By the Numbers

Friday, August 26, 2011

A Letter of Encouragement & Hope

                        A Letter of Encouragement & Hope        

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Dear friends,
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Persons are not soulless dirt as atheists believe, nor recycled energy, as pantheists believe. We are beings of dignity and destiny, as Christians believe. Biblical Christianity alone provides the objective basis and evidence to establish this. Read my articles that explains all this.
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Far from giving someone the winning lottery ticket, we can do the most vital thing for others and make lasting differences in this world and forever. Bringing people to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and making them disciples is the most important thing we can do in life.
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Without exposure, most persons understand little or nothing about the Christian faith and what it says about our relationship to our Maker. These blog articles explain the Christian faith, the obstacles or problems persons can have in understanding and accepting it, and they help people to realize the peril we are all in by not having a relationship with our Creator.
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According to God's message, the Bible, we will all give an account of our lives to our Maker and whether or not we have lived for Him or for ourselves. If we lived for God in Christ, we will be rewarded eternally living with our Lord and all who trust in Him forever in the new Heaven on the new earth with a perfect body and nature.
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If we have not lived for God through faith in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Anointed One or Messiah), then we by our rejection of God's salvation go into eternal torment and darkness away from God and all the good things He has made for us to enjoy in life on earth. A pure and perfect God and Heaven cannot be tainted with evil. So, it's our choice which way we will go. We're not robots and our God of love cannot force us to accept Him. But He invites us to come to Him. So, if you are open to His invitation come to Him now. God lovingly pleads with us to accept the truth. Just pray sincerely, Lord Jesus, I come trusting You to forgive my sins and to be my Lord, Savior and Guide now and forever. Thank You. Amen. 
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Now you are invited to become a Good News Messenger to share this good news (gospel) with others. It really counts, in human lives making crucial differences both now and eternally. It's not physical food that we can eat and die, but spiritual food that we eat and live eternally. Jesus is the Bread of Life. He changes our whole outlook on life to what our Maker intends us to be. We gain a new understanding of the purpose of life, what we're supposed to be and do. We gain a peace with God in a new sense of cleanness and wholeness. We gain a new love for our fellow man and desire to share this precious new faith with him.
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Won't you join me and all the others who accept  this wonderful adventure of faith and labor of love. Jesus said that if we gained the whole world but lost our own soul everything would be useless eternal darkness and torment because of the wasteful rebellious selfish life we chose to live.
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Friends, brothers and sisters trusting in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, let's pray, and share Jesus with others every day our Lord gives us strength and direction. Thank you so much for your prayers for me writing the articles. Lord, bless and multiply faithful fruitful disciples who in love take these messages of life and love, and hope to a desperate needy world in darkness and ignorance. Thank you, Lord. We Love You, Lord and You love us enough to tell us the truth.
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 I pray God will enable me to write 300 articles and you will be one of  7 million Good News Messengers who will saturate the globe with these messages of life and hope in Christ. Thank you so much for your help. We will meet many we told of the Savior walking that wide golden street one day. Please feel free to link my blog onto your and use my articles to win others to our loving Lord.
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Sincerely in Christ’s love and service,
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Another Good News Messenger
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P.S. Praise God! Thank you Lord for all your good news messengers joining me in the greatest thing one human being can do for another.
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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Why Should I Become A Christian?



Why Should I Become A Christian?

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Aren’t Christians arrogant to claim their faith is the only way to God and Heaven?  Don’t all religions teach be good to your fellowman and all roads lead to God and Heaven? No! Atheists assume no God of any kind exists, people have no soul, and return to dirt. Pantheist religions teach people are merely recycled energy and lose all self-identity. Mystics claim a special revelation from God or from an angel but furnish no evidence their claim is true. Unlike other religious believers, Christians give logical factual reasons to believe we are beings of dignity and destiny who can live eternally with God in a new Heaven and earth. Let’s give these reasons honest scrutiny.
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The Christ of history demonstrated he was the way, the truth, and the life being the God-man. Some persons make light of history. But this is most foolish. What we know today is predicated on past knowledge and past mistakes that we hopefully learned to avoid. Past cultures did astonishing building projects as the pyramids, performed brain operations a thousand years ago, drew miles long art carvings on a plain. We marvel at these things lost to modern knowledge. Even critics who claim we can’t know the past ironically claim they know how to correct it. Archaeology digs uncover coins, relics, objects, writings that tell us much about the past. We don’t have to know everything to know some things.
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In the case of Jesus, we not only have six independent documents but secular writings, even hostile unbelievers who verify things said about him in the four gospels, Acts, and epistles. They are not once upon a time in a far off country fairy tales, but details of real events, places, persons that can’t be denied. Further, these extra biblical sources mention or allude to the supernatural events of his life such as his virgin birth, healings, resurrection, claims to be God, and that people believed Jesus was God and died horrible deaths in testimony to that fact. These writings were published within thirty years of his death when eyewitnesses lived to refute any falsehoods. There is nothing like this among world religions. See my other articles for more details. John 8:24; 14:6.
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The God-man, Jesus Christ, overcame sin, death, and demons qualifying him to be our Savior. Jesus chose a dozen men who followed him for more than three years. They heard his every word, watched his every move, often misunderstood his teachings, and often were astonished at his miracles since they were unlike the patterns of nature observed all their lives. Jesus preached holy, godly, pure living to his disciples and others. If he didn’t display this in his own life, his movement would have been quickly exposed him as a fraud. He dared to challenge hostile enemies looking for any fault to discredit him, but the only fault they could find was that he claimed to be God. His life was impeccable, his miracles undeniable, his claims to be God irrefutable. Millions have found forgiveness of sins, hope in the mist of adverse circumstances, assurance of life eternal by believing in the dying, rising, coming Son of God.  
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The God-man, Jesus Christ, died and arose again demonstrating the truth of his deity and teaching. How is it possible to know life exists beyond the grave? We see our loved ones once warm, vibrant with life engaged in all kinds of activities, only to find them become cold, stiff, and lifeless. Reincarnation, mystical speculations about genetic defects, the changing seasons of the year, and human injustices, don’t demonstrate life after death.
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Jesus was a cold stiff dead body that become alive and active again. That’s what Jesus’ despairing disciples believed, but came to rejoice about when he appeared to them again twelve times under all kinds of conditions. He ate, drank, touched, and talked with them about the kingdom of God. Jesus was no ghost, no deception, no hallucination. There could be no doubt now that it was Jesus alive and risen from the dead just as he told them he would. Yes, he is the God-man, so all his teaching is the authority and truth of God. Halleluiah!
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Again, there’s nothing like this in world religions. This is reasonable, eyewitness reasons to trust in the one who gave his life to save us. Jesus paid for our sins in his own body--took our punishment by his death on the cross. He showed us love when in our guilt and shame we deserve justice. And he arose proving his offer of eternal life was no empty claim but the truth and authority of God.
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The God-man, Jesus Christ, offers us the choice of fulfillment in loving service with God forever. The alternative is eternal darkness, despair, tears, and torments. We are not puppets on a string completely controlled by nature’s forces, heredity, circumstances, or even by God. Our sins are inexcusable (Rom. 2:1). The Almighty Judge gives us the option to believe or disbelieve. Yes, Christians have problems, temptations, and failures just like everyone else. But we have the Lord with us in them all to guide, strengthen, forgive, and restore us. Millions will testify we have a peace, assurance, love, and joy like we never knew before (John 5:24; 10:10).
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According to the Word of God, if we trust in the Lord Jesus to be our Savior, we will go to eternal fulfillment in the service of a loving and just God (John 3:16-17). But if we disbelieve, then we will live in eternal darkness, despair, tears, and torments (John 3:36; Matt. 8:12). It’s our choice. That’s God’s teaching, not human guessing as in world religions. Won’t you say yes, I trust you Lord to save me from this day and forever and be my Guide throughout life? Now link this blog with yours and tell people about the love of the Savior.
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Thursday, July 21, 2011

What God Promised Israel


                                   What God Promised Israel
#Israel   #Tanakh
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One group of people that for millennia have been hated, mistreated and murdered is the Jews. They’re like everyone else with one exception. According to the Bible, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were given great and far-reaching promises God intended to fulfill literally. God said that if they obeyed Him they would be blessed, but if not, they would be cursed (Deut. 28). Further, God said the nations that blessed his chosen people would be blessed, but those who opposed them would be cursed (Gen. 12:3). Let me sketch the great covenant promises God gave the Jews.
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A Land Forever
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God told Abraham “All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.” This land extended from Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates and to Lebanon and the whole land of Canaan. It was to be an everlasting possession to Abraham and his descendants. And although Israel would periodically be exiled for disobedience, God would bring back a remnant. God’s promise of the land was unconditional and not dependent upon Israel’s obedience. See Gen. 15:18-21; 17:8; Isa. 11:11.
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A Nation Forever
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God promised Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation forever, repeated it to Isaac, then Jacob from which came the twelve tribes and a great nation in Egypt. Ishmael, the slave woman’s son, was not the promised son and was cast out (Gen. 21:10-12). God made Israel the only chosen nation, a kingdom of priests and holy nation giving them the covenants, the law, the prophets, the temple and promised Israel would endure forever regardless of unfaithfulness. And that one day the Messiah would come through them. See Ex. 19:5-6; Ps. 147:19-20; Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21-22. ”Forever” means the same whether Israel or the church.
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A King Forever
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God alone has the knowledge, wisdom and power to make certain His promises will be kept. He has promised His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-man, will reign both over a political and spiritual kingdom. “To us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor; Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). But in 605 B.C., Israel went into exile and has no king since. Were God’s promises annulled?
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No. God’s prophets predicted this would happen. “The Israelites will live many days without king or prince” (Hosea 3:4). “I will maintain my love to him [David] forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure” (Ps. 89:28-37). The thrown was unoccupied but the promise was not occupation but establishment forever and it will be (Matt. 24:30; 19:28).
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Restoration of Israel Forever
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The Tanakh, OT, repeatedly promised Israel would return to the land and have a king. See Amos 9-11; Mic. 4:7-8; Dan. 2:44; 9:24-27. Daniel predicted the king’s absence from the decree to restore Jerusalem until the Anointed ruler comes which is from 445 B.C. until Christ died in A.D. 33.
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Presentation of the Messianic King
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John the Baptizer, Christ, and his apostles all announced Jesus as the promised ruler (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:5-7). Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as such and the common people received him gladly throwing palm forms before his way and recognizing him as the son of David meaning a rightful heir.
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Rejection of the Messianic King
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But Israel’s rulers rejected Jesus as their king calling his casting out of demons a work of the devil (Matt. 12:24). At his trial, the high priest tore his garments meaning Jesus blasphemed saying he was the Son of the Highest (Matt. 26:65). When crucified, the authorities protested that his superscription not say Jesus was king of the Jews, but that he said, he was king of the Jews (John 19:21). Jesus predicted the Jews would fall by the sword, be taken to all nations and Jerusalem would be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24). Israel won’t be restored until the full number of Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:25). 
Restoration of the Messianic Kingdom
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Thus, the kingdom without the King is postponed, but Jesus is coming to set it up (Acts 1:6-7). We are, however, not to be deceived by Jehovah’s Witnesses and others who are not the tribes of Israel but false prophets predicting the time of Christ’s return (Matt. 24:36). Meanwhile, the Jews will continue in unbelief until the tribulation when 144,000 will witness to the coming restored Messianic kingdom (Rev. 7; 14).
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Israel was again declared a nation in 1948. It has always had to fight for its existence and does today. Great Britain and the United States support it today as a true democratic alley. But that support seems to be wavering because of influence from socialism and radical Islam that want to destroy it. Israel is 1/6 of 1% of the Arab world and 5.5 million Jews compared to 300 million Arabs and Muslims who want to drive her into the sea. Why such hatred of God’s chosen people? Jesus predicted a beginning of tribulation when all nations will hate Israel for Christ’s sake (Matt. 24:9) and then a great tribulation unlike anything since the beginning of the world and that if the time were not shortened no flesh would be saved (Matt. 24:21-22). This is no time to be playing church and Christian. We should be living for Christ and telling others about his wonderful salvation. It’s the world’s only deliverance from hate and Hell and means of hope.
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While Israel and the church have much in common as chosen people of God, I don’t believe Israel is the church. Moses was the head of Israel; Christ is head of the church. Israel began with Abraham, the church at Pentecost. Israel was governed by law, the church by grace. Jews are born of Jacob, Christians born of Christ.
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Christians are instructed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to seek to win Jews to their Messiah (means Anointed) and Savior. God has promised that the nations that bless Israel will be blessed; those who curse her will be cursed (Genesis 12:1-3).  I believe God's promises--what about you.? Only the Lord Jesus Christ could be Israel's Messiah for only he was virgin born, without sin, died to save sinners, and rose from the dead, ascended into heaven as Scripture said Messiah would (Isaiah 7:14; 53; Psalms 22:16-18; 16:10; 68:18).   
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A Good News Messenger's Prayer


A Good News Messenger’s Prayer

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#Prayer
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Almighty Creator, hear this prayer of your messenger. It’s from a heart of love and devotion broken by the sin, selfishness, and rebellion of people You created in Your image for relationship with You. Its people, You love, destroyed by this world system of evil. Its people, You died to save, deceived by Satan and his demon spirits. Its people, You offer the gift of eternal life to, doomed by unbelief. Lord, in their blindness billions of persons just like us offer so many excuses that only prove their deception and seal their doom.
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Some say there’s no God because of all the evils in the world. They’re unwilling to admit they cause these evils. But You created a good world, gave us free will, and everything we needed. We chose to hate, deceive, abuse, murder—not God. We do the evil, but point our finger at You. Oh Lord, how blind can we be.
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Others say evolution explains everything and we don’t need God. But nothing can’t explode into everything. Nothing means without power even existence. So this dependent universe depends upon a self-existent eternal Source, a Creator. Life, mind, love, justice, truth, reason, everything makes no sense unless that be true. If there were an eternal regression of causes, we couldn’t be discussing it today. No, evolution doesn’t explain everything, but the personal ethical God-man does. Help us our Life-giver and Judge to be honest.
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They say we’ve developed science and technology that meets our needs now. We’ve gone to the moon, extended our lifespan, communicate with people on the opposite side of the world. Yes, but that knowledge may destroy us. Instead of sticks and stones, today we use ballistic missiles and chemical warfare. Science can’t teach us about ethics or life after death. But you Lord, meet these crucial needs in Your Word.
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They claim God is a Legalist who only wants to spoil our fun. This is what baby Johnny thinks when daddy takes away the shiny knife or moves him away from the colored fiery flames. The all-knowing Creator is far more knowledgeable and wise than we can ever be. His warnings express His love and protect us from harm.
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They cry we will not have God govern us; we can do it ourselves. Power, position and wealth are intoxicating. They can turn governments and leaders into arrogant, selfish, greedy beasts that devour those they’re supposed to serve and protect. History shows governments easily become corrupt, wasteful, even kill their own people while they promise them it’s for their own good. Human depravity aligned against God and people cannot be trusted. God help us not to destroy ourselves by our ignorance and foolishness!
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Others trust idols to provide and protect them. But they are made of wood and metal. They can’t move, talk, know or do anything for them. They have to repair their defects and take them in at night lest they are stolen.  Some persons worship rats, monkeys, cows knowing they are an inferior form of life than themselves. We willfully reject the true God who witnesses to us in creation, conscience, and Christ.
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Oh Lord, cleanse our hearts, and minds and lives that we can be fit vessels of Your grace. Give us a fiery passion for the Savior who alone can deliver us from eternal darkness, despair, tears and torments. Father, set before us an open door no man can close, grant us faith to move mountain ranges of destruction and death, use us to tear down the devils strongholds of unbelief, fill us with your wisdom, power and love to change this vile world for your glory. May we be soldiers who stand for righteousness, farmers who sow the seed that brings abundant fruit, ambassadors who effectively represent our King, fishers of men snatching them from polluted waters. Master, enable us to be your GOOD NEWS MESSENGERS in the Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

God & Evil


God & Evil
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#Evil

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Perhaps the most painful problem we have believing in a good God is why there’s so much evil in the world. This problem seems to turn more people away from belief in God. I’m not an internet theologian with all the answers but I’ll give you the best I have and hope it proves helpful. My understanding consists of six propositions. 
God’s Reality is shown in the Existence of Evil.
Contrary to atheist thinking that evil disproves God,  atheist C. S. Lewis came to realize it’s the very opposite. That is, if God doesn’t exist, then nothing can be evil since there is no standard by which we can measure evil. Evil then is just a given or the way things are and we’ve no God to hear our complaint. So the very fact that we make the complaint shows we inwardly feel there is someone who can know and care about us. Our anger at God is pointless if He doesn’t exist.
Now it seems pointless to be angry with any god but the Christian God of the Bible. A lesser god may be helpless to come to our aid. Any god limited in knowledge, wisdom, compassion, or power may not know, or care, or have ability to help us in our need. This would seem to eliminate lesser gods and excuse them from helping us in our distress. We then can place no hope in god as universal energy of which we are part and will lose our individuality. We can’t depend on a mere tribal or locality god who may be at war with other gods or worn down by distress himself unable to come to our aid. And if god is not perfectly good and compassionate why trust in him in the first place, he likely doesn’t care what happens to us. Only the Bible’s God perfect in every way but who allows evil even poses the problem. But how did this evil get started in the first place?
God Created a Good World of No Evil.
According to the Bible, God created a good world ideally suited for us. He made Adam from the ground in His image or in ways like Himself. Man was a person with a mind who could recognize the nature of animals and name them in accord with it. He could take care of the beautiful garden God designed to meet his need for beauty and for food. And being alone, God used Adam to fashion a helpmate for him. God designed male and female to be “one flesh” and she became the mother of humanity. Everything Adam and Eve needed was provided. Adam enjoyed perfect fellowship with God walking together in the garden paradise--but!.
God Allowed His Creatures the Freedom to do Evil.
But evil entered paradise. God told Adam he and Eve could enjoy fruit from all the trees of the garden but one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Of course, it was a test of love and trust to be shown through obedience. And God solemnly warned that the day he eats of that tree he would surely die.
One day when Eve was near that mysterious forbidden tree, she heard a friendly voice. It instilled doubt that God was not good to forbid her eating from that tree. Eve’s reply to the beautiful serpent was that they could eat from every tree but that one. But in her excitement and doubt, she added they could not even touch it lest they die.
The serpent said what he’s been saying to us ever since, that God knows you will not die but know the reality of good and evil. Can’t you see God lied? Eve saw the tree was good for food—don’t we all have to eat? She realized it was beautiful fruit—what harm could that be? And it would make one wise—and we surely need wisdom. Wow! A three-time winner. God surely was mistaken. She ate some fruit and gave to her husband who happened by and he ate.
Immediately things changed—serious consequences occurred. Their spiritual eyes were opened. They realized their nakedness before God, and made fig leaf aprons to hide their shame. When they heard the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, rather than greeting Him with love, they sought refuge behind the trees of the garden.
God cried out to Adam, “Where are you Adam?” Adam was where the human race has been ever since. In guilt, shame, and separation from God. And Adam did what we all tend to do—blame someone else for our wrongdoing. He blamed the woman God gave him as if it was all God’s fault. She likewise blamed the serpent.
Man’s disobedience brought God’s curses—it’s the old adage “Crime does not pay.” God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly. God cursed man to work by the sweat of his brow. God cursed woman to have pain in childbirth. And in mercy, God caste man out of the garden and from the tree of life lest he be forever cursed. Evil is simply corruption of the good like a wrecked car, rusted tools, fallen down house, moth eaten clothes, rotten fruit, blind eyes.
God Sent His Unique Son to Save Us from Evil.
But God’s plan is not to curse man forever but to give him life forever. The first of many promises and prophecies is Genesis 3:15. “And I will put enmity between you (the serpent used by the devil) and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” This refers to the ongoing conflict between good and evil and of Christ’s final defeat of Satan and of evil. We must be tested many times and many ways all the while with the choice of God or self, good or evil.  
God Will Justly Judge All Evil.
No human judge is completely qualified to judge crime and evil accurately. The judge and all of us are tainted with evil or what the Bible calls sin, rebellion, self-centeredness, missing the mark of God’s perfect standard. Moreover, we are naturally bias favoring some things above others, can’t know all the facts in a given situation, nor can interpret them correctly.
But the God of the Bible is perfect in knowledge, goodness, love, justice, truth, power, in all His ways. In our finitude, we won’t see it that way many times. But one day He will right all wrongs and reward all rights and we will be better able to understand the why and wherefores we can’t possibly understand now. In the meantime, we must fight our three great enemies the world system of evil, our own depraved sinful nature, and the devil with his demons. In the end, we win out and all evil is quarantined in hell to bother us no more. God doesn’t make us robots or annihilate us if we reject Him. Instead, God appeals to us in love. He forever says come to Me, and I will give you rest. And, we will one-day shine as the stars of Heaven. That’s Christian faith. But why did it have to be this way with all the sufferings and evils?
God is Omniscient and Glorified by Evil as well as Good.
The all-knowing and sovereign God knew it would be this way before creation—He heard every cry, knew every broken heart, saw every tear, felt every pain. He knew His unique Son, the God-man, would be shamefully displayed before a cruel heartless world (Rev. 13:8). Yes, He knew, this would not be the best world; but it would be the way to the best world.
Without the Fall of Adam into sin and the curses upon the world, God knew we would not understand and serve Him with immense love and gratitude for what He did for us as vile, selfish, wicked evil sinners. Without the Fall, the Cross, and the Resurrection, we could never know such things. God is glorified by great good, and God is glorified by great evil as well. Because of the Fall, we can know forgiveness, truth, love, hope, mercy, justice, and the sovereignty of God we could otherwise never know. Praise God for He works out all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). Amen (so be it). So few people understand that great truth.
If you’ve never understood Christianity before, but understand it now, won’t you say Lord Jesus Christ I trust You now as my Lord and Savior from this day forward. Now, if you are a disciple of Christ, but not living as close as you should, maybe you would like to renew your commitment. Eternity's rewards are must longer and more precious that the pleasures of sin for a season. Now you can serve the Lord in the most crucial way. Link with my blog and share the articles with those who don't know the Savior or who have little understanding of God's Word. God bless.
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Friday, June 24, 2011

Effective Loving Families


Effective Loving Families

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#Families
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Is love purely an emotional thing we can fall into before marriage and fall out of after? Or, is love something we must always work at, gain understanding of, and grow into? When over 50% of marriages end in delusion, disappointment, and divorce, isn’t it a vital question we need to address.
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 “I’ve fallen in love,” said Betty, “and I know it’s the real thing because I’ve never felt this way before. He’s the most wonderful man. I think of him morning, noon, and night. Nothing else matters. I feel we just belong together. I could never hurt him. He’s so good looking, kind, and understanding. I just want to be with him. He makes me happy and we have so much in common.”
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Never mind that others who know him see all kinds of flaws in his character. He’s been divorced twice, has a fierce temper, likes to pal around with the boys, and has trouble holding down a job. Psychological research on the in-love phenomenon concludes that the average romantic obsession lasts two years. 
I’m indebted to and recommend you purchase and practice the advice in this most helpful book, The Five Love Languages. Dr. Chapman’s thesis is that we all have a love tank that can be empty to full. Our love language greatly affects how we treat other people and how they treat us. We can be deeply loved, but not feel loved or respond lovingly. Our parents, spouse, or children may have a different love language than we do. Let’s look at the five love languages realizing that while we have a primary one, we may have combinations of the others. 
We show love by words of affirmation. Jill had been after her husband to paint the bedroom for nine months, but although he had plenty of time, he would do anything but paint it. He put gas in the car, wiped the bugs off the windshield, paid the bills, cut the grass, and took out the garbage. Saturday, his day off work, he spent the whole day washing and waxing the car. But, he wouldn’t do the one thing I wanted. Dr. Chapman’s advice was not to mention it again, but to compliment him and show appreciation every time he does some good thing. She began doing this and he soon painted the bedroom. She learned that love shown by affirming words motivates good behavior when a critical nagging spirit doesn’t.
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Encouragement inspires the insecure. Allison always liked to write but was a history major in college. She sent an article to a magazine publisher but received a rejection slip and never tried again. Keith, her husband, eager to climb the corporate ladder paid no attention to her writing but later realized Allison’s interests were important too. When he read one of her articles, he realized this is good stuff. He enthusiastically encouraged her to send it to a publisher. Her style was clear, in vivid pictures, fascinating, and she had gained greater experience and imagination over time. She submitted an article and became a recognized writer. Perhaps a loved one in your family just needs your words of encouragement. Show empathetic enthusiasm in their interest, believe in them, and rejoice in their accomplishments. Perhaps it’s to take up a hobby, lose weight, build something, start a flower garden, join a club, sing in the church choir, teach a Bible class.
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Dr. Chapman suggests we make a list of our loved one’s virtues, and add to our list as new ones are discovered, and praise a virtue twice a week. We need words of affirmation—compliments, praise, enthusiastic appreciation show love. Often say, “I love you, precious.” Shame on the man who said, “I told my wife I loved her the day we married and I haven’t changed my mind since.”
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We show love by quality time. I mean looking at and talking to our loved one with undivided attention. Sometimes talkers marry listeners. After being married awhile, couples tend to take each other for granted—they have heard each other’s stories. They tend to settle down for home life and don’t plan exciting times together as in their courting days. Financial expense can limit vacations and entertainment. This deadens family relationships.
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Families can plan fun activities members enjoy together such as outdoor walks, camping, vacations, skating, boating, beach, mountains, national park, museums. This keeps families alive and gives them experiences to remember, share, and cherish. Business, neglect, and routine empty spouses’ and children’s love tank, especially if one’s love language is quality time. Wives complain we never talk anymore and children say daddy just watches T.V. sports in the lounge chair and doesn’t pay attention to me. Baby wants to roll the beach ball in the floor with dad. Big junior wants to shoot baskets with him. Mom wants to tell him what happened at work or home and son or daughter want to share their concerns.
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Some persons don’t talk because they’re not in touch with their feelings. Parents can teach their children to deny their feelings. So children can’t tell parents, “I’m angry, hurt, disappointed, upset” and grow up handicapped communicators. Parents can actually say, “Shut up you dumb kid, or why do you say such crazy things, or I don’t have time to listen to you.” That same parent may wonder why their child won’t talk to them, shows bad personality, and gets into trouble. Criticisms can keep families from eating together. Family members who neglect or don’t talk lovingly with each other hurt from empty love tanks and that leads to marital affairs and troubled rebellious children.
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Quality time is sharing one’s experiences, thoughts, feelings, and desires with loved ones. It’s maintaining eye contact, giving undivided attention, listening for feelings, observing body language, and refusing to interrupt. It’s loved ones talking and sharing both good times and bad in an understanding and supportive way. It’s laughing and crying together. Family members who take twenty minutes or more a day to talk to each other will feel more loved and get along better.
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We show love by giving gifts. Physical presence of spouse in crises times is our most important gift. Donna complained her husband Don loved softball more than he loved her. After her baby’s birth, she lay in the hospital all afternoon. Don was with her for only ten minutes and left to play softball with the guys. And on the day of her mother’s funeral, he played softball and didn’t even come to the house with her brothers and sisters. She felt deserted and felt deeply hurt when she greatly needed him. Fifteen years later, she felt just as hurt as though it were yesterday.
But acts of service were Don’s love language so he viewed the two events differently. He was there when Donna was in labor, took pictures of his newborn son, and proudly showed them to his friends on the softball team. And before her mother died, he took a week off to spend with her at the hospital and to help clean up her mother’s house. He felt there was no more he could do. Playing softball with his friends was his way to relieve stress and he didn’t think Donna would mind. Dr. Chapman advises that if physical presence is important to you, that you tell that to your spouse.
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Gifts come in every size, shape, color, and cost and can be purchased, found, or made. The important thing is that it’s accepted, appreciated, and is a physical symbol of your love. It could be a picked wildflower, a beautiful worded card, a picture, whatnot, or something you’ve made. Just a note left on the kitchen table mentioning the things you appreciate about your spouse would be greatly appreciated. A lady told me her boyfriend won her heart when he gave her a single red rose every day for a week. If your loved one lights up, thanks you enthusiastically, shows your gifts proudly to others, and is not critical, then that’s likely his or her love language. So you give appropriate gifts, ask him or her to give you a list of items they would especially like to receive. An occasional gift will fill their love tank.
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We show love through acts of service. Anything can be an act of service your loved one values and appreciates. Opening doors, dusting furniture, changing the baby’s diaper, making the bed, painting the house, keeping up the car, cleaning the garage, mowing the lawn, raking the leaves, walking the dog, vacuuming the carpet, setting the table, washing the dishes, cleaning the commode, removing white spots off the mirror, washing and ironing clothes, folding and putting them away. Jesus showed us a loving servant attitude when he washed his disciples’ feet. He said the greatest in his kingdom would be humble servants.
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But to make our loved one feel loved we must do things that he or she values and appreciates. Further, our acts of service are acts of love only if we don’t feel forced to do them. Persons often do things in courtship that make each other feel loved. But they may radically change after marriage. They expected their spouse to do things like their mom or dad. But that is not each other’s love language. Mary felt unloved because Mark, being a meat and potatoes man, didn’t appreciate her gourmet cooking. She had learned to cook that way from her mother. Her father lavishly praised and appreciated that cooking so she felt her husband should too. Such couples should discuss calmly caringly what has changed since marriage and how they can reestablish each other’s love language.
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We show Love by physical touch. Our bodies are sensitive to touch. If your beloved’s love language is physical touch, you can fill their tank by tender touches, gentle pats, back rubs, holding hands, hugs, sitting close together, kisses, brushing their hair, sitting in one’s lap, caresses, playing footsies or leg touches under the table. You can brush in passing and give a warm smile. You can hug or kiss those you love before they leave home and when they return. Women especially need hugs during a crises experience. Babies too who are touched, held, patted, rocked and kissed thrive while those who are not die.  Jesus rebuked His disciples when they forbade the children to come to Him.
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While sex can be a tremendous expression of love, it can be more a release from tension if that’s not one’s love language. Sexual touching can be appropriate or inappropriate depending on the time, place, circumstances, and your loved one’s needs. Sometimes it can be irritating--your loved one is its best instructor. Of course, it’s inappropriate to unmarried persons who want to please God in their lives. And a harsh slap can be devastating to someone whose primary love language is touch.
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In summary, Dr. Chapman agrees with St. Paul that love is kind, patient, and shown by our actions. We can share our hurt, pain, disappointment, even anger in a calm, empathetic manner. No loud, harsh voice and hostile raised fist and expression express love. But our understanding their situation, confessing wrongdoing, asking forgiveness, and not keeping a record of wrongs, does express love. Love commits to forgive, not to hold grudges, or get even. Love makes requests, not demands nor threats. Our attentive sensitive attitude attracts and affirms love; an arrogant one detracts and repels intimacy. We can’t erase the past but can live differently in the future. We all make mistakes and have failings, but these don’t make us a failure and we can learn one another’s love language and do better next time.
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Your answers to these questions will identify your primary love language. Is it: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, or Physical Touch? Which answer to the five love languages comes up the most is your primary one. Remember, the love language we show others is likely the one we want them to show us. You may occasionally want to evaluate how full your love tank is on a scale of 0 to 10. A below seven score indicates some readjustments are needed and loved ones need to talk tenderly and openly about how they can bring them about.
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.ü  What makes me feel most loved?
.ü  What makes me feel most unloved?
.ü  What loved one’s action do I praise?
.ü  What loved one’s action do I criticize?
.ü  What do I most desire?
.ü  What do I least desire?
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.ü  What does my loved one do or not do that hurts me the most?
.ü  How do I express my love?
.ü  How does my loved one express his or her love to me?
.ü  What do I most often request of my loved one?
.ü  What does he or she most often request of me?
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.ü  Which one did my father most and least value?
.ü  Which one did my mother most and least value?
.ü  What is my primary love language based on the answers above?
.ü  What might be my secondary love language?
.ü  What might be the primary and secondary love languages of my loved ones?
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Now what are you going to do about it to make your loved ones a happier more loved family? I will provide a vital service to my family. I’ll buy Dr. Chapman’s book for study, or download and print out this article. My loved ones and I can go over it occasionally just to affirm our commitment to meet each other’s love needs. We must, of course, be honest with each other and ask forgiveness for our mistakes. Also, we can tell our friends about this article and about this blog spot to help people know all the good news worldwide. With diligent practice we can all improve our family relationships..
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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Can We Have Ultimate Authority?


Can We Have Ultimate Authority?

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A black man protested violently to a white man that white people mistreated and enslaved his people and that it wasn’t fair or right. But if he preferred his people and they were in charge, do we know blacks would be any different?
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What is the basis for human life and authority? Why should we act one way and not another? When life is short, why shouldn’t I be most concerned about myself? Let’s consider two lines of reasoning about ultimate authority, a most crucial of human questions.
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The Limits of Human Inquiry and Equality.
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Human philosophies and religions are limited and conflicting human guesses. If idealism is true, then all is mind, but if materialism, then only matter exists. Phenomenalism verses realism claims that things aren’t real unless we perceive them; they can just pop in and out of existence. Conflicting philosophies can’t both be right. Religions make conflicting claims that there’s no God, one God, two opposing Gods, a multitude of gods, or nature is god. If any claim is true, it cancels out all the others. One who makes any truth claim must show objective evidence that only his view is correct or more than mere subjective opinion. Otherwise, all such ideas are mere human guesses without authority.
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Testable science is limited to physical data and explanation. We use science as a valuable means of obtaining much useful knowledge. When experiments are controlled, repeatable, and measurable, a high degree of probably is attained. But science is limited to nature and can tell us nothing about morals, or life’s purpose, or human worth and destiny. As such, science is not an ultimate authority for our lives.
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Everything in flux has no finality and authority. If evolution is the ultimate key to understanding the universe, then we can’t depend on anything ever being the same. Things that can’t be nailed down as final aren’t settled and dependable. We can’t be sure what might happen the next moment nor if our minds are even rational and dependable..
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The good of common humanity goes only so far. Practical reason dictates we should practice the Golden Rule or treat all human being with equal respect, dignity, and fairness. Persons come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, appearances, and abilities, but we are all of one blood, essentially no different, and are a common humanity.
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In honesty, we have a selfishly dark side to our nature—we want our own way regardless. It’s difficult to treat others with the same respect we want to be treated, especially when they’re disagreeable and mean, when they’re not our kind of people, when we don’t feel well, or when it’s greatly benefits us to take advantage of them. After all, don’t we naturally prefer ourselves? So, we justify our deception, robbery, rape, murder, and warfare. It’s our common lot until death ends everything. Self-centered human nature trumps right reason most every time. Why is it we must lock doors and have a police force?
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Naturalistic human inquiry has no ultimate authority—it leads to anarchy and tyranny. Humanity is anything but secure and sane in a personal and social context. We naturally prefer our way and those who obtain position, prestige and power are naturally tempted to use it to their advantage and fight to hold it at all costs. With no ultimate and final authority, anything goes and goes toward greed and corruption. Someone must step in to restore civility and decency and impose his rule on everyone else. And, all who disagree or oppose those elite authorities can be eliminated. It’s the history of man and a natural outcome of a one-world community on the way down.
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Our Need for a Transcendent Source.
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We need a basis for truth and finality. When all is evolving we have no basis for final or absolute truth, chaos is inevitable. Each person becomes his or her own authority and fights for control, even for life. Our safety is always in jeopardy. We may not side with the winning side. Even when we do, things beyond our control can suddenly change. We need a transcendent source of truth greater than limited, conflicting, fickle, biased, human opinions and practices. We need a wise, knowing and caring power source who can tell us the truth with authority that our subjective opinions could never make certain. Without it, we surely will perish.
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We need a basis for love and justice. Love considered what’s best for people as a whole is justice. Love requires we put away destructive persons from society. It’s like the surgeon who must extract the cancer to save the body. But without a standard of truth and authority as a guide, his limited human reasoning could never be sure just what the cancer is. He might find violence more exciting than peace, or favor his kind of people above others, be brutally cruel and unjust bringing about a blood bath against resisters.
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We need a basis for human dignity and destiny. If we come from the chemicals in the ground that we return to, how can we ultimately be of more value than dirt? Oh yes, we value those we love more than dirt. But why should others value us when we may mean little to them and even oppose their efforts? Human history is brutal and destructive.
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Much of unbiased science points to the God we need. While we cannot snap out fingers and make God appear, we do have much that open honest science must admit points to God. We know that something doesn’t come from nothing, and since the universe is running down, it must have had a beginning. We can’t backtrack eternally or else we wouldn’t be here today. The universe then must be presently dependent for its existence upon an immaterial, eternal, unchangeable, self-existent, infinite power, intelligence and will to sustain the complexity of living and nonliving things we observe all around us. This Creator-Sustainer God is described in Genesis 1:1. This being so, unless we have exhaustive knowledge of the universe, we can have no objection to supernaturalism be it angels, miracles, souls or revelations. The universe’s Source can be the answer to our questions and the solution to our needs—it all fits together.
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Reaasonable objective history says that God walked among us. It's difficult to believe Moses, the prophets and apostles simply made up all the supernatural events they describe in the Bible—they had nothing to gain by that. The prophets and apostles were often, criticized, persecuted and killed for their preaching. Biblical miracles are not bizarre unrealistic myths like flying carpets, snake-headed Medusas, one-eyed giants and moving statues. They are a speeding up or redirection of natural forces demonstrating God is Lord of nature. Even Bible characters were skeptical and astonished showing they knew the same patterns of nature we experience. Unlike other history, Scripture is candid to tell both the virtues and vises of God’s spokesmen and leaders. Archaeology has verified many of the places, persons, events and chronology of Bible events.
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 If we can read the Bible with an open mind, we can see its God’s message for our problem. It’s God’s authority for right living and offered us in the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s our God who walked among us; He’s the only hope and authority to change this wicked world.
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In Christ, we have the only kind of evidence God could give if we are to know of His existence. With all our modern knowledge, we cannot predict exact details of a person’s life hundreds of years before. But the Jews knew many details of their expected Messiah, and should have recognized him. They were blinded by their desire for a king to throw off their problem of oppressing Romans and ignored the Savior of sinners. Are we in our pride any different? Further, they saw Jesus miracles, admitted their reality, but refused to acknowledge that they pointed to the God-man among them. Are we just as blind and self-willed as they were?
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In Jesus, we have a Savior from all sin, peace with God in forgiveness of our guilt and shame, and the greatest love demonstrated in his death for us. We have assurance of eternal life in his resurrection, dignity knowing we’re in God’s image, and purpose in serving him and receiving eternal reward. No world religion or philosophy can assure us of these things—only Jesus. He gives us the motivation to live a clean, pure holy life and tell others of his grace. We have the Scripture to guide our lives. Won’t U submit to His authority? He will give U a better way of living and thinking and be your everpresent Guide throughout life. Say I trust U Lord Jesus Christ to be my Lord, Savior and Guide forever. You promised to never leave me (Matthew 28:19-20). Now I want to tell others of your great love, forgiveness and Heaven.
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