Haystack Commentary of Wamego

The Traffic Stop

2012-02-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

Mortgage Settlement Could Help 4,000 Kansans

2012-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

TOPEKA, Kan. – More than 4,000 Kansas homeowners who lost homes to foreclosure and others still struggling to keep their homes out of foreclosure may be eligible for relief under a landmark legal settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Thursday.More at WIBW

A tribute to the 150th Birthday of Kansas Statehood.

2012-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Topeka Eats: Flying Monkey – the G sides

2011-12-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

Topeka Eats: Flying Monkey – the G sides

Acclaimed Kansas filmmaker makes name for himself in business, sticks to Wamego roots

2011-12-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note: This article was completed as an assignment for a class in the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications.Even though local filmmaker and director Steve Balderson has eight professional films under his belt, a whopping 20 film award nominations — nine of which he won — and an array of international praise, he has yet to find a reason to leave Kansas.His films have earned awards, including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Picture and Best Editing at independent film festivals like Raindance and Visionfest. Not to mention the additional honors credited to his films including best actor and actress awards.Acclaim for his films include reviews from movie critics like MJ Simpson, who called Balderson's most recent film, "The Casserole Club," "Magnificent, another tour-de-force by the best kept secret in American cinema."His 2005 film, "Firecracker," was given a Special Jury Award by movie critic Roger Ebert on his annual Best Films report.>Read More at >>>Acclaimed Kansas filmmaker makes name for himself in business, sticks to Wamego roots - Edge - Kansas State Collegian - Kansas State University

Kansas town of Reading bounces back after May tornado

2011-12-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

(READING, Kan.)—

A small Kansas town with a "can do" attitude bounces back after a devastation tornado six months ago.

Back in May, the town of Reading experienced a massive tornado.

The bank reopened this week as a branch of the Citizens State Bank and Trust in Woodbine. Meanwhile, across the corner workers are busy finishing up work on an all-new Miracle Cafe. The old one was completely wiped out by the storm. After taking out a small business loan the owner plans to reopen on Monday.

"I got into this because I love this community, so it never entered my mind not to rebuild or do whatever we needed to keep the Miracle Cafe open," owner Rita Jackson says.

There's still a lot more rebuilding to do. Only 14 of the 53 homes destroyed by the tornado have been rebuilt. However, city officials say most of the families intend to rebuild and move back as evidenced by the fact that the number of students at the school went up in the fall. Still, Reading's population has dropped from 120 to about 60 as the rebuilding effort continues.

http://www.kwch.com/videogallery/66536750/Home/Reading-bank-reopens-after-tornado

Kansas town of Reading bounces back after May tornado - kwch.com

President Obama's Kansas visit to focus on economy, middle class

2011-12-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

(OSAWATOMIE, Kan.)—

President Barack Obama comes to Kansas on Tuesday. He'll give an economic speech in Osawatomie High School in Miami County, about an hour south of Kansas City.

Several hundred people lined up over the weekend for a ticket to see the president. Tickets were handed out on a first-com, first-serve basis.

The speech begins at one o'clock. The White House says it will focus on the economy and what the president sees as a "make or break moment" for the middle class.

Obama will “lay out the choice we face between a country in which too few do well while too many struggle to get by, and one where we’re all in it together — where everyone engages in fair play, everyone does their fair share, and everyone gets a fair shot,” the White House said in a statement.
President Obama's Kansas visit to focus on economy, middle class - kwch.com

Hometown of teetotaler Carry Nation will now allow Sunday liquor sales

2011-12-04T23:01:00.001-08:00

It’s been more than a century since hatchet-wielding teetotaler Carry A. Nation began crusading against drinking by busting up saloons in Kansas.But in Medicine Lodge, the south-central Kansas town where Nation lived in the late 1800s, any influence Nation had may be waning.This week, Medicine Lodge voters approved Sunday liquor sales. The vote allows the sale of beer and liquor on all Sundays except Easter.Ann Bell, a member of the board of directors of the Carry Nation Home museum in Medicine Lodge, said Nation is probably turning over in her grave because of the vote.Sunday sales should begin Dec. 11.Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/02/3298801/hometown-of-teetotaler-carry-nation.html#ixzz1fdot37gz

K-State headed to Cotton Bowl to play Arkansas -

2011-12-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

K-State headed to Cotton Bowl to play Arkansas - KansasCity.com

Fairway, Kansas teen Sullivan to TV's Questlove, First Amendment no defense for rudeness

2011-12-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

So, where in the First Amendment does it say: “You might not have much — if anything — to say; you might not even really believe what you’re saying, but you are to be congratulated all the same for saying it — for saying it anywhere, anytime, especially if it’s rude, puerile and really, really annoying?” Ask Emma Sullivan.Last week, the suburban Kansas City, Kan., high school student traveled with her Youth in Government group to the state capital in Topeka for an event with Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback. During the visit, Emma sent a tweet that read: “Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot.” She hadn’t. But a Brownback staffer saw the tweet, and told Emma’s school. The principal assigned her a punishment of writing an apology note to the governor, and to the Youth in Government leaders that her behavior embarrassed.Simple, right? You figure the young woman will grudgingly write the apologies and maybe, possibly, figure out that she should be more careful about what she puts online. A valuable lesson learned? Nah. Not so much.Read More at" Washington Times

Obama Is About To Give A Huge Class Warfare Speech on Osawatomie, Kansas

2011-12-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

President Barack Obama will travel to Osawatomie, Kansas on Tuesday to emphasize the need for Americans to pay their "fair share."It's an argument that many in the Republican party reject as class warfare, but Obama will draw on a Republican president — Theodore Roosevelt — to justify his message.Roosevelt's 'New Nationalism' speech on August 31, 1910 called for new government reforms to level the playing field for average Americans against a class of industrial barons.Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-is-about-to-double-down-on-class-warfare-and-echo-a-republican-president-at-the-same-time-2011-12

State of Kansas: US Flag Alert

2011-11-26T11:22:00.001-08:00

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has ordered flags in the State of Kansas to be flown at half-staff on Saturday, November 26th, in honor of SPC James Burnett, Jr., 21, who died on November 16th, 2011, while serving in the U.S. Army in Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

Bigger cities, fewer towns – Kansas in the next 150 years

2011-11-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

Kansas in the next 150 years will rely less on agriculture as the backbone fueling its economy and more on the ingenuity and resilience of its urban residents to thrive.The life and dreams for many rural Kansans will change in the next few decades as small towns hover on the precipice of growing or silently disappearing from the map.Water will be the key resource and will determine whose jobs, lifestyles and property will survive. | Wichita Eagle

'Occupy Kansas City' Message Is: We Don't Know What Our Message Is!

2011-10-17T23:38:00.000-07:00

Despite the movement's longevity, some critics say protestors still do not have a clear message. But some of those involved say that is the way they like it. It's like, you know, when Obama says "Let me be clear," it means that what he is about to say will be anything but clear. KCTV-5 reported that: "Some of the people involved with the Occupy Kansas City movement have been sleeping and eating in the same spot since they began their protest against Wall Street about a month ago.". I say, "Be suspicious when the word “occupation” is used by someone who lacks one." So, they hang out using industry created clothing and using corporation cell phones.....

"Occupy Wall Street" protesters have finally put an end to their previous initiative, "Occupy Our Mothers' Basements." - Ann Coulter

10.08.11 Sunday Morning Homilies: It Is Finished

2011-10-09T07:46:00.001-07:00

Gen 2:1-3: Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Finished=completed. God was done with what he had planned to do in creating the heavens and the earth. However, man was not listed in this comment about being finished.
The pattern of Sabbath rest comes from the creation rest of God. God’s work has a finished character: it has no open ends, unrealized potentialities and possibilities outside of God’s decree, nor any independence from His purpose. As a result, man can have rest and peace in that certain world which is in its every atom circumcised and determined by the word of God. To believe in God is to believe in the reality of rest and peace; there is no Sabbath apart from God, and to break the Sabbath is to question or challenge God’s reality and government.

The Work of Creation
Long before the Lord Jesus undertook and then completed His heaven-sent work of redeeming lost sinners, He had completed another great work—that of creation. The first chapter of God's written record tells us about His sequential creating and making of all things in six days, climaxed by the creation of the first man and woman, all of whose descendants He would later have to redeem if He were truly to accomplish His great purpose in creating them."Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made" (Genesis 2:1,2). Once it was finished, of course, there was no more creating to be done. Just like salvation, with the price fully paid, the creation was complete, with all the work of creating and making fully done. Just as a redeemed sinner can never augment the payment for his redemption, neither can some imaginary creative process called evolution augment the completed creation.Furthermore, the completed creation was "very good" (Genesis 1:31), with nothing bad or unfair or hurtful—certainly no "struggle for existence" or "survival of the fittest," or any lack of anything needed by any of God's created beings or systems. In analogous fashion, our finished salvation is "so great salvation" (Hebrews 2:3) and "eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12), fully meeting our need for forgiveness and endless life with God.The creation is not "very good" at present, of course, for sin and death have entered the world and, therefore, Christ's work of redemption had to be undertaken. Nevertheless, the creation, like salvation and redemption, is eternal.Speaking of the stars and all the physical creation, the Bible says that "He commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever" (Psalm 148:5,6). There will, indeed, be drastic changes in the earth and heaven when sin and all its effects are purged out of it (II Peter 3:10), but then once again the creation will be very good, with "no more death," and "no more curse" as nothing can ever again enter it that "worketh abomination or maketh a lie" (Revelation 21:4;22:3;21:27).
God is the Creator, not an "un-Creator," and His works of both creation and redemption are eternal. "Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it" (Ecclesiastes 3:14).It is significant that, as far as creation is concerned, the most universal and certain law of science is the law of conservation of matter and energy. Energy can be changed in form (electrical energy to light energy, for example) and matter can be changed in state (solid to liquid, for example). Matter can even be changed into energy (e.g., nuclear fission) and energy into matter (thermonuclear fusion), but the totality of matter and energy can be neither augmented nor diminished. Energy (including matter) can be neither created not destroyed.At the end of the six days of creation, Christ the Creator (John 1:3,14) "rested from all His work which God created and made" (Genesis 2:3), and He is now "upholding all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3). His present work is one of conservation as He is resting from His finished work of creation, as far as the physical world is concerned.Our salvation is now also eternal and our life is everlasting because of Christ's finished work on the cross. After He died and rose again, He could say: "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold I am alive for evermore" (Revelation 1:18). Therefore, He could also promise concerning those who have accepted His gift of salvation: "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish. . . . I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 10:28; 11:25). .

10.02.11 Sunday Morning Homilies: Created In His Image

2011-10-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.Gen 1:24-25: Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind.

When God said, “Let us make man in our image”, we are swept back into the trinity before the creation of the world. Here is thought, because God is a personal God, who thinks, who acts, and who feels in his love. The balances here are most delicate and we must hold both sides or we lose the wealth of the Christian position. There is an external world; it is not the extension of God’s essence. But while there is a true external world which is not the extension of God’s essence, God thought first. These realities were in the thought of God before they were brought forth by his power, his creative fiat as the objective and external world. On the ceiling of the Sistine chapel in Rome there are the tremendous frescoes by Michelangelo. Among them is that magnificent picture of the creation of man. God is reaching out his finger and man, having just been created, reaches to him as well. But their fingers do not touch. This is true Christian insight. Man is not an extension of God, cut off like a reproducing amoeba. God created man external to himself, and they must not touch in the picture. However, this point must be made: That which is created out of nothing and now has objective reality, does show forth the thought of God and is therefore an exhibition of who and what he is. The external world is not an extension of the essence of God,; nevertheless, the external world does reveal and exhibit who and what God is. Image, in it’s truest meaning, is the essence of what really is. Man is the likeness of one subject (God)–expressed visibly through another (man). This does not mean physical characteristics–for God is invisible spirit. But this image is unique to man. Only after God created the plant life, animal life, and such, and declares, them all “good,” does He create man. Only humanity received the image of God, which separates man from animals and gives him dignity. Consequently–the unbeliever perceives man as equal to animals because he lacks understanding of his special dignity as a human being. On the other hand, on the other extreme, the unbeliever can perceive God as being equal..which is an unfounded liberal perspective of “image.”
That man was made last of all the creatures, that it might not be suspected that he had been, any way, a helper to God in the creation of the world: that question must be for ever humbling and mortifying to him, Where wast thou, or any of thy kind, when I laid the foundations of the earth? Job 38:4. Yet it was both an honour and a favour to him that he was made last: an honour, for the method of the creation was to advance from that which was less perfect to that which was more so; and a favour, for it was not fit he should be lodged in the palace designed for him till it was completely fitted up and furnished for his reception. Man, as soon as he was made, had the whole visible creation before him, both to contemplate and to take the comfort of. Man was made the same day that the beasts were, because his body was made of the same earth with theirs; and, while he is in the body, he inhabits the same earth with them. God forbid that by indulging the body and the desires of it we should make ourselves like the beasts that perish! .

DOES MAN REFLECT GOD'S IMAGE?

In Genesis 1:27 the Bible says: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Thus, every person on earth is initially made in the image of God, because all are descended from Adam.
Bible scholars have long debated about this image, as to what it consists. The image is obviously not physical, since God is not physical, but spiritual in his nature. The image should reflect the good graces that are included in God’s character, things like love, goodness and kindness. Redeemed man, unlike the animals has a capacity to become God-like; to seek God and commune with him. In Colossians 3:10, we see that the image of God definitely includes knowledge. Man made in God's likeness also has the capacity to be creative, and to have dominion over the earth.
In Psalm 8:4-6 we read: "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet" This passage reflects God's original plan for mankind.
In Hebrews 2:8, the author commenting on the above passage assures us that something went dreadfully wrong: "God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him." This verse reflects the tragic fact that the image of God in man has been greatly marred by the fall.
How else is the image of God marred? All sin mars God's image in us. This is illustrated in the fact that some people begin to look and act like the devil. The devil would probably love for all men to look and act like him. It is one of the devil's prime purposes to erase and mar the image of God in mankind - to make man like an animal or worse. The devil has many tools to accomplish this.
Idolatry particularly mars the image of God in man. No doubt, partly because of this, graven images were sternly forbidden by God. We tend to become like our images. In Psalm 115:8, we learn this concerning idols: "Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." In Romans 1:23-27, we see that those who change the image of God into an idol become corrupted and defiled like their idol.
Now the idols of the early twenty-first century are quite sophisticated. They are no longer just blocks of wood or stone. One clear example of idolatry today is covetousness, or greed. In Colossians 3:5 we are told: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." Greed, covetousness, chasing after wealth and riches, are all called idolatry and they cause us to lose the image of God. Greed makes monsters out of people.
Spiritual deception particularly mars the image of God in us, because God is spirit. In this respect, the cults greatly mar that image. Some time ago there was a mass cult suicide in the US. One astounding fact of this suicide was that the victims looked very much alike. They all had the same style haircuts, wore the same brand of new tennis shoes, and had the same make and color of travel bags, all packed and ready for their space rendezvous.
Even some churches tend to get a little cult-like. I once remember attending a church where everyone talked like the preacher, sang like the preacher, acted like the preacher. It was an alarming and unsettling experience. Conformity damages the spirit of God's people. It is the glory of God to create vast diversity in the natural world around us. In all the multiplied billions of leaves, there are not two exactly alike. That should tell us something about our Creator.
Thus, the image of God allows for great diversity. In the early church there were people who were circumcised and people who were not; people who ate meat and people who did not; people who kept certain days of worship, and people who did not. Somehow in all this diversity there was true unity.
How else can we erase and mar God's image? We do so when we bring discouragement to others. We do so with abuses of all types; by slander, gossip, and judgmental attitudes. We do it by evil speech, by ridicule, by oppression, by crushing God's people and grinding the faces of the poor (Isa. 3:15). We do it by breaking covenant and wounding forever our marriage partners, as well as our offspring. We do it by outright violence and especially by murder. Murder is evil man's final and insane attempt to deface and destroy the image of God in another individual.
Of course the devil has many other ways of trying to destroy the image of God. He has had great success through the centuries by using philosophy. The Humanistic world-view, that he has championed, has all but taken over in our educational facilities and power centers today. This view is based upon evolution and thus sees man as simply springing from lower life. We are beginning to see the results of this teaching in our business world and the society around us. People are considered as having no value and thus they can be exploited and abused to the maximum. We remember also that in the last century it was this very teaching that helped spawn Communism, Nazism, Fascism and many other doctrines that abused and destroyed hundreds of millions.
The restored image of God in man is brought about only by God's work of re-creation. We read in Colossians 1:15 and in Hebrews 1:3, that the Messiah is the true image of the invisible God. It is therefore God's purpose to conform us to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29). Paul says of this in 1 Corinthians 15:49: "And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man [Adam], so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven [Jesus]." Re-creation comes only by the new birth. Indeed as John 3:7 states it, "...You must be born again." This is a spiritual rebirth and it enables us to be fashioned after God, who is Spirit.
Once the new birth has taken place, there are some practical things we can all do to enhance the image of God in ourselves and others. We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Paul talks to us about this: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18 NKJV). As we look at him intently, and as we continue to look, we become more like him.
We must endeavor to see the image of God in everyone. Even the most depraved and hopeless person has somewhere within him that faint glimmer of God's image. Instead of criticizing or judging others, we need to pick out their good and God-like qualities. We can enhance the image of God in others by helping them return to God through repentance, by giving hope and encouragement. We can help them by kindness, by deeds of love and compassion; by being honest and letting them know our own faults and struggles. When we present ourselves as flawless or super-spiritual, others are often discouraged. Hypocrisy and deceit only hinder God's work.
It should be our struggle to insure that the image of Christ is formed in other people. Paul once referred to a group of believers as: "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Gal. 4:19). Paul labored as in birth pains until the image of Jesus could be fully formed in those he loved.
Let us pray that the image of Christ can be perfected in ourselves and in others while there is still time. The scripture assures us in Revelation 16:2, that the day is soon coming when many people will worship the image of the beast and receive his mark. This is a reference to the grossly evil world ruler of the last days. By worshipping the beast and receiving his mark, they will become like him and become partakers of his eternal judgment. They will thus forever lose the precious image of God..

09.24.11 Sunday Morning Homilies: Before Gen 1:1 There was God

2011-09-25T07:26:00.001-07:00

Gen 1:24-25: Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind.

These verses plainly say, without any interpretation, that God created fish to reproduce after their own particular kind, birds after their particular kind, and cattle after the cattle kind. Each kind may have many varieties within it, but all creatures reproduce only after their own “kind. ” That is why dogs reproduce dogs, monkeys reproduce monkeys, sheep reproduce sheep, etc. There is nothing that can evolve into another kind. It is genetically impossible and any person who supports the so-called “facts of evolution” (of which there are actually no fact to fill the gaps), cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this reality.In every way, man’s becoming God will be tempered by and limited to his status as a creature; and actually, what man is by creation gives the greatest creedence to the notion that man may become God. In the account of creation in Genesis 1, all living things were created “after their kind” (vv. 11, 12, 21, 24, 25) except man. Hence, in God’s creation there are species of living things, each bearing it’s own characteristics that distinguish it from other species. But when the creation of man is recounted, he is not said to be created “after his kind.” Instead, the Scriptures say, “Let us (God) make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26). We understand this sentence to correspond to the phrase after their kind in the other sections of the creation account; we see it as a finer, more detailed utterance of the same notion. Hence, we understand by this sentence that man was created after God’s kind. The apostle Paul made the similar declaration to the Areopagus in Athens: “Being then the race (Gk. genos, ‘species; kind’) of God” (Acts 17:29).Of course, we all know the sad history of mankind’s fall, by which human beings lost a great bit of their likeness to God. Because of the fall, humans are difficult to classify; it is hard to know what “kind” they are. They are obviously superior to all living things and yet appear to be so similar to many of them. On the other hand, humans are certainly Godlike to some extent and yet obviously fall short of God. Nevertheless, humans were created in such a way that through Gods economy they may become God. Before the fall Adam was not a defiled man; he was not created with God’s life and nature but only with the capacity to recieve them. The fall delayed the realization of what we humans were created for and brought in negative elements that required our redemption.

If God Created Everything, Who Created God?

Who created God? It is an age-old question that has plagued all those who like to think about the big questions. Having grown up as an agnostic non-Christian, it provided me with a potential reason why there might not be any god. Various religions tend to solve the problem in different ways. The LDS church (Mormonism) says that the God (Elohim) to whom we are accountable had a father god, then grew up on a planet as a man, and progressed to become a god himself. Many other religions have claimed that gods beget other gods. Of course the problem with this idea is how did the first god get here? This problem of infinite regression invalidates such religions. Christianity claims that God has always existed. Is this idea even possible? Does science address such issues? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)
This verse tells us that God was acting before time when He created the universe. Many other verses from the New Testament tell us that God was acting before time began, and so, He created time, along with the other dimensions of our universe:
No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (1 Corinthians 2:7) This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9) The hope of eternal life, which God... promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2) To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)
The idea that God created time, along with the physical universe, is not just some wacky modern Christian interpretation of the Bible. Justin Martyr, a second century Christian apologist, in his Hortatory Address to the Greeks, said that Plato got the idea that time was created along with the universe from Moses:"And from what source did Plato draw the information that time was created along with the heavens? For he wrote thus: 'Time, accordingly, was created along with the heavens; in order that, coming into being together, they might also be together dissolved, if ever their dissolution should take place.' Had he not learned this from the divine history of Moses?"
How does God acting before time began get around the problem of God's creation? There are two possible interpretations of these verses. One is that God exists outside of time. Since we live in a universe of cause and effect, we naturally assume that this is the only way in which any kind of existence can function. However, the premise is false. Without the dimension of time, there is no cause and effect, and all things that could exist in such a realm would have no need of being caused, but would have always existed. Therefore, God has no need of being created, but, in fact, created the time dimension of our universe specifically for a reason - so that cause and effect would exist for us. However, since God created time, cause and effect would never apply to His existence.God exists in multiple dimensions of time
The second interpretation is that God exists in more than one dimension of time. Things that exist in one dimension of time are restricted to time's arrow and are confined to cause and effect. However, two dimensions of time form a plane of time, which has no beginning and no end and is not restricted to any single direction. A being that exists in at least two dimensions of time can travel anywhere in time and yet never had a beginning, since a plane of time has no starting point. Either interpretation leads one to the conclusion that God has no need of having been created.Why can't the universe be eternal?
The idea that God can be eternal leads us to the idea that maybe the universe is eternal, and, therefore, God doesn't need to exist at all. Actually, this was the prevalent belief of atheists before the observational data of the 20th century strongly refuted the idea that the universe was eternal. This fact presented a big dilemma for atheists, since a non-eternal universe implied that it must have been caused. Maybe Genesis 1:1 was correct! Not to be dismayed by the facts, atheists have invented some metaphysical "science" that attempts to explain away the existence of God. Hence, most atheistic cosmologists believe that we see only the visible part of a much larger "multiverse" that randomly spews out universes with different physical parameters.2 Since there is no evidence supporting this idea (nor can there be, according to the laws of the universe), it is really just a substitute "god" for atheists. And, since this "god" is non-intelligent by definition, it requires a complex hypothesis, which would be ruled out if we use Occam's razor, which states that one should use the simplest logical explanation for any phenomenon. Purposeful intelligent design of the universe makes much more sense, especially based upon what we know about the design of the universe.
When Stephen Hawking, George Ellis, and Roger Penrose extended the equations for general relativity to include space and time, the results showed that time has a beginning - at the moment of creation (i.e., the Big Bang).3 In fact, if you examine university websites, you will find that many professors make such a claim - that the universe had a beginning and that this beginning marked the beginning of time (see The Universe is Not Eternal, But Had A Beginning). Such assertions support the Bible's claim that time began at the creation of the universe.
God has no need to have been created, since He exists either outside time (where cause and effect do not operate) or within multiple dimensions of time (such that there is no beginning of God's plane of time). Hence God is eternal, having never been created. Although it is possible that the universe itself is eternal, eliminating the need for its creation, observational evidence contradicts this hypothesis, since the universe began to exist a finite ~13.7 billion years ago. The only possible escape for the atheist is the invention of a kind of super universe, which can never be confirmed experimentally (hence it is metaphysical in nature, and not scientific)..

09.18.11: Sunday Morning Homilies: From a Formless Void

2011-09-18T08:25:00.001-07:00

Gen 1:6: “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

The former formless void appears to have been very widespread…even as unto the heavens. God separated that. “Firmament” is translated from the Hebrew raqiya, which is derived from raqa which means “to spread abroad, stamp or stretch.” Raqiya means “an expanse.” The firmament-an expanse-a beating out as a plate of metal: a name given to the atmosphere from its appearing to an observer to be the vault of heaven, supporting the weight of the watery clouds. By the creation of an atmosphere, the lighter parts of the waters which overspread the earth’s surface were drawn up and suspended in the visible heavens, while the larger and heavier mass remained below. The air was thus “in the midst of the waters,” that is, separated them; and this being the apparent use of it, is the only one mentioned, although the atmosphere serves other uses, as a medium of life and light .

Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water

Genesis 1:6-8 speaks of the expanse and barriers that God created concerning the earth. He created an atmosphere surrounding the physical sphere of the earth and then surrounded the earth with a blanket of water, a sort of mega-cloud that covered the whole earth. It’s amazing to think that the clouds we see floating in the sky today are filled with tons of water. According to the USGS an average cloud, which is just a little more than 1/2 mile x 1/2 mile x 1/2 mile, weighs an estimated 1,105,500 tons. That’s a whole lot of water. So imagine with me what it was like on the second day when God put an expanse between the water on earth and the water in the sky — He floated water above the earth and surrounded the earth with a cloud. The earth surrounded by this water blanket would have created an interesting weather pattern. It would have the effect of protecting us from the sun’s UV rays. It would also have the effect of homogenizing or equalizing the climate throughout the earth. This means that the early animals and plants of the earth enjoyed a beautiful warm climate where ever they went on the planet. Scientists have found Wooly Mammoths frozen in the ice of Siberia with tropical vegetation in their digestive tracts and vegetation 200 feet below the ice near the South Pole. Given the account in Genesis, and God’s comment to Job in Job 38:9, these discoveries make sense.Another barrier of protection provided by God is the earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic field shields us from destructive charged particles that originate from the sun. The German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gaussmagnetic was the first to measure the magnetic field of the earth, starting in 1845. Since that time we’ve measured it continually and we’ve found that it’s deteriorating. (see National Geographic)
A third protective barrier provided by God is the earth’s ozone layer. This layer protects us from the sun’s radiation. (see EPA) While there’s much debate as to the reason why, no one argues that the ozone layer is deteriorating.Many scholars believe, as do I though I’m not a scholar, that God’s means of creating the great flood was to cause a great rain, thus removing nearly all of the protective blanket of water surrounding the earth. It was around this time that we see a reduction in the life spans recorded in the Bible which makes sense because people no longer enjoyed God’s most effective protective layer, the canopy of water. It could be that the deterioration in the earth’s magnetic field and the earth’s ozone layer are also contributing factors to the reduction in lifespan.According to Chuck Smith, if you look at the genealogy recorded in Chapter five of Genesis, you’ll see that Adam was still alive when Lamech, Noah’s father, was born. So Noah well could have heard the account of the Garden of Eden from Adam himself. And Noah’s son Shem was alive at the time that Abraham was born. So the communication of this part of the Biblical record is more direct than most people realize.

09.11.11 Sunday Morning Homilies: Creation of Day and Night

2011-09-11T08:18:00.001-07:00

Gen 1:5: “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

It took but one day for the formless void to take form, and for the light to shine upon it and the darkness to separate from that light. Night and day were created and God named them such. And, hence, the first day..and “time” became a concept.
The use of “evening and morning” in that order is significant. As each day’s work was accomplished during the “light,” there was a cessation of God’s activity during the “darkness.” Consequently, there was nothing to report between evening and morning.” The beginning of the next day’s activity began with the next period of light, after the “morning,” or better, “dawning.” The literal sense of the formula after each day’s work is: “Then there was dusk, then dawn, ending the first day.
1) The life span of Adam suggests that the “days” of Genesis one were not extremely long periods of time. God created the first man, later identified as Adam (Genesis 3:19), on day six of creation (Genesis 1:27-31).
2) Adam lived through the end of the sixth day, lived through the seventh day, and on into the days that came after those first seven. Now, if each day of Genesis one was really an enormously long period (such as a thousand years or millions of years), then after the end of the seventh day (on which God rested) how old would Adam have been?
3)The Bible affirms that “all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died” (Genesis 5:5). Since “all the days” that Adam lived totaled only 930 years, then it is not possible that the sixth day and seventh day of creation were thousands or millions of years long.
Some creationists have expressed that a cosmic creation date of billions of years ago depreciates the omnipotence of God. Just as the runner who covers a mile in four minutes must be stronger than one who requires ten minutes. It is then presumed that a God who takes billions of years is weaker than one who only takes six twenty-four hour days. Two fallacies underlie this line of reasoning. One is that God’s creating in six twenty-four hour days proves Him all-powerful. Not so. Even that time frame is too long. For that matter, six nanoseconds would be too long. God would have created everything in one immeasurable instant if times were a measure of His power. The second fallacy is that an all powerful God is under compulsion to exercise all His power all the time. Just as man is capable of running a four-minute mile has the option to make more time, so God can choose whatever time frame He pleases for whatever He does.

Every Moment by Andrew Murray

In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. " - ISA.27:2,3.THE vineyard was the symbol of the people of Israel, in whose midst the True Vine was to stand The branch is the symbol of the individual believer, who stands in the Vine. The song of the vineyard is also the song of the Vine and its every branch. The command still goes forth to the watchers of the vineyard - would that they obeyed it, and sang till every feeble - hearted believer had learned and joined the joyful strain - "Sing ye unto her: 1, JEHOVAH, Do KEEP IT; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I WILL KEEP it night and day."
What an answer from the mouth of God Himself to the question so often asked: Is it possible for the believer always to abide in Jesus? Is a life of unbroken fellowship with the Son of God indeed attainable here in this earthly life? Truly not, if the abiding is our work, to be done in our strength. But the things that are impossible with men are possible with God. If the Lord Himself will keep the soul night and day, yea, will watch and water it every moment, then surely the uninterrupted communion with Jesus becomes a blessed possibility to those who can trust God to mean and to do what He says. Then surely the abiding of the branch of the vine day and night, summer and winter, in a neverceasing life - fellowship, is nothing less than the simple but certain promise of your abiding in your Lord.
In one sense, it is true, there is no believer who does not always abide in Jesus; without this there could not be true life. "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth." But when the Saviour gives the command, "Abide in me," with the promise, "He that abideth in me bringeth forth much fruit," He speaks of that willing, intelligent, and whole - hearted surrender by which we accept His offer, and consent to the abiding in Him as the only life we choose or seek. The objections raised against our right to expect that we shall always be able thus voluntarily and consciously to abide in Jesus are chiefly two.
The one is derived from the nature of man. It is said that our limited powers prevent our being occupied with two things at the same moment. God's providence places many Christians in business, where for hours at a time the closest attention is required to the work they have to do. How can such a man, it is asked, with his whole mind in the work he has to do, be at the same time occupied with Christ, and keeping up fellowship with Him? The consciousness of abiding in Jesus is regarded as requiring such a strain, and such a direct occupation of the mind with heavenly thoughts, that to enjoy the blessing would imply a withdrawing of oneself from all the ordinary avocations of life. This is the same error as drove the first monks into the wilderness.
Blessed be God, there is no necessity for such a going out of the world. Abiding in Jesus is not a work that needs each moment the mind to be engaged, or the affections to be directly and actively occupied with it. It is an entrusting of oneself to the keeping of the Eternal Love, in the faith that it will abide near us, and with its holy presence watch over us and ward offpie evil, even when we have to be most intently occupied with other things. And so the heart has rest and peace and joy in the consciousness of being kept when it cannot keep itself.
In ordinary life, we have abundant illustration of the influence of a supreme affection reigning in and guarding the soul, while the mind concentrates itself on work that requires its whole attention. Think of the father of a family, separated for a time from his home, that he may secure for his loved ones what they need. He loves his wife and children, and longs much to return to them. There may be hours of intense occupation when he has not a moment to think of them, and yet his love is as deep and real as when he can call up their images; all the while his love and the hope of making them happy urge him on, and fill him with a secret joy in his work. Think of a king: in the midst of work, and pleasure, and trial, he all the while acts under the secret influence of the consciousness of royalty, even while he does not think of it. A loving wife and mother never for one moment loses the sense of her relation to the husband and children: the consciousness and the love are there, amid all her engagements. And shall it be thought impossible for the Everlasting Love so to take and keep possession of our spirits, that we too shall never for a moment lose the secret consciousness: We are in Christ, kept in Him by His almighty power. Oh, it is possible; we can be sure it is. Our abiding in Jesus is even more than a fellowship of love - it is a fellowship of life. In work or in rest, the consciousness of life never leaves us. And even so can the mighty power of the Eternal Life maintain within us the consciousness of its presence. Or rather, Christ, who is our life, Himself dwells within us, and by His presence maintains our consciousness that we are in Him.
The second objection has reference to our sinfulness. Christians are so accustomed to look upon sinning daily as something absolutely inevitable, that they regard it as a matter of course that no one can keep up abiding fellowship with the Saviour: we must sometimes be unfaithful and fail. As if it was not just because we have a nature which is naught but a very fountain of sin, that the abiding in Christ has been ordained for us as our only but our sufficient deliverance! As if it were not the Heavenly Vine, the living, loving Christ, in whom we have to abide, and whose almighty power to hold us fast is to be the measure of our expectations! As if He would give us the command, "Abide in me," without securing the grace and the power to enable us to perform it! As if, above all, we had not the Father as the Husbandman to keep us from falling, and that not in a large and general sense, but according to His own precious promise: "Night and day, every moment!" Oh, if we will but look to our God as the Keeper of Israel, of whom it is said, "Jehovah shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul," we shall learn to believe that conscious abiding in Christ every moment, night and day, is indeed what God has prepared for them that love Him.
My beloved fellow - Christians, let nothing less than this be your aim. I know well that you may not find it easy of attainment; that there may come more than one hour of weary struggle and bitter failure. Were the Church of Christ what it should be - were older believers to younger converts what they should be, witnesses to God's faithfulness, like Caleb and Joshua, encouraging their brethren to go up and possess the land with their, "We are well able to overcome; if the Lord delight in us, then HE WILL BRING us into this land" - were the atmosphere which the young believer breathes as he enters the fellowship of the saints that of a healthy, trustful, joyful consecration, abiding in Christ would come as the natural outgrowth of being in Him. But in the sickly state in which such a great part of thebody is, souls that are pressing after this blessing are sorely hindered by the depressing influence of the thought and the life around them. It is not to discourage that I say this, but to warn, and to urge to a more entire casting of ourselves upon the word of God Himself. There may come more than our hour in which you are ready to yield to despair; but be of good courage. Only believe. He who has put the blessing within your reach will assuredly lead to its possession.
The way in which souls enter into the possession may differ. To some it may come as the gift of a moment. In times of revival, in the fellowship with other believers in whom the Spirit is working effectually, under the leading of some servant of God who can guide, and sometimes in solitude too, it is as if all at once a new revelation comes upon the soul. It sees, as in the light of heaven, the strong Vine holding and bearing the feeble branches so securely, that doubt becomes impossible. It can only wonder how it ever could have understood the words to mean aught else than this: To abide unceasingly in Christ is the portion of every believer. It sees it; and to believe, and rejoice, and love, come as of itself.
To others it comes by a slower and more difficult path. Day by day, amid discouragement and difficulty, the soul has to press forward. Be of good cheer; this way too leads to the rest. Seek but to keep your heart set upon the promise: "I THE LORD DO KEEP IT, night and day." Take from His own lips the watchword: "Every moment." In that you have the law of His love, and the law of your hope. Be content with nothing less. Think no longer that the duties and the cares, that the sorrows and the sins of this life must succeed in hindering the abiding life of fellowship. Take rather for the rule of your daily experience the language of faith: I am persuaded that neither death with its fears, nor life with its cares, nor things present with their pressing claims, nor things to come with their dark shadows, nor height of joy, nor depth of sorrow, nor any other creature, shall be able, for one single moment, to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and in which He is teaching me to abide. If things look dark and faith would fail, sing again the song of the vineyard: "I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." And be assured that, if Jehovah keep the branch night and day, and water it every moment, a life of continuous and unbroken fellowship with Christ is indeed our privilege.

Sunday Morning Homilies 09.04.11

2011-09-04T08:20:00.001-07:00

Gen 1:4: “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

There was a time when light and darkness was mixed–but even through that confusion God could “see the light” and knew “it was good.” And he separated the two from each other. Adding to the mix of the “formless void” was the mixture of light and dark….they were different, but not separate. I dont know that we can imagine such a sight as a visual. We can see it in other terms, such as someones personality who is embracing both light and dark, and they seem to appear confused and in the extreme maybe schizophrenic. And, as in creation, only God can truly separate the two conflicts. That God divided the light from the darkness – So put them asunder as they could never be joined together: and yet he divided time between them, the day for light, and the night for darkness, in a constant succession. Tho’ the darkness was now scattered by the light, yet it has its place, because it has its use; for as the light of the morning befriends the business of the day, so the shadows of the evening befriend the repose of the night. God has thus divided between light and darkness, because he would daily mind us that this is a world of mixtures and changes. In heaven there is perpetual light, and no darkness; in hell utter darkness, and no light: but in this world they are counter – changed, and we pass daily from one to another; that we may learn to expect the like vicissitudes in the providence of God. That God divided them from each other by distinguishing names. He called the light Day, and the darkness he called night – He gave them names as Lord of both. He is the Lord of time, and will be so ’till day and night shall come to an end, and the stream of time be swallowed up in the ocean of eternity.

NOTES: In Gen 1:4, God separates light from dark. I would have to run on the assumption that somehow light and dark were mixed somehow up to that point. Since one will be called night and the other day, would it be, in effect, time that creates the separation? Would this, in effect, be the beginning of time? And the end of the age, darkness would, in effect, be destroyed when time ceases to exist? (Rev 22: 5: There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light). Now the only problematic verse is Rev 22:2: On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month…………and I am not sure what to do with the suggestion of “every month.”

What was the LIGHT of the FIRST DAY of Creation?

According to the Genesis record in the beginning darkness covered the whole earth, and it was filled with water too.

Darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)

On the first day and on the fourth day God did something that looks similar. Let us read the texts:

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5)

Now let us see what was done on the fourth day:

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14-19)

If you notice carefully, you will see why this was done and the difference between the first and fourth day of creation.

What did God make on the first day? We all might quickly say-He made "light". But actually God made "day" and "night"! God used light to create day and night. Till then the whole earth was only night (dark), but now God divided the light from darkness. And God called the light part as "day", and the dark part of the earth He called "night".

How did God make the day and night? Darkness was all over the earth, so making night was not necessary; God had to only separate the darkness by causing light to shine on one side. And the light side was called day, and the dark side of the earth was called night.

There are twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness, normally, in a 24-hour day. The Lord Himself said:

Are there not twelve hours in the day? (John 11:9)

God brought light to shine on one side of the earth, while the other side remained dark.

It is interesting and important to note that with "the evening and the morning" commenced the "first day", and not with "the morning and the evening". So with the dark part of the 24-hour period begins a new day and then follows the light part of it, probably because darkness was there before light was introduced on planet earth.

ONE MIGHT ASK: What was that "light" that God used to make Day & Night?

Well, God did not specify as to what that was, because the purpose of that light was to create day and night. So the focus has to be on what was created on the first day-day and night!

On the first day, the earth's clock started ticking, and time commenced for planet earth. She now has two distinct phases of period-day and night. Time began by the creation of day and night.

Look at another example in regard to getting our focus right. On the sixth day what did God make?-Man and Woman (and also animals). How did God make them?-He used the dust of the ground. The dust of the ground was the means of making man. But the objects of the sixth day of creation were man and woman, and not the dust, which was only the means used to create them. It doesn't really matter what kind of mud it was, the color, etc. What mattered was the creation of Adam and Eve, by God!

So also, God used "light" on the first day to create "day and night". What kind of light it was, and from where it came does not matter! If it mattered then God would have told us that. "Light" was only the means and the creation of "day and night" was the object. Therefore the focus should be on the creation of day and night and not the light.

God is light Himself (1 John 1:5); His Word is light too (Psalm 119:105). So there are many options. It does not really matter which option God used, as the focus should be on what was created on the first day.

Let us look at what was created on the fourth day. The sun and the moon and the stars were made. On the first day, "day and night" were made; and on the fourth day, "the sun, moon, and stars" were made. So nothing was repeated!

On the first day God used "light" to create "day and night", and on the fourth day He created the "sun, moon, and the stars" to give "light" to the earth. What was the purpose of the sun and the moon? Was it to create day and night? No, that was already done on the first day. The sun and the moon were meant to rule the day and night that already existed. They were made:

For signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.(Genesis 1:14)

With the first day light, time began, and the 24-hour period began with the rotation of the earth on its own axis; and with the sun and the moon around from the fourth day onwards, the rotation would still continue, along with the revolution round the sun.

ONE MIGHT SAY: Why didn't God create the sun and the moon and the stars on the first day itself, and that would take care of the day and night too?

Notice that the sun and moon and stars were "placed in the firmament of heaven". On the first day there was no firmament called Heaven, it was created on the second day. So a firmament had to be created for the sun and the rest to be placed. And God would not create the firmament first without the commencement of time! He had to start time for planet earth, as in everything, that is the way it always goes. No work can be calculated or measured without time.

Was the order of the creation week perfect? Of course, it has to be when the wise God does it. Let us analyze the order of creation and see the wisdom of God.

a) "Day and Night" were made on the first day. Time commenced for planet earth. A 24-hour period was created by the rotation of the earth on its own axis with a dark part and a light part. Perfect start!

b) The whole earth was a mighty ocean and the first thing was to create an atmosphere, an environment that will be conducive for life, with the right amount of gases to fill the air; and therefore God made the firmament called Heaven, or sky, with all the accurate calculations.

c) On the third day God made dry land appear to start life on planet earth. He made a great portion of the earth "dry", and called it land, and proceeded to decorate it with scenic beauty. Trees, grass, and all vegetations sprang forth. What scenery! Beautiful and smooth mountains and valleys and plains decorated with greenery!

d) There has to be seasons for the trees to bear fruits, and for the flowers to bloom. Everything has an order and time to display its beauty. God did exactly that on the fourth day. Well, why didn't God make the sun on the third day and the vegetation on the fourth day? Probably, God wanted us to know that it is not the sun that sustains life, but God, the Creator of the sun. (For many say if there is no sun, there cannot be life. But the truth is-if there is no God, there is no life; God can use anything to give us life, and not just the sun. And many people worship the sun today thinking that without it nothing can survive. But the plants and trees were there for a full day even before the sun was created!)

e) God proceeded to make moving creatures to fill the waters and the skies-Fishes of diverse kinds and colors, and also birds of various shapes and sizes and colors and features. Why didn't God create them before He made the vegetation? Well the birds need trees to rest and food to eat. Therefore they were made after the vegetation. And why weren't the fishes made earlier? They needed food, too, so God had to create a supply first and then place them there. For sure the trees and plants and fruits in the seas were done on the same third day as it was done on land. Why didn't God make the fishes and birds before the sun, the moon and the stars? Well, living things in whose nostril is the breath of life are higher in order than the non-living things. So God decided to first furnish their environment and then make them.

f ) On the sixth day He first made all kinds of animals and creeping things that move on the land. Finally, He made man and woman on the sixth day-the crowning act of creation. Man, with his wife, was to be the caretaker of this planet, the ruler and the manager of it all.

Sunday Morning Homilies 08.28.11

2011-08-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

Gen 1:3: “And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.”

God spoke and produced light, which apparently was a necessity in the beginning of “forming” the “formless void.” Is light a necessary part of the creative energy? God, of course, knew what the “formless void” looked like even with out light….but it is interesting that it is in this order. The light shines before the “formless void” is formed. A lesson for our lives from history. An historic principle that began with creation and continues today and tomorrow. “Light” in Hebrew does not refer to the sun. It is referring to energy and matter. Light was the sole creation of the First Day. Light, by definition, is not an entity in its own right. It is the link between two other entities, the communication from its emitter to an observer or recipient. Light would have no function unless it is expressing the former and influencing the latter.

The Light of the World

The Light of the World (1853–54) is an allegorical painting by William Holman Hunt representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me". According to Hunt: "I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be by Divine command, and not simply as a good subject." The door in the painting has no handle, and can therefore be opened only from the inside, representing "the obstinately shut mind". Hunt, 50 years after painting it, felt he had to explain the symbolism.

The figure of Christ, he explained, was "to be seen only by the light of the star of distant dawn behind, and of some moonlight in front with most of all the light "to guide us in dark places" coming from the lantern. This mixture of lights is all natural on the understanding that it is treated typically" (20 June 1878; London (Huntington MS.). In the world of religious vision which Hunt created in The Light of the World all things necessarily bear higher meanings, so that the symbolical and the natural combine: both together make up the real. although one cannot be certain about the precise significance of all elements of the picture's lighting , it is clear that Christ's lantern — whether it be the light of truth or of Christian doctrine — provides most of the illumination. The promise of a new day, a new life once the soul awakens to Christ, and the natural light of the moon can shed some, too, but Christ himself must be the chief means by which one can see him.

In Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Hunt explained the other points of symbolism in The Light of the World :

The closed door was the obstinately shut mind, the weeds the cumber of daily neglect, the accumulated hindrances of sloth; the orchard the garden of delectable fruit for the dainty feast of the soul. The music of the still small voice was the summons to the sluggard to awaken and become a zealous labourer under the Divine Master; the bat flitting about only in darkness was a natural symbol of ignorance; the kingly and priestly dress of Christ, the sign of His reign over the body and the soul, to them who could give their allegiance to Him and acknowledge God's overrule. In making it a night scene, lit mainly by the lantern carried by Christ, I had followed metaphorical explanation in the Psalms, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,' with also the accordant allusions by St. Paul to the sleeping soul, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand."

The original, painted at night in a makeshift hut at Worcester Park Farm in Surrey, is now in a side room off the large chapel at Keble College, Oxford. Toward the end of his life, Hunt painted a life-size version, which was hung in St Paul's Cathedral, London, after a world tour where the picture drew large crowds. Due to Hunt's increasing infirmity, he was assisted in the completion of the St. Paul's version by the English painter Edward Robert Hughes.

Sunday Morning Homilies 08.21.11

2011-08-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Gen 1:2: “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”

Gen 1:2: “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Leave a comment

zgenesis12“God had already created the earth. But it was without form, and void. Can one actually imagine such a thing as being “without form?” And darkness covered this formless void and the darkness reached down into the depth of it and over the waters which were also present on this formless void called earth. Is there darkness before light….dusk before the dawn? Then, the Spirit of God moved upon the waters. The face of the deep (The abyss): the primordial ocean according to the ancient Semitic cosmogony. After God’s creative activity, part of this vast body forms the salt-water seas (Genesis 1:9-10); part of it is the fresh water under the earth (Psalm 33:7; Ezekiel 31:4), which wells forth on the earth as springs and fountains (Genesis 7:11; 8:2; Proverb 3:20). Part of it, “the upper water” (Psalm 148:4; Daniel 3:60), is held up by the dome of the sky (Genesis 1:6-7), from which rain descends on the earth (Genesis 7:11; 2 Kings 7:2, 19; Psalm 104:13). A mighty wind: literally, “a wind of God,” or “a spirit of God”; cf Genesis 8:1.

In a document of the early church, we read, “Now, regeneration is by water and spirit, as was all creation: ‘For the Spirit of God moved on the abyss’ And for this reason the Saviour was baptized, though not Himself needing to be so, in order that He might consecrate the whole water for those who were being regenerated. Baptism was thus emphatically seen as the sacrament of the new creation, whereby the old is purged and remade.

Did the earth "become"
formless and void?

study Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, and I have a few suggestions.

As you have indicated you are cognizant of the biblical languages, we will reply on that level and not on a English-only level.

Genesis 1:2 - "And the earth was without form, and void"...

This is not the wording of the ISV for Genesis 1:2. The ISV reads "When the earth was unformed and desolate..."

...should be "But the Earth became formless and void."

There is no Hebrew grammatical usage to suggest that the Hebrew verb הָיְתָה in Genesis 1:2 can be translated "became" rather than "was".

More and more people on the Internet are beginning to wonder why no Bibles ever get this right, The ISV basically says God created a wasted planet, but Isaiah 45:18 says God did not create the Earth formless and void!

To render the Hebrew verb הָיְתָה as "became" rather than "was" is to travel away from "getting this right," and to move into error. And that's why "no Bibles" are ever going to "get this right". Simply put, the verb היְתָה doesn't mean "became". It means "was".

The ISV doesn't say God created a wasted planet. It says that the earth was created in a state that could not initially sustain life, and that God added the energy described in Genesis 1:2b and following to make it become habitable to living creatures, including man. Now as to Isaiah 45:18, you're missing the nuance of the Hebrew grammar. The text is saying that God did not create the earth to remain formless and void. There was a purpose beyond that stage of creation, and it was described in Genesis 1:2b and following in the series of creative events.

To sum up, your understanding of the Hebrew verb הָיְתָה needs some adjustment

ACLU sues state of Kansas over limits on abortion insurance

2011-08-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

A new Kansas law that bans insurers from providing elective abortion coverage is the state’s third abortion-related measure to draw a legal challenge this summer.

A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union contends the law is unconstitutional and discriminates against women because it doesn’t apply similar insurance limits on men’s health care needs.

ACLU sues state of Kansas over limits on abortion insurance - KansasCity.com

Sunday Morning Homilies 08.13.11

2011-08-14T09:08:00.001-07:00

Gen 1:1: “In the beginning God Created the heaven and earth.”

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is the foundational premise of the whole Bible. It announces Gods creation. It offers no explanation or descriptive of who God is or where He came from. We could discard this piece of information since there is no evidence of this “God.” But, by doing so, the rest of the Bible does not have to make any sense. I used to say it would make no sense at all, but have discovered that some people thrive on abstract reality….in kind of a mentally deficient way. The reason for God creation is not explained either. We will later discover that God does not do anything without a purpose and will be able to connect the idea that God has some purpose for creating “the heavens and earth.” “In the beginning” are the first three descriptive words used to describe God’s creation “the heavens and the earth.” This would probably be the pre-beginning stages of any concept of time, also, as God establishes morning and night and the end of one day. There could have been a big bang as God spoke the heavens and earth into existence. But there was no explosion of matter from nothing except for the creative energy of God. This also establishes the theme for the entire Bible: All things are seen in relation to Him and with God as the central figure.

There are two words that describe the creative activity of God: “progression” and “power.” The Hebrew words “tohu” and “bohu”, used in the expression ‘without form and void,’ are so striking that it was apparently used to rivet the readers attention on the condition in its initial stages. That God created ex nihilo (a Latin term meaning “out of nothing”) while not explicitly stated, is continually implied throughout scripture, as in Paul’s statement about God ‘who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence the things that do not exist.’(Rom 4:17). Apparently creation progressed from a state of nothingness through a state of formlessness and emptiness to a condition where formlessness gave way to form and emptiness surrendered to fullness. However, one could debate whether creation came from “nothing” if one expounds upon the definition of “nothing.” It is conceivable that God could create something to exist that did not exist before. However, the idea would have come from the mind of God. Only God could do such a feat. Man cannot create anything outside of his own knowledge. Nor can he imagine anything beyond that scope. The Hebrew words “asah” and “yatsar” (“make” and “form”), and is something man is can do but only with pre-existing materials. Man can create but only off of material or ideas that are already existing.

The existence of God is one of the great mysteries. Neither man nor angel can comprehend it. There must be heights and depths in the Infinite that can never be measured by the finite. As Job asked, “Canst thou by searching find God?…..the measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.” There is nothing to suggest where “God” came from. He created. That is all that is reported. We think in terms of time…beginning and end. God is not limited by time. Time is sometimes our problem and sometimes our limitation……but God is not restrained by time. He rules over time just as He rules over eternity, which can begin in time…but extends far beyond it. Man can only think of the infinite in terms of “beginning” and “end” but those two words do not even remotely apply to the term. I have to conclude, then, that even “beginning” and “end” were created by God and it is we who live in this temporal existence between a beginning and an end.but in the reality of the eternal there is really no such thing at all. This would also make sense as to why Jesus is referred to as the Alpha AND Omega…the beginning and the end.

The significance of a Trinity for us is that before there was a universe, there was a “wholeness” and a “completeness” about God in His “three person relatedness” which made Him totally self-sufficient. Any suggestion that God needed the universe to be fulfilled or that He was less than complete without mankind misses the point of the trinity in whom love and communication is perfected. When you ask a man about themselves they usually tell you about their jobs. Identity seems to be bound up in what we do. Often women, when asked the same question, talk about their children. Human identity is discovered and displayed in terms of relationships and activities, and this leads some people to assume that God created the worlds to prove something to Himself and then created mankind to make it possible for Him to have relationships in order to complete His personhood. This would suggest that if God had not created He would have been less than He is and therefore creation served to meet some kind of need in Him. But, God did not have to create in order to feel good about Himself; neither did he need mankind to relate in order to discover His identity. The triune God has always and continues to be complete and needing nothing.

Although Genesis begins “in the Beginning,” that does not mean that there was not anything before that. Jesus’ prayer to God in John 17:24 says “Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world.

To live is Christ, to die is gain

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)

This verse tells us that God was acting before time when He created the universe. Many other verses from the New Testament tell us that God was acting before time began, and so, He created time, along with the other dimensions of our universe:

No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9)
The hope of eternal life, which God... promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2)
To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)

The idea that God created time, along with the physical universe, is not just some wacky modern Christian interpretation of the Bible. Justin Martyr, a second century Christian apologist, in his Hortatory Address to the Greeks, said that Plato got the idea that time was created along with the universe from Moses:

"And from what source did Plato draw the information that time was created along with the heavens? For he wrote thus: 'Time, accordingly, was created along with the heavens; in order that, coming into being together, they might also be together dissolved, if ever their dissolution should take place.' Had he not learned this from the divine history of Moses?"1
God exists in timeless eternity

How does God acting before time began get around the problem of God's creation? There are two possible interpretations of these verses. One is that God exists outside of time. Since we live in a universe of cause and effect, we naturally assume that this is the only way in which any kind of existence can function. However, the premise is false. Without the dimension of time, there is no cause and effect, and all things that could exist in such a realm would have no need of being caused, but would have always existed. Therefore, God has no need of being created, but, in fact, created the time dimension of our universe specifically for a reason - so that cause and effect would exist for us. However, since God created time, cause and effect would never apply to His existence.

The second interpretation is that God exists in more than one dimension of time. Things that exist in one dimension of time are restricted to time's arrow and are confined to cause and effect. However, two dimensions of time form a plane of time, which has no beginning and no end and is not restricted to any single direction. A being that exists in at least two dimensions of time can travel anywhere in time and yet never had a beginning, since a plane of time has no starting point. Either interpretation leads one to the conclusion that God has no need of having been created.
Why can't the universe be eternal?

Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions The idea that God can be eternal leads us to the idea that maybe the universe is eternal, and, therefore, God doesn't need to exist at all. Actually, this was the prevalent belief of atheists before the observational data of the 20th century strongly refuted the idea that the universe was eternal. This fact presented a big dilemma for atheists, since a non-eternal universe implied that it must have been caused. Maybe Genesis 1:1 was correct! Not to be dismayed by the facts, atheists have invented some metaphysical "science" that attempts to explain away the existence of God. Hence, most atheistic cosmologists believe that we see only the visible part of a much larger "multiverse" that randomly spews out universes with different physical parameters.2 Since there is no evidence supporting this idea (nor can there be, according to the laws of the universe), it is really just a substitute "god" for atheists. And, since this "god" is non-intelligent by definition, it requires a complex hypothesis, which would be ruled out if we use Occam's razor, which states that one should use the simplest logical explanation for any phenomenon. Purposeful intelligent design of the universe makes much more sense, especially based upon what we know about the design of the universe.
What does science say about time?

When Stephen Hawking, George Ellis, and Roger Penrose extended the equations for general relativity to include space and time, the results showed that time has a beginning - at the moment of creation (i.e., the Big Bang).3 In fact, if you examine university websites, you will find that many professors make such a claim - that the universe had a beginning and that this beginning marked the beginning of time (see The Universe is Not Eternal, But Had A Beginning). Such assertions support the Bible's claim that time began at the creation of the universe.
Conclusion Top of page

God has no need to have been created, since He exists either outside time (where cause and effect do not operate) or within multiple dimensions of time (such that there is no beginning of God's plane of time). Hence God is eternal, having never been created. Although it is possible that the universe itself is eternal, eliminating the need for its creation, observational evidence contradicts this hypothesis, since the universe began to exist a finite ~13.7 billion years ago. The only possible escape for the atheist is the invention of a kind of super universe, which can never be confirmed experimentally (hence it is metaphysical in nature, and not scientific).

Sunday Morning Homilies 08.07.11

2011-08-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

Phil 1: 20: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Paul was not certain whether he would live or die….that didn’t matter. Christ would be exalted. My determination is to be the utmost for HIS Highest. And that has to mean whether that would be life or death. To the Christian, death will lead to life for his or herself. But sometimes a death can bring life to those around the person who died.

On a personal level, God’s order has to work up to a crisis in our lives because we will not heed the gentler way. It is at that point that we are to decide for or against. Once we go forward we enter in to life more abundantly. Making a wrong decision does not automatically mean we have lost God forever. It just means that He is faithful and will bring the decision point around again. God has a vision for you that will not tarry and will surely come.

To live is Christ, to die is gain

"What was the most horrible event that every happened in the history of the world? That was the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus. What was the most excellent event that ever happened in the history of the world? That was the resurrection of our Lord Jesus." - Zac Poonen

See how our God is able to turn the worst into the best! As David sliced off the head of Goliath with his own sword, our Lord Jesus defeated death with death! Now all of the lovers of our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus no longer fear death but on the contrary, we rejoice and eagerly await the future.

Here are a few reasons that death has not only no sting, but on the contrary it has been turned into something to look forward to:

Death brings us into the immediate presence of Christ

“For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Php 1:23)

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2Co 5:8)

Death reconciles us with all of God’s faithful children in times past, including our own saved loved ones

“And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 8:11)

“Indeed, with the dear angels and the holy patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, we shall form one household, shall have all joy in God and in our joy thank and praise Him throughout eternity” - Martin Luther

Death ends the worst of all evils; sinning

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” - (Rom 7:24-25)

Death delivers us from the troubles of this life

“For what hath man of all his labor, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath labored under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.” - (Ecc 2:22-23)

If you still have a hard time believing anyone can have this kind of attitude toward death, you should dwell on the last words that some of God’s servants said right before they died:

"Our God is the God from whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord by whom we escape death."
-Martin Luther

"Live in Christ, live in Christ, and the flesh need not fear death."
-John Knox

"Thou, Lord, bruisest me; but I am abundantly satisfied, since it is from Thy hand."
-John Calvin

"The best of all is, God is with us. Farewell! Farewell!"
-John Wesley

"I shall be satisfied with Thy likeness--satisfied, satisfied!"
-Charles Wesley

“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
-Stephen

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
“I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.”
“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
-Paul

“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”
-Jesus

Will your last words be filled with such confidence? Do not fear death; rejoice in your eternal life.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Php 1:21)

Shopping for Chicken at Dyers

2011-08-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

I was in our grocery store tonight for some drumsticks to fry. The choices were Tysons or this one called "Smart Chicken." "Smart Chicken" seems a little misleading. I mean the chicken is in pieces, packaged, and in a meat case. Doesnt sound like he was all that smart to me...

Sunday Morning Homilies 07.31.11

2011-07-31T08:53:00.001-07:00

Eph 5:15-17: Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

American statesman Bernard Baruch once said “Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life, have been the consequences of action without thought.”

The exhortation here is to NOT be foolish. The antedote to that is to “understand” what the Lord’s will is. Not just to know what it is, but to understand it. Man, in his finite reasoning, may by nature have a limited attention span. If he has no idea why he is doing something he may get lost or give up. If he has some kind of understanding of the purpose, it creates a motivation and for those most inspired it creates an unwavering ability to see the task all the way through, regardless of how things might look on the way. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,” (Heb. 11:1). Faith is not without reason nor is it based on a lack of evidence, as most contemporary dictionaries and anti-theists like to proclaim.

Knowing God's Will - Insight from George Müller (1805-1898),

Knowing God's will is the key to prayer, spiritual growth and fruitfulness in our individual lives. Here's how George Müller set out to ascertain the will of God on a daily basis:

I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are over come when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.

Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective.

Knowing God's Will - The Key to Everything!
Christ taught us that knowing God's will and living in obedience to that will is the key to it all! God is the potter; we are the clay. God keeps us spinning on His potter's wheel, shaping and reshaping us as He bathes our lives in tears to make us more Christ-like so He can use us for His will. Surrender daily. Keep your clay moist through daily prayer - prayer that's in accordance to His will.

Sunday Morning Homilies 07.24.11

2011-07-24T07:46:00.001-07:00

Matt 5:3-12: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

Our Lord begins his reckoning of “blessings” with poverty in spirit. Poverty in spirit leads to mourning and to hunger and thirst for righteousness. If one thinks he is rich, why would he desire increase? The world has its own definition of a blessed person: one who is rich, strong, self satisfied, popular, enjoys life, etc. They are the worlds beatitudes of sight in the present world. Poverty of spirit is not a feeling of self-disgust which comes over us when we compare our gifts and talents with those of others; it is born from no earthly inspiration, it proceeds from coming face to face with God. A man may be poor in spirit while his soul is on fire with enthusiasm for the cause of God. It is not shown in self-depreciation but in the strength that comes from trustfulness. It is the attitude which, in the presence of God, recognizes its entire dependence, empties itself, and is as a poor man, not that it may be feeble, but that God may fill it.

Blessed — happy, enviably fortunate, and spiritually prosperous–that is–possessing the happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His grace, regardless of their outward conditions) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God! How do we keep our heart pure so that we might see God? First, we must start by asking God to come into our heart, and changing us from a sinner to one of His children. We must be “born again.” We must ask Him to forgive our sins and accept what Jesus, God’s Son, did for us on the cross, when He died as an innocent man to take our sins. Jesus then was buried and rose the third day and ascended to heaven, and lives eternally with the Father. Once we become His child, then we need to ask God to cleanse our heart and mind from those things that we embraced while we were a sinner. The Bible tells us that there are things in us, that we need to be delivered from.

Man finds much of his pleasure in the torture of others. Much of the religious persecutions of history were the result of a desire for pleasure or pleasant reaction on the part of those who persecuted.

You don’t rejoice because you are being persecuted, it could be painful, but you look beyond that to the reward.

“The Kingdom of heaven” is the same as the Kingdom of God. The Hebraic avoidance of the use of the name of God led to use of the expression “Kingdom of Heaven.” It has reference to this world and the world beyond. The blessing cited by our Lord have both spiritual; and material fulfillment, and the inheritance in time and in eternity. To be blessed means to inherit the earth, and to inherit heaven, it means being comforted and gaining mercy. The relationship between blessing and inheritance is inseparable.

On Being Poor

1 Until we are poor in spirit—we are not capable of receiving grace. He who is swollen with self-excellency and self-sufficiency—is not fit for Christ. He is full already. If the hand is full of pebbles—it cannot receive gold. The glass is first emptied, before you pour in wine. God first empties a man of himself, before he pours in the precious wine of his grace. None but the poor in spirit are within Christ's commission. 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted' (Isaiah 61:1), that is, such as are broken in the sense of their unworthiness.

2. Until we are poor in spirit—Christ is never precious. Until we see our own wants, we never see Christ's worth. Poverty of spirit is salt and seasoning, which makes Christ relish sweet to the soul. Mercy is most welcome to the poor in spirit. He who sees himself clad in filthy rags (Zechariah 3:4,5), what will he give for change of raiment, the righteousness of Christ! What will he give to have the fair mitre of salvation set upon his head! When a man sees himself almost wounded to death—how precious will the balm of Christ's blood be to him! When he sees himself deep in arrears with God, and is so far from paying the debt that he cannot sum up the debt—how glad would he be for a surety! 'The pearl of great price' is only precious to the one who is poor in spirit. He who needs bread and is ready to starve, will have it whatever it cost. He will lay his garment to pledge; bread he must have—or he is undone! So to him who is poor in spirit, who sees his need of Christ—how precious is a Savior! Christ is Christ and grace is grace to him! He will do anything for the bread of life! Therefore will God have the soul thus qualified—to enhance the value and estimate of the Lord Jesus.

3. Until we are poor in spirit—we cannot go to heaven. 'Theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. Poverty of spirit tunes and prepares us for heaven. By nature a man is puffed up with self-esteem, and the gate of heaven is so narrow that he cannot enter. Now poverty of spirit lessens the soul; it pares off its superfluity, and now he is fit to enter in at the 'narrow gate'. The great rope cannot go through the eye of the needle—but let it be untwisted and made into small threads, and then it may. Poverty of spirit untwists the great rope. It makes a man little in his own eyes, and now an entrance shall be made unto him, 'richly into the everlasting Kingdom' (2 Peter 1:11). Through this temple of poverty, we must go into the temple of glory.

Sunday Morning Homilies 07.17.11

2011-07-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Jer 13:23: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Habits are the elements of character. The deeds we do ripen into habits, and these form the warp and woof of character. The single act does not make character. There is sometimes a protest in the soul against the act, and a purpose to never repeat it. The first smoke may make the youth sick, but it does not characterize him as a smoker. The first drink may make the head dizzy, but it does not entitle the drinker to be called a drunkard. It is the repetition of acts that forms habits; and the habits of a man give him h is character. It’s a curious thing that the word “habit” means a garment that you can throw off when you please, and also a way of living that may be so bound up with you that you cannot change it. It seems as if it were meant in this twofold sense to convey the great truth that the sin which first you lay aside with ease like a loose coat may by frequent indulgence take a firm hold on you as to become part of your very life–as much part of yourself as the spots on the leopards skin–and you may find it impossible to wrench yourself free from it. The wise man says in the book of Proverbs “Though thou should bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. ”

Breaking Habits Through Prayer

“Are you struggling with a habit so stubborn that it has a life of its own? A mind that thinks for you, a voice that speaks to you, a power that keeps pulling you down? Nothing brings victory like ‘praying the Word’, for God says, ‘I am watching over my Word to perform it’ (Jeremiah 1:12 (NASB)). So begin each day by praying:

“ ‘Lord, Your Word says that if I call on You, You will answer me; You will be with me in trouble, You will honor me and You will deliver me (Psalm 91:14-15). You said that through the power of Your indwelling Spirit I would be set free from this vicious cycle of temptation, sin and failure (Romans 8:2). You said if I fully commit my life to You, I’d have the strength to stand up to the devil and he would flee from me (James 4:7). You said You have given me the power to pull down all my old mental strongholds and take control of every wayward thought, imagination, and impulse (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). You said that by reading Your Word each day and meditating on it, I would become a partaker of Your divine nature, and overcome the destructive tendencies of my flesh (2 Peter 1:3-4). You said I’d be strengthened in my mind, my emotions and my will; that my self-worth would be based solely on Your love for me; and that You would do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ask or think — because You are at work in me (Ephesians 3:14-21).

‘Today I thank You for helping me to overcome this habit. In Jesus Christ’s precious name I pray, Amen.’ ” ~ Reprinted from ‘The Word for You Today’

~~~~~~~

“When God gets ready to do something in the world, He sets His people to praying.” ~ Anonymous

‘Habits’ here could just as easily be synonymous with ‘addictions’. If you are struggling with a habit and/or addiction that has you in spiritual bondage (enslavement), if you are living with guilt from past sins, you are not alone. This is certainly nothing new, take for example:

We also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another … You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy — their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
~ Titus 3:3; 1 Peter 4:3 (NLT)

To live a whole(some) life in Christ, this is what needs to be done (as the Apostle Peter advised Simon, who was previously a sorcerer):

“Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
~ Acts 8:22-23

When one understands repentance and forgiveness is what must be done, the process may take awhile (see also The Race — Persevering to the Goal). But this is what God offers you:

When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared … you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. ~ Titus 3:4; 1 Corinthians 6:11

One big dilemma that someone who is new in Christ may face is “how can I be in Christ, feel like I’m a Christian, a child of God, and yet still struggle with the same old bad habits/addictions?” I believe part of the answer is that while Christ’s salvation may seem instantaneous to some, salvation initially affects only the spirit, not the body & soul. The fleshly body retains its craving for the old habits/addictions, while the soul struggles with guilt & remorse due to the ongoing undesirable behaviors. It may take months or even years to retrain the body to ‘the new self’, to purge old junky routines, patterns, practices … whatever you want to call them. To effect the spiritual purity & cleanliness Christ offers, this re-evaluation must take place on a daily basis, a conscious decision whether to go with the spirit or desires of the (carnal) body. Even then, after much cleansing, just like a house that’s been thoroughly cleaned, each day when the morning sun enters, there are still visible scratches on the walls, dust on the baseboards, and scuff marks on the floor. Even a brand new house will have a bit of debris hanging around; so how much more an old ramshackle building that has been torn apart, gutted from the inside, then rebuilt from the foundation up? Daily prayer, communing with the Holy Spirit, is not only helpful for spiritual housecleaning, it is essential.

Even though one does not want to live in the old habits or ‘traditions’, as Paul wrote to the Romans, one may continue to do so:

I do not understand what I do [continuing to live in sin]. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do … As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. ~ Romans 7:15,17-20 (NIV)

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly [wicked],
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
~ Psalm 1:1-2,6

Rehabilitation centers teach that is essential for ‘addicts’ to stop associating with those who encourage addictive behaviors (known in psychology terms as ‘enablers’). Realistically, this is not always possible. Psalm 1 is both a beatitude & instruction (~or~ law, tôwrâh) for how to live life according to God’s Word. Forget the modern negative connotations of ‘law’, Christians are to delight in living by God’s law/instruction. In Psalm 1 there is no ambiguity between ‘righteous’ & ‘wicked’, no gray areas, one either lives life according to God’s Word or one does not. The wicked clearly represent incongruence in the world between the will of God and the will of humans. By not following God, the wicked are living in the wrong by their own autonomy (Job 21:13-15). But this does not mean that those who are anointed by God’s calling should withdraw from society in general, as supposedly recommended by rehab centers. On the contrary, the anointed may socialize with the wicked, but not to the point of allowing themselves to be influenced by such. After all, Jesus ate with sinners, but did not follow their ways (Mark 2:16-17). And while there are those who argue that ‘The Law’ was overridden by the New Covenant, keep in mind there is a New Testament tôwrâh: the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). For Jesus said, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).

While the above paragraph may seem to have nothing to do with breaking habits, it actually ties in with the moral decisions a Christian faces each day. Some of my mature Christian friends have mentioned that every morning upon awaking they still struggle between the body/flesh & the spirit. They tell me that, even after being in Christ for many years, one must choose early on how the day will proceed. Unfortunately, it is the soul — itself an imperfect being — that has to take ‘middle ground’, to cast the ‘swing vote’. This is why I believe morning prayer & devotional time is vitally important, even if you have to get out of bed at 5am to do so.

Another part of the answer to the big dilemma is this: Dr. Neil Anderson, in his book Released From Bondage, poses the question: “Can we be a bond servant of Christ and at the same time be in bondage to sin?” From my experience the last four years the answer is definitely “Yes!” Neil continues “sadly, many who have been delivered out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son are living as bond servants to both kingdoms [emphasis mine]. Even though we are no longer in the flesh because we are in Christ, we can still walk & live according to the flesh if we choose to.” Take note here: if we choose to (Romans 8:5). He goes on to recommend, “if I had to summarize two essential functions that must take place in order for a believer to become free and stay free, they are: 1) take action. Do something about the neutral disposition of your physical body by giving it to God [in other words, don’t be lukewarm (Revelation 3:15-16)]; 2) win the battle for your mind by reprogramming it with the truth of God’s Word (Romans 12:1-2).” The bond to the kingdom of darkness must be broken, for one cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)

Expect to encounter resistance from the enemy. The more you spiritually mature in Christ, the stronger your heartfelt prayers become, the more vicious & numerous the adversary’s attacks will become. In addition to the opening prayer above, pray each day on Ephesians 6:11-18, asking for the Lord’s help in suiting up for the day’s spiritual battles. Be prepared for spiritual warfare, but take only the defensive. The enemy will certainly counter-attack offensively, but always remember: Satan & his entourage are already defeated! They simply can’t stand their circumstances and are continually trying to claw & crawl their way out of the hole that the LORD put them into (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18).

NY Times Mocks Bible Christians and Kansans

2011-07-10T13:12:00.000-07:00
NY Times Mocks Bible Christians, Red-State Righties in 'Saving the Space Program' Cartoon Slides | NewsBusters.org
Apparently, the Times thinks NASA’s problem funders are the conservative hayseeds, not “progressive” President Obama. There’s also these whacks at the capitalist bubbas:

– “Hype up the unregulated nature of space to encourage business exploration.” Slogans include “In space, no one can hear labor’s screams.” And: “The Moon: No atmosphere, no taxes.”

– “Convert the retired shuttle fleet into a Nascar team. Use winnings to fund future missions.”

– It has Obama declaring war on Mars (because we’re apparently suckers for “intractable quagmires”).

– “Take the entire country on a field trip to a science museum.” The guide is saying “Come on, Kansas! I know you won’t believe any of this, but attendance is mandatory.”

Earth to Kansas: The New York Times thinks you’re all science-hating rubes.

Sunday Morning Homilies 07.03.11

2011-07-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

II Cor 10:5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”

Men cannot find God in their imaginations. Only he seeking for Him apart from their imaginations can they find Him. The imagination is spoken of as a “vain thing” in scripture that can weaken or usurp the effectiveness of the word of God. The word “imaginations” here could be translated “reasonings of natural men.” The worlds reasonings are foolishness to God. So we must cast down false reasoning for truth.

The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false.

2 Corinthians 10:5

Notice that the weapons are for the casting down of two things: (1) imaginations; (2) every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Both of these areas are dealing with the mind. Our battle against the devil takes place right between our ears.

The Greek word used to describe "imaginations" is "logismos," and is described here as a reasoning that is hostile to Christ and His Word. It is translated in other versions by the phrases "proud arguments against God, proud obstacles, arguments, arrogance, theories and conceits of men, deceptive fantasy and speculations" (LB, TEV, NIV, J.B.Phil, JB, MOF, KNOX, NASB). The "high things" include anything that opposes the true knowledge about God and His Christ as revealed in the Bible.

The mind is the battlefield in which thoughts and reasonings contrary to God's Word are to be captured and submitted to Christ, our Commander. Just as enemy soldiers are captured in war, so rebel thoughts must be taken captive and made to submit to Christ.

This is an amazing statement! Paul is saying it is not only possible, but our spiritual weapons were designed for the express purpose of taking EVERY thought captive and making them obedient to Christ. Keeping our minds completely stayed upon the Lord is an obtainable goal.

Reuters Censors Their Critics

2011-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Though they like to call it: Toward a more thoughtful conversation on stories | For the Record, what it amounts to is that they are BANNING people from commenting if they leave comments that they do not like. I can agree with some nonsense; and spam comments, but Reuters needs to understand that they ain't all that,

Where did the name "Wamego" come From?

2011-06-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

According to John Rydjord in his book "Kansas Place-Names" says Wamego ws probably named for George or Henry Wam-me-go, Potawatatomi cheifs. The name has been freely interpreted to mean "running water" or "clear of swamps."

Sunday Morning Homilies 6.26.11

2011-06-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Eph 2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourself: it is the gift of God

We are emphatically told by Scripture that grace and faith are God’s gift. The sovereignty, initiative, and power in salvation originate entirely in God. This does not, however, deny the reality of our own secondary initiative and power in the exercise of grace and faith. It is a gift, but it is a gift to us and to be exercised by us. It is a gift which is now inseparable from our life, and its use by us brings reward. Thus, Rahab’s faith ( Heb 11:31: By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she received the spies with peace”) was manifested in action: the received the spies “with peace.” She protected and defended them out of faith in God.

Legalism is a code of deeds and observances as a means oif justification before God. It substitutes man’s acts for Gods redeeming act in Christ as the means of justification. A false view of justification leads to a belief in immediate judgment and immediate blessing. Where legalism leads to an undue burden on the law, undue consequences are attributed to every act. Legalism ascribes undue powers to man as far as salvation is concerned, and all too little where responsibility is concerned. Adam and Eve claimed they could be their own gods, in terms of the tempters plan (Gen 1:5)., but they soon coupled it with an environmentalism and a lack of responsibility. The environment was to be held guilty of their sin, not themselves. The sociology of legalism is thus little different from the sociology of sin.

"If thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.”—Exodus 20:2

God’s altar was to be built of unhewn stones, that no trace of human skill or labour might be seen upon it. Human wisdom delights to trim and arrange the doctrines of the cross into a system more artificial and more congenial with the depraved tastes of fallen nature; instead, however, of improving the gospel carnal wisdom pollutes it, until it becomes another gospel, and not the truth of God at all. All alterations and amendments of the Lord’s own Word are defilements and pollutions. The proud heart of man is very anxious to have a hand in the justification of the soul before God; preparations for Christ are dreamed of, humblings and repentings are trusted in, good works are cried up, natural ability is much vaunted, and by all means the attempt is made to lift up human tools upon the divine altar. It were well if sinners would remember that so far from perfecting the Saviour’s work, their carnal confidences only pollute and dishonour it.

The Lord alone must be exalted in the work of atonement, and not a single mark of man’s chisel or hammer will be endured. There is an inherent blasphemy in seeking to add to what Christ Jesus in His dying moments declared to be finished, or to improve that in which the Lord Jehovah finds perfect satisfaction. Trembling sinner, away with thy tools, and fall upon thy knees in humble supplication; and accept the Lord Jesus to be the altar of thine atonement, and rest in Him alone.

Many professors may take warning from this morning’s text as to the doctrines which they believe. There is among Christians far too much inclination to square and reconcile the truths of revelation; this is a form of irreverence and unbelief, let us strive against it, and receive truth as we find it; rejoicing that the doctrines of the Word are unhewn stones, and so are all the more fit to build an altar for the Lord.

— C. H. Spurgeon

Famous Kansans

2011-06-25T19:11:00.000-07:00
Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle actor, Smith Center
Clarence D. Batchelor political cartoonist, Osage City
Gwendolyn Brooks poet, Topeka
Walter P. Chrysler auto manufacturer, Wamego
Clark M. Clifford secretary of defense, Fort Scott
John Steuart Curry painter, Dunavant
Bob Dole politician, Russell
Amelia Earhart aviator, Atchison
Milton S. Eisenhower educator, Abilene
Carl A. Hatch politician, Kirwin
Dennis Hopper actor, Dodge City
William Inge playwright, Independence
Walter Johnson baseball pitcher, Humboldt
Buster Keaton comedian, Piqua
Emmett Kelly clown, Sedan
Stan Kenton jazz musician, Wichita
Harold Lloyd actor, Burchard
Edgar Lee Masters poet, Garnett
Hattie McDaniel actress, Wichita
William C. Menninger psychiatrist, Topeka
Gordon Parks film director, Fort Scott
Zasu Pitts actress, Parsons
Charles Buddy Rogers actor, Olathe
Damon Runyon journalist, Manhattan
Barry Sanders football player, Wichita
Eugene W. Smith photojournalist, Wichita
William E. Stafford poet, Hutchinson
John Cameron Swayze news commentator, Atchison
Vivan Vance actress, Cherryvale
William Allen White journalist, Emporia
Charles E. Whittaker jurist, Troy
Dwight D Eisenhower, General; President

Sunday Morning Homilies 6.19.11

2011-06-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

Psalms 116:3 “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.”

Why must there be pain? For practical purposes, this question is not possible to answer, although there are volumes and volumes of books where people have tried. No one knows why or even if pain MUST exist. Just by asking the question, in my mind, is an escape from reality. The fact of the matter is that there IS pain. Pain has been with mankind since the beginning of finite time. Adam and Eve as human beings obviously had the same warning system in their bodies that would deliver a message of pain to their brain if they would put a finger in a fire or touch something sharp, etc etc etc.

A leprosy doctor, Paul Brand, came to understand how valuable pain can be. His patients couldn’t feel any pain because the disease had damaged their nerve endings, and they could do things like take freshly-cooked potatoes out of the fire with their bare hands or walk on broken glass with bare feet without stopping to think that they were doing themselves any damage. With some people, if they think they can do something quickly enough that it won’t hurt them much, it can be very tempting to do it without taking any precautions. And it must be more tempting to do that kind of thing if one doesn’t really think about the consequences because one doesn’t feel any pain at all. And then, a person can hurt themselves more than they ever imagined they would.

Sometimes, however, leprosy sufferers hurt themselves without even realizing they’re doing anything that might damage them. Leprosy patients are often pictured as having mere stumps for hands and other deformities. But according to Paul Brand, these aren’t caused by the disease itself. They can be caused by the careless or unwittingly dangerous acts of the people who have it, putting their hands on hot stoves for example, not realizing they’re hot, and then getting serious burns which become infected and eventually cause the hand to be so diseased that it has to be amputated, or just gets so badly burned in the first place that it ends up deformed. One of Paul Brand’s patients was digging all day and only at the end of the day realized that the shovel he was using had a nail sticking out of it.

Paul Brand and a team tried to invent a substitute for pain to let his leprosy patients know they were in danger. He tried giving them a hearing aid with a system where a buzzer would go off when they were doing something that might damage them, but they just ignored it. He tried a system of flashing lights, but they ignored those too. He tried a system which would give them electric shocks on a part of their body that was still sensitive like the armpit, but they would turn the system off when they wanted to do something that might set the shock signal off, and switch it back on afterwards. So he realized that the control would have to be out of the person’s reach for the system to be effective. He came to greatly appreciate the value of the warning system of pain.

God won’t always take people out of their suffering when they ask him to. It may be that he can, but that he sometimes chooses to change the sufferer instead so they can cope with it better. Pain is a reality. It is not an anomaly that exists only to frustrate. It is the way things are as much as the east is east and the west is west. And as long as we reside on planet earth it will continue to be so. Rather than try and short circuit it or find a way around it…we need to learn to live WITH it. I am not saying that some pains cannot be alleviated. But when they cannot, then the only option we have left is to deal with it. Tough reality, but true nonetheless.

God Sent His Son

So it was that, nearly 2000 years ago, God intervened in the lives and history of man by giving His Son Christ Jesus to share in human suffering to the uttermost in order to bring about redemption from sin and death. Christ came in the life and nature of man; he shared our experience and endured the temptations from within and the afflictions from without that are the common lot of all mankind:

"It became him . . . to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings . . . In all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." (Hebrews 2:10-18)

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8).

In accepting suffering in obedience to the will of God he raised it to a new plane, and showed it no longer as the greatest evil but as a means to an end: for through suffering, in his perfect obedience to God, he overcame the power of sin in human nature, and so made possible resurrection from the dead to eternal life with the Fat~er. In this he obtained perfection, a tried and tested faith, completeness in obedience, wholeness in the love of God and the service of man -- an example to all his followers.

Perfect through Suffering
"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:21-24).

And "having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:9). He is the author, the source, the cause, of a salvation men cannot attain for themselves, since on account of his sacrifice men and women who come to him for life are by God's grace accepted as members of Christ. And so, as Christ rose the third day, there is spiritual resurrection to new life now for those who are baptized into him, and the hope of physical resurrection and a change to immortality in the day when he returns.

"Partakers of the divine nature"
If men and women were to become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), raised out of sin to a level where they could truly know God, enjoy eternal fellowship with Him and share His incorruptible life, then God alone knew how this was to be achieved consistently with His own majestic holiness. It was the way which required the gift of His Son to die on the cross.

If, then, God suffered, and if, in obedience to the Father, Christ suffered even to death, the whole problem of man's suffering is raised to a new level. Without faith in God, suffering is an evil to be endured. With faith, and the example of the Son of God, suffering may purify and ennoble, and be a means by which God brings the sufferer nearer to Himself. It can be truly a divine education, the chastening of the Lord.

"All things new"
If God's Son suffered, can men expect to escape? But beyond the suffering was resurrection, and beyond resurrection will come the Kingdom of God when Christ will come to reign, taking to himself those who have already committed themselves as his followers.

This time for the kingdom to be set up is very close. But the Lord's own words and many other prophecies make it plain that the coming of Christ will be preceded by great tribulation for the world, and no doubt also for his disciples:

"For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:21,22).

But when the Lord Jesus Christ appears, he will cleanse the earth of all evil, put down all sin and selfishness, eliminate disease-and ultimately death. He will reign for God and remove suffering. Then shall be fulfilled the words heard by the apostle John on Patmos:

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:3-5).

For those who answer the call of God's love, the way of suffering may be the way of life, and that is the ultimate purpose of the existence of suffering in the world. The call is still going out; there is still opportunity for all who are looking for hope beyond this present evil world, to find it in the 'good news' of the Gospel.

Homeschool: Propaganda Vs Reality

2011-06-17T04:36:00.001-07:00

Kansas Senators Oppose Kansan Six for Federal Bench

2011-06-15T23:55:00.000-07:00
PRESS RELEASE

June 15, 2011

Contact: Mary Kay Culp, State Executive Director, Kansans for Life

Both KS Senators oppose Kansan Steve Six Federal Court nomination

The two U.S. Senators from Kansas, Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, have announced their opposition to Obama U.S. Court of Appeals nominee Steve Six.

Former Democrat Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed Six to district judge in 2005 and then appointed him as a replacement state Attorney General in Dec. 2007. Six lost his re-election bid in Nov. 2010.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on the Six nomination Thursday, June 16. The committee has 10 Democrat and 8 Republican members, so Six will likely be recommended for confirmation to the full Senate. However, this show of opposition by the two Kansas senators marks the first important step for defeating pro-abortion Steve Six's rise to a lifelong seat on the federal bench.

Many other groups, inside and outside of Kansas, expressed opposition to the nomination, including our national affiliate, the National Right to Life Committee, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

Kansans for Life prepared for Senators a substantial analysis of Six's verbal and written answers to the Judiciary Committee, found HERE.

Kansans for Life prepared the following document or Senators:

KFL OPPOSES NOMINATION OF STEVE SIX

Prepared by Kansans for Life – June, 2011, revised June 15, 2011

In the matter of former Attorney General Steve Six’s elevation to the federal bench, it is vital for Senators to understand that Kansas was no ordinary state taking on just another ordinary Attorney General.

In his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Six portrayed himself as merely a disinterested professional letting the assistant attorneys general routinely perform their job. Six has intentionally downplayed the legal chaos that he intensified to the advantage of abortion interests. Kansas’ situation of political corruption was dire, and Six failed miserably to restore justice, or even to act impartially.

It had been a depressing, frustrating five years for law-abiding Kansans when Steve Six took over as the Attorney General.

• Women were regularly whisked by ambulance to the hospital from late-term abortions that were supposedly banned. A district court ruling had secured open season for predators to bring their pregnant teen victims to abortion clinics.(1)

• More pro-life legislators were being elected but they were just short of overriding Governor Sebelius’ annual veto of pro-life measures.(2) The House and Senate held special investigations in the fall of 2007, surfacing the recalcitrance of the state agencies most involved in collusion with the abortionists.

• After a grueling 3½ year fight to acquire the evidence of illegal abortions, the Kansas Supreme Court created a unique hurdle and a scrubbing protocol for prosecutors handling these records—unlike the ordinary caution with which other sensitive medical files are managed.

• 2 grand juries had been impaneled by citizen-petitions to investigate law-breaking by the top abortion businesses— Planned Parenthood and George Tiller.

Steve Six slid into this abortion maelstrom with the veneer of impartiality of his surname—his father had been a respected Republican Supreme Court justice. But Steve Six’s lack of impartiality and integrity quickly emerged within weeks of his appointment: he announced he oppose the subpoena from the Wichita grand jury because of supposed concerns about patient privacy.(3)

At that moment, Six’s complete sell-out to the abortion industry’s media campaign about abortion patient privacy protection was revealed.(4) The copies of abortion clinic records in his possession had already been immaculately scrubbed of patient-identifying information under protocols from the Court’s 2006 Alpha ruling.(5)

The district court judge managing the grand jury said Six was wrong to refuse the subpoena. Six then joined Tiller and the Center for Reproductive Rights in an appeal to the state Supreme Court.(6) This move effectively wasted more than half of the Wichita grand jury’s statutorily-limited time.

On May 6, 2008, the Kansas Supreme Court ordered Six to comply with the subpoenas. After waiting two weeks, he then turned over only 34 of the 61 files. If Six had simply done his duty in initially responding to the grand jury—if he had not literally, as well as ideologically, joined the abortion industry—the grand jury would have gotten their due quantity of Tiller records.

As it was, with only days to review the records—and incorrect guidance from the pro-Tiller Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office—the jury failed to indict, though they blasted the corruption they saw.(7)

Clearly, Sebelius had not changed her ways and found an honest, unbiased Attorney General to rectify the shameless pro-abortion actions of Paul Morrison, Six’s predecessor; she had found another man to protect the Kansas abortion industry.

Six quickly signed on to Morrison/Planned Parenthood lawsuits against Kline and Judge Richard Anderson to eliminate evidence that would otherwise convict the Planned Parenthood business in Johnson County, Kansas. Kline had become District Attorney of Johnson County; Judge Anderson was the judicial custodian of the abortion records.

Anderson stated that certain Planned Parenthood records appeared forged. When he was subpoenaed to bring this evidence to court, Six lowered the boom— he gagged the judge in a secret ex parte motion to the Kansas Supreme Court.(8)

Six effectively stalled Planned Parenthood’s trial for several years. The Kansas Supreme Court removed the gag order 2 1/2 years later.(9)

Six also refused to facilitate a technical verification of state reports that also were needed (in addition to the redacted records) for the trial of Planned Parenthood; a simple act that new Kansas Attorney General, Derek Schmidt, has agreed to.(10)

Six inherited 19 misdemeanor charges against Tiller for not obtaining independent referrals for post-viability abortions. In his press conference on June 28, 2007, announcing the filing, Paul Morrison said “I was heavily involved in the decision-making process.”

Six, on the other hand, told the Senate Judiciary Committee, “I don’t in any case in our criminal division tell the prosecutors what I think they should do or not do.” (11) Of course, Six’s crack criminal division—that ran its cases without his input—put on a ridiculously weak case against Tiller in March, 2009:

• with only one witness (a hostile abortionist who had provided the illegal abortion referrals),

• without the necessary financial paperwork to show how Tiller and this referring practitioner were illegally affiliated, and

• without calling the KEY witness—the former Board of Healing Arts Director, Larry Buening, whom Tiller admitted on the stand invented the entire abortion scheme. (Buening worked for the state and was seen in the courtroom during the March misdemeanor trial.)

The Tiller jury, hearing no solid evidence to convict, ruled accordingly.

In stark contrast to Six’s deep complicity with the abortion industry and protection of Tiller from effective prosecution, a new and uncorrupted Executive Director of the Board of Healing Arts, Jack Confer, was waiting to act on a petition to remove Tiller’s license as soon as his trial ended.

Nonetheless, the Board eventually fired Confer—the man with integrity. Six, by contrast, a servant of the abortion industry, is being rewarded with a nomination to the federal appeals court!

Stephen Six wants the Senate to believe that he did not torpedo the Planned Parenthood prosecution! He wants the Senate to view him as worthy of being an impartial judge, honest and guided by justice, but he is not.

Where is the impartiality when Six not only ratified his predecessor’s finding of innocence for Planned Parenthood, but labored consistently to remove evidence of their wrongdoing from the prosecutor and the judge?

Where is the honesty when Six cheated a limited-term citizen grand jury of records for months with the ploy that redacted records implicate privacy concerns?

Where is the justice when Six’s prosecution of Tiller was a deliberately hamstrung farce that gave the false impression that Tiller was being truly prosecuted?

Regardless of the desire of Secretary Sebelius and President Obama to reward Six for his faithful service to the abortion industry, his dishonest double talk to the Senate, both verbally and in writing, disqualifies him for promotion to the federal bench.

________________________________
Footnotes

(1) Aid for Women v. Foulston, 327 F.Supp.2d 1273 (D. Kan. 2004).
(2) Kansans for Life legislative records show Sebelius vetoed abortion licensure in 2003 and 2005, pregnancy center assistance in 2004, and different late-term abortion regulating measures in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. http://www.kfl.org/SiteResources/Data/Templates/templateb.asp?docid=1033&DocName=2009-Mar%202%20PR:%20Sebelius-Setting%20the%20Record%20Straight
(3) Six questioned whether the grand jury had the authority to issue the subpoenas and said patients’ privacy could be in jeopardy. . . . Tiller's attorney, Dan Monnat, said Six’s request to the Supreme Court was encouraging. “Dr. Tiller is pleased to hear the voice of the top law enforcement officer in the state join in his call for protection of patient privacy.” Kan. AG Resists Grand Jury Subpoena, HAYS DAILY NEWS (Feb. 16, 2008).
(4) In his answers to written questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Six continued to beat the privacy drum. Senator Grassley asked if he was aware that the redactions removed identifying information. Mr. Six answered that Judge Anderson said the redacted records could be used to identify a patient. Answer to Question 5, Additional Questions for the Record (Senator Grassley). But he did not add that Judge Anderson was referring to the patient herself or a close relative. As Justice Beier observed during oral argument, “a patient being able to identify herself doesn’t-- doesn’t implicate any kind of privacy[.]” Oral Argument Transcript at 12. Mr. Six states that the Supreme Court also “noted this risk of disclosure of patient privacy from the redacted records.” But the Supreme Court merely echoed Judge Anderson. “There has been testimony that a patient and her family may still be able to tell from the records if her abortion is the one documented.” State v. CHPP, 241 P.3d 45, 72 (Kan. 2010) (emphasis added). Six also employed the privacy protection smokescreen to justify the mandamus actions while in office. See 05/03/08 AP Lawsuits Question Kline’s Handling of Documents, “Our goal has always been to protect women’s private medical records,” said Six spokeswoman Ashley Anstaett.
(5)Alpha Medical Clinic v. Anderson, 128 P.3d 364 (Kan. 2006). The records had already been reviewed by two independent physicians, a guardian ad litem and the Shawnee County District Court to make sure all patient-identifying and irrelevant information had been removed. Some of the records were used as the probable cause basis for filing criminal charges against Dr. Tiller and accordingly were already on file in the Sedgwick County District Court. Further, Judge Anderson of the Shawnee County District Court certified to the Supreme Court in 2006 that it was impossible to identify patients from the record.
(6) Case No. 08-100042-S, consolidated with 08-99951-S and 08-99972-S
(7) Kansas Grand Jury Had Doubts About Abortions Even if Tiller Got Off the Hook, LIFENEWS.COM (July 9, 2008).
(8) Emergency Motion for Protective Order, Six v Anderson, No. 99050 (Apr. 3, 2008).
(9) State v CHPP, 241 P3d 45 (Kan. 2010).
(10) The criminal prosecution is now moving forward, because Schmidt has agreed to deputize staff from the Johnson County District Attorney’s office (now under Steve Howe) to access the state reports. Response to Motions for Protective Orders, State v. CHPP, No. 07 CR 2701, at 4 (May 25, 2011).
(11) Testimony of Steve Six before the Senate Judiciary Committee (May 24, 2011)

Sunday Morning Homilies 6.12.11

2011-06-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Rom 8:18: I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward

The Bible never speaks despondingly about the future. Apostles and prophets alike, quickened by the inspiration of the spirit, look across the ages to the last result, and never hesitate to declare that that result will compensate for all the toil and suffering. If glory cannot come without the pain, it is not unloving to inflict the pain. Do you feel you suffer more than others? Then remember you can estimate better than others how great the glory will be. For the glory will be greater than the sufferings. Remember that whatever you have lost, you have gained a clearer vision of the glory that shall be. And through your sorrows you may also know God better. For sorrow is a revelation of God. Suffering affects only our happiness, but the glory secures our holiness.

How Suffering Leads to Glory

And his disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
—John 9:2-3, NIV

While watching the Olympics on television, I was impressed at how many of the competing athletes had overcome or continued to suffer from serious diseases. There was a figure skater, if I am not mistaken, who was born with club feet. There was another athlete whose training was interrupted by three months of mononucleosis. It seemed that every athlete had some special problem or handicap or hardship that had to be overcome on the road to Albertville.

In God’s spiritual Olympics, it isn’t much different. Over the years of writing this Bible Study, quite a lot of you have confided things in me. Some of you have led lives that would make St. Augustine’s Confessions look like high tea with the Queen. Some of you have been the victims of evil, some of you have suffered terrible diseases, some of you have had to struggle with the senseless illness and suffering of your infant children. Others have been abandoned by friends and betrayed by close confidences. Some of you are beset and bedeviled with emotional problems from within.

It is fashionable in some quarters to believe that when you become a Christian, you become a member of some sort of elite leisure class, that God gives you a credit card with an unlimited line of credit, which you can invoke to shower blessings and honors and riches and healing upon yourselves—but most of you live quite differently from that. Most of you have a spirituality that was forged in hardship, tempered with adversity, and annealed in pain and struggle.

Most of you are saints of God, not because you were raised in a Christian home right next door to Wally and the Beaver, not because you never suffered a bruise or lost your temper, but because you have decided in defiance of evil and in protest of injustice that you will rise above the sins of your flesh to serve the Lord your God! By your spiritual life you defy the universe and all the powers of evil to drag you down again, for you shall live to serve your God and King! You have been knocked down and beaten up, but you rise again and again to serve the Lord!

Occasionally though, we all slink down into a chair in depression and bemoan our painful existence. We ask Jesus a similar question, but not about some ragged man in a crowd, but about ourselves, “Oh, Lord,” we sigh, “Why was I born with this problem? Why must I struggle with this life? When will I ever please you? Was it because I sinned, or did my parents sin in raising me, that I suffer as I do?”

And Jesus answers us, “It was neither that you sinned, nor your parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in you.”

And then we realize what glory God has in store for us! For if we ski over the finish line after having been given every advantage and having suffered no adversity, our victory is empty and our glory is shallow: we will receive only scattered, polite applause. Under such circumstances, where is dedication? Where is perseverance? Where is determination? But if we come through many toils and snares, if we overcome many unfair disadvantages, if we serve under adverse conditions and leap over many obstacles, how loud is the applause when we reach the goal! How great is the admiration we will receive! How great the glory we shall receive! How much more glorified is God, that His chosen ones have struggled and prevailed!

Neither athletes nor saints are borne of privilege. Neither receives glory without hardship or pain. But the athlete’s career is soon ended and the glory is soon forgotten. You have chosen an infinite career with an eternal glory; what’s a little hardship on the way?

06.05.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-06-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

II Cor 10:5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”

Men cannot find God in their imaginations. Only he seeking for Him apart from their imaginations can they find Him. The imagination is spoken of as a “vain thing” in scripture that can weaken or usurp the effectiveness of the word of God. The word “imaginations” here could be translated “reasonings of natural men.” The worlds reasonings are foolishness to God. So we must cast down false reasoning for truth.

The principles of the other sciences, either are evident and cannot be proved, or they are proved by natural reason in some other science. But the knowledge proper to this science comes through revelation, and not through natural reason. Therefore it is not its business to prove the principles of the other sciences, but only to judge them. For whatsoever is found in the other sciences contrary to the truth of this science must be condemned as false.

Casting Down the Imagination

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 10:5

One of Adolf Hitler’s more famous sayings is: “If you tell a lie often enough, and loud enough, people will believe it.”

And, often, our spiritual enemy tries to use this very trick on us.

Imaginations, as defined in the dictionary, is the formation of a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor present to the senses. It is an unrealistic idea or notion; a fancy. A plan or a scheme.

It came on so very slowly, I’m really not sure when it began. I was just disgruntled with being a mom. It wasn’t fun anymore. The joy was gone, replaced by a sense of failure and a desire to succeed at anything outside the home.

Put the children in school. Be a career woman. Be a somebody – as if motherhood is for wimps and “nobodies.”

I plodded through the homeschooling days. No joy, but doing the work nonetheless, committed to being home. In my mind I knew this was a wonderful calling, that I was doing a great work, that my time investment counted, and my occupation was worthy.

But, the accusations and lies persisted. No joy. Do it anyway. You’re not doing well. So, I’ll persist in a poor quality job. You’re doomed to failure. Probably, but I’ve committed to staying home to raise and teach the children.

One day, one of our older children came to me and said, “Mom, thank you so much for spending your time teaching us. We’d never have made it so far without you.”

I was floored, astonished. My mind whirled with questions. Am I really doing an okay job? Are the children really turning out all right?

At that moment, I recognized the enemy’s voice, and realized I had been believing – not just one lie, but many lies. The foundation was an imagination – something in my mind, which wasn’t true – and my mind had allowed a larger plan of the enemy to discourage me. My failure was an unrealistic notion.

My heart thrilled with the question, “And just how far could I go if I believed this venture was a success?”

So, I followed the biblical example and cast down the imagination. I just tossed out this image which had exalted itself against God’s plan for me. And I replaced it with this new image: me enjoying my calling. The children doing well in life – for indeed they were. Contentment and joy. Success in fulfilling my mission in life.

So, I pose the question, What has the enemy stolen from you? What image is he trying to foist upon you, to steal the joy in finding God’s best and success for your life?

Let’s reclaim the joy. Challenge the lies in our minds. Declare war on the father of lies. Cast down those wrong images, and let’s raise up the vision God has for us.

05.29.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-05-28T22:39:00.001-07:00

Ps 90:12: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Make each day count and be fruitful…..there’s really not that many of them. Man’s life is, “like the grass which growth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and growth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth” (v.5-6). Or as that of the leaf: “we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Here we are in winter and just a half a year ago it was summer. But soon will be spring and summer again…until we move into the final September of our lives……Our life is but a mist, which appears for a little time and then vanishes away and you don’t see it (James 4:14). You open the curtains in the morning and there’s mist upon the hill. By lunchtime the mist has evaporated and gone. So is the life of man.

WHAT IT MEANS TO 'NUMBER OUR DAYS'

Let me say what it means to number our days? Part of the answer is, it means to recognise that life is very short. Somebody has calculated - I'm not sure how - that as Moses was leading the children of Israel through the desert during those forty years, at least fifteen thousand people would have needed to be buried. As I say, I don't know how that calculation was arrived at but I found it in an old commentary. It may be roughly right - at least fifteen thousand people. So, over the forty-year period, Moses and the Israelites were faced with this duty, day after day - several times a day - burying their dead. You see how this message was imprinted upon their minds and upon Moses' mind.

You will know that the Bible employs many illustrations to bring home to our hearts the brevity of life. Man's life is, "like the grass which growth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and growth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth" (v.5-6). Another biblical illustration is that of the leaf: "we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isaiah 64:6). It is so, isn't it? Here we are now in autumn again. It seems but last week when the leaves were beginning to appear again on the trees in the spring, but half a year has gone and the leaves are withering and falling. So is the life of every man and woman, and sometimes also child. Again, the Bible compares our life to a mist, which appears for a little time and then vanishes away and you don't see it (James 4:14). You open the curtains in the morning and there's mist upon the hill. By lunchtime the mist has evaporated and gone. So is the life of man. Or again, "thou hast made my days as an handbreadth" (Psalm 39, 5). Now that's not very much, is it? If you needed to measure the distance from here to Edinburgh in handbreadths it would take a long time to do it. A handbreadth is just a few inches - six, seven, eight, nine, depending upon whether it be a younger person or a grown man. So in the eyes of God is the life of man. And all of this Moses compares and contrasts with the life of God when he says of God's age: "a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past" (v.4); "even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Thou turnest man to destruction" (v.2-3). If you and I had eyes to see it and live long enough to know it, the children of Adam are falling into the grave like a vast waterfall. Indeed, speaking of water, what is said in the Old Testament but just that: that our life is "as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again" (2 Samuel 14,14). We live in a sad world and we cannot pretend otherwise. That is what is meant here by numbering our days: to recognise that fact.

My very dear friends, we live in a world where people do not recognise that fact. They know it to be a truth. Scientists, researchers, scholars, mathematicians, they know that to be a truth. They don't expect to live more than about 80 years at best - 82 maybe, 90 if they are very fortunate, as they say, but not much more than that at the very, very most. Yet, what use do they make of that knowledge? I'm not quoting Calvin exactly, but Calvin has an interesting comment, in his commentary on the Psalms I believe. He says you have great scholars and they spend all their life calculating the distance from the earth to the sun, and from this planet to that planet, and calculating how many miles from the circumference of the earth to the centre of the earth, and from here to the moon, but they don't think of the shortness of their own life! That brings it home rather vividly. Great and good Calvin, there he is; how powerfully he makes the point. We have people in laboratories measuring things by millilitres and milligrams - they are skilful in their mathematics and their science and that's good of course, but they are forgetting their own life is so short! Do we remember what Thomas Chalmers said, the great Disruption leader, when he was converted? He was a mathematician and a scientist, you know, and when he was converted somebody said to him: "What about the mathematics now?" He was busy preparing sermons all the time and he saw something far more important; it was the expulsive power of a new affection, the desire to save souls. "Oh," he said, "my friend, in my unconverted days I forgot two things: the magnitude of eternity and the shortness of life - these are the two great mathematical factors which I now see to be important." Oh my beloved friends, let us recall that our life is short - "threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore" (v.10) - and yet that extra bit often brings infirmity of body, weakness of mind, loss of memory - not always, thank God, especially not in these days when we have so many medications to help us - but at best our life is but short.

So, that's what's meant by 'numbering our days'. I would say to myself, as I say to you, oh may we number our days and not forget, in the midst of the hurry and bustle of life, to keep this ever before us: our life is short at best. I was very fond of Innes McRae, the minister who was in Tain for those years and retired to Inverness. He was an excellent minister and an excellent friend, a very spiritually-minded man - a very clear thinker too. He came to retire to Inverness a few years ago, as many of you remember and his life went down like that. It was amazing to see how quickly, from being a fit and active man, he went down with this disease. Oh friends, let us number our days.

05.22.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-05-22T09:35:00.001-07:00

Matt 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. God’s chain of command must be in place before wealth can be created. We must seek the dominion of Christ, and then we will obtain wealth. Men blinded by sin vainly rush into the marketplace to try to get rich. They heap up what they can and place it in bags that have holes. In other words, their wealth is fleeting or temporary. Such is the fate of all those who seek riches contrary to the law of God. We are so accustomed to giving humanistic concerns priority that it is difficult for us to imagine society as otherwise than it is, a man-centered world. Men want their humanism baptized, not supplanted. Christianization is supposed to make their fallen world more liveable, not obsolete nor morally untenable. In this view, Christianity is seen as the extra topping of life to make it even better. This is the essence of modernism, to give priority to this world and especially man.
Nine elements of SEEKING:
1. Desire = If we have no desire, we will not seek.
2. Time = Seeking requires time.
3. Effort = Seeking is a work discipline.
4. Determination = Seeking is not a one time event.
5. Direction = We must seek things above.
6. A Goal = We must seek the kingdom of God.
7. A Decision = Only you can make the decision.
8. Sacrifice = We must let go of what we are holding on to, in order to seek.
9. Reward = God promises us prosperity.
We must making seek the Kingdom of God, a priority. It must come, FIRST, above everything else.
Where there is a Kingdom, there must be:
1. A King
2. The King must rule with both authority and power. Jesus demonstrated both.
3. There must be subjects submitted to the rule of the King. This is where we enter through faith and obedience.
And the benefits?: There is food, shelter, and clothing, peace of mind, prosperity, and health.

“Repent” is the first call of the Gospel. Repentance is the primary condition for the possibility to receive the Kingdom of God. The Russian word “repent” is insufficient to render the original notion; “metanoi´te” of the authentic text means change your way of thinking, your attitude to life and your entire system of values.

This call for repentance supposes that another life is possible and realizable in the world; a life, different than that which people live, groaning under its burden. Delusion, love for self, malice and chaotic stream of low instincts are not unbreakable chains. Better, noble and holy volitions exist along with them in a man, at least in a latent and potential form: love of the truth, compassion, fraternity, vague longing for righteousness. If one would not lose them but let them open and blossom, then one’s inner world will glow with heavenly light; the life will change beyond recognition: peace, righteousness and charity will dwell in one’s heart, replacing vicious and shameful desires.

It has already been said that, in today’s conditions, the Kingdom of God is not as much realized in outward social improvements as in the inward betterment it makes in people. The Kingdom of God is especially close to those oppressed by this world of vulgarity and cruelty, languished under their own sins and imperfections, gasping in the surrounding atmosphere of lies and untruth, and longing for the triumph of good and truth.

Should some one have thirst for spiritual renewal, the Kingdom of God will come for him. Should a nation have this thirst, then the Kingdom of God will come for this nation. But for him who is self-satisfied and happy about the existing world, who cannot understand and ridicules the longing for the ideal, who is not worried by falsehood and lawbreaking, who despises purity and unselfishness, who dreams of riches and pursues the worldly joys and bodily pleasures, for him the Kingdom of God is a strange and unwanted teaching.

The Kingdom of God is not to triumph in this world. It is the “strait gate and narrow way” that few can find. It is not a completed “building” but one under construction. But still it is a fairly real thing that has been fulfilling in the world since the day the Savior came to earth. It always grows and spreads out, attracts and absorbs spiritually sensitive people from all walks of society, all nations and all stages of development. It is an organization (association) of individuals, thoughts, powers, writings, outward transformations and occurrences, guided by God and developed by the invisible power of His grace. The Kingdom of God is a new, righteous life, built upon the faith in the Savior and acceptance of His teaching.

The injunction “seek ye first” means at least three things. First, seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness must be our first business in point of time: we must allow nothing else to take precedence before it. Second, we must regard nothing as of greater importance, or of equal importance, than seeking God’s kingdom. Third, “seek ye first” implies that Christianity is to be the great business of our future life. The Christian faith is always to be considered as of the first importance to be attended to, and to be the first concern of life.

Until we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, nothing else we do can be acceptable to God. As long as we neglect this great salvation, as long as we have not secured our justification by faith in Christ, as long as we are not interest- ed in the kingdom of God by actually embracing it and receiving its laws into our heart, we can do nothing acceptable to God. Until we have done this, we cannot fulfill any requirement of God and He cannot accept anything else we do–for “whatever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). Whatever does not imply faith in us is sin; therefore, if we neglect salvation in Christ as of primary importance, nothing that we do can be acceptable to God. People may have all the outward forms of morality and goodness, but if they have neglected the kingdom of God and His righteousness, whatever else they do, God will not accept them. He will not and cannot accept us if we are putting last what He has put first, and that first which He has put last. God re- quires us to put this first, and if we do not put things in the order which He has commanded, if we do not make this the great business of life, the first business of our lives, nothing else that we do is acceptable to God.

Since seeking His righteousness is the most important business to us, it should claim our first attention. What can compare with its importance to us as individuals? If we secure an interest in the kingdom of God, if we become subjects of His government, whatever else we fail to secure is unimportant. Whatever else we fail to secure we shall hardly regret in the future. But if we do not secure this, whatever else we secure will only increase our responsibility and our guilt. People ought to understand this: nothing is of any real importance to us unless it is connected with God’s kingdom, and shall enable us to obey more effectually His command.

Now, if we regard anything as more important than our relationship with God in His kingdom, we entirely pervert things. God’s kingdom is most important to ourselves and to our families; most important to all who stand in any relation to us and have any claims upon us. Who does not understand and believe this?

Suppose a man neglects God and Christianity for the sake of his family. Does he thereby really benefit his family? No indeed! The real and best interests of his family require that he should pay his first and chief attention to this great requirement of God. Who can doubt this? No man really and truly benefitted his family by neglecting to obey God. Such a thing never was and never can be. By neglecting to put Christ first and make Christian faith his first duty, who can tell how much the family may have to suffer from his negligence?

Putting God’s kingdom first is most important to a person’s creditors. If a man disobeys God, His curse is upon him, and upon all that he does and has. But if he obeys God, he may expect a blessing upon his business; and if a man endeavors to please God, he is sure to be an honest man. If a man owes me money, and that man tries to obey and please God, I have reason to believe that he will be enabled to pay me sooner than if he did not regard the commands of God at all. Therefore, even if I were a selfish man, I should say to my debtor, “Whatever else you do, don’t neglect to obey God–don’t neglect your duty to Him.”

Seek Ye First
by Wale Olasoji

'But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you'. Matthew 6:33

Here, we find Jesus giving us an eternal secret. Many people seek after things instead of seeking after the THING – the kingdom of God.

Many lives are out of order because of a neglect of this divine order. They have found some of the ‘other things’ but without satisfaction, the pursuit becomes endless. Life becomes meaningless.

If you find the kingdom of God, you have found every other thing. Get your life back to order by following this simple rule. There is just one thing that attracts every other thing that you are looking for. Jesus says that it is the kingdom of God. Stop seeking for the additions, seek for the ATTRACTION and the additions will soon arrive.

Remember, ‘for ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promise.’ Hebrews 10:36

Sunday Morning Homilies 5.15.11

2011-05-15T08:06:00.001-07:00

Is 43:7: everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

In context with the other verses, it can be said that man “glorifies” God because through man, God’s glory can be seen in things such as love, music, heroism and so forth—things belonging to God that we are carrying “in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are the vessels which “contain” His glory. All the things we are able to do and to be find their source in Him. God interacts with nature in the same way. Nature exhibits His glory. His glory is revealed to man’s mind through the material world in many ways, and often in different ways to different people. One person may be thrilled by the sight of the mountains, and another person may love the beauty of the sea. But that which is behind them both (God’s glory) speaks to both people and connects them to God. In this way, God is able to reveal Himself to all men, no matter their race, heritage or location. As Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands; day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.”

REVELATION OF GOD'S GLORY.

Sermon by Prof. Charles Finney (1843).

In this discourse I shall show,

I. WHAT IS INTENDED BY THE GLORY OF GOD.

II. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN MOSES' PRAYER.

III. WHAT IS IMPLIED IN GOD'S ANSWER.

I. What is meant by the glory of God.

The original meaning of the term glory was, brightness, clearness, effulgence: from that it has come to signify honor, renown; and again, that which renders honorable, or demands honor, or renown, reverence, adoration, and worship--that which is worthy of confidence and trust. The glory of God is essential and declarative. By essential glory is meant that in Him which is glorious--that in his character which demands honor, worship, and adoration. His declarative glory is the showing forth, the revealing, the manifesting, the glory of his character--his essential glory--to his creatures: the laying open his glory to the apprehension of intelligences. And this is what Moses meant--that God would reveal Himself to his mind so that he might know Him--might have a clear and powerful apprehension of those things which constitute his glory.

II. What is implied in Moses' prayer.

1. A desire to know more than he knew of God. He knew comparatively little of God. Something indeed he had known of Him, but he wished to know more--A desire to know that which makes God worthy of the homage and adoration of his creatures, and especially he desired to be so subdued by this knowledge--his heart so fixed in his confidence, as to be prepared for his great work, the work of conducting Israel to the promised land--so subdued that his confidence might be perfect in him, so that he might never fail in his trust and leaning upon the Lord. God had called him to a very arduous work, and he needed a very thorough acquaintance with Him.

2. A sense of the necessity of this knowledge of the glory of God--that he greatly needed it.

3. That he was disinterested in his desire--entirely for God's glory and the people's good--that he might succeed in the great work of emancipating God's people, and glorifying his name by their establishment in the land of Canaan.

4. A sense of his responsibility, of the necessities of the people, and of H[h]imself.

5. The belief that from the call which he had received of God, to be the leader of Israel from Egypt, he had a right to expect this revelation to his soul. God had called him to a work--he saw that for him to accomplish it, he must have a clearer knowledge of God, to sustain him in his difficult position, and uphold him under discouragement; and he seems to have thought he had a right therefore, to expect that God would not deny him this requisite to success.

III. What is implied in God's answer to Moses.

'I will make all my goodness pass before thee,' said he. God's glory consists in his moral attributes--in his goodness.

1. The answer implies Moses' disinterestedness in his request--that his motives were right. If it had been mere curiosity that induced Moses to ask, God would not have granted it. God saw the sincere and earnest consecration of Moses' soul to the one object of his aim, to wit: The fulfillment of the work which God had given him.

2. He recognized the real necessities of Moses and the people, and testified that He thought it necessary to give what Moses asked.

3. The reasonableness of Moses' expectation--that Moses had a right to expect grace equal to his circumstances.

4. A willingness on the part of God to make known himself to Moses, for the purpose for which Moses desired it.

5. A regard for the frailties of Moses and the people. 'Thou canst not see my face and live.' The glory of my ineffable presence is too much for mortal eye to behold; it would overwhelm you, and separate soul from body. But I will hide you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand as I pass by. And I will take away my hand and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen.' You may see as much as you can bear, and no more. You shall have as clear a revelation of my character as you can sustain; as vivid an apprehension of my holiness as your powers can endure and bear up under.

6. It implies that God considers his goodness, his moral attributes, as making up his essential glory. His glory does not consist in his natural attributes--his power, his wisdom, his omnipresence, his eternity--these are awful, they are fearful for us to behold. But his glory lies in his goodness, his moral character, his justice, benevolence, holiness, mercy. All these are but so many forms of his benevolence. God respects Himself, and demands respect and honor of others for his holiness, because He is voluntarily subject to the law of love, of universal and impartial benevolence. And not in one merely, but in all, combined and balanced in due proportion, his glory consists. Mark what He says, 'I will make all my goodness pass before thee.' And what a beautiful and awful revelation it was! 'And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, [the impenitent]* visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.' This was all of it, the goodness of God--forgiving the penitent, rewarding the obedient, bearing with the rebellious, fulfilling his promise for good to the faithful and confiding, and pouring the vials of fiercest wrath on the incorrigible--all this is the goodness of God, his benevolence under different phases, and all of this, is the essential glory of the living God.

7. His sovereignty in the disposal of his mercies. 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and have compassion on whom I will have compassion.' By God's sovereign grace, I do not mean that He acts arbitrarily, or without a good reason; but that He acts independent of all save Himself--that He obeys the dictates of his own infinite benevolence, and asks no being but Himself for leave to do what He sees best to be done. 'I will consult my own unsearchable wisdom, and that which to me seemeth best, I will do,' is his declaration to the universe.
REMARKS.

1. The circumstances and the prayer of Moses, were the conditions of the revelation which God made to him. His circumstances--he needed to know more of God. His prayer--he made supplication to be taught. The circumstances alone were not enough, nor the prayer alone, but both united. He had subsequent and frequent manifestations of God's presence and power as circumstances required. Sometimes alone, sometimes in the full presence of all the people. On awful Sinai He moved in thunder and fire, and the congregation quaked at the terror of the Lord. According to the exigencies of Moses and of the people God dealt with them, and showed his glory to them.

2. A principle of the divine administration is here developed, namely--God will furnish such grace and manifestation of his goodness, as the circumstances demand, and their exigencies require. He is unchangeable. In the same circumstances his dealings are the same. He who gave to his ancient servant, an overwhelming view of his glory, such a view, as that in unspeakable awe, 'he bowed his head and worshiped,' will, whenever necessary, grant the same or greater manifestations, if it be requisite to strengthen for his own work.

3. He will be inquired of, to do the things that need to be done for you for his glory. The Bible every where insists on this. Moses prayed, and prayed with great earnestness and importunity--'God show me thy glory.' 'Lord if Thou go not with us, take us not up hence.' The universal example of Bible saints, is one continued stream of prayer, flowing onward in a broad and deep current, with a strong and resistless tide, to the great ocean of God's boundless mercy and compassion.

4. We are to persevere in this asking. Was Moses to be put off? No indeed. He cries-- 'Show me thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in thy sight.' God answers, 'My presence shall go up with thee, and I will give thee rest.' But a mere promise is not enough for Moses. 'O Lord, surely Thou wilt go up with us, but O Lord show me thy Glory, let me know Thee, let thy perfections come home with such power to my soul, that they shall never depart therefrom. Lord show me thy glory.' He reminded God that He had called him to bring up the people, and yet he was not prepared. 'Thou hast said to me, bring up this people, and yet thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me.' Moses persevered, and he gained his request. God did for him what he asked. It is exceedingly important that we continue to press upon God, so to speak, for any grace which we need. Let us learn our duty from the Bible, and the relations we sustain, and then, having settled the question that we are in the work to which God has called us, let us come to God with a full assurance of faith that He has promised to be with us always, and that what He has promised, He is able also to perform. Press upon Him your wants. Say to Him--O Lord Thou hast placed me here, Thou hast made me what I am, and I have not strength for the work, I have not knowledge for the labor. O Lord, arm me for the contest, harness me for the battle, fit me for the work. O Lord, thy name will be disgraced if I fail, for Thou hast set me here, thy honor is at stake. What will become of thy great name? 'O God show me thy glory.' Whatever we find ourselves in need of for the success of his work, to which He has called us, we have a right to go and ask for, with perfect confidence, and complete assurance, and we should not let go our suit, till the request is granted. We should come with importunity I said. See how Moses speaks to God at one time, with what confidence and holy familiarity, he addresses his heavenly Father! When God was angry with the rebellious Israelites, and said, 'Let me alone, that my anger may wax hot against them, that I may destroy them from the face of the earth,' Moses besought the Lord. He came, and seizing hold of his hand as it were, 'O Lord,' he cries, 'why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, for whom Thou hast done so much? Why should the Egyptians say, for mischief did He bring them out to slay them? O turn from thy wrath and repent Thee of the evil.' Moses was so importunate, it seemed as though God could not deny him. And thus may we come to God, and cry--are not all thy promises yea and amen in Christ Jesus? Hast Thou not promised, and shall thy word fail? Brethren, is not this directly in point? May we not come to God and ask at all times? Is He not able to save to the uttermost? Shall not 'our strength be equal to our day?' O how strongly my experience testifies to this truth. Many a time, I should have given up all for lost, and sat down in despair, had it not been for such a revelation of God's glory, as to strengthen me for the work I had to accomplish. Always, yes always, when I have gone to God, as Moses did, with the prayer, 'Show me thy glory,' He has never denied me, never, never.

5. It is reasonable to understand a call of God to any station, as a virtual pledge of every thing that we need, to stand in that place, and meet those responsibilities. If God calls us to do a thing, it can be done. What is needed to accomplish it may be had. God is not a Pharaoh, commanding to make brick, yet withholding straw. The requiring a thing, always vouchsafes every thing necessary for its fulfillment.

6. The people always need one thing. Every child of God is called to represent God, to be a teacher of God, to show forth to the world around him the character of God. Every saint is called of God to do this. Every Christian has a right to insist that God will give him grace to do that--to do it fully and successfully. He may say to God, "Lord, thou hast made me a Christian, put thy [S]spirit within me, called me to represent thee, and show the world who thou art, and what thy character is; but how can I do this, except I be shown by thy grace, except all thy goodness pass before me and melt me into contrition and love." How long shall it be, ere Christians, feeling their weakness, will go to God and ask him thus for what they need, and must have, or perish.

7. Many persons seem to have exceedingly narrow, partial, obscure views of God. So shadow-like, and dim is their notion of Him, or so partial and one sided, and distorted, that it is like any thing almost more than like God. Perhaps Moses was somewhat in this condition. He had seen God in the burning bush, he had heard his voice, saying, "O, lead my people Israel," he had been the rod of Jehovah's wrath on wicked Egypt, he had stood on Sinai and seen God in fire and smoke and lightnings, but he could not be satisfied--he must know more. And all along Moses had to ask for new revelations continually.

Many know God only as a lawgiver and judge. They apprehend his law, and they sink in terror and fear; that is all they know of God. Others know nothing of him but what they call his mercy and love; nothing of justice, and holiness, and righteous indignation against sin. They have neither of them any confidence in his word and promises. Now Moses ever after, trusted firmly and unwaveringly in God's truth. God had shown him his truth, and Moses forgot it not. The impress of that hand, he felt always pressing on him; that sight was ever present to his mind. He had confidence in his mercy after this. Only see how, when God said, "Let me destroy this rebellious and stiff-necked people, and I will make of thee a great nation." Moses had such trust in God's mercy. He cried, "O Lord, save thy people, or blot out my name from thy book." "O God, what will become of thy great name?" What a savor and relish the revelation had left on his mind--a sweet and controlling sense of God's mercy and goodness. God's Justice, too, rested with awful distinctness upon Moses' apprehension. He was the great and terrible God, visiting the iniquities of them which hate him, upon their own heads, and upon the heads of their children. It is vastly important that men should have just and symmetrical views of God's character; for where the revelation is partial, they do not possess a well proportioned piety; they show a want of balance in their character. If they have not seen the justice of God, his holiness, they have no apprehension of the guilt of sin, of its desert of punishment, of God's infinite hatred of it. They have no proper sense of the condition of sinners, have no compassion, no ardent zeal, no burning love for them. So if men have not a revelation of the mercy and love and compassion of God, they will be legal, have very little confidence to pray for sinners; instead of laying hold of God, as they should do, even in the most desperate cases, they slacken, and give up in despair. So of all his attributes; if men have not sought and obtained a just view of God's character, they will be like their views of God, ill-proportioned, and unbalanced in their own character.

8. It is of the last importance, that men should realize that all God's character is made up of his benevolence, his goodness. See how He says, "All my goodness;" not my mercy, my love, but all, my mercy, my justice, my holiness, my hatred of sin, and my settled purpose to punish it, my tender compassion and pity, and my righteous vindictive justice. A minister, especially, should thus know all his goodness, and be duly affected by every attribute. If they do not have such a revelation, they will induce and foster an unnatural and ill proportioned piety in their congregation, and among the people of their intercourse--either an antinomian or a legal, just as the bent and cast of the minister's own mind is.

9. Nothing can make us stable Christians, but to behold his glory, a revelation of Him to us. No excitement, no intellectual acumen, no strength of logic, nothing can secure us but a revelation of God to our souls. We should therefore persevere and insist that this be done for us, that we see God's glory, and be fixed on Him. The church should pray for ministers and for candidates for the ministry, that God would reveal to them the deep secrets of his love and mercy; that He would open to them the ever flowing fountains of exquisite and perennial blessedness to let them drink therefrom and never thirst more. O do the churches think and feel how much they can do for their ministers, by praying the heavens open, and letting down on their hearts such rays of glory as shall forever enrapture and hold them in awful apprehension of God's presence and character, as that the spirit of the Highest shall come upon them, and the power of God overshadow them, and transform them from men of clay, to angels of mercy and power to a fallen world? Why do they not pray? Brethren, why do you not pray--pray that God would show you, would show the students here, the community, the whole church in the land, and in the world, his glory? Pray, and give God no rest, till He glorify his people before the nations?

10. It is easy to see what made Moses' face shine so, when he came down from the mount. The manifestation of God's glory has the same effect always and every where. There was such a clearness, a glory , a brightness, in his countenance, that the people could not look upon him. Christ in the mount, when the glory of God appeared to Him, was transfigured, his raiment was white as the light, and his face was like the sun.

11. Many cannot bear much of the revelation of divine glory to them. They are babes, and must be fed with milk and not with meat; for they cannot take meat. How it affected Isaiah, to behold the glory of the Lord. Isaiah, that man of God. Who could behold, if he could not? One would think his views of God were high and exalted. But see his vision. "I saw the Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim, and one cried to another, and covered his face with his wings, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory!" Think of it! It overcame Isaiah. He cried in despair, "Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!" He saw the holiness of God as he never saw it before. He was completely overcome, he seemed unable to recover from it, till one of the seraphim came with a live coal from the altar, and laid it on his lips, saying, "Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." O, how much do we need such revelations--new revelations--great and mighty things which we have not known. And then we shall be humbled, subdued under his mighty hand. Mark how Isaiah was subdued to the will of God. When he heard the voice crying, "Who will go for us?" with meek boldness he answered, "Here am I, send me." And so shall we be humbled, and say, "Lord, glorify thy name in us."

But often God has to hold back. He must cover Moses in the rock-cleft, and hide his face from him. Often must Christians say, "Hold thy hand, O Lord, it is enough; draw the curtain, and veil the glory from my fainting, reeling sense."

12. Sometimes young converts get proud, and think that they know a great deal of God, and imagine that all which they never experienced, is fancy, and cannot be true. If just what they know of God is not presented, they think it is not the gospel, when, poor blind men, they know just one part, and a very small part. They must not think they know the whole of God that may be known of Him. Many cannot bear to hear of God's justice, of his sovereignty, of his holiness. Now, we should desire to have all the character, all the goodness of God pass before us; to have him let in upon the mind as bright and glorious a vision as it can bear.

Brethren, is it not true, that we need new manifestations of God? One revelation brings need of new and more glorious revelations. Do we not need it? My soul from its depths, my heart from its very bottom, cries out, "O God, I beseech thee, show me thy glory. Let me see and know more of God." Will you pray for me? Will you pray for yourselves? Do we not need it, I say again? Have we not high responsibilities? Who has higher? Now pray in view of your circumstances; besiege the throne; give God no rest; let him have no peace, till He come and revive his work, and make his name glorious.

Sunday Morning Homilies 5.08.11

2011-05-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Some translations say “assurance of things hoped for.”

Faith is the reality of things hoped for. James Hastings wrote “Faith in God is a moral act; it is not an emotion, an impression, the result of considerations which act upon a man from without; it is an act in which he exercise moral choice. To have faith we must will to have it. This is not to say there can be true faith apart from reasonable grounds of faith. But these grounds may exist, they may be apparent, and yet faith may be absent, because the temper and spirit of the man may make him reluctant to exert his will, or because he misconceives the nature of the act. Men confound faith and opinion; even in opinion a man’s moral habits and tendencies count for a great deal; and what we often predict man’s opinion will be from what we know of his character. But in the formation of opinion he the will has no direct function except to compel the intellect to investigate the facts by which opinion should be determined. In faith the case is wholly different. When the facts which should command faith are present and seen, faith may be withheld. Faith is an act of the will; and if we suppose that we shall come to believe in God in Christ as the result of external forces which compel belief, we shall not believe at all. And when faith, resting on adequate grounds is assaulted by doubt, the doubt must be met by a resolute decision. (“The Great Texts of the Bible; James Hastings; Charles Scribners Sons; 1912).

Faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservations–trust in a God who has shown himself worthy of that trust. To use a trinitarian framework: God the Father makes these promises; God the Son confirms them in his words and deeds; and the Holy Spirit reassures us of their reliability and seals those promises within our heart. What is faith? Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1).

What does it mean to believe by faith or know by faith? The word I have a problem with in that sentence is the word “believe.” I do not necessarily see them as the same thing, so that one could not really “Believe” by “faith.” I can believe, or I can have faith in something I believe is real. I cannot have faith without the “something” in which I believe in. In other words, on issues pertaining to Christianity, if there was no God, then having faith in “God” would be highly illogical to the point, quite possibly, of being psychologically deficient in light of reality. The Hebrews verse goes on to indicate that “we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God,” which would be an understanding based on the simple fact that no one was around at creation. I do not know that it would be possible to simply believe that “In the beginning God created,” with no real belief that there is a God. As to the second part of the question, the Hebrews chapter goes on to mention people who did various things via faith from great miracles to martyrdom. But the only common base of knowledge in those applications is that the people “knew” God would deliver them, and He did for them all, but some only by death, since death is its own form of deliverance. The true person of faith basically looks beyond this life.

How does one distinguish between someone who says that they know by faith and someone who says that they believe because they believe? The use of the expression “believe because they believe” seems a rather circular reasoning. So, if I was to distinguish between someone who claims to “know by faith” and one who claims to “believe because they believe” I would probably be more receptive to the one who knows by faith as opposed to the other since one I could not even imagine anyone asserting with any stability of reason. However, it would also depend, in a comparison, what the one person is claiming to “know by faith.”

Is belief by faith a valid method to determine what is true? Not sure how to respond again because “belief by faith” sounds rather foreign to me. I suppose it might aid in determining the validity of a future event, like eternity, or a past event like creation, but I dont know how else anyone could weigh it in any objective manner.

How does a believer determine what to have faith in? Again, the mixing of the words, but the faith would come from the belief and not vice versa. How one determines the existence of God varies. It would be hoped that the one applying the faith has already sorted out which “God” he believes in before acting in any capacity of faith.

How should a believer determine what to have faith in? How do you know? Again, the mixing of the word “believe” and “faith” make the question hard to understand. If the believer has not predetermined an object or God to which he is able to use the title of “believer,” than the faith part would be a ludicroius step into a world of fantasy.

How do you know? Through weights, through measures, through investigations, the ways that one chooses a belief are probably endless. My observation has been that most everyone holds some form of world view, even if they could not identify it by asking them, they have some kinds of ways in which they approach the world and determine how they will react in various day to day situations. As long as they remain comfortable and secure in their world view, then they have no reason to weigh any other “reality”
outside their own. It is generally during times of trouble, when ones worldview is shaken, that they might make some attempt to climb outside of their world view and decide how to adjust. It is at that time that people will move towards God or against God. However, that time is probably so subjective experientially that to answer “how do you know?” might be different for everyone. The mind is a complicated piece of workmanship.

What is the difference between faith and gullibility? Is faith a virtue? Why or why not? Gullibility would be a person readily believing information sometimes to an absurd extent. It does not necessitate that the information is false or true, as one who is gullible could randomly accept a true objective, however it was probably an accident rather than thoughtful choice. Faith, as I stated previously, is acting on belief and, hopefully, belief of substance. Is faith a virtue? Probably in the eyes of God since, according to the Bible, no one can please Him without it. But no one could act in faith in God without first knowing that God exists. So, in some sense, one might be able to say that faith is an active fruit of belief.

There are two kinds of faith. I shall call one “assenting” and the other “saving.” Assenting faith is an intellectual persuasion of the truth of the thing taught. There are those who have assenting faith, but will not repent, and therefore do not gain a saving faith. Assenting faith often exists without saving faith, for most men have assenting faith. Very few have saving faith; but the latter cannot exist without the former.

Collins: Why this scientist believes in God

I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views.

As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan.

I did not always embrace these perspectives. As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked "What do you believe, doctor?", I began searching for answers.

I had to admit that the science I loved so much was powerless to answer questions such as "What is the meaning of life?" "Why am I here?" "Why does mathematics work, anyway?" "If the universe had a beginning, who created it?" "Why are the physical constants in the universe so finely tuned to allow the possibility of complex life forms?" "Why do humans have a moral sense?" "What happens after we die?"

I had always assumed that faith was based on purely emotional and irrational arguments, and was astounded to discover, initially in the writings of the Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis and subsequently from many other sources, that one could build a very strong case for the plausibility of the existence of God on purely rational grounds. My earlier atheist's assertion that "I know there is no God" emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, "Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative."

But reason alone cannot prove the existence of God. Faith is reason plus revelation, and the revelation part requires one to think with the spirit as well as with the mind. You have to hear the music, not just read the notes on the page. Ultimately, a leap of faith is required.

Sunday Morning Homilies 5.01.11

2011-05-01T07:10:00.001-07:00

Rev 22:13: “I am the Alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

History imposes restraints on humanity. History compels us to recognize that man cannot escape creaturehood. God has been in aowpcharge of history from beginning to end. God created physical laws that ordinarily cannot be violated. Men cannot reverse aging or gravity–they can deescalate the former and temporarily escape the latter, but they can reverse neither. God imposes political, social, and moral restraints. The Pax Romana and third Reich are always overthrown. Socialism always fails. The wages of sin is always death.
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Jesus and the End

As we have just turned the millennium there has been much speculation about the end of the world. In Ch. 13 of Mark and its parallels in Luke and Mt. Jesus talks about the end. Many people read this as a prediction of things that are happening in our own time. Jehovah's Witnesses base their missionary outreach on the need to inform people of this. What does it all mean?

The disciples' question When is this going to happen and what sign will there be that it is about to take place? is really a question about "under what circumstances" In v. 32 Jesus says: But as for that day or hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels in heaven nor the son, no one but the father. Today many people see natural calamities or pandemics like aids as a sign that the end is near. Jesus explicitly tells his disciples not to be alarmed about these things, that the end will not be yet, and they must ignore the various fanatics who see in these things the in-breaking of the end. Paul sheds further light on this in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3: Please do not be too easily thrown into confusion or alarmed by any manifestation of the Spirit, or any statement or any letter claiming to come from us suggesting that the day of the Lord has already arrived. Never let anyone deceive you in this way. Some of Paul’s readers had been persuaded that the end was here and the letter is to show them that this is not the case. We think that Mark’s Gospel was written partly in response to the great persecution of Christians under Nero in 64 AD. Many of the survivors may have seen this as a sign of the end. Mark wants them to hear loud and clear the Lord’s words that we are not to view historical events in this way. Jesus goes on to promise that his followers will be persecuted but even this is not a sign of the end. We must bear in mind that when he was speaking there were all sorts of expectations of an immanent end. When people today sit up at night watching for UFO’s they very often see them, or imagine they do. The ‘apocalypse watchers’ of Jesus’ time were in a similar position, so some of this sermon on the end is Jesus debunking all such conclusions. The parallel to this passage in Matthew 24:14 seems to indicate that speculation on the end of the world is pointless: This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world, as evidence to the nations. And then the end will come. What is important is that the disciples get on with the God-given task of preaching the Gospel to all nations and then the end will come, in its own good time. But their energy should be directed to that and not to worrying about the end. In fact such speculation is merely a way of dodging the real business of being Christian, which is often quite humdrum. It’s much more exiting to attend a talk about the end of the world than to visit one’s slightly odd and rather boring neighbor, but we all know which is the more Christian thing to do. Such things are often merely our desire for sensationalism dressed up in religious clothing. If we feel that we, or our group have inside information that others don’t, then of course we can feel very special. This is just the old heresy of gnosticism given another twist.

We must remember too that when Jesus speaks of the end of time, he is making a statement about the meaning of time. Indeed in many languages the word 'end' also means purpose. (Remember how we used to talk about the ‘ends of marriage’ meaning its purposes.) By seeing the end it is possible to glimpse the meaning and direction of the present. When a woman knits a pullover, she does so with a pattern which has a picture of the finished product. Without the picture the various stitches and pieces of cloth she assembles make no sense. Jesus’ image of the sun being darkened etc. is saying that what really matters in our world is Christ and what he does for us. And even when the whole world falls apart, when the sun seems to fall from our sky, he remains. The meaning of creation can only be understood in him. That is not to say that our present experience is worthless as some religious extremists would have it, rather it is all put into perspective. Christ is not trying to make people indifferent to the world but wants to help them realize that everything they have and know now is somewhat relative.

Jesus is saying that the world will come to an end, and once again uses the imagery available to him to describe that which was unknowable. His promise that God and good will ultimately triumph is not something which will only happen in the future, but something tasted and glimpsed now, sometimes even beheld clearly in the lives of believers. Jesus paints a picture of the end to make us realise a) that the world is going somewhere and b) to make sure that we have the right priorities now.

The recent tragedy of mass murder by an apocalyptic cult in Uganda reminded us once again how deadly an obsession with the end of the world can be for Christians. As we saw in the last article, Jesus’ concern is that his followers get on with the business of Christianity now, and leave the future in the hands of God. More than this, Jesus takes seriously people’s ideas about the end of the world, but challenges them and turns them into something else.

This first becomes clear in the contrast between Jesus and John the Baptist. John correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah, but for him the Messiah will: Gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out. (Mt. 3:12.) John thinks that now Jesus has gone public this separation of the good and evil will begin any day. It’s probably this which gives him the courage to challenge Herod and lands him in jail. No problem. John is well used to hardship and in prison sits and waits for the apocalyptic fireworks to begin; and waits, and waits. . . Then he starts to hear the alarming news that instead of clearly dividing the good from the bad, Jesus is actually blurring the division, muddying the waters. He eats with those hated collaborators, the tax collectors and welcomes those destroyers of the nation’s innocence, the prostitutes. No wonder John starts to doubt that Jesus is The One and sends him a message: Are you the one who is to come or are we to wait for someone else? (Mt. 11:3) His problem is that he is thinking of the Messiah in terms of the most recent Jewish ideas about him. Because the Jews had suffered oppression for so long and there seemed to be no end to it, some of them developed the idea that God would intervene suddenly, destroy the present order, reward the just and punish the wicked. Jesus gets John to think of the Messiah rather in terms of the Prophet Isaiah whose ideas had a much better and older pedigree. He tells John: The blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (11:4) Each of these phrases is a quote from Isaiah talking about God’s glorious future for his people. All this is coming true now. John’s vision of the Messiah was too narrow, too much concerned with reward and punishment. Jesus tries to widen his horizons.

It’s true today that when Christians become overly concerned about the end of the world they tend to be far too interested in the question of who’s right and who’s wrong, or if you like, who are the sheep and the goats. It’s precisely for such people that Jesus told the parable of the last judgement in Mt. 25:31-46. He starts by saying that the Son Of man. . . will separate men from one another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. In a way Jesus plays a trick on his audience. He sets them up to think “At last he’s going to tell us what we’ve always wanted to know, who’s in and who’s out.” This parable sounds just like a classic apocalyptic scene. This sort of thing people at the time loved to hear. But then Jesus completely subverts people ideas and hopes by refusing to identify any particular group or sect as the goodies or the baddies. It’s not belonging to this or that group that puts people at rights with God, but they way they behave to those in need. And he drives the point home that those who visited the sick and helped the needy were quite unconscious that they were actually doing these things to Jesus. He does not tell people in so many words that it’s wrong to keep their eyes on the future, and that the desire to see God punishing the wicked is sometimes just an extension of the natural human desire for vengeance. Rather he climbs in to that desire, gets under the skin of the apocalyptic imagination and subverts it from within.

When people asked Jesus when the end will come he refused a direct answer but told them to stay awake and be alert. In the same way here, to the implied question: “Who’s in the kingdom and who’s out?” Jesus answers: “It’s none of your business, but your business is to see that you respond to my call when I come to you in the shape of the poor and the needy." He makes the point that not only is that kind of speculation pointless, but it actually pulls the Christian off track and distracts him from the real business of discipleship which is charity. Jesus begins this parable by what sounds like a prediction of the end, but concludes it by a recommendation to act in a certain way in the present. Any form of Christianity which is all about interest in the future is nothing more than a distraction, and any voice in the Church which moves people in that direction is certainly not the voice of God.

Sunday Morning Homilies 4.24.11

2011-04-24T08:49:00.001-07:00

Zech 14:20-21: On that dayHOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the LORD’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty.

The antithesis of sacrilege is holiness, and an outcome of holiness is the Kingdom of God, the community of covenant man. Zechariah gives us a vision of this estate of man. Instead of the sacrilege of the Canaanites (the ungodly) in the house of the Lord, all things reveal their devotion to God. Every cooking vessel, the sacred vessels of the temple, because men will serve God and will dedicate every aspect pf their lives and possessions to Him. In place of the sacrilege, there will be universal holiness. Instead of a division between the holy place and the unclean, all things shall be “holiness” unto the Lord. T.V. Moore wrote: All shall be happy because all shall be holy. Sorrow shall cease because sin shall cease. The groaning earth shall be mantled with joy because the trail of the serpent will be gone, and Eden of the future shall make us cease to look back with longing at the Eden of the past.

Holiness (by David Wilkerson)

When I speak of total trust in Christ, I mean not only in his saving power but also in his keeping power. We have to trust his Spirit to keep us and conform us to Jesus’ likeness.

Think about your own testimony. At one time you were alienated, cut off from God by wicked works. What good work did you do to make things right with him? None! No one has ever been able to save himself.

Likewise, nobody has ever been able to make or keep himself holy. We are brought into Christ’s holiness daily by faith alone, as we trust in what God’s Word says: “If you are in Christ, you are holy as he is holy.”

“You, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: if ye continue in the faith” (Colossians 1:21-23).

Note the phrase “if ye continue in the faith.” Jesus is saying, “Continue trusting in me, living by faith. I will present you as clean, faultless, unblameable, holy before the Father.”

Beloved, this is all the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost. As the Spirit empowers you to mortify the deeds of the flesh, he will lead you by his conviction and his comfort.

There is but one holiness: Christ’s! Therefore, no one believer is “holier than thou.” There are no degrees of holiness, only degrees of maturity in Christ. You can be a new Christian and still be absolutely holy in Jesus. So it’s foolish to measure yourself against someone you picture as being “holy.” We are all measured by one standard: the holiness of Christ. And if we are in him, his holiness is ours in equal measure.

You can never again look at another Christian and say, “Oh, I wish I were as holy as he is.” You may not have that person’s discipline or his prayer life; you may struggle more often and make more mistakes than he does. But he is no more accepted by the Father than you are. You are to compare yourself to no one, because no one is more loved in the eyes of the Father than you!

Dear saint, take off your shoes. Put off all reliance on your flesh. Here is the ground upon which you’re to live: “I claim my holiness, which is in Christ Jesus. I am part of his body. And my Father sees me as holy because I abide in him.”

Sunday Morning Homilies 04.10.11

2011-04-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ex 20:4: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

Idolatry is banned by the first commandment, whereas the second commandment prohibits worship of such images. Man can only approach God on God’s terms and there can be no mediation between God and man except that which is ordered by God. As Rushdoony wrote, The purpose of idols is to convey abstract concepts to simple minds. Whenever man begins to establish his own approach to God, he ends up establishing his own will, his own lusts, and finally himself as God. If man’s terms to approach God are defined by man, then the terms of man’s life and direction are dictated also by man. The only way to approach God is by His terms.

What is Idolatry?

The opposite of worship is idolatry. Every human being—at every moment of their life, today and into eternity—is unceasingly doing either the former or the latter. On this point N. T. Wright says,

Christians are not defined by skin colour, by gender, by geographical location, or even, shockingly, by their good behaviour. Nor are they defined by the particular type of religious feelings they may have. They are defined in terms of the god they worship. That’s why we say the Creed at the heart of our regular liturgies: we are defined as the people who believe in this god. All other definitions of the church are open to distortion. We need theology, we need doctrine, because if we don’t have it something else will come in to take its place. And any other defining marks of the church will move us in the direction of idolatry.

Worship is a biblically faithful understanding of God combined with a biblically faithful response to him. Conversely, idolatry is an unbiblical, unfaithful understanding of God, and/or an unbiblical, unfaithful response to him.
Don't believe the hype

Underlying idolatry is the lie. In John 8:44 Jesus describes Satan as “the father of lies.” The lie in its various forms says that you are god, you can become a god, you are a part of god, you are worthy of worship as a god, you can be the source of your own life’s identity and meaning, you can transform yourself, and you can transform the world and its sin problem as a sort of hero/savior. The answer, therefore, is not to look outward to God for identity, meaning, insight, and salvation. Rather, the answer is to look inward to self for identity, meaning, insight, and personal liberation. The answer, the lie says, is to be found in me rather than in a Creator God who is separate from me and who rules over me. Helpful in this inward process are such things as drugs, trances, yoga, meditation, self-esteem, self-actualization, self-improvement, and self-help, all of which allow a person to go inward for peace, harmony, and enlightenment, it is said, by enabling him or her to experience oneness with the divine consciousness.
Exchanging the truth for the lie

Echoing Jesus, Paul examines worship and idolatry brilliantly in Romans 1:18–32 by contrasting the “lie” of idolatry and the “truth” of worship. His thesis statement on all of this is Romans 1:25, which speaks of idolaters who “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”
The truth is what we will call two-ism. Two-ism is the biblical doctrine that the Creator and creation are separate and that creation is subject to the Creator. Visually, you can think of this in terms of two circles, with one being God the Creator and the other containing all of his creation.

The lie is what we will call one-ism. One-ism is the pagan and idolatrous doctrine that there is no distinction between Creator and creation, and/or a denial that there is a Creator. The materialistic form of one-ism is atheism. Spiritual one-ism is also often called the New Age, New Spirituality, or Integrative Spirituality
Idolatry is internal

While idolatry manifests itself externally, it originates internally. This is first revealed in Ezekiel 14:1–8 as God rebukes the elders of Israel who “have taken their idols into their hearts.” Indeed, before someone sees an idol with their eyes, holds it with their hands, or speaks of it with their lips they have taken it into their heart. What this means is that they have violated the first two of the Ten Commandments choosing something as a functional god they long for in their heart, and then worshipping it by their words and deeds.

“

If you have a heart that can expect of Him nothing but what is good, especially in want and distress, and that, moreover, renounces and forsakes everything that is not God, then you have the only true God.
”

Martin Luther’s insights on idolatry—that idolatry begins in the heart of the worshiper—are among the most perceptive the world has ever known. Luther says,

Many a one thinks that he has God and everything in abundance when he has money and possessions; he trusts in them and boasts of them with such firmness and assurance as to care for no one. Lo, such a man also has a god, Mammon by name, i.e., money and possessions, on which he sets all his heart, and which is also the most common idol on earth. … So, too, whoever trusts and boasts that he possesses great skill, prudence, power, favor, friendship, and honor has also a god, but not this true and only God…Therefore I repeat that the chief explanation of this point is that to have a god is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts. … Thus it is with all idolatry; for it consists not merely in erecting an image and worshiping it, but rather in the heart. … Ask and examine your heart diligently, and you will find whether it cleaves to God alone or not. If you have a heart that can expect of Him nothing but what is good, especially in want and distress, and that, moreover, renounces and forsakes everything that is not God, then you have the only true God. If, on the contrary, it cleaves to anything else, of which it expects more good and help than of God, and does not take refuge in Him, but in adversity flees from Him, then you have an idol, another god.

Ways to avoid idolatry

For those wanting to avoid idolatry, the following insights might be helpful:

* Be careful of making a good thing, such as marriage, sex, children, health, success, or financial stability, an ultimate thing, or what Jesus called our “treasure.”
* Avoid participating in any religious community where the clear truth claims of Scripture are ignored while contemplative and mystical practices are favored simply for their spiritual experience.
* Be careful of any church or ministry wherein acts of mercy and environmental stewardship are devoid of a theology of the cross and wind up being little more than the worship of created people and things.
* And be careful not to worship a good thing as a god thing for that is a bad thing.

04.03.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-04-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Rev 2:24: But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put on you none other burden.

Localizing sin in a class, group, or people leads to Phariseeism. It becomes not a problem of Christ vs. fallen humanity, but us against ther evil world. Moreover, too often false views of the world’s problems have us study evil as an outside or alien problem, us against them. Our Lord warns against the study of “the depths of Satan,” or “the deep things of Satan,” so the study of conspiracies is off limits for Christians. The law-word of God, the bible, not Satantic conspiracies, must be our study. We win by God’s grace, not by the knowledge of evil. Too many people who call themselves Christians can tell you more about conspiracies than about the word of God; this is evil. We need to have a biblical perspective on good and evil lest we become evil ourselves.

Exegetical look into Revelation 2: 24-29

This church had the same problem as did Pergamos with compromising as well as rationalizing their actions as OK. They sought both sin and Christ, not caring or realizing that the two cannot co-exist. We are called to overcome; and when we do, because we are capable of overcoming with His empowerment, we will be blessed and powerfully used for Christ’s glory.

· Her teaching…Satan’s so-called deep secrets possibly refers to an early Gnostic teaching, that says that for us to defeat evil, we have to physically fight with Satan and steal back a secret word of knowledge that unlocks a higher level of being. And, also to defeat evil, we have to experience evil deeply. This is a very twisted mindset (Acts 15:28-29)!

· I will not impose any other burden on you. We do not need to add works to our faith for salvation; rather, we are called to be faithful in response to what He has done for us.

· Hold on…I will give authority is a quote from various Psalms that teaches the promise God gives us, the promise of a Messiah Who was fulfilled in Christ, and that He is in control. This also refers to putting on God’s armor so we can fight temptations and flee from evil; we evade the lusts of our heart and world by running from it, not toward it (Eph. 6:11-18; James. 3:15, 17; 4:4, 7-10)!

· Until I come refers to God’s impeding judgment to this church, not necessarily to His “second coming.” This is used to argue a position that Christ has already come, the “Full Preterist” view. However, it more likely means you will not bear the judgment, as “when I come” refers to the judgment of chastisement, not final judgment. This is also a commendation to those who remained faithful and were not drawn to the lure of Jezebel.

· I will give authority over the nations, a quote from Psalm 2:8-9, refers that we partake in His authority and rule as His representatives and holders of His promise. This also means that Jesus is Sovereign and greater than any nation, government, power, or authority (Matt. 25:21-23; Luke 19:17; 1 Cor. 15:41; Col. 1).

· Morning star referred to the planet Venus, and was a depiction in Judaism meaning the advent of dawn or a new day or age. This is also a name for Jesus‘ first coming, messiahship, and, in this passage, His radiance and glory. It also alludes to the kingship of Israel and refers to His Second Coming. The pagans believed that people’s lives were ruled by the stars. This testifies that Jesus is the Ruler, not the stars. Jesus is giving Himself to us (Num. 24:17; Psalm 84:11; Mal. 4:2; 2 Peter 1:12-21; Rev. 2:28; 22:16; 22:16)!

· He will rule them refers to being a caring shepherd, and at the same time, God’s strength, authority, and right to rule (Rev. 12:5; 19:15).

03.27.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-03-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6:10 Thy Kingdom come...

The Lord has placed in our hands, as the church, the present state of the kingdom. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." In the next verse or so Jesus says, "I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven." So the church is the entrance into the kingdom. It is Peter confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah that is the rock upon which the church is built, and that is the entrance into the kingdom. Apparently. for all the coming requests to be honored we need to have the issue of His kingdom settled in our hearts: "May Your kingdom come into my heart. May You reign over my heart; not anything else—not gross passions, not selfishness, not worldliness, not desire, but may You be the monarch of my heart. You who are the ruler of Your kingdom, establish Your kingdom here, as it is already established there in the inner dimension of the Spirit, the unseen world of the Spirit." If one prays "thy kingdom come" then it is the same as saying "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." I believe there's a reason for the order in which Jesus suggested we pray. If we say "give us this day our daily bread," it is supposed to be pre-established that we have asked Gods will for our lives...hence, he will feed us according to the plan that he has laid out for us. So, whether its bread or steak, it depends on what Gods will is for you. IMHO

Thy Kingdom Come by John MacArthur

Your Kingdom...let it happen, let it come. How? I'll give you three ways it happens. Number one, through salvation...through salvation. The Kingdom grows one soul at a time. I don't think in history we know that the Reformers, I don't think all understood this, they were trying to turn nations into kingdoms. There are still people today who see the physical, visible, earthly church and a denomination as equal to the Kingdom of God. They're not. The Kingdom of God is not an earthly structure, even if it's religious and called Christian. The Kingdom of God is a realm of souls ruled by Christ. So when you say "Your Kingdom come," it's a missionary prayer. So you're saying this, "Okay, You're my Father, You care, You're wise, You have all the resources, You're also holy and You're going to do what's right, Father, here's my number one request, whatever advances Your Kingdom one soul at a time, do that." Can we submit all of our will to that? Can we say, "I might have my desires, I might have my ambition, my goals, my agendas, the purposes, things I'd like to do, but, Lord, only if...only if that is the best way that I can be used to see sinners converted." When we sing, "King of my life, I crown Thee now," the next line, "Thine shall the glory be." You're my King, it's Your glory I desire. Lord, advance Your Kingdom. "Joy to the World" we're going to sing in a few weeks, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king." What does that mean? "Let every heart prepare Him room." That's how the Kingdom grows, "And heaven and nature sing." Every heart prepares Him room. The Kingdom advances one soul at a time. So you're asking the question, "Lord, what can I do in the way I live my life in the example that I set, in the focus and direction of my life, in the priorities of my life, in the message I speak, in the witness I give to bring souls into Your Kingdom?" That's how it advances, through evangelism. It is a prayer then for sinners to be converted. It's like the instruction that the Apostle Paul gave to Timothy, "God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." And so, I want men in every place to pray, pray for the salvation of sinners. Go out there like Matthew 22 says, in the highways and byways and find strangers and bring them in to the wonderful banquet that the Father is giving for His Son. Tell sinners that they have to repent to come in, repent, repent, Jesus said, so did John the Baptist, for the Kingdom is at hand. Turn from your way, turn from your will, turn from your sin, turn from your self-sovereignty and embrace the lordship of Jesus Christ and receive His salvation. This is what we do, this is why we live...for the advancement of the Kingdom, one soul at a time.

And it's not an easy thing. There's a real struggle, a real battle for that sovereign control. Jesus said no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God. Once you make the decision, it's over, you go forward. Put your hand to the plow and go back, you're not in My Kingdom. You take the plow and you move ahead, transformed, made new.

Secondly, the Kingdom comes not only through salvation but through sanctification. It comes through sanctification.

In other words, the Kingdom advances not only by adding people to the Hallelujah Chorus, winning people to Christ, it advances by my own continual constant increasing submission to His lordship. So I'm saying, "May the Kingdom come in the lives of others and may Your Kingdom come in my life as well." Have you noticed how easy it is for you to rise up and take the authority in your life? Or to give it to some other human being? To let some other human dominate you, or to dominate yourself with your own will, have you noticed how hard it is to stay on the altar and not crawl off and take over? Paul nailed in Romans 14:17 when he said, "For the Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." It's not just the salvation of souls, it's righteousness, peace and joy through the Spirit in my life. So may Your Kingdom come beyond me one soul at a time and may it come in me in expanding devotion to those things that are righteous and bring peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It comes then through sanctification.

There's a third way in which the Kingdom comes, and with this I'll close. It comes through salvation, that's how you come into the Kingdom. It grows through sanctification, that's how the Kingdom takes over more and more of your life. And finally, it consummates in the Second Coming...the Second Coming. When you say, "Your Kingdom come," you're praying for Jesus to come back. You're praying for the Lord to come, "Thy Kingdom come, O God, Thy rule, O Christ, begin. Break with Thine iron rod the tyrannies of sin." We understand that. "How long, O Lord, are You going to let this go on? Lord Jesus, come back. Stop the sinning in this world. Stop the mockery and the reproach on Your name. Stop the blasphemy. Take over." We look for the day when Jesus shall reign where ere the Son does its successive journeys run. His Kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moon shall wax and wane no more. We long for the day when Jesus reigns and rules the world." If you ask me what is your greatest single desire? I would have to say, and so would you as a believer, the greatest desire that I have is that Jesus would come and set up His promised Kingdom. John said it at the end of Revelation, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus...come." The day will arrive when He will come, He will gather His church. He will bring horrific judgment on the world. And then He will establish the glory of His thousand-year millennial Kingdom. His feet will come down, hit the Mount of Olives, change the geography of the land of Israel. He will reign for a thousand years there with the saints who come back with Him, reigning with Him. His knowledge and wisdom will fill the whole earth, He will rule with a rod of iron. And we will have the Kingdoms of this world becoming the Kingdoms of our God and of our Christ. There will be a thousand years in which Satan will be chained and Christ will totally rule the world. At the end of that time, the universe as we know it disintegrates, God creates a new heaven and a new earth which is the eternal Kingdom in which we will dwell forever.

03.20.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-03-20T09:32:00.001-07:00

Ex 2:23: Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

The turning to God in desperate prayer is all too often not a last hope but a confession of no hope. A story is told of a terrified lady saying to the captain as the ship was buffeted by a terrible storm, Is there any hope Captain?” His reply was “Our only hope is God.” Turning even paler, she gasped “Are things really that bad?” The very fact that Christians are apt to speak of marvelous answers to prayers indicates how often they are expecting very little.

The Prayer Tree: Effective Prayer - The Prayer that Avails Much

I have a feeling that if I were a dog I would be a bulldog. If a bulldog gets hold of something in his vice grip jaws he simply will not let it go. When a person is like that it is sometimes called "stubborn" on the negative side or "tenacious" on the positive side. Let's say I can sometimes be "tenacious."

Many years ago the following scripture captured my imagination; "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16b) I have been pondering and chewing on that verse ever since. I want effective prayers! I want prayers that avail much! But the scripture doesn't exactly tell what an effective prayer is. It's like God is saying; "an effective prayer is very effective." Well I need more information.

I don't want to waste my time with ineffectual prayers. Prayer is hard. I don't want to wander around in some prayer mall for hours and hope I'll meander into the right store - the one called "ANSWERS TO PRAYERS R US". To me an effective prayer is one that produces results: answers.

One of the original prayers I prayed and wrote down in my journal back in 1988 was this: "God, I don't want to waste my time on prayers that don't work. Teach me what the effective prayer is; teach me how to pray it." I have learned over time something about the meaning of the prayer that "avails much." I'm still learning but I will share with you at least three things I think go into praying a prayer that is effective. But be careful; God can't be put in a box and I don't want to reduce this teaching to some three step formula.
Find out God's will in the matter and pray in agreement with him.

Sometimes we have already decided OUR will in a matter and we are trying to get God into agreement with us. Or we assume what God would want to do in a situation. The scripture gives us this hope and comfort: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (I John 5:14)

To really find God's will is not always easy; this is where we need the "Passion" side of prayer - that intimacy with our Lord where we know him so well we know what he is thinking. I will admit to you that there are going to be times when even after the best of our ability we will not know exactly what God's will is regarding our issue. When this is the case we can pray in agreement with what we know God's character is and we can pray based on the principles established in his Word. It is possible to have effective answered prayer without knowing God's will but when you have the advantage of knowing you have a sure thing.
Desperate prayers are effective prayers.

The scripture in James 5:16 itself provides a key to effective prayer when it uses the word "fervent." "The effective, FERVENT prayer of a righteous man avails much." A prayer quote that I like very much says; "Our prayers must mean something to us if they are to mean anything to God." Think of Hannah in the Old Testament. (See 1 Samuel 1:8-20) Hannah was barren and she was desperate to have a child. The scripture describes her as having bitterness of soul and of weeping in anguish. Her situation had been going on for years until she was so serious about her request that she made a very difficult vow to the Lord. She vowed that if God would give her a male child she would give him back to the Lord. The child would be put in God's service for full time ministry for his entire life. The answer to Hannah's prayer ended up being Samuel, one of the greatest prophetic voices in the Old Testament and the man who anointed Israel's first kings.

The scripture is full of other examples of such desperate prayers. It is in desperation that God sees how serious we are about what we are asking. We find that out too. You can't usually conjure up desperation. Some prayers grow more desperate over time and these are usually the ones that meet with the success that Hannah had. The desperate prayer pays a great price but produces a great pay off.
The effective prayer is enduring.

This one is a real toughie. "Enduring" is a code word for "waiting." The effective prayer does not give up when there seems to be zero results but continues to pray and believe for an answer no matter how much time it takes. One of the most difficult things I have personally had to come to terms with as a Christian is that God's timeframe is so different from mine. The bulldog spirit is helpful at such times; you just continue to go after it until you get it. Jesus told a parable specifically designed to encourage people to keep on asking until the results come in. It's called "The Parable of the Persistent Widow" in Luke 18:1-8. In it he acknowledges that some things are going to take time but that God expects and encourages us to continue and that we will see results AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Sometimes God has a whole lot of background stuff to do in order to get the answer ready to come to fruition.

It is a great promise of scripture that our prayers can avail much. We can pray and get answers. There is such a thing as effective prayer. If you are like me, you want to pray in such a way as to see those results. I'd like to speak a blessing over your prayer life right now that your prayers would dramatically increase in effectiveness from this day forward. I pray that God would give you new insight into how to pray, why to pray and when to pray for maximum effectiveness. Go forth now and make a difference for the kingdom of God!

3.13.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-03-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:7-11: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

We cannot take this text out of context. These words follow Matthew 6:33, and is followed by vs 15-20 which require good fruits from all believers. We cannot take precedence over God and His kingdom. We are not the center of all things.

Prayer is appointed means for obtaining what we need. Pray, pray often; make a business out of prayer; be serious and earnest in it. Ask, as a beggar asks alms. Ask, as a traveler asks the way. Seek, as for a thing of value that is lost; or as the mechanism that seeks fine pearls. Knock, as he that desires to enter into the house knocks at the door. Whatever you pray for, according to the promise, s46shall be given, if God see it fit for you, and what would you have more? All are alike welcome to the throne of grace, if they come in faith. Parents are often foolishly fond, but God is all-wise; he knows what is best for us. Let us never suppose our hevaenly Father would bid us pray, and than refuse to hear, or give us what would be harmful.

Intercessary Prayer

Intercession In the Bible

The Bible has many cases of people standing up for others before God. The most striking example is Abraham. He took the initiative to step forward before God on behalf of his neighbors in Sodom and its area. He cared enough to do it, even though he knew how thoroughly wicked Sodom was, and knew how furious God was about it (which explains why he was so careful in speaking to God about it). Moses also stepped in when God was angry, standing in the gap in the most literal sense : offering his own life for that of his nation. (Thankfully, God didn't take him up on the offer.) It was part of the role of a prophet not just to speak what God speaks, but to speak with God for the people of Israel. A fine example is the exchange between the prophet Habakkuk and God, where the prophet asks for God to act against injustice, but God replies about a coming doom. Isaiah prayed with King Hezekiah to save the nation from defeat and destruction at the hands of Assyria, and the armies were suddenly turned back (see Isaiah ch. 36-39). The master builder Nehemiah prayed to God to bring about the rebuilding of Jerusalem and of his people. As they took their concerns to God, the key motivation behind these giants of faith was compassion. They loved the people, the culture, the faith with a love like God's love, and it burned in them so much that they dared to take on God on their behalf. Unlike the gods of the lore of most other lands, this God did not zap them with lightning or turn them into half-beasts. God listened to their cries -- not by ignoring the wrongdoings which got the divine wrath kindled in the first place, but by saving at least some of the people and bringing them back to where they belonged.

The New Testament has its cases of intercessory prayer. Jesus was the prime example of an intercessor. He interceded in prayer for God to bless and protect His followers. At the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Indeed, His whole life, His whole reason for being born, was to be a living intercession, a giving of His life to span the rift caused by our rebellion against God. Others followed Jesus' example. Stephen's last words were an intercession on behalf of those who were killing him. Paul prayed constantly for the struggling young church, for character, behavior, witness, and wisdom. It is Paul's regular intercession for the church and its people which sets the usual pattern for our own intercessory prayers. And Epaphras was the 'prayer wrestler' for the church in Colossae.

Even at its earliest, the young church was praying for people: for safe travel, praying that people might know Christ through other peoples' witness, praying for healing and health, for rescue, for wisdom, for childbirth, for spiritual growth, for marriages -- asking God to bring benefit or blessing to people other than themselves. The others were not always beloved; they prayed for their political leaders, some of whom were out to kill them. But they knew their God was merciful and was intimately involved with what was going on in the world. And they knew they were called by God to share in that involvement.

3.6.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-03-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

Col 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

The testimony of Stephen took this to the extreme when as he was dying said ““Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And Saul (Paul) was a witness to this. Taking a little liberality in translating I think that Paul, who himself was a persecutor of Christians at that time, saw in Stephen a man who just forgave the people who were killing him. I mean, what kind of man does such a thing? Well, it was Paul who wrote this letter to the Colossians. Paul understood that an average religious zealot would have cried out “Let God avenge thee.” Stephen did not. NONE of the religious people who were stoning him “deserved” forgiveness. But…it is a very rare exception that anyone we NEED to forgive deserves it either. That is what makes forgiveness so powerful. It frees ourselves and is a powerful testimony for the ages…..you NEVER know who may be watching you…

Includes Mary Karen Read's last words in her journal entry before her death at the Virginia tech shooting.

When God Forgives Our Sins, He Totally Forgets About Them

My home computer has really been acting kind of crazy lately. It would reboot itself when I checked my e-mail and at other times it would just inexplicably crash or shut down.

I asked a friend about it and he told me that I had so many corrupt files on my hard drive that the operating system was getting confused. He recommended that I back up all my data and reformat my hard drive. In other words, remove the operating system, all of the programs, and re-install everything.

It took most of a day to get it done, but my friend’s advice produced a miracle. It works like a charm now. All of my problems have disappeared.

As I thought about my life as an unbeliever, I realized that I used to be just as confused as my computer. I had a state-of-the-art operating system, one that the God had given me, but it just wouldn’t work with a corrupt lifestyle. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew that if didn’t do something soon, I, too, would crash.

Thank God I had a friend who knew what was wrong with me. She helped me understand that God had not programmed me to live the kind of life I was living and that the lifestyle choices I had made were killing me. The more I listened to her, the more sense she made.

I realized that hope was just a prayer away when she opened God’s Word and showed me some verses. For the first time in my life, I saw myself in those words and understood that the answers to all my problems really were in that Book. Indeed, I had finally found the Owner’s Manual.

Salvation is still the greatest miracle I have ever seen. I look in the mirror today and pretty much see the same man I saw ten years ago, but inside I am changed. Corruption has given way to righteousness. I am no longer confused about where life’s taking me. My operating system is now working the way that God intended it to work.

All those bad files that were making my computer do some crazy things are now gone. When I performed a clean install, they were replaced with good files. In fact, my computer doesn’t even remember that it ever had even one corrupt file.

Salvation’s the same way. When God comes in, he replaces everything, too—A clean install. And guess what? He doesn’t remember one single sin. In fact His Word says that they’ve been forgotten just as if they’ve been cast into the deep blue sea.

The point is this: If you know someone who is about to crash, whose life is heading down the wrong road, say something to him. Help him (or her) to understand that there are answers to life’s ills. Reassure them that there’s nothing wrong with their operating system. It’s working just as it is designed, but has a few bad files.

Let them know that there really are instructions available to repair their broken life. And that if they will follow them, they, too can one day look in the mirror and thank God for the greatest miracle of all.

Kansas Union Lobbyist Banned From House Gallery

2011-03-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

Union Lobbyist Banned From House Gallery

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas House Speaker Mike O'Neal has banned a lobbyist from the House gallery for the rest of the legislative session for taking part in a demonstration there during a vote last week.

O'Neal said Friday he took the action against Kansas AFL-CIO lobbyist Bruce Tunnell because of Tunnell's active participation in a disruption in the gallery.

O'Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, says he's also barring Tunnell from his office and that of the majority leader behind the House chamber.

Tunnell did not immediately return a telephone and e-mail message seeking comment.

Tunnell was among dozens of union members who protested a bill last week to bar labor organizations from automatically deducting money from members' paychecks to finance political activities.

2.27.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-02-27T08:42:00.001-08:00

Acts 1:8: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

There are two Greek words in the New Testament, both which are rendered by our word “power.” The one refers to power in the sense of rule or authority and the other means ability, strength, or force. It is the latter of those that are used here. We are not to think that the Spirit came into existence here for the first time. It is possible for a power to always exist but for men to experience or take it as some given moment. For instance, men did not invent atomic power. It has always existed; but only in our time have men tapped into it.

Acts 1:8, You will be My Witnesses

by Matt Slick

"And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Is this verse for you now? Yes. Same Spirit, same Lord, same need. Do you need power when witnessing to unbelievers? Acts 1:8 is a promise from Jesus that you will not be left empty handed when sharing the truth of Christ's love and sacrifice for sinners.

1. You will received Power
1. What power?
1. The power that comes from the Spirit of God.
2. The power that opened the eyes of the blind, and the hearts of unbelievers. The power that raised the dead. The Power that comes from God Himself.
3. This is the power that is promised to those who wait on God and to follow Him because it is of God, from God, for the redeemed.... it is
4. ...the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in you and can abide upon you.
2. Power to do what?
1. In this context, it is the power of God for the disciples to be able to preach the word and perform signs and miracles as a testimony to the power and authority of God's saving gospel.
2. It is the power to speak the word of God
1. Swap meet ministry and the movement of the Spirit.
3. Power to understand the word of God
1. Sudden and profound illumination of God's word.
4. Power to experience God in a fuller way.
1. A more intimate relationship, hearing His voice, knowing His will.
5. Power to see your sin and repent of it
1. Stan and I were talking about revival....
3. Jesus did His miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1. He began His miracles after His baptism.
1. He entered the Melchizedek priesthood at the age of 30......
2. Blasphemy of the Spirit was speaking against the Holy Spirit.
1. Matt. 12:22-32 the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing His miracles by the power of the devil....
4. You are not powerful in yourself?
1. You are the creature.
2. You are sinful
3. You are powerless.
4. Therefore, you need the power of God to carry out His will, not your own.
5. How do you get this power?
1. Prayer: In Acts 4:31, after prayer, the Holy Spirit filled the room that the apostles were praying in.
2. Laying on of hands: "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying" (Acts 19:6).
3. Obedience: "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him," (Acts 5:32)
2. When do you receive this power? When the Holy Spirit Comes upon you.
1. You must first be cleansed by Jesus before you can be indwelt by the Spirit.
1. Before you fill a cup you clean it, otherwise it is not suitable for use.
2. Are you cleansed? Are you saved?
1. Two areas to look at here.
1. Justification: Guarantees the Holy Spirit IN you.
2. Sanctification: often results in the Holy Spirit UPON you.
3. What are some of the signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit IN you?
1. A desire to hear God's word. A desire for repentance, turning from sin, A desire to love others. An increase in your knowledge and understanding of God. And, of course, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, etc.
4. What are some of the signs of the Holy Spirit UPON you?
1. Manifestation of spiritual gifts as is evidenced in Acts.
2. Speaking in tongues and exalting God.
1. "And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God" (Acts 10:45-46).
3. Prophesying
1. I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:18).
4. Profound Repentance
1. "And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" 18 And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life," (Acts 11:15-18).
5. Speaking the word of God with boldness
1. "And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31).
3. What is the purpose of this power? To be Witnesses for Jesus.
1. "...but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses..."
2. Not your own witness.
1. Not "The Church of Matt's Witnesses..."
2. Not "The Witnessing Church of Bob...."
3. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks... and when the Holy Spirit is in and upon you, you shall speak of Jesus.
1. John 15:26 says, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me."
4. What kind of a witness are you now?
1. A friend of mine who "used to be a Christian" once told me of the reasons he had lost faith in Christianity. Recently, he told me of the day he concluded that Christianity wasn't true. He and a friend were riding his bicycles up a mountain road in a heavy downpour. They decided to thumb a ride instead of risking a downhill run on a mountain road in the cold rain. A huge motor home pulled up and the driver asked them what the problem was. They told him of their situation and he said he'd would like to help them but he was going to church and didn't have the time........ Later, a beat-up old station wagon with a Mexican family in it stopped and picked them up.
2. The witness of that motor home driver helped my friend to fall from Christianity.
3. Some might think that that was a small thing, a minor instance and shouldn't make or break Christianity. But, in the heart of someone who is doubting, nothing done by a Christian is small and timing can be everything.
5. What kind of a witness are you?
4. Finally, Jesus tells us where you are to be a Witness for Him: Everywhere.
1. The text speaks of their present location: Jerusalem.
1. For you it is where you live.
2. Then it speaks of the local area
1. For you it might by the county you live in.
3. Then it speaks of the world
4. It is easy, sometimes, to be a witness for Him only a church or among our friends who are also Christians. It gets difficult when we have to stand for Jesus when things can be inconvenient. .... but, the Holy Spirit overrides our feelings, fears, and faults and moves us to sacrifice in love to fellow man and obedience to God.
5. Escondido needs your witness of Jesus.
6. You have been commissioned.

Conclusion

It is the Holy Spirit that gives you the power, the strength, the boldness, ability, and the confidence to be witnesses for Jesus. You can't do it on your own.

Kansas Union Protesters Rudely disrupt House Vote on Union Bill

2011-02-25T21:08:00.001-08:00
The bill in question prohibits automatically deducting donations to unions’ political action committees from workers’ paychecks. Workers may still contribute, but not automatically. This bill does not prohibit unions from accepting contributions for political activity, although it makes it likely that contributions may decline, as union members will have to take active steps to contribute.

Unions disrupt Kansas Legislature

2011-02-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

Unions disrupt Kansas Legislature

At today’s session of the Kansas House of Representatives, however, we’ve seen that it can happen. There union members were evicted from the House chamber for their noisy and rude protests.

According to reporting by Martin Hawver: “The Kansas House this morning — for the first time in decades — was interrupted by shouting from the balcony by opponents of the bill that would prohibit employers from providing union political action committee checkoff on paychecks.”

Hawver also reported that the group made “tasteless remarks about female legislators who supported the bill.”

The bill in question prohibits automatically deducting donations to unions’ political action committees from workers’ paychecks. Workers may still contribute, but not automatically.

Deaths in Christchurch quake, say police

2011-02-21T17:56:00.000-08:00
Deaths in Christchurch quake, say police
Christchurch was hit by the 6.3 magnitude earthquake at 12.51pm (1051 AEDT) on Tuesday, 20km southeast of the city at a depth of 5km.

It's the second major quake to hit the city, following the 7.1 earthquake on September 4 last year. Noone was killed in the first quake.

2.20.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-02-20T09:43:00.001-08:00

Rom 1:22: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Folly (“their senseless minds” in verse 21) implies moral obtuseness rather than mere deficiency. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, v. 22. This looks black upon the philosophers, the pretenders to wisdom and professors of it. Those that had the most luxuriant fancy, in framing to themselves the idea of a God, fell into the most gross and absurd conceits: and it was the just punishment of their pride and self-conceitedness. It has been observed that the most refined nations, that made the greatest show of wisdom, were the arrantest fools in religion. The barbarians adored the sun and moon, which of all others was the most specious idolatry; while the learned Egyptians worshipped an ox and an onion. The Grecians, who excelled them in wisdom, adored diseases and human passions. The Romans, the wisest of all, worshipped the furies. And at this day the poor Americans worship the thunder; while the ingenious Chinese adore the devil. Thus the world by wisdom knew not God, 1 Co. 1:21. As a profession of wisdom is an aggravation of folly, so a proud conceit of wisdom is the cause of a great deal of folly. Hence we read of few philosophers who were converted to Christianity; and Paul’s preaching was no where so laughed at and ridiculed as among the learned Athenians, Acts 17:18-32. Phaskontes einai-conceiting themselves to be wise. The plain truth of the being of God would not content them; they thought themselves above that, and so fell into the greatest errors.

Professing Themselves to Be Wise

In his letter to the saints at Rome, Paul wrote about the idolatry that engulfed the Gentiles. Men had been given opportunity to know God, but "they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things" (Rom. 1:21-23).

1. Some profess to know that God does not exist. A few years ago Charles Smith, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, was one of this nation's champions of "no-God-ism." Later, Mrs. Madalyn Murray O'Hair gained the dubious distinction of being the chief voice crying in America that there is no God. While disavowing communism, she has sown the seeds of the same brand of atheism that prevails in communist countries.

If there is no God, how did intelligent life originate? How could an impersonal force produce a personal being? How could that which neither thinks nor wills produce that which thinks and wills? How could lifeless matter ever by chance grouping of the particles produce that which is not matter, a soul? How could that which has no self-consciousness, and consequently no purpose, ever produce that which is self-conscious and which shows the. result of purpose? How could that which has neither life, consciousness, intelligence, nor morality produce a living, conscious, intelligent, moral being?

The individual who claims to know that there is no God is placing man, the thing made, above the Maker. Atheism is the fruit of human conceit. People turn to atheism because they are unwilling to admit that there is wisdom greater than that found in human intelligence. The Bible is right when it says, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God" (Psa. 14:1).

2. Some profess to sit in judgment on the word of God. It never ceases to amaze me that there are men who claim to believe God, and claim to accept the Bible as God's revelation, yet they are constantly pronouncing judgment on God's decrees. For example, the Bible plainly reveals that the wicked will be cast into hell, the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (Mk. 9:43-48; Rev. 20:10, 15; 21:8).. Some profess themselves to be so wise that they pronounce the doctrine of eternal punishment as "unjust" and "contrary to the nature of God." They evidently feel that they know more about how God ought to handle the wicked than He knows. How absurd that puny man should exalt his wisdom above the wisdom of God!

3. Some profess to be wise above that which is written. Paul told the Corinthians that they needed to learn "not to think of men above that which is written," or to use the wording of the New American Standard Bible, "not to exceed what is written" (1 Cor. 4:6). Some people are just sure that it pleases God to accompany the singing in worship with the playing of musical instruments. It is not so written in the New Testament. If it is, where is the passage? Others are positive in their minds that sprinkling will suffice for baptism. It is not so written in the Bible. They are exceeding what is written. And others insist that burning incense is perfectly lawful as a part of our devotion to God. But where does the New Testament authorize us to burn incense to God?

4. Some profess to know that God's word does not mean what it says. Men have argued that "water" in John 3:5 means everything imaginable except water. One woman told me that "water" means "the word" in that passage. I asked her if that is what "water" means in Acts 8:38 where Philip and the eunuch "went down both into the water." She replied, "Well, that could mean that they were both digging down deep into the word." I guess that is supposed to mean that Philip figuratively immersed the eunuch in one of those "in-depth" studies that some preachers talk about!

Some religionists maintain that "one body" in Eph. 4:4 does not really mean that the Lord has only one, church.Yet Paul identified the body as the church in that same letter (Eph. 1:22,23). They would sooner believe that "one body" means three hundred bodies than to believe that it means just what it says.

5. Some profess to know all the answers. No question is too complex or difficult. They have an answer for every inquiry. How can they profess themselves to be so wise? The Bible does not answer every curious questfon that man might frame. There are some things undisclosed, and these secret things belong to God (Deut. 29:29). It is the part of wisdom and humility for man to admit his limitations of knowledge.

Men often become fools by professing themselves to be wise.

Kansas Supports Personhood

2011-02-15T07:20:00.001-08:00

Kansas House Passes Health Care Freedom Amendment

2011-02-11T14:51:00.000-08:00

The Kansas House has passed the Health Care Freedom Amendment (HCR 5007) on a vote of 91 to 27. HCR 5007 preserves the freedom of Kansans to make health care insurance decisions without being subjected to government mandates. And contrary to what some opponents are saying, the Health Care Freedom Amendment would not deny any Kansan from participating in a given plan. Rather, it secures the fundamental right of Kansans to make their own health decision.

The Kansas House was widely expected to approve the measure, which passed the 125-member body Thursday by a vote of 93-26.

2.6.11 Sunday Morning Homilies

2011-02-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

Lev 10:3: Then Moses said to Aaron, This is it that the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

Theres lots of lessons to be gleaned from the Old Testament. Nadib and Abihu come to mind. All they seem to have wanted to do was offer something to the Lord. However...it was not commanded of them and had a bad end. They "offered profane fire before the Lord which he had not commanded them" (Lev 10:1). It was a two-fold error:

* Profanity: They offered to God something profane, something not sanctified or made holy, something ordinary and unconsecrated.
* Presumption: They presumed to do something in worship before God which God had not commanded them to do.

And then there's Uzzah who, with good intentions probably, simply wanted to keep the ark from tipping and was struck dead for his effort. When Uzzah touched the Ark of the Covenant, God’s anger burned against him for “his irreverent act” (2 Samuel 6:7). This Ark was so sacred that even the high priest was prohibited from entering the Most Holy Place if the Tabernacle that housed the Ark of the Covenant except on the Day of Atonement: “The LORD said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover” (Leviticus 16:2). Whenever one encounters the Ark of the Covenant, one encounters the presence of God. Uzzah could not plead ignorance. He committed an act of treason against God. His touching the Ark of God was an act of clear rebellion.

Moses explained in words from God(Lev 10:3): By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.

It may be a hard reality for the most zealous and passionate Christians, but they (we) need to realize that God is HOLY. We are NOT Holy. All the good intentions we can muster may not bring us closer to God. Jesus did not mince words when he said "It is Finished." Thats supposed to be the good news!!!

Something to note about Moses words from God is that it gives one of the best explanations of what it means to glorify God: I must be regarded as Holy!. Passing out flyers, arguing doctrine, wearing the WWJD bracelet may or may not be the best way to regard God as Holy. I mean, think about it, if I was God and my people all wore WWJD bracelets...would I be impressed or glorified? Or have I become a fashion statement? OK, now I am not condemning those things...at least not yet. But I think we need to think about it. Glorifying God is regarding Him as Holy.
And, as always,

What then is true practical holiness?
a) Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God's judgement-hating what He hates-loving what He loves-and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word. He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man.

b) A holy man will endeavour to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment. He will have a decided bent of mind toward God, a hearty desire to do His will-a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all His ways. He will feel what Paul felt when he said, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Rom. 7:22), and what David felt when he said, "I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:128).

c) A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him, and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labour to have the mind that was in Him, and to be "conformed to His image" (Rom. 8:29). It will be his aim to bear with and forgive others, even as Christ forgave us-to be unselfish, even as Christ pleased not Himself-to walk in love, even as Christ loved us-to be lowly-minded and humble, even as Christ made Himself of no reputation and humbled Himself. He will remember that Christ was a faithful witness for the truth-that He came not to do His own will-that it was His meat and drink to do His Father's will-that He would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others-that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults-that He thought more of godly poor men than of kings-that He was full of love and compassion to sinners-that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin-that He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it-that He went about doing good-that He was separate from worldly people-that He continued instant in prayer-that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way when God's work was to be done. These things a holy man will try to remember. By them he will endeavour to shape his course in life. He will lay to heart the saying of John, "He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6); and the saying of Peter, that "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21). Happy is he who has learned to make Christ his "all", both for salvation and example! Much time would be saved, and much sin prevented, if men would oftener ask themselves the question, "What would Christ have said and done, if He were in my place?"

d) A holy man will follow after meekness, long-suffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue. He will bear much, forbear much, overlook much, and be slow to talk of standing on his rights. We see a bright example of this in the behaviour of David when Shimei cursed him-and of Moses when Aaron and Miriam spake against him (2 Sam. 16:10; Num. 12:3).

e) A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial. He will labour to mortify the desires of his body-to crucify his flesh with his affections and lusts-to curb his passions-to restrain his carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose. Oh, what a word is that of the Lord Jesus to the Apostles, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life" (Luke 21:34); and that of the Apostle Paul, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Cor. 9:27).

f) A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness. He will endeavour to observe the golden rule of doing as he would have men do to him, and speaking as he would have men speak to him. He will be full of affection towards his brethren-towards their bodies, their property, their characters, their feelings, their souls. "He that loveth another," says Paul, "hath fulfilled the law" (Rom. 13:8). He will abhor all lying, slandering, backbiting, cheating, dishonesty, and unfair dealing, even in the least things. The shekel and cubit of the sanctuary were larger than those in common use. He will strive to adorn his religion by all his outward demeanour, and to make it lovely and beautiful in the eyes of all around him. Alas, what condemning words are the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, and the Sermon on the Mount, when laid alongside the conduct of many professing Christians!

g) A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others. He will not stand all the day idle. He will not be content with doing no harm-he will try to do good. He will strive to be useful in his day and generation, and to lessen the spiritual wants and misery around him, as far as he can. Such was Dorcas, "full of good works and almsdeeds, which she did,"-not merely purposed and talked about, but did. Such an one was Paul: "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you," he says, "though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved" (Acts 9:36; 2 Cor. 12:15).

h) A holy man will follow after purity of heart. He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it. He knows his own heart is like tinder, and will diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation. Who shall dare to talk of strength when David can fall? There is many a hint to be gleaned from the ceremonial law. Under it the man who only touched a bone, or a dead body, or a grave, or a diseased person, became at once unclean in the sight of God. And these things were emblems and figures. Few Christians are ever too watchful and too particular about this point.

i) A holy man will follow after the fear of God. I do not mean the fear of a slave, who only works because he is afraid of punishment, and would be idle if he did not dread discovery. I mean rather the fear of a child, who wishes to live and move as if he was always before his father's face, because he loves him. What a noble example Nehemiah gives us of this! When he became Governor at Jerusalem he might have been chargeable to the Jews and required of them money for his support. The former Governors had done so. There was none to blame him if he did. But he says, "So did not I, because of the fear of God" (Neh. 5:15).

j) A holy man will follow after humility. He will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself. He will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world. He will understand something of Abraham's feeling, when he says, "I am dust and ashes;"-and Jacob's, when he says, "I am less than the least of all Thy mercies;"-and Job's, when he says, "I am vile;"-and Paul's, when he says, "I am chief of sinners." Holy Bradford, that faithful martyr of Christ, would sometimes finish his letters with these words, "A most miserable sinner, John Bradford." Good old Mr. Grimshaw's last words, when he lay on his death-bed, were these, "Here goes an unprofitable servant."

k) A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life. He will try, not merely to fill his place as well as others who take no thought for their souls, but even better, because he has higher motives, and more help than they. Those words of Paul should never be forgotten, "Whatever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord,"-"Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord" (Col. 3:23; Rom. 12:11). Holy persons should aim at doing everything well, and should be ashamed of allowing themselves to do anything ill if they can help it. Like Daniel, they should seek to give no "occasion" against themselves, except "concerning the law of their God" (Dan. 6:5). They should strive to be good husbands and good wives, good neighbours, good friends, good subjects, good in private and good in public, good in the place of business and good by their firesides. Holiness is worth little indeed, if it does not bear this kind of fruit. The Lord Jesus puts a searching question to His people, when He says, "What do ye more than others?" (Mt. 5:47).

l) Last, but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual mindedness. He will endeavour to set his affections entirely on things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand. He will not neglect the business of the life that now is; but the first place in his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to come. He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven, and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim travelling to his home. To commune with God in prayer, in the Bible, and in the assembly of His people-these things will be the holy man's chiefest enjoyments. He will value every thing and place and company, just in proportion as it draws him nearer to God. He will enter into something of David's feeling, when he says, "My soul followeth hard after Thee." "Thou art my portion" (Psalm 63:8; 119:57).

1989 Kansas Honey Queen: Shannon Nelson

2011-02-05T20:03:00.000-08:00
I found an old brochure from the Kansas Honey Producers Association Ladies Auxiliary which had some honey recipes which the brochure said was from the 1989 Kansas Honey Queen. Apparently this made her eligible to run for the 1990 American Honey Queen title. That's all the information I found. But, in 1989 she got to "travel throughout the state of Kansas promoting honey and the beekeeping industry." Kansas can be driven across in less then a day north to south or east to west, so maybe they made her walk:-)

If Punxatawney Phil sees his shadow there wil be six more weeks of Oprah

2011-02-02T12:02:00.001-08:00

Kansas Wind Chill Warning AND Morning Drive

2011-02-02T08:44:00.000-08:00
Wind Chill Warning AND Morning Drive- UPDATED AT 6:00AM

..WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER
STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

* TIMING...SNOW HAS ENDED ACROSS THE AREA WITH TEMPERATURES
CONTINUING TO FALL INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS.

* WINDS...NORTH WINDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH WILL
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT INTO THE MORNING HOURS. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO
PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

* IMPACTS...BITTERLY COLD ARCTIC AIR COMBINED WITH THE BRISK NORTH
WINDS WILL RESULT IN LOWEST WIND CHILL INDICES OF 23 TO 27
DEGREES BELOW ZERO TONIGHT THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ON
WEDNESDAY.

Kansas State of Disaster Emergency Declaration

2011-02-01T07:13:00.001-08:00
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- From Release:

In anticipation of the severe winter storm forecasted to hit the state, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback signed a State of Disaster Emergency Declaration effective at 6 a.m. Tuesday, February 1, 2011. The declaration activates the disaster response and recovery portions of the Kansas Response Plan, authorizing state resources and funds to expedite emergency assistance statewide.

“We have learned from past experience that we can’t wait for the storm to hit before we respond,” Gov. Brownback said. “We need to anticipate the storm’s impact and pre-position our resources where they are likely to be the most effective.”

The Governor urged Kansans to also prepare the winter storm’s impact on their community and if they would be traveling.

“We ask Kansans to be extremely careful as this storm moves across the state. Ice, snow and bitterly cold temperatures will make for very dangerous conditions. Planning ahead could save your life and that of your family,” Brownback said.

The Kansas Division of Emergency Management activated the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Topeka to a “Watch Level” with 24/7 staffing at 7 a.m. Monday. The SEOC will be raised to partial activation Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. which means representatives from a number of the state’s public safety and first responder agencies will be in the SEOC monitoring the storm as it progresses and coordinating response efforts.

“We are ready to assist counties across the state if local entities are overwhelmed and need support,” Brownback said.

53 Kansas counties are named in the declaration as areas likely to be affected. They are: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, and Wyandotte Counties.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

2011-01-31T20:06:00.001-08:00

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Kansas woman trying to restrict what is posted on memorial websites

2011-01-23T12:47:00.000-08:00
Kansas woman trying to restrict what is posted on memorial websites | KTKA.com

Karla O'Malley was moved to act after the Christmas Eve accident in Overland Park. O'Malley happened upon the accident and comforted 17-year-old Travis Storm McAfee of Fort Smith, Ark., who later died. O'Malley says she was outraged to see someone had posted mean-spirited comments on a memorial page that McAfee's friends created to honor him

--It's too bad that so much time is wasted by making an effort to create some kind of law. The blame for the comments rests in the hands of the creator of the memorial board. The easy method is to just not do business with any "memorial site" that does not moderate comments. This is, after all, the internet. O'Malley is unwittingly asking for internet legislation which can set precedents toward censorship. ---Zorek

Pump prices around $3 may look like a bargain by spring

2011-01-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

Pump prices around $3 may look like a bargain by spring - KSNT.com - News, Weather, Sports - Topeka, Kansas

The average price of gallon of gas is already over $3, but analysts say that may seem like a bargain in a couple months.

Wichita’s Last Link With The Holocaust Has Died

2011-01-20T10:07:00.000-08:00
Wichita’s Last Link With The Holocaust Has Died

Esther Zelman Moses, who spent two years in the Auschwitz Concentration camp in World War II passed away last night. She was an iconic figure at her clothing store, names for her father, on East Douglas. Zelman’s Clothing was a long-time East Douglas business.

Many Wichitian’s knew her as she sat in her chair in front of the store during the warm months. She met her husband in a liberation camp after she was liberated from Auschwitz.

Coming to Wichita in the 1940’s she raised he family here, but became an East Douglas icon because of her experiences.

"98% of the adults in this country are decent, hard-working, honest Americans. It's the other lousy 2% that get all the publicity.

2011-01-17T09:25:00.000-08:00
But then--we elected them" -Lily Tomlin

Kansas Senate President Tapped For NCSL Post

2011-01-17T08:27:00.000-08:00

Kan. Senate President Tapped For NCSL Post

Kansas Senate President Steve Morris is the new president-elect of the National Council of State Legislatures, replacing fellow Kansan, former state Rep. Melvin Neufeld.