Tag: promises

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Declaration Day

On July 4 we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and call it Independence Day. Actually, our Independence came 7 years later, in 1783. On July 4, 1776 we made a declaration of our basic principles, and so the holiday should really be called Declaration Day.

Our Founding Fathers declared first of all that all men were created equal. This powerful statement acknowledges that we are created by God, and that all else comes from Him. It was God who created us equal, with no preference for ancestry, skin color, or other distinction.  They actually echoed the Biblical statement that,  in Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28).

Secondly, they declared that it was God who endowed us with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. No one can take our life, because “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” (I John 5:11 b). In the same way, it is the Spirit of the Lord who gives us freedom (2 Cor 3:17b), not to indulge ourselves, but to serve others in love (Gal 6:13). The Lord gives us the choice of which path to follow in pursuit of happiness (Deut 30:19), but he guides us to happiness by showing us that life, prosperity, and honor come from pursuit of righteousness and love (Prov 21:21).

In the many years since 1776, our nation has struggled to live up to the principles declared by our Founding Fathers. The stain of slavery and racism, denying God’s declaration of equality, has only now begun to disappear from society. Yet, in modern times, many have forgotten that our rights come from God, denying Him and looking to the State as our source of rights and happiness. Even the right to life has been subverted to a false freedom to serve ourselves. We stand in grave danger of losing the rights and freedoms declared so eloquently in 1776.

Its time to turn things around.

Let us start with ourselves and join the Founding Fathers in their declaration:

* God created us, and everything comes from Him.

* God created us equal, to be one in Christ.

* God has given us that right to life through Christ.

* God has given us freedom in order to serve others.

*God has given us the right to pursue genuine happiness through righteousness and love.

Let us pray that the Church will recapture the Spirit of Declaration Day and pass it on to a nation desperately in need of real equality, life, liberty, and happiness.

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The Lesson of May Day

This week, on May 1, we mark a pagan holiday which has been celebrated from the most ancient of times until the present.

 The European Druids celebrated May 1 as “Beltane”, a holiday named after their god “Bel” and the word for fire, “Tane.” On Beltane all fires were extinguished except for the sacred fires of the Druids, which were then used to start new fires. The ritual actually traces back to Babylon, as does the name of the pagan god “Bel.”

 Another ritual of Beltane was celebrated by gathering around the “May Pole.” The pole actually represented the Cosmic Axis, or North Pole, and this type of celebration has been found as far away as the North American Indians. The pole is also a Phallic symbol, similar to the Egyptian obelisk, echoing the pagan claim that their god is the “Seed of Woman” (See Gen 3:15), a title which belongs only to Jesus Christ.

 Another feature of the May 1 celebration is its position 52 days, or one seventh of a year, from the Summer Solstice, an important pagan worship date and the focal point of the ancient Stonehenge monument. The day 52 days after the Summer Solstice, August 15, is also a Druid holiday known as Lughnasa. Interestingly, these dates are also celebrated by the Mayans, and form the structure of their 260 day, or five sevenths of a year, calendar. The Egyptians also built a 52 day period into the Great Pyramid, although their periods are tied to the Winter, not summer, Solstice.

 These amazing connections between Babylon, Egypt, the Druids, and the American Indians are merely one of many examples worldwide of common cultural practices. For those who understand that the Bible presents an accurate history of humanity, it is a simple matter to trace those beliefs back to the time when all humanity was gathered into one place: Babylon. It was the event we call the Tower of Babel, actually a civil war, which scattered the people and their practices across the earth. And it was God who sent Jesus to save humanity from the false religion born in Babylon.

 This week we can celebrate a May Day where we recognize the goodness and mercy of God as He has poured out his grace on our societies. The National Day of Prayer, May 1, gives us the opportunity to thank God for His mercies and humble ourselves to pray for our nation.

 The lesson of May Day is the provable reality of God’s word. Let us learn our lesson and pray that our nation will not go the way of the Babylonians, Egyptians, Druids, and Mayans who turned away from God on May Day.

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Celebrating Indestructible Life

This year as we come up to Resurrection Sunday, April 20, we will once again celebrate the power of indestructible life.

Our first parents, Adam and Eve, brought death into the human family by following Satan into rebellion against God. People became slaves to Satan because of their fear of death, and Satan ruled the world by the time Jesus came. But Jesus came to destroy Satan and death, itself, and bring abundant life to His followers. Satan thought he could kill Jesus, but the empty tomb of Easter morning proved the life of Jesus to be indestructible. Jesus is alive!

 And not only Jesus. The indestructible life He had, He passed on to His followers. Infused with that life, they turned from quivering cowards into bold evangelists, turning the world upside down. Satan could kill their bodies, but the fear of death was gone, as the indestructible life given by Jesus continues forever. The indestructible life made an indestructible army to advance the Kingdom of God. And, from Roman Emperor Constantine’s surrender to Christ to the survival of the Church in Communist China, the power of indestructible life has prevailed over God’s enemies.

 Satan’s only success have come when he lured Christians into forgetting the indestructible life by focusing on the destructible fleshly life and the corresponding fear of death. Such Christians find themselves trapped in a joyless existence. Often they are tempted into joining Satan’s rebellion, believing that the world can bring back the life they have abandoned. History is littered with failed Kings, clerics, nations, and people who have lost their way.

 And yet, despite the many failures, the Church still stands as a testimony to the indestructible life of Jesus and the indestructible life He gave to His people.

 This Easter, let us give thanks for the indestructible life of Jesus who bought indestructible life for us. God knows our genetic code. He knows our thoughts and memories. When this fleshly body ceases to function, He has prepared an indestructible body for us.

Thank you Lord, for our indestructible life.

 And may we bless others who can find God and join us in our indestructible life.

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Gog and Magog in Syria

       The announcement that Russia will send sophisticated weapons to the Syrian dictator has renewed interest in the Gog and Magog war described in Ezekiel, Chapters 38 and 39.

           

            Russia is often identified with Gog because of the description “Prince of Rosh” which appears in some Bible translations. In fact, “Rosh” is the Hebrew word for “head”, as in “Rosh Hashanna”, and so the better translation is “Chief Prince”. However, we know that Magog, as a tribe of Japeth, would have been in the areas north of the Middle East, and so Russia is a probable location for Magog. Additional northern Japethetic tribes of Gomer and Beth Togarmah, which are part of the nations joining Magog, could also be from Russian territory.

 

            Other aspects of the Gog and Magog war mentioned in Ezekiel do not fit so well with current circumstances. The attacking coalition of Gog, for example, includes the nations of Persia (Iran), Sudan, Libya, and Turkey, but only Persia supports Syria at present. In addition, the attack comes when Israel is at peace, a situation which does not exist today and probably will not exist for the foreseeable future. (See our Blog of 5/8/13 “The Peace of Jerusalem”). Thus, the Gog and Magog war does not seem likely to occur any time soon.

 

            The best place to look for the timing of the Gog and Magog war is in the other place it is mentioned in the Bible, Revelation 20:7-9. Here Gog and Magog are depicted as forming an army to attack Jerusalem, only to be defeated by fire from Heaven (see Ez 39:6). This war is, however, not part of the warfare surrounding the Second Coming of Christ and the battle of Armageddon, but occurs 1,000 years after Armageddon, at the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ. 

 

            Knowing that the Russian arming of Syria is not a prelude to the post millennial Gog and Magog war can help us focus our prayers. The Syrian civil war is a threat to peace in the Middle East, a threat to Israel, and a plague on the people of Syria. Let us pray that this evil dictator will be overthrown, that the anti-Israel forces will also be defeated, and that peace and healing will come to Syria. Let us also pray that a door will be opened to the Gospel message in Syria.

 

            And, as always, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

,
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The Lesson of May Day

 

            Some years ago we counseled with a young man who considered suicide because of a $5,000 debt. That’s when we learned that its not the amount of debt that matters, it’s the burden of the debt on the soul.

 

            Now we hear that hard economic times are being blamed for a 31% increase in suicide from 1999 to 2010. Since the beginning of the 2008 recession more people have died in the suicide epidemic than were killed in auto accidents. The hardest hit group is no longer teens or the elderly, but adults ages 35 to 64, for whom suicide are now the fourth most common cause of death. And middle aged men suffer most of all, with suicides out numbering women by 4 to 1. 

 

            It should not be too surprising that men are the primary victims of the suicide epidemic. Men feel the responsibility of providing for their families, and feel condemnation when they cannot. Their self esteem is often derived from their work, with devastating results when the job is lost. Men learn not to communicate their emotional needs and many are too proud to ask for help. In a prolonged economic slump, hopelessness takes hold and some begin to feel that the world would be better off without them.

 

            Our experience has been that people can escape from debt and prolonged financial bondage, but the real problem here is spiritual, not financial. The antidote to failure and condemnation is to realize that the whole Christian religion is built on forgiveness for our past mistakes and moving forward without guilt. Self esteem comes from the value placed on us by God, whose children we are, and can be realized not just through work but also through Church, family, and friends. Men may not sit in a circle and sing Kum-Ba-Ya, but they can learn to humble themselves and let others help them. And they can realize that they are still needed by their friends, families, and Churches.

 

            Reaching out to men in trouble is hard to do because they hide their feelings and often behave badly. The first thing you can do is to involve them in some activity to keep them busy and slowly rebuild self esteem. Share your own failures openly and never insult them by being patronizing. Let them know that their life is valuable by asking for their advice and help. Share your faith if you can, pointing to a better future. And make ‘em laugh.

 

            Our young friend rediscovered his hope in life with a little encouragement and little help. Hope was the key to the rest of his life.

 

            So, keep hope alive and stay alive. There is so much to live for.

Publisher

Celebrating Indestructible Life

             This year as we come up to Resurrection Sunday, March 31, we will once again celebrate the power of indestructible life.

 

            Our first parents, Adam and Eve, brought death into the human family by following Satan into rebellion against God. People became slaves to Satan because of their fear of death, and Satan ruled the world by the time Jesus came. But Jesus came to destroy Satan and death, itself, and bring abundant life to His followers. Satan thought he could kill Jesus, but the empty tomb of Easter morning proved the life of Jesus to be indestructible. Jesus is alive!

 

            And not only Jesus. The indestructible life He had, He passed on to His followers. Infused with that life, they turned from quivering cowards into bold evangelists, turning the world upside down. Satan could kill their bodies, but the fear of death was gone, as the indestructible life given by Jesus continues forever. The indestructible life made an indestructible army to advance the Kingdom of God. And, from Roman Emperor Constantine’s surrender to Christ to the survival of the Church in Communist China, the power of indestructible life has prevailed over God’s enemies.

 

            Satan’s only success have come when he lured Christians into forgetting the indestructible life by focusing on the destructible fleshly life and the corresponding fear of death. Such Christians find themselves trapped in a joyless existence. Often they are tempted into joining Satan’s rebellion, believing that the world can bring back the life they have abandoned. History is littered with failed Kings, clerics, nations, and people who have lost their way.

 

            And yet, despite the many failures, the Church still stands as a testimony to the indestructible life of Jesus and the indestructible life He gave to His people.

 

            This Easter, let us give thanks for the indestructible life of Jesus who bought indestructible life for us. God knows our genetic code. He knows our thoughts and memories. When this fleshly body ceases to function, He has prepared an indestructible body for us.

 

            Thank you Lord, for our indestructible life.

            And may we bless others who can find God and join us in our indestructible life.

Publisher

Christmas Promises

There are many reasons to celebrate Christmas and the advent of Christ. One of the best reasons for us is the celebration of how God kept His promises about sending Christ to Earth:

 

*    God promised Adam and Eve He would be born miraculously to a virgin, (Gen 3:15), and He was.

*    God promised Abraham that Christ would be a descendent of his (Gen 12:2), and He was.

*    God promised Jacob that Christ would come from the line of his son Judah (Gen 49:10), and He did.

*    God promised David that Christ would come from his Line (2 Sa 7:16), and He did.

*    God told Micah that Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Mi 5:2), and He was.

*    God told Daniel when Jesus would begin His ministry, 483 years after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Da 9:25), and He did, in 26 AD.

*    God told Isaiah where Christ would begin His ministry, in Galilee (Is 9:1), and He did.

 

There are dozens of specific prophecies recorded about Jesus, His ministry, and His resurrection. All have been fulfilled, giving us confidence that God’s promises to us will also be fulfilled.

So as we gather to thank God for the greatest Christmas present of all, Jesus Christ, let us also rest secure in the knowledge that God can be trusted to keep all of his promises.