Archive for the ‘bible’ Tag
Persecution of Christians in San Diego
Filed under: bible, Christian, family, government, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, government, ministry, politics, religion
Leave a Comment I just found this story about a Christian family in San Diego County being persecuted by the government for holding a home Bible study. I think this is absolutely outrageous. This flies in the face of the rights we take for granted: reasonably doing what we want in our homes, freely getting together with others, and most importantly freely practicing our religion.
For me, I hear these stories all the time from other countries. My heart goes out to them, but then I usually think of how lucky I am to be able to not have to worry about such things. I guess I have been wrong.
Thomas Jefferson said: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” This fact is true in all times, but especially now. We need to stand strong for our rights, and oppose anyone who tries to take them away.
I think I have said this before, we need to pray for revival to come to our nation. For Jesus to be accepted as Lord and Savior, and for a return to our being a Christian nation.
Amen.
Is America a Christian Nation?
Filed under: bible, Christian, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, politics, religion
Comments (4) Last month, President Obama visited several Asian and Middle Eastern nations, meeting with other heads of state During a press conference on April 6th the President said that the US was not a Christian nation, but a nation of citizens. Now the second half of that statement is obviously correct. All countries are nations of citizens. But are we a Christian nation? Many non-believers would agree with that statement, espousing the false belief that we have some sort of separation of church and state that does not allow us to be a Christian nation, only a nation that contains Christians. Tonight I am going to show you just how ridiculous that statement is.
On May 4th members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus introduced Hourse Resolution 397 which affirms our heritage as a Christian nation. Here are some facts from this document:
- The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that we are a religious people.
- During the Founding Era, the most frequently cited source was The Bible.
- The first act of the first Congress in 1774 was to ask a minister to open with a word of prayer and read from The Bible.
- Congress has appropriated money for missionaries and religious instruction, even after the ratification of the First Amendment.
- The Declaration of Independence identifies God as Creator, Law Giver, Judge, and Protector.
- Congress paid to import Bibles in 1777 and authorize the printing of a Bible for schools in 1782.
- The Treaty of Paris begins with: “In the name of the Most Holy Trinity.”
- Congress not only has paid Chaplains, the military has over 4500 chaplains in it’s ranks.
- The United States Supreme Court has declared
throughout the course of our Nation’s history that the
United States is ‘‘a Christian country’’, ‘‘a Christian nation’’,
‘‘a Christian people’’, ‘‘a religious people whose institutions
presuppose a Supreme Being’’, and that ‘‘we - cannot read into the Bill of Rights a philosophy of hostility
to religion.’”
These are just some of the many facts of this document that disprove the President’s opinion. Men of God, I urge you to check out this inspiring resolution, call your Congressman and ask him or her to co-sponsor it, and pray not only for it’s passage, but also for the revival of the Christian heritage of our great nation.
A Mighty Man for God
Filed under: bible, Christian, men, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, faith, men, service
Comments (2) I went to the funeral of a Might Man for God yesterday. I confess that I did not know him well. In the past two years that I have been blessed to be a part of this church, I had not really gotten to know him. That being said, I wanted to share some of the things that were said by others, as they apply to the purpose of this blog.
Our friend Jamie, from the time he was a boy, was known for being a servant of others. Wherever there was work to be done he was the first one to get there, the last one to leave, and usually had most of the work done by the time others got there. His friends talked about him putting all the tents in a campsite up, so when others got there they could just relax. They talked about him being one of the best builders of sets for Vacation Bible School (VBS) which I can tell you are some of the most elaborate I have ever seen.
Jamie had this server’s attitude through good times and bad. Including the last 7 years when he was constantly battling cancer. And yet any time you asked Jamie how he was feeling he would answer: “I’m great, how are you doing?” That was his care. Because of his immense faith, he knew he was going to be fine, and that he would someday be called home to his God. He knew that his suffering would end, and the eternal glory of the Lord would be upon him.
So what I learned from this great man of God:
- Be punctual (I hadn’t mentioned this yet, but it was also important to him).
- In all things have faith, knowing that God is always good, His love is eternal.
- At all things be a servant of others, no matter what is going on in your life. Doing for others will always make you feel better and bring glory to God, no matter what is going on in your own life.
Amen.
Scriptures: Isaiah 40:31, Philippians 4:13, Mathew 25:21
Pure Words
Filed under: Christian, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, prosper, scripture
Leave a Comment I just wanted to drop a little post based on something that was mentioned last week at church. The speaker referenced Psalm 12, verse 6: The words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over.
Let’s be clear: if the words of the Lord are pure they are unblemished, without fault or defect. In short, they are perfect and be completely trusted.
Now here comes the best part, which is what the passage doesn’t say. The passage says the words of the Lord. are pure. It does not say some of the words. It does not say the words of the New Testament but not the Old (or vice versa). It says ALL the words. That means that anything the Lord says in His Holy Word you can trust! So when it says He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7) He does. When He says to have courage and not be afraid, (Joshua 1:9) you should without fear. Anything He tells you can have, be, or do is yours. Simply trust in the Lord, with all your heart, don’t worry if you don’t understand. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5&6).
Pray the Vote 2008
Filed under: bible, Christian, men, prayer, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, clinton, election, obama, prayer, religion, vote
Leave a Comment When I started this blog, one of my goals was to make sure I exemplified Christian values without getting into partisan politics, and I do not intend to change that. However, I do believe that we can discuss politics and it’s impact on our lives without getting dragged down into that area.
That being said, I want to highlight an important resource for all Christians to consider. Pray the Vote 2008 is a project of The Presidential Prayer Team, and encourages us to pray for His guidance in this important election year.It has prayer resources for each candidate, each voting event (primaries, caucuses, etc), and over all resources to help us ask God to direct our country down the path that is His will and best for our country.
If this interests you, might want to check out the parent site, The Presidential Prayer Team, which encourages Christians to pray for our President; his health, well being, and his tuning in to the Lord to take our country in a direction that leads to His glory. It also lists other prayer suggestions every week for other government officials, quotes from Presidents on prayer, and lots of resources to help improve your prayer life. Let us know what you think of this resource, as well as what other resources you are using to increase your prayer life in the comments.
The Big List of Excuses Why God Can’t Use You
Filed under: bible, Christian, men, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, faith, forgiveness, ministry, obstacles, resources, study
Comments (6) Okay, so let me start by saying that this post is NOT original, as I got the idea from an email that was sent to me by a friend. However, I thought it was good enough that it should be shared with the world, not just my email friends.
There are no excuses why God can’t use you
The next time you think God can’t use you, just look to The Bible to see what He had to work with:
- Noah was a drunk (Genesis 9:21)
- Abraham was too old (Genesis 17:17)
- Isaac was a daydreamer
- Jacob was a liar (Genesis 27)
- Leah was ugly (Genesis 29:16-18)
- Joseph was abused (Genesis 37:22-28)
- Moses had a stuttering problem (Exodus 4:10)
- Gideon was afraid (Judges 6:15) (I’m not entirely sure about this reference.)
- Samson had long hair and was a womanizer (Judges 16:17) (Judges 16:5)
- Rahab was a harlot (Joshua 2:1)
- Jeremiah and Timothy were too young (Jeremiah 1:6)
- David had an affair and was a murderer (2 Samuel 11:2-4) (2 Samuel 11:14-17)
- Elijah was suicidal (1 Kings 19:4)
- Isaiah preached naked (Isaiah 20:2)
- Johan ran from God (Jonah 1:3)
- Naomi was a widow (Ruth 1:3)
- Job went bankrupt (Job 1:21)
- Peter denied Christ (Mark 14:71)
- The Disciples fell asleep while praying (Mathew 26:40)
- Martha worried about everything (Luke 10:40-42)
- The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once (John 4:17-18)
- Zaccheus was too small (Luke 19:2-3)
- Paul was too religious
- Timothy had an ulcer (1Timothy 5:23) and…
- Lazarus was dead (John 11)!
No matter what problems you have or have had (addiction, abuse, size, divorce, worry, physical ailments, etc. etc. etc.) Jesus can heal you of them all. And if He can heal you of them all, he can use you to help others and to His glory! There is absolutely NOTHING that He cannot overcome. This means that as long as we trust in Him, and continue to seek His face, we can be forgiven all our sins and work to make this world a better place!
So take a look at these characters and their habits, memorize one or two that relate to your life and your experiences. And the next time you get discouraged, bring this little weapon out, and say that if God can use them, He can use me!
Feel free to leave comments on characters that relate to you, other characters and their problems. You can also leave what you are over coming, and my prayer partners and I will pray for you (you can also email them to me at the link on the about page).
Promise Keepers Announces 2008 Event Schedule
Filed under: bible, Christian, men | Tags: bible, Christian, ministry, resources, study
Leave a Comment I just wanted to let everyone know that Promise Keepers has announced it’s schedule of events for 2008, and as a Clevelander I am pleased that one of those events is here in Cleveland! For the complete schedule, go here.
Useful Resources for Men seeking God
Filed under: bible, Christian, men, religion | Tags: bible, Christian, ministry, resources, study
Comments (4) Despite the conventional wisdom that says pornography is the biggest thing on the internet, I have found a number of great sites that Christian men can use to explore and increase their faith. Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of my favorites:
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eBibie.com: There are lots of sites out there where you can read and study The Bible (I normally use Bible Gateway when I quote it). But eBible is different, because it allows you to create your own bookmarks and notes like you would in a paper Bible. But what’s even cooler is that you can make them accessible to the rest of the members. This means you can learn from others. What’s more, you can make friends and possibly use the site as a social networking site for the Word of the Lord! ( My wife says this makes me really nerdy but I don’t care, I think this would be the best way to socially network).
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Another good site that is similar to eBibie is BibleGateway.com. While this site does not have all the cool bookmarking and social features, it has almost every version you can think of including my favorite (Amplified) and in lots of languages. If you want to read The Bible in a different language, or you are looking for a specific translation, this is the place to go.
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Another neat site that I recommend as a Bible study companion is Bible Map.org. This site uses Google Maps to show you where every chapter of the Bible takes place in the Holy Land. Simply select a book and chapter from the drop down menus and the menu not only moves to the right area, but puts pins on the map to show you specific places tied to that chapter. Click on the pins, and a bubble pops up with more information and links to other articles. I like this idea because it not only provides the maps that many good paper Bibles have but Bible websites don’t, it is provided by He Lives Ministries which looks like a good online ministry (although I have only given it a cursory overview).
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If you are looking for Bible software, I highly recommend My Bible by Laridian Software. I first discovered this company when I was looking for Bible software for my Palm Treo 700p, and was delighted to find a versatile program that not only has dozens of translations to choose from, but also has dictionaries, commentaries, and other reference material to help you study on the go. Laridian has developed Bible software for virtually every mobile platform out there including Palm, Windows CE, Windows Mobile based pocket PC’s, Windows Mobile based Smartphones, Ipods, Iphones, Ipod Touch, and Blackberry. The software is easy to navigate and allows you to carry the Bible virtually anywhere you go.
That’s great for portable device users, but what if you are primarily a computer user? Last year Laridian released a Windows based version of their software that can be used as a stand alone product or in companion with your mobile device, as all your notes, bookmarks and highlights can be synced together. So you can use the software on your device, on your computer, or both!
I should give you fair warning that while the sites I have listed above are free, My Bible Software isn’t (well, actually the Bible reader software is but the Bible and study material modules cost money). But if you use a portable device it is definitely worth it.
In conclusion, with all these choices, I don’t want to hear anybody use the excuse: “I can’t study The Bible because I don’t have access to it. If you have access to a PDA, smartphone, Ipod, or a library with internet access, you can study the Word of God.
And if that doesn’t work, I suppose you can study the old boring way by going to a local bookstore and buying a paper Bible, or stopping buy a local church to ask if they give Bibles away or sell them at a discount. No matter what way you study The Word, the important thing is that you study His message to us at least a little bit each day. Thus you can rightly say: “Thy Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee (Psalm 119:11).”
Hard Bible Questions Part 1-Homosexuality
Filed under: bible, Christian, men, religion, sex | Tags: bible, Christian, homosexuality, men
Comments (2) Recently in our church’s adult Bible study we were asked to submit our hardest questions to be answered by our primary teacher, Dan. So, here for the glory of God and the expansion of your knowledge is a series of posts which will report the answers as researched by Dan.
The first question is a good one to get this started off with, as it will seem controversial to non-Christians and informative for Believers. The question is (drum roll please):
Is The Bible for or against Homosexuality?
Many people are familiar with the Old Testament comments on this subject, especially Leviticus 18:22, which clearly states that a man should not lay down with another man as a woman. But many in the Secular World (as well as many Christians who wish to avoid the truth of the issue) say that this should no longer apply, or that the New Testament does not have anything to say on this issue. But the truth is something very different.
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 homosexuality is not only reaffirmed as a sin, it is compared to other sins that are considered like it: robbery, adultery, extortion, and even idolatry! These are not minor things to be accused of, but some of the most despicable acts for people to commit.
But as usual The Bible brings good news in this area as well. In verse 11, we learn that through the power of Jesus Christ, we can change who we are and what we do. We can be forgiven, cleansed, and even consecrated (set apart, hallowed) and justified (pronounced righteous by trust) by simply confessing our sins and doing everything we can not to commit them again.
Can you believe it? After making those kinds of horrible mistakes before God, He is not only willing to forgive and love, but to trust us and hold us in His highest favor! This is something that for humans is almost unheard of, as once we are hurt, it is very hard for us to trust again. Praise the Lord for being such a loving Daddy to us, even when we fail!
Man Sues 8 Year Old Boy
So if you read this story you will find that a 60 year old man on a ski trip had a disputed amount of contact with an 8 year old boy on the slopes and is now suing the boy and his father for damages to the tune of $75,000.00.
Now I am truly sorry this man got injured, no one wants to get hurt. And I can’t think of a specific Bible verse to cover this (although I bet my friend Dan would find one). But this just doesn’t seem like the actions of a Godly man to me. Suing an 8 year old boy because he ran into you while you were participating in a sport that has this and other risks?
Where’s the forgiveness? Where’s the faith in being returned to wholeness? I just don’t get it.
