Sun, Mar 30th - 9:17PM

It Is Important To View A Candidate’s Faith

Religion is thrust into the national spotlight in these election days of 2008. The ACLU, along with its cousin organizations, do their best to separate Christian faith from the public square of America’s landscape. Politicians print their church affiliation on advertising materials and mention the same in television advertisements, but for the most part their faith is considered of secondary importance.

Yet, there seems to be God’s powerful force injecting religion and faith into the present political arena. The infamous pastor of one candidate is well known to most people, church affairs of another is mentioned, and the support of preachers for another candidate is examined by supporters of the other candidates. Seems like a big stew about nothing! Or does it?

I personally want to know something about the spiritual lives of people put in public office. Their faithfulness to their faith is a window into what kind of character they possess. Knowing what they believe about the Bible, God, and Jesus Christ lets me know something about their heart. After all, they will be suggesting and making decisions based upon their information, the constitution of the United States of America, the will of the people, and spiritual guidance obtained in the Holy Bible.

So, I’m happy that people are talking about the candidate’s faith or lack thereof. I’ll most likely be chided for suggesting that Christians should look at a candidate’s Christian faith-base first when deciding about whom they will vote. I’ll certainly be informed that we aren’t selecting a pastor for a local church, we are seeking for a president of a nation. But that’s all right with me. My opinion nor my desire to see faithful Christian men and women in public office, living out their faith as they lead, won’t be changed.

Our political scene in state capitols and in Washington, D. C. don’t have answers which will bring our nation together nor solve society’s ills. Christian leaders try but sometimes faithfulness to their Christian faith and their knowledge of how God would have them vote is clouded by that incorrectly stated "separation of church and state" clause.

I have faith that God will guide true believers, whether they are leading a church, operating a business, playing a sport, establishing a home, or sitting in the seat of government. God’s guidance makes decisions clearer for the politician.

Gideon was the least in the household of Joash the Abiezrite. He had no military background, no money to finance a war, no soldiers, and his people Israel were driven from their homes into the hills for safety. Life was deplorable in the face of the Midianite army(Judges 6-8).

But, against all human wisdom, God chose this man to lead against Midianites to bring victory back to Israel. The story is too long for here, but in the end, he leads by a simply plan to victory.

I hear things coming from political camps this season which are greatly disturbing. Protecting the unborn in the womb is an important issue for our nation, as is securing protection for the sanctity of marriage and the traditional home, and national sovereignty should be a major priority and our borders protected instead of creating a new nation made up of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America. Then there is the matter of perverted human sexuality, the onslaught of legalized gambling, the proliferation of drugs and alcohol in our nation, child sexual abuse, just to name a few things plaguing our modern society.

Just as Israel had brought their terrible situation upon themselves in Gideon’s day, so are much of America’s problems self inflicted. The prophet said to Israel "But you have not obeyed My voice"[Judges 6:10), so our preachers today must acknowledge the sin issue involved in today’s misery. I hope and pray we can find real Christian faithfulness in political candidates who can be trusted to live their faith in the face of a fallen human society.

Sun, Mar 23rd - 11:47PM

Easter is now history for one more year. Choirs have prepared and presented their special seasonal presentations. Sermons have lifted up the cross and revealed the open tomb. Families have met together, enjoying good fellowship and food with their loved ones. Now, the rest of the year is ahead of us.

Remember your commitments of faithfulness as you approached Easter? Perhaps you gave up something special for your season of Lent. Or perhaps you even attended church services more often as Easter approached so you wouldn’t have to attend Easter services on Easter Sunday with a guilty conscience.

God isn’t as interested in your seasonal faithfulness as He is in your daily walk. He continues to seek men and women who are willing to faithfully live for Him on a daily basis.

That leads us to a story we find in the Bible. It is about two ways in life. Jesus begins by emphasizing the narrow way. That’s not the most popular, it’s not the choice for most. It seems that even many church members are trying to walk with one foot in the narrow way while the other walks the roadway of the world’s wide way.

Today, we will take a look at the two ways found in Matthew 7:13-14. Jesus called the roadway through which one enters by the narrow gate as being a "difficult"(v. 14 - NKJV) road to travel. Another translation uses the word "confined".

The other gate through which one can choose to walk leads onto the broad way. He paints a dark picture for those who go this way. The traveler is warned that down the wide roadway one will face destruction. Then are added these words by Jesus, "and there are many who find it"(v. 13).

The wide gate leads to a world value system. It is the way where one might claim loyalty to Christ but where they prove by word and deed their allegiance to Satan.

Paul warns about pitfalls one will encounter on the broad way. To the Galatians he wrote, "Now the works of the flesh are evident which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like . . ."(5:19-21).

The world’s ways, its viewpoint, comes from manmade concepts about life and how it should be lived. Her causalities a strewn along the pathway of history. Like thrown away trash along our nation’s roadways, the broken homes, increasing numbers of criminal acts, murder of unborn babies in the womb, lost incomes at the profitable gambling joints, divorce, and a general anger which hovers over our nation continues to prove the worthlessness of adopting the wide gate’s philosophy.

The narrow gate leads to a "difficult" roadway. Perhaps the word points to Christian martyrdom. It can also be seen as indicating the difficulty of living for Jesus in a world which is presently controlled by a worldly mind-set.

One thing is certain, according to Jesus, only a few will find or secure the narrow way for themselves. Those who walk the narrow road find "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" which Paul calls "the fruit of the Spirit".

Now that the Easter celebration is finished for this year, begin living your life in the remainder of the year, by God’s grace and power, as though you knew for sure that His return to earth to receive His bride, the church, would be in the next hour. I believe that kind of a Heavenly mind-set would lead to a more consecrated Christian (Christ-like) lifestyle.

One of these days will for sure be the final sunrise, will usher in the final moments of the world’s history. If that day is this very one in which you are now living and breathing, on what roadway will He find you — the broad way which leads to destruction or the narrow way which leads to everlasting life. The ball is in your court! What will you do with it?

Sat, Mar 15th - 9:27PM

Another year has come and gone with the world even more dangerous now than a year ago. Our political leaders are helpless in steaming the tide of murder, rape, robbery, the war, controlling the terrorist around the world, balancing the nation’s budget, or a thousand other ills which plague our modern day world. Anger is rampant in the lives of scores of individuals. Harsh words are hurled at opponents, ridicule is spewed out through the airways every day and night, hatred is growing, and people are being polarized instead of being united.

In the midst of the horrible news being printed and spoken by news outlets, there is also good news. In the circles in which I travel from week to week, encouragement is shared with folk who are having tough times, helping hands are being stretched out to those in need, and kind words are spoken to even folk who disagree with a particular stance. The hand of friendship is extended and prayer concerns are shared.

There is a reason why some circles suffer from unkindness while others enjoy the good life. One name makes the difference. That name is Jesus. Because when He is invited into one’s life, that individual is born again. The believer has a changed outlook on life, has a new desire which seeks to please the Lord, and turns away from the sinful life which for so long has dominated their lifestyle.

And, at this season of the year, we can share again the best news to ever have been broadcast abroad. When the women came to the tomb of Jesus on that first Easter morning, they were met with an empty grave and angels standing nearby. Their question startled the women when they asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"(Lk. 24:5). They continued with even more startling news, "He is not here, but is risen!"(v. 6).

The unlawful trial is now past. The pain, ridicule, and the long hours of Calvary are now behind Jesus. The silent Saturday has sprung with renewed hope for Israel and the world because the Son rose on Sunday.

The good news which fell on the ears of the women at the open tomb is news which we need to consider this Easter Sunday.

First, the good news of Easter is to be believed. The Bible is a trustworthy account of the Lord’s life upon the earth. It tells the reader why Jesus came to the earth, why He went to the cross, and it also reminds us that what He said before the cross was evidenced by hundreds of folk after the cross.

The angels said to the women at the tomb, "Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’"(Vv. 6-7). The fulfillment of those three events are recorded in the Bible. To say that Jesus isn’t the resurrected Son of God is to say that the Bible isn’t true!

Second, the good news of Easter is to be enjoyed. No other celebration in the church creates as much excitement as does the resurrection music and story. Easter is enjoyable because our salvation now has the sealed stamp of authority — the resurrection seals the deal!

Third, the good news of Easter is to be shared. This news is too good to be kept to oneself. This is the news which He told the disciples to go and share with the world. It is the message of the evangelical church today. When a local church loses the desire to share the resurrection story, it has lost its first and most important purpose for existing.

If we are going to believe it, enjoy it, and share it, we must begin living it. There are indeed other concerns for which the local church should be involved, but like the Lord, we are here on earth "to seek and to save the lost". Until He returns, let’s keep believing it, enjoying it, and sharing it.

Sun, Mar 9th - 3:55PM

Believers Are Ambassadors For Christ In This World

Believers in Jesus Christ have been given the awesome responsibility of seeking to bring lost people to the Savior. As Christians we don’t have the luxury of living as we please. The Lord expects His people to pick up the gospel light and help unbelievers find their way up Calvary’s hill.

The life which is lived by born again folk leaves an impression upon the people they meet each day. We go to the work place, attend class at some school, belong to community clubs, and generally meet folk in a variety of ways in the normal traffic pattern of life. We need to see how important it is for Christians to live a testimonial life of faith in Christ.

Paul, the apostle, wrote a reminder of this fact to the Christians in Corinth. He told them that "we are ambassadors for Christ"(2 Cor. 5:20). Stop for a moment and consider the responsibility given to us by the Lord. We are ambassadors!

An ambassador is a diplomat sent by a state as its permanent representative in a foreign country. To be a ambassador for the Lord means that He has sent the individual believer into this foreign country, called earth, to be His representative. That means we represent Jesus Christ to the world while at work, at play, or at any other function we might attend. The world around us hears our words, sees our actions, considers our deposition, and inspects the fruit of our lives.

When concluding his letter to the Ephesian Christians, Paul alluded to his imprisonment while writing the letter. In his closing words he reflects upon his responsibility as a witness for Jesus. He wrote, "... I am an ambassador in chains"(6:20). The apostle never forgot who he was in Jesus Christ.

The position of the "ambassadors for Christ" is stressed by Paul’s writing. He wrote, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God."(5:20). Our ambassadorship is to be so positive and forceful that it is evident God is doing the actual pleading. Authentic witness is the job responsibility of every born again child of God, regardless of what church or denomination to which they belong.

The job description is laid out for us in verse 19: "... that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." So, our responsibility is to spread the Word of God which is the only hope by which lost mankind can be reconciled to Him.

God planted man in the paradise garden way back in the book of Genesis. He also planted and caused to grow the tree of life. Adam and Eve had everything they needed and could want. The God of creation even came down to walk in their midst and have fellowship with them. But they disobeyed and took fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Their disobedience drove them from their perfect surroundings and introduced sin into the world. The only way paradise can be regained is by being reconciled to God through Jesus Christ who came to live and die for the sins of fallen mankind.

Those of us who have come to the Savior and found salvation are now sent out into the world with the same message of salvation we have received. That message is about His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Fallen people can be reconciled with God as they obey the Word of the Lord. We are His spokespersons in this foreign world in which we live. One day, yet future, we will return to the relationship which God had with Adam and Even in the paradise garden in the beginning.

That’s who we are! Ambassadors for Christ! Think about that when you live your Christian life tomorrow!

Sun, Mar 2nd - 11:09PM

God Desires To Lead Toward The Believer’s Future

Christians desire to be directed by the Lord while traveling through this present world. Even many non-believers wish for devine guidance. None of us sees tomorrow before it arrives. We are often unsure if our decisions for our future are correct. "If I’d only known . . ." is an often "hindsight is best" observation.

But none of us lives in "hindsight". Therefore, we should strive to live today and plan for the future with as much information and advice as possible. But where does one get the best advice for the future?

There is a Proverb upon which a Christian can hang their future plans and hopes. That Proverb tells us emphatically that "He [referring to the LORD] shall direct your paths"(3:6). Although that is great news, it isn’t as simple as appears.

In his book entitled Heaven,, Randy Alcorn makes an astounding, yet true, statement. He writes, "So Heaven is not our default destination. No one goes there automatically. Unless our sin problem is resolved, the only place we will go is our true default destination . . . Hell". He does think, as is correctly assumed, that scores of folk see Heaven as the future destination for every human being who has ever lived or will ever live in the future.

Forget the scripture’s reference to Hell, everyone will move into a higher dimension, just as did Jesus [who many say was just a good, kind, and gentle man]. But the Word of God reminds us that "you must be born again".

Jesus Christ, the only person to have died and risen in the resurrected body, tells a different story. Even before being crucified on the cross, He knew about and told a story about a man who went to Hell. That’s not a parable. Jesus referred to a person with a real name and told the story of a real person.

The Proverb does say "He shall direct your paths" but the previous verse must be added. The whole context shows people how to activate this tremendous promise.

First of all, the writer in verse 5 reminds the reader that one must "trust in the LORD". Other words that can correctly be inserted are faith or believe. Before being led, one must be willing to trust and thereby follow.

In the New Testament is found the guide for experiencing this new relationship with God. John 3:16 puts it in a nice bundle when Jesus spoke, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Paul the apostle wrote in Romans 10:13 "For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." The Lord can’t lead unless the sinner is born again.

The text in Proverbs reminds us that our belief or trust is to be "with all your heart". I take that statement to refer to deep and complete sincerity. It has to be more than lip service.

A second thing we learn about His directing one’s paths is total dependence upon His leadership The Proverb says, "lean not on your own understanding". If you must have to work it out, you are bound for failure. You and I don’t know how to walk into our future. Is there going to be a rush of wealth or the news of death?

Only the Lord knows our tomorrow before it arrives. Therefore He is the natural One to depend upon.

Finally, the writer of this Proverb counsels us to "in all our ways acknowledge Him". Seems as if scores of people only does that for a few moments on Sundays. It’s like you hear someone say, "I better not say that in here because this is the church house". Does that mean the same kind of language would be inappropriate inside but not outside? Aren’t people aware that God sees us and hears us just as completely out in the world as He does inside the church house?

Summing up the preceding, we discover that in order for the Lord to direct our paths, we must first trust Him with the whole heart of sincerity, that we are to lay our journey upon Him and not depend upon our own planning. Further we are to acknowledge Him all along life’s journey.

How good are you doing? Sometimes in my own life I’m afraid I cause the angels in Heaven to weep. Let’s do a better job of walking the rest of the way with the Lord.