Remodeling the Blog

One of the great things about blog writing is the sharing of ideas, and the ability to grow in your thinking and writing. Looking back on some of the articles, I almost shudder sometimes, while other times I think, “hey, that was pretty good!”

Blogs are kinda funny in that they give a snapshot of what is on our mind at a particular moment in time. It’s not always a definitive statement on life the universe and everything, and many times bloggers turn out to be just wrong, but that’s not always the point. For many bloggers, it’s just a way to think out loud. A way to bounce something off the cyber-space walls and see if it sticks.

The problem of course, is as a pastor, I have to be careful with not just what I say, but even how I say it. It would be so easy for someone to see something I may have written rather immaturely, and reject church over it. Weird really to think someone would see me as the representation of church, but it’s true not only for me, but lots of believers. When taking a poll to determine why people don’t attend church, the word hypocrite comes up as a reason fairly often. So examples, and my writing on a blog, do matter. With so many other things crowding into my life, I wondered if I should even continue with this blog. After all, my main focus is not me, it’s the church I’m a part of, and I certainly don’t want to distract from any of that.

So I’m currently in the process of going through this blog and changing some of its focus and some of the material in it. Everything needs a good cleaning I suppose, besides, it’s about to be linked to the church website, at www.ijesus.me (now that site is up, but it’s not 100% finished either last I checked)

Ultimately, when it comes to the kingdom, the religious side of things, I’m not promoting me, I’m promoting the ministry of Mountain View Christian Church and beyond that, the ministry of the Gospel. Either way, it’s supposed to be a lot bigger than me. This blog was good experience, and a good start, but I’ve grown a bit, learned some, and realized that God uses me for His purposes. Not the other way around.

So… I’m off too cleaning up some things. More posts are going to be coming soon. Catch ya’ll later.

Will God Send People to Hell When They Were Raised in Other Religions?

Of course. Class over.

No, I’m kidding. It’s a really good question. I’ve wondered about it constantly, and of all the questions that are out there, this one has been the toughest for me to come to grips with. Doesn’t seem right that people would grow up being taught different religions, never hearing about God the way I do, or Jesus, and then go to hell for eternity. I have no problem with the really bad people going to hell, of course, but what about the well-meaning folks who just didn’t know? It doesn’t sound fair.

I know the usual answers. Here’s a couple of them:

Taking That Next Step

There’s a parable that Jesus tells concerning three guys who were given some of their Master’s money while he was away. The first and second guys invested and doubled the money, so when the master returned, he was very pleased with them. The third guy just buried the money and didn’t do anything with it. When the master returned, he returned the money but had nothing to show for it. Upset, the master threw the third guy out.

For me, one aspect of the moral of this story is that we need to take what God has given us, and invest it, work on it, do something with it. There are only so many years of life on this earth, and there are only so many years of good health, too. Who knows when either will run out? So while we’re feeling good, while were able… this is the time we should act. After all, a time is coming when we won’t be able to do the things we want to do. That’s not just a spiritual message, that’s a basic fact of life.

The other aspect, which is more on the spiritual side of things, is that God places us in positions, gives us opportunities, and gives us responsibilities. And wherever God has put you, whatever God has given you to do right now… what will you have to show Him for it when He returns?

Quick Advice On Giving Sermons or Lessons

Almost every time a service concludes, I wonder if I preached the sermon or taught the class in a quality manner.

Not sure if I can help wondering about it, although as I’ve grown older, I do find peace and reassurance knowing that God can take my feeble attempts and do miracles with them.

So in the end, it’s not my ability that matters most, but it is Him. Having said that, I’m a big believer in preparation and effort, and I am most often down on myself when I feel I haven’t given enough in those areas.

I always feel better about a sermon when I put in the time, had it organized very smoothly, and was able to fill it with lots of Scriptural insight and truth. While there are those who believe in winging it and relying almost entirely on the move of the Holy Spirit within them, my campus minister at Missouri State was fond of saying “God can work through preparation and planning, too.” And I agree. But these are probably not the main points to make.

Some of my least prepared sermons have had huge impacts, and some of my best prepared sermons have landed with large thuds. It’s gone the other way around too, but why is it that sometimes at least, my unprepared sermons sometimes out-perform the ones I spent hours and hours working up?

Unprepared sermons often rely on favorite verses, miss key points, and can more easily come from the speaker’s personality instead of the Scripture. Watch some of the guys on tv, and you’ll figure out who is preaching from self, and who is preaching selflessly. Doesn’t take long.

But maybe where the sermon is coming from is more important than how long it took to get it ready? In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that not only is prayer important (duh), but also my attitude matters. More specifically, my attitude toward God and the Word of God. Whether the sermon has had all 15 hours of prep or just 2, am I saying and teaching as a servant of God trying to relay information, or am I teaching as if I have all the answers myself?

What I mean is, my “unprepared” successes are due (in my opinion) to the amount of prayer of course, but also because of earnest attempts to listen to the Holy Spirit during my short preparation time, and during my delivery of the lesson or sermon.

My desperate reliance on God, which resulted from my lack of time to prepare, or my lack of preparedness in general, made me seek God’s help intensely, and well… God came through. A servant’s attitude made all the difference.

Oh by the way, can I have a servant’s attitude when I’m putting in the preparation time like I’m supposed to? Well sure. In fact, if I keep a humble attitude toward God, recognize that my sermon or lesson won’t be what it should be without Him, AND put in the preparation time, not only will the lesson or sermon succeed, but I’ll have less stress and hopefully fewer grey hairs.

So that’s what I believe. Reliance upon God, and a servant’s attitude when preaching or teaching, is where the real power comes from.

Just one more caution. You can’t judge a sermon or lesson by how many compliments it receives from people. For instance, some people always say they like it, even when it wasn’t very good. And other people weren’t listening in the first place, and still other people might not like you very much and won’t like hearing you speak no matter what you say.

In fact, a popular sermon might even be a bad sign. The Bible says, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. –II Timothy 4:2-4

So just because people your sermon or lesson, doesn’t necessarily mean you had a good sermon or lesson. What matters is whether or not God liked it. I have sign over my computer which reads, “You don’t preach or teach for the approval of human beings. You do so for the honor and glory and pleasure of a living God who chooses to speak His ways through you.”

Which means the best question to ask yourself is not “Did the congregation enjoy the sermon?” The best question is: “Lord, did I say what you wanted me to say?” Not that I always hit that target. I don’t. But I’ll keep trying.

Daring to be Thoughtful About Easter

I got banned from commenting on the Huffington Post today. That’s an online source for articles and news with a definite uh…. viewpoint. Ok, they are generally liberal or progressive. I’m not sure how they would define themselves, but let’s just say, Fox News they aren’t…

Which is fine. That’s not the problem or the point.

See today, they banned me evidentally because of a comment I tried to post about the latest article by Spencer Green where he made incredibly crude attempts at humor concerning various body parts belonging to Jesus. Well, he kept calling him Mr. Christ. Obviously Spencer isn’t a…follower of Christ? Nah. Not so much really.

Besides claiming that Jesus would be hawking souveniers in a little shop if He hadn’t been crucified, Spencer also painted images of various other methods Jesus could have died from and the crude ways that might have changed the story and our celebration of it.

If you’re an atheist I’m sure it’s a riot. If you worship Jesus, it’s hard to imagine a more offensive article. So it was surprisingly ironic that they would worry so much about my comment which was tame in comparison. I mean, there’s no way EVER they would print something like that about Mohammad. It would cause an international incident.

Ah well. It DID get me to thinking. Perhaps I shouldn’t have worried so much about it, just as I wish Mr. Green hadn’t decided it was so necessary to mock the story. After all, it IS Easter. Maybe it’s time to, for a moment, appreciate and focus on the meaning of it all.

Easter commemorates the most central event in the Bible -the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible itself says:

..if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. -I Corinthians 15:14

This event is the crux of the Christian faith, and without it, Christianity doesn’t exist.

We can thus attack it, debate it, make fun of it, dismiss it, celebrate it, etc… And we do all these things. National media are doing articles and reports citing various claims one way or another.

But can we for a moment, just reflect on the story itself -on the Man Himself?

Churches and Organized Religion have added to His teaches at times. At various times in history and in various places, people have committed horrible atrocities in the name of this Man -Jesus Christ. Yet no matter what those churches, those religious leaders, and those various groups might have done or said, we have the words of the Man in nearly every motel, nearly every bookcase, and nearly every bookstore. Very few coffee tables have existed that have not at one time or another, had His words laying on top of them.

So regardless of what the Pope said in 1409 A.D., we can all easily discover for ourselves what Jesus said and taught. Men have distorted His teachings, but His teachings are not hidden. We can still read them if we are so inclined. We can listen to a sermon and check the references! And those words, and the story, are still awfully powerful.

Those words, and the story of Christ, have inspired sacrifice, the building of hospitals, orphanages, feeding centers, and enormous amounts of giving from those who have, to those in need. Just today, I handed a large check to a family with a child suffering from a rare disease. Those funds came from others who do indeed follow Jesus Christ. Our youth are planning a mission trip to (among other options) build a home for a needy family. Giving. Helping. Sacrificing. Words that describe the daily life of someone who has heard the message of Christ, listened to His teachings, and put his or her faith in Him.

According to Matthew 25, giving, helping and sacrifice defines a person who follows Christ.

This Man and this story have inspired people to give their lives in service of others, to step out of their comfort zones into the muck of poverty, disease, and pain. And this Man has inspired people in times of great personal crisis and despair, offering hope that this life is not all there is.

Many other religions have influenced this holiday, as well as marketing schemes from retailers. Yet despite those things too, the words of this Man -Christ- and His story are worth taking note of on this day.

Mankind has rarely lived up to the ideals He set, and often we are too busy scoffing at the story to notice just how much it has changed this world for the better, and challenged people to believe in a God who gave everything for the world.

Maybe we can pause just a moment from the debates and give a tip of the cap to the story and the Man Himself.

It would seem a more productive and thoughtful use of our time.

For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.-John 3:16-17

So Where’s the End of the World?

Well, it looks like the stock market has stabilized and the world economies are -if not “stable” at least doing more of a teetering motion instead of a free-fall. So all the talk of Doomsday seems a bit premature now doesn’t it?

Well yes actually -and uh no. It appears at this moment that the world, our economy, and all that jazz is poised to muddle along for perhaps years. And this isn’t a surprise, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if all of a sudden things went south again.

Animal Crackers, Dramas, and Stuff

My spine hurts.

Last night I’m playing the Devil and the guy playing Jesus is supposed to beat the snot out of me at the end of this play… including throwing me into “hell” where I land on a mattress hopefully.

He did, and I did.

Such a Time As This…

Every now and then, in the big scheme of things, I think you come to a moment in history that is pivotal, and I think we have come to just such a time as a nation. Perhaps as a world. And I’m speaking of something larger than our politics here in the United States.

“This crisis is the first truly universal one in the history of humanity,” former IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus said at an ADB forum in Manila. He was talking of the economic crisis of course, and he added, “No country escapes from it. It has not yet bottomed out.”

Some believe our “crisis” is bigger than just economics. David Wilkerson, a guy I call a “big dog” in the faith, recently wrote: “What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath.”

But whether we are facing nothing more than a severe, worldwide recession or the beginnings of the Tribulation itself -spoken of in the book of Revelation, I believe we are still facing an important moment in history. An important moment in our nation, and in our communities.

So uh… What Exactly Did the Bible Say About the End of the World?

I’m in a doom and gloom mood I think! The tough question for me to answer is when to talk about the worst and when to realize that everyone will simply think you are Chicken Little! I certainly might be Mr. Little right now, but a guy mentioned on the radio this week that the government and the military make contigency plans all the time and so should we. I thought that was a good point.

REASONS WHY I’M STARTING TO MAKE CONTINGENCY PLANS
First… Europe is in trouble according to this article. Including Russia. In fact, while we’re in a recession so far, Europe, Eastern Europe especially, is in collapse. By the way they are rioting Iceland. This week. All month and last month. And by extension, we’re in a bit of trouble.

Second… Did you watch the business shows today? I try to catch some of them every Saturday, and my goodness, those guys have fewer answers than they did a month ago. Seems like everyone disagrees on what to do or who to blame.

Third… Iran has enough uranium to build at least one nuke.

Fourth… Netanyahu will likely be the Israeli Prime Minister and he’s the least likely of the major contenders to put up with Iran.

Fifth… This guy says the law enforcement officials he talks to tell him off the record that they are training and preparing for civil unrest.

Sixth… There is a run on guns and ammo all across America. Really.

Seventh… the last time the world went through economic times like this, it led to facism, communism and a completely unhinged world. So those are always dangers when economies are collapsing and governments are destabilized. Some experts are actually warning against the rise of totalitarianism right now.

Warning signs all of them, but of course, there’s no guarantee the world is ending. I mean, who knows? But this is leading us toward (get the difference there) leading us toward a world that looks exactly like the one in Revelation and other various places.

But-We-Aren’t-There-Yet

So what to do now? Well, if we are headed that way for real, here’s a couple of details to keep in mind:

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.-I John 2:18

As John writes, anti-christs are not a new thing. We’ve had our Hitlers and Stalins before. Nevertheless, the Bible prophecies a final world leader and there are some important things to notice.

He is followed. He is not merely a dictator who seizes power and keeps it by force. He-is-followed. “The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” -Revelation 13:3b-4

Three characteristics of his rule stand out:
1. He will oppose and fight against Christianity. Revelation 13:7
2. His popularity and authority will extend worldwide. Revelation 13:8
3. He will institute economic policies. Revelation 13:16-18

And thus chapter 6 of Revelation is very consistent with his rise, by describing a world with six forces unleashed:
1. The Anti-Christ
2. War over the whole earth (a danger today)
3. Economic Collapse Worldwide (almost inevitable today)
4. Death as a result of the above (plus a result plague and “wild beasts of the earth” as well)
5. Persecution of believers. (part of what the Anti-Christ does)
6. God’s judgments upon the earth. (well, duh, it’s Revelation)

Now what to do? Well if we are approaching THAT scenario, then keep in mind some of these details:

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” -Revelation 6:5-6

That’s the economic collapsed predicted in Revelation, and Revelation describes inflated prices. Hyper-Inflation, a condition that is feared to arrive all over the world because of the collapse of world curriencies and the efforts by governments to pump more and more money into the system, would fulfill this. So if we are approaching the end, then the fears of hyper-inflation will likely be realized.

MY FIRST IDEAS AT CONTINGENCY PLANS
Let’s get the politically incorrect stuff out of the way. The first thing we need to do is recognize God and return to Him. As impossible as this seems to do as a nation, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about getting your life right with Him. It’s more than simple church attendance, it’s whether or not He is Lord of your Life on Monday through Saturday. It not only makes an eternal difference, but a serious study of the character of God in the Old and New Testaments reveals that God sends smaller judgments for a reason, and that reason is to bring people back to repentance. Even in the book of Revelation, the Bible mentions several times the unwillingness of people to repent. The state of our economy, in my opinion, is a warning to America to repent. I believe we should heed the warning.

Besides, when facing economic issues, Jesus promised that the Lord would help those who put Him first: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”-Matthew 6:31-33

Ok, now for all that other stuff…

If currencies all over the world become more and more worthless, it would make sense that a world monetary system would rise out of the ashes. For us, we would face a time of upheaval and according to those verses, a time when even basic supplies cost a great deal. Saving dried and canned food, paying off debts by managing your money now, and reducing your spending, would be helpful.

It would be helpful because debt is slavery, and the sooner you are out of debt, the sooner you will have money freed up to purchase important items and assets you might not be able to get later. The world economy, and the American economy, are BIG ships. They don’t sink instantly, and even if the world economy collapses, it might take a few years. Those years are time that should be not be wasted. If the worst doesn’t happen (and let’s hope it doesn’t) then you’ll be in a better financial situation tomorrow anyway.

And remember, during the Great Depression, there were lots of predictions that it we would soon pull out of it, and you should buy stock, etc… Right now, with all the uncertainty, do what you know you need to do. Get out of debt. Make sure you have supplies and things you need.

Saving over the counter medication, first aid products, etc… would be helpful to prevent infection and keep a family safer if going to the doctor was suddenly difficult.

Families and friends could pull together, even live together, to pool resources, and provide more safety for each other. Truth be told, such circumstances wouldn’t be all bad. People in our nation have often pulled together in times of crisis, and even if the worst happens, we will again. Churches, communities, families, and people with character will rise to the occasion as they have in the past. We’ll be ok. We’ll probably be even stronger.

So don’t panic, but do be smart. There are real contingency plans you can make and if you don’t need them, great! And if we do need these contingency plans, well stay hopeful. Even if the worst happens, people will pull together. And of course remember, it’s been predicted for a long time. It wouldn’t be a surprise.

Not a Bad Start for the New Prez

I watched part of President Obama’s news conference last night, and not only did he handle himself well (no surprise), but he said some good things too. I thought his points on health care were spot on, even if the solution is difficult. He was right to point out that our healthcare system is a huge source of financial difficulty for many Americans. One trip to the emergency room and you’re in debt. Hospitals often allow you to make payments, but usually….. -to collection agencies. Which means millions of the poor have their credit report lowered simply because they don’t have a thousand dollars in their back pocket when the hospital bill comes due.

I might not like the President’s solution to the health care problem (then again I might), but he’s right to point out the problem it poses to our overall economic well-being. Unfortunately, what I’m also hearing in the news are calls by others near to the administration (I said “near” not “in”) to bring gasoline prices UP so as to make green technologies more economic to pursue. What that means is, if gas is cheap, no one will bother to spend money to pursue more expensive green technologies. However, if gas is high, then sure… we’re in favor of anything that might bring the price down: electric cars, whatever…

George Soros said a week or so ago, that we should raise tariffs and impose duties on imported oil to do this very thing. He wrote that our economy should no longer be powered by the consumer, but could instead be powered by green technologies. President Obama last night echoed the idea that our economy cannot be powered by the consumer long term.

Problem is, high gasoline prices are just as much of a burden on the poor and every day American, as health care. When gasoline prices skyrocketed under President Bush, local bankers in my town believed this would come back to hurt us in the form of people struggling to keep their monthly payments going on their loan. A few years and some maxed out credit cards later, we saw record numbers of people defaulting on their loans. I don’t think that was a coincidence.

Business analysts on television, who have no trouble walking out and buying a $38,000 Prius, often deride banks for making “risky loans” and scold Americans for continuing to drive gas-guzzling vehicles and continuing to drive too many miles. But a person cannot suddenly change how far they drive to work, and many people cannot purchase a vehicle any time they have the urge -especially one as expensive as a Prius. And what folks should realize is that the poor tend to purchase vehicles they can afford, which are not the newest models, but the old gas guzzlers others are getting rid of. This is to say nothing of those who live in the country or on farms and have to use trucks and bigger vehicles as a necessity.

And yes, other nations in the world pay much higher prices for their gasoline, but they’ve been doing it for years. Their economy and people’s budgets are adjusted for it. What happened with President Bush, and what some are asking President Obama to do, would raise the prices dramatically and suddenly. The resulting pain and financial problems will be inevitable.

Why do I bring this up? Because it has a spiritual component.

God often judges nations by how they take care of the little guy. When Israel took advantage of the poor, the Lord condemned them for it. I believe God controls the destiny of nations, and I believe we should do the “right” thing, not necessarily the thing that makes us the most money, because we have to answer to God for it.

I’m usually a conservative when it comes to politics, but I’m a Christian first and foremost. I would urge President Obama to be careful with policies toward oil and gasoline that would hurt the poor he claims to represent. Artificially raising gas prices would certainly benefit green technologies, and certainly make a lot of money for those who invest in those companies as I’m sure Soros has done, but if we rush too fast we will trample too many people.

Careful Mr. Prez.

We Interrupt the World Ending for This Important Message

Christians, yours truly included, are an apocalyptic bunch. We certainly enjoy talking about the end of the world, and the return of Christ. In fact, haven’t we been saying since, well since the early church days, that Jesus was coming back any second? Doesn’t that pretty much discredit the whole subject by now?

Well, no. That’s not exactly what the early church was saying, despite what you may have heard. Peter and Paul and John (the three guys who wrote most of the New Testament) never taught that. In fact, they put the return of Christ into the future beyond themselves.

Maybe It IS Happening…

Listen. I help lead a church (we are led by a group of elders and deacons, not just me) and this church is big enough that we have people who disagree about any number of things. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Pre-Millennial, A-Millennial, Charismatic, Reserved, you name it. We come together not because everyone is blindly following me, or because everyone agrees and we’re out to get YOU!

No, we come together because we are sinners, saved only by the Grace of Almighty God, and we’re all trying to help each other follow Him and grow spiritually. We believe in the Bible as the Word of God, inerrant as it was written, powerful and alive when it is rightly divided and taken to heart. And doggone it, we just take it seriously because we believe God is absolutely for real. If you don’t, well you’re in trouble someday, but we’ll still help you if we can because Jesus came to serve and so do we.

Today is not the day of condemnation, but the day of Grace. Jesus said He didn’t come to condemn, but to save, so as Christians, we try to have the same attitude. We far more interested in lifting a finger, than pointing one.

Know what I mean?

So think it through with me. As the senior minister of such a church, I’m not interested in saying a bunch of kookie, left-field, right-field, conspiracy theory type of things. I’m naturally skeptical of those conspiracy theories anyway, but you know, most of the time those things don’t even matter. They are often nothing more than distractions to what Jesus called us to do: Calling the world to repentance by preaching the cross of Christ for today and His ultimate return tomorrow. We are trying to show folks how they can be “right” with God, and help them grow in their knowledge of God and find a way they can serve God. We want everyone to be able to stand before God and hear Him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Not incredibly kookie right? I mean, we have fun and God has used us to make a difference and if we’ll obey Him, He’s going to use us even more. But it’s not about us, it’s about God and others because we are just servants. If you come to our church, we want you to be able to grow spiritually right where you are. You’re gonna hear the Word, and have a chance to live it, too.

In fact, tonight, the Church Board voted to start and fund a new ministry designed to provide money management help as well as many other forms of assistance to people in our community because we feel like things are going to get very rough. We want to be ready. We want to help because as one of our board members said, this is the sort of thing Jesus wants us to do.

But at the risk of sounding really kookie…

Belief in God is Part of the Heritage of the United States

Evidently the new Capital Visitor Center in Washington DC leaves this out, but the people who founded our nation had a strong belief in God. Just read these lines from all 50 State Constitutions (someone else posted this, and I thought it was fantastic) :

Alabama 1901, Preamble We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution.

Alaska 1956, Preamble We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land…

Arizona 1911, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution…

Arkansas 1874, Preamble We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government…

California 1879, Preamble We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom…

Colorado 1876, Preamble We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe…

Connecticut 1818, Preamble The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy…

Delaware 1897, Preamble Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences.

Florida 1885, Preamble We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty, establish this Constitution…

Georgia 1777, Preamble We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution…

Hawaii 1959, Preamble We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance… Establish this Constitution.

Idaho 1889, Preamble We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings…

Illinois 1870, Preamble We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors…

Indiana 1851, Preamble We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government…

Iowa 1857, Preamble We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings establish this Constitution.

Kansas 1859, Preamble We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges establish this Constitution.

Kentucky 1891, Preamble We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties…

Louisiana 1921, Preamble We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy…

Maine 1820, Preamble We the People of Maine acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity… And imploring His aid and direction…

Maryland 1776, Preamble We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty…

Massachusetts 1780, Preamble We…the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe… In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction…

Michigan 1908, Preamble We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom establish this Constitution.

Minnesota, 1857, Preamble We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings…

Mississippi 1890, Preamble We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work…

Missouri 1845, Preamble We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness… establish this Constitution.

Montana 1889, Preamble We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution.

Nebraska 1875, Preamble We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom… establish this Constitution.

Nevada 1864, Preamble We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom establish this Constitution.

New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.

New Jersey 1844, Preamble We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors…

New Mexico 1911, Preamble We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty…

New York 1846, Preamble We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings…

North Carolina 1868, Preamble We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those…

North Dakota 1889, Preamble We , the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain…

Ohio 1852, Preamble We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common…

Oklahoma 1907, Preamble Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty… establish this…

Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2 All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences…

Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance

Rhode Island 1842, Preamble We the People of the State of Rhode Island, grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing…

South Carolina, 1778, Preamble We, the people of the State of South Carolina grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution.

South Dakota 1889, Preamble We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties…

Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience…

Texas 1845, Preamble We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God…

Utah 1896, Preamble Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution.

Vermont 1777, Preamble Whereas all government ought to enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man…

Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator can be directed only by Reason and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other…

Washington 1889, Preamble We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution.

West Virginia 1872, Preamble Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God…

Wisconsin 1848, Preamble We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility…

Wyoming 1890, Preamble We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties… establish this Constitution.

Do You Blame Wal-Mart Again -Or Do We Look in a Mirror?

Today started off well, but as the morning takes shape, an ugly evil has raised its head in America. And it looks a lot like us. First, the good stuff:

This morning I arrived at my local Wal-Mart store about 4:55am, which was later than at least 300 other shoppers who were already in a line that stretched across the parking-lot, and then some. And then a LOT actually.

Now you gotta understand: This is my town, and I’m a pastor, so chances were really high that I’d see people who recognized me. And if I acted like Rosie O’Donnell after drinking a few Red Bulls, not only would that be just as “wrong” as the image of Rosie on Red Bull, but it wouldn’t look all that good.

Pastors are supposed to be kind, polite and always filled with Christmas joy you know…

Of course, the last time I was at a Wal-Mart “Blitz” in a much larger city, I was pretty much constantly irritated, but this morning, I was determined to have a better attitude and not worry if I got the television I wanted -or not. After all, money and possessions aren’t everything right?

Believe it or not, there was some freedom in making that decision. It felt good. I actually enjoyed the time in the store, even laughing with several people -some I knew and some I didn’t. The television I really wanted, I couldn’t find. It was snatched up quickly, but I did find my second option. Sure, it WAS a mad house, but it wasn’t a MAD house. People were polite. No one got shoved. The huge line moved into the small store (it’s not a Super Center) without breaking down the doors. People tried to allow others to get through aisles. In other words, it was a much better experience than the one I had a few years ago in a larger city.

I know. I know. People in rural areas are supposed to be the dumb ones. That’s what Hollywood tells me in every movie and mini-series and aw shucks, sometimes it’s even true hehehehe. But really… from this hick to the rest of you in those big towns…

(standing on soap box)

What in the world are you thinking? You guys in Long Island actually did kill someone this morning. Hold everything. Stop. What are we doing? Seriously?

The Daily News reported that a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death by a mob of customers.

I’m waiting for the excuses. The economy is bad, Wal-Mart shouldn’t have sales, there should have been more employees with tasers,… whatever… a person was killed because we walked on top of him to get our televisions and material possessions. There’s no excuse for that. None. Don’t even try. In this case, a family lost a loved one right before Christmas so we could get to the sale items quicker.

Happy Holidays….

We acted, and I bet it wasn’t the only place, like pigs going for the feed trough. Only, we are already the fattest pigs on the planet. Go spend some time in the third world, then come back here and tell me how important it is to get the 42-inch screen.

I’m going to be interested to see if we feel remorse as a nation for our own actions, or if we just blame someone else again, or worse… we shrug it off? I pray we do the first thing.

Wal-Mart will have video of the store, they will know who stepped on who and we’ll find out exactly what happened, but c’mon, let’s think long and hard about where we are right now. Material possessions are THAT important? Living with the latest luxuries that the rest of the world can only dream of is worth a stampede and the death of someone?

God forgive us. We’re courting wrath.

This is what the LORD says: “For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. -Amos 2:6-7

Congratulations to Obama

For the record, some good things happened this November. I’m really happy that the debate was over policies not skin color. I’m happy that we have finally broken that barrier, and had women involved in both parties at or near the top of the ticket. The debate was over issues, character, morals values, and voting records -as it should be.

I’m especially impressed with how good a campaign Obama ran, and how well he thought and planned ahead. I hope he is just as adept at leading as he is at running a campaign because he has some very big challenges ahead.

But those challenges are ahead. Right now, Barak deserves a huge amount of credit. He was able to convince people of his vision for America, and he displayed incredible communicating skills, and the cool, calm, roll with the punches type of demeanor you want to see as President.

He reached across into the moderates, and he scored big with whites and Hispanics… just a very, very good campaign.

Congratulations to you Mr. President Elect, and everyone who supported him. Well done. I’ll be praying for you, and of course, trying to convince you of the error of your ways from time to time.

Homosexuality, Abortion, Gambling… Issues that Influence Christians

I should warn you, I’m a senior minister at an independent Christian Church, which means I’m from the same cloth as minister Joe Wright (NOT Jeremiah!) who pastored Central Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas, and Bob Russell, who pastored Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Bob wrote a prayer once that Joe borrowed, adapted and then used to open the Kansas State House of Representatives back in 1996. It was a prayer that asked God for forgiveness involving various things, including a few hot button political issues. And while it really attacked items on both sides of the aisle, it nevertheless insinuated that certain things…

…brace yourself…

are sinful before God.

(insert large GASP here)

So OK, I KNOW I’m a radical. I get it. I believe in God, and I believe the Bible reveals God to us. And crazy as it sounds, I believe we have to come to God on His terms not ours. God judges all of us for sin, He judges nations for sin, and eventually, He’ll judge the world for sin. Me and you included.

The Bible however makes it clear that it is not God’s will to destroy us or condemn us for sin, but to forgive us and give us an abundant life -here, but especially, in eternity. Even in the Old Testament, God said stuff like this:

Just Got Back from the Nightmare

It had been about 4-5 years since I last visited the “Nightmare” in Tulsa, OK, but last night, I got to tag along with the youth group and sponsors as we traveled 4 1/2 hours to see this drama that you walk through.

The easiest way to describe it is to call it a “Christian” Haunted House, but that isn’t the whole story. Instead of scary characters from movies you’ve probably seen, the Nightmare dramatically portrays various scenes from real life, complete with demons, a vast array of special effects, perfectly timed lighting and music, to say nothing of the visit to hell or something like hell, and Jesus being scourged and crucified. It is quite the show, running smoothly as your group walks from horrific scene to horrific scene with all sorts of creepiness thrown in, and gets a message about Jesus at the end.

It’s what I expected, because I’ve been to many of these things, but it’s less than I hoped for. They did an incredible job (and always do) on the special effects and their ability to completely freak a person out. The lighting, the music, the creepiness factor, all of that was top notch. You will never see anything quite as well done as this church in Tulsa can pull off.

It’s just that somewhere in the mayhem, the message gets lost a bit. What I mean is, it’s not always clear what you’re seeing or why, or what it means, and the message of Christ isn’t clearly tied in with the rest. Now, it’s not too difficult to explain it in there later or talk with your friends about what Christ means in the scenes we just watched, but our group wished it had been a little more clear or straightforward. Of course, it’s still the best Haunted House anyone can witness, so it’s always useful for inviting youth and others who don’t go to church. Around 30,000 people go through this place in four weekends. Everyone likes a good, creepy adventure around Halloween -but the purpose of the Nightmare is to present Christ as the answer, and I’m not sure they hit that one as solidly as they’d like.

Oh, they make other Hell Houses, Nightmares and Judgment Houses in various places and they are certainly controversial to some. But this is Halloween. If Hollywood can use angels and demons in a horror flick, a church can use angels, demons, Christ and hell to talk about spiritual issues.

And the Nightmare in Tulsa, is as good and as high quality as almost any movie. It suffers from some of the same problems as the church as a whole does however: Lots of great effects, but the message of Christ isn’t as clear as it could be.

Real Change = Real Repentance

As we get closer to the election, now only days away, and mercifully we will finally gain some respite from the barrage of political attacks and counterattacks, I’m left more convinced than ever that the greatest need of our nation isn’t merely to elect a certain individual, but to recognize a certain God.

And the greatest battle in the coming years won’t be decided next Tuesday at the ballot box, but will be fought and waged in churches, communities, and even on the internet. That battle is a fight to believe in the God of the Bible or to reject Him. To come to Jesus Christ in faith, seeking forgiveness, pledging repentance, or to reject Him as an antiquated idea.

Because, and here’s the thing, that’s all it’s ever come down to: You and God. You and Jesus. Want to change the world? It starts with you and God. I truly believe that because God is the only One who I’ve ever seen who can change a person, quite literally, from the inside out.

It’s not all the political back and forth that changes the world, it’s the people who change and in turn, impact their world. It’s the compassion that loves a brother, gives to the needy, forgives someone who has wronged you, makes sacrifices for the good of others, and lives a life of righteousness that God can bless.

At a time when our nation could use God’s blessing, it’s important to recognize what God has already been telling us. Telling us through natural disasters, through terrorism, through a war that bogged us down and others that spring up, and through a financial crisis that threatens the economy of the world.

While Our Attention is Diverted

I’m freaking out a bit today, and not because of hurricanes in the gulf, the latest polls, or a vice-presidential candidate named Sarah Palin. I do think she’s cool, though. And just when you thought some on the Left mistreated Hillary, I mean… wow.

It’s gonna backfire on them if they keep this up. My goodness. The clumsiness of the disrespect is staggering, but kinda funny in a shake your head sadly way.

Despite the foolishness, I think it’s significant that no matter who wins, history will be made. Either we will have the first president who isn’t Caucasian, or we will have the first woman vice-president. The moment, and the people involved, deserve better than what we’ll probably give them.

For myself, I’m voting for McCain because of the abortion issue. Sarah Palin and I are in agreement on that and our faith as well. I make zero apologies for it because I believe it to be the right thing, morally. But let’s not miss the opportunity to tip a hat to Obama for what he has accomplished. I love this election. Except for the stupidity of some personal attacks, this nation should take a historic step forward either way. Vote for what you believe, respect those with whom you disagree. Whoever gets the most votes wins. That’s the system. Enjoy.

We’ll debate some of the issues around here a little later. In the meantime, remember this verse:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
-Matthew 24:37-39

Currently, in America, we are preoccupied with a lot of stuff, but here’s what’s happening in the headlines we aren’t reading…

Congress Away, Russian (and World) Play
If Russia Shows Interest in Palestine
Iran’s Perfect Storm
The Global Economy’s Gathering Storm

That’s just today. What’s the significance?

The scenarios that would fulfill Ezekiel 38-39, Revelation 6 and 8, and send the world spiraling into the bad parts of the Bible, are not calming down but heating up under the surface like magma under a volcano. I was hoping things would calm down, and the world would move away from the Ezekiel and Revelation picture of World War III, but complete with all the necessary nations lined up just as the Bible predicted thousands of years ago, it’s not going away just yet. Downright spooky stuff at the moment.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, the Prime Minister of Britain, Gordon Brown wrote this today:

We now know how much more we have to do to create an effective system of international rules. We must strengthen the system of global governance to meet the challenges of our interdependent world. We must reshape our global architecture to meet the new challenges: climate change, energy security, poverty, migration. And in doing so we must stand up for both our vital interests and our essential values.

Noble thoughts. Exactly what needs to be done in order to bring on the one-world, united governments in Europe talked about in Daniel and Revelation.

Is this the beginning of the end? I don’t know. But this is the sort of thing one would expect if it was. See the posts on the Prophetic Storm and keep an eye on things. Don’t get too distracted by the ridiculous political diatribes just yet. No matter how much they make you laugh.

More On the Prophetic Storm

Read the first part on the Prophetic Storm here.

Paul Berman, author and contributer to “The New Republic” wrote some ominous observations about what is taking shape with Russia and the West. Here’s one of those observations:

3) The nature of the Iranian regime requires Europe as a whole to press Iran to forebear from developing nuclear arms; and a primary way of doing so is to press Russia to refrain from offering a commercially profitable helping hand, and to press Russia to refrain from sending additional weaponry to Iran. The sudden and vast increase in the power of the pro-Russia parties across a large swath of Europe will make it harder for Europe to do anything of the sort. So the Iranians, too, or at least the Ahmadinejad faction, emerge from the invasion a little stronger. Already the Iranians have benefitted in Iraq, given the withdrawal of 2,000 gung-ho Georgian troops. The setback to the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon is likewise an Iranian triumph.

Iran’s successes will surely weigh on the debate within Israeli political and military circles, and not in favor of patience and conciliation. The events of August 2008 make Israel look more vulnerable, instead of less. The Israeli argument for relying on European solidarity against Iran, and the Israeli argument for looking to the United States to prevent rash acts by the inveterately hostile, will look weaker. The argument among the Israeli political and military circles in favor of launching a desperate pre-emptive attack on Iran, or in favor of renewing the war in Lebanon, will end up looking stronger.

The potential of new and catastrophic wars in the Middle East has therefore grown.

The significance of this is frightening.

As detailed a bit more closely in the first post on the Prophetic Storm, Ezekiel 38-39 speaks of a nation called “Gog” which invades Israel in the last days. By the way, this invasion occurs after Israel had been regathered from the nations, and after the land of Israel had been desolate for many years.

The moment in world history that fits the description exactly, is now. Israel was scattered as a nation throughout the world for 1800+ years and during those centuries, the land of Palestine was a desolate place. Since they became a nation, Israel has been reclaiming the land through good agricultural practices and has become quite a tourist place. Thus the description fits:

Speaking to the nation called “Gog,” the Lord says: “After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.” -Ezekiel 38:8

I would only wonder about “all of them live in safety.” They do overall, I suppose, especially in Israel proper. At any rate, world events are moving.

“Gog” is described as the “chief prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.” As mentioned before, the descendants of those people live primarily in Russia and Georgia. Yeah. Georgia. Which means if I had looked closely a month ago, I might have predicted a future Russian oppression of Georgia. Another instance where Bible prophecy keeps in lock step with current events.

Ezekiel claims “Gog” (today primarily Russia and Georgia) would get dragged into a conflict in the Middle East, conceive an evil plan to invade Israel and attempt it. The nations going with “Gog” (Persia, Put, Cush, Gomer, Beth Togarmah) are all either connected with people who settled in Russia or the Caucasus’s (Urkraine and Geogia), or connected with people known today for Islamic extremism -especially Persia which is today’s Iran. Not only is Russia allied with these today, but the events in Georgia have made it more likely that Israel may attempt a strike against the nuclear program in Iran. Suddenly, the thought of the conflict in Georgia widening to include the nations listed in Ezekiel is not at all far-fetched. It could happen.

Another excerpt from Berman (I put a few more things in bold):

Today, any time some large group of people behaves in a way that defies a logical calculation of potential gains and losses, the people in question are said to be reacting to “humiliation,” or what used to be called “ressentiment.” Humiliation, though, taken as a political experience, exists only where it has been ideologically constructed, and not otherwise. Germany, having been defeated in World War I, was afterwards said to be undergoing “humiliation”; and yet, after World War II, having been defeated ten times more cruelly, Germany was no longer said to be “humiliated.” That was because the German political doctrines promoting a feeling of “humiliation” disappeared after World War II. It was the doctrines, not the experience of misfortune, that had created “humiliation.”

Russia, having been defeated in the Cold War, is said to be undergoing “humiliation.” But I think mostly the Russian leaders feel something worse, which is fear. The Russian leaders picture their country in a terrifyingly vulnerable position, not unlike how Israel sees itself. Fear, not “humiliation,” led Russia to invade Georgia–a fear of utter destruction facing their own country. Russian diplomats have expressed this fear openly during the last few months. I have heard them to do it–speaking aloud, with hot conviction, about an “existential danger” to Russia, posed by Georgia.

And yet, their fear is entirely doctrinal–which is to say, imaginary. Russia’s situation is not, in fact, like Israel’s. No foreign power since the end of the Cold War has entertained a plan of attacking Russia or destroying Russia’s power and wealth. The Russian fear rests merely on a somewhat paranoid interpretation of world events. Fears based on paranoid interpretations cannot be assuaged. A tacit agreement by the rest of the world to allow Russia to conquer the breakaway regions of Georgia and to install a puppet regime in Tbilisi, and to do likewise in Ukraine, and so forth, will not make the Russian leaders feel any less threatened.

Why do the Russians indulge such an interpretation?

Why do they indeed. Perhaps because of this:

I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. -Ezekiel 39:2

But I hope not. I’d prefer to see the NFL season conclude. Nevertheless, we shall see.

Click here for the entire article by Paul Berman

Prophetic Storm is Brewing

In Kansas, you learn to watch for certain cloud formations indicative of a mesocyclone, or “wall cloud.” Click here to see an almost perfect one. Anytime you start to see a large circular wall-like cloud hang down, forming a circle or what often looks like a claw… you watch that part of the storm. Mesocyclones are what tornadoes come out of. Now, it may be that nothing happens, the expected tornado never comes, and the wall-cloud dissipates. BUT, if there is going to be a tornado, that’s where it will happen, and so that’s where you watch. Makes sense right?

OK. So in the world of Bible prophecy, every now and then something starts to happen in the world that lines up with a prediction or a whole slew of predictions. Maybe it will turn out and maybe it won’t, but you still have to watch because that’s where it would happen. Or could.

So at this particular moment, Drudge has a headline in bold red: SHOWDOWN: RUSSIA VOWS SHIELD RESPONSE BEYOND DIPLOMACY And the Russians are again threatening Poland, after already threatening to nuke them earlier. Just in case we thought the Cold War wasn’t heating up in the Middle East, there’s also this article: Fear of new Mid East ‘Cold War’ as Syria strengthens military alliance with Russia

Don’t forget it’s the Russians supplying Iran with components for their nuclear program, too.

My goodness, what’s the world coming to? Well…. interesting question.

All this started during the Olympics of all things. An event specifically created to promote peace. Perhaps the Russians are, like me, a little irritated by high scores given to the Chinese gymnasts? I mean, yesterday one of the main girls for China wobbled all over the balance beam and still got a bronze. I almost turned the TV off and nuked Poland myself.

So granted, maybe it’s just that time of year. But then of course, there’s this:

While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. -I Thessalonians 5:3

Uh, just in case you actually didn’t know, labor pains start small, get worse, and come faster and faster. I sure hope that doesn’t happen in regard to what started in Georgia last week while we were celebrating peace at the Olympics.

And there’s Ezekiel:

I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
-Ezekiel 38:4-6

Now Bible prophecy guys have long taken the mention of swords, shields, horses, and helmets to be descriptive of military equipment in general. After all, what ancient Hebrew word could Ezekiel have used for tanks or any other instrument of war that hadn’t been invented yet? As the Believer’s Bible Commentary says:

S. Maxwell Coder maintains that the Hebrew words are sufficiently flexible to include modern, sophisticated hardware. Thus, bows and arrows might mean launching devices and missiles. The “horses” in Eze_38:4 (literally “leapers”) could be self-propelled vehicles such as tanks or helicopters. The weapons in 39:9, 10 are not necessarily made of wood. The word could mean military equipment such as fuel oil and rocket propellants, many believe.

So for the sake of argument, understand these verses, and chapter 38 and 39 in general, have long been thought to be speaking of a Russian invasion of Israel. Without going into it in great detail right now, the idea has been around because Ezekiel 38 and 39 haven’t taken place historically, as far as anyone knows. There’s nothing in history that we can say with any amount of certainty that it points toward.

And the first verse says that the nation in question is the “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” Some manuscripts read, “prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.” Rosh is Scythian name and from which the Russians came, and derive their name. And Meshech and Tubal are thought by many to have descendants who settled around Russia. Just do a wikipedia search on Meschech and Tubal if you want to make yourself even more nervous. Evidently, both have descendants in what is today…. uh…. Georgia. Plus, some even suggest that Moscow and Tobolsk are named after Meshech and Tubal. At any rate, this nation is mentioned as being north of Israel and Moscow is directly north. Scythia would not only include the Russians, but also Syria as well. Of course, today there’s the matter of the Russian/Syrian alliance…

Anyway, notice the nations that came with Gog. They are named as follows: Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth Togarmah. All of the places associated with their descendants today are either noted for their extremist/radical Islamic groups, or as in the case of Beth Togarmah, are either in Turkey or Russia/Syria. Persia is Iran, Cush is likely Sudan and Ethopia, Put is Libya, Gomer is thought to be from Urkraine or Russia.

In other words, it fits awfully nicely that Russia is sparring and trying to gain back their dominance over their satellites (from whom Gomer would come) has made alliances with radical Islam (Cush, Put, Syria) and alliances with Iran (Persia). And that the entire world seems to be on the brink of destabilization at the same time.

Notice above, in Ezekiel God tells this nation which is considered Russia, that He will “put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army” indicating that Russia will get dragged into this conflict. According to Revelation, peace will be taken from the earth.

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. -Revelation 6:4

Later at some point, a judgment of fire will be released upon the earth:

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. -Revelation 8:7

And it just so happens God promised to rain fire in Ezekiel:

I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’
-Ezekiel 38:21-23

and

You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD.
-Ezekiel 39:5-6

Remember, it’s the “Gog and the land of Magog” so if Gog is Russia and they are from the land of Magog, then the land is Russia itself. God will not only send fire on Gog, but on the land of Magog -not only on the Russian army and the armies with Russia, but on the land of Russia itself.

So what would happen if our current situation got out of hand, and Russia went one step too far dragging the West into actual conflict, and suddenly world peace started slipping away, beginning ironically during the 2008 Olympics?

That could fulfill I Thessalonians 5 and Revelation 6.

What would happen if the ensuing conflict grew because Islamic extremists became active against the West as they have promised to do, and Israel decided it wasn’t going to take any chances and struck Iran?

That could lead to Russia having “hooks in the jaws” and getting dragged into a wider war including the Middle East, fulfilling Ezekiel 38.

What would happen if the conflict then led to Russian intervention on behalf of Iran (who they are allied with) and our intervention on behalf of Israel, and the World War III domino fell?

In fairly short order, we would literally see I Thessalonians 5, Ezekiel 38-39, Revelation 6 and 8 fulfilled, plus a few more. We would be officially facing the tribulation spoken of in the Bible.

Not saying it’s going to happen, (I bet/hope it dies down and cooler heads prevail) but isn’t it kinda spooky/cool that 2000 years after Revelation was written by a very old apostle John on the Island of Patmos…

It could literally come true?

Maybe someone over there Europe needs to step in and calm everyone down before we all get killed. Anyone seen the world leader known affectionately as the anti-christ???

I Think I’m Officially Through With the Term: Evangelical

This great article about Rick Warren and the recent appearance of John McCain and Barak Obama at Saddleback Church, was followed by perhaps the most insane comment about evangelicals that I’ve ever read. Here’s the part of the comment that floored me:

GSpinks said:
I have to admit, I am still coming to terms with the concept of Evangelicals who actually care about social justice, let alone allow their concern to carry through into their daily lives.

I stared at the quote for a second or two. I was incredulous, shocked, laughing and crying (on the inside) all at the same time. It’s a hard concept to see Evangelicals caring about social justice and/or allowing that concern to impact their daily lives? Seriously?

First question: Where have you been GSpinks?

Convoy of Hope, Samaritans Purse, countless soup kitchens, inner-city missions, inter-city churches, to say nothing of the work almost every local church in the nation does inside their own communities, and you are still coming to terms with the concept??

Second question: What are you thinking of when you use the term Evangelicals?

And there’s the answer isn’t it? He or she (whoever GSpinks may be) is thinking of political activist evangelicals. The rest of the comment seemed to confirm this as well. Evidently, the term has become somewhat synonymous with Republicans, Pro-Life, and James Dobson.

Perception is a powerful thing, and for me, the term Evangelical has always meant someone who holds to the teachings of the Bible, the truth of the Bible, and especially, faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Such a faith and adherence to the Bible requires that social justice be high on the agenda. Right up at the top. In fact my dad, a minister himself, once wrote the goals of the church as: Reach the lost, teach the Word, and serve those in need.

What GSpinks can’t comprehend “Evangelicals” doing, is exactly the sort of thing that defines Evangelical for me.

Which means we have a failure to communicate.

Arguably, it IS true that Evangelicals have too often given the world the perception that we care more about politics than the Faith. Having said that, the perception is also unfair. For instance, the biggest church in the pro-life movement isn’t evangelical at all. I’m talking about the Catholic Church. Sit them down in a doctrinal discussion with a Pentecostal and you’ll see what I’m talking about. And some pastors have been portrayed by the media in a narrow way that misses the bigger picture. In the Church, John MacArthur is not looked upon as a political guy or a creation science guy. He’s looked upon as a Bible scholar, an expert in Biblical history, and an expert in expository preaching. The mere fact I’ve mention his name however, will cause more than one evolutionist to read this article. Thank you all for surfing, by the way.

Anyway, if the perception out there is that Evangelicals are these political creationists who vote Republican and hate the poor -perhaps we should adopt a different term? Alexander Campbell had a point when he and others argued for dropping labels and just going by the name Christian. An equally good term is used these days as well: Christ Followers.

Sorta keeps the Christ right up front doesn’t it?

And perhaps we should do as the article (written by a non-believer) suggests. We should let our actions speak louder than our words.

Sermon on Tithing/Giving

Mar 10:21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mar 10:22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
-Mark 10:23

It’s amazing how little solid teaching is done on the idea of giving and tithing. When I speak of solid teaching, I mean teaching that includes all the principles of the entire Bible, not just part of it. At fault seems to be a focus on me, myself and I. What am I going to get out of it?

Well, what are you going to get if you tithe? Some would say more than you give. In fact, if you give 10%, the Lord will repay you 20% or more… If you sow sparingly, you reap sparingly, and if you sow generously, you will reap generously. So says I Corinthians 9:6, and it’s even better in the book of Malachi. There the Bible says,

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” - Malachi 3:10

How can you argue with that?

Why Bible Lessons Are Often Boring

I picked up my weekly reading material at the church today. It’s a magazine called the Lookout, which let me say, is often a wonderful read. It is the standard magazine for independent Christian Churches, along with its little brother “The Christian Standard.” Ministers and writers from Christian Churches and the independent Churches of Christ do most of the writing in these publications. It is often thoughtful, insightful, very deep and filled with (as we like to say in the ministry) “meat.”

If you’re a vegetarian, what would you use as a figure of speech? “That’s got a lot of …fiber… in it?” yeahhh, not sure veggies can substitute as well in a sentence…

At any rate, the Lookout has been running a 3 week series on the minor prophets. The minor prophets are the books of the Old Testament after Ezekiel, which would include Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. (Yes I did write those without looking.) They are called minor prophets simply because they are shorter books, not because they are less important. In fact, many of the Scriptures contained in these books are right smack in the middle of controversial topics such as those surrounding the return of Christ and the end of the world.

Which is why it strikes me as such a shame that we can so easily take these Scriptures and write boring articles about them.

Contradictions on Anger in the Bible?

Jesus said, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” -Matthew 5:22

And yet the Bible also mentions a time when Jesus faced some of the religious leaders and the Scripture says, “He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts,” –Mark 3:5

In Ephesians, Paul wrote: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” –Ephesians 4:31-32

Yet after being arrested and brought before the ruling council of religious leaders in Jerusalem where he was punched in the mouth at the command of the high priest, Paul shouted “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” -Acts 23:3

That sounds a bit angry to me.

And God himself is described as angry several times in the Bible:

David wrote in the book of Psalms: O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?-Psalm 80:4

Isaiah 30:7 prophecies that “the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire.”

So what gives? Is it ok to be angry or not? Isn’t it a bit hypocritical of God or Jesus or Paul to say one thing and do another?

Revelation: Part One

The only book of the Bible that specifically pronounces a blessing for those who listen and take the words to heart, as well as pronouncing a curse upon those who add or take away from the words, is the book of Revelation. For many people it’s a difficult book understand, and for others, it’s difficult to keep from descending into various arguments over how to interpret it. And if that isn’t the biggest understatement of the year… but I digress. Regardless of the brouhaha, for anyone who, without adding or subtracting, simply listens to the words and takes them to heart, there is a blessing from God.

It begins with a statement of purpose: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place.” – Revelation 1:1, and immediately we know the book is at least speaking of future events for the people of John’s day. John wrote the book around AD 96 according to early church fathers, which means he was in the middle of a persecution against Christians, and it wasn’t the first one.

That’s a fairly significant point actually,especially when it comes to what time the book is pointing us toward, i.e… is it speaking mainly about past history, or the future?

Blind Salamanders and Blind People

This article by Christopher Hitchins made a good point in my opinion. The sort of point that makes you go, hmmmm…. and start researching. Of course, most people won’t actually look any closer, they’ll jump straight to the conclusion just like the article did. Let me warn you it’s not an argument for creation, but instead an argument that purports to conclusively prove evolution… in reverse. Thus proving the principle of evolution in the first place according to those who want to see that way.

What the article truly proves beyond a shadow of a doubt is the blindness of the writer.

The Sabbath: Keep it Holy or Ignore It?

“I am no preacher of the old legal Sabbath. I am a preacher of the gospel. The Sabbath of the Jew is to him a task; the Lord’s Day of the Christian, the first day of the week, is to him a joy, a day of rest, of peace, and of thanksgiving. And if you Christian men can earnestly drive away all distractions, so that you can really rest today, it will be good for your bodies, good for your souls, good mentally, good spiritually, good temporally, and good eternally.” -Charles Spurgeon

One of the curious things about the clamor that ensues when someone finds a picture of the Ten Commandments in a courtroom and immediately declares themselves offended and sues… is that Christians like me usually argue for displaying the Ten Commandments -but actually only observe Nine. We should start a petition asking for the Nine Commandments don’t you think? Sure murder is wrong, worshiping false gods is wrong, committing adultery is wrong, and taking the Lord’s name is wrong, but what about the Sabbath Day? How many of us keep it?

And even better point is that while arguing for the Ten Commandments, we should be quick to do so with humility as all of us have disobeyed them. But I digress…

How can we take the command against murder literally, even expand it to include hating someone in your heart, and not take the Sabbath literally? Acknowledging the fact that Christians are not under the Law of Moses according to the teaching of the New Testament is a good point, but we don’t mention that when it comes to taking the Lord’s name in vain, or any of the other commands for that matter. We apply nine commands literally and directly to our lives today, but not so much the one about keeping the Sabbath Day holy.

Interestingly, the New Testament at some point or another reiterates every commandment except for the Sabbath. Here are some quick facts about the Sabbath Day and the New Testament:

-Nowhere in the New Testament are there any instructions to keep a Sabbath.


-The early church met in Acts 15 specifically to debate whether or not Gentiles (non-Jews) who were becoming Christians should be required to follow the Law of Moses. The Church decided not to require them to follow the Law, nor were any instructions given them to observe a Sabbath.

-We are told not to let anyone judge us regarding a Sabbath Day. (Colossians 2:16)

-Jesus said man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man. (Mark 2:27)

-If the apostles and the early church observed anything, it was the first day of the week. But no mention is made of them “resting” on that day. The apostles came together on the first day to break bread (Acts 20:7) and a “collection” was taken on the first day of the week. (I Corinthians 16:2). John mentioned being “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day,” (Revelation 1) a reference to the vision God gave him.

-Romans 14:5-10 says one man esteems one day above another, and another man esteems every day alike. It says each should be convinced in his own mind. It does not take sides.

Obviously, if the Lord had wanted to give us instructions concerning the Sabbath Day, or if the Holy Spirit had wanted us to observe the Sabbath Day, He could have given clear and straightforward instructions to the church exactly as He had previously given clear and straightforward instructions to the Jews. However, He did not.

The question becomes… on what basis does God no longer require a Sabbath Day? Or does He?

A Review of Ben Stein’s “Expelled”

Click Here for a bit of a review and ensuing discussion on Brad Stine’s blog. (Brad is a big-time comedian and somewhat of a spokesman on Christian/conservative issues) I haven’t seen the documentary yet myself, although I’m hearing a lot about it. The premise of the documentary is something I’ve heard from people in the science field for years, though.

From the buzz, its focus is on the consequences scientists, teachers, and academics face if they challenge accepted notions such as current evolutionary theory. Hardly a surprise is it? Opponents portray the documentary as nothing more than attempt to promote Intelligent Design. Like I said, I haven’t seen it, but if it does promote ID, fine with me. After all, there IS an Intelligent Designer. Interested in Ben Stein’s documentary, click here.

Just to be fair, here’s a couple of reviews, neither of which liked the film. Click here. If you’re a Christian, however, you might be offended by the premise in the review from Variety. Variety assumes only the less intelligent among us will really get behind this film and by less intelligent, they mean Christians. The LA Times sees the film as the last bit of residue left over from the Bush administration. Both chide the film for not getting into the details of intelligent design versus evolution. Evidently, the documentary really does focus on the issues of free speech and free thought, and not so much on the details of the debate between ID and its opponents.

A Powerful Lesson From ER

I loved this video from Way of the Master. Highlights the simple logic of the gospel in real life. In fact, I may use it at church if I can get away with the word “crap” during the sermon…