowledge that the U.S.Constitution recognizes the right of parents to homeschool, it refused to grant that what the Romeikes face amounts to persecution deserving of asylum. The Romeikes said they were disappointed but said, "God is in control." They know what they face in Germany if they are deported. "First, they would fine us with increasingly high fines and they would threaten to take away custody. There might be jail time too, but the main threat is the aspect of custody because then of course the children are taken away from you completely and that's what no family wants." The Home School Legal Defense Association plans to appeal the decision.
Franklin Graham: IRS Targeted Us,Too
The IRS also came after Billy Graham, his son charged Tuesday in a letter to President Barack Obama, POLITICO reports. Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, said the IRS notified the organizations in September that it was conducting a "review" of their activities for tax year 2010. With the IRS admitting it gave extra scrutiny to conservative political organiaztions, Graham says he now believes that the review was part of an Obama administration effort of "targeting and attempting to intimidate us." The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's urging of voters to back "candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the nation of Israel" during last year's presidential race was the reason why IRS agents visited the North Carolina offices of both Graham groups, the letter accuses. "While these audits not only wasted taxpayer money, they wasted money contributed by donors for ministry purposes as we had to spend precious resources servicing the IRS agents in our offices," Graham wrote in the letter. "I believe that someone in the administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us. This is morally wrong and unethical - indeed some would call it 'un-American.'" Graham said that "in light" of the IRS admission that it targeted tea party groups for added scrutiny, "I do not believe that the IRS audit of our two organizations last year is a coincidence - or justifiable."
Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians
According to a new study, blasphemy and evangelizing accusations are disproportionately used against members of Egypt's Christian minority - particularly those working in education, Christianity Today reports. A study to be released at the end of this month by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) found that 41 percent of blasphemy cases taken to court from Jan 25, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2012, were filed against Christians, who make up only about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 83 million people. Ishak Ibrahim of the EIPR said people are targeting Christians using the nation's blasphemy statues as a weapon. The total of 36 blasphemy cases involved 63 people, and the country's Sunni Muslim majority, which makes up almost 90 percent of Egypt's population, were charged in 59 percent of the cases. Ibrahim noted that approximately 30 percent of the blasphemy cases were filed against someone in an education environment Ibrahim also expects to see an increase in charges against Christians, as Egypt's new constitution employs vague language that could prohibit evangelism, though evangelism is not specifically illegal. At the same time, the new constitution more explicitly criminalizes criticism of Islam. Along with the disproportionate number of Christians charged with blasphemy, sentences are harsher for Christians compared with those handed to Muslims, EIPR noted. The study notes that the sentences are also unusually harsh in relation to the nature of the offenses.
Black Pro -Life Leaders: Gosnell Worst Kind of Racist
Black pro-life leaders are calling for investigations of other abortion clinics like the one run by Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell,CBN News reports. Many gathered in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, accusing the abortion industry of targeting black Americans. "Kermit Gosnell is a racist of the worst kind because he preyed on women and young girls of his own race," said Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union. "For more than 30 years, Kermit Gosnell participated and perpetuated the epidemic of black-on-black crime." Rev. Walter Hoye of the Black Pro-Life Coalition, said, "From 1882 to 1968, 86 years, the Ku Klux Klan lynched 3,446 Negroes.. While it took the Klan 86 years to accomplish this, abortion on demand in America accomplishes that in less than four days." Rev. Arnold Culbreath, founding member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, noted, "79 percent of Planned Parenthood's surgical abortion facilities are intentionally placed within walking distance of minority neighborhoods." Earlier this year, black leaders pledged to find new strategies to spread the pro-life message to their communities.
Tebow Finds Fulfillment Off the Field
Eleven days after the New York Jets cut him, Christian quarterback Tim Tebow told a crowd of about 3,000 at Lake Michigan College that his main goal is to impact lives, whether on or off the field. And that shouldn't be too hard considering a Forbes.com survey released last week named Tebow American's most influential athlete. Despite the controversy surrounding his public faith,Tebow finished ahead of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Jamacian track star Usain Bolt and Yankees shortstop Derik Jeter. "That's a huge honor," Tebow said in response the survey. "I see it as a great responsibility to be a role model for future generations. That's something I care about more than winning football games. If I can take the game of football and can transcend football - go to hospitals and make kids smile - I'll be doing things that matter." Although Tebow didn't mention his dismissal from the Jets during his hour -long speech or offer any insight as to what his next move might be, the 25-year-old did talk about finding a life of fulfillment after the game. "What I want to do with my life is impact lives," he said. "When a kid in a hospital is fighting for his life and I'm trying to win a football game, what really matters? This game isn't as important as a lot of us make it out to be. If I can give him a little bit of hope, I can do something that matters. That's what I want my legacy to be about. That's how I want to be remembered."
(All articles from Religion Today Daily Headlines, www.ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the Obama administration's refusal to grant asylum to a German homeschooling family, CBN News reports. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder filed against the Romeike family, arguing that asylum should not be granted because homeschooling is not a fundamental right protected under religious freedom. The Romeikes fled Germany in 2008, facing criminal prosecution for homeschooling. In 2010, they were granted political asylum by immigration judge Lawrence Burman, but his decision was overturned by the Board of Immigration Appeals last year. On Tuesday (May 14), the three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit issued a unanimous decision against the family. While the 6th Circuit did acknowledge that the U.S.Constitution recognizes the right of parents to homeschool, it refused to grant that what the Romeikes face amounts to persecution deserving of asylum. The Romeikes said they were disappointed but said, "God is in control." They know what they face in Germany if they are deported. "First, they would fine us with increasingly high fines and they would threaten to take away custody. There might be jail time too, but the main threat is the aspect of custody because then of course the children are taken away from you completely and that's what no family wants." The Home School Legal Defense Association plans to appeal the decision.
Franklin Graham: IRS Targeted Us,Too
The IRS also came after Billy Graham, his son charged Tuesday in a letter to President Barack Obama, POLITICO reports. Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, said the IRS notified the organizations in September that it was conducting a "review" of their activities for tax year 2010. With the IRS admitting it gave extra scrutiny to conservative political organiaztions, Graham says he now believes that the review was part of an Obama administration effort of "targeting and attempting to intimidate us." The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's urging of voters to back "candidates who base their decisions on biblical principles and support the nation of Israel" during last year's presidential race was the reason why IRS agents visited the North Carolina offices of both Graham groups, the letter accuses. "While these audits not only wasted taxpayer money, they wasted money contributed by donors for ministry purposes as we had to spend precious resources servicing the IRS agents in our offices," Graham wrote in the letter. "I believe that someone in the administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us. This is morally wrong and unethical - indeed some would call it 'un-American.'" Graham said that "in light" of the IRS admission that it targeted tea party groups for added scrutiny, "I do not believe that the IRS audit of our two organizations last year is a coincidence - or justifiable."
Blasphemy Charges Becoming New Weapon Against Egyptian Christians
According to a new study, blasphemy and evangelizing accusations are disproportionately used against members of Egypt's Christian minority - particularly those working in education, Christianity Today reports. A study to be released at the end of this month by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) found that 41 percent of blasphemy cases taken to court from Jan 25, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2012, were filed against Christians, who make up only about 10 percent of Egypt's population of 83 million people. Ishak Ibrahim of the EIPR said people are targeting Christians using the nation's blasphemy statues as a weapon. The total of 36 blasphemy cases involved 63 people, and the country's Sunni Muslim majority, which makes up almost 90 percent of Egypt's population, were charged in 59 percent of the cases. Ibrahim noted that approximately 30 percent of the blasphemy cases were filed against someone in an education environment Ibrahim also expects to see an increase in charges against Christians, as Egypt's new constitution employs vague language that could prohibit evangelism, though evangelism is not specifically illegal. At the same time, the new constitution more explicitly criminalizes criticism of Islam. Along with the disproportionate number of Christians charged with blasphemy, sentences are harsher for Christians compared with those handed to Muslims, EIPR noted. The study notes that the sentences are also unusually harsh in relation to the nature of the offenses.
Black Pro -Life Leaders: Gosnell Worst Kind of Racist
Black pro-life leaders are calling for investigations of other abortion clinics like the one run by Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell,CBN News reports. Many gathered in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, accusing the abortion industry of targeting black Americans. "Kermit Gosnell is a racist of the worst kind because he preyed on women and young girls of his own race," said Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-Life Union. "For more than 30 years, Kermit Gosnell participated and perpetuated the epidemic of black-on-black crime." Rev. Walter Hoye of the Black Pro-Life Coalition, said, "From 1882 to 1968, 86 years, the Ku Klux Klan lynched 3,446 Negroes.. While it took the Klan 86 years to accomplish this, abortion on demand in America accomplishes that in less than four days." Rev. Arnold Culbreath, founding member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition, noted, "79 percent of Planned Parenthood's surgical abortion facilities are intentionally placed within walking distance of minority neighborhoods." Earlier this year, black leaders pledged to find new strategies to spread the pro-life message to their communities.
Tebow Finds Fulfillment Off the Field
Eleven days after the New York Jets cut him, Christian quarterback Tim Tebow told a crowd of about 3,000 at Lake Michigan College that his main goal is to impact lives, whether on or off the field. And that shouldn't be too hard considering a Forbes.com survey released last week named Tebow American's most influential athlete. Despite the controversy surrounding his public faith,Tebow finished ahead of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, Jamacian track star Usain Bolt and Yankees shortstop Derik Jeter. "That's a huge honor," Tebow said in response the survey. "I see it as a great responsibility to be a role model for future generations. That's something I care about more than winning football games. If I can take the game of football and can transcend football - go to hospitals and make kids smile - I'll be doing things that matter." Although Tebow didn't mention his dismissal from the Jets during his hour -long speech or offer any insight as to what his next move might be, the 25-year-old did talk about finding a life of fulfillment after the game. "What I want to do with my life is impact lives," he said. "When a kid in a hospital is fighting for his life and I'm trying to win a football game, what really matters? This game isn't as important as a lot of us make it out to be. If I can give him a little bit of hope, I can do something that matters. That's what I want my legacy to be about. That's how I want to be remembered."
(All articles from Religion Today Daily Headlines, www.ReligionToday@crosswalkmail.com)
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
In an internationaly watched court case that could determine whether German homeschoolers will be granted asylum or deported by the American government, the Romeike family had its asylum petition heard in a Cincinnati courtroom last Tuesday. In Romeike v. Holder ("Holder" is Eric Holder, the U.S. Attorney General), the Obama Administration presented oral arguments intended to convince a federal court to revoke the asylum granted by an immigration judge. Among other arguments, the government's attorneys are arguing that parents do not have a fundamental right to determine the kind of education their children will receive.
The Romeikes, defended by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), had been homeschooling their children in Germany. They believed that German public schools were teaching values that were contrary to their Christian beliefs. The government fined the family, and on one occasion the children were removed from their home by police and taken to a local public school by force. In 2008, the Romeikes, fearing continued government interference with their convictions that they should educate their children at home, emigrated to the United States. (Their fear was quite reasonable, as in 2007 German government authorities removed fifteen-year-old Melissa Busekros from her homeschooling family.) The Romeikes requested and were granted asylum on the grounds of both religious persecution and persecution for being members of a "particular group."
In a Cincinnati courtroom on Tuesday (April 23, 2013), the room was full to overflowing with homeschool families and others. They heard Michael Farris of the HSLDA argue in front of three federal judges that the Romeike case was about whether or not the U.S. government believes "that the freedom to homeschool is something that can be coercively changed and whether Germany's values should dictate our values." After the hearing, Farris indicated there were some "tough questions" posed by the judges, adding that it is hard to predict how they will rule. It may be several months before a decision is handed down.
In the name of creating national unity, Germany does not permit parents to home educate their children. (Some other European countries also restrict that right, which is protected in the United States - for now.) Remarkably, Obama Administration attorneys are arguing that Germany is not violating anyone's civil rights so long as no one is allowed to homeshcool. Put another way, everyone is restricted equally. The Supreme Court of Germany has determined that the government must "counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies." This unusual phrase "parallel societies" came up during oral arguments in Cincinnati last week. The German government is virtually mandating homogeneity in education. In other words, Germany is seeking to prohibit people who think differently from the government from becoming an influence in society. In 2007, the German high court ruled that parents could even lose child custody if they homeschooled their children.
U.S. law offers political asylum to refugees on five grounds, including being of a "particular social group" and on account of religion. At least one judge last Tuesday questioned whether the treatment by the German government was real persecution and was thus true grounds for permitting the Romeikes to stay in the U.S. The HSLDA countered with the observation that the mistreatment of the Romeikes is indeed severe because the children would be removed from the home unless they attended a public or private school.
As AIG has noted earlier, the U.S. Attorney General further declared that the Romeikes were not suffering from religious persecution because not all homeschoolers were religious (and because not all Christians wished to homeschool).
As the U.S. government threatens to send the family back to Germany, where the parents may face the loss of custody of their children, Americans should be concerned about the possible precedent the case would create in our own country. Lawyers with the Attorney General's office implied during oral arguments on Tuesday that any government can deny the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. While U.S.courts have generally been favorable to parents in regard to how they want to educate their children, this current administration apparentlywants to chip away at the rights Americans currently enjoy in home education. As the judges deliberate, they will no doubt consider the U.S.Supreme Court decision in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) that affirmed the right of parents to keep their children out of public schools if they had religious reasons.
With the harshness of the German government's actions towards the Romeikes, we point out the unfortunate irony that millions of Germans suffered under the totalitarian regimes that ruled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s and communist East Germany until about 20 years ago. The Romeikes are a persecuted German family who fled a united, democratic Germany, which is now in danger of tarnishing its reputation of granting religious liberty.
Potential Impact on American Religious Freedom
As far as liberty in the U.S. is concerned, attorney Michael Donnelly, HSLDA director of international relations, shared with AIG staff the day after the oral arguments that he found it "very troubling what the Obama Administration was arguing in court" about homeschooling. He observed that the U.S. Attorney General was supporting the German government's assertion that homeschooling is not a parental right. In essence, the Obama Administration was endorsing a belief that the upbringing of children really belongs to the government, not to the parents, and that governments have a right to educated children in the way they alone determine. As the Obama Administration chips away at the right of parents to homeschool their children, it is undermining the biblical admonition that children belong to the parents and that parents are responsible for the education of their children.
Ken Ham, president of AIG, observed that "Romeike v. Holder should be a warning to all Americans that the same arguments being heard about homeschooling in this case could be used down the road to outlaw homeschooling or greatly curb it in the USA." He then added, "What is happening to the Romeike family is just another sign of the increasing secularization of the American culture and the spiritual battle between light and darkness raging around us. I pray the church in America will become aware of what is happening before it wakes up one day to discover our religious freedoms curtailed or eliminated."
In Sweden, homeschooling parents have met with similar persecution by their government. A Swedish child, Domenic Johansson, was taken by force from his parents in 2009 after boarding an airplane in order to emigrate to his mother's home so that they could continue their homeschooling. A Swedish court terminated their parental rights in December.
If the Romeikes lose their asylum bid, they would be deported to Germany where the state has already threatened to take their children away from the parents if they do not send them to public school. Meanwhile, the Romeike family temporarily resides in Tennessee, where they have enjoyed the hospitality of many compassionate people. They have become a part of their community there and are active in a local church.
AIG prays that Christians in America, Germany,Sweden, and other countries in which homeschooling is under threat will be able to follow the clear teaching from Scripture that it is the parents who are to teach their children the truth of God's Word ( e.g. Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 22w:6, Deuteronomy 6:5-9). Biblically, the responsibility clearly belongs to parents to direct the upbringing of their children. United States courts have previously upheld that right. Whether they will in the future remains to be seen.
The shadow of the Romeike case stretches not just to homeschooling families, however, but also to all Americans who value their constitutionally protected religious freedom. You see, the Obama Administration's Department of Justice, by its claim that the Romeikes religious freedom is not being threatened because not all Christians want to homeschool, is suggesting that religious freedom is only the freedom to conform to a religious group, not the freedom to have individual religious convictions. This sort of thinking in the Obama administration represents a worrisome threat to the religious freedom of all Americans, not just Christians who homeschool.
(by Mark Looy, CCO of Answers in Genesis - US, www.answersingenesis.org)
The Romeikes, defended by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), had been homeschooling their children in Germany. They believed that German public schools were teaching values that were contrary to their Christian beliefs. The government fined the family, and on one occasion the children were removed from their home by police and taken to a local public school by force. In 2008, the Romeikes, fearing continued government interference with their convictions that they should educate their children at home, emigrated to the United States. (Their fear was quite reasonable, as in 2007 German government authorities removed fifteen-year-old Melissa Busekros from her homeschooling family.) The Romeikes requested and were granted asylum on the grounds of both religious persecution and persecution for being members of a "particular group."
In a Cincinnati courtroom on Tuesday (April 23, 2013), the room was full to overflowing with homeschool families and others. They heard Michael Farris of the HSLDA argue in front of three federal judges that the Romeike case was about whether or not the U.S. government believes "that the freedom to homeschool is something that can be coercively changed and whether Germany's values should dictate our values." After the hearing, Farris indicated there were some "tough questions" posed by the judges, adding that it is hard to predict how they will rule. It may be several months before a decision is handed down.
In the name of creating national unity, Germany does not permit parents to home educate their children. (Some other European countries also restrict that right, which is protected in the United States - for now.) Remarkably, Obama Administration attorneys are arguing that Germany is not violating anyone's civil rights so long as no one is allowed to homeshcool. Put another way, everyone is restricted equally. The Supreme Court of Germany has determined that the government must "counteract the development of religious and philosophically motivated parallel societies." This unusual phrase "parallel societies" came up during oral arguments in Cincinnati last week. The German government is virtually mandating homogeneity in education. In other words, Germany is seeking to prohibit people who think differently from the government from becoming an influence in society. In 2007, the German high court ruled that parents could even lose child custody if they homeschooled their children.
U.S. law offers political asylum to refugees on five grounds, including being of a "particular social group" and on account of religion. At least one judge last Tuesday questioned whether the treatment by the German government was real persecution and was thus true grounds for permitting the Romeikes to stay in the U.S. The HSLDA countered with the observation that the mistreatment of the Romeikes is indeed severe because the children would be removed from the home unless they attended a public or private school.
As AIG has noted earlier, the U.S. Attorney General further declared that the Romeikes were not suffering from religious persecution because not all homeschoolers were religious (and because not all Christians wished to homeschool).
As the U.S. government threatens to send the family back to Germany, where the parents may face the loss of custody of their children, Americans should be concerned about the possible precedent the case would create in our own country. Lawyers with the Attorney General's office implied during oral arguments on Tuesday that any government can deny the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. While U.S.courts have generally been favorable to parents in regard to how they want to educate their children, this current administration apparentlywants to chip away at the rights Americans currently enjoy in home education. As the judges deliberate, they will no doubt consider the U.S.Supreme Court decision in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) that affirmed the right of parents to keep their children out of public schools if they had religious reasons.
With the harshness of the German government's actions towards the Romeikes, we point out the unfortunate irony that millions of Germans suffered under the totalitarian regimes that ruled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s and communist East Germany until about 20 years ago. The Romeikes are a persecuted German family who fled a united, democratic Germany, which is now in danger of tarnishing its reputation of granting religious liberty.
Potential Impact on American Religious Freedom
As far as liberty in the U.S. is concerned, attorney Michael Donnelly, HSLDA director of international relations, shared with AIG staff the day after the oral arguments that he found it "very troubling what the Obama Administration was arguing in court" about homeschooling. He observed that the U.S. Attorney General was supporting the German government's assertion that homeschooling is not a parental right. In essence, the Obama Administration was endorsing a belief that the upbringing of children really belongs to the government, not to the parents, and that governments have a right to educated children in the way they alone determine. As the Obama Administration chips away at the right of parents to homeschool their children, it is undermining the biblical admonition that children belong to the parents and that parents are responsible for the education of their children.
Ken Ham, president of AIG, observed that "Romeike v. Holder should be a warning to all Americans that the same arguments being heard about homeschooling in this case could be used down the road to outlaw homeschooling or greatly curb it in the USA." He then added, "What is happening to the Romeike family is just another sign of the increasing secularization of the American culture and the spiritual battle between light and darkness raging around us. I pray the church in America will become aware of what is happening before it wakes up one day to discover our religious freedoms curtailed or eliminated."
In Sweden, homeschooling parents have met with similar persecution by their government. A Swedish child, Domenic Johansson, was taken by force from his parents in 2009 after boarding an airplane in order to emigrate to his mother's home so that they could continue their homeschooling. A Swedish court terminated their parental rights in December.
If the Romeikes lose their asylum bid, they would be deported to Germany where the state has already threatened to take their children away from the parents if they do not send them to public school. Meanwhile, the Romeike family temporarily resides in Tennessee, where they have enjoyed the hospitality of many compassionate people. They have become a part of their community there and are active in a local church.
AIG prays that Christians in America, Germany,Sweden, and other countries in which homeschooling is under threat will be able to follow the clear teaching from Scripture that it is the parents who are to teach their children the truth of God's Word ( e.g. Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 22w:6, Deuteronomy 6:5-9). Biblically, the responsibility clearly belongs to parents to direct the upbringing of their children. United States courts have previously upheld that right. Whether they will in the future remains to be seen.
The shadow of the Romeike case stretches not just to homeschooling families, however, but also to all Americans who value their constitutionally protected religious freedom. You see, the Obama Administration's Department of Justice, by its claim that the Romeikes religious freedom is not being threatened because not all Christians want to homeschool, is suggesting that religious freedom is only the freedom to conform to a religious group, not the freedom to have individual religious convictions. This sort of thinking in the Obama administration represents a worrisome threat to the religious freedom of all Americans, not just Christians who homeschool.
(by Mark Looy, CCO of Answers in Genesis - US, www.answersingenesis.org)
Friday, May 10, 2013
Mother's Day
FAITH OF OUR MOTHERS
Faith of our mothers, living yet
In cradle song and bedtime prayer,
In nursery love and fireside lore,
Thy presence still pervades the air.
Faith of our mothers, living faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, lavish faith,
The fount of childhood's trust and grace,
O may thy consecration prove
The wellspring of a nobler race.
Faith of our mothers, lavish faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith,
For youthful longings - youthful doubts,
How blurred our vision, blind our way,
Thy providential care without.
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, Christian faith,
In truth beyond our man-made creeds,
Still serve the home and save the church,
And breathe thy sprit through our deeds.
Faith of our mothers, Christian faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Arthur B. Patten, 1920
Proverbs 31:10 - 31
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful,and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Faith of our mothers, living yet
In cradle song and bedtime prayer,
In nursery love and fireside lore,
Thy presence still pervades the air.
Faith of our mothers, living faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, lavish faith,
The fount of childhood's trust and grace,
O may thy consecration prove
The wellspring of a nobler race.
Faith of our mothers, lavish faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith,
For youthful longings - youthful doubts,
How blurred our vision, blind our way,
Thy providential care without.
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, Christian faith,
In truth beyond our man-made creeds,
Still serve the home and save the church,
And breathe thy sprit through our deeds.
Faith of our mothers, Christian faith,
We will be true to thee till death.
Arthur B. Patten, 1920
Proverbs 31:10 - 31
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful,and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Thoughts from D. M. Lloyd-Jones
One day our Lord was in the counry, with His disciples standing round about Him. And He observes a famer sowing seed into the ground. Very clearly our Lord was not only interested in agriculture, but he knew a good deal about it. But the sight of that farmer does not prompt our Lord to deliver an address on agriculture: but as He watches that farmer He sees an illustration for His sermon. "You see that man," says our Lord. "He is sowing seed into the ground. There are different types of ground into which it is sown: and the ground will be judged by its response to the seed that the farmer is sowing into it. I am like that farmer: I am sowing the seed of the word of God which leads to eternal life. Ultimately men will be judged by their reaction to that seed sown in their lives."
On another occasion when in the country our Lord beholds the various fruit-trees in an orchard. It is quite clear that our Lord knew a good deal about horticulture, but that does not lead Him to deliver an address on the subject. "Look at those trees," says our Lord. "They may bear either good or bad fruit. Ultimately they will be judged by the kind of fruit that they bear." And turning to His disciples, He says, "You are exactly like those trees. By your lives and by your works you will bear either good or bad fruit. So take heed." On another occasion our Lord was in the country and He observed the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. "If God is so concerned about the lilies of the field that He clothes them, and about the birds of the air, that He feeds them, how much more is He concerned about you," Christ says. So I could go on taking you through our Lord's discourses,and you will find how He is constantly making use of things around Him to illustrate His one great theme - the soul of man and its realtionship to God.
If you accept the gospel and yield yourself to it, it will mean another birth for you: it will mean trial and temptetion, it will mean persecution, it will mean the crucifixion and death of an "old man" that is in you. BUT, it will lead to life which is life indeed, life more abunant, yea, the very life of God Himself.
"Enter ye in at the strait gate." Come on to the narrow way!
(from D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Evangelistic Sermons)
On another occasion when in the country our Lord beholds the various fruit-trees in an orchard. It is quite clear that our Lord knew a good deal about horticulture, but that does not lead Him to deliver an address on the subject. "Look at those trees," says our Lord. "They may bear either good or bad fruit. Ultimately they will be judged by the kind of fruit that they bear." And turning to His disciples, He says, "You are exactly like those trees. By your lives and by your works you will bear either good or bad fruit. So take heed." On another occasion our Lord was in the country and He observed the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. "If God is so concerned about the lilies of the field that He clothes them, and about the birds of the air, that He feeds them, how much more is He concerned about you," Christ says. So I could go on taking you through our Lord's discourses,and you will find how He is constantly making use of things around Him to illustrate His one great theme - the soul of man and its realtionship to God.
If you accept the gospel and yield yourself to it, it will mean another birth for you: it will mean trial and temptetion, it will mean persecution, it will mean the crucifixion and death of an "old man" that is in you. BUT, it will lead to life which is life indeed, life more abunant, yea, the very life of God Himself.
"Enter ye in at the strait gate." Come on to the narrow way!
(from D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Evangelistic Sermons)
Monday, May 6, 2013
Three Items of Interest
American Pastor Saeed Abedini Thrown Into Solitary Confinement in Iran
Family members in Iran have confirrmed that American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been imprisoned since last fall, has been placed in solitary confinement with new reports indicating that in addition to the severe, untreated internal bleeding he is experiencing from months of bleeding and torture, he is now facing issues with his kidneys, the ACLJ reports. The ACLJ confirmed that horrible conditions in Evin Prison led Pastor Saeed and a number of prisoners in Ward 350 to sign a letter expressing to prison officials their concern about the lack of medical care received and the threats and harsh treatment facing family members who came to visit. The prisoners expressed their dissatisfaction in a peaceful, silent protest in an outside courtyard at the prison, which apparently prompted prison officials to retaliate, selecting 10 of the prisoners and placing them in solitary confinement. Sources indicate Pastor Saeed is likely to be beaten again, in private, and at the same time, there is concern that his kidneys are no longer operating properly, the result of internal injuries he has received over many months. Pastor Saeed has been told not to expect medical treatment or care for many months, and has also been told he is no longer permitted to have visitors.
(Religion Today Daily Headlines, April 30, 2013)
Pastor Saeed Abedini Excluded From State Department's Iran Prisoners List
The U.S.State Department's "virtual embassy" to Iran, which highlights that country's human rights abuses, has a site listing those jailed for dissent or religious beliefs - but it doesn't include imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been tortured because of his Christian faith, the Christian Post reports. According to department spokesman Patrick Ventreil, the Virtual Emabssy Tehran page "has a Faces of Iran site that highlights the cases of dozens of individuals imprisoned in Iran for their political or religious beliefs, their status as a journalist, human rights or women's defender, their role as a student activist, or for simply exercising their universal human right to speak freely. So we call on the government of Iran to protect this fundamental human right for all its citizens." The page carries dozens of names, but not that of Abedini, who was sentenced in January to eight years in prison for "threatening the national security." The State Department claims there's a reason why Abedini, whose dual citizenship is not recognized by Iran, has not been included on the list . According to a member of the State Department, officials are advocating on his behalf based on his status as an Ameriacan citizen and do not want to dilute that argument by calling him an Iranian citizen. But Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing Abedini's family in the U.S., said: "The omission of his name from this State Department website is disappointing and represents a missed opportunity for our government to stand up for the rights of a U.S. citizen, who happens to be an Iranian citizen......Doesn't a U.S. citizen.....who holds dual citizenship....deserve to be included on this list?"
(Religion Today Daily Headlines, April 30, 2013)
Biblical Teaching A Hate Crime in Canada
(WNS) - The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in February that Biblical speech opposing homosexual behavior, including in written form, is essentially a hate crime. The court upheld the conviction of activist William Whatcott, who distributed flyers regarding the Bible's prohibitions against homosexuality throughout the Saskatoon and Regina neighborhoods in 2001 and 2002. Justice Marshall Rothstein wrote on behalf of the court: "Passages of (the flyers) combine many of the hallmarks of hatred identified in the case law." He said the flyers "delegitimizes homosexuals by referring to them as filthy or dirty sex addicts and by comparing them to pedophiles, a traditionally reviled group in society."
(World News Service, March 212, 2013)
Family members in Iran have confirrmed that American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been imprisoned since last fall, has been placed in solitary confinement with new reports indicating that in addition to the severe, untreated internal bleeding he is experiencing from months of bleeding and torture, he is now facing issues with his kidneys, the ACLJ reports. The ACLJ confirmed that horrible conditions in Evin Prison led Pastor Saeed and a number of prisoners in Ward 350 to sign a letter expressing to prison officials their concern about the lack of medical care received and the threats and harsh treatment facing family members who came to visit. The prisoners expressed their dissatisfaction in a peaceful, silent protest in an outside courtyard at the prison, which apparently prompted prison officials to retaliate, selecting 10 of the prisoners and placing them in solitary confinement. Sources indicate Pastor Saeed is likely to be beaten again, in private, and at the same time, there is concern that his kidneys are no longer operating properly, the result of internal injuries he has received over many months. Pastor Saeed has been told not to expect medical treatment or care for many months, and has also been told he is no longer permitted to have visitors.
(Religion Today Daily Headlines, April 30, 2013)
Pastor Saeed Abedini Excluded From State Department's Iran Prisoners List
The U.S.State Department's "virtual embassy" to Iran, which highlights that country's human rights abuses, has a site listing those jailed for dissent or religious beliefs - but it doesn't include imprisoned American pastor Saeed Abedini, who has been tortured because of his Christian faith, the Christian Post reports. According to department spokesman Patrick Ventreil, the Virtual Emabssy Tehran page "has a Faces of Iran site that highlights the cases of dozens of individuals imprisoned in Iran for their political or religious beliefs, their status as a journalist, human rights or women's defender, their role as a student activist, or for simply exercising their universal human right to speak freely. So we call on the government of Iran to protect this fundamental human right for all its citizens." The page carries dozens of names, but not that of Abedini, who was sentenced in January to eight years in prison for "threatening the national security." The State Department claims there's a reason why Abedini, whose dual citizenship is not recognized by Iran, has not been included on the list . According to a member of the State Department, officials are advocating on his behalf based on his status as an Ameriacan citizen and do not want to dilute that argument by calling him an Iranian citizen. But Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, which is representing Abedini's family in the U.S., said: "The omission of his name from this State Department website is disappointing and represents a missed opportunity for our government to stand up for the rights of a U.S. citizen, who happens to be an Iranian citizen......Doesn't a U.S. citizen.....who holds dual citizenship....deserve to be included on this list?"
(Religion Today Daily Headlines, April 30, 2013)
Biblical Teaching A Hate Crime in Canada
(WNS) - The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in February that Biblical speech opposing homosexual behavior, including in written form, is essentially a hate crime. The court upheld the conviction of activist William Whatcott, who distributed flyers regarding the Bible's prohibitions against homosexuality throughout the Saskatoon and Regina neighborhoods in 2001 and 2002. Justice Marshall Rothstein wrote on behalf of the court: "Passages of (the flyers) combine many of the hallmarks of hatred identified in the case law." He said the flyers "delegitimizes homosexuals by referring to them as filthy or dirty sex addicts and by comparing them to pedophiles, a traditionally reviled group in society."
(World News Service, March 212, 2013)
Friday, May 3, 2013
Securing Our Faith
Matthew 1:18-21 "She will bear a son,and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (v.21).
We must have a brief discussion of God's intent in the atonement. One significant point that has distinguished the Reformed tradition from other branches of Protestantism is the teaching that Jesus died to atone only for His elect. That is,God inteneded His Son's death to pay for the sins of His people, to have a salvific benefit only for His chosen.
We lack the space to make a full case for what is known as limited atonement or particular redemption. However, let us note that all Christians limit or particularize the Lord's death in some way. Non-Reformed believers say that Jesus' death is made effectual by the individual's reception of it. That is, Christ died to render salvation possible or potential, and he did not die to make it actual for some. In the final analysis, our faith makes the atonement an actual payment for our sin because it must be added to Christ's death to make it effectual for salvation. The efficacy of the atonement is limited not by God's intent but by our willingness to believe - by our faith.
As Reformed believers, we hold that no one is saved apart from placing his or her faith in Christ alone. But we differ from non-Reformed Christians in confessing that Christ died to make salvation actual for His people. Our faith, in the final analysis, is not something we add to the atonement so that its benefits may apply to us. Instead, the atonement guarantees that we will have faith. This is consistent with the biblical teaching that faith is the gift of God and not something we work up in ourselves (Eph. 2:8-10). If Jesus really atoned for sin, He also atoned for the sin of unbelief. Under a non-Reformed view of the atonement, Jesus atoned for the sin of unbelief, but God still pours out His wrath on those who reject the Lord. That is logically inconsistent, for how could a sin that was truly atoned for still incur the Father's wrath? The whole point of atonement is to turn away the Father's wrath (Rom. 3:21-26).
The triune God's intent as the limiting factor in the atonement's efficacy is taught in many passages, including the one chosen for today's study. The angel brings a message from God that Jesus will die to save "his people" from their sin (Matt. 1:21). Christ also tells us that He lays down His life for His sheep, not His sheep and the sheep of others or His sheep and the wolves (John 10:1-18). His death guarantees our salvation.
(Tabletalk, May 2013)
We must have a brief discussion of God's intent in the atonement. One significant point that has distinguished the Reformed tradition from other branches of Protestantism is the teaching that Jesus died to atone only for His elect. That is,God inteneded His Son's death to pay for the sins of His people, to have a salvific benefit only for His chosen.
We lack the space to make a full case for what is known as limited atonement or particular redemption. However, let us note that all Christians limit or particularize the Lord's death in some way. Non-Reformed believers say that Jesus' death is made effectual by the individual's reception of it. That is, Christ died to render salvation possible or potential, and he did not die to make it actual for some. In the final analysis, our faith makes the atonement an actual payment for our sin because it must be added to Christ's death to make it effectual for salvation. The efficacy of the atonement is limited not by God's intent but by our willingness to believe - by our faith.
As Reformed believers, we hold that no one is saved apart from placing his or her faith in Christ alone. But we differ from non-Reformed Christians in confessing that Christ died to make salvation actual for His people. Our faith, in the final analysis, is not something we add to the atonement so that its benefits may apply to us. Instead, the atonement guarantees that we will have faith. This is consistent with the biblical teaching that faith is the gift of God and not something we work up in ourselves (Eph. 2:8-10). If Jesus really atoned for sin, He also atoned for the sin of unbelief. Under a non-Reformed view of the atonement, Jesus atoned for the sin of unbelief, but God still pours out His wrath on those who reject the Lord. That is logically inconsistent, for how could a sin that was truly atoned for still incur the Father's wrath? The whole point of atonement is to turn away the Father's wrath (Rom. 3:21-26).
The triune God's intent as the limiting factor in the atonement's efficacy is taught in many passages, including the one chosen for today's study. The angel brings a message from God that Jesus will die to save "his people" from their sin (Matt. 1:21). Christ also tells us that He lays down His life for His sheep, not His sheep and the sheep of others or His sheep and the wolves (John 10:1-18). His death guarantees our salvation.
(Tabletalk, May 2013)
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