Christmas Greetings 2017

Christmas Greetings!

It does not seem like three years have passed since our last “Christmas Greetings” newsletter but here we are on the verge of the year 2018! The challenge now is to recall some of the events that may interest you and considering that the memory is the second thing to go as one ages this should prove to be fun! We could review all the fun and activities we experience living here in The Villages (TV) but someone near and dear does not want to hear about TV so I will try to avoid that subject - yeah sure. 

The sad part of life is losing a family member long before expected and last December we said good bye to my younger brother Tommy. Of the seven siblings he was number 5 and as children we used to rib Tommy about being the only “southpaw” and then later in life how much he resembled the “old man”! Of course now we take credit for instilling in him a great sense of humor and a loving, caring disposition.  Semper Fi Tommy!

What has become a much anticipated event is the annual Tracey Family reunion of which, thankfully, continued this year! Typically we opt for a location different from the previous year yet near one of the family member’s home so they can host the gathering, but it was held here again because of the range of activities and attractions around the Orlando area and especially here in The Villages (oops, I mentioned TV again)! Something to do for all the age groups even if one wants to do nothing but enjoy time with the grandkids. Now that our oldest grandchild is preparing to enter the college world in 2018, future family reunions may pose a greater challenge to amass the troops at the same time in the same place for the same reason!

                                  

Another annual event that Patty & I look forward to is the Military Ball hosted by the Retired Military Family Group. It’s a great evening of pomp and circumstance, with food, fun and dancing, shared by those that served our country in any of the U.S. military branches. There was no one kneeling in protest at this grand patriotic gathering. Although not required, it’s great to don the uniform again, especially without alterations to make it fit (ha)!

Home is where our church is and for us we found our place at Calvary Chapel Villages (CCV). This past year CCV separated itself from Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale and became a planted church, totally dependent upon God’s grace for its existence and purpose. Patty and I both answered callings to

serve with Patty singing in the choir and greeting attendees while I am enjoying my role as a Deacon. 2017 found us in a new facility with ample room for fellowship, ministries, and of course the popular “breaking of bread” pot luck dinners. Although today our facility is outside The Villages (oops again) property line, soon enough there will be a multimodal bridge built adjacent to us which will allow Villagers to drive golf carts here to church! How cool is that?

Oh yeah, then there was Hurricane Irma which, for us, was more worry than wind, thank God!

Looking forward to 2018, our desire is to continue traveling to visit family and friends which includes a trip(s) to CT to visit with MomT as she approaches her 95^th year. Of course staying healthy and fit is our new lifestyle because the alternative is not conducive to our plans. Our humble abode is always open to visitors so if you find yourself near The Villages (last time I will mention TV), be sure to stop in and visit for awhile.

In closing we wish you a

 

Blessed Christmas

 and a happy, healthy 2018!

http://allenmichaelsblog.blogspot.com/

Matthew 2:11 (Biblical Healing III)

Matthew 2:11
(Part Three in a series of Biblical Healing teachings)



“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him:

 gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Before we investigate the Biblical healing properties contained within this verse of Matthew’s, I must vent some and my attention is directed to anyone that professes to hold Biblical truth yet perpetuates the myth that there were three wise men and that they were present at the birth of Jesus.  

 Let’s look at a typical Christmas Nativity scene:

As the question goes, what is wrong with this picture, and as always, we must trust God’s holy word to provide the answer. 

 Matthew 2:1. “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,”

 Key word “after” not “when”; and one must also consider when and from where the wise men started their journey:

 Matthew 2:2.saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

 Important here is that the wise men first saw the star and then traveled afterwards from the East. Considering that travel on ELAL airlines would have been difficult back then, camels could not have made that journey in a few hours, or days, or weeks, or months, but perhaps years taking into consideration travel preparation, shopping lines at Wal-Mart, and finally a courtesy visit to King Herod before completing their trek to Bethlehem.”

 Matthew 2:7-8. “Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem….”  

 Finally the wise men reach their destination:

 Matthew 2:11. “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Another key word being “young”, not infant. Some speculate that Jesus was around two years of age but again, speculation is not necessarily truth.

So, according to God’s Word, the wise men should not be included in a nativity scene nor should there be an assumption of “three” wise men, Yes, Matt 2:11 alludes to three gifts presented but no reference to the number of wise men present. Three is a logical deduction, maybe, but not Biblically supported! 

OK, I am done venting for now!  Thanks for being patient with me; it’s just a “bug-a-boo” of mine! (there is actually a definition for bug-a-boo)

Now let’s look at what we came here for:

“gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

(Because this article is the second of an anticipated series of articles, I recommend that you refer back to “Biblical Healing I” and read the clarifications presented on essential oils, inflammation, Gas Chromatography, and my most important (legal) disclaimer. To further clarify, I am not a medical doctor, nor do I hold any type of licensed nutritionist degree or certification, but I have slept at a Holiday Inn! Else, I am just an ordinary soul seeking truth and capitalizing on the knowledge of those that are most qualified in the fields of nutrition, health, and in God’s Word.)

When I read the accounts in Matthew 2 pertaining to the gifts from the Magi, I questioned the significance of gold, frankincense, and myrrh in relation to their recipient, Jesus, the Messiah. Why these elements and why recorded in scripture for us to know centuries later?

Nothing in the Holy Bible addresses the purpose of the three gifts from the Magi, but historical and traditional accounts offer a few suggestions. For example, according to the Biblical Archaeology Society, these valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil.

On a more symbolic nature, scholars think that these three elements were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself—gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming. (Ref: Biblical History Daily)

Yet another interpretation suggests that these gifts were of a healing nature whereas frankincense greatly inhibits inflammation (there is that word again); Myrrh used for antiseptic / antibiotic. Gold, you ask? How does gold fit into healing remedies? Well, I have my own (yes, I can think independently) thought on gold pertaining to Matt 2:11! Just be patient.

As an interesting side note, we know that Jesus fulfilled 351 Old Testament Prophecies.  In the Book of Isaiah, when describing Jerusalem’s restoration, Isaiah tells of nations and kings who will come and “bring gold and frankincense and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).

Not in the order presented above let’s start with:

Frankincense:

Mentioned 23 times in the Holy Bible (NIV):

Applications for Frankincense E.O. (ref: my.draxe.com/essential-oils)

 

• Stress Relieving Bath Soak
• Natural Household Cleaner
• Natural Hygiene Product
• Anti-Aging; Wrinkle Fighter
• Relieves symptoms of Indigestion
• Scar, Wound, Stretch Mark, or Acne Remedy
• Natural Cold or Flu Medicine
• Anti-Cancer Applications
• Relieves Inflammation and Pain

(As a reminder from my Biblical Healing I blog post, “Basically everything from a cough to cancer finds its origins from inflammation”.)

Myrrh:

Mentioned 18 times in the Holy Bible (NIV):

Applications for Myrrh E.O. (ref: my.draxe.com/essential-oils)

• Potent anti-oxidant
• Anti-cancer benefits
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-fungal
• Anti-parasitic
• Skin health
• Relaxation agents

(Note to reader: Different Bible translations may disagree on the number of times an “oil” is mentioned, probably due to the similarities of the plant extracts and/or their duplicity in application. That is my guess and I am sticking with that!)

Now we come to “gold” and this is where the fun starts. As mentioned above, according to the Biblical Archaeology Society, gold was a precious metal and symbolically, gold represented kingship. However, as one would surmise, gold possesses no healing properties. Right?

Well, maybe not right!

(I enjoy studying the Holy Bible using the “Inductive” study methodology through inductive reasoning - the attempt to use information about a specific situation to draw a conclusion. Simply, the Inductive steps are: observation (what does it say?), interpretation (what does it mean as defined?), and application (how does it pertain back then and perhaps today?). In today’s vernacular, it (God’s Word) is what it is and nothing else. If a word or thought cannot be defined then it is left at that, undefined. Inductive keeps guess-work out of interpretation.)

So here is my thought process: Like most people I accepted the assumption that the gold mentioned in Matthew 2:11 was the precious metal that we call gold. However, as my journey led me more into the world of Biblical / Natural healing the fact that gold, being a metal, while Frankincense and Myrrh, being plant-based, did not balance with me, so I did some “inductive” research. I found that the Hebrew word for gold is Mikhreh zahav, and the Greek word for gold is χρυσός/chrysós. Unique with the Hebrew and Greek languages is that that rarely do these languages have words with more than one meaning, unlike the English language. Further investigation revealed that regardless of gold metal or gold color, the Hebrew and Greek words are the same, that is, there are not different words distinguishing gold (metal) from gold (color). This finding was significant to me because it meant that perhaps the gold could be a precious plant-based item which would compliment the other two plant-based items, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Yes, I already had something in mind as I pursued into this discovery and that something was turmeric, or its derivative curcumin. Why Turmeric? Well, there is the correlation that it is golden in color which translates to either Mikhreh zahav or χρυσός/chrysós, but that alone is a weak argument by itself, so let’s look at the health applications for turmeric. You could Google this yourself but I did the work for you and according to “dailynaturalremedies.com”, the major benefits of turmeric (or curcumin) are:

• It’s an anti-inflammatory (there is that word again)
• It’s a powerful antioxidant
• It improves brain function
• It can help depression
• Eases arthritis
• It can be used to treat cancer
• It reduces the risk of heart disease
• Slows the process of aging
• Helps manage insulin levels
• It’s easy to incorporate into your diet (unlike Frankincense and Myrrh)

So, what is my point?

Well, what my point is not is that I am not trying to convince you that the word “gold” in Matthew 2:11 is actually a plant and not a precious metal. As I described about the inductive study method “If a word or thought cannot be defined then it is left at that, undefined.” Therefore, all we are left with an interesting quandary.

However, what my point, or pursuit of this lengthy dialogue is… if young Jesus was presented with “golden” Turmeric, Frankincense and Myrrh, then He would presumably be gifted with the three elements that could prevent, or cure, any sickness or disease known to mankind. Because of that possibility, for me, turmeric is more the logical gift over gold because good health is priceless!

As with most Bible studies, one is incomplete unless we can try to wean what was learned from scripture and apply it to the here and now. The same holds for this “Bible study” as I offer you this application.

Think of all the illnesses, diseases, or medical conditions that you have endured or are currently suffering through. Now think of all the medications that you have taken of are currently exposed to with their detrimental side effects. What if, now, what if … pure speculation … you could substitute man’s chemicals with God’s creation and experience real healing?

Do you believe?

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Exodus 30:22-25 (Biblical Healing IV)

Exodus 30:22-25
(Part Four in a series of Biblical Healing teachings)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels(1) of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin(3) of olive oil. Make these into a sacred anointing(2) oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.

It will be the sacred anointing oil.”

For much of my early “Bible reading life”, when I ran across passages such as Exodus 30:22-25, I would quickly peruse and jump to the next verse that I could perhaps understand without the aid of translation. Truth is, Leviticus is one of my favorite “peruse” books in the Bible with all its rules and specifications! Perhaps one day I will be led back to Leviticus as I am now being led to learn what the Holy Spirit is telling me about Biblical healing.

For decades my journey has focused me on health and all that health encompasses. It started a long time ago when I read a statement that “milk is bad for you”! My response was very defensive in favor of milk being a healthy commodity because I was told that my whole life, at least up to that point - milk is healthy and builds strong bones! Do you remember those TV commercials and media ads. How about the white moustache! Fond memories for sure, but all lies and deceit because milk (processed cow’s milk) is actually very bad for the human body. Do the research or check out www.notmilk.com for starters because I am taking this conversation back to Biblical healing.

 Another clarification is that I will be referring to “essential oils” as the modern day equivalent to the oils mentioned in the Holy Bible. The current day process of extracting oils from plants did not exist back in the Biblical times. Instead, to remedy, the sap of a plant, its resin, the aroma of the whole leaf/plant, or brewed as in a tea, were the administration techniques employed then. Herbal teas and aromatherapy should be familiar terms to you which have been carried down over the centuries but perhaps we do not quite look at them as having healing properties that they actually possess.

 One more piece of information that we all must understand before we put the pieces together. The word “inflammation” appears a lot for one critical reason - and I cannot stress this enough for our understanding of healing properties. INFLAMMATION is the root cause of all diseases! I did not make that up, those are not my words, that is not my educated guess, but rather that of modern scientific research. Again, do the research as I did.

Basically everything from a cough to cancer finds its origins from inflammation. Why? Because inflammation either creates or is born in an acidic environment in which disease thrives. Again, not my knowledge base but from countless medical and scientific professionals across the world and through the ages, disease, such as cancer, cannot exist in an alkaline environment. It’s that simple yet vastly complex. Just to add a note here – food for thought - I have also learned that every time you take prescription medicine you add to the acidity level in your body, but almost without exception, every time you consume a plant-based (God creation) element you reduce your acidic level! Hmmm.

OK, no more clarifications but you will find below my disclaimer to protect me from governing agencies that don’t like the “truth” be told.

Let’s now breakdown the individual elements Exodus 30:22-25 to understand how they are considered by God as “sacred annointing oils”.

Six oils are mentioned, five specific and one general: balsam, myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant reed, cassia, and olive oil. Of these six, Myrrh and olive oil should be familiar to all as myrrh was presented to young Jesus by the Wise men (Matthew 2:11) else mentioned 17 times in the NKJV; and one does not have to be Italian to recognize olive oil mentioned 8 times as “olive oil” but 221 times as “oil” in the NKJV.

Oops, another clarification. To truly understand the healing authorities of essential oils one must investigate the scientific chemical breakdown of each element to realize that this is not modern-age babble but “real stuff” here! The process of essential oil analysis is called “Gas Chromatography” which, well, just Google it! Credit below goes to numerous internet sources, too numerous to bore you with, but I can recommend some sites to you on an individual basis.

Now we are almost ready. The applications below are not, by any means, limited to what is presented. We are just hitting the highlights.

• Balsam Oil: Fights sore throats and respiratory infections, fatigue, muscle aches and arthritis. Used topically to treat wounds, ulcers, and hemorrhoids (good to know). Considered an anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, stimulant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, with expectant qualities.
• Myrrh: Mentioned 18 times in the Holy Bible (NIV). Potent anti-oxidant, anti-cancer benefits, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, skin health, and relaxation agents. 
• Cinnamon Oil: Anti-oxidant, digestive aid, blood sugar stabilizer, blood circulation booster, combats cardiovascular diseases, fights infections, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory (remember discussion above), anti-platelet, anti-viral (immunity enhancement), relieves depression, stimulates libido (good to know too), and diabetes.
• Fragrant Reed: OK, this can be any one of many fragrances that most you are familiar with, such as lavender, vanilla, cedar wood, rosemary, hyssop, etc,. Pick one such as Hyssop: The health benefits of Hyssop essential oil can be attributed to its properties as an astringent, stimulant, anti-Spasmodic, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, carminative, scar tissue healing, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue (menstrual flow stimulant), expectorant, hypertensive, nervine, induces sweating, tonic, febrifuge, vermifuge (destroy parasitic intestinal worms), and wound healing substance. That is a lot of good stuff! BTW, if hyssop sounds familiar, look at Exodus 12:22, otherwise mentioned 12 times NKJV.
• Cassia: Similar benefits to cinnamon but also treats diarrhea, relieves menstrual symptoms and arthritis, fights bacteria (the bad kind), astringent, bug repellent, diabetes. 
• Olive Oil: Considered one of the most important foods in the Bible, which holds true for us today. (Just beware of fake olive oils!) Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, heart healing/fights heart disease,  macronutrients, depression, brain health, fights dementia, free radicals, skin health, anti-cancer, balances hormones, fights mood disorders. Note: Coconut oil is a great substitute for olive oil.

Again, we are just touching the surface here but perhaps you can understand why God considered this small piece of His creation as “sacred anointing oil” and if you read the verses immediately following Ex30:25 you would note that this oil blend was used to “anoint” every object in the temple, probably to purify every surface from any contaminant or bacteria. Better than any anti-bacterial spray sold today!

So what does this mean for us today. What can we take away from Exodus 30 or from other healing/sanctifying oil reference in the Holy Bible? Good question, what is your answer? Should we follow God’s provisions or man’s? Is there evidence in the Holy Bible that should cause us to pause before we pop another pill? Does sin also come in the form of poor healthy habits? If we trust our soul to God, can we trust our body to Him also? You decide!

   

Disclaimer (I borrowed from the Internet):

The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general information purposes only. I make no representation and assume no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained in or available through this article, and such information is subject to change without notice. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained from or through this web site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical condition or treatment with your physician. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS ARTICLE.  

 In Christ alone we trust.

Notes:

(1) Shekel: weight, the common standard both of weight and value among the Hebrews. It is estimated at 220 English grains, or a little more than half an ounce avoirdupois (a system of weights based on a pound of 16 ounces)

(2) Anointing: The Hebrew word for anointing means to rub or massage a person with oil. This meant using healing oils of the Bible, not vegetable oil to bless that person on a physical and spiritual basis. True anointing is another lost art and science. Jesus’ feet were anointed with oil several times in the Bible with spikenard (see Luke 7:36-50 and John 12:1-8). (excerpt from: http://www.experience-essential-oils.com/healing-oils-of-the-bible.html)

(3) Hin: an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure equal to about one and one half gallons (5.7 liters).

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Church

Church....

When you hear the word "church", what image comes to your mind? For some, church means a building, a structure, or a particular place where people gather for religious purposes. For example, the church on the corner.

For others, church represents a denomination, or a non-denominational sect that identifies what particular religious tenets an institution professes. For example, they attend the Protestant Church.

And still for others the word church invokes as assemblage for prayer, worship, or some form of organized rituals recognizing God, or some higher being. Example: They attended a Catholic mass.

Yet for others, church differentiates a Christian belief from a Jewish (Synagogue), or from a Mormon Temple, or from a Muslim mosque.  

But what should the word "church" mean for believers and followers of Christ Jesus? Well, the best resource for any question regarding matters of faith is to rely solely upon the Word of God - the Holy Bible. The New Testament (Greek) word for church/assembly is "ekklēsia": (in Latin it's spelled - Ecclesia). 

The original "church" had no specific building or location for believers to attend. Wherever they gathered to worship the Risen Christ was their church (ekklēsia) whether that was in someone's home, or in the street, or even in a Jewish Temple. Church simply meant worship with fellow believers. There was only one "denomination" - Jesus; There was only one to worship - Jesus; there was only one belief - Jesus.

Interesting to note that the first recorded use of the term "Christian" is found in the New Testament, in Acts 11:26: "[...] the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The second mention of the term follows in Acts 26:28: "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." The third and final New Testament reference to the term is in 1 Peter 4:16: "Yet if [any man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

So if Christians are to be united together today in worship then we should all be in one accordance that "church" means a gathering together to worship Jesus: "And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.  And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life." (1 John 5:20)

However, Satan, over the past two thousand plus years, has managed to separate, divide, confuse, diminish, minimize and trivialize the worship of our Savior through rules, conditions, laws, rituals, and traditions established by man; substituting God's Word with man's dominance through His Church. 

Too many people today believe that they are true Christian believers, followers of God's Word, disciples of Jesus Christ, when in reality they are lost sheep following a wolf in sheep's clothing (Satan). A quick search on the internet will reveal that there are over 41,000 different Christian denominations in the world. Can they all be right - NO! Are they all wrong - NO! Which are right and which are wrong? That is the correct question and the correct answer has eternal consequences. 

A few years ago I relocated to another state and decided that this move provided the perfect opportunity for me to find a true, Christian church.  Prior to my move, I was already being led by the Holy Spirit away from a denominational church that I attended since childhood.  Over the course of many years I grew very skeptical of this church and its tenets because its corporate teachings and traditional rites and ceremonies directly countered what the Holy Bible was teaching me. I could not reconcile the differences, hence my faith in the church's teachings were nulled by its open opposition to God's Word. 

Because of what this "denominational" church taught me, I feared God and I was plagued by guilt.  It seemed that I could never do enough, or the right things, to please God.  I was driven to achieve perfection in everything.  There were so many rules, conditions, and other unattainable criteria I was taught that God demanded before He would love me. 

But, when I met the real Christ Jesus, I discovered the truth about God's loving forgiveness through the scriptures and through my new relationship with His Son. So now I live free of guilt and confident of who I am.  But of greatest importance, I know who God is and I know that He loves me even though I am still a sinner.

I realized that it was the church that was keeping me as a hostage from God's undeniable love and that it created a barrier shielding everyone from Biblical truth. 

The Holy Spirit eventually led me to a body of believers that possessed and professed the following attributes within their church body:

1. God Fearing

 “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent." Acts 13:26

2. Jesus Seeking

"Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!" 1 Chronicles 16:11

3. Spirit Driven

 "By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit." 1 John 4:13

4. Bible Believing

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

5. Fellowship Bonding

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

So during my journey to find a Christ-Centered church, I assembled a short set of criteria to which I used to determine if a potential church was a candidate for further consideration. Most of the time this information was immediately available on the individual church's website page under its Vision Statement or Creed or in its Mission Statement. Simply enough, once it failed any of the following questions I stopped right there, exited the website, and continued my search elsewhere. 

If a church stated that one must do any of the following then I kept looking for another church:

- Must join the church
- Must tithe
- Must be baptized in this church
- Must speak in tongue
- Must be voted on (by anyone) to belong
- Must (fill in the blanks)


One must not have to do anything except have a desire to follow Christ Jesus, because Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead and on the third day He rose again when He ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father....
 
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)


If God, through His only Begotten Son, did all this for us sinners, and He only asks that we believe in His Son, Christ Jesus, then what gives any "church" the authority to ask anymore from us than what God asks?

What does your church ask of you?

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For Atheists Only

 

What is it about Christianity that scares you?

Obviously it does else you would not get so defensive or act so vehemently against a simple Google or Facebook posting, or when you encounter the name of God or Jesus in the public square.

What about other entities that you don't believe in - do you get this way to those that believe or endorse the concept of a Santa Claus, or an Easter Bunny, or even against Satanists? Probably not, so why the vile attitude against Jesus believers?

It's because deep inside you know that there is a God and you think that you can curse Him away, but He was, He is, and He will always be.

And He loves you because you are His creation. 

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.  Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

(Romans 8:5-8)

 

 

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The Argument over Same-Sex Marriage

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a landmark decision stating that same-sex marriages are protected under the Constitution of the United States and is to be upheld in every state of the union.  While the primary news media is focused on this ruling along with all of the social media outlets, the “elephant in the room” is that the SCOTUS totally overstepped its constitutional authority by absolutely dissolving “States Rights” under the Articles of Confederation and The Tenth Amendment (Amendment X) to the United States Constitution.  The definition and governing of marriage should be a states’ issue and not under Federal jurisdiction, but that is an issue for another time because I want to address another aspect of this ruling that even most Christians are overlooking.

Here is an example of a typical narrative from a Christian to a gay rights proponent regarding same-sex marriage: “You are sinning against God therefore you are going straight to hell”.  Or maybe a bit more subtle approach might sound like: “The Holy Bible condemns same-sex unions or relationships therefore you are violating God’s Will (and you are going straight to hell).”

Fellow Christians, not only are we are not going to win any arguments with this approach, we certainly are not going to lead anyone to Christ this way either.  Why? Because we are presenting an invalid argument if the focus is on sin.

For a moment let’s forget about this “gay-sex” sin and let’s just focus on sin itself. When we change the conversation to generic “sin” we then must include ourselves into the equation because we are all sinners. The “gay-sex” sin is no greater or less of a sin than your sin or mine. We are all sinners, therefore “… all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom 3:23), and “… the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).  But as Christians we firmly believe that Jesus became our sin on the cross and through His death, burial and resurrection, the sin of the world was taken away.

Now, that does not mean that we no longer sin but the good news is that sin is no longer the obstacle to eternal salvation, and because man could never “not sin”, God “… so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). So, it’s not by our sin do we differ but through repentance! “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

On the flip-side of this same-sex marriage argument, the proponents state that this is an issue of love and that anyone should be able to love (marry) whom they please. Then the other tidbit is added to their conversation which is that those who disagree (Christians) are labeled as “haters”! There you go! Then one or both parties will either agree to disagree or they will just walk away forever admonishing the others beliefs with some colorful language added in to make the event more memorable.

It is at this juncture where I believe that Christians have not only lost the civil argument but also have a golden opportunity to reveal the very essence of God’s Love for mankind. It’s not often that Believers get an opportunity such as this to converse face-to-face with non-believers and one of the unintended consequences of the SCOTUS ruling is that this opportunity to share God’s love is now center stage not only in the United States but across the World because the entire World is watching, and discussing, this very subject. However, we appear to be so focused on winning an argument that we lose the opportunity to win souls over to Christ. 

So here is my shocking statement of the moment – the proponents of same-sex marriage are absolutely right when they assert that the issue of same-sex marriage is about love, or at least it should be about love. However, they are wrong when they also assert that those that disagree (Christians) with them about same-sex marriage are haters, because the Christian response is also about love, or at least it should be about love, because it’s all about God’s love. As Jesus reminded us  “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt 5:44).

Many times the gay-marriage supporters will also use scripture within the Holy Bible to admonish Christians that stand against their chosen lifestyle. One favorite tactic is when they chastise us with … “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And yet they conveniently forget the first commandment… “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”.

The truth is that love for God and love for God’s Word is Christian love, or at least it should be! It is because of our love for God, and knowing first-hand God’s love for His creation, that we should not recognize any of man’s laws that violate God’s Law. It is also our love for God that we respond to God’s great commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).

OK, I know that much of this is Christian mumbo-jumbo and that I might as well be speaking in “tongue” if I try to convince a non-believer to believe by employing this tactic. The typical response will be a glassy-eyed look of dismay. So what is one to do?

The simple response to a non-believer is the simple TRUTH. Yes, the stated above is all truth but let’s keep it simple and lay it all on-the-line, or let’s “put all our cards on the table”, or whatever bumper sticker phrase works for you, so here it is, or at least I pray it is!

When a non-believer accuses us of “hate” because we don’t support their stance on same-sex marriage, or perhaps abortion, of perhaps taking prayer out of the classroom, or what ever the sin-of the-day is, remind them just what it is that they are asking a Christian to do. Specifically, we are being asked to love man before we love God; we are being asked to love man’s law over God’s law; we are being asked to violate our beliefs in support of their beliefs; we are being asked to lead them away from eternal salvation instead of leading them towards eternal salvation, and we are being asked to hate everything that we love (God). If that doesn’t put perspective on this issue, then close with “…and you are going straight to hell” (just kidding)!

And, if someone is expecting us to minimize and to trivialize every belief we hold dear to our own being, is that someone expressing love or hate for us?

In closing I repeat from above, – the proponents of same-sex marriage are absolutely right when they assert that the issue of same-sex marriage is about love - because, for them, it is all about violating God’s love for man's love.

“But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him.” (1 John 2:5)

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Going To Church

For most people we have been conditioned to view church as a place that we go to, as in a destination.  While that is certainly a truism, again for most people, the journey appears to end there, at the church, discounting the fact that one must leave the church to go home, for example. 

And while going to church is certainly a welcomed destination, I think that we have the whole process backwards. The current mindset is that we come from the world and go into the church. I am suggesting that we reverse that process whereby we come from the church and go into the world.

You see, if church is perceived as a destination versus a starting point, then everything that we learn in church tends to stay in church because, again, the mindset is that church is the destination. It is the end versus the beginning.

 

But if we perceive church to be the starting point, then when we leave church we take what we have learned into the world because “the world” is now the destination, it is where God intends us to take His Word.

 

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus tells his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit….”  The disciples were commanded to leave The Master, Jesus, and go into the world to make disciples.  

Metaphorically speaking, Jesus was the church while He was on this earth, and from the Book of Acts we also learn that the early followers of the Risen Christ left Jerusalem to spread the message about the Messiah Jesus.  We, therefore, are expected to go from our church and take God’s Word into the world to make disciples.

 

And what is “the church”? For me, the church is anywhere we encounter God’s Word. It can be my Sunday place of worship; a Bible Study meeting; hearing God’s Word from various media sources; fellowship with believers; reading The Holy Bible; time spent in prayer or in our “secret place”; or just time alone with God.

Therefore, let us take God’s church into the world instead of keeping His church all to ourselves.

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