Who are you going to vote for?

 

If anyone has noticed there is an election coming up next week in the USA. You cannot turn on the TV nor look on line at the various news sources and see the intensity of the election campaigning. Jesus had pressure placed on Him to bring back the glory of the political kingdom to Israel. The people had suffered until the horrible hand of the Roman Empire and they wanted relief. Now they had peace, law and order, and even prosperity but they were enslaved to the mighty Roman Empire and occupied by the army of Rome.

 

We may not be occupied by a foreign nation but we have been invaded by pagan religions and godless philosophies. We have been overwhelmed with immorality, crime, covetousness, lying and murder the likes we have not seen in the history of our country. We now want to blame our politicians, our state houses and the White House and Congress. But who placed them in power? Our lack of vigilance and discernment has caused this moral and spiritual decline in our country or countries.

 

One wise person said, “What one generation excuses in moderation the next generation will do in excess.” Where is our responsibility today as citizens of this world and citizens of the kingdom of God?

 

TLS ®

Turned Upside Down Church?

 

I recently read an article by David Pratt, pastor of “The Church of Brookhills”, Birmingham, Alabama. It first caught my eye for two reasons. One, we have been to that church and secondly, we have some good friends who are members there. The article is entitled: “The Radical Experiment: One Year to a Church Turned Upside Down,” by David Pratt. He presents several ideas but the two major ones are very doable for any church. What are they, you ask?

 

Two of the ideas David presents for churches: Praying for the WHOLE world in a year and reading through the WHOLE Bible in a year. There is an incredible guide to praying for the world and it is a book called “Operation World.” It is a wonderful guide full of information about each country and prayer requests. We can as a church purchase these in bulk quantities. Then the next thing is reading through the Bible in a year. Every year I make available these guides for this reason. As I have quoted many times from Romans 10, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God.” We need to be reading and looking into the Word of God.

 

I am wondering if we have some who would be willing to do this and to see this church, Turned Upside Down. There is a cost: Time and the purchase of the book, “Operation World.” There are few churches really being turned upside down but there are some and I would like to see that happen right here, what about you?

 

TLS ®

Marriage, walk and talk

 

As we sit in our hotel room here in Amite, LA, Sandra and I are busy on our laptop computers typing away. She is sitting at the desk and I am in a chair nearby. It is amazing how fast we can click off an email, a message of some sort today and yet our communication skills diminish as we become proficient in texting and Twittering. There are times that Sandra will be in the apartment and I will be in my office right down the hall and she or I will send an email.

 

Then when we get together some times we don’t have anything to say. We are either worded out or there is little or nothing to talk about.

 

We are having married couples in our church having difficulties and it basically stems from the lack of proper communication. They do not know how to simply talk to each other without getting emotionally strung out. I remember when Sandra and I actually started to communicate. We used to jog together and there is not communicating when you are huffing and puffing along the way. One day, while playing a basketball game I tore the cartilage in my right knee and had to have it removed. No more jogging for me, only walking. So we began our walking and then we started talking. Thus we began to discover the art of communication. It was awkward to begin with but eventually we were able to walk, talk and at times pray together. That began about 20 years ago. We have not perfected it but we are better. We still mess up at times but it is better. Walk and talk!

 

TLS ®

Who do you fear the most?

^"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)

 

Reverence of God in His sovereign majesty is a powerful motivation for Christians to serve Him and to be fearless of any earthly, physical consequences that service may bring. The power of human threats seems rather puny in comparison to the power of God's promises.

 

When Hugh Latimer was preaching one day in the presence of King Henry VIII, he reports that he said to himself, "Latimer! Latimer! Remember that the king is here; be careful what you say." Then he said to himself, "Latimer! Latimer! Remember that the King of kings is here; be careful what you do not say." For such unflinching faithfulness Latimer was eventually burned at the stake. But He feared failing God more than he feared offending men.

 

Over a period of some 300 years of terrible persecution, ten generations of Christians dug nearly 600 miles of catacombs beneath and around the city of Rome. Archaeologists estimate that perhaps a total of 4 million bodies were buried there. A common inscription found in the catacombs is the sign of the fish, the Greek word for which (ichthus) was used as an acrostic for "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior." Another common inscription found there is "The Word of God is not bound." During the most prolonged period of persecution in the history of the church, those believers revered God more than they feared man.

 

Since that day, many more millions have given their lives for the cause of Christ. Perhaps as many as 50 million believers were martyred during the Dark Ages, and millions more have been martyred in our own century, largely by communist regimes in Europe, Asia, and Africa. As is said of Lord Lawrence on his memorial in Westminster Abbey, they feared man so little because they feared God so much. In many other countries, state religions prohibit Christian missionary and evangelistic work and seriously restrict worship by those who are already Christians.

 

Many Christians are dying daily at the hands of radical groups throughout the world even to this day. “Fear not be courageous”

 

TLS ®