Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Pastors

I'm sure there is no reality to this whatsoever!

Choose Life!

In our recent financial struggles as a nation, it is often easy to forget that there are other battles being fought, even more important than the financial issues that we face. One of these is the dignity of life and that each life is valuable because he or she was created in the image of God and only God has the prerogative to determine life's extent. This is another issue that needs to be discussed in the home to understand the Biblical perspective on life. The illustration below comes from a Christian Doctor and what he experienced recently in his work.

Exhibit 2: It is late, nearly 9 P.M., seeing a final consult at the end of a punishing call day, in the ICU. The patient, chronologically young yet physiologically Methuselan, lies in his bed, oxygen mask affixed to his face by heavy straps, bleeding, as he has for months, from a tumor in his kidney. He would not survive surgery, nor even radiological intervention to stem the hemorrhage by strangling its arterial lifeline. He is, furthermore, in the parlance of modern medicine, “non-compliant”: refusing treatments and diagnostic studies; rude and abusive to nurses and physicians alike; demanding to go home though unlikely to survive there for any significant length of time.

The nurse — young, competent, smart, hard-working, the very best of the modern nursing profession — apprises me of his situation, closing with this knockout punch: “You know, we just passed that initiative — you know, the suicide one. He’d be an excellent candidate.”

She wasn’t joking.

Taken a bit off guard, I responded that it is most unwise to give physicians the power to kill you, for we will become very good at it, and impossible to stop once we are.

You can read the rest of the article by going here and moving down to "Exhibit 2".

PS - here is an interesting read referred to by the doctor mentioned above, and in great contrast, thanks for the nurses here at Valley Grace who seek to make a difference in patient's lives. This is also a reminder that all of us are "casting a shadow" (I think that might preach!) on people with whom we come into contact each day. Thanks for being the shadow of Christ!

Fascinating Update from the CAR

Yesterday we were introduced to Francois & Claire Ngoumape. Francois is heavily involved in ministry in the CAR (Central African Republic). We were told that there are 2,400 Grace Brethren churches in the CAR with 900 trained pastors to serve those churches. They have a combined membership of approximately 350,000 and 30 new churches are being planted a month - that is 1 church a day!

There are currently 150 pastors who are in training in the Bible Institute program which obviously is not enough to support the current growth of the church in CAR. They are in need of three things: 1) More teachers and the plan is to partner with pastors & teachers who will go over to teach a 2 week module; 2) More facilities and the plan is to build a school complex in Bangui; 3) More people to send which means raising up men and support for them to go through school. It takes three scholarships of $40.00 a month (total of $120 a month) or provide the support of the students. They have no means by which to support themselves and the churches are unable to support very many as the average annual income is $300. This is a good project for a Sunday School class as is helping to provide funds to build the buildings on the property.

There is also danger involved because of bandit activity in which individuals are kidnapped and held for ransom. In the past couple of years, 5 Grace Brethren pastors have been kidnapped and killed. In fact, Francois calls Nov 18, 2007 his death day because he was kidnapped by bandits and the hostages are normally beaten and then killed with or without a ransom being paid. On this particular day, the bandits did try and kill him but the one wielding the sword kept hitting his motorcyle, and when he was shot at they shot the motorcycle and not him. On the final attempt, as he stood up, Francois said it was as if an invisible hand pushed him backwards just as the bandit shot at him. Those who had followed him, thought he was dead. There were about 1,000 who eventually gathered around, and needless to say, there was a tremendous time of praise and testimony to God's glory. God chose to spare Francois's life.

God used this event in Francois's life to give a sense of urgency to training others and so the plan mentioned above was prayerfully developed. It was also noted that 2002 was a critical year where missionaries had to flee the country because of rebel activity which resulted in changing the strategy for missions in CAR. One final note, it was observed that in much of the world, President Bush is despised, and there is the feeling that with President Barack Obama, it will make the work of missionaries easier (which is intended to be an observation, not a political statement for or against any individual).

Francois and Claire sang an acapella praise duet and here is a partial recording in mp3 format (click and wait for your media player to load). I understand the song has the idea that "He Will Answer our Prayer" but for a fuller translation, you can contact Karen Hardcastle.

Please remember to pray for our African brothers and sister in the CAR, the Chad, etc., who are in danger, but seeking to reach their communities for Christ.

Proposition 8 and You

The passage of Proposition 8 in California has created quite a firestorm in the homosexual community. You may recall that Proposition 8 is an amendment that declares that marriage is between a man and a woman. It overrode a ruling by the California Supreme Court that recognized same-sex marriage as a fundamental right. The amendment passed 52.2% to 47.8%. This passage has resulted in demonstrations in the streets by those who lost the vote. There is an account of a grandmother who was protesting the protestors which indicates that she was attacked by the protestors (here). Governor Schwarzenegger is encouraging the State Supreme Court to try and find it unconstitutional so that it can be reversed.

I received an email from a man who pastors a church in California, and he wrote the following about his daughter's experience at school.

"Our oldest daughter (14 years old) got bombarded by her Drama teacher and the rest of her drama class as she bore the minority voice with 2 other Christians for the biblical stance when the opinionated teacher made a day of debate on this issue (instead of drama instruction). She's very sweet spirited but will stand up for her faith in a very liberal public high school. We praised her for not putting her light under a bushel even when someone in class threatened to punch anyone who supports Prop 8. Her faith and convictions are being strengthened in this crucible."

He went on to write, "In our community, an artistic director for a theater in Sacramento for 25 years was forced to quit because he donated $1,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign. Protesters are targeting Saddleback, Mormons, Catholics and evangelical churches this weekend. The fervor is growing. Gay Rights groups are planning for a ballot initiative in 2010 to overturn Prop 8. Governator Schwarzenegger & Mayor Newsom are urging opponents to fight on."

These "protests" are not isolated to California but have also appeared in Michigan: "Last Sunday, a band of about 30 gays stormed Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan. Some were well-dressed so they could blend in with the church-goers and wreak havoc inside the church by pulling fire alarms, throwing fliers at churchgoers, yelling at parishioners and storming the pulpit while holding up a large rainbow colored flag that read, "IT'S OKAY TO BE GAY! BASH BACK!" Others dressed in black and pink remained outside beating on buckets, shouting "Jesus was a homo" on a megaphone and carrying an upside-down pink cross."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue addressed this issue, "The real story here is the refusal of the mainstream media to cover what is surely one of the most disturbing events of 2008. If an organized group of gay bashers stormed a gay church, there is not a single sentient person in the United State who wouldn't know about it." [lansingstatejournal.com, thecronline.com]

I wish it were possible to have a rational conversation with those pushing the same-sex marriage agenda. I would like to pursue the dialogue something like this. "Since the beginning of time, marriage has been understood to be between a man and a woman. One of the purposes of marriage is to reproduce (obviously there is a whole lot more to marriage than this one purpose, but so as not to confuse the discussion let us just stay with this one issue). Biologically, it is impossible for same-sex individuals to reproduce, which cannot be solved by calling for 'equality' or passing an amendment."

"But if you want to redefine marriage, where does that redefinition end -- same-sex? What about polygamy (multiple spouses), incest (marriage between children and/or parents, or relatives), children getting married, marriage between a human and an animal (bestiality), etc., etc. It becomes impossible to draw any line anywhere because someone is going to be left out and feel that their rights are being trampled. The point is, if marriage is redefined to cover all possible combinations of relationships, marriage loses its meaning and purpose altogether."

As parents, it is important that you prepare your child/ren for this discussion which undoubtedly they will be involved in, if not already. How should they respond in school when challenged by a teacher or other adult? How should they respond when challenged by other students? Have you talked about the reasons for maintaining marriage defined as between a man and a woman? Have you prepared them to answer the charge of being a bigot or hate-monger?

This also raises some interesting questions for us as a church. How are we going to respond. Suppose we have individuals show up to do what took place in the Michigan church? How do we deal with that?

No, we don't hate an individual who is caught in the homosexual lifestyle. To shout "hate" is designed to put an individual on defense. It is our desire to let individuals know that we do not hate them, in fact, we love them enough to tell them the truth. Same-sex, or any other type of arrangement called marriage that is not between a man and a woman will fail. Marriage is designed to be between a man and a woman so that when they are united together, the two become one. Man and woman are created differently, not only biologically, but emotionally and many other ways so that when they are brought together they form one bond. This is like two different pieces of a puzzle that are able to be joined because they mate together properly in many different ways. Two pieces that are the same can never form one bond as designed in traditional marriage. The point is it is impossible to build a strong marriage, home and family on a defective foundation.

To tell an individual that redefining marriage won't work isn't hate, it is the most loving thing you can do. It would be like taking the keys of a friend who is drunk and who is trying to drive and telling them that they can't do it, it won't work. They will hurt themselves and others around them. That is not hate, that is love. To tell individuals that anything else other than marriage which is designed to be between a man and a woman will not yield the true unity that it was designed to produce, is not hate - it is real love, especially when they are shouting in your face with the veins in their neck bulging.

May God give us the grace to be prepared to respond lovingly, with care and compassion, but with the Truth!

News that Caught My Attention From this Past Week

Study Links Sex on TV to Teen Pregnancy
A groundbreaking study has confirmed what many parents and family advocates have been saying for years: Highly sexual content on television is a bad influence on teenagers. A RAND Corp. study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that teens exposed to high levels of sexual content on TV were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy in the following three years as teens with limited exposure. The study, based on interviews with more than 2,000 teens, called it "a compelling link." [citizenlink.com & foxnews.com]

It's OK to Pray in Jesus' Name
Last week, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — using a case from Cobb County, Ga. — proclaimed that praying "in Jesus' name" was acceptable at county board meetings when other constitutional provisions were followed. This ruling is directly in conflict with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which concluded in an opinion written by ex-Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, that city officials properly excluded from a rotation of leaders for opening prayers at a municipal meeting a pastor who prayed "in Jesus' name."

The ruling said precedent makes it clear that "the content of the prayer is not of concern to judges where ... there is no indication that the prayer opportunity has been exploited to proselytize or advance any one, or to disparage any other, faith or belief. Whether invocation of 'Lord of Lords' or 'the God of Abraham, Isaac and Mohammed' are 'sectarian' is best left to theologians, not courts of law," the court said. [worldnetdaily.com & Pastor's Weekly Briefing]

Discovery of Oldest Hebrew Text
In a site that overlooks the Elah Valley, where David slew Goliath with a well-aimed shot from a sling, archaeologists have discovered what they say is the oldest Hebrew text ever found. The discovery — by archaeologists Prof. Yossi Garfinkel and Sa'ar Ganor of Hebrew University — is being hailed as one of the most important finds in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls. The text, written in ink on a pottery shard, dates — according to Carbon-14 dating as well as chemical analysis of the pottery found at the site — from between 1,000 and 975 B.C. — the time of King David's reign. The writing, therefore, predates the Dead Sea Scrolls by about 1,000 years. [israelnationalnews.com]

A Post-Election Reflection

Well, it's over and Barack Obama is America's 44th President elect. We have had the opportunity to do what many in the world wish they could do -- elect a president through a democratic method without violence. We also anticipate a peaceful transition in leadership in our country.

It is time to put the united back in the United States. As followers of Christ, we do recognize that we have some major differences with President Elect Obama on issues regarding pro-life, and the fundamental make up of the family as God designed it. The violation of these Biblical principles will result in the further disintegration of society because it is impossible to build on a defective foundation.

These are not merely issues with which to experiment. This necessitates our ability to intelligently, coherently, and with love and compassion articulate why the sanctity of life and marriage are critical issues. It means that we must help change people's hearts on these issues rather than merely relying on government to do it for us. We need to remember that just because something is no longer listed as a crime, does not mean it isn't a sin against a Holy God who created us and this world. Just for the record, it is important to note that there are also issues on which we would agree with President Elect, Barack Obama.

So where do we go from here as followers of Christ? Here are five commitments which we need to make. (Note: I borrowed the first four on the list from Michael Hyatt - you can read his full blog here)

1. I will pray for him and our country.

2. I will assume his motives are good, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

3. I will not speak ill of him, even if I don’t always agree with him.

4. I will cast off the spirit of cynicism, and be a positive force for good. (Note: good post on cynicism if you want to follow that link)

5. I will study and develop and live a Christian world view so that I will be better able to articulate and represent Jesus Christ to my world.

Prayer is important because we are instructed to pray for our leaders and Barack Obama is facing some very challenges issues regarding the economy, health care, environmental issues, foreign policy, etc. He is going to have to make, and has already gone on record that he intends to make, decisions about issues which he has declared "above his pay grade."

Let's take this opportunity to model to our world how a Citizen of Heaven conducts himself or herself as a citizen of the United States of America.