Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment!

How many people do YOU know who are truly merciful?

Mercy

Once again many groups have responded with bewilderment and a struggle to identify such persons within their circle of relationships. Jesus modeled mercy toward an adulteress about to be stoned. “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” [John. 8:7 NIV] Even at the point of death, Jesus showed mercy toward a thief hanging from an adjacent cross by confirming that, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” [Luke 23:43 NIV]

During the Revolutionary War, the winter of 1777-1778 was particularly brutal. General George Washington and his army were quartered at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The General listened to a very unusual request for mercy. Michael Wittman, a spy, had been sentenced to hang for treason. The night before the scheduled execution, an elderly man, Peter Miller, was given permission to see the commanding officer. In exchange for many previous favors, Miller asked for only one:

I’ve come to ask you to pardon Michael Wittman.”

Washington was taken aback. “Impossible! Wittman has done all in his power to betray us, even offering to join the British and help destroy us.” He shook his head. “In these times we cannot be lenient with traitors; and for that reason I cannot pardon your friend.”

“Friend? [said Miller] He’s no friend of mine. He is my bitterest enemy. He has persecuted me for years. He has even beaten me and spit in my face, knowing full well that I would not strike back. Michael Wittman is no friend of mine!”

Washington was puzzled. “And you still wish me to pardon him?” “I do. I ask it of you as a great personal favor.” “Why?’ “I ask it because Jesus did as much for me.”

Washington turned away and walked into the next room. Soon he returned with a paper on which was written the pardon of Michael Wittman. “My dear friend,” he said to Peter, placing the paper in the old man’s hand. “I thank you for this.”

We often hear the phrase, “That’s not fair.” Did you know that fairness is not a Scriptural concept? Perhaps it is partially because fairness like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. There is no commonly held standard or definition of fairness. Instead, two prominent elements of the character of God are judgment and mercy. Scripture tells us that in situations where judgment and mercy are in opposition, mercy wins. If mercy is such an important and powerful principle, why are many people missing out?

Are YOU truly merciful?

Are YOU more merciful than you were five or ten years ago?

If not, why are you not growing or maturing in such a vitally important godly character trait?

What do YOU think?

“Mercy triumphs over judgment!” [James 2:13/Proverbs 21:13 NIV]

Are YOU truly forgiving? Why not?

How many people do YOU know who are truly forgiving? When confronted, many groups responded as before with puzzled looks as individuals struggled to identify even one such person within his/her circle of relationships.

A man holds a white rock inscribed with a bible verse

In 2006, the Pennsylvania Amish, regarded by many as a bit strange because of their apparent “old fashioned” lifestyle, gave the world an extraordinary lesson in forgiveness. A gunman from a religious home invaded a small Amish schoolhouse shooting ten young girls. Five girls died from the wounds.

At the end of the rampage, the gunman committed suicide. His suicide left behind a widow and his two young children. Despite the horrendous nature of the tragedy, the leaders of the Amish church appeared at the gunman’s home within hours to comfort the gunman’s family and offer their help to the widow in any way she wished. Later the Amish people attended the gunman’s funeral; his widow was invited to attend the Amish funerals. The experience evoked numerous other stories of extraordinary forgiveness.

Many people, including those with a strong faith in God, were astonished at the quickness, generosity, and extent of the Amish people’s forgiveness of the gunman who committed such an unspeakable atrocity. Why did it happen?

Forgiveness is soulfully embedded in the Amish culture. After all, the model prayer, often called The Lord’s Prayer, says in part, “…Forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we also have forgiven our debtors (those who trespass against us)…” [Matthew 6:12 NIV] The passage immediately following the prayer indicates that, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” [Matthew 6:14-15 NIV]

It is the only part of the prayer that is immediately reinforced. It is as if the Lord is saying even if you miss everything else be sure to get the forgiveness thing right. If forgiveness is so important, are many of the rest of us in our Judeo-Christian culture missing something? Those seemingly strange Pennsylvania folks who insist on horse-and-buggy transportation and avoiding modern technology have given the rest of us a truly powerful lesson in forgiveness. What do YOU think? Does YOUR life match their forgiveness? Why not?

Humility is magnetic and godly. Are YOU?

The components of love are expressed as attitudes and specific acts of humility, forgiveness, mercy, long-suffering, and a servant’s spirit. Collectively, the growth of those influences in each person’s life moves him/her toward the perfection of godly character, i.e. maturity.

How many people do YOU know who are truly humble?

Hand holding an empty dish

Many groups have been asked that question. The response has typically been a wave of bewildered looks. Some say they do not know anyone who is truly humble. Others struggle to identify one such person or two at most. Clearly such people are rare in American culture—even in religious cultures. Yet Scripture loudly proclaims, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [James 4:6 NIV/ also Proverbs 3:34 & Psalms 138:6]

The Supreme Commander in Chief is also our supreme role model. He entered this world in a very humble way through a stable manger. He left us in the humblest possible way through a torturous death on a cross and led a continuously humble life in between.

Mother Teresa was one of the best known modern role models of humility. In relative obscurity, she devoted many years to meeting the needs of the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta, India before receiving worldwide recognition late in life. In part, that recognition included a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

The greatest politicians and statesmen, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are known as much for their humility as for their magnificent accomplishments.

Researcher and author Jim Collins, lead a large team that collectively devoted about 15,000 hours to researching the difference between good companies and great companies. The difference they concluded was what they called Level 5 leadership—extreme humility coupled with an unyielding commitment to a vision.

Leaf through a rack of leadership books. Humility is rarely mentioned. Yet it is a vital part of the most effective leadership in any area of life.

How about YOU? Would others say that you are a humble person? Is it a characteristic that you strive to build into your life? Be careful! As soon as you claim humility verbally, you’ve lost it.

But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” [Matthew 19:30 NIV]

“Scientific concepts exist only in the minds of men. Behind these concepts lies the reality which is being revealed to us, but only by the grace of God.” Wernher Bon Braun, “Founder of Rocketry”

Attractive young scientist pipetting.

Modern Science Emerged from Judeo-Christian Tradition

Today, there is a common view that faith and science are in conflict, irreconcilable opposites. The view is a myth, popularized by those who seek to avoid accountability to God and ultimately deny His existence. Actually, modern science emerged from a Judeo-Christian worldview. What happened? It is an amazing story.

 Leonardo da Vinci

            The Middle Ages was not a period devoid of progress. The Middle Ages were not the “Dark Ages.” Actually, the term “Dark Ages was not coined until the 19th Century. During the so-called Middle Ages, Europeans invented spectacles, the mechanical clock, the windmill, the blast furnace, lenses, cameras, and almost all kinds of machinery. In addition, they developed to a far higher level other inventions that originated in the Far East, including the compass, paper, printing, stirrups, and gunpowder.1

The Church has been accused of obstructing of even blocking scientific investigations. The truth is “the Church never supported the idea that the earth is flat, never banned human dissection, never banned the zero, and certainly never burned anyone at the stake for scientific ideas.” During that period, the priests were among the most educated people. They began studies of nature as a way to improve their understanding of God. They taught that God created an orderly universe that was amenable to human understanding, if investigators proceeded in an orderly manner with each generation peeling back successive layers of the cosmic onion. Sir Isaac Newton’s famous quote, “If I have seen a little further, then it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” was actually originated by the theologian Bernard of Chartres (died about 1130). “Science” had a far broader definition at that time.

The word, science is derived from the Latin word scientia meaning knowledge. Science originally included the entire realm of human knowledge, including politics, theology, and philosophy. Theology, the study of God and His relation to man and the world, was known as the queen of the sciences. The study of nature was known as natural philosophy. Emerging as a distinct discipline, science became widely known as the handmaiden of theology (servant). The prevailing view was that mankind could learn about God from two books, the book of nature and the book of revealed knowledge (scriptures). However, human pride is tenacious and easily inflated, especially among those gifted with higher than average intelligence. The ability to reason is itself clearly a gift as well as an important and useful tool to learn about everything in the universe. Faith and reason are a powerful combination for discerning the whole of creation. However, an accumulating array of small, pride-induced compromises within the Church allowed reason to overtake faith and in some cases replace faith in the marketplace of ideas. The trend gave birth to the “Age of Reason.” When reason is not tempered by faith, reason tends to puff pride. Satan has never stopped asking the question, “Did God really say_______?” [Genesis 3:1 NIV] However, placing reason before faith puts mankind in the position of judging God, a fearsome place to be, indeed.

Apostle Paul’s Disciples Condemn Abortion

Barnabas

“You shall not murder a child by abortion, nor kill them when born.” Barnabas, 100 A.D.

“Christians follow the customs of their native lands…they marry and have children, but they never have abortions.” Mathetes, 130 A.D.

Trials and Crosses

This was posted by Sherry, another blogger. This time of year it seems to be very appropriate.

Sherry's avatarOur Joyous Rejoicing!

“You will have your trials and crosses before you will have your crown–and they will not come in the way most suited to your natural wishes. A cross is to be a cross!You will have trials with your church, trials with your family, and trials with the world. But that monster SELF will be your worst trial!Nevertheless, as the sufferings abound, so also the consolations; and as your day is, so your strength shall be.” (William Tiptaft)

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Young Baby Boomers Caught in the Vortex of a Perfect Storm

The greatest cultural collapse in recorded history was energized by the theory of evolution and accelerated by modern technology. The Baby Boomers, born from 1946 – 1964, were caught in a perfect cultural storm. That storm compromised their soul-deep reality systems intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, during their most formative coming-of-age years, the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The resulting cultural drift away from Judeo-Christian tradition created a spiritual vacuum.

Boomers - People of Different Races and Older Age

The Boomer’s deepest yearnings for significance and meaning were unsatisfied or poorly satisfied. Many people attempted to fill their spiritual vacuum by participating in various political movements such as the “protests” of the 1960s and beyond, radical feminism, multiculturalism, and various “rights” movements (abortion, animal, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender). By effectively leveraging the power of mission and vision statements, even the business world learned to evoke significance and meaning in the lives of employees.

The abundance of emerging political movements and advances in business created stiff spiritual competition for the attention of vulnerable Jews and Christians. The results have produced the splintering of the traditional God-created, God-centered family and an increasingly fragmented directionless national culture. The political and cultural power of the Boomers arises from sheer numbers—76 million, greater than any subsequent generation—as well as their high level of activism.

The perfect storm was enabled, in part, because prior to WWII the intellectual skepticism regarding the existence of God and post-modern thinking was limited primarily to a small cadre of campus-cloistered academics. However, their radical thinking was rapidly instilled in the swelling student populations, beginning with the Boomer’s parents who massively used the “G.I. Bill” to finance college educations for post-WWII veterans. After the war, there were substantially more students on university campuses than ever before. Jobs for returning veterans were scarce; pursuing a college education at government expense provided a reasonable alternative.

Evolution was the “excuse” offered by persuasive and demanding professors for questioning or denying the existence of God. Intellectually the theory of evolution produced post-modern thinking contending there is 1) no god, 2) no objective truth, and 3) no overarching universal values that apply to all people. It was not necessary for the Boomer’s parents to be fully compromised; the professors’ arguments merely created doubt, regarding traditional Judeo-Christian values and beliefs—a doubt that slightly loosened child-rearing responsibilities. The “Greatest Generation” was about to unwittingly unleash tectonic cultural changes that would be expressed throughout the lives of the Baby Boomers.

The winds of the same post-modern thinking were gleefully fanned by the media, 1960s activists, the entertainment industry and politicians. Accordingly, generations following the Boomers have been increasingly compromised and their march to maturity largely disabled, because parents cannot teach their children concepts they do not know or understand themselves.

In a recent well-researched book, Diana West observed that America has become a culture of perpetual adolescence. We have replaced anchor-like virtues with slippery values, based on situational ethics. America has become a, “culture that has perpetuated and enshrined immaturity for more than a half century,” and, “…the civilization that forever dodges maturity will never live to a ripe old age.” Mike Males forcefully adds that, “The deterioration in middle-aged adult behavior has driven virtually every major American social problem over the past 25 years.”

Today, the so-called elite and many parents view the universe in strictly physical terms. As such, ordinary thinking is dominated by impersonal practical considerations (utilitarian, logic). Purposeful (spiritual) and principled (emotional) influences have been routinely torpedoed by evolution, science, the media, Hollywood, and many politicians. The results are evidenced by extreme political correctness, escalating cultural chaos, and the movement to “control” thought by defining “hate speech” and “hate crimes,” then rendering both unlawful.

A remedy, offered in future blogs, requires recognizing the role of Judeo-Christian tradition in the development of the greatest country and culture in recorded history, a culture envied the world over for the best quality-of-life and the highest standard-of-living ever achieved, and restore that tradition to prominence. Judge Robert Bork advises that “Religion must be recaptured church by church; and education, university by university; school board by school board.” Over two centuries ago, William Penn maintained, “Those people who are not ruled by God will be governed by tyrants.” Founder John Adams agreed, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion…”

So…What happened to the Baby Boomers? What constituted the perfect storm that collapsed a national culture in such an incredibly short time? That will be the topic of a future blog. Meanwhile, what do YOU think?

“…the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” I Corinthians 3:19 NIVThe Bible opened to the Book of Proverbs with Glasses

Baby Boomers Gave Us the Greatest Cultural Collapse in History!

The widely acclaimed “Greatest Generation,” those that came of age during the 1930s and 1940s are often and rightfully praised for the sacrifices they made throughout the Great Depression and World War II, their firmly held values, and the quiet unobtrusive way they conducted their post-WWII lives.

However, the subsequent Baby Boom Generation (born between 1946 and 1964) emerged as the most selfish, self-indulgent, self-absorbed, irresponsible generation in the history of America and exhibited the greatest example of generational groupthink in history. The following account is not intended to point a finger or condemn an entire generation, but rather to provoke thoughtful consideration and meaningful discussion.

baby_boomers_and_drug_abuse

The Baby Boomers presided over the fastest and greatest cultural collapse in history. It was the Baby Boomers who gave us:

  • Woodstock
  • Much of the chaos of the 1960s
  • Replacement of love with lust
  • Abandonment of personal responsibility
  • An erosion of fundamental values
  • Explosion of abortions
  • Skyrocketing divorce rates
  • Splintering of the family
  • Alternative lifestyles that undermine and devalue the family
  • Widespread “dumping” of children into day care centers
  • Children to be raised by strangers
  • Large-scale shuffling of parents or other inconvenient loved ones perceived as less than whole to adult day care centers or nursing homes
  • Substantial concentrations of politicians and journalists of low character
  • People in Hollywood and on television who used their God-given creative talents to tear people down, rather than build them up
  • Multiculturalism that creates barriers to communications and relationships
  • Deterioration of the school systems
  • Removal of morality and religion and from public discourse
  • Separation of rights from responsibilities, exhibited by pushing the Bill of Rights to absurd extremes that ultimately lead to anarchy
  • Extreme political correctness, which stifles communication and the growth of meaningful relationships
  • By far, the greatest national debt in history imposing a bone-crushing burden on our children and grandchildren
  • Over-zealous government regulations that invade virtually every area of life
  • A malignant national government that makes god-like decisions, ranging from life/death to a limitless array of minutiae

God says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” [Proverbs 22:6 KJV] Whose responsibility is it to “train up a child”? Day care centers and the schools cannot do it; at best, they are geared to educating the intellect. The churches cannot do it in only a few hours per week. Only the parents can do it!

Yet, many of the Baby Boomers effectively abandoned their single most important responsibility, raising godly children. Instead, the Boomers turned their children over to strangers to be raised. In the Boomers’ view, their personal desires trumped the needs of their children.

The Baby Boomers’ careers, recreational, and other self-interests trumped everything. Do not mess with the Boomers or disrupt their golf game, tennis match, hunting trip, fishing trip, career plans or anything else that they want. In addition, their sheer numbers enable them to demand and get virtually anything they want when they want it. Of course, there are exceptions. There are a minority of Boomers who determined early in life that they would live their lives according to God’s purpose and plan. God always has a remnant. [Romans 9:27 KJV]

The Baby Boomers notable successes are mainly intellectual and include people like Bill Gates and other high technology leaders. However, the magnetically powerful effect of the intellectual achievements has all too often crowded out the emotional and spiritual influences that give life its richness as intended by the Creator. Despite the enormous importance and usefulness of high technology it has had the unfortunate and perhaps unintended consequence of progressively isolating individuals.

A walk down virtually any street, through any mall, or through any airport quickly reveals that nearly everyone is plugged into some electronic device and therefore unavailable for even casual conversation much less thoughtful engagement. The Bible says that, “I come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” [John 10:10 KJV].

The abundant life lies in the richness of interpersonal relationships, beginning with the family. God seldom rewards the accumulation of “stuff,” but always rewards relationships when they are given a selfless priority. Yet, the “gift” of technology has all too often become a barrier to communications and the growth of interpersonal relationships. Indeed, the Boomer-spawned culture continues the relentless pursuit of stuff at the expense of relationships.

What do YOU think?

Do YOU Really Think God Will Overlook the American Holocaust of Unborn Children?

Do YOU really think God will overlook the American Holocaust of unborn children? Consider the historical precedents.

American Civil War

On Saturday, March 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address just a few weeks before his assassination. It’s the one with the famous line near the end, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right…” let us repair the physical, emotional, and spiritual damage of the Civil War. The brief, but profound speech is inscribed on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

The Civil War was by far the bloodiest of all American Wars. More blood was shed and lives lost during the Civil War than all other wars involving Americans put together. Why? Lincoln provided an answer in the lines preceding the famous one:

Both [sides] read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invoked His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” [Matthew 18:7 KJV]

If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away.

Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequired toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash (slavery) shall be paid by another drawn with the sword (war), as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” (parentheses added)

Such is the “woe” (price) Americans apparently paid of the “offense” of slavery. Now, let’s fast forward to World War II.

Holocaust of World War II

We are accustomed to viewing World War II from the perspective of the Americans and Allied Forces. However, Anita Dittman provided another profound perspective in her just published book, Trapped in Hitler’s Hell: A Young Jewish Girl Discovers the Messiah’s faithfulness in the Midst of the Holocaust. Anita’s faith sustained her throughout the most horrifying times the human mind can possibly conjure. The book is her story.

Her comments near the end of the book highlight the enormous price Germany paid for the holocaust of the Jews:

Germany was a massive, burned-out crater by the end of the war. Three million of her soldiers died, and another million shivered in the prisons of Siberia (presumably dying there as well). More than half a million civilians perished in the air raids over Germany.

The Nazis did their best to exterminate the entire Jewish race. In so doing, the Germans lost nearly as many of their own citizens, in addition to massive material losses. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” [Matthew 18:7 KJV] Although the Germans paid an astronomical price for their “woe,” there is yet another one in our time.

Holocaust of America’s Unborn Children

Беременность

Since the U.S. Supreme Court rendered the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, there has been a holocaust of nearly 58,000,000 unborn children. “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones…it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” [Matthew 18:6 KJV] Each individual childbirth is widely proclaimed to be a miracle from God. Can we reasonably expect God to keep His word with respect to the woe of slavery and the woe of the Jewish holocaust, yet look the other way regarding the modern woe (holocaust) of His miracle unborn children?

In a recent South Korean TV drama, a young girl discovers she’s pregnant following a single intimate encounter. She tells the father she’ll go to the hospital and have it “taken care of.” Neither liked the idea of abortion, but in the tense moments of the conversation, it seemed to be the only way to deal with the situation. The next morning, the father awakens to a note indicating that the mother was on the way to the hospital. The father rushes into the doctor’s office during a preliminary ultrasound. The father is told that the rhythmic sound emerging from a speaker is the baby’s heartbeat.

After a few anxious moments, both mother and father sign the consent form and the father walks to a waiting room. As he sits down, an immediate expression of anguish spreads across his face. He’s soon sweating bullets. When the tension exceeds his coping ability, he charges down the hospital hall faster than a 100-yard dasher, bursting into the operating room, screaming, “Stop!”

Moments later, the father and still-pregnant mother leave the hospital relieved to have avoided the abortion. The chuckling doctor turns to the nurse saying, “The heartbeat gets’em every time. Nine out of ten of them can’t go through with it after hearing the baby’s heartbeat.” The heart begins beating a mere 18 days after conception. Of course, life begins with God’s miracle at the moment of conception.

It’s fascinating that the Korean doctor’s do everything possible to discourage abortion. In contrast, the doctors in the American money-machine abortion mills do everything possible to encourage abortion. However, it’s not a matter of encouraging or discouraging abortion. The woe of the modern American holocaust of unborn children must be banned altogether.

Anita Dittman further charged that:

Many pastors and churches sold out to the Nazis or else turned a deaf ear and a blind eye to the suffering of Europe’s incarcerated. Satan worked himself into the very heart of the church in Germany and caused many church people—pastors and layman alike—to rationalize and compromise with the Nazis. A hear-no-evil, see-no-evil mentality swept the country with regard to her treatment of the Jews and other “undesirables.”

Today, it appears that many pastors and laymen are similarly turning a deaf hear to the holocaust of abortions. A compromise with evolution-rooted humanism, pressured by the beguiling notion of so called political correctness, is a compromise with Satan. How many Germans suffered severely just because they looked the other way. Do you really think that Americans can get away with “looking the other way?” What do YOU think?

“Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” [Matthew 18:7 KJV] “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones…it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” [Matthew 18:6 KJV]

“The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator.” “Science brings men nearer to God.” Louis Pasteur, Father of Microbiology

The Family is Rock Solid!

The family is rock solid. Don’t miss out! The traditional family is one of the most awesome, breathtaking, and vitally important of all of God’s magnificent creations! Here’s why:

happy family in front of house outdoors

  • God’s plan stabilizes and provides coherence to the family.
  • The stabilized family builds stability and coherence into the national culture.
  • A stable culture assures continuity of values across future generations.
  • God’s plan facilitates the growth of the God-ordained marriage partnership and family.
  • Married people are happier.
  • Married people are healthier.
  • Family is life’s boot camp for children, instilling virtues and guiding growth.
  • True family-centered families—as opposed to career-centered family arrangements reduce crime.
  • True family-centered families—as opposed to career-centered family arrangements reduce drug abuse.
  • A loving family experience facilitates interpersonal relationships outside the family, enhancing the richness of career, hobby, volunteer, and recreational experiences.
  • God’s plan enables family members to practice humility, forgiveness, mercy, longsuffering, and a servant’s spirit in a loving, nonthreatening environment.
  • The positive character embedded in family members—parents and children—is carried to the outside community throughout life.
  • Family members learn to overcome pride by serving other family members
  • The family is an incubator for building God-ordained intellectual, emotional, and spiritual views and values (character development).
  • The family aligned with God’s plan ultimately leaves the greatest of all possible legacies.
  • The family aligned with God’s plan is the married couple’s gift back to God.
  • The family aligned with God’s plan inspires frequent, comfortable, and nonthreatening opportunities for faith sharing.

The driving passion for the family visualized in God’s plan is the aggregate of:

  1. Gratitude for the Lord’s personally expressed infinite love.
  2. Desire to express that gratitude by serving Him and others as a way of life.
  3. Desire to be a conduit of His love to succeeding generations by embedding His love and character in the next generation’s children.

Anything that erodes family culture absolutely and irretrievably undermines national culture, at first weakening it and ultimately annihilating it. No culture has ever survived the breakdown of the family. Ours won’t either. It’s up to YOU to save America and the family. What do you think?

What Did Einstein Think About God?

What did Albert Einstein, the monumental icon of the intellect, think about God? Let’s just let him speak for himself:

  • “Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science become convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe—a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our most modest powers must feel humble.”
  • “His [scientist’s] religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.”
  • “As a child I received instruction in both the Bible and the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene… No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”

Einstein

Perhaps, Einstein was inspired by Job 38:4-7, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Or…

  • “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth.” [Proverbs 3:19]
  • “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…All things were created through Him and for Him.” [Colossians 1:16]
  • “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” [Revelation 4:11]

Sadly, today our culture has, “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” [Romans 1:25] When the God of the universe competes with man’s attempts to make himself his own god, who wins? Who do you think? Are YOU willing to stand with Albert Einstein in awe of the Creator and honor Him for all He has done?

Evolution Blows Away Like a House of Cards in a Hurricane!

Darwin knew a living cell as only a blob of green protoplasm. However, in recent decades since the discovery of DNA, knowledge of cell structure has exploded at an exponential pace. A cell is like a micro-city. It has power plants (mitochondria), manufacturing plants (ribosomes), a central library or database (DNA), an “Interstate” highway system (microtubules), a distribution center (Golgi Complex), a fleet of trucks (vesicles), and provisions for water and wastewater treatment. Your body has 50-100 trillion of these micro-cities.

Hand holding Earth

Each of your cells houses a DNA database that contains at least 3 gigabytes of information (think Encyclopedia Britannica) coded in a language that uses a four-letter alphabet (nitrogen bases). Each of 100,000 different proteins in the body is itself a massive molecule created from a language using a twenty-letter alphabet (amino acids). Proteins contain from 50 to 36,000 amino acids in a precisely programmed sequence. A single cell contains about 9,000 of these amazingly complex molecules in addition to the DNA.

To manufacture just one protein, the information coded in a very specific DNA location must be transcribed (like old-fashioned short hand) from coded information to information in a useful form (RNA). The information in the more useful form must be translated from a 4-letter alphabet language into different 20-letter alphabet language, similar to translating English into Chinese. Only then can the actual manufacture of the protein begin.

Even the DNA of a single-celled bacterium contains an amount of coded information in the megabyte range. Remember when computers had a memory measured in megabytes? We were amazed at even those computer capabilities at the time.

Did all this arise by time and chance alone? No way! Absolutely not! Simply imagining astronomical amounts of time cannot come anywhere close to explaining the creation of life.

Today, Charles Darwin would likely doubt, if not repudiate, his own theory. Toward the end of his life, he observed:

I was a young man with unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them. Charles Darwin

Praise God from whom ALL things flow!

Two Opposing Worldviews Cannot Coexist

The most important of all life’s decisions is the acceptance or denial of the existence of God and recognition of His active presence in the life of anyone accepting Him. It is a critical decision, because in addition to eternal consequences, the choice becomes the driving force of the present life. The unbeliever tends to live for the benefit of self, within few moral/ethical constraints. The believer matures by learning the importance of serving others, adhering to God’s moral standards as an expression of love, and knowing that focusing on the needs of others inspires the richest possible life experience. God’s moral standards require continuing progress along the lifelong journey to maturity, a journey where an individual should become substantially more humble, forgiving, merciful, and longsuffering, while developing a servant’s spirit.

In contrast, mankind’s own evolution-rooted standards incites a drive toward the opposing view, including selfishness, scorn, vengeance, impatience, and a demanding spirit. Although there are more polite terms for these seemingly negative values, they are all provoked by an unhealthy form of pride. The contrast between the evolutionist/secular view and the Christian view could not be greater. Consider the Table 6.1 comparison between the two views.

Worldviews Table

The evolutionist/secular humanist view appears to provide a path to a strained conclusion that God does not exist, evoking the post-modern conclusions that there is no objective truth and therefore no overarching values that apply to all people. Essentially, man becomes his/her own god, scorning religion and depending on the authority only of self, evoking decisions rendered primarily for the benefit of self. The absence of values anchored to incontrovertible virtues prompts severe criticism of the traditional Judeo-Christian American culture. One casualty of the loss of a stable culture is the replacement of commonly held values with extreme tolerance, which is indistinguishable from indifference. The absence of moral responsibilities combined with the perception that life is absolute and absolutely short elevates a prideful and extreme pursuit of wealth. With the public distracted by materialism, the self-proclaimed elite are able to pursue, virtually unhindered, their perception of a utopia that they believe can only be achieved by total government control of all people, except the elite themselves. Note the tendency of the U.S. Congress to exempt themselves from many pieces of legislation.

The Judeo-Christian view is that God is the Creator of all things and all life. He is personally interested in every individual. Since God is truth, objective truth is derived from Him and the study of His Creation. As such, the Christian depends on the authority of God, rather than self, recognizing that American exceptionalism arose from Judeo-Christian tradition. That tradition produced the best quality-of-life and the highest standard-of-living in the world. There is no other explanation. A Christian values faith and love above all else, keeping a healthy and balanced perspective of materialistic pursuits. He/she recognizes that God provided moral limitations for the benefit of people not to control them. Moral limitations are a safe harbor leading to reduced stress, the full richness of the human experience, stable families and a cohesive culture that is readily sustained from generation to generation. God has already created paradise in the Garden of Eden and in Heaven. Mankind’s own failures have caused the problems in between. The Christian’s life focus is on serving others and maturing by growing in godly character. Finally, the Christian seeks wisdom, noting that the Holy Bible and the clergy are reliable points of reference, not government leaders.

Despite the extreme and life-changing importance attached to the choice of a world view, many people drift toward a view without serious consideration of the alternatives. Although the choice is the most influential driving force of life, many people simply yield to cultural pressure institutionalized in the public education system, moving gradually toward an evolutionist/secular view. Even many people claiming to hold the Christian view do so on a somewhat shallow level bending to the winds of cultural decline as a matter of practical living. God’s view is clear, but often misunderstood, because modern Christians tend to limit God’s Word, the Bible, by depending on detailed analysis to mine a new nugget of wisdom (zoom in). However, God’s view is holistic (zoom out). Rather than viewing God’s Word from the “bottom up,” Christians must learn, insofar as possible to also appreciate in a pervasive way, the wholeness of God’s Word, as He views it.

Do People Ask YOU About Your Faith? Why? When?

Recently, I was reminded that Christian leaders encouraging believers to share their faith often cite 1 Peter 3:15, which reads, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” [NIV] The context of the presentation is usually an effort to persuade believers to ask a clever question, which will turn the conversation in a spiritual direction.

However, the Scriptural context is always being ready, when someone, usually an unbeliever, asks the believer about his hope. Do people ask YOU about your hope? Why or why not? The sense of the Scriptural passage is that the hope must be visible or no one would be inclined to ask.

How does hope become visible? 2 Corinthians 6:17 echoes the same thought, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.” [NIV] Being separate indicates visibility; hope clearly means visibility in a positive, attractive, and encouraging way.

But today, many in the body of Christian believers are largely invisible—lost in the crowded background culture. We look like everyone else. We dress like everyone else, within limits of modesty. We talk like everyone else, but usually choose to avoid profanity. We socialize like everyone else, but avoid certain movies or particularly sinful places. However, what we don’t wear, don’t say, or places we choose not to go are negatives, which are essentially not visible. Yet, we are known as a people who aspire to live life on a higher plane. When the higher plane is not visible, the result is the common accusation that we are judgmental, narrow minded, dupes.

The vital question remains, “How are we to be separate and visible in a positive or desirable way?” Matthew 7:20 is a big help, “…by their fruit you will recognize them.” [NIV] What fruit? The fruit of godly character and the fruit of love, which is the fruit of the Spirit!

A previous blog demonstrated that love is spiritual energy and that ALL love comes from God. God’s infinite love passes through the prism of YOU and me, to the extent that it is not hindered by the interference of our pride, separating love into its components, which are humility, forgiveness, mercy, longsuffering, and a servant’s spirit. We grow and mature by actively and routinely choosing to be humble, forgiving, merciful, longsuffering, and being a servant to others. These are the actions that become visible in our culture, when we exhibit them as a lifestyle.

Love

But there is more, much more. Our character and visibility grow as we encounter opportunities to be humble, forgiving, merciful, longsuffering, and a servant to others. Character growth allows us to experience one of God’s most incredible promises, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” [Galatians 5:22 NIV] All the time, during and in between character-building events, we are privileged to experience, express, and exhibit the pervasive overwhelming fruit of the Spirit.

Now, that’s positive, endearing visibility. The fruit of the Spirit creates a glow and spiritual allure unlike anything else. That’s when people will ask us about the hope that we have. That’s when YOU must, “Always be prepared to give an answer…” What do YOU think?

“Mothers constitute the only universal agent of civilization. Nature has placed in her hands both infancy and youth. The vital interest of America hang largely upon the influence of mothers.” T.W. Shannon