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What Is Truth?

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PST

The story is told of a major company that was looking for a new Marketing Director. After much advertising and many applications, three candidates entered the final selection process.

The first one in for the final interview was asked a simple question: “What is 2+2?” He was surprised, thought about it for a bit, wondered if it might be a trick question and then simply answered “4”. The Managing Director looked at the Board, shook his head and thanked him for coming, but he wasn’t the candidate they were looking for.

The next one in was again asked this simple question: “What is 2+2?” He paused, thought about it for a bit and then replied that statistically it was a number between 3 and 5. The Managing Director smiled and the Board was quite impressed. The candidate was thanked and ushered out.

The last candidate was also asked the simple question: "What is 2+2?" Without batting an eyelid he replied: “What do you want it to be?” And he was hired on the spot.

Got Courage?

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PST

Daniel grew up in a protected environment. He lived in a religious and cultural cocoon. But then , “ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, King of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, came to Jerusalem and besieged it” ( Daniel 1:1 )

Daniel and his friends graduated all right , but they marched :
- With leg chains instead of cap and gown.
- On a dusty road to captivity instead of on a wooden floor to graduation.
- To receive imprisonment rather than a diploma.

What had been a cozy cocoon in a homogenous environment became for Daniel and his friends a pluralistic world where even their names were changed to identify them with heathen gods.

Their protected environment of restricted religious choices became a religiously pluralistic world that offered them a potluck of choices. Their religious school was exchanged for the secular world!

Freedom

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:00:00 PST

Joshua 23:1-13

“When in the course of Human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Signed on July 2 and adopted in the Congress on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence set free the 13 colonies of America from its rule by Great Britain.
Richard Stockton, a Quaker from New Jersey, was one of the 56 signers of that declaration. Stockton, in 1758, helped to construct the Quaker Meeting house near his home. Stockton was a prominent lawyer and landowner until the day that he signed that declaration. The English army routed him and his family from their home, and he was imprisoned as a traitor to the crown. As a result of his harsh treatment, his health was broken. After his imprisonment he returned to the burned and sacked remnants of his home and died there four years later at the age of 51. His is only one of the stories of these 56 men- many others tell the same story of men who gave their life for freedom.

Human Rights

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:00:00 PST

Today more than ever, we hear people insisting that their “rights” be given to them – even rights that they don’t really have. As followers of Jesus Christ, we cannot help but wonder if we have the same or different rights as others, what our rights really are, and what we are supposed to do when our rights are denied us. Do we have a right to safety, success, and wealth? Do we have a right to expect respect and common decency from others? Do we have a right to worship God in any way that we are convinced is appropriate? How about a right to a good home, a loving family, and a good name?

The people of Jesus’ day were no different than us, and He was well aware of it. We see Jesus teaching an entirely new view on centuries of traditions and suppositions. Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh, has been stretching out the accurate and precise view of God on how true children of God are to think, feel, and act. Generation has followed generation, and mankind has become ever more deeply entrenched in a flesh-view and a worldview of rights that collide with the view of heaven.

Christians And Political Activity

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:00:00 PST

As we approach the delicate subject of Christians and political activity, it seems appropriate to take a look at what The Word of God has to say about Christians and Politics / Government. We are particularly concerned with the fact that all too many people, especially Christians, have just thrown up their hands and dropped out of the political process. They don’t bother to inform themselves, seek out the right candidates or even vote. The attitude seems to be…”They’re going to do what they want to do anyway”…whomever they are.

Two topics will help us gain a better comprehension of why Christians need to be involved in our political process. We need to understand these things:
(1. What the Word describe as the biblical functions of government.
(2. What the Word says about the biblical responsibilities of godly government officials.

Political Correctness: The Enemy Of The Church

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:00 PST

I. The History of Being Politically Correct

Political correctness is a term used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen as seeking to minimize offense to racial, cultural, or other identity groups. Conversely, the term “politically incorrect” is used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are unconstrained by orthodoxy (conforming to the usual beliefs or doctrines). Some have argued that this term “political correctness” was invented by conservatives to discredit progressive social change, especially with respect to issues such as race, religion, and gender. The term is not a new term and can be traced all the way back to the 1700s in the United States and possibly even earlier than that in Europe. The whole premise around being politically correct is to not offend others by the things we say, the policies we support, or the way we act. It covers a wide range of ideas and actions that would govern what we should and should not be doing. Here is the question that each of us should begin thinking about: “How much of our “Christianity in practice” are we willing to give up in order to be politically correct?"

Boldness in the 21st Century

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:00:00 PST

What makes a person bold?

There are two well-known Biblical illustrations of boldness.
First: Jesus had just been arrested by the temple guards and Romans. In the courtyard, the disciples ran for their lives. Peter was hiding in the shadows, recognized and accused of being one of Jesus’ followers. Three times, out of fear, Peter denies even knowing Jesus.

Second: Peter and John boldly teach Jesus rose from the dead. Arrested and brought before a council, they were commanded to stop teaching. In response, Peter and John said they could not stop teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ.

If we could discover what happened to them, and have the same thing happen to us and every Christian today, the world would be turned right-side up.

Is Church Attendance Necessary?

Fri, 30 May 2008 10:00:00 PST

1 Timothy 3:14-3:15

Considering the lax attitudes of many religious people today, it would be easy to conclude that church attendance is optional or perhaps only for those who are very religious and extremely dedicated to their faith. This is especially true in New England. Membership rosters in most churches, compared to actual numbers in attendance, usually tell the story of people's attitude. According to God's word, church attendance is not optional. The Bible and common sense teach us that church attendance is not just a smart thing, it is a necessary thing. It's the beginning of growing up in the Lord.

Not Forsaking
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." (Heb. 10:23-25)

Modernism In the Evangelical Church?

Fri, 23 May 2008 10:00:00 PST

I was introduced to the "Featured Sermon Of The Week" by By Kevin DeYoung on the Pulpit Helps web site, entitled Thinking Twice About the Emergent Movement. Below are some excerpts from that sermon which describes the embracing of the modernist movement by the evangelical church.

See if you recognize any of these characteristics:

I realized a number of years ago that it didn’t matter if I was against all the things I should be against, if I wasn’t for anything.

Ephesus’ lovelessness manifested itself in another kind of sin: not just a lack of life-giving fellowship but a lack of life-giving witness. The church was so busy battling and protecting and defending, that they had turned inward to self-protection and suspicion. They were navel-gazers, with no vision or purpose outside themselves. They were great at keeping the world out of the church, but they were terrible at taking the church out into the world.

Pastor’s Briefing

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:00:00 PST

Pastors serving on the Christian Civic League Board of Directors. Left to right are Rev. John Eckhart, Rev. Dan McNutt, Rev. Rick Carver and Rev. Dallas Henry. All attended the Pastors Briefing in Washington D.C.

Nine League Board members and wives attended the Pastor’s Briefing sponsored by The Family Research Council, which was held May 7th through May 9th. We were all blessed and challenged by the nationally-known public servants of God who reported on various situations concerning the spiritual condition of our nation.

In addition to this informative seminar we were treated to a guided tour of our nation’s capitol building, narrated by David Barton.

We heard reports on what we all knew was so true; our nation’s only hope is if it repents and turns back to God. We learned how dismal the Christian voter turnout was in the 2006 election; the voter turnout by homosexuals, on the other hand, was over 95%.

Some have said that a nation has the leaders it deserves, while others have said that the leadership of a nation reflects the spiritual condition of that nation. Both comments reflect negatively on the Church.

You Be The Judge

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 PST

Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” [NIV]

People who normally scoff at the Bible, reject its teachings, and ridicule its content love to quote this verse at just the right time to shut the mouths of those who promote Godly values in the public square.

Some familiar statements they try to silence are: “Homosexuality is a sin!” “There is no such thing as a Christian homosexual!” “All pre-marital sex is wrong.” “A man and a woman living together who are not married are committing adultery.” “Abortion is murder.” ‘It is the killing of a human being and those doctors who perform abortions, except for very rare exceptions, are guilty of taking innocent human life.”

Now when those statements are made the world immediately trots out their favorite verse in the Bible: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." This raises a question, "Should a Christian judge?" The answer of Jesus was not an outright “no”, as some people think. The answer of Jesus was "It all depends."

In the rest of the passage Jesus tells us to be watchful of three things - logs, dogs, and hogs. You’ve got to use some type of judgment to identify any and all of them. Jesus gives us three principles to help us answer the question: "Should you judge?"

The Bible

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:00:00 PST

The Bible is a collection of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament or Old Covenant, and 27 in the New Testament or New Covenant.

All the books of the Bible, written over a timeline of around 1600 years, give a consistent picture of who God is, who we are, what God wants, and what we can expect depending on our choices in this life. The Bible reveals the story of how God has dealt with mankind, His chosen nation of Israel and His New Covenant people, the Church. The Bible speaks with the same authority and relevance today regarding who He is and what He is doing in our times. It speaks to us regarding what will happen in the future and how God will change everything.

The Bible is not just a book of rules and ancient history. It contains thousands of wonderful promises which are constantly applicable to all who believe in Him. The challenge that mankind faces today is to know, understand and experience the wonderful things that God promises to do for those who believe. God's promises in the Bible guarantee us more than enough for all our needs in every area. The only condition is to trust and obey God, and expect Him to do what He says He will do. If we don't we are the losers.

The Church And Homosexuality

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:00:00 PST

The issue of the Church and Homosexuality has been the most controversial issue of the last several decades. The ordination of homosexual pastors and churches performing homosexual marriages has brought the issue of homosexuality to the forefront. It has also caused much debate in and out of the church in recent years. It is an issue on which the church must take a stand - a Biblical stand.

The problem we face today:
- Several states are considering the sanction of homosexual marriages.
- Gay couples are granted the privileges of married partners when it comes to insurance
coverage.
- There are laws prohibiting the “discrimination” of homosexuals.
- The military has a “Don’t ask … don’t tell” policy.
- Christians are being labeled as “homophobics”, and criticized when they exercise their free speech rights in opposition to homosexuality, as being uncaring, unloving, judgmental, and hateful.
- Gay-Rights parades are being promoted on city streets.
- There is a “Gay Day” at Disney World.
- It is politically incorrect to be against homosexuality, and doing so can jeopardize a political career.
- The Boy Scouts of America were criticized, and lost funding, because they refused to accept an openly gay Scoutmaster.
- Television programs are rampant with gay issues - new programs regularly emerge with openly gay characters, gay makeovers, etc. They are being portrayed as NORMAL.
- The American Psychological Association has threatened to revoke the license of any psychologist or psychiatrist who counsels a homosexual to change his lifestyle.
- Sex change therapies on children are being offered. Click here to read for youself.

Why There Is Poverty

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:00:00 PST

Injustice causes poverty -

- Proverbs 13:23 “The field of the poor yields abundant food, but without justice, it is swept away.”

Sometimes the immoral actions of others cause poverty. There are those who have lost their businesses, or their homes, or their savings because of the actions of others.

One thinks of slot machines here in Maine as a prime example of a significant cause of poverty. We are all aware of those in our society who prey on the weak, the kind and the trusting. Some people are led to poverty through phone solicitations, unscrupulous salesmen, and e-mail scams. Others are led to poverty because of the lawsuits of people trying to get rich at the expense of others. There are many other examples, but, injustice does cause some poverty.

The Curse of Pornography

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:20:00 PST

Matthew 5:27-30

When doing a web search on your computer, it is all too common to be shocked and embarrassed at what comes you see. Accidental hits are symptomatic of a greater problem in our society brought on by the curse of pornography. We are experiencing pornography in our society in epidemic proportions. What is sad is that it is not just people outside of the church but many in the church that have been caught up in this plague.

Gay In the Truest Sense of the Word

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:37:04 PST

Towards the end of the last presidential debate there was finally a question on something that has the potential to be far more devastating to people’s lives than a terrorist attack or even a war. The moderator asked “Homosexuality; is it a choice?”

One of the candidates answered with a very strong religious statement. It wasn’t George Bush because he answered, “I don’t know”. It was Senator John Kerry who said; "We’re all God’s children, and I think if you were to talk to Dick Cheney’s daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she’s being who she was. She’s being who she was born as. I think if you talk to anybody, it’s not a choice." This is important because most people would not want to deny homosexuals any civil right, including marriage, if they are created by God to be homosexual.

Drugs, Alcohol, And The Christian

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PST

It is biblical to abstain from using alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drug abuse have reached a frightening level. Recent statistics indicate 105,000 Americans die each year in alcohol related deaths. It is also estimated that 18 million Americans are either alcohol dependent or suffer from alcohol abuse. The cost of alcohol and drug abuse to families, business, and society in general is measured in terms of billions of dollars and millions of lives every year.

Listen to this quote from Good News for the Chemically Dependent and Those Who Love Them: "Alcohol is a drug. It is the most abused, most deadly, and most underestimated of all the chemicals used in our society. To feel the weight of this last statement consider this: Imagine that a 747 airliner full of passengers crashed every week and everyone aboard died. That is how many people die weekly in alcohol-related traffic accidents. Sixty percent of all violent crimes are alcohol-related. If alcohol were discovered in a laboratory today, it would be classified as a controlled substance, which means that it would only be available via a doctor’s prescription."

Public and Private Ethics

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PST

There is a lot of talk in our day about the need for ethics, but not very much is being done about it. The problem is that we are approaching the whole idea backwards. Our modern world has kicked the Bible aside as being irrelevant and out of date. They have set aside the only foundation for moral behavior, but yet they want ethics. We even have something today called “situational ethics” – but if one’s conduct is determined by the given situation then it is not an ethical code. Ethics cannot exist apart from a standard of right and wrong. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that there is a standard for conduct; the word of God.

Desperate For Christian Education

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PST

I cannot recall where I heard it, but I have never forgotten the quote: “Education without Christ is ignorance multiplied by the speed of light, squared.” We have come to learn how true the quote is in our society today.

North American Culture has a tremendous need today! The need has to do with the biblical mandate regarding the Christian Education of our children. The only education the vast majority of children partake of today is from the perspective of a secular world. It seems that our world is bent on declaring that Christian Education and Christian Heritage are politically incorrect and intolerant in design.

Christian Education today is training children to do battle at the crossroads of our society. Christian Colleges, Christian Schools and Christian Home Schooling fall within God’s biblical mandate today. We are nowhere near the advocates we should be for Christian Education. Ponder the following statements recently given by Dr. Alan Pue, President of The Barnabas Group at a Christian Conference of Christian School Administrators and Christian School Board Members.

The Cultural Challenge for the Church

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:39:48 PST

If you have ever watched the news reports of a Gay Pride march in downtown Portland, you can't help but notice the tone of some of the posters and banners they carry. They will say things like "It's not about religion," and "Hate is not a family value," and others carry similar slogans. The marchers say things like "All this hate is so un-Christian."

Did you ever wonder about the history of the Gay Pride marches? The first Gay Pride march took place in 1970. It was a two-pronged march held simultaneously; one in Los Angeles and one in New York. Back then the tone was completely different. The signs would say things like; "2-4-6-8, gay is just as good as straight"; or "Not all of us walk poodles"; still another would read, "Better blatant than latent."(1)